LOA!!!

What an amazing day!  We have been waiting, not quite patiently, since coming out of translation on 9/27, for today's news...LOA.  LOA means "letter of acceptance" in adoption-speak.  This is the point that China asks us to formally accept Jaden as our son.

 When we get the snail mail copy tomorrow, we will sign it and overnight it back to the agency so that they can get it back to China.  We also send a copy of it to the US immigration dept with our 800 form seeking permission to bring our new child into the country with us.  We already have permission to bring a child back, now we get specific permission for Jaden.   Then the US has to cable their approval to the Chinese government, who then issues us travel approval.  Somewhere in there we apply for our travel visas and Jaden's visa.
Whew, sounds confusing, no?  No one ever said pregnancy was easy, not even a paper pregnancy.

Funny thing about today...I've been convinced every day for the last week that the LOA would be here that day but Tim, not so much.  We are not yet on day 60 of this particular wait and some families have had to wait up to 155 days!  On his way home from teaching today, at about the same time I was reading the very exciting email telling me the LOA was on the way, Tim had a strong urge to call and ask me if there was any news.  He said it was the first time he had felt that sense that something important had happened.  He convinced himself not to call because he knew it would make me sad to have to say no news and I didn't call him because I wanted to be face to face to tell him.  :).
We had recently prayed for a quick LOA after a long convoluted discussion over the efficacy of prayer in that type of situation.  (We know God doesn't take away free will but does speeding up a secretary in China count as taking away free will?  ).  Anyway, perhaps that wonderful hopeful feeling Tim got on the highway today was God's little whisper, "Don't worry, kids.  I've got this."

See you soon, Jaden.