LID!!!

We have finally been notified of our log in date (LID).  Our dossier was sent to China January 4^th, was signed for on January 9^th and officially logged in on January 19^th but we just found out.  Phew.  So we are now 33 days into our next wait.  Oh and did I say Phew yet?

Where is my LID already???

Today is a very sad day for me.  No, nothing in particular happened, but that is the point.  Nothing is happening.  My husband and I were so occupied with our son who turned 6 yesterday that I didn’t have too much time to think.  But now I am just sad.  If I were to guess we should be about 36 days into our wait for our LOA, about half way given the averages.  But the part that really bothers me is that I don’t know this for sure since we still do not have a log in date.  Our agency has assured me that our dossier was received by China, but that it just hasn’t been input into the system yet.  But who really knows.  Maybe it is sitting there on someone’s desk covered by everyone else’s dossier or maybe it is being used to level the leg of a lopsided table.  Who knows?  The agency gave me a 4-6 week timeframe until we receive our date and we are now officially at the 6 week mark since our dossier was sent.  Why is nothing easy in this process?  We waited a long time for our immigration approval (77 days) which is about 30 days more than the current approval times.  Now it looks like we are in for a long wait again.  I love our agency and I love the support we have received, but I am not happy with the wait and see approach this long in the wait.  I was advised to stay off the internet because there will always be someone else who gets something quicker and that will lead to disappointment.  Maybe, but without the internet I would have had no idea what I was doing.  Yes, our agency is good, but they aren’t perfect and by reading the forums I found out how I was supposed to send things in, what is the best way to complete various forms, which couriers to use,  etc.  The internet has kept me one step ahead and because of the experiences of all the other adoptive parents I felt prepared at each step of our paperchase.  Truthfully, without the internet I would be more worried because I wouldn’t know what to expect.  Even now, I can find someone out there who has waited as long or longer that we have and will give me assurances that it will happen.  But I am still sad.  I have a little girl who I long to bring home and make a part of our family. 

 

Still waiting to hear about LID

I believe that we were DTC (dossier to China) on or about 1/4/12.  As of today we still do no have our LID (log in date).  We are most likely already logged in, unless something has happened, but just don't have the date yet.  Our agency said finding out the date will take 4-6 weeks.  What I can't understand is how other people have sent their dossier's in after we did and received a LID the next week.  I don't know.  Nothing is very straightforward in this process and there is truly no rhyme or reason to why some people go through the process faster and other's wait much too long.  Anyway, we are waiting to hear our LID, but the three letters we really want are LOA (letter of acceptance) or LSC (letter seeking confirmation).  This comes from China after they have translated and reviewed our dossier and then given us final approval to be Elise's parents.  This step can take 2 months or longer...we are somewhere at around day 22 in our wait.  It is going to be a long 2-3 months.

I have been starting to prepare Elise's room during the wait.  I painted the room two shades of purple and am working on doing a mural.    I found a hunter fan with pink flowers and hearts which looks so cute.  Rather than buy new furniture she is taking Wyatt's old dressers which are still in great shape and then she is going to use the bottom twin bed from his new bunk bed which matches the dressers perfectly.  Everytime I go to the store I buy her something because we have had to start basically from scratch here.  After Christmas I found a power wheels Barbie VW on clearance for half price...so I had to get it.  And clothes...lots of clothes coming in.  Love the girly clothes.  After three boys it is so strange to see all the pinks and purples and little skirls with leggings. 

So last week I went on the Bethel site and found they had uploaded more pictures of our beautiful daughter Elise.  Some are older pictures, but one is more recent because she is wearing the hair bows we sent for Christmas.  The school is wonderful and Elise is so loved there...we are definitely blessed.  All of the children look so happy.  Anyway here are the pictures...enjoy.

 This next one is sooo cute.  She looks like a tough little cookie here.

And this is my favorite.  She is so precious.  Awww, I just can't wait to give her a hug and some smooches.