Moving Right Along

Yesterday we went to USCIS and got our fingerprints done.  The experience this time was much better than it was four years ago when we did it.  This time the people working there actually talked to us like we were... well, people - instead of suspicious someones not to be trusted.  The guards who ran us throught the metal detector and our stuff through the X-ray machine actually engaged us in conversation - asking us where we were adopting from and then saying 'Ni hao ma!' (I believe this is 'Hello Mom!' - I really need to work on that basic Chinese) to me.  The technician who took our biometrics (electronic fingerprinting) actually engaged me in conversation instead of just grunting orders to me.  And then the guards wished us well with our adoption as we were leaving the building.  Totally.Different.Experience.

Today I took documents for our dossier to the post office (sent priority flat rate with a paid return priority envelope enclosed) to send to the Secretary of State offices of Kansas and Missouri.  Tim's employment letter went to Kansas to be certified/ authenticated and all the rest of our documents went to Missouri to be certified/ authenticated.  For my Colombian adoption friends, this is the exact same process as an apostille.  For some reason China doesn't require an apostille even though it's a Hague country just like Colombia.  Whatever, I just do what the adoption agency tells me at this point...

Our dossier consultant at our main agency called USCIS yesterday and left a message - and again today and spoke with the officer for our case asking him to expedite us due to the fact that our son is aging out soon.  We'll see what happens since he made her no promises...  Just know that I'm not ruling out calling my Senator to make our case move up on the officer's list of priorites if I have to.  This is a different USCIS office than the fingerprinting office, maybe they moved the old staff over there (they are in the same metropolitan area)?  I'm just sayin'...

Below is the latest picture we have of Zane/SongSong (thank you Sanders! - that's Stacey with her 4-year-old Jayden also in the picture).  I hope he looks this happy to see us when we come for him :).