What Happens Next?

O.k. so a long time since my last post...sorry about that.

Summertime is our busiest time at work so we have been running like crazy..plus Yvan's sister is getting married next weekend (Yahoo) and the next week or so will be even crazier!

We have had lots of people asking "What Happens Next?" and "When will you post a picture of your wee baby boy?"

I know all of my fellow adoption bloggers know this backwards and forwards but for those you who don't here you go.

What happens Next:

Well, basically we wait some more. Yup, I said it! More waiting.

We have officially accepted the referral for our son and by that I mean we signed all the necessary paper work our social worker had for us as well as the paperwork our agency CAFAC had for us.

Then we filled out what is called "Part 2" of the Canadian immigration forms to get Permanent Residency status for our boy which was surprisingly really easy to do (Part 1 was the sponsorship stuff and they want to know who your third cousin's, uncle's dog is and was really hard!)

Now we wait for our rep in Ethiopia to file get the necessary paperwork together and apply for a court date to make our son legally ours. This is done in Ethiopia by a Power of Attorney and we do not need to go to Ethiopia for this.

Once court is successful (it can take several court dates if not all the paper work is there) the final countdown is on.

At the same time as court dates are being scheduled, a medical is requested by the Canadian government to be sure he is up to "Canadian standards" health wise.

When this is approved and we have are officially parents to our boy - then an Ethiopian passport is issued and so is the Permanent Residency Visa for Canada - both of these documents are very important in order for us to bring wee one home.

Once all of this is in our Power of Attorney's hands in Ethiopia we are given the green light to book our flights to go to Ethiopia and meet our son for the first time!!!!!

All of this can take around 6 months or more depending on how things go in Ethiopia. It is important to remember that business is completely different in Africa..and so we have to be as patient as we can be. Which so far we are being very good at...in a few months it might be a whole other scenario.

So, all in all we hope (best case scenario) to be travelling in January or February!

As for the other question,

When will you post pictures of your wee baby?

We can't!

Legally we aren't his parents yet (although we are in our hearts) and the Ethiopian government has very strict rules about placing photos of children who aren't legally adopted on the Internet.

So, until we pass court we won't be posting even a wisp of the little tuft of hair on the top of his head.

And let me tell you, that little tuft is CUTE!

If you know me well, then you have my email or a way to get in touch with me and I would be more than happy to show him off to you but not on our blog or on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter until we are legally able to .

Bummer, I know! But that is the dealio and we aren't going to jeopardize him for the world.

This is a pretty abridged version of what happens next but I think you get the idea.

Much love!