Packet 3!

I called the Visa hotline in DC this week, and found out that our visa paperwork was received at the US Embassy in Seoul on November 19th. They processed the file and sent a bunch of paperwork (called a Packet 3 or P3) to the Korean agency on November 25th. The agency will be working on that this week, and hopefully they will get it back to the Embassy next week. Once the Embassy has it, they schedule a Visa Interview (I think it's more paperwork, not an actual "interview" with Daniel!) and grant the visa. Once that's done, we are just waiting for the call! When the agency calls us, we should get somewhere between 3 days and a week's notice that he's flying in!!!
I'm going to give the hotline a call back mid week next week, and hopefully I'll have another update to post :)

The Yellow Bus

Dom tracked down what may just be the "perfect yellow bus"! We've been on the lookout for one ever since we got the pictures of Daniel playing with one in Korea, and last week he hit the jackpot in Toys R Us. Here it is:


Hopefully having a few similar things will ease his transition from Korea to the US!

National Visa Center

When our I600 was approved last week, immigration sends a letter to us and also sends the file to the National Visa Center in New Hampshire. Once they receive it, they log the file in and out, and send the necessary paperwork to the US Embassy in Seoul! Well, we just got a letter from the NVC that our file was forwarded to Seoul on November 14th!!
Once it arrives in Korea, the Embassy works with the agency to gather even more paperwork (called a Packet 3-I have no idea why!), and then they schedule a "Visa Interview" to finalize the paperwork with someone from the agency and then the Visa is issued! At that point, all they have to do is find an escort to bring Daniel home!
Keep your fingers crossed that things keep moving this quickly!!!!

I600 Approval!!!!!

We got the great news yesterday in the mail that our I 600 was approved by Philadelphia USCIS on November 9th!!! Welcome House also told us that Daniel was submitted for Emigration Permission in the middle of October, so we should be getting approval on that shortly as well. Things are finally moving along!
There's still nothing definate as to a timeline, but the agency says that the average time from I600 approval to placement is 5-8 weeks. So everyone please keep their fingers crossed that we are closer to 5 weeks instead of 8! Hopefully he'll be home by the end of the year, but even early January isn't too far away :)
We also had an amazing surprise shower from the people I work with today! I was completely overwhelmed (yup, totally burst into tears)-they are so sweet. We got some really great presents, including a photo collage of all the pictures we have of Danny...I can't wait to get it framed and hang it up in the house. In the meantime, I can just stare at my little boy while I'm in my office! Like I said, I work with wonderful people!

Update from the agency

We got a fabulous email from Welcome House today with these new pictures! I'm not sure when they were taken, but you can see how fast Daniel is growing!!! He's already pulling up in the crib, so it looks like we'll be taking that bumper out before he even gets to use it. He might very well be walking before he gets home...yikes, we'll be in trouble then!

Pictures

Another really sweet family who traveled to pick up their little girl visited with Daniel a couple of times and took some new pictures for us! He's getting so big, we just can't believe it. Apparently, he adores the little yellow bus that he's playing with in these pictures. Now we're on the search for the perfect toy bus to have waiting for him : )

Cute Dogs

While I'm uploading pictures, here are some cute ones of the dogs!

We spent some time in the backyard playing keep away and catch with the dogs yesterday, and Sandy was trying to quit on us! We wouldn't let her and she finally stole the ball and hid underneath the butterfly bush next to the patio so we couldn't get it! She looks awfully pleased with herself!

Argo lounging on the couch! He needed to recover from barking at the dogs next door and begging for treats :)