Teeny Tiny Steps to Noah

"Any news on the adoption?"
"What do you hear from China?"
"When can you go get Noah?"
"So when are you traveling anyways?"

These are the questions I hear all the time.  I've asked them myself a few times.

Since we adopted Micah, the US has signed onto the Hague Treaty on adoption.  This treaty governs inter-country adoptions and attempts to make them fair and ethical.  A good thing, I agree.  However, this treaty has added a bunch of steps that must take place between our Letter Of Acceptance and our Travel Authorization from China.  (With Micah we got our TA three weeks after LOA without any action on our part).  Here are the steps that Hague requires (as I understand them):

1. submit your i800 to USCIS  We did this on 6/11
2. wait for provisional approval from the National Benefits Center (NBC). (takes 2-4 weeks). Ours was 7/7
3. NBC forwards your i800 file to the Department of State National Visa Center (NVC) (takes about a week)  Sent 7/9, received by the State Department on 7/12
4. NVC "cables" your file to Guangahou.  Our file was cabled on 7/14
5.  Await letter from National Visa Center stating that your file has been cabled to Guangzhou (another week or so) We got our letter on 7/19 
6. Your agency will walk your LOA & DS 230 (your child's visa application) into the consulate in Guangzhou (only happens on Mondays or Thursdays) Ours was delivered on 7/22
7. Wait for your Article 5 (about two weeks)  We hope to get ours on 8/4
8. Your Article 5 is walked into the CCAA in Beijing. (Next day?)
9. Wait for TA (2-4 weeks).


So we are definitely getting closer to our boy.  I'm finding this part very difficult to wait through.  I just try to remember that once he is in our arms, he will be there forever and the waiting will be forgotten.