Dear Baby Girl ~ December 2013

Dear Baby Girl,

Oh how things have changed since the first draft of this letter to you.

The last two weeks have been a fierce whirlwind.  Our dossier {the big packet of forms that goes to the Bulgarian government saying we want to adopt you} was requested early in order to get a jump start on translation.  By early I mean we had everything except one form. Bulgaria contacted our adoption agency to ask where we were with dossier completion.  Sweet girl, this does not happen.  It just does.not.happen.

Mama's heart broke a little when our agency confirmed that the Bulgarian government closes down for Christmas.  But then! Oh then, when our dossier was requested, it was clarified that it was requested so that translation can take place now and the entire dossier be ready for submission to the Ministry of Justice when they open post-holiday. The last piece of our dossier is the United States immigration approval.  This gives us permission to adopt from a specific foreign country.

Last week went something like this:

Tuesday~Momma runs around like crazy getting things notarized, picking up extra documents and having Daddy sign more documents after some much needed clarifications.  Momma calls the Secretary of State's office in Madison and begs for expedition of apostilles on our documents, explaining the circumstances. Momma mails documents to Madison to be apostilled.

Wednesday~Momma emails USCIS: Hague Adoptions to inquire on our immigration application status.  Momma goes to have her hair done.  She sits in the salon and checks her email to find an email from USCIS stating we have APPROVAL. Momma shouts YES! at the top of her lungs and the entire salon turns their heads.

Saturday~Apostilled documents arrive in our mailbox.  Momma and Daddy do a VERY happy dance.  Momma opens the envelope to find that two documents were not able to apostilled.  The process has changed and they need to be done different, and through a different office.  Momma makes copies of everything and mails everything to our adoption agency.  It has arrived at our agency, now we just wait for the immigration approval (with apostille) to arrive at the agency and everything goes to Bulgaria for translation.

Sunday~We finish the initial preparations for your room and take pictures for the dossier.  Your brother helped!

Monday~Hard copy of our immigration approval letter comes in the mail.  Momma and Daddy do another VERY happy dance.

Tuesday~Christmas Eve. Momma stands with your brother in the aisle so he can watch the music and lights and sheds tears, knowing that next year I'll have two hands to hold in this very moment.

Wednesday~Christmas Day.

I hope your orphanage is full of Christmas spirit.  I hope you have a tree to stand awestruck in front of and yummy treats to celebrate.  I hope you are enjoying Bulgarian children's Christmas songs.  We've added as many as we could find to our own Christmas music listening.  I have felt so blessed to have such amazing technology and access to research your culture, your world, your heritage.  I hope there is sparkly garland hanging on the walls and across the windows.  Christmas is a big thing for your country, so I have no doubt you will be celebrating it. We are praying you were celebrated there as you are here.

But oh how we wish you were here with us.  The Christmas before we brought your brother home felt bittersweet and out of place.  Someone was missing.  This year was and is no different.  You are missing, my baby girl.   You are SO loved and SO missed. Listening to Bulgarian Christmas songs makes me cry.  I long to hear your sweet voice in person. Our Christmas theme this year at church was Wonderstuck.  That, my dear girl, is what our journey to you has been all about.  Has anything left you wonderstruck?  Ab.so.lutely.

We decided to decorate our Christmas tree in honor of you.  We chose all red ornaments.  Do you like it?

You have your own tree in your room, too.  See?

Grandma made you your first stocking:

And you received your first Christmas gifts:

We love you SO much.  Christmas isn't about gifts.  Christmas is about THE gift.  We are so thankful to Christ for coming to this world.  We are so thankful for His blessings.  You and your brother are our blessings.  Even though we long to hold you, cuddle you, watch you marvel at the magic of Christmas, fluff your pretty dresses and have you pose next to your brother, we know the GIFT of YOU is well worth waiting for.

Merry Christmas Baby Girl.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy