Article 5 has been approved...and hopefully picked up!

Normal time for Article 5 is a two-week turn around or 10 business days from drop-off to pick-up.  For those medically expediting it is 24 to 48 hrs and the only thing an agency needs to do is take the medical letters with the paperwork.  The consulate is actually very nice and many medical expedites have had success with this step without a problem.   I had not heard anything a few days after our article 5 was dropped off.  I checked in a few times- nothing.  A majority of our agency staff left for China this past Saturday until June 5th.   I checked in with the staff still in the office- it took a few extra days to hear back since almost everyone is in China.   They had heard nothing.  Knowing that this is not normal, I emailed the US consulate yesterday with our info and why our son needs to come home immediately, along with the medical letters.  While we slept, I got an email saying that it was approved!   Now we are just praying that our agency rep in China picked it up that day before they closed so we don't have to wait until Monday.   Supposedly this document gets mailed over night to the CCCWA in Beijing and then you start the wait for travel approval (TA).  TA waits range one week to four weeks, with two to three being average.  We are hoping for 2 weeks or less. 

Another traveling family adopting twin girls got these photos of our little guy last week- there was a lot going on in the swi so he was a little confused.  She said he picked out some stickers for himself and for my friend Nicole's daughter too...so sweet with the little ones. :)   She said he has changed so much since the last time she was at the orphanage- so much more confident and happy.   He looks like he has a little mischief in him too- though what boy doesn't? ;)

Confused!

Time for a treat and pictures!  

The little girl being held is my friend Nicole's daughter- she will be coming home a few weeks after Reid.  

 "Who's in there?"

 Opening up a bit more- little by little.

 Saying goodbye to the nice lady who gave him stickers!

One more step to go!  COME ON TA!  

I better get packing and getting all the loose ends tied up around here....like getting the visas in the passport, figuring out what we are going to do for Reid's bed- whether it will be a trundle, a twin near the window, or if Rick will be configuring some sort of smaller bunk bed system or lofted bed since we have the slanted ceilings up there.