News!

This morning we got the news (unofficially) that we have been waiting for this week!  I have stealthy Korean American adoption friends that found the public Korean family court website online where you can look up your case by your case number (have to be able to read Korean so they graciously do it for me).  By looking at your docket online you can find out when the judge issued preliminary approval 2 business days before the agency actually knows because the clerk writes it up and sends it by snail mail.  Soooo, my awesome friend has told me that our Judge issued our preliminary approval on late Thursday afternoon.  Our social work probably won't get it until Monday or Tuesday by regular mail though and as soon as she does, we can set up the custody date.  So, hoping for a Tuesday or Wednesday custody day! 

So, we are definitely going to be here for the long haul now.  Once you get custody there is no turning back and you have to stay in country until you get final approval from the Judge.  As I said before, normally this would only take about 14 business days if Grant's birth mom was able to be located and sign off on the adoption for the second time (first time at birth but since he was born before the enactment of the special adoption law, the Court is making them do it again), but they have tried her three times now with no luck.  So, that means we have to wait here while the notice of preliminary approval gets sent to her, comes back undeliverable again, then they do a public posting on a website for due process, then our 14 day waiting period can officially start.  So unfortunately our scenario isn't the best because of the length of time we may have to stay here but we are trying to look at it as a once in a lifetime experience and wonderful family bonding and attachment before Grant comes home. 

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers to get custody early next week and for as speedy process as possible given our circumstances!

We bought Auden a traditional Korean special occasion outfit today called a "hanbok."  Usually the foster mom gives you the one the child wore on their first birthday so we will likely have one for Grant already.  Auden was excited to have one for himself now.  Oh, and in Korea, pink is actually a little boy color, not girl, so most of them have a lot of pink:-)