WE ARE GOING HOME WITH MAGGIE SONIA!!!

The American Embassy approved Maggie Sonia to travel to the USA with us this afternoon at 1:30 pm. YEAH!! After 3 years, we have reached the end of the adoption process. There are many people to thank for it but most certainly the staff at Wide Horizons for Children in particular our India co-ordinator Eileen Minnucci; the American Embassy and all its staff; Catholic charities in Mississippi for the home study and Michelle Parisi who notarized all the many documents for us.

The visa process at the Embassy went smoothly. Our appointment was schedule for 9:00 am. The Embassy is only 5 minutes from this hotel (The ITC Maurya). We had walked to it from the hotel last week for a test run but we don't recommend it with a baby so today we had a driver. We arrived at the embassy at 8:35 and there was a long line already. We were ushered to a room that looks like our local DMV but larger by two orders of magnitude. Its not a kids friendly room. Each person is given a # and ours was O6. On a typical day, over 700 to a 1000 applicants go through this office but we were the only adoption case today. An hour later we were called to the first of three window booth (kind of like in the bank) which eventually will lead to the interview by the consular staff. The 2nd window is the cashier : $400 for our visa -- could this be the last of the $$ for the adoption process ? (credit cards are accepted). After we paid the fee, we waited for the interview. Its held open to the room so everyone can hear and see what's going on. (I would think they would have taken us to a conference room. Also there aren't any areas for kids to play or relax while you wait). We waited for about 2 hours before we were called for the interview.

The actual process was straightforward. We had to take an oath and then the consulate officer verified our documents. We had to give her the following : passport, NOC document (its a copy),guardianship court document and abandonment certificate.Then we explained that we needed to go back to the doctor's office for the 3 remaining shots to receive the medical review form. We were done by 11:30 and on our way to the doctor's office for the remaining shots. (Dr. Chawla's office is not far from the Embassy). His address is 37 Prithviraj Road Delhi near Khan market.

The doctor , Mary and Maggie Sonia

Not so fun immunization shots time!

We had the doctor's check up certificate within 1/2 hour and returned to the embassy at 12:30. After waiting for another hour -- our name was listed on the board and we received all the documents !!!

Phew!!! All the worries last night ....? and now we can relax for the next 24 hours before we leave for home on KLM : We fly from Delhi to Amsterdam then after a brief layover we fly to Minneapolis Minnesota to spend Christmas with Mary's sister. We'll return home to Mississippi on the 29th!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

(yes there is a Santa Claus!)