Roses vs. Mickey

We had our fingerprints taken at Dept.of Homeland Security.  As before, Daniels were perfect.  The technician actually gave him a "reading" of his prints.  Supposedly he has perfect rose shaped prints.  She went on to describe his personality perfectly from the shape of his prints.  My prints were less than perfect.  In fact I received a letter saying that my prints would have to be retaken in 3 weeks.  I cried.  Not because my fingerprints are sub-par but because we can't get approved until they get good prints on me.  They say that from the time your prints are taken, it will be up to 30 days until you receive your letter of approval from immigration which is the last piece of the puzzle for us to move forward with our adoption.  I heard the mailman Saturday morning and walked around the corner and stopped dead at the sight of a letter from CIS.  I ripped open the letter expecting our acceptance letter but instead seeing that my fingerprints weren't readable.  This is the point in which I cryed.  Our adoption wouldn't be moving forward that day like I had hoped when I saw the letter.  Our timeline got pushed back another 4-8 weeks.  From what I was told, the fact that I wash my hands so often combined with rolling instruments between my fingers all day long creates vertical lines through my prints so they can't be read properly.  They said if I sleep with my hands soaked in lotion and covered with gloves every night it might help.   Never did I think that my prayers would include a plea for my fingerprints.  Of course there are a lot of things that this adoption has added to my prayer list that anyone else would think were nuts outside of the situation.  So, for the next month I'll be looking like Mickey Mouse at bedtime.  Daniel thinks it's hilarious to see me in my pj's and white gloves.  Let me tell you, it's totally glamorous.

My Poor Pregnant Heart

I would like to begin with a financial update.  Many of you have been so generous with us and we thank you from the absolute bottom of our hearts.  We've shed many tears of thanks for the support we've received verbally and financially.  God has blessed us in ways we never dreamed.  At this point, we have $2,900  left to pay in legal fees and around $10,000 to pay in travel fees.  (Just as a reminder both Daniel and I will be making two trips to and from Ethiopia.  First to stand before the courts.  Second, for an embassy appointment and to bring our little girl home. My voice raises about 3 octaves every time I say "bringing her home" lol.)  Needless to say, we are SO thrilled to say that our $30,000 has dropped to $12,900!!!!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
I'm still in the process of reading up on hair and skin care.  It's been a real eye opener!  First off, I realized that all these years I've been misusing the word "nappy".  I now know that the word will never apply to my hair.  The actual definition is "tightly coiled hair in it's natural state with no chemical alterations".  On that note I just have to add the sentence it was used in in the urban dictionary.  "She is so brave to wear her nappy hair, unlike all those girls with jacked-up weave."  I found that hilarious for some reason.  Anyway,  I'm super excited and also super scared to try out all I've learned. 
Speaking of super excited and also super scared, I must say, my heart is taking a beating. I don't say "beating" in a necessarily bad way, I just mean the whirlpool of feeling 3 emotions extremely, all at one time, is insane.  My poor pregnant heart!