Another couple of weeks in Pakistan . . . going on 210 days, 30 weeks, 7 months!
July was been a very challenging month . . . however, I’m still standing! J yeah, yeah, yeah . . .! (I couldn’t help it, I’m singing it in my head!)
August is here, and is the Islam holy month of “fasting & prayer”, Ramadan. The markets, stores, restaurants, the whole country basically shuts down for a month. Fasting is from “dawn to dusk”, & starts at ~ 4:00 a.m. & runs through until just after 7:00 p.m. So, life is very, very quiet right now, even the traffic through the g.house has slowed down to a trickle. In the evening at sunset, families gather for the Iftar “fast-breaking” meal. The stores that sell the Iftar foods open in the evening after the Iftar is over & are basically the only stores open for the 1st days of Ramadan.
(7/21 – 7/31) - The last 2 weeks of July were spent with follow up medical visits for Gracy. I have found out there are no pediatric speech therapists in Pakistan! So, I have been working with her myself to help strengthen her tongue muscles & “stick out” her tongue! This should help in her delayed speech acquisition. However, she has found this very difficult, since she has never been able to “stick out” her tongue before now! Little by little . . . it is creeping out past her lips!
Gracy also has another medical condition that we have been monitoring since early spring. In early February, she was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus. At this point, she shows no signs of developmental delays or brain damage. But, her frontal lobe ventricles are completely full with fluid . . . so we are being very careful!
As a result of her medical conditions, we are trying to obtain a non-immigrant medical B visa. If approved, this would allow her to travel to the US with me for medical treatment for an interim, temporary amount of time. It is a very difficult visa to be approved (especially if you have a pending immigrant visa in process) . . . & we couldn’t apply for a non-immigrant visa until after we had received the USCIS decision for orphan status, which determines the immigrant visa. I feel I need to exhaust every possible option of returning to the US with my little girl as soon as possible, so we are going to try for it! However, in order to make application for this visa, I have to be physically present to submit the application dossier to the USE here in Islamabad. So, over the last couple of weeks, I have been diligently trying to get all the necessary medical statements from both Pakistan & the US to support our visa application.
(8/1 – 8/5) – We have been very busy with preparing our Applicant Response to the Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). It was finally sent to USCIS New Delhi, Friday, 8/5. No electronic files can be sent, all original hard copy docs required, sent via FedEx.
Saturday (8/6) – For the last 2.5 months, I have been trying to find a trustworthy family, individual or living situation for Gracy . . . The last resort is to leave Gracy here & return to the US without her for a few months (depending on our USCIS timeline for orphan status review decision OR USE/ISL timeline for medical B visa decision). It is very difficult to think about this option . . . but I must be thinking ahead should our next set of “wait” be lengthy, again. So, today, I visited with a possible family that has come recommended through a Christian friend. Needless to say, it has been very difficult to find someone that is willing to take on the responsibility of a small child, for an unknown amount of time. But, should our wait be again several months, I do know God will provide the loving, secure, healthy environment needed to take care of Gracy. It is a lot to ask of someone & that someone has to be just right . . . for the best interests of our sweet pea! Please pray . . . that I don’t have to utilize this option! But, pray . . . should that be the case . . . the perfect, loving individual & environment will make itself known & be ready.
Sunday (8/7) – Gracy turns 26 months old today!
Church at St Thomas. As we sang “Because He Lives”, my heart was touched with the following 2nd verse . . . It speaks for our situation.
“How sweet to hold
A newborn baby
And feel the pride
And joy (s)he gives
But greater still
The calm assurance
This child can face
Uncertain days
Because He lives“
Monday (8/8) - Through the FedEx tracking number, the FedEx package has arrived in New Delhi with our Applicant Response to the NOID. However, I’m told it will take 1-2 weeks before we will have a notice of receipt from USCIS that it has “officially” been received. The explanation for the time delay . . . it takes that long to travel from the central mail room (in ND) to the appropriate USCIS office (also in ND). Yes . . . it takes longer to “find” the right USCIS office within the same city, than it does to ship from the US to India! Go figure! J By now, I’ve stopped asking why & have just accepted that once a case file reaches a USCIS/USE office, it goes into “file 13”, just because . . . So, hopefully in a couple of weeks, we will have a timeframe for decision review . . . we will ask for an expedited timeframe, but there are no guarantees that USCIS will give us an expedited review.
Tuesday (8/9) – Today is my last employment day with Helmerich & Payne . . . Yes, very sad indeed. But, life does need to move on . . . For those that wish to continue with my adoption update, please email me at novokbb2@yahoo.com . I will be emailing from this email address & will change the distro list accordingly. You can also email me anytime using this personal email address.
Wednesday (8/10) – In the morning, a visit to a Catholic orphanage in Rawalapindi (40 min drive from Islamabad). A possible interim living situation for Gracy. A German friend from St Thomas that runs an orphanage/hostel for 5 year old + girls suggested this orphanage. I’ll visit with the sisters & see the facilities. Later in the day, another doctor’s visit for Gracy, hopefully ending with a medical statement stating medical treatment is needed in the US!
Looking back over my adoption update emails, I noticed I have never shared pictures of the guest house. So, below is the link to the New Cape Grace website. I have stayed in Rooms 26 (where Gracy, Uppa D & I stayed), 23, 28 & for the last 2.5 months 25 (a very small room). Now you can see where I spend most of my time during the day! Click on the TripAdvisor widget (under Services) & read the reviews. Pictures also of Karim & Samir. This gives you an idea of who Karim & Samir truly are, a wonderful family!
http://www.newcapegrace.com/
Gracy’s New Words . . . She is just beginning to start putting 2 words sentences together! We have a loooonnnggg way to go, but it is coming through loud & clear, at least to Mama! :)
“I Uv” – “I Love You” at this point, but Mama knows exactly what Gracy is trying to say . . . soooo incredibly sweet to hear!
“All Done!” or sometimes “Me Done” – Enough said!
Gracy loves to dance & sing . . . so below are a few favorites that I hear throughout the day (yes, I know . . . get it on video!).
“. . . up a uv . . . high . . .” – this is “twinkle, twinkle little star”. Gracy loves this song & I hear her singing these words . . . she even has the actions down!
“. . . impy der . . . – yes, hard to decipher, but its “Itsy, Bitsy Spider”! The actions, let you know exactly what song it is J Her little fingers try so hard!
“Uv . . . ME!” – this is from our FAVORITE song! We sing the hymn “Love Lifted Me” every night before bed & many times throughout the day. Grace belts out a resounding “ME” everytime.
Mama is also learning some Urdu (Pakistani language). Here are just a few of what I use every day!
“Sallam, vey da coom” - Hello
“Ka-da-ha-fus” – Good Bye
“Ta-Ta” – Bye Bye
“Shuck-ria” – Thank You
“Gee” – Yes
“Nay-hee-n” – No
(for those quick no-no moments its . . . nay nay!)
“Bosh” – Enough
“Ah-chah” – good
“Va-va” – very good
“Tee-kay” – OK?
“Cal-hal-hey” – How are you?
“In-shall-alla” – By God’s will/in God’s time
“Mein Tumsea Peeyart Karta Hoon” – My fav . . . I Love You! For both my children, I start every day & end every night with “I Love You (b.name)” in their birth country language, along with their birth name. I’m hoping by daily telling them I Love You in Russian/Urdu, it lets them know just how much I love the “special-ness” of our family & the value I place on their country of birth.
So, here we are again . . . current!
Take care . . . talk to you soon!
Love & Blessings,
Nancy (Mama) & Gracy
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