The Wheels. They are A-Turnin'.

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting four -- count them, four -- municipal and state offices over the course of three delightful hours. 

Step One:  Pick up our criminal clearance letters.  I waited in a short line, handed in my receipts from our last fingerprinting adventure, waited in a cramped, bus station-esque row of plastic seats, rocketed to the counter when my name was called, found that one of the letters did not have a "live" signature as was required, almost collapsed in tears at the thought of having to start the process over again with the fingerprinting and the ten business days, almost hugged the clerk when she said she could take care of it immediately, waited again, and did a jig out the door when they called my name again and the letters were both correct. 

Step Two:  Pick up marriage certificate.  I had mailed in a marriage certificate request form weeks ago, and...nothing.  Yesterday, I found the phone number for the marriage bureau(cracy) buried deep in the city's website, managed to get a human on the phone, and was informed that I would have to wait four (FOUR) weeks for the document.  When she heard me fashioning a noose on the other end of the phone, she suggested that I come to the window on the second floor of the municipal building, where I could pick my marriage certificate up THAT SAME DAY.  Uh.  Ok!  Why don't they SAY THAT on the website?  Gaaah. 

So, another line, another giving and taking of forms and case numbers, another row of plastic seats.  While I was waiting (thank sunshine (yeah, I don't know) for BlackBerry -- o! BlackBerry, she entertains me in times of need and crushing boredom), a woman came striding in clutching a blazing green folder labeled "ADOPTION!" and she ordered the same super-duper special-and-pretty long form marriage dealio that I did.

I kind of wanted to ask her from where she was adopting and all that, but (1) she had on her Acquiring Important Documents and Visiting Many Government Offices face, her face of "talk to me and I will crush your larynx with one blow", and (2) she was a Fancy Person, with extravagantly flowing hair and expensive jeans with ironed-in creases (here's a bulletin: I do not iron my jeans -- well, technically I don't iron anything (dry cleaners on every corner - woo!) but most especially, I do not iron my jeans), and I just got that vibe, that Fancy Person vibe that said she was not interested in communing with the proletariat such as myself. 

But, you know, I could have been overthinking the whole thing.  (And I don't mean to judge people based on their jean-creases or anything.  They look very nice and leg-elongating and all.  And I'm sure there are plenty of perfectly nice Fancy People, yadda yadda, general non-offense disclaimer, blah.)

Step Three:  Get marriage certificate and criminal clearances notarized and have the notarizations of those and all our other documents certified.  (Got that?)  Another building, another line, another counter, and then still another line and counter to pay.  To say this document process is archaic is the understatement of the year -- hand-stamps and embossed seals and little slips of paper and ballpoint pen signatures.  It seems like we should be past this as a society -- there should be some kind of holographic thingamajig that you beam to wherever you need it to go.  As it is, we're not much beyond parchment letters sealed with wax imprints, carried by ox cart from parsonage to parsonage. 

Step Four:  Get all documents state certified.  I walked through the rain to an anonymous office building in an odd location and went up to the 19th floor, where I joined still! another! line! to drop off my documents and pay another fee and sit in -- you guessed it -- another plastic seat.  I BlackBerried for another half hour or so until my name was called and -- WOO! -- I was done.

When I got back to my office, I put the whole notarized/certified/shined and buffed lot of it into a FedEx envelope and shipped it off to our agency, where hopefully they will find that everything looks a-ok and we won't have to do anything over (NOOOO).  We heard from Immigration today that we've been approved to bring an orphan into the country (double woo!) although we won't get the form until next week (pah), at which time our dossier will be complete.  And in a week or so our it will head to DC for its happy trip to the Department of State and the consulate (it's very diplomatic, our dossier) and THEN it will go to Vietnam. 

I'm just so glad that something is actually happening, something is moving forward.  It seemed like we were stuck for a long time in a holding pattern, waiting for that immigration approval and whatnot.  And I know the Big Wait is yet to come, but somehow I don't mind that (famous last words) as much as the waiting TO WAIT. 

And all the shuffling about from line to line and rubber stamp to rubber stamp really was not that bad in the grand scheme.  I was irritable about it at first, but when I was on Step Three and waiting to pay the cashier for all the notarial services, a sense of peace came over me.  We're on our way to the Big Wait, every day of which will bring us closer to having a baby.  OUR baby. 

When I walked out into the rain, I buttoned up my jacket and let the water run down my face, and I smiled.   

Comments

[metalia]

WOO!! This is so, so exciting.

[Leah]

Progress! Woo!

[jes]

OMG, this makes me giddy. GIDDY, I tell you, because Holy Mother of Moses! SOMETHING is happening!

I keep imagining a tanned, smooshy-faced, spiky black haired little baby running around your apartment.

[jes]

Except I guess babies don't run.

[Jamie Johnson]

That post sounded like a movie, in my head, just now. How wonderful!

[Dinamyte]

Hooray for getting through three separate steps without having to repeat any of them! I was getting a little worried about you since you hadn't posted in... a day. Ok, I clearly have problems. But now I can see it's just because you were standing in so many lines.

Have you told us yet why you chose Vietnam? If not, here's my vote for getting a story about that sometime, when you feel like it. :)

[-r-]

So exciting!!! I can't believe all that bureaucracy though. Well, I can, but geez. Anyway, yay!

[pseudostoops]

The part where the clerk corrected the lack of live signature rather than make you start all over again? That was like something out of a fantasy novel. Amazing. Yay progress!

[Lacey]

Yay! I'm so glad for you! The Wait will be over before you know it. Have you started fixing up the baby's room yet? Pictures?

[Christine]

Yay for Em Be!

As a frequent lurker, I just needed to inform you that my best friend from high school and her family iron everything, including underwear (!). Why? I have no idea.

But, more importantly, the BIG wait, eek! so excited for you.

[maggie]

A baby. Your baby. So sweet. Here's hoping that baby is here before you know it!