I.B.E.S.R.

Those five simple letters have been looming now for 5 months.  Yes, five months ago we thought our dossier (our huge packet of adoption paperwork) would be entering IBESR.  For those that don't know, IBESR is truly the beginning of the Haitian process.  Your documents go in there to get approval.  Which, prior to the earthquake, this was the place that was known for holding up an adoption, with no mercy.  Dossiers would sit in there, get lost in there, for years.  LITERALLY.

But supposedly, since the earthquake, IBESR has gotten a bit more efficient.  And documents are actually getting approved and sent on within months.  It is a complete unknown how long it will take our dossier to get out of there.  Every little step is a celebration.  A roller coaster, really.  You get (very briefly) excited about entering IBESR, then you immediately begin thinking about the long wait ahead.  Who knows when we will come out of IBESR.  But for now, we are just glad to be in there.

Once we come out of IBESR, then we will have many more processes to go through in the Haitian courts. Many more months of stamping and legalizing documents, but at least the rest of the process is a BIT more predictable.  Still many more months of waiting, though.

My best friend, Shelley, who loves Kervens almost as much as we do, is heading to Maison in four days.  She gets to hold him, kiss him, bring him gifts for Christmas, take pics, shoot some videos, and be our hugging arms.  What a blessing that she is going to love on him.  It helps my heart....a little.