Cheesecake and Fingerprints

Good news! Kira and I were able to get our fingerprints for USCIS taken today. We sent our I-600A application on July 10, so it has taken exactly one month to get all three of our fingerprints completed (Brian was able to get his done on July 30). It is such a huge relief to have this checked off our list. Now we will wait for the I-171H (aka "The Golden Ticket") to arrive. I'm not sure exactly how long this usually takes to arrive, but I think I am going to give my mail carrier two weeks off before I begin stalking again. Just between you and me, I am secretly hoping it arrives sooner. I can't imagine the stack of applications our USCIS officer has on her desk that need to be processed before us and she did inform us that they are handled in the order they are received.

When we went to get our fingerprints taken this morning, there was a man at the door checking to make sure you had a form with your appointment date on it and ID before he would let you in. First, he wanted to know why we were there ahead of our appointment. I explained about our adoption and that my husband had already had his prints taken (I'm so glad I had his form to show the stamp they put on it to show that it was completed). Then he was concerned because Kira's middle name was not on her form, but is on her driver's license (and all of her other forms of ID). What was her legal name? What name is listed on her birth certificate? He sent her to a separate line to get that cleared up. First they asked for her work permit. What? No, that's not why we were there. Then they assumed she was adopting. Again, no. After she explained her parents were the ones adopting, everyone was finally on the same page. Fortunately they didn't think her name was all that common and wouldn't be a problem. They did however make her add her full name under the "also known as" which was surprising. I always thought that was for things like maiden names, previous married names, I legally changed my name because I could not go through life as Adolf Hitler, etc. Once the name thing was all settled, Kira was finally able to get her prints taken. After that we were off to celebrate my mom's birthday with a little cheesecake (my sister got to celebrate her actual birthday with her last week with pie). Mmmm I just love birthdays. Please pray for my mom as she is having surgery August 13.