Finally! First Part of the Final!

Milana Is Coming Home!!!!!!

This is her sweet hospital photo that was xerox'd with her referral.

Hello? You all can get up off the floor. Of course I haven't picked myself up yet either! AAAAHHHHHHHHHH Just have to scream it out. I check my email a few times each day... it's been habit for years now and even more so in the last 10.5 months since referral.

I was on the phone with my husband when I cut him off and said, "Love. There is an email in the inbox and it says Great News!!!" I started shaking terribly.

"What does it say?"

"I haven't opened it... I can't."

"Open it Woman."

"But I can't handle it if it's not it."

But it was!!!

We were notified by SLC that we've received the first part of our final decree from our judge. SLC will set a travel date for us as soon as they receive the second part of the final decree documents from the court!!! OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! It is still not feeling REAL. How can words express emotions for something so huge that your head & heart feel like they will burst?

I called a few friends yesterday and let them know (I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone because I really am a basketcase right now!) ... I fairly fainted talking to one of them, probably from irregular breathing.... who knows... all I know is everyone keeps telling me it's real... that she is really coming home.

I don't know if I can post recent pictures of her yet until we get that last part of the final.... so I posted her year old picture since she is almost 2 and looks quite different.

I went to Nika's school at lunch and had to tell her right away. Milana also made my sister's newly applied mascara to run down her face when she heard the news. This IS TOTALLY WICKED AWESOME! Yes, you can imagine wierd surfer accents or whatever... I'm just beyond thrilled. 10 and a half months... a week before Milana's second birthday and we know she really is our's and will come home soon to join our family and enrich all our lives.

Oh we think we may travel in early June (AIT has summer vacation days scheduled in May so short-staffed) When we pick her up, it'll be a total of a year... and I am so excited to have many, many years with her I'll let you all know more when we get INFO! FINALLY! Now please excuse me while I go run naked down the streets. ;0)

P.S. Sarah K... I'm waiting... I need your Great News now. =0)

P.S.S. I really have to thank SLC and FEC for working so diligently to get this done... we actually got court done in a week from the paper submitting of last week. Once all the ducks were finally in a row... thank Heavens. After trying and trying to get court rolling for about 6 months... I can't say done though... I've grown superstitious of counting chickens before they hatch!