Oh the wonderful USCIS

Hi All,
so yesterday was an eventful day. I spent a few hours at the USCIS. Now I didn't think it possible, but they might be slower than the DMV. Crazy to think huh.
So why would I want to spend half my day there????
I needed answers.
When we originally sent in our I600A, petition for advanced processing of Orphan to Immediate Relative, our home study was written for up to age 3. Well as you all know by now, Brody is over that age. So our home study agency wrote an amendment to the original to change the age up to 5 for us. So because we had not heard anything by the weekend, I FREAKED OUT!!!! what if what if what if. So I tried to call the USCIS last week, was on hold for over an hour, but finally got through. They told me that the San Jose branch was still processing applications from March. MARCH was she joking?? She suggested I go to the branch and try and work my way up to the Orphan Unit.
So as many of you know - I don't like STUPID people. When I heard that the USCIS office was as bad as the DMV, I thought I was in for it. Well I was sweet, yes people sweet. I just kept saying thank you, and I'd appreciate it, and oh my...... so low and behold after 3 people.....they referred me directly to the Orphan Unit. They just approved our petition :-) YIPPY!!!! It's all coming together.
Today I received the official I171H form that was also sent the the US Embassy in Ghana. So exciting.
Now what happens??? we wait
we wait
we wait
The attorney in Ghana is trying to see if he can count the time Brody has already spent in the orphanage as our 3 month waiting period, that way we can go to court sooner rather than later. Once the Ghana High Courts approve our adoption of Brody, the USCIS will play another factor. We then need them to issue the Visa. We've heard many horror stories about this process, so we are preparing ourselves. It can be long - it can be more than 1 trip over. So we'll see.
Not all of you know this, but Scott lived in Ghana for 18 months at the US Embassy as a Marine. He is going to see if he can contact the Ambassador over there to get our I600 Visa approved in a timely manner.

That's all we have to update today. Hopefully we'll have more soon.

Love,
Julz, Scott & Brody