Post adoption fun

I couldn't resist adding a few random photos of Oscar, even though they have nothing to do with this blog post!

I really (naively) thought that once we had Oscar home all of the paperwork issues would be over, but that turned out not to be the case.

Larry and I spent many hours on the phone and at the courthouse this summer trying to figure out how to get Oscar readopted in Minnesota and get his name changed. One of the disadvantages to being in a small town is that this was a totally new thing for them and no one seemed to know what we needed to do. They would send us to another person, who would send us to another person, etc.

We finally figured everything out a week before we left and received our judgment paperwork 3 days before we left to come back to Japan!

We are now hashing out some issues with immigration and getting Oscar his certificate of citizenship. The USCIS branch office in Seoul, Korea has been such a huge help this week. I have received several emails from the field office director and I have to admit, it is refreshing to have someone willing to answer questions and not trying to pass the work on to someone else :)

They are reviewing Oscar's file again in Buffalo, so we are hoping to hear good news soon. We still haven't gotten his US passport because we were waiting for the name change to be legal so that we could get everything done in his new name. Needless to say, I have changed my mind and decided that I will be very happy when we have every form needed and are completely finished with the post adoption paperwork! (Of course, there are reports that we need to fill out annually until he turns 18 so I guess it will never really be done...)

Summer travel

Oscar and his cousin Lilia

Geocaching at Gooseberry Falls State Park with Uncle David

His first taste of a popsicle!

Oscar and Grandma Corrine

Oscar and Grandpa Jack

Swimming at the pool with Grandma Kathy!

We have been traveling around Minnesota and Wisconsin for the last couple of months and having a wonderful time. Oscar has done great with meeting all of his extended family, and he is doing great.

He is almost crawling, and wants to be moving all the time. He is starting to get up on his hands and knees to rock and is scooting pretty much everywhere he wants to go now. He loves standing up, but has not tried to pull himself up on furniture yet.

We head back to Japan next week and then we will start settling into our normal routine again, which I am looking forward to. It's great to be with our families, but my own bed is calling!