Family Update

So by now you all know what Ethan likes or does not like to eat, or what we've tried to feed him at least. But a lot of other exciting milestones are being reached that I have not blogged about yet. Firstly, Ethan has recognized his feet. Pretty typical of 6-months old, Ethan likes to grab his feet and pull them close to his mouth (though he is not quite as nimble as his cousin Ellie Nur). Already mentioned previously (I think), Ethan can now roll over from his back to front, though he's sorta forgotten how to go back from his tummy to his back. He is very good at rolling from back to either side and just laying on his side, and in fact, he prefers to sleep this way (side) which was a bit worrying at first. Noomie is also able to sit unaided provided his hands are in front of him. His lateral control is not quite there yet, and so he tends to fall to his side if he leans over too much. So, he's not quite ready for stage-2 foods which requires that the baby be able to sit unaided (at least according to Gerber).

Noomie news aside, mom and dad are managing ok. Kelly is now on her "vacation" though it has hardly been that since we are still at home trying to make our home available to potential buyers for one week -- i.e. an Open House Week. We've had some interested people come by, so we'll see if any offers results. Next week, however, the day after Krishelle's birthday celebration, we are going to Blue Ridge to "interview" potential nannies or alternative home childcare givers in the area. Kelly's work has put an ad in the local paper there advertising for just this. We are nervous about this decision, but we may have a potential nanny that has come very highly recommended by Kelly's work, and we may jointly hire this person's services, which will be great for Ethan having another friend to play and learn with. So this trip is coming up.

But the clear predominating thought, at least on my mind, has been our immigration matters. We have been working very closely with great attorneys to have our visa applications/petitions submitted timely. The first day that the U.S. immigration services accepts applications for the type of visa we are applying for was Monday, April 2nd. We just got notice from our attorneys last night that the "cap" has been reached (on the first day!!!!) for the number of slots this type of visa is issued every year. And close to 200,000 applications were received for only 65,000 spots. Last year, the cap was reached on May 26th.

Money and time notwithstanding, our fate now comes down to a "lottery" which will be carried out on a date not yet determined. It just seems awfully unfair after everything we have gone through to date, to have a lottery, a chance, determine our immediate future, and consequently whether or not we can legally work in this country.

Thinking positively, it is very likely that Kelly's visa is not subject to this lottery and that she has alternative visas working in her favour, since she has obtained all her education and training in the U.S. Thank God.

For me, however, it is not so straight forward, and the likelihood that I will be a stay-at-home dad for some uncertain length of time is possible and more likely than not. I was very much looking forward to finding my professional interests and starting anew with this job I have lined up already in Blue Ridge, but it would be too disappointing to hope for much, until we know the results of said "lottery".

Then, if lucky, full steam ahead with original plan.