In some ways it feels like we are having our first baby since the bulk of my baby "stuff" is back in Peru and we (read my parents) have acquired a crib, clothing, toys, all manner of newborn accouterments etc. so we could keep what we brought with us to a minimum. I still need to get a few more essentials (bottles, pacifiers, some warm weather gear for baby since Utah feels a lot like the Arctic these days, and some other miscellaneous things), and then all that will be left to do is wait.
OR SO I THOUGHT!
Yesterday I received a packet in the mail from the State Department about the procedures for having a baby. Foolishly I thought the hardest part would be the labor/delivery and sleep deprivation adjustment. Not so. After perusing this veritable mountain of paperwork I am certain dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's" is going to be the most taxing part of this whole experience. Seriously, I don't think I can fully describe all the information necessary to acquire, submit, fill out, file etc. just so I am allowed to take my baby with me not just out of the hospital, but basically anywhere, not the least of which will be back to Peru.
Apparently within almost seconds of his first breath we need to fill in his birth certificate (another reason why deciding on a name sooner rather than later would be a good idea - still no progress here), request a SS# - expedited of course, book a return plane ticket, get 2 passport sized photos taken and apply for a passport, call the State Department and notify them of his status change from "pending" to "existing" dependent, submit paperwork to change our per diem allowance to include him and that is just the first page of instructions - there are about 30 more. I thought I was tired thinking about having another newborn, but this makes me exhausted. Kenny has worked for the government for awhile now and we have dealt with our share of bureaucracy and red tape, but really, this is ridiculous!!
