Two Passports

The interesting stuff we are dealing with because of living outside the US and having a baby now comes into play a little bit more. Last Friday we gathered all the paperwork we could and ventured out to the US consulate to apply for Belle's US passport. Let's just say that the consulate was less than impressive. It was not at all like the movies where you can run for safety from the police....

First Belle will receive her US passport, which should arrive in 10 days to the house. Then we can apply for her SSN#. I am pretty sure that along with the US passport we will be receiving a US birth certificate but I could be wrong. The paperwork needed was just a simple application including a passport photo, parents passports, US marriage certificate, proof of pre-natal care, brazilian birth certificate and proof of living in the US for a minimum of five years- which we didn't have with us. Then we were interviewed for five minutes and stamped approved and sent home.

While we are waiting for her US passport to arrive the paperwork for her Brazilian passport continues to drag on. The documentation needed seems to be the problem at the moment. The hospital was supposed to give us a document stating that she was born alive. I thought that a birth certificate would do but I was wrong. I don't know why this is necessary since she has to be at the interview. Right now Dr J is trying to locate the proper person to obtain this information for us.... ahhh Brazil. We knew this part of the process would be difficult and you just take it in stride.

Once we all the paperwork is sorted out we can go to our interview, located at the international airport, and hopefully receive the passport within a month. Maybe I should lower the expectation bar so I can be pleasantly surprised when we get it?

Until we physically have both passports in our possession we cannot leave the country with Belle. So we play the waiting game with our fingers crossed for a few months.

That seems to be about it on the international side of having a baby. For right now at least. I bet something comes up around the time we interview.

Tchau,
Sara