I'm sooooooo scared and overwhelmed

[Fatty 0]

We braved London on the 19th-20th November for the medicals and are back tomorrow for the interview on the Thursday.

I feel like there has been such a build up to this moment and I am absolutely crapping myself. I'm the US citizen, am I even allowed to be with my DH and kids for the interview? It's an IR-1 and IR-2 visas, DCF. My husband hasn't taken much to do with filling out the forms etc, and I'm scared they'll ask him for something and he'll be like "what?". I keep telling him he has to pay attention and figure out what everything is so he can explain it all.

I'm sooooo terrified we'll be refused the visas. I don't know why, I can't see any reason to be refused. We have all the documents, the police certificate, I-864s etc. I'm just scared I'll have filled out something wrong or something. Or my evidence of domicile won't suffice or something.

I don't know if I've ever had so much dread in my whole life. Plus we're travelling again with our 4 year old and 2 year old, which was really difficult last time. On the undergrounds, and with luggage etc. Stressful. But now it's the height of Christmas rush too, and we'll be on the underground at 8am on a weekday, oh and I have a big fear of trains, and I'm 7 months pregnant and have carpol tunnel syndrom (sore hands and wrists, dropping things etc) and symphysis pubis dysfunction (pubic bone separating and makes it AGONY to walk). How on earth am I going to cope with all this?

Last time I broke down in tears on the underground when my 4 year old kept falling over on everyone's feet, no one gave us a seat, I was breaking my arm carrying the 2 year old and luggage and my husband spilled strawberry ice cream all over a big black guy and his posh business atire and laptop! Then husband proceeds to have an argument with me in front of everyone because he's feeling embarassed, while passengers keep giving the big guy tissues and pointing out another spot he missed!

But there's no way I could let my husband go by himself with the kids. He is rather clumsy and doesn't pay enough attention, and the kids would be sure to get lost or hurt or something. He couldn't cope and I'd be so worried the whole time. It's just sooo not an option.

I can't wait until this is over. I'm so scared about it and can't see past the next few days. I feel like giving up just now to be honest. I'm so tired, we haven't been able to think about Christmas. We're spending every spare minute working to try to make enough money for these visas and the trip to London. 3 visas, at $380 each so it's pricey. And the hotel (2 nights) is £260, then there's feeding us, there's the flights at £200 to London, and the stansted express £50, and then cabs and undergrounds etc. Haven't a penny for Christmas. And meanwhile we're fixing up the house to sell it. Big DIY jobs, fitting double glazed doors and interior doors, converting garages etc. I'm getting about 4 hours sleep a night and I'm exhausted and hormonal.

Starting to wonder if we should have just stayed in the UK and never bothered with all this. It's me who was desperate to go back. To be with my family. Scotland depresses me. But I think I've bitten off more than I can chew.

Moan moan moan moan. Phew, glad to have gotten that off my chest.

I soooooo hope I'll be posting a happy thread here in a few days saying we've been approved.

Thanks for listening

Fat and feduppy

[heishe 2]

Maybe avoid ice cream this time.

Good luck with the rest of it! It will be over soon.

[Callina 1]

It will be stressful and tiring indeed, but you'll get your visas and you'll live such beautiful moments that you'll simply forget about the negative aspects you will have gone through. Keep calm, both you and your husband! God bless!

[CarolineM 0]

Hang in there! The end is in sight!

[Lou Lou 1]

You know what? With everything you have on your plate right now, AND being 7 months pregnant you really should just stay at home. It sounds like a nightmare for you, so maybe your husband should be a grown up about it and go by himself. Either that or you stay in the hotel so you're not trudging around London in pain. Everything will be fine and you can breathe in a few days, but more improtantly take a deep breath now. I would say looking after yourself and that wee one inside you is the most important. Everything else will take care of itself.

Oh, and I agree. Ice cream and riding on a busy tube is not a good idea.

[no name 1]

Technically you shouldn't be eating on the tube!

I say let him go by himself & you stay in the hotel.

[Amby 490]

I was crapping myself too for our K1 interview because my fiance had nothing to do with filling out any papers. I did everything. I tried to go over the papers with him and every time he'd just be like WHAT? Anyways, overall the experience is not as stressful as it seems. I might suggest taking a taxi because paying for that many people on the tube will be just as much as taking a taxi. I think a single ticket is 3.00 and you can't use a day ticket which is 4.80 for zones 1-2 before 9:30am. We took a taxi to ours and it was a flat rate of 12 quid. It was much less stressful. All of the people in the embassy are very friendly and once you get there and inside you feel so much more relaxed. You're pregnant so try not to stress over it too much. If you have everything I don't think there is anything to worry about. I hope it all goes well for you. Good luck!!!!

[Fatty 0]

Maybe avoid ice cream this time.

lol darn right we will!

It was my daughter's ice cream, so it was all melty. I didn't notice she still had it until we were already in the underground and there was no trash cans there. so we had no choice but to take it on with us. I was about to drop her, because I couldn't hold on to the pole, and her, and the luggage, especially with my carpol tunnel synderom. My husband had nothing to carry, so I asked him to hold it. Obviously that was asking a bit too much! Argh. Well it's a story to tell and one day I'll find it hillarious I'm sure!

Thansk all for the support. It means a lot.

[mmb 0]

Maybe avoid ice cream this time.

lol darn right we will!

It was my daughter's ice cream, so it was all melty. I didn't notice she still had it until we were already in the underground and there was no trash cans there. so we had no choice but to take it on with us. I was about to drop her, because I couldn't hold on to the pole, and her, and the luggage, especially with my carpol tunnel synderom. My husband had nothing to carry, so I asked him to hold it. Obviously that was asking a bit too much! Argh. Well it's a story to tell and one day I'll find it hillarious I'm sure!

Thansk all for the support. It means a lot.

If you do decide to go with him let him carry the luggage and the two year old, don't ask him to do it, just tell him. You've been taking care of all the paperwork for this, it's time he took responsability and takes care of you and the children.

Good luck with the interview, I'm sure it won't be as bad as you fear.

[Muuuuah 0]

I am sure that everything will be just fine...the interview is not as bad as you think.....good luck

[broma25 2]

Fatty

I can't give you any advice on the travel, money situation. However in terms of your paperwork here is my advice.

Get yourself some clear plastic wallets. Put one document and its copy in the wallet. For example

I-864 (I think there are 5 pages), staple the original all together and staple the photocopy together. Put these two into one plastic wallet then when they ask to see the original you will have it and a copy of it. I had mine all unstapled and it was a nightmare!!

do this with the rest of your documents and then write the name of the document on the front of the wallet.

This makes this so much easier when they are asking for things. Dont get too worked up though they are very nice, the guy who took my documents from me helped me sort mine out.

They will let you in as the US citizen, my USC husband came in with me, but was much like your husband no idea what the paperwork was.

Once you have your documents sorted out that should relieve some of the stress. Also cant you leave your luggage at the hotel until you are finished then you dont have to cart everything with you.

I wish you well, and Good Luck, at least this is the last lap, and I am sure that we will soon be seeing your APPROVED post.

[Fatty 0]

Thanks, it's the little things like the documents and how to present them that freak me out. So I appreciate those little bits of advice very much.

Yes we're leaving the luggage in the hotel, but it's getting to and from the hotel that we end up carting around luggage and kids. We travel from our house to the car park (in a car so that's not bad) for an hour, then onto the shuttle to the airport, then on the plane, then on the stansted express, then on an underground, then onto the taxi, then arrive in the hotel. Which is a lot when the kids get to whining etc.

When we went for the medicals, we had to take the luggage with us, because we had to check out of the hotel first. So that was the worst, trapsing along oxford street afterwards, getting lost and trying to find the underground and a place to eat, with the wee yins and the bags. So at lease we have a whole day in between this time and won't be taking the bags to the interview, that will make it much easier.

I'm sure we'll survive. I just can't wait to get back home and for this all to be over. I know I'm just hormonal and overreacting to this. I do usually cope quite well, honestly. It just all gets a bit overwhelming sometimes. Seems like a mountain impossible to climb just now, but hopefully when I'm at the other side I'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

[munchkins 0]

You will be just fine, take a few deep breaths, take one step at a time and before you know it you will be on your way back to bonnie Scotland with the approval in your hands

Good Luck to you all

[girlfrmoz 1]

Hang in there...we are thinking of you. You'll be fine

[Fandango 1,439]

How about renting a car and avoiding the tube altogether?