I never thought I'd be one to have a blog, (I barely want to keep up with my email, and they pay me to do that!) -- how well I maintain, update this one remains to be seen. Today, our lives changed again. We received "the call" from our adoption agency informing us we'd be receiving a referral in the next couple days. I thought this be a good time to create this space to help us share our news in the coming months. First, our timeline:
Jan 11 2005 - we attended the Adoptions from the Heart Info Session
Feb 3 2005 - Pre-Adoption Meeting at AFTH office in Trolley Square. (We want to do this. We fill out an application and have begun "the process".)
Feb 9 2005 - Dossier Meeting at AFTH (Don't remember what we did here. Probably just went to give them money.)
Mar 4 2005 - Home Study Group Meeting (I think they tell us what the home study is about and we pay them more money.)
Mar 11 2005 - Another Home Study Meeting ("bring your checkbook")
Mar 22 2005 - first of many fingerprinting sessions (and thus the paperchase part of this has begun)
Apr 1 2005 - Adoption Education Course (this is where they tell us what it means to adopt, be an adoptive parent, etc)
from March through October - we're working towards completing our dossier - fingerprinting at the State and at INS, police records, letters from our employers, banks, personal references, financial statements, medical records, birth certificates, an application to the INS and Homeland Security, marriage certificates, blood, urine and DNA samples - ok, i'm kidding about the DNA sample - they got that when the got the blood and urine. then the home study! then everything had to be notarized, authenticated in Dover by the State of DE, then again by the State Department. Our stuff is actually signed by Condoleeza Rice! Then off to China it all goes. Actually to Gracewood, the agency that is our agencies connection to the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA).
Oct 2005 - our dossier is all signed sealed and delivered - to Gracewood (in NY)
Nov 2005 - we receive a letter from AFTH telling us our dossier has been received in China meaning, we are officially "in line" so enjoy the wait. Our LID (log-in date is Nov 4). I should interject at this point that when we started the process in Feb of the same year, others were getting their referrals between 4 and 6 months from this point or a total of 12-14 months from application to child in home.
we wait.
we wait some more.
we read things have "slowed down dramatically"
July 2006 - we receive notification that all our documents have expired and will need to be re-done including a Home Study Update. did ya'll hear me scream?
Sept 2006 - most of our updates are done or underway. i'm not in any major hurry because things continue to slow down. people applying now are told the wait is 2 years or more.
Jan 2007 - referrals for those with LIDs through 9/27/05 (we're thinking ok we may see something in March)
Feb 2007 - our updates are ready and we're good to go again, but hearing it could be another 4-8 months depending on how much things continue to slow down. referrals through LIDs 10/13/05. ok what? we waited a whole month for a little over 2 weeks worth? this isn't looking good.
March 2007 - no referral. referrals went out for people through 10/24/05 LIDs. so another month and only 11 days worth. not good.
April 2007 - no referral for us. through 10/26/05. (remember we're 11/04)
May 2007 - still no referral. through 11/1/05. (ok at 5 days worth per month - bill and i are going to be 72, and too old to travel to get her.)
June 6, 2007 - we get the call. i gotta say, i was shocked.
by the numbers: 28 months from application. 19 months from LID. 25% more gray hair. 6 costco sized bottles of advil, but who's counting.
we're supposed to go to the "travel meeting" on sat, june 9. earlier in the day, they said june 16, but tonight, june 9. of course. why not. we're supposed to be attending elaine's wedding on sat. they're checking to see if they can make an accommodation for us. we hope to travel in 6-8 weeks. we'll be in china for 2 weeks, then home.
will post again (probably friday) with pictures and more info.
oh, in other news - this friday, my eddie will have completed 1st grade. he's very excited about his great accomplishment. this friday is also bill and my 10th wedding anniversary. lots of things to celebrate.
Isabella was born on June 6, 2006. She is 17.8 lbs and 27 inches tall. She is at the LeChang SWI (Social Welfare Institute) in Guangdong Province and has been there since June 8, 2006.
