Exciting news!!

Our adoption agency just called and they received our TA.  So now we have to send our passports to an agency in New York and they will get us visas.  Then it's off to China to pick up our daughter.Yeah !!

And still waiting...

We are still waiting on our TA.  But even if it comes in the next week or so, our agency does not send families the last 2 weeks in April and the 1st week in May cause of a trade show and National May Day in China.  Apparently, during those weeks it's very busy and the hotel rates are hiked up plus on National May Day the government offices are closed.  So we are thinking Mid May.

Still waiting..

Nothing new.  We are still waiting on the TA.

Waiting ..

We received the letter we were waiting for saying that the visa info for Faith was being sent to China.  We overnighted a copy of this letter to Yongmei - our Chinese adoption coordinator.  She then sent our info packet (not sure what was in it) to China.  The only problem is that the offices in China were closed until Feb. 22nd because of the Chinese new year.  It's the year of the Tiger by the way.  Anyway, because the offices had been closed since Feb 15th they are a little behind.  It's supposed to take two weeks for the officials to sign a document then our "guide" will pick up the forms and overnight them to Bejing.  A TA or travel approval will be issued within 3 or 4 weeks.  So we are looking at about 6 wks I think at the earliest.  I was hoping it would land on Paige's spring break but unless there is a miracle, it will be later.  Paige's recital is May 2nd so she might miss it, and she's okay with that.  And on a side note, Paige's Birthday was yesterday and we got her ears pierced.  She was soo excited.

Yay !!

We finally got our I800A re-approval today and now we can go forward with the rest of the paperwork and travel to China.  So far we have gotten bunkbeds for the girls and got a new camcorder because our old one is broken.  Can't wait - still trying to learn Chinese. So until I write more, Zai jian.

Cramming time

Okay on Monday we got our LOA, letter of acceptance for our China adoption.  We are still waiting on our acceptance for I-800A.  Once we get that we can file our I-800.  This is all immigration stuff.  In a nutshell, we should be traveling probably no later than March.  Now we have to learn some Chinese to communicate with our new daughter, clean out Paige's room and get bunk beds for her room, and do all the little things like making sure we have gifts for the orphanage people, and electricity converters, ect.  It's exciting but lots of work to be done.

New Info on "Faith"

So we received some updated info on our new daughter "Faith".  Apparently she is doing well and has a little trouble speaking but because she was diagnosed as malnourished at the time of admission, with nutrition and rehabilitation she can now walk steadily.  She had a CT scan in Sept. and nothing abnormal was found.  So in a nutshell, she is a little behind verbally but hopefully spending time with Paige will help that.  All in all we are pleased with the new information.  She's a little small but my family's not very big so she'll fit in just fine.  We are starting to get excited for it's a few short months away.

Getting Ready

So I believe this is our last Thanksgiving as a family of five.  By this time next year we will be six.  It's both exciting and nerve racking at the same time.  We have to read up on adopting an older child and all the problems that may or may not befall us.  That is what is problematic, the not knowing.  But God knows, and I believe he will not give us anything we can not handle.  I have to remember that.

Our Application

Yesterday I received a letter from our case worker from our agency.  It says basically the application was received and our file has been moved into the procedure for adoption of special-needs child.  Signed, the China Centre of Adoption Affairs.  Yay, things are moving along.

Exciting News

Well the day after I wrote this "Bummer" post we received some information on another girl.  Steve and I prayed about it and felt a peace about adopting her.  So we stepped out in faith and agreed to adopt her.  Because this blog is not password protected I can't reveal her name or a picture.  I do understand  that she will have difficulties with attachment and learning difficulties but again we are stepping out in faith with all the problems she may have. Nothing is too big for the Lord.  That is why Faith is a possibilty for a name.

Bummer

Okay we were sent a list of available SN children and we got info on two girls.  After prayerfully considering between two we thought we had found our new daughter.  Then I just got an email saying she is already being adopted.  I know the Lord shut this door to provide us with another child but I'm still mourning the loss.  I thought she would be a perfect fit for our family but I have to let that go.  It's hard for me to say, but Praise God she has found a family.

Waiting ....

Well there's nothing new to report.  Right now we are waiting on a new SN list out.  They are supposed to be monthly but they haven't had one since August.  So we continue to wait. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."  Hebrews 10:23

A Child for Someone Else's Family

It is with the upmost gratitude that we were able to look at and consider a 4 yr old girl for adoption. With much prayer and consideration, we felt no peace or burden to adopt her - that's someone else's child. While we do pray she would find a forever family, for some reason God has another child out there who belongs in our family. We just have to find her.

08/22/09

Time to start praying

A lot has happened since my last post and I am just now updating. We have gotten all our paperwork in and it has been submitted to China for translation. Our LID (log in date) is August 12th. So we have about 4yrs to find a special needs child or a healthy baby will be referred to us. The first child we asked for info on and the second child were already adopted into other families. We did get info on a third child. She is healthy and smart, but the only thing wrong with her is her skin - cosmetic issue. She has what is called "congenital nevus" over most of her body which is basically like a huge black birthmark over her chest and one arm with spots on her face and legs. It was kind of frightening to look at at first because I didn't know what to expect. But pray if she is the right person for our family. She's apparently extroverted like Paige. We got an email from our adoption counselor- not just to us but to everyone -that don't choose a child because you feel like you have to "save" them. Pick them because they are the right fit for your family. So this is what I have to chew on. We have a week to decide. To be honest, the black marks scare me but she was made in the image of God and don't we all have imperfections?

08/19/09

Nearing the end of the paperwork

Well I got back the paperwork that I sent to the Secretary of State to be "authenticated" and this morning I sent that paperwork to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. After ten working days, they should send it back to me and then I will have our dossier complete. We just have to mount 6-8 pictures on 8 X 10 sheets with captions and send those along with it. The great news is I'm done with the post office. There are three workers there and every time I managed to get the clueless guy - same guy. You'd think by about the sixth time I visited him he would have gotten it by now. Duh. Oh well. It's almost done !!

Super excited

Just a quick note. Our I-800 approval for the adoption came in the mail today. That's what we were waiting on. Now we need to get everything notarized, sent to the Secretary of State and then to the Chinese consulate to be authenticated. But by next month (hopefullly) we should have all the paperwork in and then we wait for a few years. Then I will have to blog about other stuff in the meantime. Gotta go have my gluten-free lunch - but that's another blog.

07/03/09

Off to the Chinese Consulate

Some of our paperwork, which we've already had apostilled by the Secretary of State, has now as of today been sent to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago and Steve's birth certificate has been sent to the New York consulate because he was born in Ohio. We have already gotten our fingerprint appointment so our I-800 is moving right along. Once we get that, then we can finish our paperwork. I am still waiting for the California one to come back. I was born in CA so my birth certificated has to be authenticated there. I didn't know all this mailing was going to be so expensive. We have to send it express mail plus pay $20 plus $5 handling fee for each document. This round we had 7 documents so you do the math. I can't wait to get all this stuff done.

06/13/09

New Update

Okay so we had a small glitch in the home study - nothing that can't be fixed. So we have to wait until we get the amended papers and then send in our I-800. Once we get approved through that, then we can finish the process. Yay I see the light at the end of tunnel although it's still dim.

05/26/09

Home Study - Check

Sorry, I haven't blogged in a long time to whoever reads this. I've been preoccupied with my own medical scares. Anyhoo,

Home Study - check
Letter we have to send with the Home Study to the USCIS - check
Both birth certificates - check
Marriage license - check
Physicals - check
Background checks - check
Employment letters - check
Personal statement - check
Certificate of Financial Status - check
All the stuff we had to do for Home Study - check

So I guess now all we have to do is get our I-800 certified, get our fingerprints, get everything notarized and apostilled and then our dossier will be complete. That's all for now, I gotta go to bed.

05/21/09

Twins - 3 yrs apart

So we were looking through old photos of when Aaron turned One and Aaron kept saying that is a picture of Zane. The resemblance is uncanny.

Zane - 11 Mo.

Aaron - 1 Yrs.

04/17/09