Our Adoption Timeline

This is our timeline:

February 2006

22nd - First appointment with our adoption agency Harrah's AIM, http://hfsadopt.com in the Woodlands. Paid half of agency fee, homestudy fee and dossier consultant fee. Recieved tons and tons of paperwork. Great day!! We are so thrilled!

24th - Requested Marriage certificate from Florida via internet

27th - Mailed requests for Birth Certificates from New Mexico and New York. Mailed renewals for passports.

March 2006

1st - Took cats to vet for rabies shot

2nd - Fingerprinted at local Sheriff's office, recieved Marriage Certificate

6th - Mailed requests for background checks to Texas Department of Public Safety, recieved Jody's Birth Certificate

7th - Family Doctor appointment with Dr. Schafer

8th - First visit with our Social Worker, Angela

10th - Second appointment with Social Worker, Troy's interview

18th - Recieved Troy's Birth Certificate and Troy's employment letter

21st - Recieved medical physicals and letters of explanation from Dr. Schafer. (Problem with Jody's letter)

23rd - Picked up Jody's letter from Dr. Schafer, Perfect!

24th - Recieved notarized criminal history from State of Texas

29th - Had all documents notarized

31st - Third appointment with Social Worker, Home visit

April 2006

6th - Renewed passports arrived

7th - Forth and last appointment with Social Worker, Jody's interview

12th - Appointment with Dr Baethge, requested letter

14th - Picked up letter from Dr. B

24th - Recieved rough draft of Home Study

26th - Connie picks up Brevard County Background checks and overnights them to Angela

30th - Social worker emails final draft of Home Study to agency and Dossier Consultant

4th - Home Study Approved!

5th - Pick up Home Study, dropped off at agency and then dropped off I600 A application in person at local USCIS office!!

16th - Recieved fingerprint appointment

17th - Fingerprinted!

23rd - USCIS notifies us of problem

June 2006

1st - Home Study addendum done

2nd - picked up addendum dropped off at agency then dropped off at USCIS Adoption Officer office

8th - I171 -H Arrives!!! Approved by government to bring a foriegn born orphan into USA! Get document notarized. Another glitch, oh no!! Dossier consultant calls, need an updated letter from Troy's MD regarding minor surgery and an updated Guardian letter.

9th - Drove to Secretary of State to have I171-H verified, then raced back to PRC Consulate to have I171-H Authenticated. Did not get there in time for same day service, will be ready Monday.

10th - Realize I left my passport at the PRC Consulate in the copy machine!! Panick sets in!!!

12th - Pick up new MD letter. Drive to PRC Consulate to pick up Authenticated I171-H and thank God my passport was there still!!! Drive to agancy and drop off I171-H, MD letter and Guardianship letter. Dossier complete! Paper Chase DONE!!!

16th DTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(DTC = Dossier to China)

19th - Dossier delivered via Fed Ex to CCAA in Beijing!!

21st - Ladybug landed on my leg today at pool, is this our Log In Date? I hope so!

July 2006

11th - Just notified by agancy: We recieved a LID of June 23, 2006 for our families who were DTC on June 16, 2006. Congratulations to all of our families who have been logged in!!



We will continue to update this post as we progress through our adoption.

One month in

Well, one month ago today we started this process. Troy and I went to Harrah's AIM's office in the Woodlands and recieved information regarding China Adoption, turned in our application and made our first installment of payments. We recieved lots and lots of paperwork. Instructions to read through everything and were told our Dossier Consultant and Social Worker would be in touch.

My thoughts on 2/22/06:
The 'paperchase' is on. We have started the process of adopting our Baby Girl from The People's Republic of China. We have decided to use Harrah's AIM as our agency. We drove to the Woodlands and turned in our application and paid fees for our homestudy and dossier consultant. We have so much to learn. Tonight I went through the folders of information and I am scared, ok maybe overwhelmed, but I know we will get through this 'paper chase' with the help of Harrah's.

I am so excited! We are going to get OUR Little GIRL!! We have started to talk to the boys about the adoption. Z and I were driving to the grocery store and I asked him what he thought about adopting a little girl from China. He looked at me so perplexed, then asked if she would speak Spanish, I said no, maybe some Chinese, but not Spanish. I also told him as her big brother he would have to help teach her English. C is so sweet, he said she could sleep with him, I told him that babies get up at night and cry. He said that was ok that he would sing her back to sleep. My heart melted. I asked him what he would sing, and he started singing 'Rock A Bye Baby.' What great big brothers they will be!!

Well Baby Girl, everyday will bring us closer to you! Don't worry we are coming to get you!!

Purpose of the Blog

We have started this blog to document our journey to our daughter in China. That's right China, we have decided to adopt a baby girl from The People's Republic of China. We are very excited and have started what is called the "paper pregnancy," I think Troy has already gained five pounds!! Just Kidding! We started this process on February 22, 2006 and as of tomorrow will be one month into the paperchase.