Life is Good...An Adoption Story

Okay - I'm not really talking about MY adoption story in this entry...I'm talking about the TV show on the Discovery Health Network - has anyone else seen it? "An Adoption Story"? I TiVo this show every day and I LOVE IT! Each day (M-F) it follows a family thru the adoption process. And every single day I watch and cry. A good emotional release I guess. Today's story was about a couple who adopted a 3 yr old boy from India. What a cutie. I look forward to watching this show every night when I get home from work. It keeps me motivated.

I went to CCAI on Monday (since it was President's Day and I actually had the day off!) - and handed in all my paperwork (minus the I-171H - still waiting on that) - and yesterday I got the call that everything had passed critical review. So now I wait for the final form. It should be coming any day. Everyday I check my mailbox and visualize it being in there. So far - nothing. I know it will come soon.

So has everyone seen the great baby & toddler clothes from Life is Good? SERIOUSLY!!! The little ladybug dress with matching panties??? How ADORABLE is that? I have a Life is Good tote bag and hat and I love them. What a fun company.

Stamps, Seals & Valentines

I had a great Valentine’s Day. I got flowers (Gerbera daisies – my fave)...and when I got home last night – my authenticated documents from the Chinese embassy in Chicago were waiting in the mailbox for me! That means I can now submit the majority of my documents to CCAI for critical review. Now ALL I am waiting on is the I-171 H Immigration form…so I’m still right on track timewise. YAY!

I took photos of the documents from the embassy so I will have photos for Lia’s babybook - since once you send everything off in your dossier, you never see it again. I’ve also been getting passport photos taken every chance I get at Walgreen’s. I need a total of six to submit with my dossier – and then 3 photos of just me – and 8 photos of me with family/friends. I have all the photos except the passport ones – and they are the most important, because most likely one of those is actually what will be used over in China to match me with my baby. I want them all to be GREAT of course!

We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner last night. It had been AGES since I had eaten a steak but it was SO GOOD! It was snowing last night on the commute so it took me 1.5 hours to get home from work – so we didn’t have dinner until 8 pm or so. (but it was worth it). The commute this morning was another bear – about an hour…I am so SICK of this winter weather. In the six years I have been in Denver it has NEVER been like this…but it sounds like the whole country has been hit hard this year. I cannot wait for Spring weather!

Finally - today I had lunch with my friend and former officemate Betsy, who adopted a beautiful baby boy in November. Jaryn is now almost 3 months old already! We had lunch at her house and I got to hold him - he is SUCH a good baby. Happy & healthy. I'm so happy for her. THEN I came back to my office and found out that the new receptionist that was hired last week has a 2 year old daughter, Sidney, from Kazakhstan who is absolutely beautiful. There are successful adoption stories just SURROUNDING me at this point - everywhere I turn!

P.S. - if anyone has a chance to watch (or TiVo) Oprah's show tomorrow on "The Secret" I would highly recommend it. This is something I have been trying to live by for about 5 months now and it has really changed my outlook and perception of the things that happen in my life.

P.P.S - for those of you who have donated to my adoption fund - THANK YOU! I still have a long way to go, but every little bit helps. Your generousity humbles me. My gratitude is endless.

USCIS 2nd Filing Completed!

Another paperchase milestone completed! I got word from CCAI today that they submitted my 2nd USCIS filing today - now I just wait for the I-171H form (they said it should come in the next one to six weeks...let's hope it's on the lower end...)!

I started putting together my photos and got some more passport photos taken for my dossier this weekend. It's coming together...

In the email I received from CCAI today they were talking about a couple of forms and said to send them copies because I will be"taking the originals with you to China" - holy crap! I've been believing it and talking about it for a long time - but now THEY are even talking about my trip to China.

I'm giddy (as if you couldn't tell...) : )

SWEET!

Yesterday I received my first set of documents back from the Chinese embassy in San Francisco. Those of you familiar with the international adoption process know that you are required to provide a notarized, certified copy of just about every piece of paperwork on you in the world to the Chinese government. This includes, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, adoption petitions, financial statements, guardianship affadavits, and much more!

Anyway - the documents (of mine) that were created in WA State all had to go to the Secretary of State THERE for Certification, and the ones from Colorado went to the Sec of State here. Then the WA documents were sent to the Chinese embassy in San Francisco for Authentication, and the CO documents went to Chicago....long story short - I got the ones back from San Fran yesterday! So now I'm just waiting on Chicago (should be next week, I mailed them about a week apart!) and then the ever long-awaited I-171 H (immigration form). But since I got fingerprinted earlier this week - that should be processing as well...

I get SO excited everytime I go to the mailbox and I've completed another hurdle in this paperchase. I don't think people who haven't done it would even understand how tedious this process is. Thank god I'm a person who likes to fill out forms and is completely anal about details! Thanks for all the support from my online friends - and fellow paperchasers...the dream is still alive & kickin!

Fingerprinting

I got a call from Kathy at CCAI today. My homestudy report has been received and is complete. It now goes on to Adoption Alliance for review. She said that process will take about a week. In the meantime I will go to the Immigration office and get my fingerprints done so CCAI can do my 2nd Immigration filing as soon as the homestudy comes back from Adoption Alliance. Yes, that means I'm one step closer to receiving the coveted I-171 H form! All my other documents are now at the Chinese embassy offices in San Francisco and Chicago proceeding with authentication. So far, so good!