I800 Form Received!!

On January 26, 2012 at 8:49 AM our I800 form along with our Homestudy was received by the US government!!  They should be notifying us in the next couple of weeks to have our fingerprinting done.
So, between 2 and 3 months we should have our approval back.
 All of our papers are done for the dossier (the huge batch of documents that actually go to China).  Once we get our approval from the US government, our dossier papers can go to China.  And within a couple of weeks of our papers arriving in China, we will get "logged in"...in the adoption world it is a very HUGE milestone called LID (log in date).  Once we are logged in, the agency can begin matching us with a baby!!!
So, according to my calculations as well as my agency's calculations, our papers should be going to China by the beginning of May.  That means by the end of May we should have our LID!!!  Oh my goodness, if for some reason there is a miracle and we are actually matched on the first batch of referrals that means we could have her picture in June.  Although, I will be happy if we just have a picture before Christmas.  Since we are requesting a baby as young as possible with just a very minor heart condition they prepared us that it could be a long wait.  They only get referrals once a month, so it could be several, several months before a baby girl with a minor heart defect is available.  But, I am prepared to wait because I know God already has her picked for us and I believe she was born for us to be her forever family!

I800 form is on it's way!!

January 25, 2012 ~  Woooo Hoooo!!  I got a call from our adoption agency and they received our homestudy report which means they were able to send out our I800 form to the US government!!  This now begins our 3 month wait to get our "official" approval from the US government to adopt.  Once we get that, our Dossier is ready to go to China!!!

Timeline of Events 

November 30, 2011 ~  Application is faxed to adoption agency and they sent us an email saying that they have officially accepted us!  Got the contract signed and overnighted to the agency so they will have it the next day.  Up next...Homestudy!!  aaahhhhhhhh!

December 2, 2011 ~  Got the call saying they received our contract and we will be assigned to someone. Also got an email from the homestudy department with our application from Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services for Child Placement.  We will be e mailing that back on Monday morning.

December 5, 2011 ~  The 7 page application is filled out and sent via email for our Homestudy Application.  I hope we receive our big packet in the mail today.

December 13, 2011 ~ Fire Inspection

December 19, 2011 ~  WOW!!  So much has happened in the last 2 weeks...it has been a whirlwind!  We were going to wait to tell the kids about all this until the homestudy was done but there was no way.  There is so much we need to talk about and it was getting too hard to try to only talk about it when they weren't around.  So, we told Eli and Olivia the exciting news on 12/8.  I wrapped the book "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" and made a little piece of paper that all hinted about the adoption.  They are sooo excited but they want her here NOW!!  We also went on our pre-training service on Dec. 10th up in Cleveland at the adoption agency.  We got to meet Uncle Joe (from China).  We learned so much about post-adoption troubles that day, very eye opening.  So, this week I have been a busy bee and literally got ALL the homestudy paperwork done and submitted!!  A total of 14 documents (and our autobiographies).  We have come so far in just 1 week.  I'm on a mission to bring my baby girl home fast!!  Here is a list of the documents submitted:
Medical Statement Forms for all 4 of us
Financial Statement Form
Release of Confidential Information
Fire Inspection
Employment Letters
Local Police Clearance Letter
CPR Verification
Pre Service Training
SACWIS
Autobiographies


December 22, 2011 ~ Social worker came for her first of four homestudy visits.

Talked to adoption agency and they said I am breaking records on getting all my stuff done.  Let's just say I am one determined mama!!  They gave me the go-ahead on beginning the dossier process!!  I can't help during the holidays to wonder what Christmas will look like.  Will we have a picture of our daughter and at least know who she is?  Will we maybe even have her home yet?  I'm just hoping that we get a referral before next Christmas.

December 26, 2011 ~  2nd homestudy visit

January 2, 20112 ~  3rd homestudy visit

January 5, 2012 ~  Mailed out I-800A form to the adoption agency via certified mail (form that goes to homeland security along with our homestudy report that the social worker does to get clearance from the United States to adopt) This will take 3 months to get back so the waiting game begins!!  I am praying that somehow it ends up on someone's desk that is super quick and it won't take that long.  All of our stuff can not go to China until we get this clearance.  ugh!

January 6, 2012 ~  Last visit with the social worker

January 16, 2012 ~  Doctor appointments for my husband and I to have more medical statements filled out along with blood work /  lab work done.

January 19, 2012 ~  Social worker mailed completed homestudy to agency.

January 20, 2012 ~  Got all documents of dossier completed except waiting on one.  Then I will take them all to be notarized, then to the clerk of court to be certified, then to the Secretary of State to be certified.