January - I think we FINALLY have all of our paperwork, passport pictures, and everything else turned it. We also heard that we are now number 44 on the list for our agency. We are very hopeful that we will be moving quickly up that list over the coming months!
December - We went to World Vision USA to use some of our Christmas spirit to help a family in need. A gift for our baby that is somewhere out there in the world. Can't wait for next Christmas when we are all together.
November – Okay seriously.. we can’t keep waiting like this. Where are you I-171H?
16th – The I-171H arrived!! Finally!
13th – Placed our Dossier in the mail! All of our paperwork is complete!? Well, let’s hope J
October – Proves to be month of waiting and waiting and waiting. For what you ask? Our I-171H from the Department of Homeland Security. Hello? Where are you?
14th – We’re now at number 50!!
September –
24th – We officially make the waitlist for our baby! We’re number 59, so there are 58 families ahead of us at this time! We are so excited!!
August – a huge step in our journey, we receive our USCIS Orphan Petition Court Date & our “appointment notice”
25th Federal Court Building, fingerprinting (electronic fingerprinting – if you can imagine that!)
2nd – our appointment notice comes in the mail … & we have an appointment here in Fairbanks! HUGE! Big, big deal as everyone else we’ve talked to has had to go to Anchorage (a 45 minute flight or a 7 hour drive away).
July -
23rd-24th – garage-yard sale!
14th – we start spreading the word about our baby’s garage sale & get *amazing* donations from clients, friends & family
June – the month of waiting
14th – mid month we are still waiting on clearances from other states; turns out states with very large populations & states with very small ones, zip through paperwork … those in-betweeners,notsomuch.
May – while visiting & celebrating with family in Chicago, we learn that our home study has been completed & is being sent for review! (unfortunately, it later turns out a few key items did not get processed on their side … so it was several more weeks (months) before everything was finalized & sent to our agency for review)
28th – on my dad’s birthday we learn that our home study has been finalized
3rd – sometime around this date we learn that there is no more state processing … we won’t find out the exacts of this for several more months; our social worker who did our home study also finds a new job in another state around this time frame, so sadly we say goodbye to her & her wonderful role in our life up until this point
April – a month of interviews & home visits, all in preparation for completing our home study
30th – we receive our Strengthening Families Letter of Completion
28th – meeting & drop off of more paperwork with FCA
14th – our health screenings & paperwork with our family doctor
6th – we are “officially” sent a welcome letter & other materials from our adopting agency
3rd – 2nd day of interviews (individually)
1st – Face-to-face interview with our home study social worker
March – we dove in head first! records, clearances, notaries – here we come!
19th – we receive our “basic list of steps for completing your home study” … fees, paperwork – you name it!
9th – we officially decide on our adoption agency
February – we began our adoption journey! Lots of information & paperwork gathering at this point …
27th – training with Ruth: Strengthening Families class, which also serves as our Hague training requirement for international adoption
