Adoption

I don't know where to begin when I sit here to write out our 'adoption story'!  I feel like I am behind because most people blog the day by day happenings of their adoption as they occur...but I will have to start from here and recap where we have been up until now!  So here are the highlights of the process so far....

March 9, 2012- we got accepted into the China program at AWAA and began digesting the huge amount of literature they sent to get us started.  We began to compile the documents we would need to form our 'dossier'.  This is the group of documents that are sent to China.  It involved doctors appointments, shots, financial forms, a home study with a social worker, finger-printing, special on-line classes, lots of reading, marriage and birth documents, references, notaries, certifications, authentications, and countless trips to the Fed-Ex office.

June 18, 2012 Our home study was approved.

August 8, 2012 Sent our application to AWAA for the Waiting Child Program

August 23, 2012 REFERRAL!!!!  A scheduled phone conference to review the 'next steps' with our family coordinator turned into a referral for a little girl from the waiting child list.  She was listed for a log in date family only so we had to scramble from here to get our paperwork submitted before we would be able to accept her.

August 28, 2012 We received updated photos of our sweet girl!  So cute...and totally bald!  :) We also filed to receive an updated medical report on her health status.  Part of the requirements before accepting a referral are that you must have a visit with a physician, and it is suggested to consult an adoption specialist.

August 31, 2012  DTC (Dossier to China)  FINALLY!

September 4, 2012  LID (Log In Date)

September 26, 2012  We finally received her referral update after a whole month of waiting!  Several days later we visited with our choice of Adoption Specialists, Dr. David Douglass in SC! 

October 2, 2012 LOI (Letter of Intent) also known as EA (electronic acceptance)

October 12, 2012 PA (Pre-approval) received saying our acceptance had been accepted and our file would be moved to the 'need approval' pile.  Our dossier hadn't been translated yet because it was just received..so it would be moved into another pile to be translated, then it will go to the next step of review to see if we are allowed to adopt our sweet girl!

And that brings us up-to-date as of today....the wait is hard!  I pray for my little girl so far away...it is so hard to not know how she is!    At this point, we aren't allowed to share her picture and we've chosen not to share much of anything.  We are just trusting for that RA to get here, and soon!  I have never been stretched in my faith quite in the way this has stretched me.  I am thankful for God's perfect timing, even in this.  In the meantime, I am filling up the time with reading on how to best care for her, emailing with other moms who are waiting as well, researching where she lives, and planning for the day she'll will join our family!   I juggle the emotions that come too...they come from both sides of the spectrum all the way from total peace, excitement, and anticipation to fear, sadness, and inadequacy!  The wait from PA to RA is 2-4 months...with 2.5 months being the average for people who do not have a translated dossier.  We'll be one month into our wait on Thursday!  I am so hoping and praying for the 2 month mark instead of the 4 month mark! 

And that is that!  I cannot wait to post ALL ABOUT HER, but will save that for another day!  

This is it...

This is it...my attempt at a blog!  I, for a long time, have been a reader and admirer of blogs but never thought I would actually start one. However, recently, I have felt it would be a great way of remembering this journey of life we are traveling.  Some day, when memories have faded, and questions are asked about this time in our lives, we can reflect back on this space for the answers.  Justin is always looking at me at the dinner table over the dull roar of laughter, funny business, or chaos and saying "our house is full of life"!  And so it is!  So this is it...I wanna write stuff down before I forget it!  Life is zoooooming by and I don't want to miss any of it, and some of it I want to remember for a long time!  We are living full of life around here so come and join us!