Seems But a Few Days: December 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Dossier - CHECK!

Our adoption agency has given us the OK on our dossier! We did our fingerprinting for immigration approval... Once we get that precious "I-171H" in the mail we are ready for a referral! It just so happens that we are #1 on our waiting lists (after many months of being on hold and creeping up the list). So we will be the next from our agency to recieve a referral for a baby girl! I cannot believe that I have the honor of claiming that. We have waited for so long - and so have many, many others. Reaching the top of the list feels like a miracle. But, in truth, getting through everything that come between now and and having our baby home is the real miracle. Please, Lord, bring our baby home.

Our Adoption Time Line

7/12/12 Home Together Forever
7/8/12 Embassy Appointment
6/27/12 Embassy Clearance - She's coming hom!
5/30/12 Visa Application Submitted to US Embassy
5/21/12 Recieved her Passport
5/8/12 Recieved her Birth Certificate
5/4/12 - Recieved the Adoption Decree
4/18/12 - Passed Court
4/15/12 In Ethiopia & Held our Sweet Jessica Rachel Sitota for the first time!!!
3/15/12 - COURT DATE set for April 18th
2/23/12 - WE GOT OUR REFERRAL!!!!!
2/16/12 - I171H Arrives!
12/11 - Dossier is complete (for the 3rd time in our adoption process)!
10/11 - Working on our dossier!! Praying for our baby constantly.
8/1/11 - Got an email from IAN - We are NUMBER ONE on all of our lists!! Now praying about when to move forward.
4/4/11 Anna is born!
2/19/11 -Lots of referrals this month, but because we are so close to the top of the list, we don't always move up. Moved up to #6 on the baby girl list and #7 on the toddler girl list. Remain at #2 on the toddler boy list and #1 on the sibling list.
1/14/11 - Happy Birthday to ME. Moved up to #8 on the baby girl list, #2 Toddler boy list, and #9 on the toddler girl list. Meanwhile Baby Girl in the womb is due in 10 weeks!
10/24/10 - Feeling baby move for the first time, and finding out that we moved up to #12 on the toddler girl list.
9/27/10 - Not only did we move up the #5 on the toddler boy list, but the Ethiopian Courts opened today after the annual rainy season closure!
9/2/10 - Moved to #6 on the toddler boy list. Remain at #15 on toddler girl, #11 on baby girl, and #1 on siblings list.
8/23/10 - Told IAN that I am pregnant. Placed "On Hold" until the baby is 6-12 months old. We will continue to move up the lists, but unable to accept a referral until then. Also, added ourselves to the toddler boy list where we are #7.
8/10/10 - Greatest Surprise Ever!! I'm pregnant!!! Still pursueing the adoption and waiting this out to see what God has in store! Hooray!
8/9/10 - Joined the Toddler Girl List and are #22! Now we are #2 on the Sibling list, #11 on the baby girl list!
6/7/10- Prayer time with Danny and Amy!
4/21/10 - Sometime in the past month we managed to move up a single place on both lists. Better than nothing, right? Currently #15 and #4! Trusting the Lord's always perfect timing!
4/12/10 - Received our coveted I 171H - which is our immigration approval from Uncle Sam! That is a huge step. Praise God!
2/10/10 - Moved to #19 on the baby girl list! AND our paperwork is in the mail to Ethiopia!
1/27/10 - Officially DONE with our dossier and are #22 on the wait list for a baby girl and #6 on the sibling wait list! Waiting for the Lord to show us how many babies He has for us.
10/27/09 - Applied to the CCAI Ethiopia Program (Ethiopiankids.org)
October 2009 - lots of conversation and prayer about moving our adoption to Ethiopia
June 2009 - friends of ours adopt a baby girl from Ethiopia
February 2009 - 2 years of waiting and counting!
June 2008 - Immigration approval expired... so we reapplied for our I171H
February 27, 2007 - Log In Date with the CCAA in China
February 2007 - Paperwork Complete!
January 2006 - Applied to CCAI and began our paperchase!
July 2005 - decided to adopt from China! Began looking for an agency.