Moving on up!

Yeah, an update!  AI is currently matching about one family per month, which is on par with their numbers from last year.   They matched 12 babies with 12 families.  We are now family #5 on the list, which doesn't really mean a whole lot in the sense of time since there can be movement within the list.  Once we are family #1, #2, or #3, the birth mothers will be shown our photo book and family information.  If they like us, even if we're #3, we'll get a call.  On the other hand, if we are family #1, it doesn't mean that we'll get the next referral.  Out of respect for other families who might be on this list, I won't post our # again after this post.  Would not want anybody's feelings hurt if we leap frogged over them.  I am sure that there are many lovely, deserving families on the list ahead, and behind, us.  So, all that being said, we are most likely looking at an August or September referral.  Now off to plan some summer activities to make the wait go by faster!  On the plus side, we received travel information and a packing list today! It's starting to feel like this may actually happen!

Now, we patiently wait

Well, this will be our last post for a bit as there will be nothing to report for quite awhile.  We were just updated that the current wait for a referral through AI is about 6 months.  Our dossier is in and there is nothing further for us to do.  So, if you were checking back for updates, try again in about 3 months when we were told that we would get another update ourselves.  For all of those who are still on the paper chase, good luck! 

NOW dossier mailed!

The saga continues!  UPS just called to let me know that they somehow "forgot" to put all of our paperwork into our packet yesterday.  One person was trying to fit it all into an envelope, that was obviously too small, and "forgot" to pull it all out before loading it into a box.  They "found" it today, 24 hours later, and have now repackaged it and are sending it to San Francisco, at their expense.  It will now arrive about 5 hours after my other paperwork, which I had paid extra to have delivered in the morning.  Sigh.  I am now giving up on USPS, FedEx, AND UPS to handle anything of any importance. From now on, I will just hand deliver every single thing!

Dossier mailed!

Oh my goodness, it actually happened. Well, it almost didn't.  I had a mini heart attack today.  In a nutshell, this is what happened.  So, we sent everything to the state capital to be aspostilled on Friday.  They got it yesterday.  They apostilled our documents and mailed them out yesterday afternoon. I tracked our package all the way until it was "delivered" to our front porch today.  Imagine my shock, dismay, horror when I realized that FedEx did NOT deposit it on our doorstep at all!  They misdelivered it!  AGH!  No kidding!  They lost all 17 apostilled documents, including those much agonized over child abuse letters.  They had no explanation as to where the package was and no way to get a hold of the driver until his break time.  They told me that they'd call me back in 2 hours.  Nope, not happening.  I packed our 3 year old daughter into the car and we started driving the neighborhood, checking every porch and guess what, miracles do happen as I found it, about 20 minutes later on the next street over!!!  FedEx is officially on my black list!  Quickly photocopied everything, packaged it up courtesy of UPS this time, and mailed it all to California.  It is supposed to get there on Thursday.  Fingers crossed that they can read the label and deliver to the correct address!  Regardless, it is done!  Officially celebrating!

Great News!

Our re-sent notarized addendum to our homestudy showed up in the mail today so we were finally able to mail off all of our paperwork to the state capital to be apostilled!  Whoo hoo!  Original ones still haven't made it.  Only option for mailing our paperwork was USPS since it's a PO Box.  Given the amount of our mail that they have lost in the past 6 months, I am very nervous about having them in control of our precious, hard-earned documents.  I sent it certified express with a tracking number, just to be on the safe side.  I also included a return certified FedEx envelope for it to be sent back to our home address.  Also, my husband got his approval letter today from USCIS to adopt.  I'm sure that mine will be in the mail tomorrow, as everything from Homeland Security has been going to him first, and me the next day.  Odd, but that's been the pattern.  This means that when our papers have been apostilled and returned to us, we will have everything we need for our dossier and we can mail it off to our placing agency!  So excited! 

***edit: Turns out that USCIS only sends out one letter (apparently addressed to the mail head oh household...GRRR...so we are actually both approved to adopt!***

One huge step forward, one tiny step back

WE GOT THE CAN LETTERS!!! WHOO HOO!!!  They came yesterday via FedEx.  Only problem is that our home study addendum, which we need to submit with everything else to be aspostilled, appears to have gotten lost in the mail.  I kid you not!  It was mailed last Tuesday, but never showed up.  Our home study agency just put another one in the mail today.  Everything is in one big envelope, just waiting to be sent to be apostilled.  Feels like we are always waiting on just one more thing.  Our home study agency has been amazing though so when they say that it's in the mail, it's in the mail.  Generally we get things about 2-3 days after they send them so either we'll get the replacement this week...or the original will show up.  Either way, we should be able to send our stuff off to be apostilled by this weekend and then hopefully submit everything to our placing agency by the end of next week.  It was a huge hurdle, but now we are almost there! 

Not holding my breath, but, maybe, just maybe...

Our homestudy agency submitted our addendum of our homestudy to USCIS yesterday.  Still had no word about our child abuse letters so I went from patiently waiting, to purely obnoxious.  I emailed the social worker two days ago, left a voicemail message yesterday, and then called the main line today and left a personal message with a colleague of the social worker to give to her.  It worked!  I got a call back AND an update!  She mailed the second set of letters to our placing agency two days ago.  Finally!  Not holding my breath as there is the whole postal service to count on now but fingers crossed that we finally have this last part of our dossier completed!  YEAH!  Only took 8 weeks to get those letters done, but hey, who's counting?  Oh, yeah, right.  WE ARE!