Now we have the $7700 needed to send in our paperwork (a.k.a. The Adoption Dossier) (a.k.a. every item about our life except our underwear size) (a.k.a. the paper pregnancy / nausea portion).
THIS PAPERWORK:
And what you can't really appreciate from that photo is the 2 copies under each stack. AND that some had to be notarized, some didn't, some had to be taken to the South Carolina State Department to be certified, and all have to be separated into 3 individual sets and placed in a very specific order.
With the $7700. And away to Virginia to America World Adoption Agency it shall go with my blessing...
Except for this pesky detail....
That would be the form I need from the United States Department of Citizenship and Immigration. A form that will be issued to allow us to bring an orphan in-country IF our federal fingerprints (that we had to go to Charleston to get taken) came out o.k., and IF they approve of our home study, and BECAUSE we paid them $830. It was submitted May 6th (not that I'm obsessing). And was suppose to take a minimum of 30 days. (not that I'm counting - what was today again???)
So when it gets here, we're good to go. Unless you also noticed that there are only my set of passport photos waiting. Cause the camera at Office Depot was broken and couldn't take Tony's today.. Of course. What was it I said about stumping our toes on EVERY step???
So then we're good to go. And THEN can we go get the baby? Well.... no.
Then we go on a waiting list depending on where our name falls in order on the important DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia) list. If we had our paperwork in today, which we don't - we would only be #21 in line on the unofficial yahoo family list for a baby girl. ....Only....
Which means waiting 8-10 months until we are #1.
And then getting a call/email with her precious little face..
And then accepting that little face as our daughter, signing some paperwork, and sending $5250 in. (money that will be used to care for her in the orphanage)
And THEN waiting on a court date 1-2 months later.
And then both of us flying to Ethiopia to attend court and see and love on our baby for 7-10 days.
And then coming home (sigh...)
And then waiting 2-3 months for the US to give us an Embassy date to request her exit visa.
And then we travel back to bring her home!!
Simple enough, huh?
And while it seems pretty complicated, and pretty expensive, pregnancy and child-birth wasn't a walk in the park either... and I'm not puking 5 times a day, every day, like I did my last pregnancy. AND I get to include all of you on the team to support, pray, and love Olivia in our journey to bring her home. Versus puking by myself in a nasty rest area bathroom. Adoption has it's perks!
CAN'T WAIT TIL YOU GET HERE BABY GIRL. WE MISS YOU ALREADY.
4 comments:
Wow. That's...amazing. There is no other word for it. Seriously, the red tape involved in adopting...I know there has to be *a procedure* in place, but so much of it just seems like bureaucratic nonsense just designed to be open to corruption...but then what do I know? I'm still an armchair adoptive parent.
Walgreens does passport photos too. You'll bring her home in the perfect timing- my adoption verse is Hab. 2:3 (and has been for years, so, it's totally relevant!)
Hope that I-171H comes SOON!!! When we got ours in the mail I remember running down the street to find my husband. Seriously...running as fast as I could. I'm sure the neighbors were wondering what was going on. :)
Hannah had just turned 4 months old when we got her...and only weighed 8 lbs! So she was like a newborn.
Hi! Jeff and I are waiting for our I171-H form too! We have waited four weeks....aaaargh......no sign of it....YET! Praying that yours comes QUICKLY!!
Zoe Moon is a very precious name! :o)
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