Thursday | August 30, 2007

Taking baby steps

I feel like we are taking baby steps right now.  Yesterday I mailed off what hopefully should be the end of our paper work for the HS!!  Im very excited about this, having the HS will be a huge load off.  It is feeling like little by little we are getting closer.  I am day dreaming of her I have her name I know what I want to do to her room.  I feel very preparred the kids are excited and want her home, though Im not sure if Maddie realizes its not a baby doll! LOL  So next step..... the home study people finishing their part then we will be waiting on our I-171H form which hopefully wont take to long.  I feel like we are nearing the home stretch but really there is quite a ways to go.  But thinking about it gives me butterfly's I so badly want to go get her, the girl, my daughter!  So baby steps and thats ok, it will happen when it happens but I want to see her baby steps so Im ready to be finished with ours!
Posted by Kris at 14:01:45 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday | August 24, 2007

Finishing the Home Study!

WOW!!  We are almost there, well there as in almost done with the HS.  All we are waiting for now is my medical check which is next week.  Then we will mail that in and they will have it finished within a couple days.  We had our 2nd and last at home visit today.  It went very well!  The lady who is doing our HS is very sweet and kind and has adopted a little girl from Vietnam also.  I really felt like she was just here to get to know us, never did I feel like I needed to defend anything; it was really great.  So next step getting the I-171H and then our dossier will be complete and we will send it to Vietnam.  HURRAY it seems like everything is falling into place.  My Passport came today and Rich's came yesterday.  I love how people are so willing to help out when you are adopting LOVE IT!!  Madison had her 1st day of schoold today to and it was Kadens on Monday and they are doing great and are excited to have a baby sister.
Posted by Kris at 17:18:34 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday | August 21, 2007

CLEARANCE

OK....... so I made the mistake of NOT expediting my passport but right away I talk to someone and they told me to send in the extra money and request for an upgrade to expedite.  Well 2 weeks later the check has never cashed and I have been very stressed that I will be stuck waiting for my passport and everything else will be done.  Well good news today we have clearance which means the FBI and State has cleared us BUT Im waiting on my passport.  This has been the only thing so far that I have cried about.  I hate that my passport is what will end up slowing us down now.  I did them again today and appearently they got my check and updated my stuff but didnt go any further so the man I talked to who was very sweet emailed whoever he emails and hopefully it will move along.  I will be calling every couple of days to but them until it is here in my anxious hands.  I cant believe we are at the point were we can almost send our paperwork to Vietnam!!  Im so excited but yet so anxious to get ALL the paperwork done.  It is getting closer though and I will try to be patient.  TRY!!
Posted by Kris at 15:45:37 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday | August 19, 2007

The paper chase

So we are in the middle of the waiting game.  I hate not having control.  I've gone as far as I can at this point and now I just have to wait for fingerprints to get in so we can finish our Home Study.  Im ready to get papers notarized but I want to do it at the right time.  Since there is this 6 month deal I dont want to get it to early ya know.  So every day that passes with out a letter in the mail or a phone call is torture. 

Im also waiting on our Passports, neither of us have ever had one before and when I applied I didnt do the expedite not thinking but Rich did 2 weeks after me because he was waiting on his Birth Certificate.  So I called and sent in more money to upgrade to expedite and Im hoping it will all work out!  It seems like this stuff should go more smoothly but I guess it doesnt.  So anyways the waiting game.  And not even the waiting for travel yet which Im sure will feel even more uncontrolable and torturous.  I just want my daughter I want to shop and finish her room.  I keep seeing all these cute clothes and I want to buy but I dont know what size and season to buy for yet.  I cant wait and every night we pray for her.  I'll stop now because Im rambling.

Posted by Kris at 10:14:58 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday | August 17, 2007

Speaking the language

Ok so Im not talking about speaking Vietnamese, that is not going to happen I spent 3 years in Spanish and never learned more than a couple words, not all nice!!  Im talking about the adoption language the big words everyone talks about like everyone else should know but I have no idea.  I feel like Im getting a handle on most if it now but there are some BIG words that have a LOT of work attached to them.  1600A form ok I was asked if I had sent it in, I had no idea what it was.  It is the form you send in to the government to get a file started for you to help approve you for adoption (I think).  Ok then there is Dossier which I would spell dosea if I hadnt read about it LOL.  A dossier is a collection of paperwork that will be sent over to the country of your choosing for approval for you adoption.  We have to compile the following:

Home Study not older than 6

Health Certificate not older than

Income Statement from employer

Police clearance (we had our fingerprints done and who knows how long until we get that back)

Marriage license

Ten passport photos

Picture page of passports for both spouses

Vietnamese application

Power of attornery for non-traveling spouse (if needed)

Letter of approval to adopt a child fromthe BSIC (also waiting on fingerprints from them)

All of these have to have a notary and then have to be sent to the Sec of State from which the document originated from to get some special seal.  And all not older than 6 months.

 There is a 171H something or other and then just so many words I read about and think OK Im not sure I can do this without totally messing it all up.  Its scary stuff and I know it will be worth it but I really feel like I need someone holding my hand with every form I even catch myself checking the spelling on my own name and making sure ok yes this is my birthday right?  Im sure the peeing in a cup is coming up too, always a good time!

Posted by Kris at 11:33:06 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday | August 15, 2007

The other mom

So Ive been thinking a lot about the bithmom lately.  I know what she is going through has to be very hard.  In most cases the birth moms that give up their babies are teenage or single and their families arent ok with out of wedlock children.  Some cases the babies are abanded.  My heart really goes out to this mom.  I pray for her and my baby, and knowing that there is a lady out there that is most likely pregnant right now with my little girl is exciting but heart breaking too.  At one point you want this you want there to be a mom that is preggers and doesnt want to be, on the other hand you feel bad for the mom and the baby.  I hope she is taking care of herself and I also hope that I am able to get information on her so that I can have that for my daughter while she is growing up.  I think having that connection with be very helpful for her.
Posted by Kris at 15:46:20 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |

Monday | August 13, 2007

Starting the Blog

I have been wanting to do this but Ive been lazy about doing it.  I started a family one before but didnt keep up on it so I will try again.  Im wanting to do this blog to keep friends and family up to date on the progress of our adoption.  I also am very obsessed with reading other blogs about adoption I have found them very helpful.  I dont plan on being as elequent as these other bloggers, they seem to have vocabulary that I just dont have.  But Im hoping to be helpful for anyone out there going through the process or thinking about it with our timeline and experience.  Wish me luck!!
Posted by Kris at 20:01:19 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |