Right Now

 So, where are we right now in our journey? 

1. We were federally fingerprinted (aka had our biometrics taken) in Birmingham on Tuesday.*
2. The majority of our dossier left this morning on the first leg of its journey to the Secretary of State to get certified.

The manilla envelope that UPS sent it in looked so unofficial, disturbingly so.  Don't they know that weeks and weeks worth of paper chasing is in that envelope?  I felt like it should be decorated with markers and glitter and ribbon.  It needed a proper send off.

Ok, so what's in the envelope?
Our application letter to China, birth certificates, marriage certificate, letters of employment, medical forms (UGH), financial information, the home study, and police clearance.

Where is it headed?
The packet is headed to the Secretary of State's office first.  Each of those forms/letters was notarized here, and now the SoS has to attach a certification that verifies that the notary is legit.

Then what?
When the packet comes back from Jackson, I make copies of all the certification sheets.  Then it goes to the Chinese Embassy in Houston, TX, for authentication.  Yep, that's another piece of paper that gets added.  Then I make copies of those sheets.  THEN, I add passport copies, photos of us and our home, and letters of reference to the packet, and the entire packet then goes to the agency in Oregon.  The agency reviews it and holds it.

*Once the fingerprints are processed with our immigration application, we will receive the I-797 approval via mail.  This will be the final piece of the dossier.  But it too will have to be state certified and embassy authenticated.

When that piece of paper is sent to Oregon, and prayerfully crossing fingers that all documents pass muster, THEN AND ONLY THEN will the dossier go to China.  Shew! 

At that point I will turn my attention to two things: (1) working on her room and (2) FUNDRAISERS!  Get ready, we will need your help!

Many of you have done some calculating and have, probably accurately, come to the conclusion that our daughter has likely already been born.  I ask that you pray specifically for her health, that she is being well cared for, for her care givers, and for her adjustment when the time comes.  I also ask, very selfishly, that you not say to me, "How exciting!  She's (probably) already been born!"  It hurts my heart for every second that I am not with her.  And though, yes, down the road it will be exciting that she is probably close in age to babies in my life, right now all I hear is, "You are with your baby, and I am not."


When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now.
-When Harry Met Sally but as used in adoption context by Jillian Michaels