The Process

For those of you who are wondering--here's the process I'm working through. I'll try to keep this list updated as I move through the steps.

1. Fill out applications for Reece's Rainbow, Adoption Agency and Home Study agency. - Done in February

2. Be matched on Reece's Rainbow with Sarita. - Done February 17th.


3. Complete homestudy. Sent downstate on May 7.


4. Homestudy goes to the state capital for approval. Received the official home study on May 19.

5. Homestudy and I800A Application go to Immigration and Homeland Security. USCIS paperwork mailed on May 21. Officially received on May 25th.

6. Begin to compile Dossier documents--including FBI clearance. - All ready on July 1st.

7. Homeland Security will send me an appointment for more fingerprints. Fingerprints done on June 7th.

8. Receive approval from Homeland Security and Immigration. Received July 27th!

9. Submit Dossier documents to her country. Sent on Aug 9th.

10. Receive approval from the country. Officially be matched with Sarita. Approved on Sept 22nd.

11. Be given a travel date and court date.  Traveled on January 12th.  Met Sara on January 14, 2013.  

12. Adopt Sarita in Colombia.  Finally official March 1, 2013.

13. Apply for a new birth certificate with her new last name.  Received March 2nd.  

14. Apply for her passport.  Applied March 4.  Received March 5.  

15. Apply for her US Visa.  Received March 6.

16. FLY HOME!  Arrived home March 7, 2013.  

A little bit crazy, very long, almost ridiculous. All will be worth it in the end.

Update--Here's How the Adoption's Going

I know it's been way too long since I updated. I always feel like I'm letting people down if I don't have something to say. (Maybe no one cares. Maybe it's all in my head.) So, here's the update that you've all been waiting for.....

I mailed my I800A into USCIS (I didn't know what any of that meant a few months ago) last week. I received confirmation on Friday that they have received my paperwork and they cashed my check. (That has to be progress, right?) Then, on Friday night, I heard about two families that had received their USCIS approval. Both families received approval in just under a month!!! This is HUGE! The official line from USCIS is that approval takes 90 days. These two families both sent theirs in a month ahead of mine and got approval in a month!!! So, what does that mean for me?

It means that Sara will probably be here sooner, rather than later! (Lots of exclamation points today. I'm excited!!!) I have said all along that I wanted to work summer school (I need the money)and travel during my August break. It would give me 3 extra weeks of my leave and allow me to save some of my sick time for appointments, etc. when Sara got back. Well, I've doubted for quite a while that that was going to happen. Now it looks like it's more than likely!!

Here's the breakdown as I currently understand it:

1. It will take USCIS about 3 weeks to assign me an appointment to get my fingerprints done. The appointment they assign me will be about a month after that. BUT, I have learned that you can go in before your appointment date. So, I'm hoping and praying that I have an appointment assigned when I get back from vacation. Then, I can use one of my last two days of break to go get my prints done. I'll have them done long before the appointment and I'll get to do them without taking off any work. (I'm hoarding every minute of sick time.)

2. Within a week of getting my prints done, I should have my approval from USCIS. This will hopefully be the last week of June.

3. As soon as I have that form in my hand, I can send the dossier into the country for approval. The director of the orphanage has already given me his approval. So, it really shouldn't take too long to get the dossier approved. (The director says 2 weeks!)

4. When that is approved, I will be granted a court date. (Probably about 2 weeks after approval.)

5. So, if you are following all the time lines, this puts me in the last week of July!!! Summer school ends August 2nd. How perfect is that? (And how soon!!!)

Obviously, international adoptions are very fickle and there is no guarantee that everything will go smoothly or quickly. BUT, this timeline gives me hope. (A LOT of hope!)

So, I will be spending this Memorial Day getting all the dossier paperwork in order to get finished this week. (I also am finishing up one more grant application.) I want everything done and ready to go before I go on vacation. (I've said all along that things may delay this adoption but I won't delay it.) I am playing phone tag with a psychologist and hope to get that evaluation done sometime in the next two weeks. I also have to get a letter written and notarized by my doctor. (Remember how fun she was the first time around?) The rest of the stuff is pretty small and I should be able to get that all done today.

Now, if I could just get an updated height and weight and a shoe size, I'd be almost ready for my little girl to come home...

I got to meet Henry!

Today, I got to meet Henry (and his mom). Henry was adopted last year from Reece's Rainbow. His mom and I are facebook friends and we've been following each other's blogs. I met up with him and his mom at Cracker Barrel for lunch.


It was so nice to chat with someone who understands things like:

*Just waiting for the final homestudy approval from DCFS....

*My I-800A is ready and waiting...

*My Dossier is almost done....

*I have no idea where I'm going to get the rest of the money I need....

*I've done a Give Away and now I'm doing a Puzzle Fundraiser....


And someone who can answer questions like:

*Why not adopt domestically?

*Why a child with special needs?

*How can you afford this?

*How can you be so in love with someone you've never met?


There are some other RR moms in the area. Sadly, they couldn't make it today but I look forward to getting together with the whole group---and introducing them to Sara!