Hello everyone....well, anyone that is still following this blog b/c it has been SUCH A LONG time since I posted anything about our adoption journey. So today, I am going to bring us all up to date and attempt to fill in the gaps...........from most recent date......here we go!!!!!!!!!!
Friday: April 14, 2006
Today we found out that we are officially expecting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!
One of the great things is we won't have the traditional "morning sickness" to go along with expecting since we are adopting! LOL! But nonetheless, we are STILL EXPECTING!!!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how happy we are...we have been waiting for this for a LONG time.
Our LID is 1/5/2006.......that is Log In Date.........which means that is the day that the CCCA (China's government) entered all of our information into their database to begin the process of "matching" us to the child we will be offered to adopt (which is called a referral). The latest news, that I can find as the most reliable, is that the wait time from LID to referral is 12 months or less. Although the referral time has increased since we started this journey....and it is about 3 months longer than a typical pregnancy.....we are still excited and can't wait to hold our son in our arms for the first time....whenever that may be!
Basically, we won't receive much more news at all until a few months or weeks before our referral....and that will be information that we need to update (re-do paperwork that may expire before our referral or additional information that the China government may want). Then we will receive our referral, which will be a photo(s) of the child they will be offering to us to adopt and some information about the child (usually medical information, how tall, how much they weigh, how they eat, etc.). Then we either accept or reject the referral...which I can't imagine that we would EVER reject it unless there was something that we weren't expecting like a serious medical condition (b/c adopting a special needs child is a whole different process to get ready for...not because we are biased towards only healthy children, b/c no-one really knows what will happen with their child). Then we wait for our approval to travel....which is usually 4-8 weeks after the referral.....which is when we will travel to China to pick up and officially make our child a part of our family! I can't wait for this day........or should I say DAYS.....we will be in China for approximately 2 weeks. Hurry up time!!!!!!!!!
January 2006 (don't have the EXACT day documented)
We found out that our Dossier (which is all the paperwork, investigations, pictures, etc....that make up the huge PILE of paperwork we have been gathering for the past year for the China government) was officially translated into Mandarin and sent to China on 12/22/2005.......which is our DTC date!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!! Usually LID (log-in-date) is about 2-4 weeks after the CCCA (China's governement) receives the Dossier. The LID is CRUCIAL....as that is the date everyone uses to determine how much longer it will be before you receive your referral (which is a picture and information about the child that China is offering to you to adopt)....which time from LID to referral at this point is about 9-12 months.......and then 4-8 weeks after that you travel to China to pick up your sweet child and bring them home....FOREVER!!!!!!!! So, the DTC date is also a very significant date!!!!!!!!! Come on LID!!!!!!!!!!!
December 4, 2005
(this is an email from me to our adoption agency and then her reply to me)
Fran,
Hi there! We received the authenticated documents from the China Embassy on Thursday, 12/1/05, and made three copies of everything that evening. I sent you two copies and the originals, the two photo pages, a copy of each of our passports (the China Embassy said they didn't need copies, so those were not included in the authenticated documents), and a check for $3850.00 on Friday, 12/2/05, via Express Mail delivery. The US postal service said they would attempt delivery on Saturday, 12/3/05, but since I didn't think anyone would be in the office that day, they should they would reattempt on Monday, 12/5/05, b/c we required a signature for the package. The good Lord
knows that we don't want THAT package lost!!!!!!!!! LOL!
If you will email me or call me when you get the package to let me know you received it, that would be great!!! Also, I am sure you will keep us informed of the status/steps going forward. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Renee' and Paul Eyler <><
__________________________________________________________________________________
December 6, 2005
Hi Renee,
Your dossier packet arrived undamaged. I was out yesterday and am in the process of double-checking your dossier before I send it on. Jun is going to send your dossier without the new documents. She did not believe this would be an issue at log-in - but please be mindful that your Gold Seals may need to be repeated down the road. I would not recommend doing anything until we hear from the CCAA months from now - the documents may be fine.
Fran
Tuesday, November 29, 2005 10:46 AM
(this is an email from the executive director, Fran, at our adoption agency)
Hi Renee,
Great news about the progress of your dossier. I share your concern about the time-frame of a couple of your documents. I will forward them all on to the translator and see if she has any concerns before your dossier is sent to CCAA. CCAA may request up-dates 1-2 months before referral time.
I will answer your questions below within your e-mail.
Fran
FYI: Fran's answers are in red - my questions are in black ( in message dated 11/27/2005)
In a message dated 11/27/2005 5:29:35 PM Eastern Standard Time, Renee' writes
Fran,
Hi there. I just wanted to update you on our progess to date.
This past Wednesday, Paul and I had all of our dossier documents certified at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. then walked/rode over to the Embassy of PRC and left them there to be authenticated. We left them with an Express Mail prepaid/self addressed envelope and the embassy employee said that our official authenticated documents should be mailed to us this coming Wednesday, November 30th and we should receive them on the next day, Friday 12/1/05.
When I receive them, I will be making three copies of the entire dossier (is that correct?).
Then I will mail you two complete copies and the originals, along with our two picture pages and our visa photos (is this correct?). You are correct.
Is there anything that I am missing? You will need to send a check made payable to Adoption Resource Center, Inc. for the dossier translation fee ($350) plus $3,500 of the foreign fee (the remaining $4000 of the foreign fee is either wired to China right before travel or you can take it in cash) for a total of $3,850. Kim did not forward me the contracts you had signed so I am not sure of the breakdown of the payments of our program fee. I will ask Maureen to fax me the contracts when she goes to the office on Thursday.
I will be making the copies the day I receive the dossier items from the embassy and mailing them to you for next day delivery, express mail packaging. Please send them to Adoption Resource Center, Inc., 1999 University Drive, Suite 201, Coral Springs, FL 33071 (954-255-3226)
I am assuming then you send them for translation ASAP since a few of the documents are definitely on the verge of having to be redone if the timeline isn't in our favor. What else goes on on your end after you receive the documents from us? I check your dossier and include fees and overnight everything to the translator.
How long after you receive the documents do you mail the dossier to China? The translator completes your dossier and she sends it to CCAA. Generally, I would say this takes about 2 weeks to complete.
When are you notified of a long in date and referral on it's way? The log-in date is available about 2 months after your dossier has arrived and I will let you know what the date is as soon as I am given it.
And do you know the approximate wait time for a referral after long in date, at this point? The wait for a referral is approx. 7 months though this may change - some agencies are saying this time-frame is beginning to become longer. About 1 to 2 months before your referral is expected, CCAA will review your dossier and may request new documents and/or documents be up-dated. If such a request is made, it is crucial these documents be completed ASAP as any delay will cause a delay in CCAA sending a referral.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING AT THIS POINT (that is after we mail you all the documents)? We don't want to get in another jam going forward...so please, let us know everything we should be doing in the meantime. After your dossier has been completed, there is nothing for you to do except wait. The seemingly endless wait is a difficult one especially when there is little to no information to pass on to you.
