Dossier Has Been FedEx'd!

Please please don't let something bad happen to it - I don't need something like "Castaway" to happen where it arrives two years later. David thinks he's funny by saying that if the FedEx plane crashes in the Mississippi that eventually the package would make it to Guatemala anyway - so not funny. I will be checking the tracking first thing in the morning to make sure my agency signed for it. Whew, finally the paperchase is over.

Dossier Done!

It's done, finally! The last of the dossier paperwork arrived yesterday from the Guatemalan consulates. Man, they returned it oh so fast! Today David and I went over it all checking and rechecking and tomorrow we will FedEx it to our agency. Our agency will review it all and hopefully not want anything redone and then they will send it to Guatemala for translation. Unfortunately, we still can't get on the list for a baby referral until Homeland Security and Immigration send us that 171h that approves us to adopt internationally. We hope to get that asap, but it may be end of June before it arrives. Please please let them approve it fast! We filed it on January 16 and we hope it comes anyday now. We are off to Bald Head Island for vacation on Friday and won't return until May 14 - so we won't be updating until then unless our approval arrives before we leave!

MayanFamilies.com

I've heard through friends that this charity in Guatemala is in real need of Over The Counter medications, so while I sit her not so patiently waiting on the 171h and for my dossier to be done, I've decided to start collecting medications to take down with me. If anyone is interested is sending any with me, please do so. I'm not sure I will have room on the first trip to take clothes, shoes, school supplies, etc. so I'm hoping to do that on a future trip and just bring medication for now.
The rest of our documents were filed with the Atlanta Guatemalan Consulate and Houston Guatemalan Consulate on April 24. Our Homestudy Agency was amazing and turned the corrections around in less that 48 hours. Once these documents are returned to me we will send everything to our agency for review (please please don't make us redo anything), who will in turn send everything to Guatemala for translation. Still can't be referred a baby until that lousy 171h shows up!

The Never Ending Chase Continues...

The last 2 papers we need (our homestudy and the agency license) we received yesterday, just to find out that new signatures are needed and a few corrections need to be made. We are quite disappointed as this will probably be a delay of a couple of weeks. We still have not received our 171h, the US Government approval that we need to go on the referral waiting list. Hopefully, we can get these last couple of documents finished and to our agency for review before the 171h is received. Learning patience the very very hard way.

The Paperchase Continues

As of today, April 6, we have been chasing papers for 3 months! 3-6 months is average, but I know some speed demons who've done it in 6-8 weeks. This has to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever done - even if I had patience, which I don't. I practicied compliance law - all those insurance departments and their tedious paperwork have NOTHING on this paperchase! There's a cute t-shirt out there in adoption land that says:

Homestudy - $1500
CIS fingerprints - $685
Legible Dr signature - Priceless

So true! It is an absolute must that your documents be exactly right - matching dates, legible signature, legible notary signature, state names spelled out, names match, notary must have a year left on commission, etc etc. There is not a doctor on earth who can sign legibly. The pediatrician had to do the kids letter 4 times! Our general practicioner had to do it 6 times! The employment letter twice. I have had very few documents that have passed on the first try (thank you Eddie!) And they still have to go and past muster with our dossier coordinater!

For our homestudy we had to gather many documents, and then have a couple of visits with a social worker (Libby - who was awesome) and take some education classes. It is kind of an intrusive process but we kept in mind that this is to proctect not only the children but ourselves.

I feel like the fingerprint queen. We were fingerprinted twice for the FBI, once for NC, and then once for Homeland Security/Immigration. Sometimes I feel like everyone should have to go through this scrutiny to become a parent. And then wait months and months to get a piece of paper saying - ok, you pass.

We have 2 docs to get certified and authenticated, and 4 documents to get authenticated. Then we wait for the 171h - goodbye paperchase, I can't wait! Happy Easter everyone!

The Paperchase Begins

We started the paperchase officially on January 6, 2007. You are officially through with the paperchase when all of your documents have been gathered, notarized, certified, authenticated and then sent to your agency for review (and any re-do's). They then send it to Guatemala for translation while you await your approval from US Immigration. At the beginning you file an I600A with US Immigration (CIS) which includes a homestudy and the computerized fingerprints. We filed on January 11, sent in Homestudy March 20 and had our fingerprint appointment April 5. We are waiting approval (171H) - the official a-ok. Right now the NC office says they are 8 weeks out, but friends have received it in 3 weeks. We'd love to have it all done by May 1! Then, and only then, can we go on the waiting list to receive the referral of our soon to be daughter.

What On Earth Do We Do Now?

Thus, the first question I asked myself after we signed our agency contract and in return we received something called a Dossier Preparation packet. The name doesn't do it justice. This is what is not-so-lovingly referred to as "The Paperchase". A horribly tedious process of chasing down numerous papers (certified birth and marriage certificates, having physicals and letters for everyone in the family, criminal clearances and fingerprints from the last places you lived for 7 years - you know how many that is for us? Also, the homestudy, reference letters, witness statements, specific US documents, specific Guatemalan documents, etc etc) and not only do all those documents have to be gathered and notarized LEGIBLY, you have to send each document to the state of origin to get the documents state certified, then you have to send each document to the appropriate Guatemalan consulate (again from the state of origin) and have them all authenticated. All in all we are dealing with a million documents going to 4 different States and 4 different Consulates. The Fun Has Begun.

The Decision To Adopt

We officially decided to adopt on January 2, 2007. A great way to start off the New Year! David and I had been discussing adoption for 3 years and finally decided to take the leap. Nathan is 5 and Nick is 2 and we just felt ready. It's a huge decision, both financially and emotionally, and this just seemed to be the right time. Tons of decisions to make - domestic or international? Which country? Which agency? Are we open to gender? The list goes on and on and we just did a lot of research and finally decided on an international adoption of a little girl from Guatemala using a very well respected agency out of Dallas TX that specializes in Guatemalan adoptions (For This Child, Inc. www.forthischild.org). As we live in North Carolina we had to have a homestudy done by a NC agency/social worker and we decided to use Mandala Adoption Services (www.mandalaadoption.org). We've been pleased with both organizations. We are so excited to be on this journey! Let the PATIENCE begin!

Why The Blog You Ask?

I was never one for blogging...but after our decision to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala the questions started to roll in from family and friends about the process and where we were in that process. I figured a blog was a good way to centralize all that info and let everyone check in whenever they could. Adopting internationally is a long and often bumpy journey and your support is very important to us!