On a separate note, I wanted to ask everyone to please say a quick prayer for Mike. He slipped on the icy sidewalk at our house and landed full-force on his right arm. After going to work that day, he decided it hurt too much. So he made a stop at the ER. Sure enough, there are 3 fractures at his elbow. He's been wearing a wrapped up splint since then.
Yesterday, the orthopedic surgeon explained how he wants to put a screw into his arm to hold the bone pieces together. So, on Thursday, he'll have surgery to put in the screw. It should be a quick procedure, but we're praying that it is simple and conflict-free. Also that it is relatively pain-free afterwards. He's been lucky so far in that the arm isn't bothering him too much.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The first step arrives...
Exactly three weeks ago, we learned about Gracelynn. 13 days ago, our agency submitted our LOI (Letter of Intent) and several other papers to CCAA, China Center of Adoption Affairs. Today, we received our PRE APPROVAL!!!
YAY!
What does the PA mean? My understanding is that CCAA looked over these few papers, photos, etc. and gave us the go-ahead to continue. Now, we will await the LOA (Letter of Approval). This will come after CCAA finds our dossier under stacks and stacks of dossiers and goes through each document and determines we're okay. Our agency says 3-6 months or so. Another lady also awaiting an adoption of a little boy at the same orphanage as Gracelynn says that her agency told her 2-4 months. She's currently on day 33.
After the LOA, comes the TA. (I'm slowly learning these acronyms!) The TA is travel approval. At that point, we'll make our travel plans and buy tickets, etc. Travel will probably occur a few weeks later. We're still hoping for June. Earlier is good, as long as it doesn't conflict with my dad's schedule. :-) Please pray it won't be affected by the Olympics. I don't want to know that she's way over there without us for that long! Our goal is to get her BEFORE 8-8-8. :-)
Now that CCAA knows our name and has pre-approved us, we can finally send out a package to Gracelynn!!! I plan to get a couple of more items for the package, then off it goes. She'll soon learn that she's about to have a forever mommy and daddy of her own (not to mention built-in sister and brothers!)
YAY!
What does the PA mean? My understanding is that CCAA looked over these few papers, photos, etc. and gave us the go-ahead to continue. Now, we will await the LOA (Letter of Approval). This will come after CCAA finds our dossier under stacks and stacks of dossiers and goes through each document and determines we're okay. Our agency says 3-6 months or so. Another lady also awaiting an adoption of a little boy at the same orphanage as Gracelynn says that her agency told her 2-4 months. She's currently on day 33.
After the LOA, comes the TA. (I'm slowly learning these acronyms!) The TA is travel approval. At that point, we'll make our travel plans and buy tickets, etc. Travel will probably occur a few weeks later. We're still hoping for June. Earlier is good, as long as it doesn't conflict with my dad's schedule. :-) Please pray it won't be affected by the Olympics. I don't want to know that she's way over there without us for that long! Our goal is to get her BEFORE 8-8-8. :-)
Now that CCAA knows our name and has pre-approved us, we can finally send out a package to Gracelynn!!! I plan to get a couple of more items for the package, then off it goes. She'll soon learn that she's about to have a forever mommy and daddy of her own (not to mention built-in sister and brothers!)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Ugh... More paperwork!
Well, with all of the wonderful news, I guess we were bound to have bad news. When you adopt, you go through so much paper-collection at the beginning... birth certificates, marriage certificates, medical reports, child abuse clearance, police clearance, fingerprinting, etc., etc., etc. We did all sorts of things for both our home study collection and then for our dossier.
Because our adoption wait has been so long, our home study report was outdated. (It only lasts 12 months). Plus, we need them to alter the wording to include Gracelynn's age. We figured it meant a quick little visit and wah-lah! NOPE! The packet arrived in the mail yesterday. We need new police clearances (complete with fingerprinting this time), new child abuse clearances, new medical forms completed for all 5 of us, new financial statement, new letter of employment, new sworn disclosure forms and now 10 hours of international adoption training. I'm at least hoping that the book we had to read and take a test on would qualify for the training! If not, it's another $45 for an online 19 chapter course!
Today I hope to drop off all medical forms and maybe go to the police station for the police clearance and fingerprinting. Mike, having just started at a brand new contract this week, can't get to the station till next week. Reagan's annual physical got boosted up to Monday, too... so hopefully the medical forms will be done by mid-next week. I already completed the application, financial statement and sworn disclosure statements, and filled out paperwork to be notarized for child-abuse clearance. So far, I believe this update will cost about $800. Ugh.
All of this is in addition to a case-worker visit from the home study foundation. Oh... and in addition to the USCIS fingerprinting we'll need to do before we travel. But then, maybe, just maybe there will be an end in sight. :-)
They certainly don't make things easy (or cheap) to adopt overseas.
Because our adoption wait has been so long, our home study report was outdated. (It only lasts 12 months). Plus, we need them to alter the wording to include Gracelynn's age. We figured it meant a quick little visit and wah-lah! NOPE! The packet arrived in the mail yesterday. We need new police clearances (complete with fingerprinting this time), new child abuse clearances, new medical forms completed for all 5 of us, new financial statement, new letter of employment, new sworn disclosure forms and now 10 hours of international adoption training. I'm at least hoping that the book we had to read and take a test on would qualify for the training! If not, it's another $45 for an online 19 chapter course!
Today I hope to drop off all medical forms and maybe go to the police station for the police clearance and fingerprinting. Mike, having just started at a brand new contract this week, can't get to the station till next week. Reagan's annual physical got boosted up to Monday, too... so hopefully the medical forms will be done by mid-next week. I already completed the application, financial statement and sworn disclosure statements, and filled out paperwork to be notarized for child-abuse clearance. So far, I believe this update will cost about $800. Ugh.
All of this is in addition to a case-worker visit from the home study foundation. Oh... and in addition to the USCIS fingerprinting we'll need to do before we travel. But then, maybe, just maybe there will be an end in sight. :-)
They certainly don't make things easy (or cheap) to adopt overseas.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Moms
Remember my post yesterday about how I may have met people who have seen our soon-to-be daughter? Both women emailed me yesterday with information and pics.
I've now found a Yahoo Group specifically created for parents of adopted children from this orphanage. People from all over the world are now connected, knowing that their children spent the first few months or years of life with one another.
Gracelynn is just so beautiful and sweet looking, I can't wait to finally hold her. (She has the same pouty face in every photo.... she needs to come home to her family where she'll giggle and smile!)
I've now found a Yahoo Group specifically created for parents of adopted children from this orphanage. People from all over the world are now connected, knowing that their children spent the first few months or years of life with one another.
Gracelynn is just so beautiful and sweet looking, I can't wait to finally hold her. (She has the same pouty face in every photo.... she needs to come home to her family where she'll giggle and smile!)
DEADLINE on the quilt squares!
I'm so bummed. I spent awhile last night posting another entry... and apparently 1am posting means you may forget to publish or save. It's gone.
So... I'll cheat and post the same words that many will have received as an email.
If you've already sent a quilt square, then please disregard this message. We now have a deadline date for any squares that will be in the quilt!
We are absolutely in awe of the fact that our friend's mom has volunteered to completely create this quilt for us (with the help of some of her quilting friends). Mrs. Jane Leake called this evening and is so excited to do this for us. She is a God-send... considering there is no way I would have the time now before or after we go to pick up Gracelynn. She explained the design she had in mind and everything! However, she wants to get started on this ASAP! So next weekend, her daughter (my friend) Becky will be taking down the fabric squares that we already have. She would like all of the rest by the end of February at the latest. So, I ask that if you would like to contribute a fabric square (and coordinated good-wishes card), please get them to me by NO LATER than February 23. That will give me time to separate the fabric from the cards and send her the fabric in time. If you need me to wash the fabric, then please send it by the 16th. I do wash daily ... but I still want to make sure I have time to get it done. Plus I want time to scan each fabric before we mail them out.
If your square isn't on its way, but you still want to send something, please let me know. That way I'll know whose to look for in the mail (or in person). Oh, and by the way, if you are family... I don't mean to make you feel guilty, but... well, you better get your fabric in soon!!! :-)
I already found mine!
So... I'll cheat and post the same words that many will have received as an email.
If you've already sent a quilt square, then please disregard this message. We now have a deadline date for any squares that will be in the quilt!
We are absolutely in awe of the fact that our friend's mom has volunteered to completely create this quilt for us (with the help of some of her quilting friends). Mrs. Jane Leake called this evening and is so excited to do this for us. She is a God-send... considering there is no way I would have the time now before or after we go to pick up Gracelynn. She explained the design she had in mind and everything! However, she wants to get started on this ASAP! So next weekend, her daughter (my friend) Becky will be taking down the fabric squares that we already have. She would like all of the rest by the end of February at the latest. So, I ask that if you would like to contribute a fabric square (and coordinated good-wishes card), please get them to me by NO LATER than February 23. That will give me time to separate the fabric from the cards and send her the fabric in time. If you need me to wash the fabric, then please send it by the 16th. I do wash daily ... but I still want to make sure I have time to get it done. Plus I want time to scan each fabric before we mail them out.
If your square isn't on its way, but you still want to send something, please let me know. That way I'll know whose to look for in the mail (or in person). Oh, and by the way, if you are family... I don't mean to make you feel guilty, but... well, you better get your fabric in soon!!! :-)
I already found mine!
Friday, January 25, 2008
I'm getting nothing done around here.....
I have company arriving in a few hours, and I've done nearly nothing to prepare! But, no wonder... I have gotten even more exciting news!
Today, I received (via our agency) two emails from people who KNEW our girl!!! The one lady adopted a little girl last year from the same exact orphanage as our soon-to-be daughter. I also received an email from a lady who adopted her best friend, a boy, from the same orphanage! So far I haven't received any photos or additional emails from either lady, but you better believe I emailed them back ASAP! These women should also be great resources to go to about what to expect while we travel, what to bring, what to expect once we're home, etc., etc.
Oh... another neat God-thing. Our kids' elementary school offers afterschool fun classes from time to time, taught by parents. This spring, we got the listing of classes being offered. One is CHINESE!!! So, naturally, I signed up Ben for the class. I also wrote to the teacher and asked if we could get special permission for Reagan to attend (the class was intended for 3-5 graders). She agreed. YAY! It's obviously not an intensive class, but the kids will learn to speak and write basic words, and will learn about Chinese culture, too. How perfect!!! I wish I could sit in on the class (which I was given permission to do), but I'll have Tommy with me... and I just know he would never cooperate. Any babysitters out there?
Today, I received (via our agency) two emails from people who KNEW our girl!!! The one lady adopted a little girl last year from the same exact orphanage as our soon-to-be daughter. I also received an email from a lady who adopted her best friend, a boy, from the same orphanage! So far I haven't received any photos or additional emails from either lady, but you better believe I emailed them back ASAP! These women should also be great resources to go to about what to expect while we travel, what to bring, what to expect once we're home, etc., etc.
Oh... another neat God-thing. Our kids' elementary school offers afterschool fun classes from time to time, taught by parents. This spring, we got the listing of classes being offered. One is CHINESE!!! So, naturally, I signed up Ben for the class. I also wrote to the teacher and asked if we could get special permission for Reagan to attend (the class was intended for 3-5 graders). She agreed. YAY! It's obviously not an intensive class, but the kids will learn to speak and write basic words, and will learn about Chinese culture, too. How perfect!!! I wish I could sit in on the class (which I was given permission to do), but I'll have Tommy with me... and I just know he would never cooperate. Any babysitters out there?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sooner? We'll see...
Now that China has the online system of submitting papers for special needs children, I was hoping things would go faster. I forgot to tell you yesterday what our case manager told me. The usual timeframe for pre-approval (PA) is 6-8 weeks. However, with the new system, one couple was just pre-approved in 2 days! That shaves 1.5-2 months off the possible timing! Whew! Who knows?
We do have some papers to acquire before we travel, including the homestudy amendment and new fingerprints (and I'm not sure how to go about this!) So, we'll have to figure these out still. But, things are still looking good.
In the meantime, I'm nesting. :-) I warned Mike I would be. I'm freecycling lots of stuff ("Get it out of here! No time for a garage sale!") I'm also trying to imagine the new rooms. We have to move Tommy from his room into Ben's room so that we can begin preparing Gracelynn's room. Tommy's bed is all set... we just need to transfer clothes and new dressers into that room. Gracelynn's room will be easy too... that shouldn't take much other than throwing a few pink things in there. :-) I want to get a pink comforter for the bed and put Reagan's pink curtains in there too, and paint over a yellow stripe to make it pink. Reagan will get different curtains. Her room is pink top to bottom, so a change of curtains would be a refreshing change.
One good thing occurred last week with PERFECT timing. Tommy FINALLY was potty-trained. For a 3.5 year old boy who was plain stubborn, something just finally clicked. He has always had amazing control, but just didn't want to use the bathroom and didn't care what happened. Last week, he was home from school 2 days due to sickness, and the other day due to the fact that our timing didn't work since the doctor was calling with Gracelynn's information. So, he had a full week at home in big boy pants. It worked. In the last 7 days, he had one accident (Tuesday after school), and was clearly distraught over it. He even sleeps through the night in big boy pants with no accidents! Woo Hoo! I guess my telling him that he couldn't go to the big bed (twin) in Ben's room unless he was potty-trained really worked. YAY! I'm not a horrible mommy after all. (How embarrassing to tell people that my 3 year, 8 month old son is not potty-trained... but I don't have to do it any longer!) OK, enough about this... this story belongs on the other blog, but I just thought the timing was perfect since we can now carry through with moving Tommy into Ben's room soon.
We do have some papers to acquire before we travel, including the homestudy amendment and new fingerprints (and I'm not sure how to go about this!) So, we'll have to figure these out still. But, things are still looking good.
In the meantime, I'm nesting. :-) I warned Mike I would be. I'm freecycling lots of stuff ("Get it out of here! No time for a garage sale!") I'm also trying to imagine the new rooms. We have to move Tommy from his room into Ben's room so that we can begin preparing Gracelynn's room. Tommy's bed is all set... we just need to transfer clothes and new dressers into that room. Gracelynn's room will be easy too... that shouldn't take much other than throwing a few pink things in there. :-) I want to get a pink comforter for the bed and put Reagan's pink curtains in there too, and paint over a yellow stripe to make it pink. Reagan will get different curtains. Her room is pink top to bottom, so a change of curtains would be a refreshing change.
One good thing occurred last week with PERFECT timing. Tommy FINALLY was potty-trained. For a 3.5 year old boy who was plain stubborn, something just finally clicked. He has always had amazing control, but just didn't want to use the bathroom and didn't care what happened. Last week, he was home from school 2 days due to sickness, and the other day due to the fact that our timing didn't work since the doctor was calling with Gracelynn's information. So, he had a full week at home in big boy pants. It worked. In the last 7 days, he had one accident (Tuesday after school), and was clearly distraught over it. He even sleeps through the night in big boy pants with no accidents! Woo Hoo! I guess my telling him that he couldn't go to the big bed (twin) in Ben's room unless he was potty-trained really worked. YAY! I'm not a horrible mommy after all. (How embarrassing to tell people that my 3 year, 8 month old son is not potty-trained... but I don't have to do it any longer!) OK, enough about this... this story belongs on the other blog, but I just thought the timing was perfect since we can now carry through with moving Tommy into Ben's room soon.
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