Almost done!

We are now done all the paperwork and such that is within our power to do. We are simply waiting on other people and agencies at this point. It feels great and not so great all at the same time. I’m waiting again.....and at the mercy of other people. We’ve established that I’m not so good at that.

Today I went to the police station and requested our notarized “good conduct letters”. Of course, I had called in advance to ask what I needed to bring with me. All they said was our state police background check results- nothing else. I got there today and they asked for my license and Scot’s too. I didn’t get frustrated, just annoyed that I’d have to go back tomorrow. Then, I realized that I had Scot’s passport (which came in a mere 9 days!!!) in my purse because I was taking it to make the required copies for our dossier. They said they could use that no problem! I was really thankful! To my great surprise, they called Scot about a half hour ago to say that our letters are ready and I can pick them up tomorrow! I have to say.....I have been really excited by the speed with which everything has come through for us. Now, if only our referral could go that way........:) NOTHING is impossible with God, right? I keep reminding myself of that, and it has surely been evident throughout this process so far!

I also picked up all our photos and sent them off to our agency. They’ll check them to make sure it appears as thought we really do DO things together, and hopefully, we’ll be all set. Scot dropped off the paperwork to his doctor’s office this morning and has an appointment for his blood work tomorrow afternoon.

So, what are we WAITING for? Well, Scot’s medical stuff. Also, our last three reference letters. We followed up with our friends who are writing them. They are all “working on them”. I certainly don’t want to nag, but our social worker is waiting on them to write our home study report. Without that report, we can’t apply for immigration permission, and we need that before anything can be sent out for authentication. So, we’re waiting for that home study report too. Once we have all that, I’ll have to get it certified, then send it out for authentication. Then, we’re REALLY done!!! :) Thankfully, the end is in sight!!! :)

It's a Special Day!

At least that’s what Chloe has been saying to me all day, “It’s a special day, mama!” (followed by a big hug and a kiss). Wonder what she knows that I don’t? We’re just hanging around at home doing nothing worth writing about! Maybe it’s that there have been so many special days recently, she thinks every day is a special day! I’d say that is true of life with Chloe. Although, her birthday is just next week, so there are more special days to come!

A couple of things to report: Scot finally got his passport sent off. So, 15 days and counting as far as I am concerned. I want to get whatever is in my power to get done DONE in the next 15 days. Surely his passport will take longer because I’m counting on it arriving in 15 days, but we’re praying. Scot also called This company to get a letter of employment, so that is done. I completed our Letter of Petition and my non-employment letter. Now they just need to be notarized. Tomorrow I plan to get another copy of my birth certificate because the first one wasn’t notarized and work on our “Financial Declaration for Adoption”. Scot is going to tackle his bloodwork hopefully.

Referrals arrived new year’s eve. China sends out referrals (the information on the child who has been chosen for you) in batches about once a month. So, you don’t get your referral whenever they process your particular application. You get your referral when then have completed the processing of all the dossiers through your log-in date (LID: the day China logs your dossier into their system). This batch of referrals was for all dossiers logged in through 12/19/05. YES- 2005!!!! Do you want to know how many days they processed since the last batch of referrals that was delivered Dec. 6th? FIVE days......five measly days worth. That means that in the month of January 2008, they will still be working on dossiers logged in in 2005!!!!! UGH. I thought this was all good news because they had done two batches in a month, then I really looked at the facts, and there wasn’t much to be excited about.

So, I’m kind of having a down day, but I just have to trust that God knows who our daughter is, when she will come home, and how. He is in control, and I have to focus (sometimes by sheer force of will) on that. Waiting would be easier if there was any predictability about it, but there isn’t. China is backlogged with dossiers, and the only people who could explain the whole situation to us (the China Center for Adoption Affairs) is saying nothing. They don’t have the need to give out all the details like an American agency would which is frustrating.

So, that’s it. Still a thousand things to do, so I’ll focus on that instead! Keeping myself busy is the key to not working myself up into a panic!