2nd trimester and still going strong.

It’s getting real here

Oh, my, goodness! I could just shout on the top of a rooftop of how excited I am! Jeff and I received word that our Home study was approved.

This is a huge step in our process!!!!! I consider us moving on to our “2^nd trimester” All the worries and unanswered questions we had roaming in our minds have now turned to a more calm and clear understanding on how this process works!

Let's Review

Jeff and I had started our paperwork chase for our home study this past September. Gathering bits here and there for what was required yet we had no idea what they would be looking for.  Then the appearance of our social worker graced us with her presence in our home three times to judge and question whether we were qualified to be good parents.......

Ok, so I wanted to write this next blog with the agenda more of the official steps of this process and a little less about the emotions. Here we go.

January 17^th 2017 we opened a thrilling email.

We were approved….

Accepted, Permitted, Favored if you will, to adopted our child and bring them home.

See why I want to share with the world this fantastic news!  Kinda geeking out here!

I began to read this 18-page home study to see what our social worker thought of us. Man, she basically wrote a biography and with persuasive lettering I became in awe of how much work this lady did for us. All that paperwork we chased back in Fall, were the tools she needed to write this novel. I am forever grateful for the work of social workers.

Skimming through the text I found myself thinking “awe, what nice things she said of me” And while reading what she wrote of my husband I was amazed at how she captured the very nature of his personality that made me fall in love with him.  

This again reminded me how to completely trust whoever is coming to your house for your home study. Their main purpose is to help your family become one and to inspire the state and our country that you are more than qualified to bring home your child. They are on your side.

Now this is where it starts to get real……

We now have received our home study in the mail and have completed another Huge process called the I800A form.

“Holiday Hoobie Whatty?” -Anyone a, How the Grinch stole Christmas Fan?

I800A form is the Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. What does this mean? Basically, it’s an application for us to qualify to adopt our child internationally and more specifically, from a Country that is Hague accredited.

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What does this mean? Per Intercountry Adoption website, “The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions.” - www.adoption.state.gov

At the very beginning when Jeff and I decided to Jump on Board with Gods plan for us to adopt, we spent an entire day looking at all the countries of the world that we would be eligible to adopt from. We of course were drawn to China but we found out that many agencies only worked with Countries that were Hague accredited. Luckily for us, China was. I believe this is because they are stable, trust worthy and have a history of positive outcomes. I’ll tell you this, if your heart is drawn to adopt internationally and you feel a loving force to fly across the world for your child, whether it is Hague accredited or not, nothing will stop you from reaching your little one. I believe every loving mother who fights to bring home their child will do whatever it takes. These countries are not better or more deserving than any other country that hold orphans longing for forever families. Loving one child no matter where they come from means one less orphan, bottom line.

On that note and moving on, we could not send this form until our home study was approved. Here is the checklist, which you can find at https://www.uscis.gov/i-800a

·       Home study

·       I800A Application

·       Proof of marriage

·       Proof of citizenship

·       Processing fee

·       Approval letter from your adoption agency

This process takes 3 months so our fingers are crossed that beginning of May we will be approved and be mailed the form called a 797. More details on that later…

Ok so what will we be doing for the next 3 months? Well, we live in Wisconsin so every day we will be wishing for spring..... Soon we will be given an appointment date for the immigration center for fingerprinting, we will continually be working on our Dossier (the official completion of documents that are required for China)

·      Family Information Form

·       Application Letter

·       Birth Certificate

·       Marriage Certificate

·       Employment Letter

·       Certificate of Financial Status

·       Medical Exam

·       Medical Letter (if necessary)

·       Domestic Police Clearance

·       International Police Clearance (if applicable)

·       Home Study

·       Reference Letters

·       Passport Page

·       Immigration Approval

·       Photos

….AND preparing our home and hearts for our little one! Our hopes are high that in exactly 5 months from today, when Jeff turns 30, we will officially be accepted by China and will begin the matching process for our missing piece.

So, I guess in my mind it’s starting to hit me a little. Jeff and I just explained to a friend how we have been distracted constantly by the forms although this past week, as we held our Home study in our hands, it was a gratifying reminder that this paper trail leads to holding our little one. We started saying things like, “well next year we might not be able to do that with our little one here” and "let's finish their bathroom before they get here". Some times in the middle of nowhere it catches us off guard and we think, huh we're going to have our kid next year! I guess with trying to conceive a biological child for 4 years, we never knew that feeling of certainty.

Now we do. Now we know what “expecting” feels like. It feels pretty awesome.