Thank you Secret Pal

We got home from my Sister In Law's house for the holidays and to my surprise I received my first gift from my Secret Pal. I belong to a Yahoo Group called October DTC 2005 group and joined the secret swap they have. We are assigned a secret pal who will surprise you with a gift every month.

I was very excited to see what she had sent to me. I thought I would share with you what was sent. I would like to say thank you very much for the thoughtful gifts.

Checking In...

Hello Everyone,

I know it has been awhile since I have posted to my blog, but it has been a busy couple of months. I can't believe it has been two months already since we had our paperwork sent to China.

Unfortunately, it seems that the referral process has slowed down. Wouldn't you know it. There has been alot of changes at the agency that handles all the matching in China. They have also received a very high number of Dossiers. So what does this mean?

Well, instead of our 6 month wait for a Referral, we are now looking at an 8-9 month wait. That means possible travel to China in August or September. At least it is less than a year.

I keep thinking, next Christmas we will have Katy home. I will get to shower her with gifts. I can dress her up in a beautiful Christmas outfit and take her picture and send to all my family and friends. We can hang three stockings on the mantel. Maybe we can even get a real Christmas Tree, instead of the fake one we have put up the last 14 years.

I have done nothing yet to her room. Thought I would wait until after the holidays. I did receive the Chinese New Year Barbie's I sent away for and they are beautiful. I also bought a Christmas Ornament to commerate our wait this year for her. It is a cute little Panda, surrounded by a Quilt with Ladybugs on it. I put the tree up this year just so I could hang it the ornament.

Well, that is all for now. I will check in again shortly.

I wish everyone a Happy, Safe and Fun Holiday Season.

Chinese New Year Barbie

I found this great deal on one of my message boards. This is a Dolls of the World Chinese Barbie. You can find this on Amazon.com. If you go to www.lovewithoutboundaries.com , and then go to the shopping link on the left hand side, you can get to Amazon from that link. This will get money donated to the charity.

They are offering the doll for $19.99. If you order now you get one for free, and free shipping. It is a great deal. I just ordered two. One for my baby and one for a Christmas Gift.

Come to think of it, this is the first thing I have bought for Katy. What a weird feeling. I guess I have to start somewhere.

One Week Down...

about 24 weeks to go.

I can't believe only a week has gone by since we dropped off the paperwork. This is going to be a long 6 months.

I think I need to find a list of things that need to be done before I leave. I know I have to find a pediatrician, setup the nursery, paint the kitchen, but being the wonderful procrastinator that I am, i haven't started anything. I keep thinking about it. I guess it's the thought that counts.

We did receive a very encouraging thing in the mail. It is the infamous "Brown Envelope". This is a package of more forms, but it comes from China. It is the visa forms that need to be brought with us when we travel. I think i need to check with Wide Horizons to find out if they need to be filled out now or later.

Ultrasound Picture

I thought I would share my ultrasound picture with you all.

We are "Paper" Pregnant !!!

After one surgery, 4 IUI's, 3 IVF's, numerous fertility drugs, shots, ultrasounds, bloodwork, one cervical ectopic, I can happily report that Dave and I are expecting a baby.

We just sent off our paperwork this week to China.

What happens next? We wait. The wait will now be 6 months until we see a picture of our little one.
When will we get her? I will travel to China 6-8 weeks after that so we are looking at June or July.

I can't believe it. I think the next 6 months is going to go by verrry slowly. Although I have a lot to do from now until then. We have the holidays to get through, shopping for baby stuff, painting of the nursery, painting of the kitchen, bags to pack. I have numerous books i want to read on parenting, attachement and bonding etc. Hopefully this stuff will keep me busy.

All i know right now is that Dave and I are going to get our baby soon. Let's just hope I don't gain the pregancy 35 lbs.

This is what a completed dossier looks like.

If anyone wanted to know what a dossier looks like before it is sent to China. Here it is.

High Hopes for my nieces.

Here is a picture of my two beautiful nieces. I can't believe how big they got. It looks like my sister has high hopes for their education. They better start saving now.

Another poem I found on the message boards called "Dreams"

I dream of you all day,
Think of you while I sleep
Thoughts of you are always with me...
Dreaming of the day that we'll meet.

I wonder about the little things,
What makes you smile?
What makes you cry?

Who do you call mommy?
And is she good to you?
I wonder do you need me...
As much as I need you?

I promise you I'm looking,
And one day soon we'll meet.
Until then, she'll take care of you...
And I'll see you in my dreams

I Got Them !!!!!!

I was very excited this morning to see the Fed Ex guy with my Certified Documents from the China Consulate. It took under 10 days to get it done. Yeah!!!

Now Dave and I have to get some pictures taken and everything will be off to the adoption agency. It looks like we will be done in October. Can't believe I met my deadline.

Tracking Number #831973800790

I would like to give a small piece of advice; if you are waiting on a package that you know in your head is supposed to take 20 days, yet you have the tracking number don't obessively check Fed Ex every hour. The information will not change. Sort of like "A Watched Pot Never Boils"

When I sent my documents to the China Consulate in New York to be certified, I had to send them with a self addressed Fed Ex Shipping Label. I decided to make a copy of it. Now I have found myself obsessivly checking Fed Ex's tracking website at least six times a day. I have had to leave the paperwork at my office so I won't keep checking it at home. I have checked it twice today, and it still has not shipped. Mind you it is NOT supposed to ship until at least next week.

I will post as soon as I get the packet. Or as soon as Fed Ex has it on their tracking website. Whichever comes first.

Thought I would give an updated timeline

1. April 4, 2005 - Filled out and sent our Registration to Wide Horizons
2. May 6, 2005 - Packet A - Gathered and sent all docuements to begin our Homestudy
3. May 20, 2005 - Packet B - Gathered and sent all documents to begine our Homestudy
4. May 15, 2005 - First visit with Social Worker
5. May 19, 2005 - Brigit's visit with Social Worker
6. June 7, 2005 - Dave's visit with Social Worker
7. June 9, 2005 - Home Visit with Social Worker
8. July 22, 2005 - Home Study completed, written and sent to BCIS
9. July 22, 2005 - I600A form sent to Wide Horizons to be sent to BCIS
10. August 6, 2005 - Fingerprinting Appointment in Boston for Dave and Brigit
11. September 3, 2005 - Received 171H from BCIS with a Favorable Determination
12. September 7, 2005 - All Dossier Documents notarized, and a copy sent to Wide Horizons for review
13. September 14, 2005 - Dropped all notarized docs to Secratary of State's office in Boston
14. September 19, 2005 - Picked up the Certified docuements and sent them off to the China Consulate in New York

Well Another Wait Begins

I am excited to announce I have sent the entire packet of Certified Documents off to the China Consulate in New York for Authentication. This is the last step before they are sent to China.

I left work today and traveled to Boston to pick them up. It only took me a half hour to get there. It is amazing what a map and some cash will do for you.

I came back to the office and spent the next hour getting them ready to send to the China Consulate. I stopped by the grocery store after work and picked up a money order and put the whole thing together and dropped in the Fed Ex box, with 5 minutes to spare. It should be arriving there tomorrow as I sent it overnight.

Now the bad news. It will probably be about a 20 day wait to get them back. I am not sure if that is 20 business days, or just 20 days. Well I better get used to it, because after this I will have a six month wait until I get my referral.

Still have not got those documents yet.

Due to a very busy week last week, I still have not had a chance to get back to Boston to pick up my documents. I am hoping to get there tomorrow. I plan on getting to the office early tomorrow, and leave about 1 or 2 to get to Boston. I only work about 25 minutes away. Should be an easy drive. I say that now, at about 10:00 pm on Sunday night. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

After I get those "certified" documents, they will be sent to the China Consulates office in New York, to be "authenticate". We are almost there.

Check back tomorrow night to find out if I actually made it to Boston.

Today was the day from HE(double hockey sticks)

I had such great intentions today. I was going to go to Worcester early to setup for a trade show, and then work there until Noon. Leave there and drive to Boston to get my paperwork certified at the State Office, then go home early.

Well, Dave is away so I had to pull myself out of bed early. Not an easy thing to do. I woke up late, had to feed all the animals, pack all my computer stuff for the show. Then I get to the show at about 9:30 am. We have no monitors for our laptops, and no Internet connection. Needless to say we need both. I ran around to get the booth setup before 10:00 am. Ended up leaving the show at 2:00 pm.

I did not realize Worcester is pretty far from Boston. Also due to bad financial planning on my part I only had 5 dollars and some change on me. The parking garage does not take credit cards. Neither do Toll Booths. I ended up spending every dime and penny I had at the Worcester garage, and the Mass Pike toll booth. So by the time I got to the last toll booth on the Mass Pike, I had to beg the toll guy to let me through with a handful of pennies. Luckily he was a nice guy.

Once I get to Boston, I have to find the State House in downtown. Well rest assured our great Secratary of the Commonwealth will never be kidnapped, because that building is not easy to find. First I drove around for a half hour and found a parking garage. Now I know what your thinking, "she doesn't have any money, and parking garages don't take credit cards." I also thought the same thing but pulled in anyway. I figured I would figure it out later. We have a good T station nearby.

I get out and start walking in the general direction I think the State offices are. I walk up a very steep hill. Now mind you it is about 89 degrees and I have on my trade show BLACK shirt with pants and boots. That walk was hot. I walk up the hill, found the capitol building. Ask a couple of people for directions. They send me the wrong way. I walk all around the capitol building, (nice building by the way) down the other side, ask more people directions they keep pointing, around a corner, I find Suffolk University. A nice college girl showed me where the building was, that I had already walked by, in front of the capitol building.

I get in the State office building, go through the metal detector, up to the 17th floor, find the office. Yeah!!!!! I am almost there. It is now 4:30 pm. They close at 5:00 pm. I speak to a nice young man, (no more than 25) and he informs me if I have more than 3 documents to certify, I have to leave them and pick them up tomorrow after 3:00 pm. So I left my Original, notarized documents with a 25 year old kid. As I walked away from the counter, and he was putting them in an envelope, I warned him to guard them with his life. I don't think he took me seriously.

Oh well. The documents are there. That is all that matters. And tomorrow, I will have lots of money for tolls, parking garages, and to pay for my documents. Plus I will have directions in hand. So tomorrow I get to do the whole thing again. Work at the trade show in Worcester, drive to Boston, pick up my documents, and drive back to Chelmsford. Maybe I should rethink driving the documents to New York. Maybe I will Fed Ex them. Could be cheaper.

Oh, and if you were wondering if I got out of the Boston Parking garage. I did. They took credit cards. Thank god, or I would still be walking. Although it did take me 2.5 hours to get home from Boston.

Everything is falling into place

Well as of today we have every document notarized, including our 171 and our homestudy. I called the Secratary of State Galvin's office to find out when the best time would be to come in. The lady on the phone said anytime would be fine. There is never a line. I also asked her if I could wait and have them certified that same day and she said yes. I am going to bring an envelope just in case.

So I am planning on going to Boston on Wednesday to get it done. Then I can send them off to the China Consulate in New York. I am hoping to get that done this week as well, because they say that will take about 20 days before they come back.

We are still on track for paperwork to be submitted by October. Then I can relax.

Here is a very nice poem I found on someone else's blog.

Dearest Sweet Daughter,

As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair of the hue of hay.
But now my dreams have been transformed.
New visions fill my head.
Now the tresses that I long to stroke are raven black instead.
And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or round.
Now in my dreams they're almond shaped and colored cocoa brown.
And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half-way around the world and hold you close to me.
As you grow in your mother's womb, carefully knit together, you're also growing in my heart, where you will stay forever.
And in my dreams the moment that your mother says good-bye, I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you cry.
Our features may not look alike; we're different as can be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet seen your face, or held your tiny hands, and though we're half a world apart in very different lands, I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But 'til He says the time is right I give you this vow.
I'll pray for your protection every day on bended knee.
For God to hold you in His arms until you're here with me.

~Gayle Leubecker

The Famous Green Folder

Here is my famous green folder. I don't go anywhere without it. I even took it on vacation to Squam Lake.

This folder contains all the paperwork for our adoption. Pretty much Dave and my entire life story. It is getting really thick by now. I just thought I would share my new best friend with you.

Our Timeline so far...

Today I thought I would post our Adoption Timeline so far. We are almost there, but still have a couple things to do.

April 4, 2005 - Filled out and sent our Registration to Wide Horizons
May 6, 2005 - Packet A - Gathered and sent all docuements to begin our Homestudy
May 20, 2005 - Packet B - Gathered and sent all documents to begine our Homestudy
May 15, 2005 - First visit with Social Worker
May 19, 2005 - Brigit's visit with Social Worker
June 7, 2005 - Dave's visit with Social Worker
June 9, 2005 - Home Visit with Social Worker
July 22, 2005 - Home Study completed, written and sent to BCIS
July 22, 2005 - I600A form sent to Wide Horizons to be sent to BCIS
August 6, 2005 - Fingerprinting Appointment in Boston for Dave and Brigit
September 3, 2005 - Received 171H from BCIS with a Favorable Determination
September 7, 2005 - All Dossier Documents notarized, and a copy sent to Wide Horizons for review

That is it for now. We still have to get everything Certified by the Secratary Of State's office and then Authenticated by the China Consulate. Once that is done everything is off to China. Yeah!!! Then we will become officially "paper" pregnant, and the shopping begins.

Our Documents are to be Notarized today

I spent last nite going through the documents we have collected for the dossier. Believe it or not i have got everything. Now we just have to get a few more notarized, and then they will be off to the Secratary Of States office in Boston. After that they will be sent to the China Consulate in New York. If everything goes according to plan we should be DTC by October. This was our goal date. It would be even better if we were DTC by September, but i am not holding out too much hope.

We have received our 171H

On Sunday we arrived home from "camping" to see our 171H came in. Very exciting, but we still have to get our other documents notarized. I called Steve today and he is going to notarize everything tomorrow.