The adoption community typically refers to the time compiling the necessary paperwork as the "paper chase." I am extremely happy to report that after a little over 6 months, we have finished our dossier. It is now being reviewed by our agency and will then be sent to China to receive a Log In Date (LID). Once we have our LID we are eligible to be matched with our little girl.
I would be much more excited if not for a couple things. First, I am exhausted. Most of our paperwork wasn't a big deal, but the last month has been brutal. So much mailing back and forth and hoping things go through quickly. So much shifting around my entire schedule so that I can run papers to the Secretary of State's office to be certified. I spent a good three hours yesterday printing our pictures, picking up new doctor's letters (my old one wasn't thorough enough and our agency didn't feel like informing me during the 2+ months they've had it), rushing to the post office. All while calling brides to reschedule and dealing with a house that has no A/C and the swamp cooler isn't working.
Secondly, our agency sent me an email letting me that they hope to send our paperwork to China the second week of July. I was told 9-11 business days and also told that sending what we had while waiting on our I800a approval would speed things along. In what scenario is mid-July speeding things along? At this rate we'll be lucky to be eligible for the August list. I'm emailing them, but I am not exactly sure how to tactfully say WTF.
Oh well, we've hit a major milestone and after 2 1/2 years, what's one more week?
So, now what? Well, once we get our LID we wait to be matched. We were told to expect to wait between 4-6 months for a match. It could be sooner, or it could be later. Each month the list that China releases has different children on it, so it completely depends on how many files our agency is able to lock-in and how many people are in front of us in "the line." I'll probably have to eat my words, but I feel like it's very likely that we'll be matched in December. We would, of course, be thrilled to be matched before then, but seeing as how things have gone thus far I am trying to not get my hopes up for things to move quickly.
So, anyone want to place your bets now about when we'll be matched?
Everything happens in December.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you both. Do you still need photos or am I too late for trying to help with that? Cause I am a dork and forget to check every night on my external when I get home.
I suspect these next few weeks and then months will be longer than the past 2.5 years; however, it is SOOOO exciting!
I'm using Murphy's Law. We have a trip we leave on about 2 days after the December list will (likely) be released, so of course we'll be matched when it is the biggest stress.
ReplyDeleteWe got enough pictures together, but thanks.
I also forgot to mention that our homestudy agency's license expires next week, so they have to send their new one to our adoption agency. Hooray for more delays that aren't our fault!
I shall say October. Around my birthday...its the most magical time of year. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on all of the craziness...I wonder how many people would have children if they had to go through that for every single one of them.... maybe that's not too bad an idea??? There is one lucky little girl out there who doesn't even know it yet!
ReplyDeleteYay! Good luck with getting them to pick up the pace. I'm guessing November.
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