Well, I can't believe I have been this long away from the blog. Okay, I can. We adapted to becoming a family of five, to having a toddler, to having a child with serious visual challenges, and to having much less time for ourselves as grown ups. Has it tested our fortitude as human beings? Yes. Has it been worth it? Yes. Would we do it all again? Yes.
But now I understand why families who blogged before China, often stopped blogging for a while.
We have actually had a much smoother transition than many over these past 8 months. This week, however, has been particularly difficult. Lulu is having some transitional issues that had us stymied for a few days. Luckily, the boys have been very patient and kind with her. These last few nights have been the ones where you finally go to bed late at night, exhausted and frustrated, and think, " Thank God we love all these kids or it would be awfully hard to get up in the AM and keep on keepin' on.".
It's much easier to share the joys of parenthood and to talk about how great things are most of the time. It is harder to deal with the challenges that come when Mommy takes a promotion and works more and we decide to take on major house projects that make our house look like a tornado blew thorough it. Not to mention all the functions and activities that really are important to the kids and we want them to be able to enjoy.
These are the times I want to take a breath and focus on the good. I have a great job with wonderful people. We are a loving and cohesive family. We have the opportunity to connect with wonderful people. The kids are thriving and working well with each other. We have gas in each car, albeit only a little, and can get to the places we need to reach. We have solid food, warm beds, and a roof over our heads. Our bodies treat us well. God is great.
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Our Adoption Timeline
- March, 2011. Start re-adoption process in order to have US Birthcertificate.
- February, 2011. Our first post-placement report due.
- October, 2010. US Passport applied for and received.
- September, 2010. All kids start school. Lulu to pre-school with Daddy.
- September, 2010. Social Security Number.
- September, 2010. Lulu receives citizenship certificate.
- August 7, 2010. Home to the USA.
- July 27, 2010. Thumbprints and footprints- we adopt our daughter.
- July 26, 2010. We sing to Lulu for the first time.
- July 20, 2010. Left for China.
- June 25, 2010. Travel Approval received by agency.
- June 3-4,2010. Article 5 picked up and overnighted to CCAA. To be received 6/4/10. We begin the wait for TA itself.
- May 18, 2010. NVC letter received by Email.
- May 14, 2010. National Visa Center notified Guangzhou US Consulate of I-800 approval.
- May 7, 2010. I-800 received.
- May 5, 2010. I-800 approved by USCIS and in mail to us.
- May 4, 2010. We bought tickets to China!
- April 22, 2010. USCIS receives our I-800 application.
- April 19, 2010. LOA on Mama's Birthday.
- April 17, 2010. Daddio's and Uncle Alex's Birthday.
- April 13, 2010. Pop's Birthday.
- Apr. 7, 2010. Nana's 65th Birthday.
- Apr. 3, 2010. Auntie Kayce's Birthday.
- Feb. 11, 2010. LID! Our dossier has officially been logged in on this date. We found out about it two weeks later but very happy with quick LID after DTC.
- Feb. 2, 2010. DTC (Dossier to China with courier)
- Jan. 29, 2009. Our official deadline from China based on our pre-approval dated Oct. 29,2009. As of Jan. 26th our dossier is on its way to China. Marilyn assures us that the Chinese component of authentication will happen over three days and then the dossier will be received officially by the CCAA. This means our documents will be officially in on Feb. 3.
- Jan. 23, 2009. Received I-797 (I-800A approval) in mail. Too late to meet Fedex deadline but turned docs around right away to get them to Utah as early as possible. Will be received in Utah first thing Tuesday AM on the 26th. Due in China on the 29th. Please Marilyn, our dossier specialist, save us! Lots of praying to be done....
- Jan. 19, 2009. Day after MLK day so first day office is open. Get call from Officer Harrison saying that approval not yet completed but will be completed today and mailed out.
- Jan. 15, 2009. Spoke with Officer Harrison about I-800A and fingerprint approval. Lots of snafus, some real, some not. Took 3 people to manage them. Should be approved today.
- Jan. 8, 2009. Fingerprinted by Homeland security (FBI fingerprints passed months and months ago) a week earlier than invited so that we have a chance of making the China deadline of the 29th. Agency says we will ask for an extension if our entire file is ready except for the USCIS approval (I-800A)
- Jan 6, 2009. Receive notice that our documents are all in Washington, DC for final authentication at the US State Department.
- Nov. 2009. We move into speed mode to get all the documents together for federal approval and for the China Dossier.
- Oct. 29, 2009. We receive the pre-approval letter stating that we have until January 29, 2009 to submit our full dossier and that agree to process her file as a "Waiting Child" due to her age and need for multiple eye surgeries.
- AM Oct 25, 2009 (Quinlan's 6th birthday). We receive a forwarded email from China entitled, "She's Yours!" by the US folks. Her file is "locked" to us and China needs us to get our photos and letter of intent to them immediately to complete the lock.
- AM Oct 24, 2009. We call back within the hour to say, "Yes!". We are told that we will have to wait 24 hours to see if we will be matched to her. We know it is possible that we may not be lucky enough to match with her and try not to get too excited but it was impossible not to already be attached and to know that we might have to grieve her loss if we find that we were not meant to be her family.
- AM Oct. 24, 2009. We review the multitude of medical, developmental, and personal documents and photos and recognize right away that we have found our daughter.
- AM Oct. 24, 2009. We receive excited call from Kathy Junk stating that Wasatch had matched 2 families that day and that they have a child to match that they think might be our daughter.
- Oct. 23, 2009. We mail our check to Wasatch to commit to adopting through their agency.
- Oct. 2009. Min Lan celebrates her third birthday in China with her foster family who loves her very much.
- Oct. 2009. Completed pre-application with Wasatch and sent in list of medical conditions we could work with in our family.
- Oct. 2009. Researched countries, adoption agencies, and our own hearts and recognized that we would find our toddler daughter in China.
- Oct 1, 2009. Completed our homestudy with the fabulous Allison Reeves.
- Sept. 2009. Completed our huge homestudy documents by pouring our souls on the pages detailing every aspect of our lives from childhood on.
- After a poor experience with one adoption agency, we had 5 glowing references for Wasatch International Adoptions.
- Sept. 2009. We decided it was time to find our daughter.
- Jun. 2007. Baby Lulu has her second eye surgery to try to reduce the congenital esotropia (pointed inward).
- Apr. 2007. Baby Lulu (Min Lan) has a congenital cataract successfully removed.
- Feb. 2007. Min Lan is placed to be found in order to receive eye surgery to save her sight.
- Oct. 2006, Baby Lulu (Min Lan) was born in Guilin, China.
- Oct. 2003, Quinlan's birth in Seattle.
- Dec. 2000, Declan's birth in Seattle.
- Early 2001. Saw "Wednesday's Child" on Portland, OR TV and recognized that we would love to adopt a child someday
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