Transit Strike strikes Us!

While we are comfortable and warm here in Florida, Craig's birth certificate had to fight the cold during the NYC transit strike today. I was looking at these pictures on CNN and I saw this poor man riding his bike and I thought how awful that would be. Then, I talked to Patti Urban with Legal-Eaze who has been helping the document through authentication and consulate review. She told me that Chris in their NY office rode HIS bike from the Bronx into Midtown to get our paperwork to us tomorrow. So, I had to wonder...is this Chris??
(Photo Credits to CNN & AP)

Authentication Continues

I spoke to our SW Jennifer today. She sent our paperwork directly from the Sec. of State's office to the Chinese Consulate in Texas. She forgot about my birth certificate, which was already authenticated by the Sec. of State in Texas. So, I had to quickly send out my birth certificate to Texas today. I hope it gets on track with the other paperwork that got there last Thursday. Its been almost a week since I sent Craig's birth certificate along. I was hoping to hear today about its status. But, I realize that as hard as waiting on paperwork is - it won't compare to waiting for our daughter. We started this process in July and really we aren't even half way there. This first part at least had activities to keep us busy. The rest of the time will be waiting and praying.

DHL, UPS and Fed Ex - Oh My

Last week we sent several checks and a few money orders to our agency in Sarasota for next day deliver through DHL. I tracked it and noticed it listed the envolope as 2-day, which is not what I checked. I called to correct the mistake and went on about my day. I checked again the following morning to learn that it had been delivered! Great, right? Yeah, not so fast. They delivered it to N. Euclid Ave instead of S. Euclid Ave. So, they left my very important envelope containing all the funds needed to obtain Florida Sec. of State authenication at someone's doorstep. Well, after countless calls, a drive by from SW Jennifer and the DHL manager we ended up with nothing. Allegedly the driver was fired and the police were called...

So, we put the whole package back together again and used Fed Ex. I considered UPS, but a client mentioned that her nephew works for them and she wouldn't "send a useless piece of paper" through UPS.

We also sent Craig's BC to Patti Urban with Legal-Eaze in Connecticut. She's a courier who will take the BC to the NY Sec. of State (because NJ can't do there own - big surprise) and then to the Chinese Consulate.

Currently, our lives hang in the balance of Fed Ex. Can they get the checks to Jennifer?? Will the package they left on Pattie Urban's doorstep be there when she gets home?? Will everything make it back to us in time for us to send our dossier to China before 2006?? Too many question marks for a planner like me.

Polo Party

This weekend we had a family first. We attended a polo party in Vero Beach, which also featured an orchestra and drescher show. Hunter dressed in daper style. The young girls were quite smitten with him including one named Emma (which is HAWK's choice for his sister's name).

Guess What Corinne!

Tonight I told my cousin Corinne about our plan to adopt from China. Telling someone makes it feel so much more real. I remember being pregnant with Hunter and waiting to tell people until I finished my first trimester. Somehow, I view receiving the I-171H as completing the first trimester. I realize we still have many, many months to go, but at least we are going!

Corinne was most excited about the prospect of purchasing girl clothes! I shared with her about my wandering episodes through the little girl department. Dresses, barrettes and frilly socks - here I come.

(This is a picture of Corinne and I last year at New Year's Eve for the big bash at the Yacht Club. We looked celebratory in this photo and that seems appropriate for the occasion.)

Not so fast New Jersey

As Craig might say, "States that are easy to work with, please step forward....Not so fast New Jersey!"After praising the great state of Texas, I must chide NJ. We applied for Craig's birth certificate on the same day we applied for mine. However, today we received notice that they couldn't find Craig's birth certificate. A very official letter arrived which said in short, "no dice." So, I contacted our SW Jennifer who in turn told me we needed to get a courier to go there and get it for us because we are losing valuable time. Nicole from our office offered up her mother who lives in NJ. But, I didn't want to send her to look for it when we knew there was a problem. I attempt for about three hours to call the NJ Dept. of Health and Senior Services Vital Statistics Office - busy signal the whole time. When I finally got through, I punched in the correct extension and waited, and waited, and waited on hold for one hour and fifty-five minutes. I am not exaggerating. After that time, a lovely and bubbly woman answered the phone. In three minutes she had Craig's birth certificate located and in the mail. The bottomline...we're still waiting for it to arrive!

I-171H

Today, we finally received the ever important I-171H. Its the form you receive after you fill out the I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition and submit fingerprints to the FBI. This document is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office of the Department of Homeland Security. I have to admit it is the less glamourous piece of paper, even the I-171H is tiny in the corner. But, this means that we are onto the next step for the Florida documents. All of the documents which have been notarized will be sent to the Secretary of State for "authentication". After authentication, which is required by the Chinese government as a way of guaranteeing international documents, the paperwork goes to the Chinese Consulate in Texas. We are getting close to having our dossier ready!

The Great State of Texas

Having only lived in Texas for a short period of time, I knew little of the state's merits. I know they do things BIG, but I didn't know they did them fast! Craig and I both had to request the long forms of our birth certificates (yes, there are different types) for the adoption. We requested them on the same day. I was able to call and talk to a very sweet, extremely southern woman in Brazos County, Texas. She wanted to know where I lived now and why I had moved. She wished me all the luck in the world and told me she would turn my request around the same day. She wasn't kidding. I got my birth certificate in a few days. The next step was to send it back to Texas (yes, back to where it just came from - this process is all about the efficiency) for authentication by the Secretary of State. This shows the Chinese government the birth certificate is valid.

New Jersey, the state of Craig's birth, yeah not so much. First off, we couldn't even communicate directly with the state. They send you off to a birth certificate service, which says if you see a birth certificate from NJ in 8 weeks you are lucky.

Well, when we got back from our awesome Thanksgiving in NY, my authenicated birth certificate was waiting for us. I love Texas. NJ needs to get it in gear!

Of course, we are still waiting for our I-171H too. We will just keep our fingers crossed for a December DTC.

Medical Reports Submitted

Today we sat down with Dr. Castellon to go over our lab work and finish the medical paperwork. He started out by telling Craig what fantastic shape he was in...then let me know that I am quite anemic. Great! Of course, for Craig that means its time to introduce fish into my vegetarian diet. But, not so fast, I am going to have to work on getting more iron and protein my way.

Craig's lab work wasn't the only highlight. His blood pressure was outstanding (by his standards) 120/84. We actually started to make comments about how his height didn't sound that tall in the metric system...he says this while talking to a doctor who is my height.

We also were able to convince a notary from across the hall of come over and generously notarize his signature for us. She took it the most seriously of any notary, which I appreciate considering the importance of notaries in this process.

So, I overnighted the materials to Jennifer. She will put them with our homestudy. Once we get the I171H back from the US Customs and Immigration Services office she will send all that paperwork to the Florida Secretary of State office in Miami for authentication. My birth certificate is already in Texas getting authenticated. We are just waiting for Craig's birth certificate to come back from NJ, so we can send it back to NJ again for authentication.

Just a small window into this process...

Final Visit?

We had what we believe to be our final homestudy visit today with our social worker Jennifer. She met with all of us and discussed attachment and bonding. We did the typical pass forms around and discuss the timeline. I can't wait to get everything moving and send out doisser to China!

Our Ladybug Story

Hunter and I were at Target to pick up a few things for decorating a tree in the Festival of Trees. As we entered the stationary aisle, I noticed there was a book tucked on an end cap all by itself. The book stood out to me because of the adorable little chinese face illustrated on the cover. I picked it up and Hunter and I read the story inside is told from the point of view of one little ladybug, Dot, who happens upon a mysterious bundle one day. Dot stays with the little bundle as she is carried to the place "where babies come to be found" and promises to stay with the little one throughout her journeys toward getting a family.

I actually started to get, as we call it "misty", in the store. Needless to say we purchased the book. But then we still had errands to run. Next stop, Home Depot! As we were selecting some flowers for the front porch, Hunter shouted for me. A ladybug had landed on his arm. It stayed on his arm over the next 20 minutes while we waited in line. He talked to it and played with it. When it was time to go, I said I thought she should stay behind, but Hunter really wanted the ladybug to come in the car. I told him I thought maybe she had someone she needed to be responsible for like in the new book. As I said that the ladybug flew off his arm for the first time.

It was one of those experiences where you feel the presence of divinity. I will never forget it.

Ice Cream Face

This picture was taken on a homestudy visit to Sarasota to meet with our social worker Jennifer. Hunter took a detour at St. Armands Key for some ice cream. I wonder if little girls eat ice cream more daintly than this??

Happy Anniversary Fingerprints

This photo is for historical record. It was taken Nov. 2, 2005, our wedding anniversary. We made it (barely) to the USCIS office in Orlando. Someone accidently took us to the wrong location first. But, once we made it there everything went so smoothly. The machines they used to take our fingerprints were incredible. It seemed like some type of infra-red technology that took a picture of our fingerprints. So no black ink smudging.

Puppies

I understand its not too popular in China to include pictures of your pets in the dossier, so since they are an important part of the family they needed to be recognized somewhere. At the top and slightly to the right is Kobe. His new little buddy is Zero, named after Jack Skeltington's dog in Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.

Waiting Patiently

Here are Craig and I in Boston. This is his "I am waiting patiently" face. But, don't buy it! We are both getting very anxious.

First Posting

It seemed like it must be time to start putting all the thoughts down somewhere to keep a record of our journey to bring home a little one from China. We still have so far to travel in this journey, but we are up for it. I hope this posting can be a source of information and inspiration to everyone who reads it.