Hope's Journal

May 5, 2008: Daddy contacted Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI) for an application.


May 12: We mailed the application in order to adopt Hope, and we also sent away for mom’s “certified birth certificate”--in faith that CCAI would accept us again. (The request for mom's birth certificate went “snail mail”.)


May 23: Our application was accepted by CCAI! We are ready to begin the adoption process again!


May 24: Mailed the first agency fee.


May 27: First agency fee received at CCAI, Florida. Therefore, we received the dossier for Hope! (Monday was a holiday, so they could not receive the fee any sooner.)


June 3: Mommy had her physical today for the dossier.


June 4: CCAI conference call at 3:00 p.m.


June 6: Daddy took a vacation day today. He went to have his physical for the dossier. Then, daddy and mommy went to the police station to have their background checks.


June 9: Had to call mom's birth state again! Mommy’s birth certificate had her father’s last name spelled incorrectly (on three certificates)!


Week of June 9: Doctor's office messed up mommy’s doctor’s letter FOUR times! They got it right on the fifth try!


June 14: We had our first home study meeting today to get Hope! =)


June 19: Daddy and mommy (and Cherish) met with our social worker again to fulfill our requirements for the home study. Afterwards, daddy and mommy had a conference call with CCAI in order to have orientation over the phone.


June 20: Social worker called to drop our case--due to the Hague Convention requirements. Ugh!


June 23-27: Mom’s birth certificate came back from the Secretary of State (second step), and daddy got his birth certificate (first step).


July 3: We received a call from CCAI stating mom’s background check never reached Pennsylvania. Therefore, we had to send out another request for a background check to be done. This will hold up the home study process.


July 7: CCAI Florida received our second request for the PA child abuse check. They began the process today to have it completed. Dad and mom went and got their second Hepatitis A vaccinations.


October 29: Dad and mom were fingerprinted at the Department of Homeland Security.


January 5, 2009: We received our I-797C! This is the last document we needed in our approval to adopt Hope from China. We are CELEBRATING!!!


Ok, now the final work begins--getting the I-797C copied, and notarized, and then getting the I-797C and home study certified and authenticated!


January 17: Our final adoption paperwork is off to the Chinese Consulate in TX for authentication. Yeah!


January 29: Our paperwork came back from the Chinese Consulate, and we sent in our dossier to Orlando for the critical review. IT IS OUT OF OUR HANDS! WE are finished! Now the waiting and anticipation begins! Hope, here we come! We love you and pray for you all the time.


February 6: Our Dossier left Colorado for China! The translation is complete!


February 9: Our Dossier has been hand-delivered to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in China! Hooray!!!!!


February 13, 2009: Log-In-Date (LID)!!!!! This is the most important date in China's eyes. This is the date we have RUSHED and worked so hard to reach. CELEBRATION is in order!


January 29, 2010: It was necessary to let our I-797C expire--which is only on the U.S. side. China still holds our dossier active. So, the long wait continues.