It has been a long frustrating summer but we finally got our updated I171-H form which allows us to bring our baby into the United States. We have been struggling since early June to get this form. When we hadn't heard anything by late June, I made some phone calls and found out that they had lost our paperwork. Once our paperwork was found they assured us it was sent to Homeland Security. By mid-July we still hadn't heard anything so I called again and found out that they had not sent off our paperwork. The promised to send it off again. They did send it off but sent a faxed copy of my homestudy which is a no-no. I then had them send the correct copy. On August 8th we received a letter from Homeland Security saying that 6 things were missing from our renewal information and if it was not sent by September 8, we would be denied (which would mean we couldn't adopt). We immediately took the next day off work and went to our agency. We spent the whole morning going over the 6 things they were asking for with our agency and making sure we got each of those things in. We had our agency Fed-Ex the information to DSS that afternoon. We also asked DSS to Fed-Ex the information once it was approved to Homeland Security and we would pay for it. We waited a week and called Homeland Security. They told us that they had a package but it was not what they asked for.
No one could find our Fed-Ex package. So Mike and I took another day off work frantically trying to find the package. It turns out DSS did not send it Fed-Ex. They sent it regular mail so it was still in transit. The package finally got there and another week went by. The form was adjucated and arrived in our mailbox August 31st. Unfortunately, they did not put my middle name on the form. Homeland Security said that since my middle name was handwritten on my birth certificate, legally they can not put it on the form. I will be calling CASI next week to see if this is going to be another issue. Hopefully, they will have pity on us and say no, it's fine. We are both so happy to finally have the form but are completely worn out by the battle to get it.

Referrals are still creeping slowly along. Right now they have referred up to November 21, 2005. They will be doing another batch next week and we pray that they get through the rest of November.

Finally! We are through the Review Room and on to the Matching Room. It may be many more months until we are matched but just knowing we are moving forward is huge. It's so nice to finally have some good news. It is also nice to know that the CCAA thinks we qualify to be parents.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of our DTC (Documents to China). We are also still in the Review Room (3 months and counting). My whole life seems to be on pause right now. We are now hoping to have our referral by next Fall. The waiting is sooooo hard!

Caught you!

Caught you!
Originally uploaded by gingersawyersadie.

Lucy thinks she's the baby.

New crib

New crib
Originally uploaded by gingersawyersadie.

A lot of work but worth it.

A lot of work but worth it.
Originally uploaded by gingersawyersadie.

All the stained pieces.

All the stained pieces.
Originally uploaded by gingersawyersadie.

Finally ready to put all the pieces together.

Mike staining the crib.

Mike staining the crib.
Originally uploaded by gingersawyersadie.

This was harder than it looks.