Tuesday, October 30, 2007
As A Family
Each day that passes is a day closer to meeting ElleAnna. Everyone in our house is excited - and its the topic of conversation ALL THE TIME! I noticed that someone wrote "Meet My Sister" on the kitchen calendar for November 14. Hmmm, I wonder who did that? As far as the boys are concerned, THEY are going to China to GET their SISTER. Ken and I are only going along to pay for things, carry the luggage, and sign the necessary documents. :-) I am thrilled that they are so pumped up about the journey that we are about to embark on. Their excitement is contagious and unavoidable. They constantly remind me that it will all work out fine when I start stressing about potential problems. I am so glad that they are going with us to GET THEIR SISTER! I cannot imagine doing this any other way - this is our family's journey, not just Ken's or mine. From the beginning, we've done this together. The two weeks in China will be incredible. The five of us need to do it together, hand in hand, from the beginning.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
We'll be leaving on a jet plane...
.... November 14 heading to China to bring our daughter, ElleAnna Suo, home. Our Consulate Appointment (CA) has been confirmed for the morning of November 26. The concern right now is how long it will actually take for her passport to be issued by the Chinese government. It used to be that they were all done in one central location, but now, each province does their own. It is a new system which does have a few unexpected twists and turns. There is another family from our agency in the Liaoning Province right now (which is where we will be going). We'll see how long it takes them to get the passport for their child and then, we will know how long to anticipate ElleAnna's taking. Once we have that critical piece of information, our agency will finalize our travel plans. As it is now, we fly out on November 14 and return home on November 28 - with ElleAnna in our arms (or hanging onto our hand, or running down the aisle trying to get away from her brothers, or....).
Thanks for following our journey as its been a long, winding, and complicated road with oodles of detours and roadblocks.
Thanks for following our journey as its been a long, winding, and complicated road with oodles of detours and roadblocks.
Monday, October 22, 2007
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!
Our Travel Approval has arrived!
I got a call from our agency a few minutes ago (as I was fighting with the FAX machine about a pandemic flu test alert - how ironic). They have two other families with Consulate Appointments (CA) on November 26 and are requesting our appointment be that date as well. She hopes to know back in a day or two if that is going to happen. The best part about that is we would not need to renew our USCIS paperwork that expires on December 8 - which would save us several hundred dollars. We'll be cutting it under the wire, but our agency firmly believes that is not a problem. IF WE CAN GET IN ON THE 26TH, (say an extra couple of prayers), we will fly out on November 14 and return on November 28. Somewhere between those dates, we'll finally meet Little Miss E.
OH GREAT - Now, we have to finalize her name!! The list is about a mile long of everything we need to do between now and then, but that is probably the most important. Second is winning the lottery so that we can afford to go. Oh and the boys need haircuts, we must get more film, order Alex some extra contact lenses, get the gifts for the nannies and all those folks, decide which clothes to pack for her........
Its finally becoming real and my feet have not touched the ground since I got the call!!
I got a call from our agency a few minutes ago (as I was fighting with the FAX machine about a pandemic flu test alert - how ironic). They have two other families with Consulate Appointments (CA) on November 26 and are requesting our appointment be that date as well. She hopes to know back in a day or two if that is going to happen. The best part about that is we would not need to renew our USCIS paperwork that expires on December 8 - which would save us several hundred dollars. We'll be cutting it under the wire, but our agency firmly believes that is not a problem. IF WE CAN GET IN ON THE 26TH, (say an extra couple of prayers), we will fly out on November 14 and return on November 28. Somewhere between those dates, we'll finally meet Little Miss E.
OH GREAT - Now, we have to finalize her name!! The list is about a mile long of everything we need to do between now and then, but that is probably the most important. Second is winning the lottery so that we can afford to go. Oh and the boys need haircuts, we must get more film, order Alex some extra contact lenses, get the gifts for the nannies and all those folks, decide which clothes to pack for her........
Its finally becoming real and my feet have not touched the ground since I got the call!!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Process to Get Here
Many of you have been amazed to learn that we started doing paperwork already in January of 2006. I will go over the basics of what is involved - specific to an adoption from China. Each country has their own process, and it has been further complicated by new rules and regulations called The Hague which are now going into effect. There will be much media coverage about those requirements in the next few months, so everything is subject to change. Here is how it went for us....
We researched several adoption agencies, compared their services, and asked around about their reputations. We finalized our choice in late December of 2005 and moved forward with them in January of 2006. They are based on the West Coast and do international adoptions for several countries, not just China. Each step hinges together, so as you get one task done, you can move forward with another. Other things we did as sort of an undercurrent and were a constant work in progress.
We began compiling items for our dossier which included - a letter from our local police department saying that we were not a risk; photos of each individual residing in our home; pictures of each room in the house plus several shots of the exterior; a certified original marriage license; certified original birth certificates; extensive health examinations; letters from our employers stating our salary, job duties, and likelihood of continued employment; financial statements; copies of passports; agreement forms to state that we would complete the process; etc. We also had to have a home study done. China requires specific topics be covered and certain wording be in the document, so it took some time. The home study process also requires elements of its own - multiple background checks, reference letters from family and friends, financial reports, etc. We had a wonderful social worker from a nearby community do that for us.
We also had to go through our USCIS Office about six hours away and apply for our daughter to have citizenship as she entered the country. They also did our FBI fingerprints. The sad part is that the fingerprints are only valid for 15 months (like your fingerprints ever change) and the Immigration Approval lasts for 18 months. During our wait, we've had to re-do the fingerprints once already as they expired. The most frightening thing we face right now is that our Immigration Approval will expire in early December. We had been told that we'd have our daughter before December, so not to worry about it, but because of all the delays, we must go through the hoops to get it renewed afterall. We ask for your prayers that the processing is speedy and without a hitch because it could REALLY REALLY REALLY goof everything up if it doesn't work fast.
Anyway, once we compiled all those items and had them notarized, our agency sent them to our State Government. They checked to see that the notaries we used were in fact a true notaries and then signed off on them. They they went to the Consulate for another review. Once that was done, our agency forwarded this large packet known as the dossier to China, where they were received at the CCAA. The date they were mailed to China is called DTC (Dossier to China/Date to China). Its an important date for families doing adoptions through China. When the CCAA logged the dossier into their system you reach another milestone known as LID or logged in date. For us, the DTC was June 28, 2006 and our LID was July 12, 2006.
Since then, its been a roller coaster ride with lots of hoops, twists, and turns as I know is true for any family on this journey. Our dossier was translated into Chinese, it was also reviewed with a fine toothed comb to be sure that we met all the requirements set forth by their government to adopt a child from their country. The biggest thing though, is that you wait.... and wait...
When we found our daughter this summer, we submitted what is called a LOI (Letter of Intent). It stated that we had researched her physical condition, located doctors who can provide her with the special care that she needs, and that we want her to be our daughter. We also had to send them updated information about changes in our situation since our paperwork had been sitting their office for nearly a year. Our LOI was submitted on July 13, 2007 - one year and one day after our LID.
We then waited for the CCAA to review our dossier more closely and return to us a LOA (Letter of Approval/Letter of Acceptance). Our LOA arrived at our adoption agency on October 2, 2007. They sent it on to us. We signed that document, did more forms, and those have all been returned to China. Now, we wait for TA (Travel Approval) and a CA (Consulate Appointment). In the meantime (here is an undercurrent), we scramble to renew our home study in order to meet requirements to have our Immigration Approval extended (as I stated above). That particular task is what worries me more than the TA.... but, we know that God has held our hand and led us all this way, He will most surely help us through this thorny part of the journey and lead us safely to Miss E, in China. We will have her home, hopefully soon!
I hope this helps you see a little bit of the process. I know I have skipped many parts, but it does get confusing and garbled - even when you're doing it!!
We researched several adoption agencies, compared their services, and asked around about their reputations. We finalized our choice in late December of 2005 and moved forward with them in January of 2006. They are based on the West Coast and do international adoptions for several countries, not just China. Each step hinges together, so as you get one task done, you can move forward with another. Other things we did as sort of an undercurrent and were a constant work in progress.
We began compiling items for our dossier which included - a letter from our local police department saying that we were not a risk; photos of each individual residing in our home; pictures of each room in the house plus several shots of the exterior; a certified original marriage license; certified original birth certificates; extensive health examinations; letters from our employers stating our salary, job duties, and likelihood of continued employment; financial statements; copies of passports; agreement forms to state that we would complete the process; etc. We also had to have a home study done. China requires specific topics be covered and certain wording be in the document, so it took some time. The home study process also requires elements of its own - multiple background checks, reference letters from family and friends, financial reports, etc. We had a wonderful social worker from a nearby community do that for us.
We also had to go through our USCIS Office about six hours away and apply for our daughter to have citizenship as she entered the country. They also did our FBI fingerprints. The sad part is that the fingerprints are only valid for 15 months (like your fingerprints ever change) and the Immigration Approval lasts for 18 months. During our wait, we've had to re-do the fingerprints once already as they expired. The most frightening thing we face right now is that our Immigration Approval will expire in early December. We had been told that we'd have our daughter before December, so not to worry about it, but because of all the delays, we must go through the hoops to get it renewed afterall. We ask for your prayers that the processing is speedy and without a hitch because it could REALLY REALLY REALLY goof everything up if it doesn't work fast.
Anyway, once we compiled all those items and had them notarized, our agency sent them to our State Government. They checked to see that the notaries we used were in fact a true notaries and then signed off on them. They they went to the Consulate for another review. Once that was done, our agency forwarded this large packet known as the dossier to China, where they were received at the CCAA. The date they were mailed to China is called DTC (Dossier to China/Date to China). Its an important date for families doing adoptions through China. When the CCAA logged the dossier into their system you reach another milestone known as LID or logged in date. For us, the DTC was June 28, 2006 and our LID was July 12, 2006.
Since then, its been a roller coaster ride with lots of hoops, twists, and turns as I know is true for any family on this journey. Our dossier was translated into Chinese, it was also reviewed with a fine toothed comb to be sure that we met all the requirements set forth by their government to adopt a child from their country. The biggest thing though, is that you wait.... and wait...
When we found our daughter this summer, we submitted what is called a LOI (Letter of Intent). It stated that we had researched her physical condition, located doctors who can provide her with the special care that she needs, and that we want her to be our daughter. We also had to send them updated information about changes in our situation since our paperwork had been sitting their office for nearly a year. Our LOI was submitted on July 13, 2007 - one year and one day after our LID.
We then waited for the CCAA to review our dossier more closely and return to us a LOA (Letter of Approval/Letter of Acceptance). Our LOA arrived at our adoption agency on October 2, 2007. They sent it on to us. We signed that document, did more forms, and those have all been returned to China. Now, we wait for TA (Travel Approval) and a CA (Consulate Appointment). In the meantime (here is an undercurrent), we scramble to renew our home study in order to meet requirements to have our Immigration Approval extended (as I stated above). That particular task is what worries me more than the TA.... but, we know that God has held our hand and led us all this way, He will most surely help us through this thorny part of the journey and lead us safely to Miss E, in China. We will have her home, hopefully soon!
I hope this helps you see a little bit of the process. I know I have skipped many parts, but it does get confusing and garbled - even when you're doing it!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Narrowed Down to Two - MAYBE!
I think her name is either ElleAnna Suo or EmyLee Suo. They both flow very smoothly and fit with the pictures that we have. It sure would be neat to have updated photos though so that we can see how how her cute little face looks now, but we have no control over that. Somehow, the poll to the right "ate" a bunch of votes... It still shows ElleAnna far ahead, but something went wrong at some point in the last few days. I apologize if it took your vote off, please cast another ballot to be on the safe side!
Michelle
Michelle
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
EmyLee, ElleAnna, ElleHannah, What to Do?!
Finalizing an "E" name has been tough - much harder than I anticipated. I thought this would be easy, but its not! When we had our sons, we had names and ideas, but we got to hold the little guys in our arms for a while before we had to finalize anything. With our daughter, we only have a year old photograph and some sketchy doctor's notes to go by. We have to decide her name BEFORE we travel, BEFORE we meet her, BEFORE we hold her in our arms. The pressure is on now, and I know everyone is dying to know her name.... but we are STUCK!
We know that her last name will be hyphenated. Her middle name will be Suo (pronounced swoh) as it was her name from the orphanage. Opinions on leaving part of that name differ greatly among adoptive families. Some do, some don't. We realize that this is not a name given to her by her birth parents, but at age 2 1/2, its the only name she has known. We struggled with giving her an additional middle name, but with such a big name already, I don't know that we will. We have selected somewhat longer first names with an extra capital letter in them to make up for the super short middle name of Suo. At this point, all we need to decide is her first name.... but, that's easier said than done.
We love LOTS of E names, but it is important to us that her E name be very, very special. I THINK we have it narrowed down to EmyLee and ElleAnna. Both of these names hold unique attributes as you can read on the post to the right. The boys have said if she is named EmyLee, they are calling her Emy, which is cute. Right now, Emily is such a popular name though (spelled a thousand different ways), that I fear she will be lost in the shuffle. If her name is ElleAnna, the boys intend to call her Elle, which is also neat. The problem arises, however, with the fact that "Alex" and "Elle" sound similar enough that we will likely get them mixed up when we are yelling at the kids (or don't any of you do that? SMILE). Bryant says that's a silly reason to not call her Elle though as he claims I mix his name and Alex's name up all the time, and they sound nothing alike (he speaks the truth on that). My other fear about ElleAnna is that many people will mispronounce it, but my husband reminds me that people mispronounce our last name all the time, so it doesn't matter. He also tells me that those who love and know her will say her name correctly, and that's what is most important. Then, he says, "You decide".... and once again, I am confused - and the pressure is on.
I know we need the letter E, but I always wanted a little girl named Hannah. That's not likely as neither my sister or I intend to have that many children and we won't reach the letter H. That's where ElleHannah came in - a unique way to get both an E and Hannah. I also liked EmyJo (a combination of EmyLee and Johanna), but EmyJo Suo really doesn't work well. We could do EmyLee Johanna Suo and then her last name, but my kids remind me how tough that would be to fit on a driver's license, so that's probably out too.
See, I told you this was hard! Any advice or suggestions you can offer will be most appreciated. I know some of you have been voting... but, we still don't know. We would gladly take your suggestions!
Michelle, Ken, Bryant, Alex, and E.
We know that her last name will be hyphenated. Her middle name will be Suo (pronounced swoh) as it was her name from the orphanage. Opinions on leaving part of that name differ greatly among adoptive families. Some do, some don't. We realize that this is not a name given to her by her birth parents, but at age 2 1/2, its the only name she has known. We struggled with giving her an additional middle name, but with such a big name already, I don't know that we will. We have selected somewhat longer first names with an extra capital letter in them to make up for the super short middle name of Suo. At this point, all we need to decide is her first name.... but, that's easier said than done.
We love LOTS of E names, but it is important to us that her E name be very, very special. I THINK we have it narrowed down to EmyLee and ElleAnna. Both of these names hold unique attributes as you can read on the post to the right. The boys have said if she is named EmyLee, they are calling her Emy, which is cute. Right now, Emily is such a popular name though (spelled a thousand different ways), that I fear she will be lost in the shuffle. If her name is ElleAnna, the boys intend to call her Elle, which is also neat. The problem arises, however, with the fact that "Alex" and "Elle" sound similar enough that we will likely get them mixed up when we are yelling at the kids (or don't any of you do that? SMILE). Bryant says that's a silly reason to not call her Elle though as he claims I mix his name and Alex's name up all the time, and they sound nothing alike (he speaks the truth on that). My other fear about ElleAnna is that many people will mispronounce it, but my husband reminds me that people mispronounce our last name all the time, so it doesn't matter. He also tells me that those who love and know her will say her name correctly, and that's what is most important. Then, he says, "You decide".... and once again, I am confused - and the pressure is on.
I know we need the letter E, but I always wanted a little girl named Hannah. That's not likely as neither my sister or I intend to have that many children and we won't reach the letter H. That's where ElleHannah came in - a unique way to get both an E and Hannah. I also liked EmyJo (a combination of EmyLee and Johanna), but EmyJo Suo really doesn't work well. We could do EmyLee Johanna Suo and then her last name, but my kids remind me how tough that would be to fit on a driver's license, so that's probably out too.
See, I told you this was hard! Any advice or suggestions you can offer will be most appreciated. I know some of you have been voting... but, we still don't know. We would gladly take your suggestions!
Michelle, Ken, Bryant, Alex, and E.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
15 Months Since LID
Yesterday marked 15 months since we were LID. This abbreviation (among the many, many used by families doing international adoptions) stands for "logged in date". That is the point in which the Chinese government logged your dossier and other initial paperwork into their system. Ours was LID on July 12, 2006.
When I talked with our adoption agency on Wednesday the 10th of October, I was told that they would be sending our LOA (letter of acceptance or letter of approval) back to China on that date. We now wait for the Chinese government to approve our entry into their country. When we first petitioned for PanSuo to becoming our daughter, we were told that we would have her in our arms by September or October at the latest. Our LOA took longer than expected, so we were then estimating that we would have her in October or November. When I talked with our agency this past Wednesday, our coordinator mentioned that December was now most likely our anticipated travel. I was crushed.... We had so hoped to have her home by Halloween, then it was Thanksgiving that we were shooting for. Now, all we can pray is that its by Christmas.
Ken and I believe that Christmas in China would be an awesome experience for our family! We wouldn't complain about that. What a remarkable culture to be in during such a memorable time of year in our family. We would be willing to wait until then provided that all the necessary steps fall into place without creating an ulcer bigger than I probably already have. We need to once again renew some documents with USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services). They are pure bureaucrats and I dread the fact that our time frame will be short for them to process our paperwork before our other approval expires. Its never good to be in a time crunch, but to depend on the U.S. Government to work quickly is a whole complication of its own....
So, no news to report other than time continues to pass. Each day is a day closer to being able to celebrate the new addition to our family. She is a special little girl who will not lack for attention in our home, family, or community. We so look forward to her arrival!
Michelle and the boys
When I talked with our adoption agency on Wednesday the 10th of October, I was told that they would be sending our LOA (letter of acceptance or letter of approval) back to China on that date. We now wait for the Chinese government to approve our entry into their country. When we first petitioned for PanSuo to becoming our daughter, we were told that we would have her in our arms by September or October at the latest. Our LOA took longer than expected, so we were then estimating that we would have her in October or November. When I talked with our agency this past Wednesday, our coordinator mentioned that December was now most likely our anticipated travel. I was crushed.... We had so hoped to have her home by Halloween, then it was Thanksgiving that we were shooting for. Now, all we can pray is that its by Christmas.
Ken and I believe that Christmas in China would be an awesome experience for our family! We wouldn't complain about that. What a remarkable culture to be in during such a memorable time of year in our family. We would be willing to wait until then provided that all the necessary steps fall into place without creating an ulcer bigger than I probably already have. We need to once again renew some documents with USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services). They are pure bureaucrats and I dread the fact that our time frame will be short for them to process our paperwork before our other approval expires. Its never good to be in a time crunch, but to depend on the U.S. Government to work quickly is a whole complication of its own....
So, no news to report other than time continues to pass. Each day is a day closer to being able to celebrate the new addition to our family. She is a special little girl who will not lack for attention in our home, family, or community. We so look forward to her arrival!
Michelle and the boys
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Speedy Delivery....
We received papers from our adoption agency last Friday. They were overnighted to us on Tuesday, but I guess that when the destination is "the sticks", that does not apply. We diligently filled everything out, signed them, gathered important documents, etc. and shipped it all back yesterday afternoon. Guess what - they had them already this morning by 10:30am! That is so amazing to me. The package went over 1500 miles OVERNIGHT!
Now, we wait again.... Its almost better for me when we have a task to complete. It certainly occupies our minds and hands. It helps make time passes a little more quickly. The Chinese government will determine when we are approved to travel and then, everything will move again, with OODLES of things to get done in a very short amount of time. Somewhere in the next 4-8 weeks, we also need to win the lottery or do something to garner enough money to finance the trip. :-)
We pray that the orphanage has told our daughter that her forever family will be coming soon to get her. We hope she knows that she will have a Mommy, Daddy, and two big brothers. We are anxious to welcome her with open, loving arms! Its been a long, long wait - for her as well as us. Its almost time to bring her home!!
Mommy (Michelle)
Now, we wait again.... Its almost better for me when we have a task to complete. It certainly occupies our minds and hands. It helps make time passes a little more quickly. The Chinese government will determine when we are approved to travel and then, everything will move again, with OODLES of things to get done in a very short amount of time. Somewhere in the next 4-8 weeks, we also need to win the lottery or do something to garner enough money to finance the trip. :-)
We pray that the orphanage has told our daughter that her forever family will be coming soon to get her. We hope she knows that she will have a Mommy, Daddy, and two big brothers. We are anxious to welcome her with open, loving arms! Its been a long, long wait - for her as well as us. Its almost time to bring her home!!
Mommy (Michelle)
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Where we will need to go.....
Our understanding is that we will be in several towns/cities during our two week China stay. We will have a day or two after we arrive to do some site seeing before heading north to the Liaoning Province where our daughter is. There, its likely that we will stay in Shenyang, which is the capital of that particular province. E's orphanage is in a town just south of there. We will meet with Province Officials to do paperwork and also (we hope) get to see where she has been living. We'll then go to Beijing to meet with Chinese government officials and also go to Guangzhou to process her paperwork with the US Consulate there. Somewhere along the way, we'll see the Great Wall and do some other neat things.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
We'd like you to meet our daughter....
We would like to introduce you to our daughter. She was born in March of 2005, so she is about two and a half years old. She had a cleft lip and palate, but we have been told that they are repaired. She has spent her life in an orphanage located in the Liaoning Province, which is in Northern China. It is between Mongolia and North Korea. This photo was for her passport. We believe that it was taken in November of 2006, almost a year ago.
.
Our LOA (Letter of Approval/Acceptance) arrived at our adoption agency yesterday (October 2nd). They are zipping it to us so that we can sign the document and return it to them, to be mailed back to China. We will wait on travel approval (TA) to enter their country to pick her up. We could have her in our arms anywhere from 4-8 weeks from now! It is incredibly exciting - but now, there is so much to do!
Thanks to each of you for your continued love, prayers, and support to our family. The journey is not over, but we have certainly entered a new phase. Please continue to check this site for updates as we will try to keep you informed along the way!
Michelle, Ken, Bryant, Alex, and E
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Waiting Gets Harder....
Our agency still believes that E's LOA (Letter of Approval) could show up in the next couple of days. The CCAA is closed this week and will return to their office on the 8th of October, but they did work through the past weekend. If we don't get the LOA in the next day or two though, it will mean that there will be nothing until at least the 10th or 11th... I am still holding out hope, but its getting harder and harder all the time.
Michelle
Michelle
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