Whoever Said Patience is a Virtue Never Adopted from China

I am happy to say that all my documents are currently en route back from the NY Secretary of State. Once I receive them, I will send them to the Chinese Embassy in NYC. My home study should be complete Monday and my social worker said she will email my China Coordinator and I a draft. If she can get it notarized by the 23rd when I see her, I can send in my I-600A, which is the final document I need to be DTC!!!! It can take many months in other states, but NYC is supposed to be one of the quickest. I don't want to be overly optimistic but I expect to be DTC in early February, assuming the CIS sends my approval quickly. I will take my photos in the next week or so and when my dossier is complete, I send it all to my agency with my first large payment. While I'd love to save a few extra bucks, I am hoping to move in the next two months. I could renew my lease for a year but then I have to worry about having to do a lot of stuff in a relatively short period of time. While I won't decorate a nursery now, I would feel better knowing I have the extra bedroom. I don't want to have her to make any more adjustments than are absolutely necessary. We will see what happens. A part of me wishes I could buy something but it's not in the cards right now. My savings will go to the adoption expenses which account for approximately $20,000 when all is said and done. I also want to earmark money that will be used for a baby naming. While not overly religious, I want this for her. When she is older I want her to be able to look back and see that she was welcomed into not only my life, but to my world which does include Judaism, even if reform. I have not had that many life events to celebrate myself so it will be my honor to do this for her. I guess that's it here for now. Hopefully the next post will be one of the last ones before I am officially "paper pregnant". For anyone interested I posted some historical notes relative to the One Child Policy in China.

Welcome to 2006

By the end of this year, I hope to be on my way to China to pick up my daughter. I finally feel I am making progress on my dossier. Yesterday I got all my documents certified by Queens County and today they are off to the Secretary of State for certification. After this is complete, it will all go to the Chinese Consulate in NYC for final authentication. Aside from the documents I am finalizing, I am still waiting for my NYS child abuse clearance and home study so I can send in my application with CIS and get my federal fingerprints done. Once I get that approval, I am ON MY WAY!!!!! I tend not to make resolutions but this year it's not about weight but about getting in shape. I want to be able to schlep this little girl everywhere, roll on the floor with her and chase her around on a bicycle. I was pretty brave and I not only joined a gym but I hired a personal trainer too. It's quite the commitment on my part but I have a good motivation behind it. That's about it for now. Happy 2006 everyone!!

Happy New Year

Here we are 2006 and hopefully before years end I will be venturing to China to bring my daughter home. My paperwork is still in flux as I wait for the various clearances but I am trying to be patient. Rumor has it the stork is on its way for those who have log in dates in April 2005 and it is pretty exciting to see when people ge their referrals. I love hearing the names, the plans, the nurseries, etc. While I wait I have been collecting information, websites, nursery ideas and such. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to shop but I am trying to be very good and not buy much. In recent weeks, some of you may have read of the baby trafficking in the Hunan Province of China. Allegedly many babies were bought and sold and some of the articles suggest these children are kidnapped from their biological parents. As stated in one of my earlier posts, anytime money changes hands, there is a risk but overall China still has the least amount of trouble in this area. China has a zero tolerance policy for these offenders and the issue seems to be being handled quickly and quietly in the best interest of all. I guess that's it for now. To be continued.....