288 Families Ahead of Us

Just got an update from CHI. Currently there are 288 families ahead of us. They got a referral for one baby, and the others dropped out I assume. Happy and sad as usual. Happy for the family that got their referral; sad for those who felt they had to drop out for whatever reason. But that's the way this goes. 

The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has finished their review of the adoption application documents registered with their office before June 30, 2010. They have finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with their office before June 9, 2006. 

For reference, our adoption application documents were registered with the CCAA on August 23, 2007. So placement SEEMS like around a year out. for us. But I never know what to think. And I never get my hopes up. 

Next Log In Date (LID) that is up for placement is June 13, 2006. That means those with a LID of 6.13.06 are next! Yay for them! Including that date, there are 58 LIDs before us. For them to get to us within a year, there would have to be referrals once a week on average, right? This has not been the experience as of late. But who knows. Things could pick up at any time. Fingers crossed. 
 

295 Families Ahead of Us

On January 14, 2011, I learned that we'd moved up another 4 spots. There are now 295 families in front of us. This is still going painstakingly slow. I read some about cleft lip/palate yesterday. I think it might be a viable option for us. We just have to get our heads around having a child that will need surgery, maybe multiple surgeries. I don't know.... Sigh.

301 Families Ahead of Us

We moved up 16 spaces in the adoption line. There are now 301 families ahead of us. According to CHI in a November 24 email, "the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before November 30, 2009 and has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before May 23, 2006." 

Our documents were registered with CHI on August 23 ,2007. That's our Log in Date (LID). So, that gives you a sense of where we are in the process.

317 Families in Front of Us (and updated I171-h)

I actually learned this on October 11..... but am just now posting. 317. Hmpf.

And I don't know where my head has been, but we DID get our updated I171-h form. First we got one that had Brent's middle name spelled wrong, so I had to contact the Officer Higgins with USCIS to tell her that. She sent out another one and all is well!

349 Families in Front of Us

With CHI's latest note to us, we moved up 11 spaces in line. There are now 349 families in front of us. We still await the updated I171-H form. All our forms are in and we've both been fingerprinted.

Fingerprinting....check!

Ok, Brent and I have now both been fingerprinted. The coveted updated I-171h form should be forthcoming ASAP.

Home Study Finalized

Our social worker, Ashley, let us know today that she is finalizing the home study update and getting it in the mail to us today. Once received, I'll forward one copy to USCIS.

Only thing left after that is to get our fingerprints done, which we have appointments for.

Official Acknowledgment of Receipt

Yesterday we received this acknowledgment of receipt of our recent update package by the Department of Homeland Security. This letter basically says what I've been saying lately..that DHS is awaiting our updated home study from our agency and then they will proceed. Additionally, we each received fingerprint appointments. This is different than in the past in three ways: 1) We each got actual appointment days/times. Previously, the instruction was "show up any Wednesday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and you're good to go." No more.
2) We have appointments on DIFFERENT days. Sigh.3) We have to go to St. Louis rather than Kansas City. No idea why the change, but there it is. Progress...progress...progress.....

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Delivery Confirmation of Adoption Update Packet

Wheeeeeew! I feel better. I still don't have the updated I-171h form in my hands, but I can now at least rest easy that the packet made it to Lewisville, TX before our deadline. It was signed for at USCIS, according to the USPS website, and then forwarded on to Dallas (not sure why). Additionally, the $830 check was cashed on June 4, 2010. When our social worker returns from Ethiopia, she'll update the home study and send that to USCIS. In the meantime we should receive a fingerprint appointment, and THEN we'll get the updated I-171h.

Scary immigration letter

Correspondence crossed in the mail. Explainable, but nerve-wracking all the same...

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T