Maybe if they had picked up the phone...

Our Immigration application was bounced back to us.  We failed to include our unknown baby's signature and background information...  We also needed a different Financial Evaluation (although I filled out the one the instructions told me to).  So, if that was ALL that was wrong that's pretty damn good considering I could NEVER get through to ask what I should do.  I included a cover letter and added little notes stating that the information would follow when we knew who Kid was but I guess that didn't cover our omissions adequately?  I wrote the agency to ask for help - most times this whole application are not filled out until the kid is known so maybe they know the trick to this first part.  I will also resume the phone calling tomorrow.  I might try the line for the deaf or hard of hearing just so I can get through... I have hearing damage, it's not QUITE a lie.  In the meantime, I have already filled out the financial form they requested - it was almost the same so it took no time at all.

oh i feel a headache coming on...

Different Feeling of Excitement

It moved faster than I thought! I was under the impression we had to wait for the letter from immigration before we could have our files sent over to Russia - nope! We can forward that letter later! It's all ready to go!!!!!

 Mike just mailed our first half of the Russian fees to CHOC! Last night a new feeling of excitement hit me. It's like I know I'm pregnant and waiting for the ultrasound where I can first see the baby and find out the sex! Oh wow, I'm tearing up again right now LOL!

 The following is an excerpt from the CHOC timeline documents. I thought I'd include it so you can see what we see. HOLY MOLY! Next week we hit step nine!!!!!!

 step 8) 6 to 8 weeks CHOC assembles dossiers (one set is assembled for initial submission/application to the regional MoE offices; another is assembled for submission to the local court. Dossiers include the homestudy and supporting documents from parents and government agencies). CHOC notarizes the dossiers, couriers them to CMFA and Russian Consulate for authentication and legalization, and sends legalized packages by international courier to CHOC in Moscow.

 step 9) ~6 weeks CHOC in Moscow has the English dossiers translated to Russian, has the translations certified and notarized, and couriers them along with the original English versions to the CHOC regional representative for initial submission/application to the regional office of Ministry of Education (MoE) and in/for future submission to court.

 step 10) 12 to 52+ weeks The regional CHOC representative walks the dossier into the regional office of the MoE and drops it off at the desk of the MoE regional officer. The regional officer will decide when to register the dossier as having been submitted (it may sit on his/her desk for an unspecified period of time before s/he gets around to registering it. Sometimes, the officer may ask for additional documents or clarification of a document or additional medical information on the family, etc, before accepting and registering the dossier). When a child becomes available (that is, a ward of state that has fulfilled a minimum of 2 months' time on the local or regional data bank and a further 6 months' time on the federal data bank and is now available for international adoption, having had no Russian nationals express interest in adopting the child or taking the child into a guardianship program, and furthermore, providing it is now the parents' turn and the child fulfils the parents' criteria), the MoE regional adoption officer will pass on to the CHOC rep, either an oral or a written invitation to the family for an appointment with the MoE or, along with this invitation, s/he may also pass along some preliminary information about the proposed child.

Again, HOLY MOLY!

It's Ready to Go!

Wow! Surprise to me! We don't have to wait for the letter from the CIC. CHOC emailed me the invoices for the Russian fees saying it's ready to go as soon as they receive the payment. YEAH! That was sooner than I thought. They can just forward on the letter from CIC whenever it arrives, since it's not really a complete form without Kid's name anyway! I had another vision too. I really think Kid's a boy. Strange since we both went into this process assuming a girl - no reason why, we just did. I also feel like June is going to be a key month. Hell, I was crying at work when I figured all this out yesterday! YEAH!!!!

Part one: Done and Done!

Yes! Application for sponsorship mailed. We really HAVE finished what we can for this step. All we need to do (other than send more money orders, lol) is to wait for the letter from Citizenship and Immigration saying they've accepted our application for sponsorship of an unknown Russian child and get a copy of our social worker's license. THAT'S IT! I've never felt so unencumbered yet during this process. We are now on vacation for a weekend of anniversary celebration. It's kind of fitting that the four year marriage mark is also the mark of this next step passing beyond our control. Here you go fate, you've treated me good thus far, let's see who you bring us. Happy Anniversary Mike. I love you and am proud of us!

Mailed!

It felt really good. Now to concentrate on Citizenship and Immigration.

The Wait is Over!

Well, this wait, at least! We received the amended pages for our homestudy. They came in the mail - that's why the wait was longer! I had actually emailed our social worker yesterday and asked if they had given her a time frame when she submitted her report. She wrote back to say that we should be hearing soon. I expected a phone call, like last time, but this was a bonus. Happy Anniversary to us! They will probably be receiving our final police checks, the amendments, and the last two signed pages for the Ministry of Education of Bashkortostan on our anniversary Thursday. I think it's the last signatures... I know it's not the last of the money orders! This is really exciting! It's not the end of September timeline I had in my mind, but it is damn close! I am in a community theatre group doing a pantomime. This will help pass the wait time up to Christmas... I should start making plans for after that! YEAH!