Adopting... whats invovled

So what all is involved in adopting from Ch*na? Part of that depends on which route you go, if you are in the traditional adoption program waiting for a healthy child or if you go through the waiting child program and adopt a child with special needs. This will be our third time through the waiting child program, second time with Ch*na (first time was through H*ng K*ng which while technically is part of Ch*na is a totally different adoption process) and their special focus program (which is children with more severe special needs).

First off is the Home Study which includes:
- hours of interviews with a social worker asking you questions about anything and everything personal,
- paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork (writing essays on yourself - your thoughts on adoption, your marriage and how it works, your growing up years, thoughts on your multicultural family, your parenting style, copies of everyone's birth certificates, marriage cert, green cards, final orders of adoption etc etc etc),
- a home inspection (which includes a whole host of things like illustrated fire escape plans- grateful we didn't need the fire marshal to come out and inspect our home this time around!),
- finances scrutinized,
- medical appointments for everyone (including TB skin tests which the hubby and I always fail due to having the BCG vaccine as kids in HK... so then we get to have chest xrays to ensure we dont have TB),
- background/fingerprint check to make sure we are not criminals,
- child abuse clearances from every state/country we've lived in over the age of 18,
- 6 reference letters (3 personal, 1 work, 1 school & 1 family),
- guardianship agreement document incase something were to happen to us - and these guardians must meet the minimum adoption requirement for Ch*na,
- pet vaccination records,
- documentation from our health insurance company saying they will cover our newly adopted child,
and more I'm sure, I just can't think of it right now :)

***This is where we are right now, waiting on a few of our clearances to come back and our SW to finalize our home study. We have also obtained about half of our dossier documents.***

After our home study is complete we then have to apply for and obtain an approval from the US Govt saying that we can adopt. This involves more paperwork and more fingerprinting.

While we are waiting on all of this we are working on the big D, our 'dossier', which is a set of papers that goes to Ch*na. Ch*na requires that all of these papers are issued within the last 6 months, which means we have to have original copies of the following documents newly created (no photocopies allowed!):

- our marriage cert (from HK - proves a little difficult to get)
- birth certs (one from HK and one from a state across the ocean... again, difficult to get)
- adoption petition
- financial statement
- police clearances from our county
- approval from the US govt
- employment letter for my hubby
- unemployment letter for me
- medical form on me
- medical form on hubby

Once we have obtained all of these documents they need to be *sealed*, which for our state means being notarized 5 times: first at a basic notary level, then by the county clerk, then by the state, then by the US sec of state, and finally by the Ch*nese Embassy in DC. Once we've done this our Dossier is reviewed by our agency and then sent on to Ch*na... Woo hoo!!! We are working hard towards this goal. Our agency has told us that its anywhere from 4-7months once our dossier goes to Ch*na to when we would travel to bring Wen home.

Here we go again!

Well, its official, we have started the adoption process again. We are thrilled to announce that we are adding another son to our crew!!!

We found out on August 15th that we have PA (Pre-Approval) from Ch*na to bring home this precious little one, our son. He is a few months older than JJ, so will be kindof like having twins, kindof...

We'll be posting more as we go along but wanted to get this up here, ask for prayers as we work our way through the adoption process. I know I must sound like a broken record but oh.my.word. the things you have to do to adopt... totally worth it in the long run, just wishing the run wasn't so long and so arduous... trying hard to keep my eyes fixed on the goal, on our precious son.

We would really covet prayers for our newest little one. We can't share many specifics on him yet but he's in a traditional orphanage... not in a foster home, not in an orphanage that has outside support...

It is so heartbreaking for this momma to know that while we are slogging our way through red tape upon red tape our precious son is without a momma to hold him and sing to him and comfort him when he's sick, without a daddy to wrestle with him and show him the world, without big sisters to love on him and teach him how to play dress up ;-), without a brother to play cars & karate with, without a forever family that is his... Precious boy we love you already and are praying for you, and praying for those who are taking care of you while we jump through the hoops.

PS Here's JJs referral pic, notice any similarities??? and they weren't at the same orphanage...

Summer Fun

Oh.my.word. I can't believe that it's been since February since I posted!!!! I wish I had time to go back and post on so many things that have happened but, yah, not likely to happen anytime soon. So in an attempt to get caught up, here are the high points:

First JJ had ear tube surgery in Feb,

Pre-op

Post op with big sis

In March EB had tube surgery,

Using the TV controller as phone ;-)

and she turned 6,

Hubby and his business partner received an addy award- so we got to go out :)

Hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary (super grateful to my in-laws for coming out from N Ireland to stay with the kids)!

Then in April JJ had surgery to remove a cyst in his lip (we are SO grateful that it was not malignant!!!),

Pre-op, before he knew what was happening

Driving his car off to the OR. I *love* our childrens hospital!

Sleeping with his 'no-nos' for 3 weeks :(

hmmmm, then what??? Ah yes, a trip to Gatlinburg to spend time with sweet friends

ALL the kids... The 4 of us parents were *slightly* outnumbered ;-)

In May friends from Hong Kong came and stayed for a week

We also finished up school in May and headed off to the beach with my parents for vacation. Oh what a treat that was! So so grateful to my big sis for staying home and taking care of JLC so that my parents could come with us to FL.

And there were about 50 Speech therapy sessions, a couple of well child checks, visit to the orthopedic dr, big annual cardiology exam, post-op visits with the plastic surgeon and the ENT...

Hubby had a birthday...

Auntie & Uncle came to visit from the UK - thats the United Kingdom NOT the University of Kentucky as many have assumed ;-)... Auntie came to visit from Hong Kong... Has been a very full and wonderful few months.

I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am, married to a truly amazing man, blessed to be the momma to these 4 precious ones... AND in process to add one more sweet child to our brood!!!! Praying and paperworking our way to the newest Strachan... more to come on him soon!