adoption timeline

I cut this from my other journal. For those of you finding us for the first time and interested in the adoption process.

Here's a quick overview of the process over the last 9 months:

October 9, 2005 - My application to adopt was sent to Children's Hope International (CHI).

October 24, 2005 - I started my homestudy with an interview at CHI's St Louis office.

October 26, 2005 - My first set of fingerprints for the FBI.

October 28, 2005 - My second homestudy interview at CHI and digital fingerprints for the Illinois State Police in Troy, IL.

December 28, 2005 - I-600A - CIS (U.S. Immigration) application filed to the Chicago immigration office.

January 7, 2006 - More fingerprints done in Naperville, IL for CIS.

January 25, 2006 - CHI is officially licensed to work in Vietnam after 3 year moritorium.

February 10, 2006 - CHI receives it's first healthy referral.

March 3, 2006 - CIS sends my approval letter, called the 171 - what a long wait! I had been checking the mailbox every day! I faxed it to CHI immediately and was added to the waiting list. I finally got my spot in line! I started at #24 on the waiting list, but only 5 families ahead of me were open to boys!

March 8, 2006 - My dossier (collection of the homestudy and other paperwork) is sent to Springfield, Illinois for certification.

March 17, 2006 - My dossier is certified and back from Springfield!

March 20, 2006 - My dossier is sent to the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, DC for authentication.

April 4, 2006 - My dossier is authenticated and back from the Embassy! Wow, that was quicker than I expected!

April 7, 2006 - My dossier is sent to Vietnam.

April 13, 2006 - Lucas is born!

April 24, 2006 - I received confirmation that my dossier is in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam.

May 24, 2006 - Referral day! After waiting anxiously by the phone for the call for weeks, it finally came!

June 7, 2006 - My dossier is sent to Vinh Long, the local province where Lucas' orphanage is. Now I wait!