Getting Started

Tim and I decided to start this blog so we (mostly me) could vent about adoption misconceptions and also keep our families and friends up to date. We started talking about adoption from pretty much the first moment that we met in the summer of 2000, but we didn't realize it would become an option so soon. We're both very excited about traveling to Ethiopia to meet our child.

We realize that unless you're in the throws of the adoption process it's hard to make sense of things. To be quite frank, we're confused at times, too. There's a lot of paperwork, deadlines, lingo and governmental agencies to work through, not to mention tons of emotions. So, below is a quick rundown of what we've done so far and what we have left to do (despite my analness I didn't record the dates for everything, but I've got a ballpark idea):

• Fall 2006 we attended an informational meeting in NOVA by an adoption agency based in Boston that we really liked. We had been researching the process and agencies for months. We went with our insincts and chose them. They are one of the largest agencies in the U.S., and at the time were one of the few authorized in Ethiopia.
• Around November 2006 we sent off our application to the agency. The agency facilitates the adoption and helps parents with paperwork. Our agency operates an orphanage in Ethiopia. This began a flood of paperwork, which was daunting at first but really wasn't bad. Thanks to our friends who took the time to write letters of recommendation.
• During the holidays we told our parents about our plans to adopt. (Thanks for your support, guys!)
• Jan. 3, 2007 was our first meeting with our homestudy agency. The homestudy agency, which is here in Richmond, physically meets with potential adoptive parents to get more info on them, "inspect" their home, etc.
• Jan. 17, 2007 Jessica from our homestudy agency came to our house. We were super nervous, but it was not a big deal at all.
• Feb. 3, 2007 we went to Norfolk to the office of Homeland Security to get fingerprinted. I'm not 100% sure what this was for, but I do know that it triggered the release of the I-600 form, which we needed. Interestingly enough, the fingerprinting was done on the computer... no inked hands!
• Feb. 7, 2007 we had our final meeting with the homestudy agency.
• March 14, 2007 we were officially added to our agency's waiting list. From this date, it's estimated that we'll be "matched" with a child (younger than 12 months, preferably a boy) within 10-12 months. At that point, it will be 3-12 weeks before we travel to Ethiopia.
• March 27 my friend Kate, who was waiting to travel to pick up her 3-year-old daughter from Ethiopia, met with Joanna, another Richmonder adopting from Ethiopia through the same agency. Both children are home now. These women have been great resources, and I hope our children will be close friends.

So, now what? Well, basically we just wait until our agency calls to tell us that there's a child who's a perfect fit for our family. Unlike domestic adoption where a birth mother can single out a family to raise their child, international adoption is pretty much a que, we're just waiting our turn.

In the meantime, we're preparing the house (Tim's downsizing his office and will move into the new room), reading all we can and trying to spend lots of time together. We'll update this blog often. It is our intention to keep everyone in the loop and also informed about adoption in general.