Our Timeline

For all those adoptive parents out there who are stalking each other's blogs, this is for you.  For those who are not adoptive parents, I'll let you in on a dirty little secret.  We are a strange breed.  Those of us with a child waiting for us on the other side of the earth have this obsession desire to know how the process is moving along for those just a little ahead of us to create some illusion of predictability in the process.  There's even a website to which many of us contribute where all milestone dates can be recorded and charted.  Yes, that website is bookmarked in my favorites.  There, I've said it.  I am far too aware of the statistics of each governmental agency's current paperwork processing efficiency.  I am also aware at times of funny things like the fact that the man that signs a certain piece of paper is on vacation.  Or that an agent in immigration has been out ill since last Friday.  Crazy stalker-like stuff that the Internet only makes worse.

So, here it is. 

06/02/12  Met with SW for the first time and decided we were very interested in pursuing the possibility of an adoption

Next 5 months - put everything on hold while we dealt with a death in the family and some other issues.

11/15/12 Met with SW ready to proceed with completion of home study.  "We're a go!"

11/20/12 Home study completed

11/23/12 I-800A paperwork sent

12/20/12 Fingerprint appt for USCIS

1/13/12  Refingerprinted because I am a fingerprint FAILURE

2/10/12 DTC (Dossier to China!)

2/27/12 LID (Log in date in China)

3/5/12  File sent from agency for review

3/8/12 LOI (Letter of intent stating that we wanted to adopt this child)

3/14/12 PA (Pre-approval from China given)

6/1/12 LOA (Letter of Acceptance saying we were approved on the China side to adopt this child)

6/2/12  I-800 sent to USCIS (Immigration paperwork)

6/15/12 I-800 approved (US approves the future adoption of this child)

6/26/12 NVC approval (National Visa Center approving application for a visa)

7/11/12 Article 5 paperwork submitted (more red tape at the US Consulate in China)

7/23/12  TA (travel approval from China)

8/13/12 Meet Little Weeds #4!!!

There it is, in all it's glory. 

For those who prefer a diagrammatic format, check this out. 

I can't even give credit where credit is due, because I don't remember which adoptive momma friend came up with this, but it is impressive.  If you created this, and you're reading this blog, please know that I give you kudos!

And in summary, from the date we said, "We're a go!" to meeting our little guy will be almost exactly 9 months.  Hmmm... something eerily familiar about that time frame.