As I write this I am about to fall over with exhaustion. I woke up today at
3:15am and took the 4:50am train from Philly to D.C. to take the rest of my
paperwork to first the British Embassy then authenticate it (which I had to go
back to do again long story) then to the PRC. I am now DONE WITH THE PAPERCHASE!
I want to thank (as if this were the Oscars of paperchase) APC and
Paperchase2000 for their kind words, helpful hints, and the needed support to get
through this. CCAI who have been so far the most Helpful, always there when I need
them, I am so glad I am with this agency IMO they are the best. A special shout
out to the Dossier team because without Hilary I would never had made it with
my marbles in tact. To Marteen at the British Embassy in D.C. who was always
a pleasure to call, and to the PRC consulate who were so patient with me when
I needed to go get one more thing authenticated. And of course to my DH who
has been my rock when I needed him and who will be the best Baba sniff sniff.
Okay I am going to bed.
I am sending the completed dossier and pics to CCAI tomorrow:)
~Taney
The Friend Family Adoption of our Daughter from China The Chinese have a wonderful way of explaining how people come together, all people. In their culture, long before we meet the people who will be the most important in our lives, we are linked with lengths of invisible red thread. A red thread they will tell us, joins us to our child. As a red thread crossed the Atlantic to join Taney to me the thread continues to China and to our daughter.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Monday, August 09, 2004
August 9. Washington DC
With all our paperwork together, Taney headed to Washington DC to visit the British Consulate where she met Martine the delightful lady who has helped us in the past from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, then to the State Department in DC before heading to the Consulate for the Peoples Republic of China.
A minor pothole was hit as although the papers the originated from Pennsylvania had been notarized, and authenticated in Harrisburg the state capitol of Pennsylvania, the PRC insisted on the authentication from the DC office of the Harrisburg authentication.
This instruction did not seem clear from our adoption manual through our agency, although Taney managed to get back to the State Department in DC, return to the PRC and at the time of writing expects to be able to collect all the papers from the PRC before the end of today.
I have my fingers crossed.
The alternative would have possibly been a trip to New York for Taney, but as of this morning we understand that there is an up to three week wait for authentication of papers, so despite the very long day that started at 3:15am this morning, it is possible, very possible that we will have our paperchase complete by the end of today.
A minor pothole was hit as although the papers the originated from Pennsylvania had been notarized, and authenticated in Harrisburg the state capitol of Pennsylvania, the PRC insisted on the authentication from the DC office of the Harrisburg authentication.
This instruction did not seem clear from our adoption manual through our agency, although Taney managed to get back to the State Department in DC, return to the PRC and at the time of writing expects to be able to collect all the papers from the PRC before the end of today.
I have my fingers crossed.
The alternative would have possibly been a trip to New York for Taney, but as of this morning we understand that there is an up to three week wait for authentication of papers, so despite the very long day that started at 3:15am this morning, it is possible, very possible that we will have our paperchase complete by the end of today.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
I797 received.
Much activity has been going on since the last posting and here is an update that Taney has written on behalf of us both.
My husband should apologize the absence of any postings to the red thread. I am indeed guilty as well for the lack of postings since the Fingerprint appointment. So, what has been happening... Well, we sent in the Homestudy as soon as we were fingerprinted and waited and we waited for the USCIS to send us the infamous I171H (petion to adopt) which name has been changed to the I-797. On June the 23rd we received a letter from the homeland security office being much elated I opened it and to my shock they asked for an addendum to our Homestudy because our SW had pharaphased two parts of the Homestudy ARG! After many panic phone calls to our SW who was on Vacation, we got a hold of her. She sent us the pages which arrived July 2. We sent the addendum to USCIS all the while try to keep a contact between USCIS open so I would know when the I-797 would arrive or at least know if any further problems with the Homestudy addendum. Our package arrived July 6th and at this time the person in charge of processing our paperwork decided to take a leave of absence for one week. What was not told to us that she lengthened her absence from one week to two weeks. When I called the USCIS July the 23rd to see how our paperwork was going I was informed that person in Charge was again away from the office. I immeaditly broke down in tears and demanded a supervisor. I spoke to a very nice lady who first had to find my Paperwork then process it. After much angst and tears the I-797 arrived in my mail box July 30.
My husband should apologize the absence of any postings to the red thread. I am indeed guilty as well for the lack of postings since the Fingerprint appointment. So, what has been happening... Well, we sent in the Homestudy as soon as we were fingerprinted and waited and we waited for the USCIS to send us the infamous I171H (petion to adopt) which name has been changed to the I-797. On June the 23rd we received a letter from the homeland security office being much elated I opened it and to my shock they asked for an addendum to our Homestudy because our SW had pharaphased two parts of the Homestudy ARG! After many panic phone calls to our SW who was on Vacation, we got a hold of her. She sent us the pages which arrived July 2. We sent the addendum to USCIS all the while try to keep a contact between USCIS open so I would know when the I-797 would arrive or at least know if any further problems with the Homestudy addendum. Our package arrived July 6th and at this time the person in charge of processing our paperwork decided to take a leave of absence for one week. What was not told to us that she lengthened her absence from one week to two weeks. When I called the USCIS July the 23rd to see how our paperwork was going I was informed that person in Charge was again away from the office. I immeaditly broke down in tears and demanded a supervisor. I spoke to a very nice lady who first had to find my Paperwork then process it. After much angst and tears the I-797 arrived in my mail box July 30.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
May 5 Fingerprints and I600A
This week has been a good-news highly productive week.
With the home study complete and a date corrected, our second filing of our I600A is complete.
Taney & I also received notification for our fingerprinting in Philadelphia that we plan to do first thing on Thursday May 13.
With the home study complete and a date corrected, our second filing of our I600A is complete.
Taney & I also received notification for our fingerprinting in Philadelphia that we plan to do first thing on Thursday May 13.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
April 28 Home Study completely finished
As I look to the last post almost a month ago, I can't beleive that it has taken a month to dot the i's and cross the t's on the home study and make the language suitable for the CCAA, Chinese authorities.
There have been a number of feverent phone calls between us, CCAI and AHA our home study social workers to button this part of the process up.
Since the last post on March 30, I have been to Washington DC twice. The first occassion was to the British Consulate, the same day as PM Tony Blair was in town. The British Consulate is in the same compound as the Embassy and is sited next door to the home of Vice President Dick Chaney.
Both Taney & I had spoken with Martine, a lovely scottish lady working at the consulate to help with the police clearance report from Scotland Yard in London. She with the direct help of the Consul provided three copies of my birth certificate and three copies of our marriage certificate as these were originated in the UK. The whole process took a two hour personal visit arriving at 8am in the morning, while I waited I sat and watched footage of Blair and Bush in Sedgefield, five months before, and before their meeting today together with the result of the Apprentice TV Program the night before that I was doing my best to avoid seeing at any cost.
My day started at 3am, where I drove to 30th Street Station to catch an Amtrak Train to DC that had started out in Boston at 9pm the previous evening. I don't take Amtrak very often, we have this love-hate relationship. I love taking trains, but hate Amtrak with a passion. To remind me why, you only have to board an overnight train at 5:30am to find bodies, blankets and pillows scatterd around the coach class carriages and little chance of a seat without a limb from the next seat not draped over your seat.
It seemed like entering a world of zombies. I hate Amtrack.
I arrived in Union Station DC around 7:30am. Union Station is one of the most beautiful stations I have ever travelled through, its walls simply evoke the romatic notion of rail travel. (Except at 5:30am).
After Martine had more than helped with the necessary papers, and the consulate charged a small fortune for the pleasure, I had to take one copy of the birth certificate and marriage certificate to the US State Department Authentication Office.
The Authentication Office is located in a small shopping plaza, one simply took a number, filled out a form and waitied for the stamps, and State Department letters to be added with the name Colin Powell added. This took no real time as I sat and watched MSNBC and live coverage of Blair arriving in Washington by plane.
These copies now needed to be taken to the consulate of the Peoples Republic of China for their authentication. Another taxi ride took me to a non-descript office building, no flags and the foyer being worked on by builders. One American asked me where I was going and I replied "PRC?" I was directed through a small door and told few doors down on your left. I passed All State Insurance office, ladies restroom, gents restroom and the next door was the PRC.
Organized chaos! I took a number and realized I was in for a long, long wait. So I sat and watched live coverage of Blair and Bush in the rose garden at the White House with no sound and chinese subtitles.
At 12:30 all four windows closed for lunch, and I was still some number away from my ticket. Eventually after two and a half hours my papers for authentication were taken and I was told to return the following Wednesday for a pick-up.
The best laid plans and all that, I failed at the last fence to get the papers authenticated before returning to Philadelphia. Feeling somewhat deflated i left to find a taxi to take me back to Union Station where I battled with the crowds for a seat back to Philly arriving back at 5pm.
Brother-in-law Chris offered to drive me to DC the following Wednesday for the pick up. It is a three hour car journey both ways and te wait at the PRC lasted about an hour. Nevertheless the papers were authenticated without questions and another part of our documenation complete.
Also completed since March 30, the first filing of the I600A, with the home study complete today the second filing of the I600A can also be made in the next few days. We now await an appointment for fingerprinting which given staff difficulties at the Philadelphia office may set our timetable back. But Taney has a plan to bump our file up the pile.
The final piece of the jigsaw completed in the last week by others are our doctors reports and accomponying letters. We are in the best of health.
Add to this that we have completed our Financial Report and our Petition, our letter to the Chinese officials to request our daughter for adoption is complete.
All of this could not have been possible without a number of people. First and foremost Taney for keeping tabs on absolutely everything, Hiliary and Andrea at CCAI for pushing our dossier along and getting the home study prepared for Chinese authorities, Martine at the UK Consulate for going above and beyond usual consulate help and Chris for the long drive to and from DC and my boss Terry for being very, very considerate in letting me have the personal time for my forrays to DC.
There have been a number of feverent phone calls between us, CCAI and AHA our home study social workers to button this part of the process up.
Since the last post on March 30, I have been to Washington DC twice. The first occassion was to the British Consulate, the same day as PM Tony Blair was in town. The British Consulate is in the same compound as the Embassy and is sited next door to the home of Vice President Dick Chaney.
Both Taney & I had spoken with Martine, a lovely scottish lady working at the consulate to help with the police clearance report from Scotland Yard in London. She with the direct help of the Consul provided three copies of my birth certificate and three copies of our marriage certificate as these were originated in the UK. The whole process took a two hour personal visit arriving at 8am in the morning, while I waited I sat and watched footage of Blair and Bush in Sedgefield, five months before, and before their meeting today together with the result of the Apprentice TV Program the night before that I was doing my best to avoid seeing at any cost.
My day started at 3am, where I drove to 30th Street Station to catch an Amtrak Train to DC that had started out in Boston at 9pm the previous evening. I don't take Amtrak very often, we have this love-hate relationship. I love taking trains, but hate Amtrak with a passion. To remind me why, you only have to board an overnight train at 5:30am to find bodies, blankets and pillows scatterd around the coach class carriages and little chance of a seat without a limb from the next seat not draped over your seat.
It seemed like entering a world of zombies. I hate Amtrack.
I arrived in Union Station DC around 7:30am. Union Station is one of the most beautiful stations I have ever travelled through, its walls simply evoke the romatic notion of rail travel. (Except at 5:30am).
After Martine had more than helped with the necessary papers, and the consulate charged a small fortune for the pleasure, I had to take one copy of the birth certificate and marriage certificate to the US State Department Authentication Office.
The Authentication Office is located in a small shopping plaza, one simply took a number, filled out a form and waitied for the stamps, and State Department letters to be added with the name Colin Powell added. This took no real time as I sat and watched MSNBC and live coverage of Blair arriving in Washington by plane.
These copies now needed to be taken to the consulate of the Peoples Republic of China for their authentication. Another taxi ride took me to a non-descript office building, no flags and the foyer being worked on by builders. One American asked me where I was going and I replied "PRC?" I was directed through a small door and told few doors down on your left. I passed All State Insurance office, ladies restroom, gents restroom and the next door was the PRC.
Organized chaos! I took a number and realized I was in for a long, long wait. So I sat and watched live coverage of Blair and Bush in the rose garden at the White House with no sound and chinese subtitles.
At 12:30 all four windows closed for lunch, and I was still some number away from my ticket. Eventually after two and a half hours my papers for authentication were taken and I was told to return the following Wednesday for a pick-up.
The best laid plans and all that, I failed at the last fence to get the papers authenticated before returning to Philadelphia. Feeling somewhat deflated i left to find a taxi to take me back to Union Station where I battled with the crowds for a seat back to Philly arriving back at 5pm.
Brother-in-law Chris offered to drive me to DC the following Wednesday for the pick up. It is a three hour car journey both ways and te wait at the PRC lasted about an hour. Nevertheless the papers were authenticated without questions and another part of our documenation complete.
Also completed since March 30, the first filing of the I600A, with the home study complete today the second filing of the I600A can also be made in the next few days. We now await an appointment for fingerprinting which given staff difficulties at the Philadelphia office may set our timetable back. But Taney has a plan to bump our file up the pile.
The final piece of the jigsaw completed in the last week by others are our doctors reports and accomponying letters. We are in the best of health.
Add to this that we have completed our Financial Report and our Petition, our letter to the Chinese officials to request our daughter for adoption is complete.
All of this could not have been possible without a number of people. First and foremost Taney for keeping tabs on absolutely everything, Hiliary and Andrea at CCAI for pushing our dossier along and getting the home study prepared for Chinese authorities, Martine at the UK Consulate for going above and beyond usual consulate help and Chris for the long drive to and from DC and my boss Terry for being very, very considerate in letting me have the personal time for my forrays to DC.
Friday, April 02, 2004
March 30, Home Study Completed.
A scant eight pages long, our home study is complete.
The process of the home study has not been the easiest of processes to personally work through. While I recognize that difficult questions need to be asked and answered, one thing I have discovered is that despite my outwardly open nature, there are some private parts of my life that I would prefer to keep just that, which I have had to address during this process.
Our Home Study process was concluded over six hours of meetings including one three hour meeting at our home.
We now move on with the process, as we have received our dossier from CCAI our agency in Colorado who are really good and working things through with us. It is truly a paper chase now that includes a trip to the British Embassy in Washington DC the week after Easter.
The process of the home study has not been the easiest of processes to personally work through. While I recognize that difficult questions need to be asked and answered, one thing I have discovered is that despite my outwardly open nature, there are some private parts of my life that I would prefer to keep just that, which I have had to address during this process.
Our Home Study process was concluded over six hours of meetings including one three hour meeting at our home.
We now move on with the process, as we have received our dossier from CCAI our agency in Colorado who are really good and working things through with us. It is truly a paper chase now that includes a trip to the British Embassy in Washington DC the week after Easter.
Sunday, March 21, 2004
March 21, Spring.
I have some interesting stories to recount since the last posting.
Both Taney & I have completed the medical reports that we need for our home study. Dr Goisse our new physician, left a note with letter needed to wish us every success in our adoption journey.
CCAI our agency contacted us in the last few days to remind us to return some papers that needed to be notarized. The local bank in the town that we opened our adoption account had a notary who we saw yesterday. Normally their is a fee for this service, but as we have discovered many times already people are only too willing to offer help freely with a smile when they realize they are part of our adoption journey.
Yesterday, the first day of Spring, Taney & I took time-out to enjoy our adoption journey, and visited a couple of new baby stores located in King of Prussia PA and Broomall PA and yes we did a little shopping that we simply could not resist!
The store in King of Prussia was very posh, and somewhat unique in the quality of the baby cribs, bedding and decor that we could only dream about affording. It was all beautiful, one of the crib sets had little doznes of sleeping rabbits in different postures on them in a style I can best describe as 1940-1950 ink drawings. We did make a purchase, a musical mobile that is quite simply beautiful and not much more than one that Baby's are Us might have charged - but far better.
The second store was on a light industrial park, "Baby Supermarket" and we throughly recommend those in the Philly area to visit. We are still looking at cribs and changing tables and this gave a great alternative to the Baby's are Us selection with a better build quality and selection.
We also made a couple of purchases, a "Life Book" that had special pages for adoption. We had been looking for this for a very long time as many Baby books are inappropriate as they focus on the record keeper being the birth mother. We found a great bag that fits on the back of our new McLaren stroller, made by McLaren and also given a little toy free for just showing up. It was a pleasure to visit a baby store that was outwardly adoption friendly.
Next Monday we have our third meeting with our home study agency in AHA in West Chester PA. The meeting on March 3 at our home lasted three hours. We answered many questions together, took Sherie our Home Study Social Worker on a tour of the house, and then she wanted to ask questions of us individually. The process and the questions were one might describe very intrusive into our personal lives, and the time we were children, but they are necessary. In general both Taney & I are very private people, it is necessary however for Sherie to ask questions that may be difficult as this is what she must do and that we had to answer them for the sake of our daughter. Preparing the house fo the home study in March was looking back on the process hilarious. The degree of cleaning and babyproofing the house was insane even by the standards of the home study. But now we look back, pleased that this part of the process is complete and move on.
Both Taney & I have completed the medical reports that we need for our home study. Dr Goisse our new physician, left a note with letter needed to wish us every success in our adoption journey.
CCAI our agency contacted us in the last few days to remind us to return some papers that needed to be notarized. The local bank in the town that we opened our adoption account had a notary who we saw yesterday. Normally their is a fee for this service, but as we have discovered many times already people are only too willing to offer help freely with a smile when they realize they are part of our adoption journey.
Yesterday, the first day of Spring, Taney & I took time-out to enjoy our adoption journey, and visited a couple of new baby stores located in King of Prussia PA and Broomall PA and yes we did a little shopping that we simply could not resist!
The store in King of Prussia was very posh, and somewhat unique in the quality of the baby cribs, bedding and decor that we could only dream about affording. It was all beautiful, one of the crib sets had little doznes of sleeping rabbits in different postures on them in a style I can best describe as 1940-1950 ink drawings. We did make a purchase, a musical mobile that is quite simply beautiful and not much more than one that Baby's are Us might have charged - but far better.
The second store was on a light industrial park, "Baby Supermarket" and we throughly recommend those in the Philly area to visit. We are still looking at cribs and changing tables and this gave a great alternative to the Baby's are Us selection with a better build quality and selection.
We also made a couple of purchases, a "Life Book" that had special pages for adoption. We had been looking for this for a very long time as many Baby books are inappropriate as they focus on the record keeper being the birth mother. We found a great bag that fits on the back of our new McLaren stroller, made by McLaren and also given a little toy free for just showing up. It was a pleasure to visit a baby store that was outwardly adoption friendly.
Next Monday we have our third meeting with our home study agency in AHA in West Chester PA. The meeting on March 3 at our home lasted three hours. We answered many questions together, took Sherie our Home Study Social Worker on a tour of the house, and then she wanted to ask questions of us individually. The process and the questions were one might describe very intrusive into our personal lives, and the time we were children, but they are necessary. In general both Taney & I are very private people, it is necessary however for Sherie to ask questions that may be difficult as this is what she must do and that we had to answer them for the sake of our daughter. Preparing the house fo the home study in March was looking back on the process hilarious. The degree of cleaning and babyproofing the house was insane even by the standards of the home study. But now we look back, pleased that this part of the process is complete and move on.
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