Baby Steps

Well it has been a few days since our first orientation with Judy Hays, our Gladney contact. Connie and I are looking so forward to the next steps. While we didn't learn anything new during the orientation, we have been reading everything we could get our hands on, it was really nice to talk to someone that could explain the time line a bit better. Here is how things are suppose to go - or at least the best that I can comprehend - my head is still spinning a bit, I wonder if it will ever stop?

We filled out our Gladney application and sent in our check this last weekend and so that formally starts the ball rolling on the paperwork.

Next we will complete our I-600A paperwork and send it in to the Department of Immigration (I think now a part of Homeland Security). With this form we have to get copies of everything that proves we are who we are and send it all in together. We are hoping to have this done before February. That starts the Federal ball rolling - so our boy will be a citizen when he gets off the plane with us.

Next we will need to hire a company, KBS more than likely, to complete our dossier. This is a BUNCH of documentation that is sent to Russia to once again prove who we are and that we will be good parents.

While KBS and the Feds are working on our paperwork we will have our home study completed by Gladney as well as a bunch of background checks and physicals. Sounds like fun!

Now comes the fun part. After all the paperwork is done and approved we are considered "paper ready". At this point we are placed on a waiting list in Russia (in a specific region in Russia). Once the Russian officials match a child with our criteria they will make a "referral". At that point we will receive a call and a photo of the child. We then make a preliminary decision to go visit the child (not a decision to adopt at this point). If we accept the referral we then travel to Russia for our first visit - about 7 days long. We meet the child and at that point we make the decision to adopt him or not.

If we choose to adopt him - we then jump through some more hoops and come home and wait for a court date - no telling how long that can be. Once we have a court date we head back over to for the second on hopefully last visit. During this time we will stand before a Russian judge and answer all kinds of questions. In the end we will have our boy but we will more than likely have to wait 10 days to officially get him. During that waiting time we cannot be with him but instead are forced to either stay in country or we can come home - we are STAYING. We might do some traveling but I really don't want to go very far.

After the 10 days we go pick him up and then head to Moscow to process his visa and final paperwork and get on a plane and come home!

That is so over simplified it isn't even funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am sure I have left out some really important information and got some steps out of order but for me right now that is about all I can comprehend! I have asked Connie to just point me in the direction I need to go and say GO! That way I know I will get done what I need to get done.

Well it is really late for me and so I am going to hit the sack.


Note to our "little man":

You got me scared! I pray every day that I don't let you down and can be a good dad! To think that you are going to depend on me for so many things is kind of scary and also really exciting all in the same breath. There are so many people that can't wait to see you! I love you!