Could we do an update on everyone???

[malie]

I have completely lost track (if I ever knew) where everyone is in the process? Who's in the thinking/research phase? Who's actually started the process? Who's got a referral or been matched with a birthmom? Who's waiting for travel? Who's completed the process? And who's just here offering the rest of us, some much needed support?

That sort of thing. I know most of us checked in when the forum first started or as we have joined but I thought it might be nice to have it all in one place for a little while at least

[malie]

Luke came home from S.Korea in Dec of 2003. He turned 1 year old last week and we are currently waiting on the clerk of courts to give us a finalization date for his adoption. We should know by the end of next month when that date will be and it should be before Oct 31 of this year.

For those who want the whole story.
We started the whole process in Dec of 2001 (first contact with our agency). Did our homestudy in March-April of 2002 and our homestudy went to Korea in May or June of 2002. We received our referral in August of 2003 (a pretty long wait but that's what happens with Korea depending on the state you live in) and Luke just beat the end of the year quota and came home in Dec.

[Renee-Albright]

New to the forum and also new to the adoption process..we are hoping to adopt a child from guatemala and have sent for an information packet from an agency that we are hoping to work with..for now i'm researching baby stuff and making a list of what to register for
Renee

[holliam]

Renee,

We're in process with a Guatemalan adoption.. Feel free to PM or email me with any questions you might have!! Good luck!!

Holli

[holliam]

Great idea! I love hearing everyone's stories.

After 10 years of TTC, miscarriage, etc. and lots of talk about our imaginary children, we finally made the decision to not attempt invasive fertility treatments and adopt in December 2003. We always had planned on adopting even if we had a biological child but had a lot of juggling of $$ to do and tough decisions to make.

We decided on Guatemala and signed with our agency and did our homestudy in January/early February 2004. Had our paperwork/dossier completed by mid February. Received a referral for a newborn girl in March 2004. Just visited our Lily in Guatemala this month (June 2004). We're hoping and hoping that she is home before September 2004.

We are totally in love with this amazing little girly!

Holli

[icunurse]

Hi!
We started our adoption journey in Dec 2002 after a few years of infertility attempts and failures. We completed our homestudy in July 2003 and, after one failed match, we were matched with our son's birthmother in Dec 2003. He was born in February and we were lucky enough to be matched with a great birthmom who let us come and see him within hours of his birth. He came home with us at 2 days old and we are supposed to finalize mid-August. We have an open adoption with both birthparents.

Traci
~Connor's Mom~

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

After our second miscarriage we decided to adopt two from Ukraine...after my third miscarriage we decided to go for three, assuming there is a big chance we will only get 2 and possibly only 1. In Ukraine you can not preselect and have to travel for your referal...so we are up in the air as to what we will be blessed with. But hoping for a SIBLING group of three.
Great thread...
It was Sept last year 2003 that we decided to adopt. Steve switched jobs to an award winning company recoginzed for adoption benefits and family quality, so it seemed it was meant to be. Though they give $5,000 back per child adopted and 4 weeks paid off starting the day health insurance starts my gut told me to put it off so that he was there for a year before taking such a travel.

So we started the "true" proces May 8th or so, while I have sat on the side lines of the adoption comminity reading everything I could get my hands on. We finished all of the paperwork in days shy of 4 weeks.

We now have to wait for our FBI finger print cards and INS with the I171...but those are out of my hands and just waiting for them.

We hope to travel in Jan...be home by Feb 5th or so and celebrat Christmas then...:)
We have hired a wonderful facilitator who gets the job done...


Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[jubilee]

Neve, I hope it's not too personal to ask- if so, please forgive and ingore me. But I was wondering if you are planning to adopt boys or girls or a mix? And what age range you are looking at? I'm so excited about your journey to find the rest of your family!

[hjdong]

Jamie came home Feb. of this year and turns two in two days. Shortly there after, we have our 6th month social worker visit (and last - yeah! - not that I don't like our social worker).

For the whole story, we began our paperwork in January, 2003 and finished in August (no thanks to BCIS). It went to China. In October, our agency let us know they had a baby on there waiting child list they thought would be a good match for us, and so, we were matched with Jamie (kind of a funny aside, even though they brought him to our attention we had to "go to committee" to be apporved - it was the LONGEST day ever). China approved out match in Dec. and we went to China in Feb.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I don't mind at all...
since children come off of a registry there and those are the ones you are shown, or even children in some "books" who have been off of the registry you are kind of at it's mercy as far as that goes. Now I have hired a facilitator who is one of two that I know about who really seems to get "slam dunk" matches, I know he has a great relationship with the NAC (the adoption center that gives out all referals, and I also know that can change at anytime I would assume since it is human nature and that is based on relationships).

But we are requesting to be shown sibling groups of age 6 and under...some of our paperwork says 7 and under. I would have no problem adding a 6 and 7 year old to our family EXCEPT that I don't want Tristan to be so much behind in age of these children where he feels like he is left out, and that age gap will do just that IN MY OPINION. My brother is 6 years older than I am and from 6th grade on I was really an only child as he traveled the world and went to college far off.
I also have no desire to have a baby baby baby, first of all with Ukraine rules (that are rumored to change) children must be 14 months at the least to be available to non Ukraines UNLESS they have some major health problems (MAJOR, not cleft palate or other correctable things). I feel like I will have another child bio and thus I am not sweating wanting a baby, and even if I couldn't that is not my desire like many who travel there.
It's funny I imagine what I will be refered every second of the day and in my dreams I will have twins one boy and one girl of age 2-3ish, and a sibling of theirs that is 5 or so (boy).
In dream land I'd like 2 boys and 1 girl, I have told them I am all for 3 boys as well...


But from what I have heard your heart melts when you know "the ones" and they can be very different than your dreams have been :)

There are regions in Ukraine that do not waive the mandatory 30 day wait after court, most people will not go to those regions due to that, so we are willing to go there if it opens the chance to meet our criteria more. This would involve us having to come home and returning 30 days after court which would be awful, but we will do that OF COURSE, it is sad that so many americans have jobs where that is not possible and they can't...



Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties