September 15th, 2009 - Mailed in our adoption Application!
September 17th, 2009 - Phone call from CHI - Application Approved!!
October 13th, 2009 – 1st homestudy visit
October 19th, 2009 – Doctor Appointments
October 20th, 2009 – 2nd & last homestudy visit (Our home)
November 16th & 18th, 2009 – Psychologist Appointments
December 4th, 2009 - Mailed fingerprints to FBI
January 19th, 2010 – Received Psychologist Reports!
January 26th, 2010 – Home Study Completed!
February 1st, 2010 – Mailed out USCIS Forms
March 6th, 2010 – Received prints back from FBI. (Brian approved, Haley rejected)
March 11th, 2010 – USCIS Biometrics appointment
March 17th, 2010 – Received I-797C approval from USCIS & Illinois Apostille!
March 18th, 2010 – Mailed Haley’s 2nd set of fingerprints to FBI
March 25th, 2010 – Drove to Madison and dropped off forms for WI Apostille’s
April 3rd, 2010 – Received back WI Apostille’s
April 5th, 2010 – Sent Dossier to CHI (without Haley’s FBI clearance)
May 17th, 2010 - Received Haley’s 2nd FBI prints
May 26th, 2010 - Sent final documents (Dossier) to CHI!
May 28th, 2010 - Dossier sent to Colombia!
November 16th, 2010 – received call from CHI – OFFICIAL APPROVAL 11/5/10 - for sibling group of 2, ages 0-5 yrs
July 13th, 2011 – 15 month USCIS Update appointment
November 30th, 2011 – Decided to up our age category to 2 siblings, ages 0-6 years
January 13th, 2012 – Mailed out USCIS forms for age change
February 23rd, 2012 – Received I-797 Approval from USCIS for 2 sibs, ages 0-6
March 5th, 2012 – Updated paperwork sent to Colombia!
Haley:
I have given up on my blog and yours is so beautiful. I continue to think of you, and praying that God will give you what you will need when the kids come. Don’t worry about being emotional now, after almost two years of the girls being here, I continue to get emotional. Mother’s day is also a touchy subject for me as well, even after the adoption. I always have these expectations that never happen, and then I am disappointed. Yesterday I asked the girls for a picture of the four of them with Roses that my sister was selling at church. First, the fought over the roses, then the oldest started complaining about when this was going to over or ‘do we really have to take this picture here?’, the youngest started making faces at the camera, and the second oldest started posing sexy at church! Needless to say I gave up on my idea of having a gift of a picture of the girls. So after 2 years, I only have our first studio portrait, but I do not have a candid picture with the four of them that does not involve a mayor production, bad faces or no smiles.
Anyway, God is preparing the right time and children for you. There will be more you will have to prepare when they come, physically, spiritually. The girls are great, and Colombia does a great job, but your children will have some issues that you will have to deal with. You might think you are prepared, as I did, but there are certain things that I did not expect. Some good, some not so good. So pray now that God may begin healing the childrens’ wounds as well as any you might have at this moment. You will need fortitude, patience and wisdom when they arrive. These are the graces that I pray for every week.
I have decided I will probably start another blog on adopting older kids and close my other one. It got too personal, and there were some things I did not want to share, so I am not sure if I will continue it.
God Bless, we need to get together this summer. We now live in a house in Middleton. . DO NOT hesitate to call me. God Bless.