Five years ago today, we "the call" for a tiny and precious 3 week old baby girl with big, beautiful, curious brown eyes. Oh, what a sweet baby she was. All 17 pictures of her. This child was the one my heart had longed for-- my R! I couldn't believe I was FINALLY a mom... and A was finally a dad.
It is an amazing thing, seeing your child's face for the first time. While our journey to parenthood was not conventional, I am so thankful it has played out the way it did. Even five years late, I am in awe of her, my daughter, and in awe of the fact that somehow I get to be her mom. I doubt that feeling will ever go away. R is an amazing child.
It is hard to imagine, now, life without her, life before her. I know that before her, I was sad sometimes. I was jealous of others sometimes. I was frustrated with my lot in life sometimes. Seeing her face on that chilly December Friday afternoon made it better.
When we got our referral for R, I remember shaking and crying-- A LOT. I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I knew right away she was mine; I loved her whole-heartedly instantly.
Oh, R, how I love you. I can't believe it has been 5 years. You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are loved. You are funny. You are sassy. You are creative. You are intelligent. You are my daughter. I love you. So, so much.
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This is our first glimpse of our (older) daughter at HH in Ethiopia. (2/18/08)
Who am I?
- JonesEthiopia
- I am a mom through adoption. My husband and I brought our first baby girl home from Ethiopia in Feb. 2008 and our second on Jan. 1, 2010!
Blogs I Read
My Baby Girl
This is our first glimpse of our (older) daughter at HH in Ethiopia. (2/18/08)
Adoption Timeline
Right Now: We are a forever famiy of four!
Jan. 2009
Decide we will start the process to adopt again when we get our tax refund back.
Feb. 2009
9th-- Officially decide to start our second adoption & begin making contact w/ agency/SW & order birth certificates.
13th-- Medical letters make it to the agency. We'll wait over the weekend until Monday afternoon to learn what the decision is on our application.
17th-- Approved to adopt again. Infant girl; agency will consider an older child after more research.
18th-- Receive adoption contracts (YAY) and copies of our birth certificates in the mail. (1 Yr. R Day Anniv.)
24th-- Orientation call w/agency, contract & other paperwork notarized, 1st payment check written.
Mar. 2009
2nd-- Dossier/homestudy binders arrive. Complete application for child/family services in our state to be able to start homestudy process.
4th-- Doctor's form for R filled out. 1st attempt at getting clearance letter from the local police department.
5th-- Dossier call w/ CM. (Love her!)
6th-- Go to police station again-- they'll write the letter! Also get bank letter for homestudy completed.
10th-- Letter from the police station is now in dossier binder! A & I get TB tests. Med. letter for homestudy for A is completed after check up.
12th-- We get several docs, including POA, notarized.
13th--CIS fingerprint request (& payment) mailed to local branch; Med. letters for both homestudy & dossier are finished.
14th-- A's employment letter arrives. We might have to redo it. Emailed our CM to find out.
17th-- Employment letter ok. Get financial letter notarized, but have to redo it b/c notary messed up the date. Can't have that on a dossier!
24th-- Lots of notarizing and preparing for the homestudy visit.
25th-- Homestudy visit completed. We'll be on the waiting list soon! YAY!!!!! Fire inspection will be Apr. 6, 11am.
28th-- We receive our fingerprint appointment in the mail-- April 8 at 8am! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!
31st-- We finish the "Eyes Wide Open" training manual.
Apr. 2009
2nd-- We finish the online training classes. Woo-hoo! Also get last 2 dossier documents notarized. WE ARE FINISHED!
5th-- SW submits our homestudy draft to agency for proofing/review.
6th-- Fire inspection (we passed!).
8th-- CIS Fingerprint appointment. All went well. :)
10th-- We get our POA state certified... Ok, now we're really finished w/ all the documents for both the homestudy & dossier.
13th-- SW tells us our HS is the next to be reviewed by agency. (Hurry up! :) )
14th-- Adoption training manual is approved by agency.
16th-- We find out that our HS was actually approved on the 13th, pending the child abuse check from our State.
17th-- Email from SW tells us child abuse checks won't be completed until the week of Apr. 27th. Email CM to see if we can send in our dossier early even though it is against agency policy. (She'll probably say no, but I figure it is worth a try!!)
20th-- After 1st telling us no, we are allowed to mail dossier in for review. Of course we won't be on the waiting list until our homestudy is complete sometime next week.
21st-- Dossier and fees are mailed. Will be at agency by noon tomorrow. WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!
22nd-- Dossier is in CM's hands!
23rd-- Dossier is approved by CM. Now we have to wait on those checks to finalize HS & get on waiting list.
29th-- Child abuse checks are finished!! HS is finalized, notarized, & on its way to agency's home office. Thank goodness!!! Wait list soon!
May 2009
4th-- We are on the list at #33.
5th-- Waitlist #30. Yes, we moved 3 spots in less than 24 hours.
21st-- Receive our FDL from USCIS. Now we have been granted permission from the US gov't. to adopt internationally.
26th-- Dossier is finished with the US & ET embassy authentication process. Next step: To ET for translation and submission to MOWA (when we get a referral, of course.)
June 2009
9th-- June number in-- #29.
July 2009
10th-- July number in-- #18. What??? 11 spaces in a month! Woo-hoo!
August 2009
6th-- August number in-- #16.
September 2009
4th-- September number in--#11.
October 2009
7th-- October number in--#6. Single digits! YAY!
19th-- REFERRAL DAY!
22nd-- Call with international adoption doctor. Good to go! SW signs paperwork for us.
23rd-- We get everything notarized and sent to our CM. Will be there by noon tomorrow!
24th-- Our acceptance of referral paperwork arrives at our agency.
26th-- Our CM has our referral paperwork. Now on to the ET side of this adoption!
31st-- We receive returned notarized referral acceptance paperwork... As well as our travel info! (Soon, please!)
November 2009
5th-- Next Steps phone call with our CM.
18th-- Our CM calls to tell us our court date is Dec. 2!
December 2009
2nd (night of Dec. 1st)-- We have our court date.
2nd-- We passed court!
4th-- Our CM calls to tell us our tentative travel date of Dec. 25. We contact a couple travel agents to find the best airline prices and flights.
7th-- Our travel dates are confirmed, and we book our tickets.
17th-- We receive our paper tickets in the mail.
20th-- Nana and Pappy bring E's curtains and bedding that Nana made. It is completely beautiful!
25th-- We leave for Ethiopia.
27th-- Gotcha Day!
28th-- Embassy Appointment.
31st-- Leave to come home.
January 2010
1st-- We arrive home. Our family day. What a great way to celebrate the new year!
Jan. 2009
Decide we will start the process to adopt again when we get our tax refund back.
Feb. 2009
9th-- Officially decide to start our second adoption & begin making contact w/ agency/SW & order birth certificates.
13th-- Medical letters make it to the agency. We'll wait over the weekend until Monday afternoon to learn what the decision is on our application.
17th-- Approved to adopt again. Infant girl; agency will consider an older child after more research.
18th-- Receive adoption contracts (YAY) and copies of our birth certificates in the mail. (1 Yr. R Day Anniv.)
24th-- Orientation call w/agency, contract & other paperwork notarized, 1st payment check written.
Mar. 2009
2nd-- Dossier/homestudy binders arrive. Complete application for child/family services in our state to be able to start homestudy process.
4th-- Doctor's form for R filled out. 1st attempt at getting clearance letter from the local police department.
5th-- Dossier call w/ CM. (Love her!)
6th-- Go to police station again-- they'll write the letter! Also get bank letter for homestudy completed.
10th-- Letter from the police station is now in dossier binder! A & I get TB tests. Med. letter for homestudy for A is completed after check up.
12th-- We get several docs, including POA, notarized.
13th--CIS fingerprint request (& payment) mailed to local branch; Med. letters for both homestudy & dossier are finished.
14th-- A's employment letter arrives. We might have to redo it. Emailed our CM to find out.
17th-- Employment letter ok. Get financial letter notarized, but have to redo it b/c notary messed up the date. Can't have that on a dossier!
24th-- Lots of notarizing and preparing for the homestudy visit.
25th-- Homestudy visit completed. We'll be on the waiting list soon! YAY!!!!! Fire inspection will be Apr. 6, 11am.
28th-- We receive our fingerprint appointment in the mail-- April 8 at 8am! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!
31st-- We finish the "Eyes Wide Open" training manual.
Apr. 2009
2nd-- We finish the online training classes. Woo-hoo! Also get last 2 dossier documents notarized. WE ARE FINISHED!
5th-- SW submits our homestudy draft to agency for proofing/review.
6th-- Fire inspection (we passed!).
8th-- CIS Fingerprint appointment. All went well. :)
10th-- We get our POA state certified... Ok, now we're really finished w/ all the documents for both the homestudy & dossier.
13th-- SW tells us our HS is the next to be reviewed by agency. (Hurry up! :) )
14th-- Adoption training manual is approved by agency.
16th-- We find out that our HS was actually approved on the 13th, pending the child abuse check from our State.
17th-- Email from SW tells us child abuse checks won't be completed until the week of Apr. 27th. Email CM to see if we can send in our dossier early even though it is against agency policy. (She'll probably say no, but I figure it is worth a try!!)
20th-- After 1st telling us no, we are allowed to mail dossier in for review. Of course we won't be on the waiting list until our homestudy is complete sometime next week.
21st-- Dossier and fees are mailed. Will be at agency by noon tomorrow. WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!
22nd-- Dossier is in CM's hands!
23rd-- Dossier is approved by CM. Now we have to wait on those checks to finalize HS & get on waiting list.
29th-- Child abuse checks are finished!! HS is finalized, notarized, & on its way to agency's home office. Thank goodness!!! Wait list soon!
May 2009
4th-- We are on the list at #33.
5th-- Waitlist #30. Yes, we moved 3 spots in less than 24 hours.
21st-- Receive our FDL from USCIS. Now we have been granted permission from the US gov't. to adopt internationally.
26th-- Dossier is finished with the US & ET embassy authentication process. Next step: To ET for translation and submission to MOWA (when we get a referral, of course.)
June 2009
9th-- June number in-- #29.
July 2009
10th-- July number in-- #18. What??? 11 spaces in a month! Woo-hoo!
August 2009
6th-- August number in-- #16.
September 2009
4th-- September number in--#11.
October 2009
7th-- October number in--#6. Single digits! YAY!
19th-- REFERRAL DAY!
22nd-- Call with international adoption doctor. Good to go! SW signs paperwork for us.
23rd-- We get everything notarized and sent to our CM. Will be there by noon tomorrow!
24th-- Our acceptance of referral paperwork arrives at our agency.
26th-- Our CM has our referral paperwork. Now on to the ET side of this adoption!
31st-- We receive returned notarized referral acceptance paperwork... As well as our travel info! (Soon, please!)
November 2009
5th-- Next Steps phone call with our CM.
18th-- Our CM calls to tell us our court date is Dec. 2!
December 2009
2nd (night of Dec. 1st)-- We have our court date.
2nd-- We passed court!
4th-- Our CM calls to tell us our tentative travel date of Dec. 25. We contact a couple travel agents to find the best airline prices and flights.
7th-- Our travel dates are confirmed, and we book our tickets.
17th-- We receive our paper tickets in the mail.
20th-- Nana and Pappy bring E's curtains and bedding that Nana made. It is completely beautiful!
25th-- We leave for Ethiopia.
27th-- Gotcha Day!
28th-- Embassy Appointment.
31st-- Leave to come home.
January 2010
1st-- We arrive home. Our family day. What a great way to celebrate the new year!
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2 comments:
There is no way it's been 5 years. Oh man how I wish my kids could stop growing.
Happy Referralversary to you all!
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