Another Step Toward Eli--More Documents!

We are another step closer to Eli!  This past week, I managed to get another document and schedule a needed pediatric appointment for the letter stating that Arabella and Sterling are healthy and free of any communicable diseases!  All of this was managed in the same day--whew--it was a great day.  Upon returning home from downtown Houston, my cell phone rang and it was pediatricians office to say that Sterling must be seen prior to receiving the letter.  So, his appointment was scheduled at the next available time, which is on Monday! 

Let's see, now we have:
Birth Certificates on both of us
Marriage Certificate
Police Clearance on both of us
My Letter of Employment
Divorce Decree
Submitted Eli's information required in home study

What's left to gather?  Well, let's just say, we're not even half-way there but, good news is that we are 8 steps closer to Eli and that my friend, is a great feeling! 

The required documents are for 3 different categories--home study, immigration & the dossier!  The home study is a document compiled by a social worker and it's about 15 pages that details our family, individual history, the child we want to adopt, and much more information.  The immigration paperwork is for the US Government to approve our adoption and allow our child to become a US Citizen, the moment the plane touches down on US soil.  Last but not least, the dossier is a gigantic amount of paperwork that is sent to China, requesting the adoption of Eli and showing that we meet China's requirements (and proof that we meet those requirements) and proof the US Government has approved our adoption. 

Our goal is to have the home study complete and in hand by end of August to first of September, so that we can turn around and submit the required immigration paperwork to the US Government.  The current wait times for immigration is 10-12 weeks.  Once this approval is returned, we can submit our dossier to the adoption agency for their review and about 1 week later, it's submitted to China.  Providing we meet all the (personal) deadlines we have set for ourselves, we pray that our dossier will be at our agency's office no later than mid December with China logging it into their system,  in January with hopes that we travel in June 2014.