Ethiopia Adoption Timeline

April 10, 2012: Mailed application to Lifeline
April 11, 2012: Application received by Lifeline
April 13, 2012: Received adoption manuals and contracts via email + follow-up phone call
April 16, 2012: Mailed in preliminary paperwork with first payment to Lifeline
April 27, 2012: Contacted by social worker who will be completing our home study 
April 29, 2012: Both finished online Hague adoption training course. 
May 2, 2012: Orientation interview with Lifeline
May 17, 2012: Mailed Child Abuse/Neglect Forms
June 7, 2012: Received Baylor's certified birth certificate in the mail
June 8, 2012: First home study interview + home inspection
June 9, 2012: Crossings Training + Fifth Wedding Anniversary! 
June 11, 2012: Baylor's individual home study interview + Placed t-shirt order 
June 13, 2012: Baylor fingerprinted 
June 15, 2012: Adam's individual interview
June 16, 2012: Received Adam's certified birth certificate in the mail
June 19, 2012: Mailed Baylor's fingerprints (prayers, please!) 
June 20, 2012: Adam fingerprinted 
June 21, 2012: T-shirts arrive-121 shirts sold!
June 22, 2012: Received certified marriage license in the mail
June 23, 2012: Birmingham Yard Sale-$2,000 raised! 
June 25, 2012: Mailed Adam's fingerprints (more prayers, please!) 
June 26, 2012: Third home study interview
June 27, 2012: Baylor's medical check
June 28, 2012: Received dossier information via email
July 2, 2012: FINAL home study interview! Woot woot! 
July 7, 2012: Both medical checks back: ALL CLEAR! 
July 16, 2012: Adam's fingerprint clearance received in the mail: ALL CLEAR!!
July 18, 2012: Baylor's fingerprint clearance received in the mail: ALL CLEAR!!
July 27, 2012: Received home study draft via email
July 30, 2012: Sent home study revisions
July 31, 2012: Revisions made
August 3, 2012: Submitted home study accuracy statement and second Lifeline payment
August 5, 2012: Placed second t-shirt order-34 more shirts sold for a total of 155!
August 8, 2012: Received FINAL notarized copies of our home study
August 10, 2012: Filed with USCIS, AKA Immigration (petition to bring our baby home!)
August 14, 2012: Mailed dossier (minus police clearance) to Lifeline's Kentucky office
August 15, 2012: Dossier received by Lifeline: All good--just waiting on our police clearance.
August 22, 2012: State police clearance (AKA last piece of dossier) received by Lifeline
August 23, 2012: Overnighted police clearances to Lifeline's KY office
August 24, 2012: COMPLETED dossier in the mail! Ethiopia here we come!!
August 25, 2012: Received notice for biometric fingerprinting appointments from USCIS
August 27, 2012: Received paid invoice from placing agency, West Sands Adoption
September 5, 2012: USCIS biometric fingerprinting appointment
September 11, 2012: Alabama Ethiopia Open House at Lifeline (yay!)
September 14, 2012: DOSSIER ON ITS WAY TO ETHIOPIA!!!!!!!!
September 17, 2012: DOSSIER ARRIVES IN ETHIOPIA!!!!!!! Officially a waiting family! 
September 19, 2012: Received Favorable Determination Letter from USCIS!
September 28, 2012: Received our first waiting list number! Officially #86!! 
October 1, 2012: Received notice that our petition has been sent to U.S. Embassy in Addis!
November 1, 2012: Officially #79!
November 28, 2012: Officially #71!
January 1, 2013: Officially #66! 
January 19, 2013: Florida Yard Sale-$1,000 dollars raised!
February 1, 2013: Officially #63!
February 4, 2013: Contacted Lifeline about expanding parameters to be open to a sibling group
February 8, 2013: Received initial homestudy amendment paperwork from our social worker.
February 28, 2013: Sibling interview at Lifeline!
March 1, 2013: Officially #62!
April 1, 2013: Officially #60!
April 13, 2013: Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser: $1,100 dollars raised!
May 1, 2013: Officially #57!
May 31, 2013: Officially #55! + Received sibling amendment draft (Yay for two Baby Knotts!)
June 7, 2013: Final draft of sibling amendment in the mail from Lifeline!
June 14, 2013: Filed sibling home study amendment with USCIS
June 28, 2013: Received USCIS approval for a sibling set! Sent copy to Lifeline
July 1, 2013: Officially #47!
August 1, 2013: Officially #32!
September 3, 2013: Officially #31! 
September 27: Officially #31
October 21, 2013: USCIS Refingerprinting Appointment
November 1, 2013: Officially #29!
December 1, 2013: Still #29
January 2, 2014: Still #
January 15, 2014: Baylor's medical update appointment
January 16, 2014: Submitted Baylor's CAN and criminal history check forms to Lifeline
January 17, 2014: Working on home study updates  + Submitted Adam's CAN and criminal history check forms + All sent off by Lifeline +Baylor's medical check ALL CLEAR! (Busy day)
February 3, 2014: Still #
February 5, 2014: Submitted financial updates, new pay stubs and tax return for home study renewal.
February 6, 2014: ABI Clearance Renewals arrive in the mail. We still are not criminals!
February 28, 2014: Homestudy Update Interview with our Lifeline social worker
March 3, 2014: Still #
March 7, 2014: Received home study update from Lifeline
March 11, 2014: Filed for extension with USCIS
March 29, 2014: Received USCIS approval extension
April 2, 2014: Still #
May 1, 2014: Officially #__! 
June 2, 2014: Officially # ___
July 2, 2014: Officially #____
August 3, 2014: Officially # _____
September 3, 2014: Officially # _____! 
October 1, 2014: Still # ____
November 3, 2014: Still # ______
November 29, 2014: REFERRAL!! 
December 2, 2014: Received referral paperwork from Lifeline and signed it all
December 3, 2014: Social worker document signed
December 4, 2014: Overnighted referral paperwork
December 10, 2014: Referral payment
January 5, 2015: Received notification of interview 
January 26, 2015: Interview takes place 
January 27, 2015: Investigation completed and sent to USCIS 
February 9, 2015: Baylor's USCIS fingerprints renewed
February, 10 2015: Adam's USCIS fingerprints renewed
February 17, 2015: Received PAIR letter + fingerprint renewal approvals in the mail
February 18, 2015: Overnighted PAIR letter to D.C. for authentication
February 19, 2015: Received invoice from authentication service (AKA: papers arrived!) + Travel Webinar (that's fun to type!)
March 4, 2015: PAIR letter received by placing agency 
March 6, 2015: PAIR letter leaves for Ethiopia!
March 10, 2015: PAIR letter delivered!
April 28, 2015: Received notification of preliminary hearing
May 4, 2015: Preliminary Hearing
May 20, 2015: RECEIVED TRAVEL NOTIFICATION!
June 11, 2015: Leave for Ethiopia! 
June 13, 2015: Arrive in Ethiopia and meet Bradley for the first time!
June 16, 2015: Court Day! We passed!
June 17, 2015: Leave for the U.S.
July 8, 2015: Submitted to Embassy
June 30, 2015: Received Embassy documents and complete DS-260
July 9, 2015: CLEARED EMBASSY! 
July 11, 2015: Leave for Ethiopia Trip Two!
July 13, 2015: Pick Up Bradley from Abenezer
July 14, 2015: Embassy Interview
July 17, 2015: LEAVE ETHIOPIA WITH MY SON
July 18, 2015: Arrive HOME!
July 19, 2015: Bradley's first birthday