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

3 comments:

  1. Congrats to both of you! Can you believe we started our first application form of our project in 2010 and we are still waiting. We are so close, but it seems it will never arrive. I am bursting into tears both for happiness knowing you got your referral, and my heart is acheing thinking my little one will never arrive. I am loosing my faith! 5 years already... gone! Enjoy your beautiful moment! this is it, this is your year, 2015. Love, Elo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eloisa, don't lose faith! God is in your story just like He is in ours! And He knows what He is doing. Hang in there, girl. Your moment is coming.

      Delete
  2. Hi again!!It's been ages since I get the chance to sit down again and write, and the main reason is because a year ago I met my beautiful, cute and super gorgeous Ethiopian daughter. I can't believe it's already a year since. Our little star changed our lives and made us be better people. Thanks God for being there for us too. Hope you are all keeping well. Love Elo

    ReplyDelete

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