Twoooooooooo years!

Congratulations, us, we've now been waiting for Two Full Years! That's a thing in Adoptionland. As mentioned in my last update, that's when the homestudy needs to be updated. That's currently in progress (just waiting to hear back...), and half paid for. We'd REALLY like to thank our wonderful references (Jason, Mama Lee, Mama Bishop, Heather, and Lindsay) for doing your part (again!) in Operation Som Kid! :D Here's hoping everything goes through as expected and we don't have to wait another two years and pester you a third time... pretty sure you'll be sick of it by then and maybe not give us such glowing reviews.

The other thing that comes with Two Full Years is that we get to fill the paperwork out as sponsors for immigration for Child Unknown (and no, we can't write "Som Kid" on the government documents, as awesome as it would be). I asked Cathy to send this to me a few weeks ago (she likes that I'm her most 'proactive' client... she calls me 'proactive' instead of 'annoying as,' it's nice of her) so I could get started while in a marking lull... but we're going to need more than a marking lull. Thus begins Binder #4. Immigration paperwork is a big deal, as it turns out! Why did I think it would be easy? I don't know, I think I just thought there'd be a special form for adoptive parents who don't know any details about their child, and then we throw them some money, and boom, done. But no. This is a part of a two-page CHECKLIST of all the forms we have to fill out and things we have to have copied and notarized and instructions for the rain dance we have to do and all the other hoops to jump through in order to bring Som Kid home! 

 

If we screw any of it up, they just stamp it "DENIED" and we have to try (and pay) again. If it's approved, the whole process takes about 16 weeks. So, if we are on track for a three-year referral date, we'll be okay as long as this gets done by early November. But, it literally could happen any day now (!!!), so the sooner, the better, just in case. Thankfully, people have been through this before, and one couple put together a (FOUR PAGE) list of tips and tricks to get us through these forms. It's a couple years outdated, but I'm hoping most of it still applies, otherwise, yikes. For example, most of the forms need to be 'validated' online before being printed and signed to ensure you don't miss any boxes, meaning everything needs to be filled out. So, what do we do for "Applicant's" name? DOB? Signature? Without these tips and tricks, we'd be so lost and frustrated already! :s

Remember how I said I hope it happens within the next two years? That's important for the immigration, too, as it will also expire then. So come on, 2016-17, we're counting on you!