We have (to our knowledge) submitted all of the paperwork required for the foreign dossier (the package of paper that goes to Ethiopia). Ally sent them to the adoption agency about a week ago. Our case worker there will send our documents to the state of Texas for authentication. Once she receives those back, she will send them to where they need to go--D.C. embassies, etc.
I'm not quite sure what happens after that. Perhaps Allyson is more informed on this part of the process and can write about it herself soon. I know the authentication process has taken 2-3 weeks for the other states to which we submitted, so I'm guessing the same for Texas.
I read a book over my spring break recommended to me by another adopting couple. It's called Dim Sum, Bagels, and Grits, written by a single Jewish woman who adopted a girl from China. It's all about the complexities of cultivating and nurturing a multicultural family. The book definitely helped me to make this process feel a little more real--there really is a child at the end of all this impersonal effort of filling out papers and writing checks! It also gave me a gut check on some of the challenges that will be involved in adopting a child racially different from us. Not that we haven't thought or talked about that a good deal already, but reading lots of stories from different families and their experiences helps make it more concrete.
Despite the current limbo, my excitement and anticipation is growing. As I mentioned, reading the book helped quicken these feelings, but most of it is just the passage of time that brings us closer to this summer. The adoption agency will not even try to estimate when we might be able to travel to Ethiopia for our child/children, but based on the experiences of other families and typical timelines, we think (and hope) we're still on track to be able to travel in the early summer (June-ish).
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5 comments:
hi fellow ethiopia program members! good to hear you got that mountain of paperwork turned in! i'm reading 'there's no me without you' now. did y'all read that one? ok, let us know when you are ready to go back to RH&B and get the last potato!!!
I met with your sister, Melissa, this past weekend and she told me about your blog. My husband and I are planning to start the adoption process this coming December and, like you and your wife, are looking to adopt from Ethiopia. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. We will be keeping all of you in our payers as you continue on this blessed journey.
-Noel Carlson
After our documents were all authenticated etc. they went to Ethiopia to be translated, they should be finished with this soon. The next stop for us will be the orphanage where the board will review our dossier and look for a match. I think the process is pretty similar across agencies, though I am not sure.
Good luck!
http://hennockgladney.blogspot.com/
I think you guys might enjoy this blog also - they are friends of my sister-in-law and have an amazing story!
Tara
Aloha,
My name is Maria and I am writing from the island of Maui. I am at the same stage as you in the adoption process and am also working with Gladney. I'm hopeful that my paperwork has arrived in Ethiopia and the referral is around the corner. I am adopting a baby girl. Have you come to a decision on adopting a sibling group or one child?
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