The Process So Far

Since we are starting this blog late in our adoption process, we have to go back to get this up-to-date. Before we even filled out our application with CHI, we had done a lot of research to ensure we were choosing the "right" adoption agency for us. We spent hours on different websites in order to find the one that met our needs. In addition, we also talked to many of our friends who have adopted to get some pointers from them. We deeply appreciate all of the help that our friends and family gave us through the very early stages.

Once we completed the application and acceptance with CHI, we were ready to start the home study process. Again, through the help of some friends, we found Hands Across the Water. We can't say enough about how wonderful Alanna (our social worker), Jane, and the rest of the staff at HATW have been to us. We submitted our application with HATW on October 7, 2006. We had our completed home study on November 16, 2006.

After all of the paperwork necessary for our home study was completed, we started right in on all of the paperwork for our dossier. Boy, oh, boy, do we mean paperwork!!!! Pam (CHI-Chicago) helped us compile everything and was ready to answer every silly question that we had. If you know me (Kyley) well, then you know that I had to have it done right the first time and it had to be done NOW!!!!

Karen (CHI-St. Louis) e-mailed us on January 24, 2007 to let us know that our dossier had been received in their office. She began the process of checking it all over. On January 31, we found out that there were a few additional documents that we needed from HATW. HATW completed these right away and off those went to CHI.

On February 2, 2007, we were given three regions in Russia to choose from. They were Astrakhan, Vladivostok, and Tver. We looked at several factors in determining a region. We looked at the number of families in line ahead of us. We looked at the location of the region to Moscow. (We have to fly into Moscow first and then on to our region. Given Greg's not-so-great-ability to fly, this was important to us). There were other factors that we looked at too. We chose Astrakhan! So off our dossier went to Astrakhan.

On February 9, our dossier was sent to Astrakhan to be registered. Astrakhan had a few documents that were required for that specific region. So we had some more paperwork to do! On February 23, 2007, we sent CHI-St. Louis the final documents. Now the waiting began!