May
- May 28, 2013 - Registered with first adoption agency, but determined that the programs they offered wouldn't serve our family
- June 19, 2013 - Registered with Bethany Christian Services
- June 26, 2013 - Formal Application approval; deciding between Ethiopia and China; added to list for Brazil once pilot program begins
- June 27, 2013 - Decision made to adopt from China
- July 1, 2013 - Contract with Bethany Christian Services received
- July 23, 2013 - Pre-Adoption Consultation with the International Adoption Clinic
- August 6 - Home study visit #1
- August 15 - Home study visit #2
- September 5 - Home study visit #3
- October 3 - Home study completion
- October 7 - Received copies of home study
- October 8 - Mailed I-800A
- October 10 - I-800A application received at lockbox
- November 4 - USCIS biometrics appointment; part of I-800A process
- December 16 - I-800A application forwarded to and reviewed by officer on 68th day of waiting
- December 17 - Learn of "Request for Evidence" from social worker who had followed up with USCIS on our behalf
- December 23 - I-800A approval
- December 27 - Received I-797 in the mail
- December 29 - Mailed completed dossier to agency for review
January
- January 28 - DTC (Dossier to China)
- February 11 - LID (Log-in Date) - When the dossier is registered by the CCCWA.
- April 14- OOT (Out of Translation) - Dossier translated
- May 6 - Referral #1- a little girl!
- May 13 - We officially say yes. We're having a girl!
- May 13 - Notify old agency we are switching agencies and request that they transfer our dossier
- May 16 - Referral #2 - a little boy!
- May 26 - We officially say yes. We're also having a boy!
- June 24 - Dossier transfer complete; now working with Great Wall China Adoption
- June 24 - LOI (Letter of Intent) submitted to the CCCWA for our daughter and son
- July 11 - Learn of need for a dossier copy/mini dossier because we are adopting two
- July 21 - Home study update for two unrelated children completed
- July 25 - USCIS receipt of Supplement 3 application
- August 12 - Received new I-797 in the mail
- September 4 - Our au pair's home study interview
- September 5 - MDTC (Mini Dossier to China...totally made this acronym up)
- September 19 - Mini Dossier LID
- October 27 - Matched Reviewed ("Soft" LOA), both kids
- October 31 - LOA arrives at Great Wall
- November 3 - Receive hard copies of our LOAs (Letter of Acceptance)
- November 4 - Mail LOAs back to Great Wall and mail in our I-800 to the USCIS
- November 5 - I-800 arrives at lockbox
- November 19 - I-800 applications land on officer's desk
- November 20 - I-800s approved (petition to classify Kiera and Matteo as immediate relatives); forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC)
- November 28 - Called the NVC and got GUZ# over the phone; filed DS - 260 (U.S. Dept of State form to apply for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration on behalf of your child)
- December 1 - Received pdf of our cable letter from the NVC; e-mailed to agency to initiate preparation for Article 5, which approves your child's immigrant visa. This is the final approval from the United States for the adoption to take place.
- December 4 - Article 5 drop-off at U.S. consulate
- December 18 - Article 5 pick-up (delivery to CCCWA in Beijing anticipated 12/19)
- December 29 - Travel Approval (TA); permission from the CCCWA to travel to China and complete the adoption of our children (~ 2-3 weeks after Article 5 pick-up)
- December 30 - Requested our consulate appointment
- December 30 - "Updated" our fingerprints with the USCIS since they "expire" a week before we're scheduled to return from China
- December 31 - Received first choice Consulate Appointment (CA) of Tuesday, February 10
January
- January 8 - Confirmed provincial dates (aka "gotcha day") with Civil Affairs in Anhui and Guangdong provinces
- January 13 - Social worker met with our family and friends to discuss life post-adoption
- January 21 - Leave for Beijing
- January 25 - Arrive in Hefei, Anhui
- January 26 - Matteo's Gotcha Day
- January 30 - Receive Matteo's passport
- January 31 - Arrive in Guangzhou, Guangdong
- February 2 - Kiera's Gotcha Day
- February 7 - Medical appointment and TB test for U.S. visas
- February 9 - Receive TB results and Kiera's passport
- February 10 - Consulate appointment
- February 11 - Received U.S. visas
- February 12 - Flew home
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