update

well, october 26th we had a referral! only a month after our paperwork was sent. but, unfortunetely (i never can spell that word) we had to say no based on our life and this wonderful childs life. it was one of the hardest things we had to do, but we did it, and even over a month later we still think about it and how hard it was and how it can really affext you but we made a decision based on what is best for everyone and hope for the next referral to be "the one". it was so quick as well, we were shocked and excited and hurt all within days of that call.
as you go through the adoption process you have so many highs and lows. you will read this and other blogs and think, nahhhh, but just you wait. :)  you will know what i mean when you get there. everyone has those, its the nature of the beast.

we have friend after friend getting married and pregnant and then seeing them with the miracle of life and you feel mixed feelings, you are happy for them but sad for yourself because you want that so bad.  you see shows or commercials or something on facebook and you break down because you want a family so bad. its a mix of emotions and you feel bad that you arent excited and over the moon for your friends, you feel guilty, at least i do, about having these feelings, but i guess thats just being a human, those are thoughts maybe that others go through as well, especially when youve tried for so long as done so many things, and so you hide your sadness and pain so the world cant see your hurting and you push through. and you know every day is a day closer, but saying that doesnt help the wanting and hoping and sadness of it not being now.

others are getting referrals and you get good and bad feelings when that happens. others are waiting and have been waiting longer than us without a referral and you hope they find the right child as well.   but we know the right child for our family will be placed at the right time.  sometimes you dont know when that will be and you cant see the bigger picture of life, so we trust and pray that everything is going to be fine. we know we have each other and that together we can move mountains.but i will continue to check my phone and hope today is the day and get bummed when it isnt and some days ill go without too much thoughts about it and some days its all i can think about.

Things have been sent off to Poland

So, our dossier has been sent to Poland.  Now the major wait commences......

:)

DOSSIER DONE!

Ok, so we got our dossier documents together and sent them to our agency this week on Tuesday.  They got the documents, looked over everything and gave us an A+ on the paperwork. wootwoot!
We just need a few pictures of my husband and I in and around the house to send it as well and its going to POLAND!!!!

9 months of crazy paperwork and now its like, what, I'm done with the paperwork for now? We really did it?? It is really done and about to be sent off to be match with our child?????      well, what do I do now???? LOL          I have been go go go for so long. I get a break I guess. I can dig it.



                                     Me with all the paperwork for dossier-->

FINALLY Preparing to send our DOSSIER!

Finally, we have all our documents, apostiled and ready to go to the agency and then POLAND! Have to put it all together and then send it off.

For those who might not have read from the beginning of my blogging here the timeline....

End of 2012 --started heavily researching and looking at agencies and adoption
January 2013- Turned in Application and Agreements
February 2013- Started Homestudy and gathering the plentiful paperwork needed for the adoption process
May 2013- Homestudy Complete, continuing to gather documents and paperwork needed
August 2013- Received government approval (via I797)
September 2013-ALL paperwork completed--ALL filled out, notarized, apostiled, and whatever else you can possibly think of that comes with the process of gathering all documents for dossier.
NEXT- Will be the dossier submitting.

Soooo, so far, it has been 8-9 months since we really started the process.

You know what one of the main costs of adoption is that they don't really calculate into adoption??.... paying for gathering your documents and then mailing documents.  
Especially when you have to redo documents and resend them, because you are always mailing the paperwork and a prepaid envelope to send back to you.  Hundreds of dollars easily spent on mailing including getting all documents and paying for those, rough guess, Id say $1,000 in ordering documents and mailing. 

Frustrated.

Sent off everything to get apostiled,and 5 documents came back because they did not have a notary statement along with the stamp/seal. Turned those back in after adding a statement to notaries and some still came back for still not being right!! getting frustrated!

Trying to look/think positive still as we are almost done with all paperwork until sending our dossier.  But it does go up and down and get frustrating and crazy a lot during this process.  Can't wait to be done with paperwork for at least a few months.  :)

I-797 finally came Monday!

So, if you have read my other blog entries, you know we have been waiting what seems like an eternity for the I-800A approval, which is where the USCIS sends you an approval form called the I-797.  Well, it has been about 4 1/2 weeks since our appointment. (An eternity when your waiting and hearing others got it in 3 weeks.)  Anywho.....
We got that and got everything for NC together to send to get apostilled.  So, whats next......
MORE WAITING!  woowoo.  LOL

We are only 1 step away though from turning it all in and sending it off, so I am happy and hopeful. 

So, another 4 weeks or so I am thinking for NC to apostile everything and return it to us.... THEN.....

"put it all together and turn yourself around and that's what it's all about."  (hokey pokey tune)

It will be turned in to go to Poland and then we wait.......... again......... :-)

waiting and waiting

well, we got our apptfor the I800A at the beginning of july and are waiting and waiting for the approval saying we can proceed to get everything apostiled by NC. so we can send our dossier off... but every week seems like further n further away....