Adoption Timeline

Below is our adoption timeline so far

December 2006 - First discussions about having a third child vs. international adoption

February 2008 - After a little over a year, we once again started talking about growing our family. This time, however, it was abundantly clear to us both that we would pursue international adoption!

March 1st - My parents keep the boys so that TheDentist and I could go out to eat. We also stopped by Barnes & Nobles and bought our first book on international adoption.

March 3rd - After reading and skimming the entire book over the weekend, TheDentist and I have decided that Baby Emma is in Russia waiting for us to bring her home!

March 4th - TheDentist and I decide to use Carolina Adoption Services (CAS) as our agency since they are based in Greensboro. We downloaded the adoption application online and completed it.

March 6th - Our application arrived at CAS. We also mailed the I-600A application to the USCIS office in Charlotte.

March 10th - Ordered a custom sterling silver necklace from JUNKPOSSE. It is so awesome - see above! It has EMMA across the front, and it says "Born in my heart" on the back.

March 19th - CAS called, and they have approved our application to adopt from Russia! YEAH!

March 27th - All of our homestudy documents were delivered to CAS so that we can be assigned a social worker.

April 18th - First meeting with the social worker in the office to start our homestudy. Afterwards, TheDentist and I had updated passport photos taken! When we arrived home, we had received our "fingerprinting" appointment notifications.

April 19th - TheDentist and I went to a CAS sponsored event to meet the Russian Coordinator from Moscow! Great experience!

April 21st - My father unexpectedly passed away today! How heartbreaking for my family. We were all so devastated and in a state of shock.

April 30th - I had my individual appointment with the social worker.

May 1st - Federal fingerprinting appointment

May 2nd - I had my adoption physical, and TheDentist had his individual appointment with the social worker. Today was also our 10th anniversary!

May 9th - TheDentist's physical and the home visit from the social worker so that she could tour our house and meet the boys.

May 30th - Our final visit with the social worker! YEAH!

June 30th - After preparing dossier paperwork, our good friend came over to notarize all of our documents. We have to have two complete sets for Russia.

July 11th - After meeting with our agency coordinator, we were able to Fed-Ex our dossier packet to the NC Secretary of State's office for apostilling.

July 21st - Our dossier was returned to us and was ready!!!

July 24th - I hand-delivered our dossier to CAS and paid the remaining fee. WOW! We completed our dossier in just under two months.

August 26th - We know that our packet made it to Moscow. CAS has informed us that it had been forwarded for translation!

Now it is completely out of our hands. I plan on calling CAS next week to check on our status!