Paperwork!

Oh my goodness, the amount of paperwork is staggering. Well worth the time and effort, but amazing that it takes this much paper to bring this little girl into our hearts. I will give you an idea of just what paperwork we have had to deal with in a timeline form. Newest info at the top, so start at the bottom to read it in order!

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March 21, 2006
- Just to let you know, there are another 5 or 10 forms to be prepared when waiting to go to China after you get your Travel arrangements. Also, we had to send our real passports to CASI to have them stamped, and we haven't gotten them back yet. We leave very soon, it would be nice to see them!

May 10, 2005
- We called Mandalyn at CASI (for the 4th time) to see whats going on. I know she has to get this all the time. She told us the dossier had been mailed to China that day. We are now DTC!!!!!!

April 20, 2005
- Mandalyn tells us we have to re-notarize one piece of information. OK, a slight setback, but nothing we can't handle. I get that done ASAP and sent out. As soon as that is done, its off to Washington DC!

April 12, 2005
- Our part of the paperwork is done! At least we hope so.

I placed a call to Mandalyn at CASI before we left to go complete our paperwork. We covered everything, and it was good we did. We had missed a couple of small things, like original files from the medical records, and the jurat form for the I-171H. The form doesn't have anyplace on it for notary, so the jurat was required. Glad I asked. A quick stop to my office covered that. Oh, and we lost our extra passport photos, so we need to go have more made. We have probably spent $150 on stuff we have lost, and we do have a large file folder to keep up with stuff. Gremlins, I guess.

We took our paperwork to the Howard School, where the Nashville/Davidson County Clerk office is. We were told to call ahead and let them know which notaries they were authenticating, and we did. When we got there, it only took a few minutes, and they do take checks, although we were told cash was needed.

Next stop was the TN Secretary of State office. They told us the address is 7th and Charlotte, but didn't mention that there are 4 buildings on that corner. We picked the biggest one (the Tennessee Tower) and guessed right. 6th floor, no problems, although you have to sign in now, part of the post 9/11 security. The state seals were added in about 15 minutes, no line, and the person who helped us even loaned Pam a sewing kit when she ripped her blouse. Love that Southern Hospitality!

Great, we are done with the approvals, now off to the doctors office and Kinko's we go. Got the original medical forms we needed. Got to Kinko's and my mind was left in the car. I was so nervous in putting everything in FedEx folders, that I forgot what I was doing. I send FedEx's every day, but not now I don't. If I'm this bad now, what will I be like on Gotcha Day? We got everything sent off, the dossier and the next large check to CASI, the certificates to Wisconsin and Kentucky with extra airbills to send them directly to CASI. Done, right? Well...

As we drove away, we realized we never got the extra passport photos made. Geez again. So, off to Kinko's, again, had pics made, and sent then FedEx, again. Ok, NOW we are done. Called Mandalyn at CASI one more time, and she recommended we celebrate. That much was a great idea. Off to Cold Stone Creamery for a post-paperchase ice cream.

NOW... we wait... and wait...

April 11, 2005
- A call to CASI confirmed the worst... yes, we have to get the certificates authenticated. We had planned on taking the day off on Tuesday the 12th to get all the paperwork authenticated, so we will just send this off to the states at the same time as the dossier. Pam calls the state offices, they report that it will only take a day or two, and a return airbill will get it to CASI quickly. Doesn't sound so bad now.

April 10, 2005
- I'm reading through some of the instructions given to us by Catholic Charities, and one step was that all out-of-state birth certificates and marriage certificates have to be authenticated by the state in which they originated. GEEZ! If I had seen that weeks earlier, it would have been done by now. Just one more thing to slow us down.

April 8, 2005
- I went by to pick up the new and improved home study today. Since Pam still doesn't have a full-time job, we had to have Catholic Charities update and re-notarize the home study. This is the last piece of the puzzle. We hope.

March 26, 2005
- Tax day for the Thomas family. Our tax accountant, Jill Stone, lives in Scottsville, KY, and is a real close friend, the mom of my dear friend Daniel Stone. We told her what was going on with the adoption, and she was also sad to hear we had to wait.

Amazing what can happen in a week, or even an hour. Jill finished our taxes with a rather large smile on her face. Not only did she get us a tax return, but she got us enough of one that we could pay all the money we needed to continue the adoption. It's amazing what can happen when something is meant to be. This adoption is meant to be.

March 22, 2005
- I sent a letter to my corporate CFO, asking if there is anything she can do to assist us in releasing my stock options so we can proceed with the adoption. We are going to use this money for the end of the adoption, but with Pam unemployed, it was needed to move forward. My CFO was sympathetic, but could not help. So, the adoption is officially on hold. Sad face.

March 21, 2005
- Well, what would normally be a very joyous occasion is only slightly so. Our I-171H came in the mail today, right on time as predicted by Julie at CC. She said it would come on the 7th day of the 8th week. It was the 5th day of the 8th week, but that right on the money when it comes to dealings with the government. If only the home study were correct so we could get everything done paperwork-wise. Pam still doesn't have a job, and she is trying so hard. Cross fingers and pray alot that she finds something soon!

February 25, 2005
- Pam was let go from her job at Southern Ice. She had seen it coming, but was hoping that things would work out. She had done a great job there, but the ownership was running things into the ground, and she was a casualty. Looks like the adoption is on hold for the moment, or at least until she gets another job. At least the I-171H hasn't shown up yet, so it gives us time. I spoke with Julie at Catholic Charities, and she is happy to assist us in updating the home study to match the new job when Pam gets it.

February 7, 2005
- Julie at Catholic Charities told us to come by and pick up a copy of the home study if we need one to show at fingerprinting. Cool! We will still get one in the mail, but that will keep us from having to wait a week to get this done.

February 4, 2005
- Got our letter to get our fingerprinting done today. Next opportunity is Wed Feb 9. Now all we need is a copy of our home study. Julie said she is mailing us one, but haven't gotten it yet.

February 1, 2005
- Our Home Study is completed. Yeah! Julie at Catholic Charities is a dream to work with, always a smiling face and good thoughts. If you need a home study done, go to her!

- This point in the paperwork is a wait and see game. We got a letter from the INS saying they were about 5 months behind. Do not believe it. Then we got a letter saying 45 days. Do not believe it either. Julie told us that approx 8 weeks after fingerprinting is done, we should get our I-171H. I believe her alot more.

January 6, 2005
- We went to our first appointment with our home study agency, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, and our agent Julie was so nice and helpful. She gave us a mound of paperwork to complete and did it all with a smile on her face. I know its arduous to do paperwork, but the end result is so important, Pam thinks we can get almost all of it done by the weekend. Being told it takes 8 weeks to get our I-171H back, and, that's after the home study is completed. So, our DTC should be somewhere in the April time frame? Crossing fingers...

January 3, 2005
- We traveled to the Franklin, TN Post Office to order our passports. Lots of people traveling apparently, as the line to get them was 10 people deep. The people behind us had black and white photos, and they were told that The Dept of State requires COLOR photos now. Good thing ours were.
- We sent our agreement and our first BIG check to our agency. Writing a check that big really made us feel like this is really happening!

December 2004
After the hectic time of moving, unpacking, working, and all the extra-curricular activities in our lives, we finally got back to the adoption.

- We thought we had all the paperwork together for our adoption, but moving can sometimes make strange things happen. All our birth and marriage certificates have disappeared. Frantic searching everywhere didn't find them, so we ordered them all again. If we find the first batch, then we just have more to use.

- A background check was required, so we traveled down to our local police department, and the were able to give us a completed background check within a couple of minutes. OK, its a small town here, so the time frame on your end will vary, I'm sure.

- I have my company writing a letter of employment verification. Pam will be essentially writing her own, and having it signed by her owner, as she is the only one where she works to create a letter like that.

August 2004
- With the advent of enlarging our family, we MOVED to Spring Hill, TN, a beautiful small town 30 minutes south of Nashville. Our house size increased dramatically, and we now have enough house to give our new little girl a proper home.

July 2004
- We began ordering marriage certificates, as well as birth certificates for both of us. This isn't so difficult, but each states has their own fees, and some require FAX request rather than online request. Kentucky let me order online, but Pam's had to come from Wisconsin, when she had to FAX her request. All the certificates came fairly quickly. If you need a place to start, go to VitalChek, as we found all of ours through their service.

- We went to Kinko's to have 2 sets of passport photos taken. Not a problem but I would look around, as we started seeing other places that take those pics cheaper than where we got ours.

June 2004
- After choosing CASI to be our agency, we contacted them and they sent us a packet with forms and checklists in it. We sent them an initial fee to secure their services.