I can't stand it! Sophie's Mom commented on my post. I'm so honored.
This seems as good a time as any to out myself as a long-time lurker to your page. I may never have seen such a darling little flower of a baby girl as Miss Sophie--and is it any wonder she's so happy with those proud peaches for siblings? I'm so grateful for your kind post, and grateful to know that I didn't cause some unnecessary fuss in the blog world by saying the A word. Seriously, everybody has been so sweet and so encouraging and it just makes me want to weep thinking some people ever had to go through the adoption process without having a community like this around them.
One in ten children die before their first birthday• One in six children die before their fifth birthday• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa• In the 90s the population (3%) grew faster than food production (2.2%)• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school.• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002.• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000.• In 1993, after 30 long years of war, Eritrea broke from Ethiopia and became an independent nation leaving Ethiopia landlocked without any major seafaring ports.
12/4/07 - Adoption officially validated in Connecticut
9/24/07 - Forever Home
9/19/07 - Meet Sophie Yordanos!
9/17/07 - Fly to Ethiopia
8/27/07 - Official Ethiopian adoption date - SHE'S OURS!!!
8/7/07 - Officially accepted referral
8/2/07 - RECEIVED REFERRALL!!
7/21/07 - Signed and sent Gladney the PCR form (indicating how many HIV tests you require of the child before receiving a referral)
7/12/07 - Scrambled to get new passport photos b/c somehow the US Embassy in Ethiopia lost them - ugh!
6/8/07 - Dossier delivered to Belay, Gladey's representative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
5/29/07 - We are OFFICIALLY WAITING!!
5/29/07 - Dossier complete!!! Fully authenticated by the amazing Kate Sproat and sent to DC for final authentication.
5/17/07 - Notarized CIS Approval letter - this was the last thing we needed to do with the paperwork before the official waiting starts!
5/15/07 - Received approval from USCIS (I-797C)
5/3/07 - Officially Gladney approved!!!!
4/27/07 - Home study complete!
4/26/07 - Received redo letter of proof of life insurance (the letter dated 2/2/07 wasn't properly notarized)
3/31/07 - John's fingerprints taken
3/20/07 - Received a proof of insurance letter from our health insurance company, but since they woudn't notarize it, we just had John's firm write and notarize a letter.
3/9/07 - Heidi's physical & receipt of notarized health form
3/7/07 - Final home study interview, Notarized FBI letters, received 3rd notarized reference letter, sent KBS Dossiers the first package of dossier papers.
3/3/07 - Received 2nd notarized reference letter
3/2/07 - Home study home visit
2/21/07 - First home study interview with Barbara Paris of JFS in Bridgeport, CT
2/16/07 - Received Dept of Children and Families background check
2/10/07 - Received marriage certificate
2/9/07 - Heidi's fingerprints taken
2/2/07 - Received a notarized letter from our insurance agent (NOT insurance company - they wouldn't do it) for proof of life insurance
2/1/07 - Received FBI clearance packages
1/30/07 - Received Connecticut Criminal History report and Dept of Children & Family Background checks.
1/28/07 - Received 1st notarized reference letter
1/27/07 - Received notarized bank letter
1/26/07 - Received a letter stating our proof of life insurance from the insurance company, but they woudn't notarize it.
1/25/07 - Received John's birth certificate
1/23/07 - John's physical & receipt of notarized health form
1/22/07 - Received letter from USCIS saying they received our application and instructing us to have our fingerprints taken in Hartford.
1/21/07 - Received Heidi's birth certificate
1/20/07 Sent Gladney application & fees, FBI background check, Home Study application (JFS in Bridgeport, CT). Notarized "Why we want to adopt letter", employment letter, homemaker letter, financial statement, passport copies, power of attorney.
1/11/07 - Sent out requests for birth certificates, marriage certificates, employment letter, proof of health and life insurance, bank letter, reference letters, prepared "Why we want to adopt" and homemaker letters, financial statement. Got color pictures of our passports and gathered pictures of our family, house and yard. Sent Connecticut Criminal History report and Dept of Children & Family Background check requests.
1/4/07 - Sent Gladney application request and I600A Application
12/18/06 - Phone orientation with Gladney
About Me
HeidiD in CT
We are a family of 6 living in Fairfield County, Connecticut. We brought our new baby girl home from Ethiopia in September 2007
1 comments:
I can't stand it! Sophie's Mom commented on my post. I'm so honored.
This seems as good a time as any to out myself as a long-time lurker to your page. I may never have seen such a darling little flower of a baby girl as Miss Sophie--and is it any wonder she's so happy with those proud peaches for siblings? I'm so grateful for your kind post, and grateful to know that I didn't cause some unnecessary fuss in the blog world by saying the A word. Seriously, everybody has been so sweet and so encouraging and it just makes me want to weep thinking some people ever had to go through the adoption process without having a community like this around them.
Cheers to your lovely family!
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