Off to the USCIS

Yesterday evening my Home Study Agency sent off my finalized Home Study to the USCIS, we are officially moving forward again. I am told that they tell you to expect 60-90 days before the USCIS sends out the approval to adopt an orphan (I-171H); however, my agency said that it was truly running about 45 days. Ugh! It seems that you are speeding along, and then you learn that there is no speeding in adoption. :)

Garage Sale'ing'

Yep, tomorrow morning I am picking up my girlfriend Sherree and we are going to grab coffee at Caribou and then we are off to Garage Sale! I haven't gone Garage Sale'ing' since I was in Montana visiting my brother and sister-in-law, so I am pumped. Melissa 's Blog has inspired me to look for great baby buys!

Melissa's Garage Sale Savvy advice is as follows:
Just an FYI, for those mobile ride toys, the avg. price should be around $3 at the sales. Car seats around $10 and that goes for a high chair and changing table. Most cribs are around $10 and the portable cribs are about $20. Strollers are also around $20. Look for the toys that having blinking lights and play music. You shouldn't have to pay more than $2 for them. I usually pay around 50 cents to a buck for them but $2 is the highest I'll go.

Just in case you too did not know the rules for getting good garage sale buys. :)

For those that can't believe it (like Sherree), I love to go to Garage Sales! I blame my mom! :)

A Tour of a Kaz Orphanage

Outside of the Umit Baby Home:
Google Video result for http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9201366914111221918

Inside the Umit Baby Home:

A Wonderful Story of Adoption

This is a wonderful video clip that I found, it is a story of a family who recently adopted 2 beautiful children from Kazakhstan. I loved many of their photos of Kaz, the orphanage, their travels and their journey home.

Warning, this one will make you cry too. :)

My Agency

Click here: Little Miracles to learn more about my adoption agency and see adoption clips from Kaz families. :)

"SKM" Shindig

Thank heavens for the internet is all that I want to say! :) I have been so blessed to have found a wonderful site through Yahoo, our group is made up of single moms who have adopted (or are in the process of adopting = ME) from Kazakhstan. It is a wonderful place to ask adoption related questions on the process, orphanages, attachment questions, feelings, dating experiences, etc. The best news is that this year "SKM's" annual Shindig is being held in Minneapolis, talk about luck! It sounds like there are about 10 families that will be attending this year, which means that I get to personally meet some of the moms and their beautiful Kaz babies next weekend! I am so excited!

MOVING FORWARD AGAIN!

Today I got word from my adoption agency that my Home Study has been okayed! :):):) That means that my home study agency can now send out my home study to the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and my understanding is that they then match it up with my fingerprints, etc. and send me out my I-171H, that is the last piece of paperwork that I need for my Dossier. After I receive the I-171H (CIS approval of an orphan petition) back from the USCIS, I then send off my completed Dossier to the Secretary of State in Minnesota to apostilled.

Authentication Information
Authentication is the process of verifying the official nature of a document so that it can be accepted at face value by officials in another country. Various documents (birth/death, marriage/divorce, police records, corporate good standings, etc.) submitted to this office are being used internationally for adoptions, dual citizenship, doing business, transferring school records, etc.

There are two ways in which documents to be used for official purposes in other countries can be authenticated. Some nations are signatories to the Hague Convention of 1961. The Hague Treaty is an international treaty agreeing to accept the signature of the Secretary of State of each state without having it certified by the U.S. Secretary of State. Documents going to those nations need only be authenticated by the attachment of an Apostille to each document. In Minnesota, an Apostille is issued with respect to the name of the Minnesota notary public, or the county or state official who has notarized the signature of the person or official issuing the document.

Documents to be used in all other nations are authenticated by what is called a "Certificate of Office." Check with the consulate or embassy of the particular nation involved for the requirements needed for an authentication to be valid.

Our office will provide a Certificate of Office or an Apostille, depending on what country the document is being sent to. In order to provide this certificate, our office will need the original notarized document or an original certified copy from the county. The notary or county official must provide a full signature and the date the document was notarized or certified.

Just what I needed

For about 5 days I have pondered the idea of calling Meri's adoptive family, but I kept putting the call off in fear of hearing that she ran away or something terrible like that. The more days that passed that I hadn't heard from them, the more concerned I got, but Monday I called, and within 10 minutes Meri's adoptive family called back ........... She is doing great! They love her so much and she is even more than what they hoped for! Her mom was beaming, I could just tell, when he talked about Meri! Her adoptive dad just loves her, he had been wanting a big dog for some time, but was voted out when the family original brought home a poodle. Poor Dad! Anyhow, Meri follows him around the yard while he mows and he even said, "I just love Meri!" Melt! Mitchell, their 10 year old son, was telling Meri to sit but she wasn't quite listening, so dad told Mitchell that you have to be more stearn and 'tell' her to sit. Mitch said that he couldn't do that because Christy told us not to yell at Meri because it hurts her feelings. hehehe I loved hearing that! Dad counseled Mitch that yelling and being stearn are different. :) I guess that Meri plays outside w/ the kids all the time, so much so that she sleeps like a rock at night. When Leah, the 20 year old daughter, comes home late Meri will bark but when Leah says Meri's name, Meri hushes. That is my girl! I guess that she still has her same routines: only plays in the backyard, never the front (#1 I didn't want the dogs to run away and #2 I didn't want more pee spots in the front yard) so she learned that the backyard is her play space. They already took her to the lake too! My heart was so happy after hearing this! I knew that she was a wonderful girl, but I worried that she would have a really rough transition, but it sounds like they are keeping her so busy and so loved that she is quite happy!

Knowledge is Power

"The Complete Book of International Adoption" Dawn Davenport - My bible throughout this journey, truly the book that you can't leave home without.

"Adopting on Your Own, The Complete Guide to Adopting as a Single Parent" Lee Varon - This book caught my attention right away in the Preface as I read, "I always thought that I could marry at any age, but it might not always be so easy to become a parent. Although I had known all along that I would adopt, and I didn't want to bear a child as a single person, when I reached my thirties I felt the clock ticking away. I didn't want to wait forever to become a mother." I was hooked! Great read!

"Single Mothers by Choice" Jane Mattes

"The Complete Single Mother" Andrea Engber & Leah Klungness

"Cross-Cultural Adoption" Amy Coughlin & Caryn Abramowitz - Just starting to read this book (Barnes & Noble purchase this week) and it is filled with answers to questions that adoptive parents are commonly asked from friends, family members, co-workers & other kids.

"Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew" Sherrie Eldridge - This book was recommended to me by Suzanne, my friend in CA that is also on her adoption journey. (another Barnes & Noble purchase this week) So far I am only 30 pages into this book and am completely hooked. This may be my favorite book yet!

Being Thrifty

After complete sticker shock at the retail stores, I visited a second time around (some items are actually brand new with tags still on too) to find a warm & cozy winter jumper. Since I don't know what size my daughter will be, I thought that I best buy 2. :) Check out the hoody on the white jumper, she will look like a little snow bunny with the funky spiked hoody, so super cute!! This one is brand new, with the Columbia sticker still on it, and it was only $12. Score!

Yep mom, it is me, the Christy that used love to garage sale with you and hunted for treasures at the dumps. hehehe (not many of my friends now would ever believe that of me) No worries, I won't visit the dumps to find anything for my baby, promise! :)

Robeez

To the little girl we love - Because a girl can never have too many pairs of shoes! Hurry home. We're waiting for you.

-Aunt Beck.

(Thank you so very much Beck! I love them too. Christy)

Evidence

6 forgotten pieces of Captain Crunch. Just the right size to have been left by a very small hand. Found in my 1/2 bath just days after my nephews visit. The joys of having kids!


Something so small that puts such a wonderful smile in my heart.
Thank you Eli!

Just Sick Tonight

Today has been a really tough day. A while back I made the decision to try to find Meri, my Chocolate, a new home. This has been a very hard decision but in the end I truly feel that it is what is best for her and for my little family. Meri is a very needy dog with great energy, she just loves to be loved, and I know that I just won't be able to give her what she needs once I bring my daughter home. Meri needs a family with kids to play with her all the time, to run, throw the ball and love on her. She is the one that would flourish in a one dog family situation, so she didn't need to compete for love with the other dogs. I found her the perfect place! Her new family lives on acreage and they have 3 kids, perfect! So today was 'adoption' day, appropriate. I must admit that this has been much more difficult than I even thought. I worry so much for her right now. Is she scared? Are they being sensitive to her in this scary transition? Are they sleeping with her in the garage as they had planned? (A garage slumber party with the kids was planned.) I feel like a terrible person, this is not me, I am not the girl that gives up a dog on a whim. I just need to be realistic, I need to plan now for the sake of my baby, my own sanity, and the needs of my dogs, and adopting Meri out was the best scenario for both of us. As I write this I have a hard time even convincing myself that this was the right decision. I am just ill tonight. Those same attachment issues that I read over and over about in my books, well that is what I just did to my dog. Terrible! I feel like a really crappy person tonight. I am hopeful that as time goes by, and I get my updates from Meri's new family, I will feel more comfortable with my decision and her new home, but for now, I am sick with worry and sadness.

Kazak Holidays

January 1 New Year's Day Жаңа жыл

January 7 Eastern Orthodox Christmas Рождество Христово Not an official state holiday, but usually taken as a vacation.
Last day of Hajj Qurban Ait* Құрбан айт

March 8 International Women's Day Халықаралық әйелдер күні

March 22 Nauryz Meyrami# Наурыз мейрамы Traditionally a springtime holiday marking the beginnning of a new year, sometimes as late as April 21.

May 1 Kazakhstan People’s Unity Day Қазақстан Ұлттарының Бірлік Күні

May 9 World War II Victory Day Жеңіс күні A holiday in the former Soviet Union carried over to present-day Kazakhstan and other former republics.

August 30 Constitution Day Конституция күні

October 25 Republic Day Республика күні

December 16 Independence Day