success!

I just heard from the adoption agency, and I'm thrilled to report that my case made it through court in Addis today!

I'm officially Elsa's mama now, and will be leaving to go get her in a just a few weeks!!!

New Monthly Update

Got my monthly update on Miss Elsa today.

She is growing like a weed!!!

Weight: 6.8kg (15 pounds!) - between 10 and 25 percentile
Height: 65cm (25.6 inches) - between 25 and 50 percentile
Head circumference: 43cm (16.9 inches) - between 50 and 75 percentile

On Saturday, she will be six months old. :-)

And tomorrow, as you know, is the big Court Date!
(please keep fingers and toes crossed)

Court Date!

Happy news!! Today I got a call from the adoption agency to tell me I finally have a court date!!! Woo Hoo!!

It's February 22nd.

I won't be there, of course, but the attorney who is representing me will appear in court in Addis Ababa and ask that my adoption be granted. So please mark Feb 22nd on your calendars and pray/chant/cross your fingers that the judge will deem me worthy of adopting this little muffin.

If I'm lucky, the judge will finalize the adoption that very day.

Lately, MOST people's adoption petitions have been granted, but about 20% of the time, the judge asks for an additional piece of paperwork, or the file is incomplete, and the case is continued. So, if I am unlucky, I'll get rescheduled for a subsequent date (usually within a few weeks).

In any event, once the adoption is finalized, I will be traveling about month afterward...

Very exciting stuff, indeed.

monthly update

Just got my monthly update on Miss Elsa.

Got new photos, which I can't post (see this explanation). But, she continues to be shockingly beautiful.

In other exciting news, Elsa has finally cracked the US growth charts on weight. Yay!

At almost 5 months:
She is 12.76 pounds, at the 6th percentile for weight.
She is 24.75 inches, at the 27th percentile for height.
She has a head circumference of 16.8 inches, at the 67th percentile for head circumference.

So, in sum, she's skinny, tall, and can do some serious head-butting. :-)

photo removal

I have (temporarily) removed all photos of Elsa from this blog.

I've just found out that it is against Ethiopian policy or law (not sure which) to post pictures of orphans online. That means until Elsa is officially mine (my case has successfully passed court), it is not appropriate for me to post photos of her online.

Out of respect for the Ethiopian policy/law, I have taken the photos down - but don't you worry... the MINUTE she is legally my daughter, I will once again grace you with her image!!

In the meantime, just picture in your mind the sweetest, most adorable, most beautiful child you can imagine...

Got it? Yep, that's her.

update - of sorts

I spoke to the adoption agency yesterday, and found out that my dossier and referral documents are still being translated.

This which means they haven't yet been legalized. Which means they aren't close to being SUBMITTED to court for a court date yet.

So for those of you holding your breath, you can exhale. It's going to be a while. Patience is a virtue, right?

The bright spot in this picture is that I should be getting update photos and info on Elsa either late this week or early next.

update photos!

Just got new new photos of Elsa!



*** PHOTOS TEMPORARILY REMOVED ***






I LOVE these, because she looks so happy, and because they show her little (or not so little!) personality.

small update

I spoke to the program director at my adoption agency and asked how long it would be before I find out the all-important court date (for becoming Elsa's legal parent).

She said it may be a few weeks before I know my court date - we are going into a period on the Ethiopian calendar a couple of big holidays (Christmas in Ethiopia is on January 7th, with most offices closed for the full week, then on January 19th is one of the biggest holiday events in Ethiopia, "Timket", or Epiphany). As a result, things are slowing down quite a bit.

I asked how many a "few" weeks is, and she said it could be 4 to 6 weeks (on the long side).

In more promising news, I MAY be getting some additional photos soon...

I'll keep y'all posted as I get info!

A Christmas Miracle

*** PHOTOS TEMPORARILY REMOVED ***

Announcing Elsa

She is 4 months old, and from southern Ethiopia – a small town called Aleta Wendo in the Sidama region.

She is 10 lbs, 13 ounces and 23.2 inches tall. (Very small for U.S. growth charts but quite normal on the Ethiopian charts). The int'l adoption pediatrician checked out her info and told me tonight that she looks like an “excellent baby”. Woo hoo! (I already knew that of course.)

Elsa is a name that I’ve always loved (although it sounds Scandahoovian, it is also Ethiopian). Burke is my mother’s maiden name and my sister’s middle name and (very soon!) my daughter's middle name.

I got the call telling me about her this afternoon, although her information arrived at my adoption agency on Christmas Day (Merry Christmas to ME!).

I was getting ready to leave the house to drive mom to the airport shuttle – we were almost out the door when the phone rang. Mom sat down when I gestured wildly to her that this was THE CALL.

So…. what comes next?

I don’t get to go to Ethiopia just yet, I’m afraid. First, the attorney in Addis Ababa (the Ethiopian capital) goes to court on my behalf to formalize the adoption – I’ll let you know my court date, but it will likely be in late January or early February.

Then I wait my turn to get the all-important embassy date, at which I must appear with her at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa. That will likely be in late Feb or (more likely) early March. This date will determine when I will travel to go get Elsa!

Please keep Elsa in your prayers so that she stays healthy and happy, and that the court date is successful so that I can officially become her mother.

From cloud nine and feeling like I won the lottery,

P.

p.s. Did you SEE the dimples?!?!?!?

!!

It's official

Do you know this image means? It is very happy news!


















This is the tracking page from the DHL website, showing the journey that my dossier took on its way to the Toukoul orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

It arrived on August 13th, so I am now *officially* waiting for my referral. Should be about 6 months (yikes!) before I hear anything, so it's going to be hard to just WAIT.

So exciting!!

Adoption Update

I can hardly believe I'm typing this: My dossier is done!

I have put that giant pile of documents in a big FedEx box (too big for an envelope!), and have sent it off to my agency. (As a reminder, the "dossier" is all the paperwork and evidence of preparation and qualification that I've been compiling since last summer. It is kind of like a giant pre-approved application to adopt.)

Next step - it gets sent out for translation into Amharic (takes a few weeks, I think) then dispatched to Ethiopia.

Once it is officially delivered to the orphanage in Addis Ababa, I will officially be just Waiting!! (and should have my kiddo about about six months later...)

I've also updated my adoption timeline - it's current as of today!!

Good article on the front page of the NY Times today

On Ethiopian adoptions.

Check it out here.

adoption timeline

By popular request (and also for ease of communication for me!), I'm posting my adoption timeline, so y'all can see where I am in the process, and what's left to do...
I will update as I have news. Enjoy!!

** Status as of 07/26/07: Stages I - IV complete!! **

Stage I: Sign Up with Adoption Agency and Home Study Agency {done!!}

A. Research the 7 U.S. adoption agencies authorized by Ethiopian gov’t [done!]

B. Select Dove Adoptions International, based in Oregon [done!]

C. Apply to Dove, pay application fee [done!]

D. Received acceptance package and contract from Dove, submit contract and first installment
of adoption fee [done!]

E. Research licensed adoption agencies to do Home Study (must be a licensed agency in my home state - CA) [done!]

F. Select Adopt International, in San Francisco [done!]

G. Submit application to Adopt International, pay application and Home Study fees [done!]

H. Ask four friends to write letters of recommendation [done!]


Stage II: Get Permission from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) to Adopt Foreign Orphan {done!}

A. Fill out USCIS Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) [done!]

B. Submit the following to USCIS in San Francisco:

1. Completed I-600A [done!]
2. Completed Form DOJ-361 (Certification of Identity) (notarized) [done!]
3. Check for I-600A Application fee [done!]
4. Check for “Biometric fee” (for fingerprints) [done!]
5. Copy of my passport (for proof of Citizenship) [done!]
6. Health insurance verification (proving that the child will be covered by my health insurance as soon as he/she gets here) [done!]
7. Completed Home Study [done!]
   

C. Receive letter from USCIS giving me an appointment to have my fingerprints taken. [done!]

D. Have fingerprints taken for FBI for clearance. [done!]

E. Receive form I-171H from USCIS (Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Petition of Orphan Petition) - this means I’m approved to adopt! [done!]


Stage III: Home Study (concurrent with Stage II) [done!]

A. Receive intro package and instructions from Adopt International [done!]

B. Get assigned to licensed Social Worker who will write the Home Study; call Social Worker to introduce myself. [done!]

C. Make appointment to get fingerprinted for California Department of Justice clearance [done!]

D. Make appointment with doctor for medical [done!]

E. Get full medical exam, TB test, HIV test, Typhoid, initial Hep A and B inoculations; get doctor’s signature notarized on four copies of health letter (for Ethiopian gov’t – to be part of my Dossier) and four copies of medical form (required for Home Study) [done!]

F. First meeting and interview with Social Worker (at her office in Sebastopol). [done!]

G. Gather and submit to Adopt Int'l (home study agency) the following documentation:

1. Application Form for International Adoption Home Study [done!]
2. Personal History Form [done!]
3. Fee Agreement International Adoption Home Study [done!]
4. Names/contact info for 4 people to recommend me - Adopt Int’l sends recommendation forms for them to fill out. [done!]
5. Recent photo [done!]
6. Release of Information forms (notarized) [done!]
7. Criminal Record Clearance statement from City of San Rafael [done!]
8. Agreement for Int'l Home Study Services [done!]
9. Certification of Pre-Adoption Preparation [done!]
10. Employment Verification (letter from employer) (notarized) [done!]
11. Medical Report (on form provided by Adopt Int’l) (notarized) [done!]
12. TB Test results [done!]
13. Copy of 2006 and 2005 tax returns [done!]
14. Copy of recent bank statements [done!]
15. Other financial documentation (net worth statement) [done!]
16. Copy of Birth certificate (notarized) [done!]

H. Have fingerprints taken for DOJ clearance. [done!]

I. Confirm with Adopt Int’l that DOJ clearance was received. [done!]

J. Complete the following courses for fulfill Adoption Education requirement:

1. Adoptive Parent Prep Seminar [done!]
2. "Let's Talk About Adoption" [done!]
3. "With Eyes Wide Open" (focus on int’l adoptions) [done!]
4. "Conspicuous Families" (focus on transracial adoptions) [done!]
5. "True Colors" (full-day workshop on transracial adoption) [done!]

K. Second (final) meeting and interview with Social Worker (at my home). [done!]

L. Review draft Home Study provided by Social Worker, make comments/corrections, send back to Social Worker. [done!]

M. Social worker finalizes Home Study, sends to Adopt Int'l. [done!]

N. Adopt International informs me that Home study is officially complete!! [done!]

O. Get five copies of Home Study (one for USCIS, four for dossier) [done!]


Stage IV: Dossier Preparation [done!]

My dossier must include three copies of each of the following:

1. Letter to Ethiopian Government (introducing myself, explaining why I want to adopt from Ethiopia, and committing to providing my child with awareness or his/her cultural heritage) (notarized) [done!]
2. Letter to the Board of Directors of Toukoul Orphanage in Addis Ababa (notarized) [done!]
3. Family Registration Form (notarized) [done!]
4. Financial Information (net worth statement) (notarized) [done!]
5. Letter from my Bank (notarized) [done!]
6. Criminal Clearance Letter from City of San Rafael (notarized) [done!]
7. Three Letters of Reference (different from the forms submitted for my Home Study) (notarized) [done!]
8. Employer Letter (notarized) [done!]
9. Medical Letter (with TB and HIV test results) (notarized) [done!]
10. Birth Certificate (state-certified) [done!]
11. Completed Home Study (notarized) [done!]
12. Copy of Adopt Int'l Agency License (with "true copy" statement) (notarized) [done!]
13. “Obligation of Home Study Agency” form signed by Adopt International (notarized) [done!]
14. Copy of the deed to my house (with "true copy" statement) (notarized) [done!]
15. Power of Attorney – for attorney to represent me in court in Addis Ababa (notarized and apostilled by the State of Calif.) [done!]
16. Form I-171-H (this form is sent to me from the USCIS) (with "true copy" statement, notarized and apostilled by the State of Calif.) [done!]
17. Passport Photos [done!]
18. Family Pictures [done!]

Stage V: Dossier Processing And Submission

A. Dove sends Dossier to Ethiopian embassy in Washington DC to be authenticated and translated into Amharic (a few weeks)

B. Ethiopian embassy sends Dossier back to Dove

C. Dove sends Dossier to Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA)

D. MOWA approves Dossier

E. Dossier submitted to the Board of Directors of Toukol Orphanage in Addis Ababa


{the wait is approx. 4 - 6 months from submission of Dossier to Referral of child}


Stage VI: A Child Is "Referred" To Me

A. Toukol Orphanage board meets (behind closed doors) to identify a child for me, based on the information in my dossier, and their knowledge of the children at the orphanage.

B. Child’s “Referral” papers (including photo and medical information) are sent to Dove

C. Dove contacts me with referral information (Yay!!)

D. Submit child’s information to be reviewed by Pediatrician experienced in international adoption

within a week (but probably immediately)…

E. I accept the referral (or reject, if there is some good reason, and wait for another referral – this is extraordinarily rare)


Stage VII: Adoption Is Formalized In Ethiopia

A. Attorney in Addis Ababa prepares documents for court on my behalf

B. Paperwork filed in court

{about one week}

C. Court date assigned

{several weeks}

D. Court date (Attorney in Addis Ababa appears on my behalf.)

E. Court issues adoption decree – (adoption is now final under Ethiopian law)

{several weeks}

F. MOWA issues permission for me to travel to Ethiopia

G. Embassy appointment date is set (Once I know this date, I can plan my travel to Ethiopia!)

H. Adoption decree translated into English

I. New birth certificate is issued for child (with my last name)


{wait is approx. 4 - 6 weeks}


Stage VIII: I Go To Ethiopia To Get My Child!!

A. Fly to Addis Ababa

B. Stay in guesthouse at Toukol in Addis or at hotel

C. Meet child!

D. Apply for Ethiopian passport for child

E. Get medical and 2nd HIV test (required by US)

F. Go to US Embassy; apply for Visa for child

G. Fly home!


Stage IX: Home Sweet Home

A. At airport – provide child's passport, Visa, and sealed documentation (given to me by U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa) to USCIS agent

B. Get child’s passport stamped

C. File for re-adoption in California

D. Apply for SSN for child

E. Engage Adopt International to create “post-placement” reports

F. File post-placement reports with Ethiopian government – four (4) total