9-25-99 Went to an informational seminar at Carolina Adoption Services (CAS)
9-30-99 Mailed in agency application and fee
10-10-99 Went to CAS picnic in Greensborro, Gave them autobiographies and ½ homestudy fee
10-20-99 Received "adoption binder" full of info and forms
10-21-99 Mailed I600A to INS with fee and fingerprinting fee
10-23-99 Attended CAS Pre-Adoption class
10-26-99 Social Worker Vicky begins our homestudy
10-29-99 Received appt. letter from INS for fingerprinting
11-1-99 2nd visit from Vicky, gave tour of the house
11-8-99 Got fingerprinted
11-9-99 Individual interviews with Vicky
11-11-99 My physical
11-17-99 Mitchell's physical
11-19-99 Hepatitis A vaccines
11-22-99 Mailed service agreement and fee, bought book from agency to learn Russian
11-29-99 Homestudy finished, e-mailed to us for review
11-27 thru 12-17-99 Watched many classes the agency sent me on tape
12-7-99 Received Ukraine packet from agency with Dossier info.
12-16-99 Got Criminal Record Checks and certified copy of Marriage Certificate
12-17-99 Got phone call that homestudy is complete!
12-21-99 Mailed other ½ of homestudy fee to CAS, Sent 1 copy of Criminal Record Checks to CAS, Mailed homestudy to INS
12-22-99 INS received homestudy
1-12-00 Found out that INS hasn't received fingerprint clearance yet. Called FBI. Found out that it had been approved by FBI 12-4-99 and INS never received it!
1-18-00 Received I171H
1-19-00 Mitch got dossier authenticated at state level -appt. 2pm {I was in surgery!}
1-19-00 Sent dossier to Ray in D.C. to get next to level of authentication and Ukrainian Embassy authentication
1-29-00 Sent original and 2 copies of dossier to CAS to forward to Ukraine
2-4-00 Received dossier back from CAS
2-5-00 My parents & sister threw us a "baby" shower!
2-8-00 Sent dossier back to Ray in D.C. to be put back together (gromet had come apart)
2-10-00 Got letter from US Embassy in Warsaw, Poland stating that they received the cable that we were allowed to adopt 2 children and needed to know from witch country. I notified them by e-mail and they confirmed by e-mail the next day.
2-11-00 Got dossier back from D.C.
2-14-00 Mitch brought dossier back to CAS and had meeting with Tania
2-16-00 Dossier sent by CAS to Ukraine
2-24-00 Confirmation call from CAS that Dossier had been received by translator and had been looked over by NAC first to make sure it looked OK.
3-1-00 Translation is complete! As of today, the Dossier is at the NAC!!!
3-8-00 Dossier is approved by NAC!
3-25-00 Attended CAS class Beyond Basics
3-28-00 Got call to travel
3-30-00 Sent Ray Visa applications
4-1-00 Invite letter is here! Was faxed to Ray.
4-3-00 Got call, there was a paperwork error and now it won't be until May.
4-25-00 Something is going to happen soon!
4-28-00 Got call to travel, waiting for confirmation this time!
5-5-00 Got confirmation! We are leaving the 22nd!
5-7-00 Went to CAS picnic in Raleigh
5-10-00 Bought tickets!
5-12-00 Sent final fees to agency
5-15-00 Tickets came fedex today!
5-22-00 Leave for Ukraine!!!
5-23-00 Get to Ukraine!!!
5-24-00 Went to the National Adoption Center to be referred to Kharkiv
5-25-00 Went to the orphanage and met our kids!
5-30-00 Got the kids passports (1st time they were ever in a car!)
6-1-00 Went to court & were legally pronounced parents! Got Alek's new birth certificate.
6-2-00 Got Ana's new birth certificate & took custady of children!
6-3-00 Ana said her first new word!
6-4-00 Took the train back to Kiev
6-5-00 Doctor visit for exit check-up
6-6-00 State department. And Alek said his first new word!
6-8-00 American Embassy in Kiev. Fly to Poland.
6-9-00 American Embassy in Warsaw.
6-10-00 Fly home!
6-16-00 Ana's 1st ear infection
6-28-00 First American check-ups!
7-00 Lots of visitors!
7-28-00 Changed cribs into toddler beds.
8-27-00 Alek put 2 words together.
8-30-00 Alek got circumcised.
9-3-00 Ana (& Alek) had their 1st Birthday "party" (very, very small!)
2-27-01 Became American Citizens!
11-19-02 Got American "Birth Certificates"
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