We Did It!!

Well, the long awaited post is here! We are finally DTC (Dossier to China) as of Dec. 2nd. We came home from Kentucky last Sunday to find the I-171-H was awaiting us. The USCIS in Detroit must be getting on the ball or maybe it was because they have had our fingerprinting since August!

We immediately went into a flurry of activity starting that evening. I was typing up last minute things for the agency and laying out a plan of action to make the Dec. 1st deadline. We went to Lansing on Monday for the great seal. We dropped off the remaining bits and pieces that didn't need seals (passport photos, pictures of our family, etc.) at Adoption Assoc. after going to Lansing.

On Tuesday I took a trip to Chicago in order to get the Chinese Consulate seal done in time. All of our other documents came in via the big Brown truck on Tuesday morning after I left, so all I had left was this one remaining seal. I tried to get there before they closed for lunch, but they had moved 3 blocks east to a large office building. My taxi had already taken off, so I hiked it down Erie Street to the new location to be told that they closed at 11:40. I was there at 11:52. Their sign even says they close at noon--check out the pics in my next post. Did I mention that Chicago isn't called "The Windy City" for nothing? It is COLD!! The man at the desk told me he would let me go up at 12:45, so I went to the largest food court on Michigan Ave. for Chinese and came back to be 2nd in line to drop off the paper. The lady at the window told me I could pick it up the next afternoon.

I then hiked back to Michigan Ave. to go to one of my favorite stores--H&M. They are a European store with trendy clothes for great prices. Most of my shopping was done in the kids section of course! I shopped some more and then went back to Moody to meet up with a friend who was going to let me stay in her dorm room there at the college. They also let you park for free, so it was a great deal for me. (Thanks Sara T.!! It wouldn't have been possible without your hospitality!!) I took Sara out to dinner and then we hung out in her room as she had homework to do.

The next morning I got up and was first in line to pick up our paper. I wasn't sure that it would be ready, but I figured I could give it a shot. Well, they are very efficient there at the consulate, because it was done and ready to go! So, I came home and we were able to deliver all the papers to our agency in time for them to be shipped to China on Friday.

So as soon as we get our LID (logged-in-date) telling us when our dossier is logged in at the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs), we will be able to start counting down the months. The LID is usually a couple weeks after DTC, but you don't find out the LID for another month or so. Right now our agency is saying it is taking 8 months, but it is possible that it could take longer. The CCAA just reported that the slowdown was partly due to a delay in receiving the children's files that are ready to be adopted.

So here's to waiting. . .