Our Adoption Timeline

And this is how we began our Journey......

February - June 2007

My husband and I decided to adopt in December 2006. We went to different adoption workshops, until we decided to go with Children's Hope International. We started the initial paperwork in February 2007. I spent restless nights trying to compile everything together, in order to be able to turn in a completed dossier, until we got delayed by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. It turned out that we had to wait until we received approval for the I-600A application and therefore, receive an approved I-171H, before our dossier could leave to Russia to be translated. Well, it took about three months before we got the final form. After everything had been received, notarized, tripled checked and apostilled, it was sent to our CHI rep, Marti for checking. We were then assigned to the region of Tver. Finally on June 1, 2007, our dossier left to Russia.

July - December 2007

After the dossier left to Russia, we thought that things were going to move very quickly, and our dream was to have baby Matthew or baby Maya home for Christmas.... but boy we were wrong. Mauricio and I tried to keep busy while waiting.... we ordered the furniture for the baby's room, which took about 3 months to arrive. Our Best Friends, Rafael, Sol and my Mom gifted us the furniture for the Baby's room (Thank you Guys, We Love you!!!)
We decorated the room with a Winnie the Pooh theme. which it would work perfectly for both boy or girl. We have been purchasing baby clothes for a baby boy, but we recently stopped after we have found out that the last 3 referrals that have been received from Tver have been little girls. Don't take me wrong my husband and I (and the whole family) would be the happiest parents in the world with either, but my husband thinks that we should wait and see. Uncle Nelson has been buying things for his future nephew Matthew (which we really appreciate). But as I said we decided to stop buying until we get "The Call". After that we will know for sure what to buy.

Throughout the months of November and December we kept getting ready waiting to get the call that we had been registered. Unfortunately, because of the reaccreditation process we were not registered and we still have not! During those days we updated a few forms, but nothing major happened. Sadly, we ended the year without having our child with us. We keep praying and hoping that 2008 will be better.