Adoption Process - Week 29 2/25/2005
This week was a great week for us. Our dossier was finally submitted to the National Adoption Center in Kyiv (or Kiev). The news from the message boards I frequent seems to indicate that they are now processing dossiers in a very timely manner and sending out invitation letters and appointment dates expeditiously. The actual appointment dates we are hearing about are as early as April and as far out as August. We are hoping that ours will fit somewhere in that range as well.
We have a new idea for adding some lively color to LT’s bedroom. More on that as we make progress on it.
I also think I may have found a great option for our airline travel to/from Kiev. I’m not going to go into any details at this time, but I’ll update later if it works out as great as I think it might! Of course we can’t make any definite travel plans until we have our appointment date at the NAC, so it may all change once that happens.
I’m going to try to start collecting things for our trip. In addition to normal travel items for us and for LT (clothes, snacks, amenities, time-fillers, etc.), we will need to pack a mini medcine cabinet in order to be prepared for all the possible aches/pains/digestive troubles/infections/ailments LT (or us for that matter) might be facing. We will also need to take with us a good supply of gifts, which are offered in thanks for assistance, services, or simply in appreciation.
We are still somewhat aglow from the good news from monday. After feeling like we were forced to be “on hold” for so long, it is so relieving to finally be moving forward again.
Edited to add some stuff I forgot:
I also got my third and final Hep B. vaccination this week. While I was at the Dr.’s office I was able to get another notarized copy of her medical license, since the old one expires in May. I then had to take it to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office to be apostilled in order to be accepted by the Ukraine government. Then I sent it off to Cheri, who is going to Ukraine next week. When she visits the Adoption Center she will be able to hand-deliver this “updated” document to them, thereby demonstrating that we are being proactive and conscientious about the status of all of our documents. I can’t imagine anyone not paying attention to things like that, but I suppose it happens, and I’m told it can cause a holdup in the process, and we certainly don’t need any more sources for those!
Just in case you have to make more than 1 trip(we did and it was totally worth it!), I would advise you to bring the following: a backpack filled with a soft toy, crayons, playdough etc., and a photo album, preferably one that records short messages with the photos, and if not, then a tape player and recording of you and your husband singing, speaking English, saying the child’s name etc. When my husband and I had to leave because of a waiting period, we hired a college student who spoke English to visit our daughter several times a week until we returned. She brought the backpack, played with her, and showed her the photo album that we had filled with photos of us, our home, her room, the 3 of us together, etc. We had the kind that records, so she heard “Twinkle Twinkle” and “This is Mama and I love you” and her name, and all kinds of things. The one on one attention was great for her, plus it really helped her remember us, and the person we hired emailed us after each visit which made us feel so much better. Even if you couldn’t find a person to visit your child, the nurses at the orphanage could at least keep a photo or 2 of you in sight.
Congratulations! You are moving along! I hope you get to go over there soon!!
Colleen - thanks for the tip! Those are really great suggestions. I hope we won’t have to make two trips. I’d just as soon live in Ukraine for a month if need be, but you never know, and sometimes ideas like the one you shared have more than one application.