Timeline, up to now

Just to bring this blog up to date, here is an abridged timeline of everything we have done so far: (It may seem long, but believe me- there are so many details that I have left out so as not to overwhelm my readers!)

Fall 2007: Paul and I decided to start the adoption process; I began spending hours online researching agencies and the process in general. I spoke to several agencies, and even went to an informational meeting for an agency here in town. I was very disappointed that none of the agencies were willing to let me begin the process now since Paul would be deploying in February.
February 19, 2008: Paul deployed.
March, 2008: I contacted CAI and asked for more information.
March 11: I was contacted by Rochelle, an intake manager for CAI. We immediately hit it off since we have a lot in common. We e-mailed back and forth quite a bit over the next couple of days. Since she is also a Navy wife she understood our situation and agreed that there was much of the process that I could begin now, even with Paul deployed.
March 13: Paul and I decided to go with CAI. I filled out the application online and sent in the application fee.
March 14: We were approved by CAI.
March 22: I signed the contract with CAI and paid the contract fee.
March 26: I contacted Barbara, a social worker recommended by Rochelle. She was very kind and helpful and agreed to work with us.
April 21: I began my online parenting class (a requirement).
May 21: I sent away for Paul's birth certificate.
June 2: Paul's birth certificate arrived.
June 25: Paul sent our requests for police clearance from Naples (we have to get clearance from every place we have lived in the past 5 years).
June 30: I completed the application for the social worker and sent it in.
July 6: Paul got his Letter of Employment signed and notarized. I finished my autobiography.
July 11: Paul returned from deployment!
July 17: Paul and I spent the morning being fingerprinted and getting forms notarized.
July 18: I had my physical, then went to the post office to mail in our fingerprints, our requests for police clearance from Florida and Virginia, as well as Paul's birth certificate back to Wisconsin to be State Certified/Authenticated.
July 21: Paul finished his autobiography, I typed up my Letter of Unemployment and our Certificate of Property/Financial Statement. Also, I finished the online parenting course!!
July 22: Paul began the online parenting course.
July 23: I mailed our autobiographies in to the social worker. We also got Paul's birth certificate back from Wisconsin with State Certification.
July 28: Paul worked all weekend and finished up the online parenting class!
July 30: We got our police clearances back from Virginia and Florida. Unfortunately the Florida one had to be redone because the notary's commission was not valid for at least 1 year (another requirement).
July 31: I called and asked for a new Florida police clearance, and also ordered my Georgia clearance which I will pick up next week when I'm home.
August 2: We had our home visit with Barbara, our social worker. Although I was a little nervous about this (I had heard horror stories!) it was actually not a problem at all. Barbara was wonderful and made the whole process pleasant and stress-free!
August 3: After the home visit was complete I drove home to Georgia to complete paperwork in person.
August 4: I picked up my Georgia police clearance, as well as our marriage certificate, and dropped off my Explanation of Surgery form with my surgeon for an operation I had several years ago. Also, Paul's 2nd police clearance arrived from Florida, still wrong. (This time there was NO notary signature at all!) Paul called and requested clearance #3.
August 5: I picked up my birth certificates.
August 6: I picked up my Explanation of Surgery form from my surgeon (basically stating that I am medically capable of being a great parent). My mom and I then drove downtown to have my police clearance county certified at the courthouse, then we went to the Department of State to have my police clearance, birth certificate, and our marriage certificate State Certified/Authenticated. We went home, feeling very accomplished, only to find out that our agency, CAI, was going out of business! Everything was put on hold until we figured out what was going to happen.
August 7: We were passed to another agency. I faxed a consent form to allow our paperwork to be passed to the new agency.
August 8: Opening ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing! I watched with pride and amazement as my daughter's birth country put on quite a show!
August 9: I drove back to Virginia.
August 11: I typed up our "Letter to China," basically a cover letter that will go with our dossier to China.
August 14: I spoke to the Executive Director of our new agency; he agreed to pick us up right where we were with CAI. He did not charge us any fees that we had already paid to CAI, which was wonderful and we were so thankful, but we did have to start back at the beginning with filling out an application and contract with them.
August 15: I mailed in the application to our new agency.
August 18: We got Paul's 3rd police clearance from Florida- STILL WRONG!!! This time it was signed by the original notary (the one who's commission was valid for only 2 months, instead of the required year).
August 20: I called Florida for police clearance #4 (needless to say, I was not exactly friendly this time!)
August 22: The 4th police clearance from Florida arrived today, finally correct!!
August 27: We signed a contract with the new agency.
August 28: I mailed in the new contract, Paul's police clearance back to Florida for State Certification, as well as a couple of my Georgia documents back to the Secretary of State since they were not dated correctly the first time and needed to be redone.
August 29: We found out that we had to redo our physicals since they were done on CAI letterhead and, since that agency is now defunct, they need to be on the new agency's letterhead. I called my surgeon and asked that they complete another Explanation of Surgery and made another appointment with my doctor here for a new physical; Paul did the same.
September 2: Barbara completed our home study!
September 11: Our home study finished review with our agency; it was only lacking the new physicals
September 16: I started our blog! (We are now up to date!)