Big Day--I got my FBI clearance with the apostille back today. Rushed to Fed-Ex, made copies, and shipped the completed dossier with two copies overnight to my Agency. I was just giddy at the Fed-Ex place and rambled on and on to the clerk about how important and big this document was. She probably thought I was crazy.
It is funny how things happen but I ran into an old but very good friend at the Fed-Ex place just as I was leaving so I had some one to share my happiness with. He was just as excited as me and we talked for almost an hour at Fed-Ex.
I am not naive enough to think that all will be rosy now--it is very likely that I will be asked for some other type of paper that they think up or it is possible that Russia will not like one of my forms but..I am hopeful that all will be well.
After writing my last two posts I decided to be more positive. I also heard from several other mom's in various stages of waiting that shared very similiar frustrations and difficulties so I also knew that I wasn't alone. Although I really wondered why we all had to have such difficult times with paperwork but decided to try to look for a positive reason and this is what I concluded:
We are adopting children that started thier lives in an orphanage and then had to travel half way around the world to find thier families. There will be situations that arise throughout their lives where they will not fit neatly in the boxes designed for so-called "normal" children. As their mother's and father's we will need to advocate for them at all those times and we will be prepared because we had to start doing it before they even came home. Whether it means being assertive, getting a little bitchy, or being downright crazy to get them what they need--we have already done it during the paperwork chase. So, in a nutshell, we will be better parents for having gone through this.--at least I hope so. Otherwise what was the purpose?
For now, I am just sitting back and enjoying the thrill of having it shipped off!
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11 comments:
Congratulations! What a relief! Praying that its smooth paperwork sailing from here on out! The documents are such a PITA and you are definitely not alone! It does help to have others to commiserate with!
Your last paragraph was fantastic!
Yeah whooo! That's a big step out of the way - even it you have to take a couple more baby steps to finish up. Maybe they'll be happy with the package and get the dossier in the right hands. I've got my fingers crossed for you.
And I agree with you about fighting so hard for our children even before you bring them home. Because you are so right, there will be times when she won't fit into the boxes society wants us all to fit into and you'll have to fight for her right to be different. Even the simplest boxes in life are sometimes not easy for IA kids. When I was filling out a medical form for Lexie's ear tube surgery, the nurse called me to ask what her nationality was since I had checked other, as they didn't have a box for Kazakh. When I explained where she's from she said "oh I'll just put China." Oh no, she's not from China and you won't "just put anything!" I was really surprised I needed to ask someone in the medical profession to be sensitive to someones race but those darn boxes had to be checked!!
So you certainly have the right attitude. Just make it happen no matter how may times you have to check the box that says no you don't have leprosy (my personal favorite from the Kaz Medical form!) and remember who you are doing it for....your darling little girl. It's worth a hundred forms!!
Hope you are on another long plan ride soon.
Happy Holidays,
Lou Ann & Lexie too
Yay - congrats on getting the dossier off. That must be a big relief! I'm hoping that that's it for paperwork now for you. Hey, miracles do happen! ha!
No worries about bitching and moaning - that's what blogs and friends are for. And I always lived by the philosophy that "the berries taste sweeter on the top of the mountain!" Fitting for an international adoption.
Excellent news! I bet it feels good to get that off your plate. Now to enjoy the holidays and hope for good news soon of when you can go see your sweet girl!
Yeah, and way to go Mary! You have your eye on the "prize" and you can't ask for much more then that! she will be home soon!
Lisa
I'm glad your dossier has been sent. I hope everything goes smoothly from here on out.
Merry Christmas!
Alright so happy your dossier is off! We got ours off on Thursday - it felt so good to have it leave my hands and move onto someone else. Now we wait more but hey, we are getting used to that - its some of what our IA mommies do best...wait.
Woo hoo!That is great news Mary. And I think you are absolutely right about the lesson to be learned an used someday from the experience of preparing a dossier! It can be grueling!
Blessings to you! May the wait be short!
Great news that your dossier is off!! You are right, we have been fighting for our children far before they have come home. I am so happy for you that it is so close and that you had fun showers!!!! It is your time, Mary!!! So close, 2010 will be awesome!!
....LOVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE!
- Kari
I really hope this is the last of your paperwork. It is good to expect a re-do, just so you can say, "yep, I saw this coming," rather than, "you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! They want me to send them what!?! " If the paperwork is to their liking, BONUS!
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