Our Adoption Time Line So far...

I wanted to give a time line of what has occurred so far with our adoption...

• November 10, 2007 - We called our agency to let them know we wanted to make Otoniel part of our family. He is 3 years old, will be 4 years old on June 14th.

• November 12, 2007 - We signed our agency contract making it official and contacted Adoption & Beyond to get our home study started. BEGAN PAPERCHASE!!!

• December 5, 2007 - Power of Attorney sent to Guatemala to be filed. (had a huge delay with good old US Mail! ). This is the document needed to "Grandfather" us in before Dec. 31st!

• December 10, 2007 - Homestudy is completed. Dossier goes to Secretary of State for Certification.

• December 11, 2007 - Fingerprinting Appointment. I-600A filed at USCIS.

• December 13, 2007 - Felicia notices an error on one of the documents that had been state certified. The certification had the incorrect notary. Back to Secretary of State office!

• December 14, 2007 - Documents sent to courier in Chicago (Denise with There's Always Hope).

• December 17, 2007 - Guatemalan Consulate in Chicago receives paperwork for authentication.

• December 18, 2007 - Dossier completed and sent to agency.

• December 20, 2007 - Dossier sent to Guatemala!

• December 25, 2007 - Otoniel's Christmas gifts sent with the Armstrongs, along with the book Felicia made him that tells him all about his new family!

• January 4, 2008 - New law now in effect. Adoptions officially are haulted in Guatemala. Cases that have been "grandfathered" in will continue to be processed as normal. All cases that have been grandfathered in will have until January 31st to get registered with the new Central Authority that does not exist!

• January 9, 2008 - New Central Authority is announced! Things are looking up for all of us "Grandfathered" cases.

• January 9, 2008 - Received new pictures of Otoniel!

• Currently still waiting for I-171H. AND of course - still waiting to bring our son home!