Thanks to everyone requesting that we start a blog I thought after creating a blog site in January maybe it was time to start on it......
Here is a not so quick summary of how Tessa came to us...
We had strarted inquiring about intl. adoption in July, read and read and read about agencies.
Came to Commonwealth Adoptions Intl and they were out of Tucson Az. I asked many agencies to send info via mail and spoke with some over the phone. After speaking with Deb Kaiser multiple times via emails and phone we felt comfortable with this agency.
Taiwan was our first choice but the waits were longer, then thought about Guatemala, and decided the lawyers got a lot of the money for processing the adoption. Didn't like that one at all.
So we chose China. We signed with CAI on what was my Dad's birthday. Thanks Dad!!!! I miss you!!! For he was the one I spoke the most often to about adopting....He knew it was in my heart for a long time. We chased documents, had a homestudy, got fingerprinted and many backround checks because they couldn't sign the papers right.... had physicals for everyone in the house and then had all those documents state certified, and then authenticated through the Chinese Embassy and our dossier(Documents for China) were off in Jan 06. We were officially logged into China on Feb 17, 2006 with the wait now around 8 mos. The wait kept on increasing and increasing. Finally, one night on Dec.7, 2006 I was on my adoption agencies web page and read "Babies waiting on Families in Taiwan" my stomach hurt... I called the next day and asked my great case manager Traci Good about the program and she asked if we were interested in switching. I said yes...... She said we needed to be pre-approved so she sent the info off for that and Monday Dec.11,2006 I got the news that we were approved and we were willing to start with the contract that day for Taiwan.
The next day I was having my nails done and my phone rang and I saw it was CAI our agency and I could not get the phone. I went outside to call Traci back and she told me I had a 7 wk old baby girl. I cried so hard and shook!!!!! I was so shocked...
I don't know how I drove home to get on my computer to see our baby girls face. She was beautiful. A blessing to our family. We are soooo lucky to have been chosen to be her parents.
So here we are today June 25, 2007 after receiving her adoption papers from Taichung, Taiwan, the end of December. Sending those off to be certified by sec of state, having them authenticated in Atlanta through TECO and then updating our homestudy for Taiwan and being re-fingerprinted 5 hrs away and sending it all back to Taiwan and into the courts around the 6th of Feb 2007. She had her court hearing March 13, 2007 her first ruling May 16,2007 and waiting patiently(NOT!!!!!) for her final ruling. It can come at any time. It is just a phone call away.... Once the call has come. We will book our travel that same day if we can. It should be 7-10 days that we will be on a plane to pick up our sweet Tessa from Taiwan....
Please Please keep us in your thoughts for a safe and pleasant trip. We will post when we have any more info. Thanks to everyone for the love and support that you all have expressed or shown towards our becoming a family of six. EEEKKK!
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