DTC TODAY!!!

I cannot believe it!  The paperchase is OVER.  Our dossier is on its way to China.....we started the adoption "process" on July 5th with our homestudy agency, American World.  Over the next 6 weeks, the boys were very patient as I collected papers, made emails, and ran errands to get the necessary items for our   dossier (the pack of papers that basically tells our life story!).  We paperchased in the midst of swim team, summer camp, birthday parties, soccer camp, running club and starting 5th, 2nd and kindergarten!  We received our completed home study on August 26th and sent it off on August 27th for USCIS approval (from the Department of Homeland Security).  William and I had to be fingerprinted again for this last step, and then we received our approval for that on October 6 (the letter actually came on October 12!).  Then, it was off to Washington DC for the US Department of State and the Chinese Embassy for the last "stamps."
After I mailed it to our courier, The Assistant Stork, I emailed our agency BAAS (Bay Area Adoption Services) to find out anything else I would need to send with our dossier.  I found out a few days later that our BAAS special needs coordinator was leaving for China on October 26, and would be gone until November 8 or so.  She requested that we get our dossier to her to review before she left.  Unfortunately, it took longer at the Embassy than expected, and I had lost hope that I could get it to BAAS by Monday, October 25.  However (praise HIM!), our great courier was able to work with us and we got our dossier to BAAS yesterday.  The SN coordinator reviewed it and has taken it to China WITH her to HAND DELIVER it this week!  Thankfully, no more chances of being misplaced, lost, damaged :)
So, now we wait....for a LID (log-in-date) and then for the next shared lists to come out. I do not know when we will match....only God knows that and I fully trust Him for his timing.  The boys are SO excited....they cannot wait to SEE her.....they have prayed for months that wherever she is, that she is warm, full, and loved.  Ben prayed the other night that he knew his heart would smile so big when he finally gets to see HER face!  (me too, sweet boy!).

So that is our BIG milestone....one of many, I know.....but it now feels so much more "real," tangible....

Love,
Eve