In order for the home study to be completed we need a statement of health from Brenna's doctor. She has an appointment next Tuesday. Chad and I have to complete another 8 hours of training. We should be able to wipe most of that out this weekend. We will be traveling, and I can read with him as we drive. (There is not live training in our areas, so our choices are web-based training and books.) We also need to meet with Lindsey two more times. One of those times will be this Friday, the other is yet to be scheduled. And that is it... as far as I know.
Once we get the home study approved, we send it along with the rest of the dossier to IAN, our placement agency. As long as we have correctly crossed all our t's and dotted all our i's, we are then put on the wait list. I think there is a very good chance that we will be on the wait list by the middle of December.
While on the wait list we have to file an I-600A form with US Immigration and receive their approval to adopt an immigrant child. We can not accept a referral until we have a I171H - their approval. (These forms are still clear as mud to me! But what I think I understand, is that we need the home study done before we can do these US Immigration forms, we can be on the wait list without full US approval, but can not accept a referral.)
Once we receive and accept a referral, a court date will be set. That date seems to come about 8 weeks or more after the referral is accepted. Court seems to be delayed/rescheduled a lot. Once court takes place, the adoption is final - but we will have to wait 8 weeks to go and bring our son home. This is the time needed to process all the paperwork. So, for those of you wondering when will Joshua come home, the answer is God only knows! But I do not think it is humanly possible for his homecoming to be before June, and that would be very fast.
Typical time on the wait list is 5 to 8 months. We will be on one of the shorter lists, since the toddler boys list is not the most popular (when we first started this process their were little boys waiting for referrals and no one to send them to), so our wait will most likely be on the short side. But once again who knows!
I do not feel stressed about the timing at all now. I am fine with waiting. I just want to get all my stuff in so Joshua does not have to wait for us. The wait I do dread is from seeing his face(aka accepting his referral) until we go get him. At that point you will all need to distract and encourage me! I plan to save painting and arranging his room for that time period, but I am a pretty fast decorator.
My wonderful sister-in-law sent me a great waiting verse today. It comes from Habakkuk 2:3
"If it seems slow, be patient!
For it will surely take place.
It will not be late by a single day."
This feels more real every day and as it feels more real, my excitement builds!
