David's Timeline: 2nd Adoption (Began 2008, ended?)
- Began our adoption journey in the beginning of 2008 by registering with Adoption Centrum in Stockholm
- Attended adoption class in Sweden (just because Swedish bureaucracy said I didn't know anything even though I had adopted once before in the States and I was an adoption professional - not bitter at all !)
- In June we were told by the county social worker that since we would not be in the county for several years (an summer vacation was coming) that we had to wait until we moved into Alingsas at the end of the summer.
- In September 2008 we began our home study in Alingsas.
- Homestudy passed the Alingsas Committee in December of 2008.
- Accepted into the Pilot Nepal program in the beginning of 2009 (were amazed Nepal opened, but so thrilled to be adopting a girl from Nepal -dream come true).
- Paperwork logged into the Nepal Ministry for Women and Children on May 12, 2009. The wait for our daughter begins (so we thought).
- February 2010, we are informed that the Nepal program will be shut down in Sweden due to corruption issues and the UNICEF/TdH report. If we didn't have a referral by March 31 we were done.
- March 31, no referral
- April 14th, a friend and Lawyer in Nepal states that I have a referral not knowing I cannot accept it.
- April, Andreas tries to talk with the International adoption board of Sweden to allow us to take a referral. We were totally denied!
- June, we search out how much money was lost and what the next options are.
- End of June, 2010 we switch agencies in Sweden to Barnens Vänner and make a chose to proceed with a Taiwan adoption.
- July, given a chance to adopt a child from Taiwan, with one major issue we had to sort out. We had to update our homestudy and put together a dossier as quickly as possible.
- July to September... heart wretching months of prayer, seeking out professional advice, and more prayer.
- September, we say no to that referral and are told "by Taiwan", that we probably cannot adopt through Taiwan because Andreas and I are from two different countries.
- After a few more weeks of prayer Andreas comes to me and tells me he has been praying and that he is now ready to work on an adoption through the China Special Needs program. (something that has been really hard for him in the past, I am thrilled and for both of us it feels as if we have gotten back on the track God wanted us to be on. Can't explain it, just know it. Thanks Jesus!)
- October saw us try to put together our 3 dossier of this process. Andreas really stepped up and worked hard on these papers. More of the same old - I (Laurie) was reeling from all the grief and dissappointment. We had to get an updated version of our homestudy since it was about to run out and jump through all the hoops yet again.
- November, the committee approved us to adopt again. Laurie and Sam spent the month in the States because Laurie's grandfather (Dr. Robert A. Traina) was dying and did die while we were there. Andreas stayed home worked his butt off getting all the seals and stamps and sending the dossier here and there.
- December 23rd we finally sent out finished dossier to Barnens Vänner.
- December 27th our dossier was sent to China
- January 14th we received our LID!
- January 24th we received an unofficial referral from the 80 hour list.
- January 25th talked with our friend and pediatrician in the States at 1:30 am our time. She gave us the thumbs up .
- January 26th we said yes and our agency sent paperwork to ask China for the official referral.
- January 27th we post Samuel's video telling everyone that he has a brother (precious)
- February 2nd it was confirmed that China had received the information and was processing it.
- February 24th we are told that our dossier has moved up in the process and it will be 4-8 weeks before we receive our LOA. Should travel 6-8 weeks after that. (possibly May or June).
- On March 17th we received our LOA!!!!! Now we have to get a few things signed by our social worker and then once it returns to China it is a 6-8 week wait until we travel. We will be booking preliminary tickets for the middle of May!!!!!
