Paperwork Update

Well, we felt like we should update everyone on our paper pregnancy. After initially being so overwhelmed with all the stuff to do for the home study, I took a day off just not to think about it and then went back to work. I discovered that much of the home study paperwork was merely signing one document after another. So Dottie and I sat down one evening and just started signing. Before long we had checked off over half of the paper work to be done. That gives you one great feeling. In addition we have gotten both of our children's physicals done (Dottie and I just keep putting ours off). All in all, things are moving along quite well.

We are also working on the paperwork for the dossier. Before we began the process we had heard a lot of talk about the dossier but I really think the home study paperwork is much more complicated. The dossier is mostly sending off for your various certificates (birth, divorce, death, etc.). Perhaps the only thing that really makes it more difficult than the home study is the fact that virtually every single piece of paper has to be notarized.

Finally, we sent off today our I-600A Application to the USCIS office in Charlotte. We have heard that it can be quite a wait to get an appointment for your fingerprints and that it is best to send this application off as soon as possible. We won't get our approval until the home study is complete but by sending in the application now we get put into the system for awaiting fingerprinting.

Anyhow, I am sure this hasn't been the most exciting post you have read...well, that is the nature of a paper pregnancy. Maybe paperwork is the equivalent of morning sickness - it may not be much fun but it's a sure sign something is happening.

Paperwork Begins!

Well, today we began to work on the paperwork. Yesterday when we received the package I was simply overwhelmed and never even finished reading everything. So today I decided just to start and tackle one piece of paper at a time and hope that by the time I was done that I would feel that something was accomplished. I dare say that there is still a lot to do but a lot has been done even in just a day. If you haven't started your paperwork, one thing that has given us a true sense of accomplishment is that we had ordered or found items such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, etc. Today, was just a matter of putting it all in order. Our next biggest task facing us is scheduling physicals for everyone. We are praying that the kids will get in to see the doctor before Oct. 1. They get new insurance then and their co-pay will cost us $60.00 compared to the $0.00 co-pay now. We also heard from our social worker today and have our first home study meeting scheduled for Oct. 13 (I have until then to hide the wires hanging out of the wall - just kidding, Rebecca).

All in all, today is better than yesterday. I don't quite feel so buried in paperwork. We may actually get this done.