If there is one thing you get relatively good at during the adoption process, it's paperwork. It doesn't matter if it's a domestic adoption or an international adoption-- there is a lot of paperwork. There is more paperwork with an international adoption because of all the notarizing and certifying. There is also more paperwork because of the travel requirements (Good Ole Homeland Security).
This week Jason and I had four documents notarized (thanks to Christine at the law firm where I'm summering for helping us get that done quickly!). My mom also had a travel release notarized in San Francisco, which she then overnighted to me in San Diego. I put all the documents in the mail to our agency in Colorado. But that wasn't the end of it. . .
We also had to fill out visa applications and send them in with passport photos to the travel agency handling it for us in San Francisco. My mom is in North Carolina, but she was on vacation out here when we got the referral, so we had to wait for her to return to NC so she could mail us her passport. Luckily we did the photos months ago. Well, when my mom mailed her passport, she sent it Express overnight through the Postal Service (at my request). I had her send it to the firm because I didn't want her passport sitting on my front stoop. She sent it on Wednesday and it was scheduled to arrive yesterday (Thursday) by noon. It wasn't here by noon. . .
So I went hunting. Turns out our law firm has someone pick up the mail each morning at the post office and deliver it. They pick up the mail at 8:00 am and the package arrived at 9:15 am. So off I went to find the package. The first post office I went to sent me to another post office. I had an address but no directions. I got lost and then called my assistant Shelby from my regular, school-year job. She was going to map it out for me and give me directions while I was driving, but then I found the place.
Once I got to the post office place, they wanted the address of the firm, not the name (duh!). But I don't have the address memorized. Nor do I know the phone number. So I had to call one of the other summer associates on her cell phone to get the information (thanks, Jennie!). Anyway, once I got the package, I had to get back to a different post office to mail all our passports and visa applications to San Francisco (it needed to get there this week so there would be enough time for processing before we leave the country). Anyway, I made the deadline and it should arrive in San Francisco before noon today. Phew!
Lest you think that's the end of the paperwork, it's not. In addition to all the travel paperwork, we also have to update our homestudy because Jason changed jobs. This required a letter from his employer regarding his salary and dates of employment and a letter from my employer verifying that Marcie will, in fact, have insurance coverage when we return. We meet with the social worker this weekend, and she will write an update/amendment to the homestudy document, which we will hand-carry to China. This is a requirement by the U.S. government, not the Chinese government.
And as all this is going on, Jason's wallet has gone missing. No idea where it is. We already cancelled and received new credit cards, and Jason already went in for a new license. Yesterday I cancelled our debit card. It will be 10 days before new ones. Jason was going to pick up temporary ATM cards for us since there are no branches of the bank near where I work-- but of course he won't be able to do that because he has no license and I just put his passport in the mail to San Francisco for the visa. So now he is ID-less and money-less. Good times.
I know it will all work out just fine. This is just how life goes sometimes. And once we see Marcie, we won't care about the cost or the paperwork or any of it-- we will just be so happy to hold our daughter . . .
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