chinakat: February 2007

Friday, February 23, 2007

Vaccines for Travel

After considering the pros and cons of getting vaccines before traveling to China, I decided to get the Hep A vaccine yesterday. This vaccine is recommend (although not required) by the CDC for Americans traveling to China. A friend had a bad reaction to the vaccine so I was reluctant, but decided to be on the safe side. I've had no bad reaction, I think that's pretty rare. I'll need to go back for a second dose in 6 months, although hopefully I will have traveled and be back home at that time. Even if I'm back home safe and sound, I'll go ahead and get the second dose since I've started it. The Hep A virus is introduced through the GI tract, so travelers can be exposed through contaminated food or water, or from another person who is infected with the virus. The nurse giving me the vaccine said that a person can pick up the Hep A virus and not even be aware of having it, but you can be a carrier and pass it on unknowingly. I'm recommending that my four travel mates also receive the vaccine, but that's a personal decision. I almost didn't have it myself. While I was there yesterday I went ahead and got the flu shot, although it's late in the season. May as well get all the coverage I can and I recommend the flu shot for my group as well. I received the Hep B vaccines years ago so I'm covered on that, but my travel mates should look into it and make a decision about that one also.

DETAILS - I'll use this section for recording specifics and dates for those interested!

Fall 2003 - Attended Chinese Adoption seminar. After attending this seminar and meeting the agency president, I know I'm adopting from China, and know I want to use this agency, but I need to get some things in order first..... March 2004 - Sent in adoption application to agency. June 2004 - Received word from agency that I have been placed on their waiting list. Because adoption paperwork is time sensitive, I'm told I can't do anything ahead of time. I will remain on the waiting list until a "spot" opens up for me. ...then I waited... .... and waited.... ....and waited.... ....through a year of limbo....then, June 2005 becomes a very happily busy month: 1. After a year on the waiting list, I received the call from my agency that I can begin paperwork. Finally!! I signed the agency contract, had it notarized and sent it in. Everything has to be notarized during this process. 2. Contracted with separate agency to complete a homestudy. This agency requires nine hours of classes about adoption and parenting. I complete these in 3 classes lasting 3 hours each. The classes were fun and informative. 3. Went to doctor for physical to prove that I am healthy enough to raise a child. There are several forms my doctor had to fill out, for both the adoption agency and the homestudy agency. His signature has to be notarized, and since there is not a notary in his office, he walks down the street to the bank for that. Turns out my agency doesn't like the check marks he used on the form - they said China wants x's, not checks. So I have to go back another day to ask him to do it over, with x's, and again he walks down the street for notarizing. The different pages are stapled together along with the notary page. I take the staples out to fax to my agency to see if it looks ok now. They said yes, it looks ok, but China will not accept any document that has had the staples removed and then been re-stapled. SO.... back to the doctor another day for a re-do, including the walk down the street for notarizing. And this is one of the busiest doctors in town - has to be crunched for time. The medical form difficulties are a good example of how frustrating some of the paperwork can be, and also of how helpful people, like my doctor, can be when you're adopting. 4. Also in June '05 I mail out the I600A application to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration. This is the form asking for permission to bring a child from China into the United States. 5. Ask four people to write reference letters for me - each person will send them to both adoption agency and homestudy agency. July 2005 - I continue paperwork. 1. Received letter from Citizenship and Immigration letting me know that they recieved my application. I'm very excited, but the letter is a disappointment, it basicly tells me I applied to CIS too early - they cannot process the application or schedule a fingerprinting appointment until they receive the approved home study. 2. I'm required by homestudy agency to write an autobiography which includes all events from birth to the present! 3. Final home study agency "home visit" on July 18th. We talk and I turn in the rest of my paperwork. Some fo the paperwork required for homestudy included medical record, driving record from DMV, bank statements, certified birth certificate, proof of life insurance, state police clearance, letter from employer, various sworn statements, authorizations, affimations, releases, .....and more. 4. July 29th homestudy agency sends approved homestudy to CIS! Major milestone! August 2005 - making progress . 1. August 2 - CIS calls to schedule a fingerprinting appointment! 2. August 10 - I am fingerprinted! You can't just go and do this. You have to wait until the CIS gives you permission to get fingerprinted. I was dissapointed that there is no ink like on tv. It's all computerized, the machine looks like a copier and you put your fingers on a glass surface. 3. Guardianship letter completed. China requires a guardianship letter to be written by the married couple who agrees to raise your child in the event you are unable to. This couple is required to meet all the qualifications that a married couple adopting from China is required to meet. I have very qualified and loving friends who write the letter for me. Like everything else, the letter must be notarized and state sealed. This document, along with the the other documents going to China, will later recieve U.S. and Chinese Embassy seals before being sent, along with the rest of my dossier, to China. 4. August 29 - have some final China-bound documents notarized. After this, I'm only waiting for the I171H from CIS which is approval from the U.S. for my adoption. I'll hang onto everything until I get that final document and then send my whole dossier for U.S. and China Embassy seals. September 2005 - spent waiting for the 171. ........waiting........ .........the month passes with no 171 October 2005 - It's coming together. October 12 - phone call from my homestudy agency. They've spoken to CIS and tell me that I've received CIS approval! A relief to hear, but I still can't get my dossier in until I have the actual approval letter (171). I'm running out of time to be DTC (Dossier Sent to China) by November '05. If it doesn't come soon, I'll be set back a whole month. My agency sends a group group of dossiers to China only once a month. I've already met some people in my potential travel group who would be so nice to travel with, plus I don't want to wait an extra month to meet my baby! The others in my travel goup have already received their 171s, so I'm getting worried. Maybe it will come tomorrow..... ....days of agonizing waiting..... October 19 - Still no 171. Since I'm out of time to have my agency get the seals for me (their deadline for getting the seals for me has passed) I have hired a courier service in D.C. to handle the U.S. and China seals for me. The courier can get the seals done for me and send them to my agency. I will have to pay for expedited service at a later date for the 171 seals at the State Department and China Embassy but it still gives me a chance to be DTC by Nov. The courier can get the 171 sealed in one day, by me paying for expedited service, and get it to my agency the next day. If I send everything else in now, I will only have to pay the expedited fee for that one document, if it comes in time. I considered driving the documents to D.C. myself but the courier makes more sense. FedEx will drive my documents all night instead of me driving all night in order to be there at 8:00 am. for seals. But first, things have to be state sealed. I go ahead and send my other documents to be state sealed, and include a forwarding FedEx envelope and instructions to send the documents to my courier in D.C. I go ahead and send photos of myself required by China and other documents that have already been state sealed straight to the courier. I'll repeat this process for the 171 if, hopefully, it arrives soon enough. ....another week of waiting.... October 27 - found out by phone from CIS that my 171 approval had been mailed on the 25th. Wonderful! But I still need to have it in my hands! October 28 - I received my I171H in the mail!!!!! Too late in the day to get it notarized though. October 29 - Had 171 copied and notarized, and FedExed for state seal with instructions to send straight to courier. October 31 - I171H is state sealed. I'm tracking it on the FedEx website so I know they received it and sent it on the courier. Whew. November 2005 - wrapping it up. November 1 - in this one day, my D.C. courier recieved my 171 from state capitol, had it U.S. sealed and then sealed at the China embassy, and sent it overnight to my agency. The courier is worth twice her fee! November 2 - My agency received my entire dossier from the D.C. courier. It's in time to make it in with the group they will send in November. November 14 - My dossier is sent to China! December 5 2005 I don't find this out until later, but Dec. 5 2005 is the day my dossier was officially logged in at the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs). ....waiting.....waiting.....waiting...... July 2006 - year-old homestudy is expiring. July 25 - Visit to Dr. to update medical information. The doctor clears me for another year as being healthy enough to adopt. Paperwork that was required for original homestudy must all be updated since a year has passed. Everything is re-done - financial, health, home visit, criminal check, etc. in order to be approved by my state home study agency. July 30 - Updated homestudy approved. Homestudy agency sends a copy of updated homestudy to CIS. September 2006 - Receive letter from CIS telling me fingerprints will expire in November, that I need to re-apply for fingerprints. I send in application and fee for new fingerprints, asking for a fingerprint appointment. November 2006 - Receive letter from CIS with appointment for re-fingerprinting. December 6 2006 - I am re-fingerprinted! February 2007 - Adoption agency asks homestudy agency to send addendum to CIS. When my homstudy was updated in July '06, it stated that I plan to travel in Dec. '06. Since that didn't occur, it was necessary to send a correction before I re-apply for CIS approval by sending in the I600A form. Both agency representatives contact me through email to let me know when this is taken care of and I'm good to send in a new I600A. Since my I171H expires in April, my adoption agency advises me to send in a new I600A in mid-March. I'm going to try to get it in by the 1st of March.

chinakat

Friday, February 23, 2007

Vaccines for Travel

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

My New Blog!

My Baby's referral picture!

Another cute Referral picture!

Referral "mug shot"!

CCAA updated website

Days Since LID

Current Beijing Weather:

DETAILS - I'll use this section for recording specifics and dates for those interested!

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