The dossier has been posted!











Now for translation and notarising and blah blah blah other stuff that someone else does. In a few weeks we will be asked for some more cheques, then our file will be sent to China. Some time after that (could be a couple of months) we will get a LID (log in date) and then everything hinges on that date.

Families who are being allocated currently, have a log in date of roughly 2 years prior. We are expecting an allocation date of up to 4 years past our log in date.

So don't start knitting the booties yet...

Finding Zhao Gu

Every month, the China Centre for Adoption Affairs refers children to families. The families currently receiving referrals have had their files in China for a bit less than 2 years. The last few referrals have only included a few days worth of families (does that make sense?) To make it clearer, the families referred this month had their files logged in at the CCAA in the first two weeks of December 2005. That's why I believe that we will have a four year wait from when our file arrives to when we are allocated. It used to be quicker than that, but as more people apply and there are more families waiting, it takes longer.

Anyway, if you like to have a cry over the babies allocated this month, here they are at China Adopt Talk.

Now that we have been approved, it's time to start the quilt. My lovely friend Stephanie has been patient for so long but her quilting fingers are itching to get going. So until I find a spare minute to write the letter, you can start browsing fabrics and thinking about what you would like to say. Pop on over to our 100 Good Wishes blog and you can read a bit about why we are doing this, and also learn a bit about quilting in general.

Steph has a way of getting completely average non-creative joes to create masterpiece quilts. It hasn't worked on me yet, but it has on plenty of others.

Progress report:

I have had my police check with fingerprints. (That's a bit embarrassing. You just want to tell everyone who walks past "Oh, I'm adopting... I haven't been arrested... I'm adopting... yes, hello I'm adopting...") For the record the cost for that is $146.70 and I had the certificate back within a week. It just says that I don't have any criminal convictions anywhere in Australia.

Scott and I have both had our medicals ($102 each) and blood tests (bulk billed to Medicare.) Scott has to go back to the doctor as one of his tests indicated something funny in his kidney or liver or something (I always get those two mixed up), possibly related to the medication he is on for his cholesterol.

I have my Certificate of Profession from my employer, but Scott's is going to take longer because he is self-employed and our company tax is a year behind. I will be nagging him about this constantly... oh wait... I already do.

We have to have it all together and submitted by end November because we will be away in December and I don't want us to be the couple who hold up the batch!