Adoption #2 Update...Listen Up Homies

Many have asked where we are in the process for bringing home #2. At this time, our dossier is almost done. Things in IL take a lot longer ( intense background checks from every place you have lived since 18) then most states which is why we started this journey early. Our home study is being approved by DCFS and then it goes to immigration. After we get our HS back and I-800a (permission to adopt a child from a foreign country) or I-800 (I forget which one comes first at this time) from USCIS, they go on their journey of getting authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Please pray for our documents that are at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago at this time. I did a major boo boo on Monday. Being so excited about the near completion of our dossier, I sent 9 documents to Chicago to be authenticated in the same manor as I would send them to the Secretary of State to get certified. I sent the documents with a cover letter, payment and return envelope. I omitted copies of the papers, copy of my passport and the G-1, the form to get the documents authenticated. OUCH! After realizing this moment while making banana bread with Ty, we got together the remainder of the documents, minus the copies and made an express trip to the post office to overnight these documents. Hopefully the Chinese Consulate will either send back my original documents or go ahead and authenticate the papers despite the copies. I tracked the envelopes and they arrived within minutes of each other so it is my prayer they will put 2 and 2 together. Once our dossier is completed, it will go to China. At this time, it looks like it may be another year before we receive a referral for a girl between 0-2 years with correctable special needs. Then again, it could be any time. It has been our desire Ty would be between 3-5 when we receive our referral for our daughter. We want to be able to take Ty with us back to China to experience his homeland the process of adding his sister to our family.