Adoption timeline

A few days ago, Caroline was crawling around next to my desk and pulled out my calendar from last year that had been stashed between the desk and the filing cabinet.  When it got thrown on the floor a few seconds later, it opened up to a page where I had recorded the dates of our adoption timeline.  It's kind of a random time to post it, I realize, but I figured if I put it here, I'd always have it and then the calendar could get thrown away.  (I'm majorly in a purging kind of mood with being the only one to take care of all the STUFF in this house, along with the anticipation of our move.)


September, 2009 - Lucas' first birthday.  We decide to pursue adoption for Baby #2.

November, 2009 - We attend an information meeting at Bethany Christian Services and decide to pursue domestic infant adoption through them.  (I don't have the exact dates for that, but I know it was mid-month.)

Early December, 2009 - Fill out our first, initial round of paperwork for Bethany.

December 24, 2009 - Initially approved by Bethany.  Get to start the REAL paperwork.

Winter 2009/Spring 2010 - Slowly work on home study paperwork, doctor appointments, and background checks, etc.

June 1, 2010 - Home Study.  Our final piece of paperwork (and some checks written!) and we're done with our part of becoming an approved waiting family.  Now, we just wait for our social worker and the Bethany office director to do what they need to do to get us approved.

June 29, 2010 - Home Study Approved!  Officially "waiting."

(March 18, 2012 - Positive pregnancy test.)

March 19, 2012 - THE CALL.  (You can also read about that phone call HERE.)

March 20, 2012 - Met Levi and brought him home.

April 5, 2012 - 1st Post Placement visit.

June 19, 2012 - 2nd Post Placement visit.  (Also, we had an ultrasound that day and discovered that God really did give us a "baby boy AND a baby girl" just as Lucas had always told us he wanted while we were waiting for Levi.)

(June 24, 2012 - Leave Virginia for Colorado.  Levi is 16 weeks old and I am 18 weeks pregnant.)

August 27, 2012 - 3rd Post Placement visit.  (Now we have done everything we can/need to in order for the adoption to go through the finalization process.)

Fall, 2012 - Our attorney in Virginia goes through the finalization steps for us.

November 7, 2012 - Final Order of Adoption signed by the judge.  Levi is OURS FOREVER!!!

(November 16, 2012 - Caroline Rose is born!)

November 17, 2012 - Final Order of Adoption received in the mail, which we picked up after coming home from the hospital with all THREE of our children.


So, from the first meeting we attended at Bethany to receiving the Final Order of Adoption in the mail (Levi's birth certificates came a few weeks later), it was almost exactly a three year ordeal.  God was so, so faithful to bring us through, and he was abundantly gracious to give us not just Levi, but Caroline, as well. 

In other news, we've got just under a week until Daniel is home (WE. CAN'T. WAIT.) and we're doing pretty well.  I can't wait to write some posts and put up some pictures once he gets back.  We get almost a month with him, and then he heads back out to do the next stretch of training until about Thanksgiving time.  I'll be back soon!