Planned Long Ago: because tonight I needed to laugh

it was one of those days.

i really, really needed to laugh.

Our Adoption Timeline

3/26/2011 Get on a plane and travel to Rwanda!

3/21/2011 REFERRAL!

12/8/2010 Approval Signed in Rwanda

9/30/09 Dossier in Rwanda!

9/25/09 Dossier Sent to Rwanda
9/25/09 Received Non-Objection Letter from Rwandan Embassy
9/3/09 Dossier at US State Dept., then Rwandan Embassy
9/3/09 All documents at AWAA
8/31/09 Send dossier to AWAA (with 2 documents missing)
8/25-8/31/09 Work like crazy to get these 3 documents certified
8/25/09 Find out I don't have 3 documents certified
8/25/09 Receive I-171h!!!!!! Record time!!!
8/19/09 USCIS Fingerprint Appointment
8/13/09 USCIS received my home study
8/12/09 Home study approved by DSS!
7/9/09 Home study arrived at DSS...wait for approval
7/7/09 Submitted I-600a application to USCIS
7/6/09 Home study approved by AWAA!
6/11/09 Home study sent to AWAA for review
6/4/09 Received rough draft of home study
5/19/2009 Third and final home study appointment
5/18/09 Second home study appointment
5/15/09 First home study appointment!
5/9/2009 Received Criminal Clearance Letters
5/8/2009 Physicals
5/7/2009 my first visit to the bank to get something notarized! It was free! What a relief. I told her I'd be seeing a lot of her.
4/25/2009 Sent in home study agency application and fee
4/22/2009 Sent in initial agreement and fee
4/21/2009 Accepted to the Rwanda program!
4/15/2009 Applied to AWAA

Our Adoption Costs

1st Month:
Application fee $250
First Installment of payment $1500
Home Study $2675 (four pre-placements meetings and 3 post placements)
1st Month Total: $4425

2nd Month:
Joel's Birth Certificate $8.00
Regan's Birth Certificate $18.00
Marriage License $2.50
Hague Training $175
State Criminal Clearance $50.00
Postage $2.39
2nd Month Total: $255.89
Sum Total: $4680.89

3rd Month:
Birth Certificate $38.95 (I tried to do the "just apply through Vital Records in Washington DC" where I was born, but that was an exercise in futility. So, then after waiting with absolutely no results, I used VitalChek for this, which is definitely more expensive, but they get the job done, and quickly! I did not choose their expedited service, and literally received this 4 days later, using regular mail!)
3rd Month: $38.95
Sum Total: $4719.84

4th Month:
USCIS application and fingerprints $830
4th Month Total: $830
Sum Total: $5549.84

5th Month:
Serious postage costs:
FedEx #1 $23.38
FedEx #2 $12.67

Sending out two documents that didn't get certified, and of course a return envelope 4x $5.65 (USPS flat rate envelope and delivery confirmation)

VitalChek comes through again for marriage license $32.75

Cost of document certification:
Joel's birth certificate $2.00
Marriage license $10.00
Regan's birth certificate $10.00
Dossier documents from my own state $38.00

Copies of dossier documents $19.57
5th month total: $170.97
Sum total: $5720.81

6th month:
FedEx #3 $17.20
FedEx #4 $23.38
Program mid-payment for my agency $1500
Courier Service, Translation, and Authentication $1200
First half of International Program Fee $1700
Post-Placement Deposit $1,000
6th month total: $5440.58
Sum total: $11, 161.39

Planned Long Ago

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

because tonight I needed to laugh

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