Crazy time

well this will be short and to the point. I stopped my Bulgarian adoption for a couple of reasons. 1.) there did not seem to be an end in sight 2.) my current children in my home need more attention than I originally anticipated. It just didn't seem fair to my current children to have to spend so much time with a new orphanage child.

So maybe I will stay at 4 children or maybe continue to grow my family through foster care. I got word last month that a little boy that I have had since 7 month old (now 5) is going to be added legally to my family. His parental right were terminated last month and his adoption should be next summer.

Last but not least, Lennox has been an official member of the family for 5 years now!!!!

More later
Jessica 

I know I keep starting the blog off this way but again I have no news. I have not heard anything from my agency regarding waiting files or anything about potential referral. This is the longest craziest process. It is so unbelievably frustrating knowing that I am ready to get my daughter into my family and Bulgaria is so SLOW!!!

I did however get Maisy's adoption done September 17th. So I have one more done and two more to go. I hope Adrian's is done at the beginning of next year. I never thought that my Bulgarian adoption would be my last adoption to take place. When I started the process they said it would take 18month from start to finish. Well it has been 2.5 years of waiting. Next year I will have to spend money to update my immigration pal artwork and homestudy. That should Be approx $1000. BOOOO!!!

Anyway
More later
Jessica

Still nothing

well there goes updating the blog every month 😒!!! It's hard to update an adoption blog when nothing is happening. I got Kadins adoption done in Feb and Maisy should be soon. But I have heard nothing on the internation front. My agency had twin girls that were 5 but the state of Illinois would not approve me to have that many children in my house under the age of 6. So it was back to waiting.

Many people in the facebook group have waited years for their referrals so I can't complain when I have only been waiting 18 months. I will try and keep myself busy with the four children I have and trying to find a new house.

I will try and be better about the blog bc I want to look back someday and remember the waiting, remember how hard it was.

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Jessica

January update

HI Jessica!

Just wanted to let you know I heard from our Rep and your new approval has been submitted to the Ministry.

Have a great day

I received this email January 22nd. So I have no more deadlines in the near future just waiting for my referral.

More later

Jessica

January update

my fingerprints came back and so did my approval from immigration. I also had to send in a yearly declaration to bulgaria that I am still committed to adopt. Well, I said in my last post that I was under a deadline and I have made it with a couple weeks to spare. I got word today that my paperwork was sent to bulgaria. YAY!!!!

The next stage is more WAITING:(

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Jessica

December update

I don't have to much of an update except that my home study update was complete and sent in to USCIS. I sent the application for immigration in with the updated homestudy.  I waited a couple weeks and got an appointment (1 week notice) for my fingerprints. I go tomorrow morning at 0800 for my prints. If my prints read the first time, which they have the last 2 times, then I hope to have results in a few weeks. My results will trigger immigration to give me an approval letter to bring an orphan into the country as an immediate citizen. This letter needs to be in bulgaria in 5 weeks. My deadline is fast approaching. Anyway that is all I knew for know. I hope that I can post good news next month about my letter getting to bulgaria on time. My new letter has more special needs listed in it so that could change my wait. By the time my letter gets to bulgaria I will have waited 1 year since being registered. The wait time is still approx 3 years for children under 3. My age range is 3-8 so I am not sure what my timeline actually is.  All I can do is wait!!!!

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Jessica

paperwork expired

Well I have had my first set of paperwork expire.  My USCIS expires this December so it needs to be updated now.  USCIS is approval from US immigration to bring an orphan into the states to become a citizen.  So this process is pretty easy but still frustrating.  I can't get USCIS extension without an updated homestudy.

I updated my homestudy today.  I had to get physical, new financial forms, copy of tax forms, new background checks and employment letter.  The social worker for homestudy came out to see kids and update my original paperwork with new ages and adoption progress of foster kids. 

Once she gets my homestudy done, it will go to interstate compact in Illinois for approval.  I will get a copy of homestudy after this approval to sent with extension application.  USCIS will then send me a new appointment for biometric fingerprints.  After my fingerprints are run, I should get new approval letter a month or so later.  This approval from USCIS will then go to Bulgaria. 

I will then have another 18 months before this paperwork expires. I have my fingers crossed that I will have my new daughter home long before the next paperwork expires.  I still have NO idea on how long it will take before I am matched with her.  Generally children under the age of 5 are taking 3 years to match.  My age limit goes up to age 8.  There is no real timeline for children over the age of 5 except "usually less then 3 years".  So the long long wait to be united with my daughter continues. I say a prayer for her every night because she is out there somewhere just waiting.

more later
jessica