So The Work Begins

Ok - now committed to hosting and to being prepared to adopt if all goes well we began the tedious process of dossier preparation. First we had to find an agency to do the home study. We got lucky and found Nathanson's Adoption Agency which offered an expedited home study - we got that done in approximately 3 weeks! Record time - GO NATHANSON'S!!! They were wonderful and I highly recommend them!!! Next came all the other paper work and dreaded "dealing" with immigration/homeland security for fingerprinting and the highly coveted I171H form to adopt. Long story short - we had Maggie in our corner guiding and helping and we filed w/ immigration October 13 and were done the week after Thanksgiving! AMAZING - we completed the whole dossier in 2 months!!!! We were done before Ira arrived December 16 and could focus only on her and our visit with her. We had so hoped this would be the case and that we would not be doing all this paperwork while she was here - but indeed have it done and be ready to submit it to Ukraine as soon as she left to go back! Horray - we got very lucky and accomplished just that!!!