What is the referral?

I thought I would take a few minutes and talk about the referral and the next steps. I am writing this without my trusty guide so some small details may be incorrect but I think you'll get the general gist of it.

The Logged In Date (LID) is the date that the Chinese government logged us into their system. This came months after we started the process. Between choosing the country, meeting with our Adoption Practitioner, getting referral letters, fingerprinting, work info, exhaustive health check up, choosing an adoption agency, getting our file from the Adoption Practitioner translated etc - the time can really vary for most couples.

The next thing to happen is called waiting. No special new word here but definitely a new meaning to the word for Brian and me. Waiting in the adoption world means something different to every couple let alone each person. It is the time when you have absolutely no information to give to family and friends or for that matter to quiet your own heart. You can't plan events too far out in case it speeds up. Can you post for a promotion or take that course or spend that money - tough questions when you have no inclination when you might be a Mom.

So the referral - as that was the purpose of this post, right? The referral will contain Alex's picture, her health, her age, the province she is in, whether or not she is in an orphanage or foster care and the tentative travel date. A pretty big package! We also have lots of forms to fill out once we get the referral.

Next steps:

• File will leave China (CCAA) - about 6 to 8 weeks before we travel.
• My adoption agency (CB) receives the file and calls us. They give us any information that they can decipher.
• CB sends an email with her pics and the information they have already given.
• The file now goes for translation.
• CB sends an email with the purolator tracking number.
• I book appointment with the Adoption Pracitioner and Doctor - separately!
• We receive package and have five days to have the above meetings and fill out the docs.
• Send back acceptance to CB.
• CB sends acceptance to China.
• China send travel approval, firming up the dates about 2 weeks before we go.

I hope this info is of some help!

Maybe two days now???????