Update on Process...

I spoke to Ellen at my PA Agency and she made me feel alot better...I told her of my frustration and concerns about the fingerprint thing taking so long and she gave me a brief run-down of where we are;

Once HS is approved (meaning Fingerprints issue solved) - HS Agency will mail it to PA Agency in which they will sign and send off for apostille, once that comes back the HS Agency will forward it on to the INS.

INS - will review - which will take approx 4-6wks - and then they will send me the I171H - which is the "Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Adoption for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition" - This means I am approved! :-)

As soon as my HS is done - PA Agency will send me some paperwork to sign for my dossier. Which I am currently working on the last bit of my dossier right now (which I didn't know...I thought I had a bunch of papers to still fill out...but she said I was ahead in that dept.)

I am going to go to Richmond on Monday (1/28/08) to get my 5 birth certificates apostilled (I have to make a pit stop at the vital statistics office to get a couple more BC) and then I have to mail some more pictures of the house and the BC, mail off my check to HS Agency for Post Placement stuff, make sure HS Agency gets their licenses stuff to PA Agency and then my dossier will be DONE!!!! Wow...did I just say that! Great news!!!

Then the dossier is off to Russia and then I wait approx 4-6 months for a referral. Uh Oh...more waiting! LOL!!! But at least it will be on its way and I will just wait for God to pick out my beautiful child!

Ellen said I will be either going to Moscow or St. Petersburg for my referral.

I know it sounds like alot...but I just feel closer...well, at least I know where I am!