Journey of a Lifetime: June 2009

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

1 year and refinalization!

June 2nd marked our 1 year anniversary with Aaden. It seems crazy it has gone by so fast yet I hardly remember our days with out him! Here are some photos:

June 2, 2008 - Bryansk, Russia

June 2, 2009 - Home

Today we refinalized Aaden's adoption in the US Courts. He will officially have a US birth certificate now! It was surprising how quick it was (about 3 minutes!) but it was great to have my parents there to share in the special moment:

Grandpa, Grammy, Mommy, Aaden, Michael, & our judge

After court, we brought Aaden to the park to see the ducks and ride the carousel and then out to lunch:

Aaden hanging with Papa Duck and baby

Aaden and Mommy

Aaden sitting on the duck (a fake one of course!)

Daddy and Aaden

Aaden's first carousel ride!

6/7/08 - Home with Aaden
6/2/08 - Aaden in our arms forever!
5/31/08 - Leave for trip #3 to Russia
5/21/08 - Home for the 10 day waiting period
5/20/08 - Visit Aaden & court hearing
5/17/08 - Leave for trip #2 to Russia
5/7/08 - We get THE call. Aaden is ready to come home :) We leave on May 17th for trip #2.
4/4/08 - We find out all our paperwork has been submitted to the Bryansk courts and nothing else has been required
3/21/08 - We are back home to start the waiting process again.
3/19/08 - We petition the court in Russia to start the adoption process of Aaden
3/18/08 - We meet our son Aaden for the first time!
3/15/08 - We leave for trip #1 to Russia
3/12/08 - We get a blind referral to travel to Bryansk in 3 days!
2/18/08 - Dossier is moved to Bryansk Region
12/5/07 - Find out our dossier has arrived in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
12/4/07 - Russian Orientation Class to learn about our trip :)
11/29/07 - Michael's birthday and our agency got reaccredited!
10/29/07 - Dossier is approved by agency and sent off to Russia!
10/23/07 - We got our I600A fingerprint approval in the mail!
10/10/07 - Finish Russian dossier paperwork & get it all notarized. Now we are just waiting to get the fingerprints back to send it all to be apposilled.
10/4/07 - Go into immagration to get our I600A fingerprints for the Russian adoption.
9/24/07 - We are on the books for domestic adoption. Hoping and praying we get picked.
9/19/07 - Home study is finalized. We are officially approved to be adoptive parents! :)
9/18/07 - After talking through it all we decide to double apply to both Russia and the United States, given the current situation.
9/12/07 - Find out we can no longer request a girl. We are okay with this but are now worried there are other issues and setbacks with adopting from Russia. Lots to think about!
8/21/07 - Start working on Russian dossier paperwork. What a stack of paper!
8/20/07 - We completed our final at-home homestudy meeting with Lauren & Michael, Lori, & Ryan.
8/14/07 - Our second pre-adopt parenting class & we are done :)
8/7/07 - Our first pre-adopt parenting class at agency
7/23/07 - Our second homestudy meeting with Lauren & completed Packet "B" of paperwork.
7/18/07 - Our first meeting with Lauren.
7/10/07 - We are officially assigned our social worker Lauren.
6/25/07 - Fill out Packet "A" paperwork & send into agency
6/21/07 - Meet with agency for the first time & submitted application

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

1 year and refinalization!

Here we go again!

Love at first sight

Finally home!