Sofia was an orphan with Down syndrome in Eastern Europe and now has a forever family. Join us on our adoption journey and thank you for helping us bring her home!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Waiting...
Waiting...patiently...for our sweet baby girl. Here is a picture of the first dress I bought for her. She'll wear it when we baptize her. We can't wait to bring her home!
What a beautiful dress-I love the lace at the bottom...she is such a lucky girl to be coming to a family that loves her so much already. We are thinking about you often.
I bet you are already having a great time just thinking about buying girlie stuff!! How fun. That dress is gorgeous and I can't wait to see Sofia in it.
I am an East Sac mom who authors a local moms blog/event calendar and I've included your button in our sidebar. I'd like to advertise the Saving Baby Sofia crab feed and do a short write-up next week if you wouldn't mind. It is incredible to read your story-- my family and I are praying for you and yours!
Tegan East Sac Mom "June" www.eastsacmom.wordpress.com
Darn it, just got your comment about the crab feed. Well we will still include the post next Tuesday and hope it attracts some donations. Sorry I was too late in getting the information.
Hector and Jennifer have been married for over 8 years and have three beautiful biological sons: Diego (age 7), Mateo (age 5) and Joaquin (age 2 with Down syndrome). They thought their family was complete but always longed for a daughter. In December of 2009, Jennifer discovered Sofia at Reece's Rainbow during the Christmas Angel Tree Project. She sponsored her and instantly fell in love. She thought that Sofia would be the perfect addition to her family of boys. After much thought and prayer, Hector agreed to move forward on Jennifer's dream and together the family decided to pursue adopting Sofia. They finally brought her home in June 2010 and the boys have their baby sister now. Joaquin and Sofia are almost exactly one year apart so they will be BEST BUDDIES!
The picture that caught our eye on Reece's Rainbow. Born February 21st, 2009. Adopted on May 6th, 2010. Home on June 15th, 2010. She has blonde hair and beautiful almond shaped hazel eyes and rosebud lips!
Her Big Brothers
Diego, Mateo & Joaquin LOVE their new baby sister!
12-13-09- Grandma Esther passed away. Discovered Sofia at www.reecesrainbow.com and decided to donate to her grant fund in honor of Grandma and the Christmas Angel Tree Project. Couldn't get her off my mind.
1-1-10- Received Sofia's Christmas Angel Tree ornament and put it on our Christmas Tree. Still constantly thinking about her.
1-24-10- Hector and I decided to commit to adopting Sofia. Contacted Andrea at Reece's Rainbow.
1-25-10- Contacted Across the World Adoptions to begin the Home Study.
1-26-10- Sent our application to Reece's Rainbow and sent a check for the FSP Donation, Love Offering and Promise Trust.
1-28-10- Faxed Home Study Application and Agreement. Mailed hard copy.
1-29-10- Hector's fingerprints completed for FBI and DOJ/Child Abuse. Completed the required 10 hours of International Adoption education credits.
1-31-10- Mailed USCIS our I-600A application and fees.
2-1-10- Employment verifications completed for Home Study. School evaluations completed on Diego and Mateo. Received dossier paperwork from Reece's Rainbow.
2-4-10- Assigned a social worker for our Home Study at Across the World Adoptions. Had over 15 documents notarized.
2-5-10- Hector's physical completed. Vaccines administered. Child Specific Petition and Power of Attorney's notarized and ready for apostille.
2-8-10- CSP and POA's apostilled and shipped to Sofia's home country! First home study visit is scheduled for 2/15.
2-10-10- ALL paperwork completed for Home Study! YEAH! Working on gathering the rest of the dossier paperwork.
2-15-10- 1st Home Study Visit completed.
2-16-10- 2nd Home Study Visit completed.
2-22-10- Received our I-797C Notice of Action for our Orphan Petition.
2-25-10- State Police clearance fingerprinting done. Apostilled 20 documents at Secretary of State office.
3-1-10- Final revisions completed on Home Study.
3-2-10- Jennifer fingerprinted a third time for USCIS. Hector's police clearance letter received.
3-3-10- Hector fingerprinted a third time for USCIS.
3-4-10- Home Study, Agency License and Social Worker Licence notarized and mailed to us today.
3-11-10- USCIS Approval!
3-12-10- Dossier shipped out to Sofia's home country!
3-15-10- Dossier arrived in Sofia's home country!
3-25-10- Dossier officially submitted. Approximately 10 day wait to get travel date!
4-6-10- Received our SDA appointment for 4/22 at 9am! Booked our plane tickets for 4/19 arriving on 4/20.
4-14-10- Volcano erupts in Iceland causing flights to be grounded throughout Europe!
4-19-10- Flight is cancelled. No alternative routes are available. Requested new SDA appointment.
4-20-10- Got a last minute flight to Kiev through Vienna, Austria.
4-21-10- Arrived in Kiev, Ukraine!
4-22-10- Completed SDA appointment at 9am. Received referral at 6pm. Hopped on a midnight train to Dnep.
4-23-10-Arrived in Dnep at 7am and ran around Dnep for 11 hours today with our facilitator Marina gathering papers and getting notaries. Met Sofia!
4-26-10-Took Sofia out of the orphanage to get her picture taken for Visa immigration, US Embassy and the SDA. 7 day wait begins for court date.
4-27-10-Prosecutor says our documents are complete and ready for the judge and court proceedings.
4-29-10-Still waiting for interpol clearance so court date is set for 5/13.
4-30-10-Interpol clearance arrives. Court date moved to 5/6!
5-6-10- Court completed and Sofia Andrea Sanchez is officially adopted! 10 day wait begins.
5-16-10- Return trip is set for 6/6 and we'll arrive in Dnep on 6/8 to begin the process of bringing Sofia home, hopefully on or before 6/17.
6-8-10- Arrived in Sofia's region and completed all necessary paperwork for her new birth certificate and for her Ukraine passport.
6-10-10-GOTCHA day! Took Sofia out of the orphanage and home to our apartment.
6-11-10- Got Sofia's Ukrainian Passport and took overnight train back to Kiev. Changed return flight home to 6/15.
6-14-10- Got Sofia's Visa at the U.S. Embassy.
6-15-10- Going HOME!
6-16-10-Applied for Sofia's Social Security Card.
7-15-10- Received Sofia's official certificate of U.S. Citizenship in the mail.
That is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Please be sure to send us pictures of her baptism and her wearing this beautiful dress.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress-I love the lace at the bottom...she is such a lucky girl to be coming to a family that loves her so much already. We are thinking about you often.
ReplyDeleteOh it is just scrumptious!!!!! Sooo adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous dress! She is going to be the luckiest girl to be in your family!
ReplyDeleteWaiting right there with you, girlfriend! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dress. Sofia will look absolutely yummy in that!
Kristin
oh Jen...that is such a sweet dress! And just think- I have about 10,000 more for you! ;)
ReplyDeleteI bet you are already having a great time just thinking about buying girlie stuff!! How fun. That dress is gorgeous and I can't wait to see Sofia in it.
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness, I had this vision of her in that dress receiving her baptism blessing... it gave me sweet chills.
ReplyDeleteI am an East Sac mom who authors a local moms blog/event calendar and I've included your button in our sidebar. I'd like to advertise the Saving Baby Sofia crab feed and do a short write-up next week if you wouldn't mind. It is incredible to read your story-- my family and I are praying for you and yours!
ReplyDeleteTegan
East Sac Mom "June"
www.eastsacmom.wordpress.com
Darn it, just got your comment about the crab feed. Well we will still include the post next Tuesday and hope it attracts some donations. Sorry I was too late in getting the information.
ReplyDelete