Saving Sofia: Americana

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Americana

Just a few snapshots of our kiddos on the 4th of July. My dear friend Michelle Marrone is starting a photography business and she really has a wonderful and unique approach to capturing loved ones. Here are our sleeping baby beauties!

Joaquin (a.k.a. "Squamp"...his brothers made that one up!)

Little Miss Sofi!

Mateo (my little "Tay-Tay")

Mr. D...Diego

12 comments:

shereeJuly 7, 2010 at 10:36 PM
GORGEOUS babies, Jen! I'm sorry we missed the festivities...looks like it was a blast!
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GretchenJuly 8, 2010 at 4:15 AM
Very fun photos!! As if pushing one little one with Down syndrome around wasn't fun enought, isn't pushing two just sweet!!!!

They are all beautiful children!! I'm sure you are loving life right now!
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TUCJuly 8, 2010 at 4:44 AM
Um, is it possible that Sofia has grown even more beautiful in the past couple weeks? What a special day July 4 must have been for you this year :-)
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Anne and Whitney: Up, Down and All AroundJuly 8, 2010 at 9:09 AM
beautiful 4th of july pictures!!!!!
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BulldogmaJuly 8, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Great photos! Sofia looks so... loved! It's an amazing thing to watch a miracle happen :o)
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heidi marieJuly 8, 2010 at 3:09 PM
sofia is BEAUTIFUL! sorry so late on the post. but so glad to see her finally home where she belongs ;)
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AnonymousJuly 8, 2010 at 3:52 PM
God knew she was going to be part of your family from the very begining! She looks just like her brothers!
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Kristin FergusonJuly 8, 2010 at 4:40 PM
Great photos! Tell your friend she did a great job! Your kids are sooooo cute!!!

Kristin
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Monica CrumleyJuly 8, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Great photos! Love J and S sleeping in the stroller. And Miss Sofia is so beautiful! California sunshine is good for her!
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LaceyJuly 11, 2010 at 9:23 PM
Those pictures are gorgeous! I love the ones of Sofia below too! I so can't wait to put bows on my little girl. She's just a bit younger than Sofia, and I know when we get her home, she'll blossom as well!
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EmilyJuly 13, 2010 at 1:55 PM
These pictures are darling! Your kids are precious... Sofia sure is gorgeous!
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aliciaJuly 15, 2010 at 9:37 AM
Sofia es bellisiiiimaaaa!!
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Adoption Timeline

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.

1-27-10- Jen's physical completed. Vaccines administered. FBI and DOJ/Child Abuse fingerprinting completed.

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.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Americana

12 comments:

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