LID and Care Package!

On July 22, our dossier was logged in to the Chin@ Adoption Aff@irs, which means it's being translated and reviewed. Now we wait for our LOA, which is truly a LSC, a letter seeking confirmation. This is the last long/big step we wait for. It's taking an average of 2 months after LID. I'm hoping to get it mid September. Some folks get LOA in as early as 40 days, some it takes 100 days. That's a wide variety, but I'm hoping for the average 2 months if not before.

When we get our LSC, we sign it and send it back to our agency. From there, the remaining steps are short ones, 1-3 weeks per step. There are many of them, and on average they all together take 8-12 weeks. There is still a chance we could travel the beginning of December and be home by Christmas. That's my hope of all hopes!

On a different note, I've collected a care package to send to our sweet girl. I'm waiting on the address of the China coordinator, and then can get it into the mail. We are sending our package, plus emailing a letter to Tessa, and ten questions for her orphanage/foster home. That all gets translated and delivered with her package.

We are also ordering through the care package company- a camera and two rolls of film. We should hopefully get that film back when we get Tessa in China. I hope it shows part of her life in her foster family.

The final thing that goes with her care package is an "Adoption Celebration" cake. The company I'm using contacts the orphanage, and delivers it on a day when Tessa's foster family can bring her in to the orphanage. They will email me pictures of her with her cake, and hopefully the answers to our ten questions. And also: MEASUREMENTS!!!! That's huge, b/c then I'll be able to shop.

I'm thinking about 3 weeks. One week for everything to get to China, and they say 5-10 business days for the pics and info. And her being in a foster home can lengthen the process a little as well.

I will take some pictures of her goodies we are sending, and share that soon!