The First Official Interview!

Jennifer, my social worker from Lifelink, came to the house on September 5 to complete Regan's second post placement visit. While she was here, we also started the first interview required to start Gabriel's homestudy information! Yeah! I have a list of "homework" to complete and get started. Lifelink does not directly complete adoptions from Vietnam and so I will have to apply to a second agency to officially complete the adoption. Jennifer told me that Lifelink is partnering with Faith International to complete Vietnam adoptions. The good thing about this is that I would be able to keep Jennifer as my "go to" person. The bad thing is that I have been in contact with Faith and don't have a comfortable feeling about them. I'm still leaning towards using Children's Hope International. The downside of using CHI is that they have a VERY long wait. The process could take 3 or more years. I'm not in a huge hurry, but three years is a little long!

It Has Officially Begun!

I'm doing it! I am officially starting the process to adopt a child from Vietnam. After much deliberation, I have officially turned in my application to Lifelink (same agency I used to adopt Regan). I waited a little while to allow Regan to adjust and to just gather my thoughts and make a plan of action for expenses and our living situation. Joel was never supportive of the idea of adopting again and since he was not supportive of Yunnie, I put my thoughts on the back burner. It is a blessing that I now have the opportunity to fulfill my dream of becoming a mother again.

Unlike with China, Lifelink is not licensed to complete adoptions from Vietnam. I asked my previous social worker, Jennifer, to complete my home study. I will then have to pick another adoption agency to handle the adoption. I am undecided between two agenices. Children' Hope Internation is a very large and well known agency. They are saying current wait times to receive a referral are 12-15 months for a boy and 2 years for a girl. This is following ~4 months of time that it takes to complete the homestudy. You would then travel ~4 months after your referral. Unlike China, with Vietnam you get your referral earlier in the process and then have to wait to travel. The other agency I am thinking about is Carolina Adoption. They are who Lifelink recommends. They are currently not taking any more applications. The thought is that they will be ready to accept applications around the time my homestudy is complete. They currently say they are 5 months to referral and then 4 months to travel. I'm just not sure I am ready for another baby that soon! I would really like something in the middle of the two! And of course, you can't ever know for sure. When I first applied to adopt from China, the estimated wait time was 6 months and it turned into 16 months from the time of dossier to China!

I am not going to request a specific gender, but I would love to have a boy! Even without me specifying a gender, it will probably end up being a boy because there are more boys available for adoption than girls. The exact opposite of China! I already have a name picked out for a boy and I have bought 2 outfits that I couldn't resist! His name will be Gabriel. Like Regan NanZiYun, I will probably keep his Vietnamese name as his middle name. I am so excited, but have not told alot of people because it is such a long process things may happen that slow or halt the process. It is hard to start and have questions asked all of the time about when it is going to happen. No one knows!