Dossier Done!!!

Hooray!!!!!!! Our Dossier is done!!!!

Last Tuesday, August 19th, our I800A was finally approved. I was all set to go to our County clerk's office to have them certify all of our documents on Wednesday and then head into the city on Thursday when I learned that Brian's birth certificate needed a "letter of exemplification" in order to be certified. I had never heard of this, let alone know it was necessary. I almost threw up when the women on the phone at vital records told me that I had to order a new birth certificate and this "letter of exemplification" and that it would take up to three weeks to get it!!!!! After speaking to a supervisor, and breaking down on the phone(though I tried really hard not to!), they finally agreed to process it immediately and send it overnight---Thank God! I was literally having trouble breathing thinking that everything would get held up almost another month! So, late Wednesday afternoon the package came, and Thursday I went to the county clerk's office. Friday, after a very sleepless night dreaming about all sorts of different things going wrong, I was off to the city to have everything Certified and Authenticated. We ended up making a family day of it and I'm thrilled to say that the day went seamlessly. We got into the city with little traffic and headed right to the New York county clerk's office to have Brian's birth certificate certified. With no line I was out in five minutes and off to the State Department. No line there either, was out in about 10 minutes and headed to the Consulate. Walked in, waited about two minutes, and handed my papers over to be authenticated. I can't even describe the sense of relief and overwhelming emotion I felt knowing that after six months of trying to push this paper work to get done, it was finally going to be complete. In the meantime we spent some family time at the wax museum and the toy store while we waited. Then the time came to pick up the paperwork so I walked back up to the Consulate while Brian and the kids finished shopping! I walked out of the Consulate with our completed paperwork in my hands and tears in my eyes, grateful for the ease of the day, and knowing we were finally getting closer to bringing our little guy home. We finished a wonderful day by going to another museum and then out for a great dinner.

Now I am just waiting for our social worker to send me a copy of the addendum she did for USCIS and our dossier will be off to our agency and off to China later this week!!!!!!!