The who, the what and the where...

I can't wait until we can add the when to that title!

Here is our timeline to date:

December 4, 2007 - after many unsuccessful infertility treatments, Kyle and I decide that we will adopt. We started with our local CAS (Children's Aid Society), we also considered international adoption. After a lot of research, China was our choice.
We then needed to pick an agency. After some more research, Open Arms to International Adoption sounded good to us. We called Deborah Maw and set up a meeting.
March 01/2008 - Meeting with Deborah Maw, director at Open Arms
March 03/2008 - Signed with Open Arms contacted Sal Garofalo-social worker and contacted National Bank of Canada. (The only bank in Canada that offers International Adoption loans)
March 7/2008 - Meeting with Sal
March 17/2008 - doctors appointments, a mandatory component for our homestudy We were tested for EVERYTHING. Inside and out!
March 18/ 2008 - Kyle dropped off our homework. Sal had given us some homework to start the homestudy process.
April 08/2008 - 1st Homestudy visit
April 12/2009 - we had to get fingerprints done! Interpol clearance and local police check!
April 13/2008 - 2nd Homestudy visit
April 19/20 2008 - 1st session PRIDE training
April 26/27 2008 - 2nd session PRIDE training
PRIDE is a mandatory course for perspective adoptive parents. It is taught by an approved social worker. In our class, there were 10 other couples. Most who've decided to adopt internationally. The course ran for 2 Saturdays and 2 Sundays from 9-5. Lots of information! Thank goodness we passed!
May 23/2008 - homestudy is completed and sent to the Ministry of Youth and Children Services.
June/2008 - service agreement signed with Open Arms to International Adoption Agency.

It's official!

July 11/2008 - revised homestudy sent to Ministry.
July 20/2008 - meeting with Deborah at the agency. We finalized our Dossier!. A dossier is the paperwork that goes to Beijing. It has a copy of our homestudy, medical reports, a letter of presentation. (Kyle and I had to write a letter to our future daughter.), lots of pictures, a copy of our passport, long form copies of our birth and marriage certificates, letters of employment and financial status records! LOTS of stuff! Our dossier was finalized at this meeting.
July 31/2008 - loan money received!
August 6/2008 - Funds sent to Open Arms
August 08/2008 - received letter that our dossier has been sent to Beijing! This is amazing news. Now we wait for our LID (Log in Date)

It's officially official now!!

September 08/2008 - received letter ! We now have our log in date!! August 18/2008. Received our travel information, a complete booklet of lots of great information. Very cool!

January 20/2009 REVISION - received our update (January 20/09) our dossier was sent August 15, received August 18 and we are logged in August 26... so our LID is August 26. :)

January 18/2010 - decide to switch to the SN program. Changed agency's to FOI

January 26/2010 - meeting with Sal at our house, discuss switching programs

February 12/2010 - REFFERAL DAY - luckiest parents in the world! Just received a refferal for the most precious baby girl ever born! We know who our baby Lauryn is!

February 19, 2010 - Sal comes to our house to present Lauryn's file to us formally

February 24, 2010 - China approves our Letter of intent. Status changed from pending to approved

March 10/2010 - LID has been reviewed! Patientlly waiting for our LSC and our travel announcement!

April 07/2010 - Letter of No Objection is received from the Ontario Ministry

April 13/07 - LSC - Letter Seeking Confirmation or LOA Letter of Approval received

May 22 - June 3 - TRAVEL

May 24 - Meet Lauryn for the first time! OMG!
June 3 - Home from Beijing
June 12 - Lauryn turns 2!

So... there it is! I will keep this updated as we receive information from our agency.