Adoption
***DS 08/27/05***DS 07/08/08***DS 03/22/10***DD 11/20/11****
M/C 09/04/04
M/C 11/15/04
M/C molar pregnancy lost twins second tri 05/14/07
M/C 09/29/07
M/C 02/21/11
Options
Houston we have a referal UPDATE
Okay so we have finished the paperwork (at least all remaining that I know of 09/16/2010, so I am sure more will pop up). We are adopting a baby boy from Korea. We got a referal in Aug. We accepted right away and sent in our I-600 and I-171H as soon as we got legal from Korea so here we are waiting. I hope we hear something this month but in the mean time I am enjoying our sons that are with us and talking with them about their brother. My 5 year old is excited, my 2 year has no clue what is coming (however can clearly tell you when given a picture who his brother is) and our little guy in Korea well he is so love. We may be the 3rd parents but I know he will grow to love us just as much. In time in time. So if immigration comes back quickly can't say we would mind.....hop on a plane and we will be on our way. He is already 6 months old 
so excited! Thanks for all the support.
so excited! Thanks for all the support.
***DS 08/27/05***DS 07/08/08***DS 03/22/10***DD 11/20/11****
M/C 09/04/04
M/C 11/15/04
M/C molar pregnancy lost twins second tri 05/14/07
M/C 09/29/07
M/C 02/21/11This discussion has been closed.
Re: Houston we have a referal UPDATE
Yea!!! So exciting!!
How exciting! Reading your post is making me all teary eyed remembering our Korean adoptions! Hope that travel call comes so soon for you guys!
Are you planning to travel?
CONGRATS!!!
Thanks (doing a happy dance) We go a letter of I-600 receipt today.......well the hope they got the paper work was answered! We are with SWS so quick would be great. I would love to know how to "stalk" to know when the approval may come. The receipt date is 09/17/2010!
Oh and Houston we have a name....... His initials will be the same as all my kids KJ and he will be keeping his given name as his middle name (funny how God worked this out as we were very set on a J name and sure enough his given name was a J name).
We are absolutely going to travel and are so happy too! We planned to take our other boys until my 5 year old announce he would be staying here with Grandma and Grandpa. So I thought I would show him pictures of Korea and spark some interest. After viewing several wonderful pictures I turned to him and said "well son what do you think, want to go???" my sparkling and very swift son said "mommy I don't need to I just saw everything so I am gonna save myself the plane ride and get spoiled here by Grammie and Grandpa". Me......speechless! So we decided we would for the 1st time since having the boys go get our son almost a romantic getaway......you know your a mom when having another baby constitues a "romantic" getaway right!!!!!!! Clearly we dont spend enough mommy daddy time
So my DH and I will go together and get some much anticipated one on one time with KJ! I think my 2 year old will be fine or really flip out while we are gone as I am positive it will not be a middle of the road reaction. So my well brave and well versued (as they raised me the worlds most stuborn daughter) will be here holding down the fort. I wonder if I am going to flip out much in the same way as my 2 year old????? We will see.
So clearly I am off track.
Just in case you decided that I was mumbling and skipped fwd.
1. Using SWS (please be quick please be quick)
2. Did I mention we are excited
3. How do I as pp said "stalk" (LOL) to find out when we might travel what is the EP and 4 or whatever was written :0 clearly I have new mommy again brain!
4. I am open to any and all questions and to all of you that are supportive thanks
5. CONGRATS to the family that is waiting for the referal enjoy paper pregnancy I know I am as I have had 6 pregnancies and now this paper pregnancy which is a lot easier on the hormones LOL
6. Yes I get tears too thinking about each of my boys and how they joined my family (and to my sweet twins in heaven mommy still has so many tears for you and you are always in mommy and daddy's heart)
7. Tell me about your Korean adoption
Sincerely, with a bunch of excitment A
On the receipt you got from the NVC after approval of your I-600, there is a number that starts with SEO.This allows you to call the DC Visa status number 202-663-1225 push # 1 then # 0 and hold for the operator. Tell the operator that you are looking to see if your baby has his/her visa appointment scheduled and give them the SEO case number that the NVC gave you. They can tell you when the embassy mailed your P3 to the Korean agency and when they have scheduled the VI.
P3 (package 3) must be sent by your US agency to Korea for them to file for the Emigration Permit. For me, I think it was about 6 weeks from the time P3 was sent out until it was returned.
After it's returned, your child's Visa Interview will be scheduled in a matter of days. So when you hear that P3 is back, you know it's time to start getting ready to travel. Your tracel call will come the day before your VI is scheduled in Korea (or the same day, because of the time difference).
Our agency required us to be at SWS first thing on a Monday morning, and we were supposed to leave Friday during business hours (there may be some flexibility with that). We got our travel call on Wednesday (I knew we had VI before the call came, so I was already in motion!) and left Friday morning. Another couple I "know" got their TC the same day and left a week later (because of the Monday thing).
There's a travel agent named Earle who is the adoption-travel guru (I can dig up his number if you want). He has access to stuff you won't find on the internet. When we looking to travel in early December he found good, relatively cheap non-stop options from Chicago. We ended up using miles, otherwise we would have booked through him. You want an Asian carrier if possible--Singapore, Korea, Asiana or even JAL. The service and food is MUCH better than American airlines.
Note that flights get really full and really expensive beginning the first week of December as the expats start coming home for Christmas.
We stayed at the SWS guest house, which is right around the corner from the agency. Our room was like a Korean apartment, fully furnished--2 bedrooms, living area, computer/TV, kitchen. For about $90 a night (American--they only took dollars, IIR). It's in a business area and not a touristy one, but the subway is RIGHT there and cabs are cheap, so we didn't care. For our first adoption, we stayed at the Westin Chosun (points), which is a LOVELY property right downtown, but really expensive. In fact, everyone at the agency thought we were rich when they heard we were staying there.
You'll meet the baby at the foster family's house on Monday, tour SWS on Tuesday, and get your baby Wed or Thursday for a Friday departure. Which leaves tons of time for SHOPPING! Because both of our trips were in early December, I did most of my Christmas shopping there. Insadong is the best (IMO) with lots of arty-type things (as opposed to ginsing and knockoff bags). There's a place that sells awesome raw silk scarves for about $5--I brought back a half dozen for friends. So take your agency/foster family gifts in a seperate bag so you have room!
OK, I'm rambling, but let me know if you have any more specific questions as you get closer. Goro can probably answer, too, but I don't know how often she's on here.