I’ve been intending to write a blog post with paperwork tips and advice for a while now. Adoption paperwork can be super intimidating for many, and it definitely was (and still is) for us as well. We began this process with every unrealistic well-meaning intention to be super organized. Not just organized, but Pinterest-style organized. Like with cute post-its and fun folders. Ok so maybe Matt didn’t have that kind of intention, but he at least tried his best to assist me in my lofty endeavors. Long story short, we failed. The cute folder I bought for all the home study paperwork is basically empty. Or maybe it’s completely empty. See? I don’t even know what’s in it. So how did we do it? Just last week I received a compliment from our case worker telling me what a good job we were doing keeping track of what is due and when. Our dossier also received a pretty hefty compliment when Holt received it. Are you ready for our secret? This comes straight out of Matt’s mouth:
“Make sure that you put everything in one pile in the same general area of the house. That way you will always know where everything is.”
Boom. Is your mind blown? That’s how we are doing it. We finally stopped stressing out over trying to become something we are not and embraced who we are: hopelessly unorganized with the hope of one day being organized.
Well, since that’s the only tip we have, and the only one you really need, I’ll just include some pictures featuring some of our epic paperwork milestones.
Our first certification on our dossier; after running around downtown Richmond to meet the deadline.
OUR COMPLETED, CERTIFIED DOSSIER! There are no words to describe the feeling of this coming back to our doorstep!
Mailing our acceptance paperwork for Kai! The best paperwork we’ve done!
Our I800a approval letter! This application was scary to me which made it amazing when we received this letter. Mogli was pretty excited too.
All this to say, if you are thinking about starting the adoption process and you just don’t know how you will ever make it though the mountains of paperwork because you are like us and can’t stay organized despite your best efforts, have no fear! You got this. It’s going to be great.
Nine Thousand Miles 
Congratulations on adopting from Thailand as it sounds like their processes might be a little bit better than what we went through. We waited for two years for a match from Ethiopia and then they closed their doors to all International adoptions this spring, and so we were out $18,000. The one thing that a lot of people forget is that adoption is no guarantee of getting a child… It even says that in the paperwork that we all sign, but no one really believes it until it happens to them.
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Thank you! So far the Thailand process with our agency has been great; but we are definitely aware of how quickly things can change with international adoption. We have close friends who were matched and then the country closed their doors. I was so sad to hear about the news from Ethiopia. We are just doing our best to trust God with this adoption and His plans for our little guy! Thanks for reading!
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