All docs at agency....

except the INS permission letter which we haven't received yet. I have things set up such that when that letter arrives (granting us permission from the department of homeland security to bring an orphan into the country), I'll be able to get it through the authentication process in 4 business days. There are also rumors started about an 18 month wait for referrals... but we just won't know until we get there.
All we can do is wait....

MA Sec of State has our documents today :)

I just got the fedex notification showing that our documents were delivered today. Hopefully they'll turn them around in the next few days so we can get the whole lot to the Consulate in NYC.
Another step along the path completed!

criminal background forms arrived from MA!

Finally, we got them back today (3/10) after mailing the requests in 2/1....whew.
tomorrow it's off to fedex land to send all of our documents notarized in MA to the MA Secretary of State to be apostiled, then they go to the Chinese Consulate in NYC. One step closer...
we also had our fingerprints done on Tuesday without any problems, so we are also waiting on our official forms that give us permission to bring an orphan into the country.
we are so close to being done with the paperwork, but yet likely several weeks away stil. argh...

we got our fingerprinting appointment!

finally, we got our letters in the mail yesterday giving us permission to have our fingerprints done. so we have an appointment on Tues 3/7 at 8:15 am which brings us one step closer.
still have not gotten our criminal background checks back from MA though...should be any day now.