June Update

Our update this month was about the nannies that care for Dieunifer.  She has two that are assigned to her specifically.  They each work 4 days on and 2 days off.  We are so thankful for these ladies who love her until we can.  It is obvious in the pictures of Dieunifer playing with the doll that she is learning a lot from the nannies!
 
We also sent a doll and photo book down this month with another family that was traveling.  She so loved playing with the dolly on the balcony that we sent her her own.  Anything that she gets from her family is kept in a special box that she can play with when she has a volunteer.  Its strange to think that one day we will be packing these to bring back here with her.

Loved these pictures this month.  Susie takes pictures and writes updates for almost 150 kids, even if they don't have families yet.  She is so good at documenting things and keeping us up to date on what is going on.

Dieunifer truly enjoyed opening the gifts you sent for her this month.  She really enjoyed checking out the photos in the book and was in love with the doll as soon as she pulled it out of the gift bag.  She carefully fed it, and rocked it, and even did her best to put shoes on her feet.  It was so sweet to watch her and I was able to capture some of it in photos that you will also find attached to this update. Enjoy!

Dieunifer is healthy and growing:

Height: 92 cm

Weight: 29 lb 8 oz

Haitian Adoption Steps and Timeline

Pre-IBESR – We are preparing your dossier to go into Haitian Social Services. There are some legal documents that must be made after you accept your proposal and some of them must be legalized at the Ministry of Justice. If we have problems getting a document, this can delay this step. (1-2 months) November-December 2011

Wait for Referral

October 2011-May 17, 2012

Referral

 Dieunifer (pronounced Jennifer) May 17.2012

IBESR - Institut du Bien-Etre Social et de recherches ( Institute of Social Welfare and Researchers) - Haitian Social Services (3-?? months. It depends on if your file requires a Presidential Dispensation or not. The Dispensation can add a few, or many months to the process. If you do not need the Dispensation, you can clear IBESR in a matter of about 3-5 months).

IBESR closed from May-August 2012.  We officially entered IBESR August 17,2012.

Exited IBESR with Dispensation March 21, 2013

Printed in Le Moniteur April 1, 2013

Traveled to file 1-600, sign with the local judge, attend court April 16-20, 2013

Parquet – Pre-Courts, they interview the birth parents and give permission for the dossier to go through the Haitian court system.

~exited May 17, 2013 (one year from referral!)

Courts - The dossier is in the Haitian Courts having the actual adoption declared and legalized.
~entered around May 20, 2013  exited July 2, 2013!
Legal or Legalization – All court papers must be sent to the Ministry of Justice to be legalized. They declare that the signature on all of the paperwork actually is the signature of the Judge who signed it. (2 weeks)

MAE (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs must legalize the signature of the person in the Ministry of Justice who signed your paperwork in the step above. (1-2 weeks)

Attest or Attestation - After court papers are finished, the Act of Adoption must be sent to the National Archives and they declare that the signature on the Act of Adoption is legal.   (`2 weeks)                                                                                                        

MOI (Ministère de l’Interieur) otherwise known as Ministry of Interior – All adoption passports must go through the Ministry of the Interior for approval before Immigration will print the passport. (4 -8 weeks is common, but some families have been stuck here for up to 8 months)

Printing – Your dossier is in Immigration waiting for the passport to be printed. (1-3 weeks)

Visa – Your dossier is in your country’s Embassy waiting for a visa to be issued, visa medical, visa printing (4-6 weeks, US)

IBESR exit letter

Our Family Day is:

Coming Home and what happens next

Coming home was a difficult adjustment.  Its kind of a blur now because I did not write this all down right away.  It took awhile to adjust back to American life and all that we have.  We missed Jennifer a lot and thinking of her so far away in another country for who knows how long was HARD!  Time moved on and slowly life returned to the a regular routine.  It wasn't until we got the email on May 17, 2013 that we had exited Parquet that I felt like we were moving again!  That was awesome.  It was definitely a cause for celebration around here...and mostly renewed our energy in the whole process.  It didn't take long to start getting anxious to exit the next step (Courts).  That is where we are now.  I am hoping and praying we here very soon that we have exited Courts.  This is when the Act of Adoption will be printed and Jennifer will legally be ours.  It will still be awhile until she comes home though.  Meanwhile we continue to get updates.  For May the theme was Haitian Flag Day and Mothers Day.

Day 3/ All day and last full day

  We woke up refreshed and excited to spend the whole day with Dieunifer.  We had to wait at the guest house for Judge Bob to come though.  While we were waiting we saw all the preschoolers come in for school.  They were adorable and so well behaved.  They loved looking at themselves in my camera.  They were so happy and excited to be playing a bit outside before they headed back to the Toddler House from school.  We continued to wait...not sure when the Judge was coming.  I started to get nervous because the clock was ticking and I knew we only had a little time left!  Eventually he came and we signed with the other family in the kitchen of the Toddler House.  It was quick and casual.  We signed in his notebook.  Luckily we got a little time to see the Toddler House and meet a few of those kids.

     Melissa took us down to the Main House in the golf cart vehicle.  She was a great driver on those bumpy roads!  When we got there we played with Dieunifer up on the balcony all alone.  The pool was set up and she loved that.  Then we took her downstairs for awhile.  We saw a few birth moms and dads visiting with their kids.  At lunchtime, she went back to the nannies to eat and rest.  We then spend the rest of the day playing with her.  She was so sweet and good tempered.  She didn't like to be told no of course!

     Later in the day she found a baby doll on the balcony.  She played with it forever.  She diapered it, pretended to feed it and even washed its face in a puddle!  She would have played with this one doll for hours!
      We had to say goodbye at dinner time and head back up to the Guest House.  We would have two hours in the morning before leaving for the airport.  I am not sure what we did this last night in Haiti.  I was already getting sad.  and dreading what lied ahead.

        Friday morning, I woke up early.  I got some coffee and sat on the balcony for awhile as the sun came up. That was amazing.  After breakfast they took us and the visiting volunteer team back down to the Main House.  She was all ready for us.  We spent most of this time downstairs away from the crowd. She did play again for a little while with the doll.  
        At 10:30 we had to bring her back to her nursery.  It was so sad.  By the time we got back downstairs, she was waving to us from the balcony.   We got in the van with the other family and half of the volunteer team.  Everyone was pretty quiet and we backed out of the gate and headed down the mountain to Port-AuPrince.   We boarded the flight and I think I cried all the way to Miami.  We had dinner at TGIFridays with our new friends, said our goodbyes at the gate and boarded the last flight to Philadelphia.  We pulled in our driveway, exhausted and drained at 2:30 am April 21, 2013.