Alphabet Soup and When Indeed?

People keep asking us when we expect to travel to China. The short answer is I am not sure. Here is an estimate, though, using data gathered on an adoption website (all of the adoptions from China). Of course, we hope that things will go faster - but the truth is they could go slower than the average. Below is also an explanation of all of the steps (well, most of them anyway) we are still awaiting including a few that we more recently have completed.

DTC = Dossier To China. This is the date that we sent our huge packet of documents to China. Done on 12/10/10
LID = Log In Date. This is the date that the CCCWA (China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption) officially logs our dossier into the China side of the process. Until a dossier is logged in, it will not proceed in the process. Done on 12/21/10
LOI = Letter of Intent. This is a letter we write to China asking their permission to adopt Lily. Done on 03/29/11
PA = Preliminary Approval. This is a letter from China to our Agency giving their preliminary approval for the adoption. At this point we consider Lily OURS! Done on 03/30/11
LOA = Letter Of Acceptance. This is a document that China sends for us to sign stating we still want to adopt Lily. We received this on 05/23/11. We wanted to send it write back in, but had to wait for our homestudy amendment which was 06/15/11. Then I returned it on 06/17/11.
I800= This is the process that approves Lily to enter the USA. There is more paperwork that we need to do and send to the USCIS (United States Citizen and Immigration Services). Sent off on 06/17/11. Waiting for approval. Our ETA for this is 07/05/11.
The NVC (National Visa Center) sends a cable to China to let them know the I800 is approved. ETA 07/15/11
Article 5 is part of the Visa Process for adoption under Hague. It tells China that the US is processing the Visa application. The applications for Article 5 are only received on Mon or Thurs and the Article 5 can only be picked up on Monday or Thursday. Once this is picked up the CCCWA can issue our Travel Approval. ETA 08/04/11
TA = Travel Approval – The official notification from China inviting us to travel and complete our adoption of Lily. ETA 08/29/11
FFD= Forever Family Day. The day we finally received Lily. ETB sometime in late September, right before our Consulate Appointment.
CA = Consulate Appointment in Guangzhou, China at the US Consulate. Here the paperwork is filed for Lily to become a US citizen. Once this is finished we can bring Lily home! ETB 09/28/11

Sigh. So sometimes maybe it isn't so good to estimate. I cannot believe that it will be the end of September before I get to hold her in my arms!!! The bright side of this is that I can read more about adoption in the meantime and save some for travel and our orphanage fees. We have been paying little (and not so little) chunks all along the way, and at the end they are large sums that are paid at once. More time also to prepare for travel for our family of 5. It will be the mother of all trips thus far in our family! Pray for us?