This week we were finally, officially matched with our Solomon Tsega. I say "finally", but it was less than two months from the day we decided to adopt him and started the process, and in that time we were able to apply to the adoption agency and get all of that paperwork done, apply to a new homestudy agency and get all of that paperwork done, get our new homestudy completed, file and be fingerprinted for our I600A, and complete our dossier for a(nother) Ethiopian adoption.

Our adoption agency, Adoption Advocates International, has been wonderful, and they have been very fast with every aspect of our paperwork process. In fact, they approved our homestudy the day that they received it from our social worker, and they let us know that our dossier was just perfect the day that they received that as well. With everything in order, they were able to send us our referral packet, which we received last week, and we were able to sign those papers and be officially "matched" with Solomon Tsega.

Although he has been "ours" in our hearts (and has been unofficially on hold for us) since August 10, it still felt amazingly wonderful to sign those papers saying, "YES! We want him!!!" Seeing his name on all of those papers next to our names made it feel very real, too.

We sent our "welcome bag", complete with a photo album, disposable camera, little outfit, toy truck and stickers for Solomon to share with his friends, along with our referral acceptance papers, and we were told that our dossier was on its way to Ethiopia as of yesterday. We've heard that the courts are officially reopening for business on Monday, October 8, and so we will wait (and wait) for our turn to have our case heard in court.

It has been an exciting few weeks as we finish up this part of the adoption process. I so wish that I could share a picture with you of our beautiful boy, but alas, you will have to wait along with us until our adoption is official in court.

In my next few posts I will write about receiving and accepting a referral.