First Official Document

Posted on by Stephanie Karp

Today I went into Manhattan with my dad and got my first official document needed for my dossier. The fact was that I needed to replace my missing marriage certificate for many years already, and at this point didn’t want to wait the 8 weeks if I did it via mail. From my research, I knew that one document that was needed for an adoption dossier was an extended form marriage certificate. Knowing that I’d be at the very office I needed to be for this, I thought it was best to get that as well. Why not? It was $48 total for the adoption form and all it’s certifications. I had told myself prior to today, if we don’t proceed, it was a small price to pay to at least have one document complete out of the many that will be needed — just in case! We all know deep down I just wanted to start the official journey already 😉 Now I finally know my official last name. For the past TEN years, I actually thought I had kept my maiden name with my husband’s last name. Now I finally know who I am! 😉 And will change my IDs accordingly.

We were gone three hours door to door. I had to go to the Office of the City Clerk at 1 Centre Street to get my birth certificate (long form and the short forms I wanted for personal use), then on to the Supreme Court building at 60 Centre Street to have it notarized, and then on to 123 Williams Street to have it apostilled**. I have to admit that during this process, I was alone, my dad waiting in the car, and as I went up the elevator towards my first stop, my eyes are just welling up with tears. While waiting for my name to be called to go onto the next window, I’m wiping at my eyes which won’t stop leaking, watching as people are being called in to the wedding chapel, not believing that I’m really there for this reason. At the apostilling location, I had to write the country this form was needed for. As I wrote “Kazhakstan” in strong thoughtful letters, it felt very real and very meaningful.

I know I’ll need more forms done and my father was just so helpful. On a super practical note, what makes it even more helpful is that, due to his heart issues, he has a disabled pass that enables him to park ANYWHERE. I asked if he could help another time and he said “Whatever needs to be done.” And we did our signature knuckle punch. My dad is really something special. I remember him picking me up from places at 2am when I was a teenager. He’s the only dad that would do that, and he’d drop all my friends home where they needed to be. I know he can’t travel with us as he’d once mentioned, but he will be part of so much that will make it all come to fruition.

On the way home, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, I saw Lady Liberty in the distance holding her torch up high. Some sort of feeling was bubbling up inside me and these thoughts came into my head “We’re coming for you Sweetie. Mommy’s coming!”

Now this is not even official yet but there’s no turning back now for me.

I stopped at Gary’s office on the way home and he seemed impressed with the apostille sheet. So here we are, the happy mom and dad, with our first official paperwork. It was a very special moment, I have to say. Gary seemed happy, and I know that we’re now just moving forward and I guess the adoption application is very soon to follow. That to me symbolizes officially “official.”

On another note, this week I told my brother and niece and nephew that this is where our hearts are. My nephew who is 7 seems especially excited.

Today, when I called my mom at work to tell her I got the paperwork and how I feel it’s getting real, her voice filled with tears and she told me “Don’t get me started at work.” My mother, aka The Waterworks (but I guess like mother, like daughter!), is getting excited about this venture. Now that she has finally started reading my blog, she can’t get enough 😉

**Apostille: A simplified and standardized form that is used for the purpose of providing a certification of certain public documents relating to adoption, including notarized documents, that is used in countries that are in compliance with the provisions of the Hague Convention. This simplified form contains standardized numbered fields of certain common and essential types of information, which allows the data to be understood by all participating countries regardless of the official language of the issuing country. The completed apostille form certifies the authenticity of the signature on the documents, the capacity in which the person signing the documents has acted, and identifies the seal and/or stamp that the document bears. Documents needed for inter-country adoptions require the attachment of an apostille, rather than authentication forms, if the foreign country is a participant in the Hague Convention.

38 thoughts on “First Official Document”

  1. Great!
    I have been thinking about husbands and decisions a bit. You know, they need to warm up to ideas, and if they’re not pushed along, no matter what it is, they just seem to prefer inertia, at least on a personal level. I think that may just be a guy thing. I mean, I couldn’t even get mine to commit to signing Bart up for baseball!
    I am so excited for you and I know exactly how you feel. No turning back now, even though you’re sort of giving lip service to the idea that you might!

  2. Great!
    I have been thinking about husbands and decisions a bit. You know, they need to warm up to ideas, and if they’re not pushed along, no matter what it is, they just seem to prefer inertia, at least on a personal level. I think that may just be a guy thing. I mean, I couldn’t even get mine to commit to signing Bart up for baseball!
    I am so excited for you and I know exactly how you feel. No turning back now, even though you’re sort of giving lip service to the idea that you might!

  3. Great!
    I have been thinking about husbands and decisions a bit. You know, they need to warm up to ideas, and if they’re not pushed along, no matter what it is, they just seem to prefer inertia, at least on a personal level. I think that may just be a guy thing. I mean, I couldn’t even get mine to commit to signing Bart up for baseball!
    I am so excited for you and I know exactly how you feel. No turning back now, even though you’re sort of giving lip service to the idea that you might!

  4. It is so wonderful that your family is so supportive. I wish I could say the same of my own family, but I hope things change when they see the baby. Wonderful news, keep us posted on everything!

  5. It is so wonderful that your family is so supportive. I wish I could say the same of my own family, but I hope things change when they see the baby. Wonderful news, keep us posted on everything!

  6. It is so wonderful that your family is so supportive. I wish I could say the same of my own family, but I hope things change when they see the baby. Wonderful news, keep us posted on everything!

  13. Steph,

    I have tears running down my face with happiness for you and your family. What wondeful news!!! You are already a wonderful mommy to your adorable daughters but a very LUCKY baby is waiting with open arms to have you hold them tight. I am so happy for you that your parents are excited too. Best news I heard all day!!!
    Best,
    Carolyn Mama to Henry b.1-22-07 a.11-17-07

  14. Steph,

    I have tears running down my face with happiness for you and your family. What wondeful news!!! You are already a wonderful mommy to your adorable daughters but a very LUCKY baby is waiting with open arms to have you hold them tight. I am so happy for you that your parents are excited too. Best news I heard all day!!!
    Best,
    Carolyn Mama to Henry b.1-22-07 a.11-17-07

  15. Steph,

    I have tears running down my face with happiness for you and your family. What wondeful news!!! You are already a wonderful mommy to your adorable daughters but a very LUCKY baby is waiting with open arms to have you hold them tight. I am so happy for you that your parents are excited too. Best news I heard all day!!!
    Best,
    Carolyn Mama to Henry b.1-22-07 a.11-17-07

  16. I just wanted to thank everyone for writing! I have to say, I feel light and airy since I got home this morning. No doubts, just calm, peaceful, content. This is the best I have felt in days, weeks. Can I attribute it to something hormonal, the good spring weather, the fact that my kids were well behaved today? Or simply attribute it to where it rightly belongs. I am finally following my heart.
    Thank you everyone! More soon!
    Steph

  17. I just wanted to thank everyone for writing! I have to say, I feel light and airy since I got home this morning. No doubts, just calm, peaceful, content. This is the best I have felt in days, weeks. Can I attribute it to something hormonal, the good spring weather, the fact that my kids were well behaved today? Or simply attribute it to where it rightly belongs. I am finally following my heart.
    Thank you everyone! More soon!
    Steph

  18. I just wanted to thank everyone for writing! I have to say, I feel light and airy since I got home this morning. No doubts, just calm, peaceful, content. This is the best I have felt in days, weeks. Can I attribute it to something hormonal, the good spring weather, the fact that my kids were well behaved today? Or simply attribute it to where it rightly belongs. I am finally following my heart.
    Thank you everyone! More soon!
    Steph

  19. Stephanie-
    I saw your post on our blog. We live in Phoenix. I do have a program that we made for Rylie’s naming and would be happy to email it to you. My email is [email protected]
    If you go back to January on our blog, you can see Rylie’s “Big Dip” in the mikvah!
    Talk to you soon.

  20. Stephanie-
    I saw your post on our blog. We live in Phoenix. I do have a program that we made for Rylie’s naming and would be happy to email it to you. My email is [email protected]
    If you go back to January on our blog, you can see Rylie’s “Big Dip” in the mikvah!
    Talk to you soon.

  21. Stephanie-
    I saw your post on our blog. We live in Phoenix. I do have a program that we made for Rylie’s naming and would be happy to email it to you. My email is [email protected]
    If you go back to January on our blog, you can see Rylie’s “Big Dip” in the mikvah!
    Talk to you soon.

  22. Congratulations for your first official document! You look so happy! Your baby boy is very lucky. Get ready for more trips to 123 Williams street, I think I have been there at least 6 times, if not more, and I still need to apostile some more documents before our second trip, maybe we will go together.
    We just got back home yesterday pm and I was very curious to read updates in your blog. I am working today until 7 pm, I will call you tonight, if not tomorrow!!!!
    PS. You have a wonderful father. It is for sure, no father would pick up his teenager daughter and her friends at 2 am. At least not mine! All fathers are great, but your relationship with him must be really special.

  23. Congratulations for your first official document! You look so happy! Your baby boy is very lucky. Get ready for more trips to 123 Williams street, I think I have been there at least 6 times, if not more, and I still need to apostile some more documents before our second trip, maybe we will go together.
    We just got back home yesterday pm and I was very curious to read updates in your blog. I am working today until 7 pm, I will call you tonight, if not tomorrow!!!!
    PS. You have a wonderful father. It is for sure, no father would pick up his teenager daughter and her friends at 2 am. At least not mine! All fathers are great, but your relationship with him must be really special.

  24. Congratulations for your first official document! You look so happy! Your baby boy is very lucky. Get ready for more trips to 123 Williams street, I think I have been there at least 6 times, if not more, and I still need to apostile some more documents before our second trip, maybe we will go together.
    We just got back home yesterday pm and I was very curious to read updates in your blog. I am working today until 7 pm, I will call you tonight, if not tomorrow!!!!
    PS. You have a wonderful father. It is for sure, no father would pick up his teenager daughter and her friends at 2 am. At least not mine! All fathers are great, but your relationship with him must be really special.

  27. Oh my goodness! That’s SO exciting. I haven’t even done that yet. How about homestudy agency… have you been looking for that yet? You really should go ahead and get started on your homestudy. That’s the piece that is bugging me right now because it feels like it’s going to take forever.
    Best wishes!!!

  28. Oh my goodness! That’s SO exciting. I haven’t even done that yet. How about homestudy agency… have you been looking for that yet? You really should go ahead and get started on your homestudy. That’s the piece that is bugging me right now because it feels like it’s going to take forever.
    Best wishes!!!

  29. Oh my goodness! That’s SO exciting. I haven’t even done that yet. How about homestudy agency… have you been looking for that yet? You really should go ahead and get started on your homestudy. That’s the piece that is bugging me right now because it feels like it’s going to take forever.
    Best wishes!!!

  30. Aw, now I’ve got tears in my eyes! Congratulations on your first apostille! It’s amazing how special these types of things are to us. The picture of you and your husband is wonderful. You both look so happy and excited and together in this.

  31. Aw, now I’ve got tears in my eyes! Congratulations on your first apostille! It’s amazing how special these types of things are to us. The picture of you and your husband is wonderful. You both look so happy and excited and together in this.

  32. Aw, now I’ve got tears in my eyes! Congratulations on your first apostille! It’s amazing how special these types of things are to us. The picture of you and your husband is wonderful. You both look so happy and excited and together in this.

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