The Road Ahead.

Here is what I understand the next steps to be (and as I learned in Moscow, these are subject to change) --- I have to get another set of documents together -- called the Phase II Dossier.  These documents include an approval from the USCIS (US Immigration) -- which will allow me to bring a "foreign orphan" into the US.  Another is a clearance letter from the FBI -- they check my fingerprints against their database, to make sure I haven't committed some sort of a crime.  (I've had my fingerprints taken and checked literally over 10 times throughout this process, but I guess they like to be sure....).  I have already sent out for both of these documents, and I am waiting for them.
The rest of the papers are an assortment of random documents -- some pretty simple and straightforward, such as a letter from my employer about how long I've worked there and how much I make, a medical exam with actual test result of HIV, Hepatitis, syphilis, leprosy (yes leprosy) etc.  Again, I've had those done several times, but they need you to redo them every three months.  I also need a certified deed for my house, some CPA's affidavit regarding all my financial assets, and affidavit from people who'll be the guardians for my child if something happened to me --- and these are just the things that I can remember off the top of my head.  So it's going to be a bit of a headache.  Once all that stuff is done, and notarized, and apostilled (meaning that the secretary of state certifies that the notary who signed off on the docs is a notary in good standing) ..... it gets sent off to Russia, and then I wait for a Court date in Moscow.  I'll have to fly there for the hearing on approving my petition to adopt.  That's trip II.  There is also a trip III, but let's just take it one step at a time.