What Now?

Now that we have our referral, "What now?" you ask.  Well, we wait some more!  We are currently at the end of having our homestudy update completed.  Our approval through Immigration (USCIS) expires on 1/9/11 and in order to extend our approval we have to submit an updated homestudy.  This approval is needed at the end of the process in order to get our son a VISA so we can bring him home. 

We are also waiting to hear his file has been submitted to the court and shortly thereafter we will be given a court date.  Hopefully we will learn of our court date sometime before Christmas.  It is at this court date that Troy and I will have to go over to Ethiopia to appear before the judge.  It is also on this trip we will get to meet and finally hold our son!  We were told this date would most likely be in January sometime.  If we pass court he will officially be OUR son.  If we do not they will set another date, hopefully have everything they need for that one, and will review our case again.  We do not have to appear for that court date.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that we pass the first time!!

We have been getting some great photos of our little guy from families that are also with our agency that have recently been there for their court dates.  I am not able to publically post his picture until he is officially ours but trust me,  he is CUTE!  Some of the feedback I've gotten about him say he is a "sweetie" and "good-natured."  Hopefully we will get to find out for ourselves sooner than later!

The Wait Is Over!!

I am pleased to announce that we have officially accepted the referral of a GORGEOUS four month old BABY BOY!!   We got the call on Thursday November 4 at 12:40pm.  We had received a call only three days earlier regarding an 18 month old girl but due to some medical issues we had to decline.  We never expected another call so soon!  The call went something like this:

     Me:  "Hello."  (Understand I saw on my phone who was calling)
     Merrily:  " Hello, Kim?  This is Merrily from AAI.  How are  you?"
     Me:  "Good, I think.  How are you?"
     Merrily:  "Good.  I never expected to be calling you again
        this soon but here I am!  Do you have time to talk?"
     Me:  "Of course."  (My voice shaking)
     Merrily:  "Would you like to talk about a little boy?"
     Me:  "OF COURSE!!"

She then went on to give the details of his reason for coming into care, his health status, development, and the results of several lab tests.  She then said she would e-mail me his information and a picture.  The worst part was Troy and I were 20 minutes from home at a meeting!!  Let me tell you, I don't think I heard a word that was said the rest of the meeting and the ride home seemed more like two hours!!  When we got home I of course ran right over to the computer and pulled up the e-mail.  With Troy standing behind me, I went right for the picture.  When it came up I think we were both speechless!  He is beautiful!!  Big brown eyes, a bald head, a tiny button nose, and a HUGE smile on his face :)  This child just oozes personality!!  Unfortunately, I am not allowed to post any pictures of him until we pass court and he is officially ours.  I,  however, have given you a sneak peek below.

We ask of our family and friends that you keep this little boy in your prayers as he will not be truly "safe" until we bring him home.  He is in our agencies excellent care center but he is still in a third world country and these babies often get sick, ie. pneumonia, flu, chicken pox, and the medical care is not what we come to expect here.  We believe God led us to this little one and he will make sure he comes home safe and sound!





His Hands


  FINALLY!!!!

Sixteen Months and Still Waiting

Sweet sixteen---I don't think so!  We have now been on the waiting list for sixteen LONG months.  I called the agency last week upon rumors that there were more families in front of us than I had last been told.  Well fortunately, we are still #3---unfortunately, we are STILL #3! 

The interesting news however, is that we are in a position whereby we could get a girl referral.  Our preference was stated as either gender, but we were told that we would more than likely get a boy as the wait for boys was about four months shorter.  Now, in an interesting twist of fate, the referrals for both infant boys and girls are neck and neck.  The agency told me that we would be referred whatever gender came up when we got to the top of the list.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about this.  On one hand, since we already have two girls and are paying a lot of money for this, why not get the gender we don't already have?  On the other hand, should we view it as it is God's will and if we are referred a girl that is what we were meant to have?  We do have the option to turn down the referral and wait for the other gender---a position I never imagined we would be in!

The last referrals that went out for infant boys were given at about the sixteen month mark.  Could ours be just around the corner?  or several months away??  I am now carrying my cell phone around with me as though it were another appendage waiting for that elusive call.  A call that will hopefully come sooner than later!

Here We Go Again

Well, I can now say I am officially FRUSTRATED with this process!!  After the initial paperwork taking three months I am now embarking on part of it again.  Our approval from USCIS ( ie. immigration) expires on 1/9/11 and obviously we are not going to have our child home before that date.  We are allowed a free, one-time, extension of that approval but it requires a home-study update.  Stupidly, I thought it was nothing more than a simple letter from our social worker stating nothing had changed.  WRONG!!  We have to redo almost our entire home study!  Not only do we have to have another home visit but we have to have another fire inspection, get our medicals redone, get our child abuse clearances again (which I was told is taking two months), get another reference, and get fingerprinted AGAIN---for like the tenth time!

When we began this process it was 4-6 months for a referral, hence, we would have been there and done that with our child home before any of this became an issue.  Now that we have been waiting almost 16 months it is a different story.  Aside from the additional paperwork, we are also looking at more unanticipated expense--cost of fingerprints as well as the home study update.  Our agency is also increasing their fees the middle of this month for those that don't have a referral yet.  I'm not holding my breath on making that cut-off.

I know this will all be worth it in the end but let me tell you, adoption is not easy!  I would almost rather go through labor and delivery ten more times than have to jump through all these hoops!  Sorry for the venting but sometimes you just have to let it out.  Hopefully my next post will be a happier one!

Hello Again

I apologize for the long delay since my last post but things have been so busy around here.  I hardly have time to breathe between running the kids to their after-school activites, coaching CYO volleyball, helping with homework, and working extra hours.  With Troy now busy harvesting the corn and not getting home until late in the evening I am pretty much a single mother doing all of this also.  I guess I shouldn't complain however, as keeping busy makes the wait a little more bearable.

Oh, speaking of the wait, I do have some news.  WE ARE NOW #3 ON THE WAITING LIST!  Sadly, we would actually have been number two but a family who was on the girl list got tired of waiting, changed their preference, and jumped in line in front of us on the boy list.  Apparently their dossier went to ET before ours.  That is just another example of the unpredictability of this process.  Our referral, when it comes is also going to be a complete surprise now as I do not know nor talk to the two families in front of us.  They are "mystery families", ie. not a part of the Yahoo web groups I belong to of adoptive parents from our agency. 

I am hoping that October will be OUR month as I was told the agency does have a number of children whose files they are still working on.  Of course, I am not holding my breath!  At the very least a referral sure would make a great Christmas present!  I wonder if Santa has those in his sack?

Latest News from AAI

Yes everyone, we are still waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting. We just received an update from the agency today with good news---I think? After the Ethiopian New Year-- September 11 on our calendar-- they usually get an increase of children into the orphanage. That has started earlier this year for some reason and AAI is expecting 15 new little ones in the next several days. They also signed agreements with two new orphanages and believe, in the next couple of months, they should be able to make referrals to many who have waited a long time. I would think that would include us!

On a travel note, the court appearance Troy and I have to make in Ethiopia takes all of a whopping FIVE MINUTES! Yes, we will be traveling 20+ hours and spending thousands of dollars more for FIVE MINUTES!! Needless to say Troy---who didn't want to travel in the first place and doesn't like to spend money---is not very amused by this. On a positive note we do get to meet our child beforehand. We are also contemplating a side trip to Rome to visit Troy's brother who is a priest and will be there at the time.

One final thing to note. My last post mentioned we were number four and that was inaccurate. I called and spoke to Susan at the agency last week and unfortunately we are number five on the waiting list. I guess I learned my lesson jumping to conclusions and celebrating before the party has actually begun. Here's hoping the party is right around the corner!

Number Four

Yes, we have moved again--ALREADY!! Thanks to Melissa getting a referral of an adorable 3-4 month old little boy, we have moved up on the list. Her dossier went to Ethiopia on 5/12/09, making her wait just shy of 15 months.

We are coming up on our fourteenth month in eight days. Could it be soon? Any day now? Oh boy, I hope so!