Updates

Our child abuse clearances apparently came through March 8th!! wooohooo!! Our social worker updated the homestudy with the revisions that our agency requested and has already sent it back to them for final review!! I went to the city Monday to get the required documents certified, so all we need right now is copies of the homestudy!! Soooooo close!!! I've made the required number of copies of all the dossier documents (except the homestudy) already. I am getting so excited! Can't wait to send that package off to the agency and get on the waiting list already. I know the numbers have gone up a bit since the end of January when the end of the list was at #24, and I think I just read somewhere that someone who just got on the baby girl list is at #31 and I also read that the estimated wait, once you get on the waiting list until you get a referral is 8-12 months now for an infant girl. I forget what it was for an infant boy, but it was about half I think and toddler girl/boy was about the same as infant boy. Our homestudy says 0-36 months so I believe we can change our preference if we decide to down the line for a toddler girl (24-36 months) should we choose to. I am also REALLY thinking about going back to Ethiopia to adopt our second child still (and dropping out of China). When it comes right down to it.. I want a child in this house.. period.

ANYWAY.. I made another little dress over the weekend and I FINALLY finished crocheting that little blanket I previously posted about. I found another half finished crocheted baby blanket in the closet so I'm working on finishing that too. Trying to keep busy so I don't obsess over getting on the waiting list too much! hahaha

I think that's all for now. Not must else going on.
Peace.

Sinuses & Sewing

I couldn't think of a better title for this post. LOL

First up, my sinuses are KILLING me! I have a sinus infection and down to the last day of anit-biotics tomorrow and yet it feel like I have a screwdriver going through my head. This seems to be a new recurring thing lately. I thought the Zyrtec-D was working, but I don't know if it's the infection or what but it's not working. Zyrtec-D and 2-3 Tylenols, then we can talk, at least for a little bit. Anyone out there in blogger-land have any suggestions for a killer sinus headache? Oh and the new thing is when I drink something cold, it goes straight to my head, like brain-freeze but without the fruity tasting Slushie.

ANYWAY... next is sewing. I've been on a mission. Not just sewing but crocheting too. As I start some new projects I've been forcing myself to finish some older projects that have sat around for a while. I recently finished this little dress I started probably about 6 months ago, maybe a little more.

Then there is the little baby blanket I've probably been working on for a couple of years off and on.. haha I have to be in the mood to crochet, and actually remember that I have something to crochet.. haha. It's still not finished, but I'm really close to finishing it.

Then there are the new projects... I finished the curtains for the nursery and a matching little crib quilt. I have more of the fabrics I used to make a crib skirt, sheet, pillows, etc.




I'm trying to decide what is next. Whatever it is, it has to be done with existing fabrics.. LOL I'm banning myself from the fabric store.

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks waiting on child abuse clearances. It's supposed to take 4-6 weeks. So any day now. Our homestudy is with our agency bring reviewed (I hope). Once the clearances come thru, and the homestudy is finalized, we can submit everything and get on the waiting list.. Can you hear the clock ticking????!!!!

I broke down over the past weekend and bought the new Sade CD for my birthday (14th). I LOVE me some Sade! There's one song on there.. caught me off guard and had me balling all over my sewing machine.. there isn't too much to the song but after everything I've gone through these past 7ish years.. to where I am right now, with a renewed outlook for this new adoption and yet another paperchase almost done and even with the talk of 2 trips to Ethiopia (and where is that $$ going to come from), it connected with me..

There's a long hard road ahead
But a voice inside me said
You know there's something that you need to know
It's gonna be alright
Said there's something that you need to know
It's gonna be alright
And when in this life in this life
When I can only turn my chin
I know it's gonna be alright
When this big old town is closing in
And I have lost again
Here I could stay
But I'll keep moving on
Here I could stay but I'll keep moving on
Could be I won't be wrong
There's a long hard road ahead
But a voice inside me said
Said there's something that you need to know
It's gonna be alright
Said there's something that you need to know
It's gonna be alright

It WILL be alright.

And on that note, I'm out. Peace.

Update to "First Date" HAHAHA

So today is hubby's day off and he just got up and came downstairs so I said "happy anniversary" and he is like "oh happy anniversary" and goes to kiss me, but before that I asked him what anniversary it was and he proceeded to say "umm wedding anniversary?" (which is in May), "log in date? house anniversary?".. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA so I proceeded to show him the blog and he goes " OH YEA, Pitch Black... I usually get that one, right !?!"

Yea Babe, I forgive you (again).

HAHA

First Date

Happy "First Date" Anniversary Babe!


Ten years ago today hubby and I went on our first date. We went to see "Pitch Black" at the mall. Such a romantic devil he is I tell you! LOL Now the only reason I remember the date is because it was in 2000, easy year to remember, and because it was 2 days before my birthday. For YEARS after that, hubby couldn't get the first date day or my birthday straight. LOL Must be "guy" thing. I think he has is straight now, 10 years later, but we shall see. LOL

Obstacles... & Organization

"All adoptive families must now travel to Addis Ababa to be present for their court appointment. There have been rumors of this change for several weeks now, and the change is a direct result of the dramatic increase of "revocation" cases - cases in which the adoptive parents decline to bring their children home after they have passed court. This will mean families will make two trips to Ethiopia to complete their adoptions, which will certainly increase the time and money required for adoption."

When we started thinking about doing a second adoption first (while waiting on China) and was researching countries, there weren't alot of choices for us to begin with due to travel, age limit for an infant, etc. One of the requirements we immediately scratched off the list was any country that required multiple trips. Ethiopia was perfect, one trip, 5-7 days and the court process was done beforehand so the only thing you had to do when you went to Ethiopia was the Embassy appointment and pick up your child. Since choosing Ethiopia, it has felt right from the beginning. So much so, that I was even considering going back to Ethiopia for our second (originally first?) child and giving up on China. The trip is shorter, the process and paperwork seem to be even smoother than when we paperchased for China, and I like the idea of both of our kids (was always planning on having 2 children) being from the same country. Right now we're sticking with China, but I'm getting off the topic..

Apparently, the Ethiopia process has just changed as of yesterday, requiring both parents to travel to Ethiopia 4-8 weeks after referral (not exactly sure about the timeframes) to meet the child and appear for the court date, then leave the child there and come home, then go back to Ethiopia (not sure if it has to be both parents the second time but I don't think so) in another 10-12 weeks (again, not sure of the timeframe) for the Embassy appointment and to bring your child home.

This is a HUGE change. Probably another $6000-$7000 to travel a 2nd time, although I'd travel 5 times if had to. I'd REALLY like both of us to travel the second time to pick her up. On the positive side, we both CAN travel for the court date. I'm sure some families don't have that opportunity and that's sad. Also, the child will be a US citizen upon arriving in the US as both of us will be meeting the child beforehand, which is good. And we will get to meet our child sooner since we have to appear for the court date, but then on the negative side, we'll have to leave her there for possibly 3 months.

Overall, I'm surprised that I'm not more upset by these new turn of events. I haven't handled these types of roadblocks and obstacles that well in the past. When I told hubby he just said "we'll figure it out, it's not like we're not going to go". Always the positive one. But I'm not feeling positive or negative about it. Maybe I'm completely desensitized to all these bumps in the road now. All I know is, I'm going to Ethiopia. I'm going to have a daughter. Maybe I've been so pumped up working on the nursery FINALLY that nothing is going to bring me down.

Speaking of the nursery. I finished "remodeling" the closet in the nursery and I moved some things into it already. I put a second rod in and the closet is a little deep so I also put some narrow shelves in the back, all removable when she gets older (if she's still in that room). I didn't want to waste any space! haha


I'm working on the curtains next. I have a bunch of fabric I had bought a while ago to make bedding and such for the nursery. That should keep me busy for a while. haha

Random Thoughts...

Three posts from me in one day! LOL There's just so much going on.. so much on my mind and want to document some of it before I forget.

First, I don't think I mentioned that the age range we requested for our Ethiopia adoption is 0-18 months for a girl, to be known from here on out as "Baby Girl", since I haven't picked a name yet. And yes.. I said "I" haven't picked a name yet.. LOL Hubby got to pick Raven, which we are going to save for our Chinese daughter and I get to pick a name for our Ethiopian daughter. That's fair right? lol Why are we requesting another baby girl? Well because we can, LOL, but really because I always wanted a daughter, and should at some point down the road we don't/can't finish our China adoption (always a possibility) I really want to have a daughter. As far as age range, if this adoption is completed within the next year and a half, I'd like to experience at least a little bit of the infant months before I get much older. Those are probably pretty common reasons I think, and probably contributes to why so many people request infant girls. I'm guilty.

But I am also fully aware that that is part of the problem with international adoptions sometimes... large numbers of prospective adoptive parents requesting baby girls can lead to some agencies going to unethical lengths to provide the supply (to be blunt). I trust that my agency is finding families for children who are already orphaned/relinquished and not finding children for families (by unethical means). If I have to wait longer, so be it. Even with the horrendous wait with China, I still wouldn't sign up with an agency promising super fast placements.

ANYWAY... back to timeframe... my agency's estimate for how long from the time the dossier is submitted to being matched is 5-8 months (estimate), of course, on the longer side for a baby girl. Total time from application to travel is 12-18 months. So I've been thinking, if we get our dossier in by April, we could possibly be matched this year, maybe early next year. That's kind of an overwhelming thought.. IN A GOOD WAY! But then I start taking it even further.. it's possible that right now, Baby Girl has been conceived. And there is so much sadness that goes with that thought, knowing that so much loss has to happen for Baby Girl, Baby Girl's mother, father. family, before we can be matched with her. So many conflicting emotions go with the thought that she might be conceived already. Does Baby Girl's mother know she is pregnant? What is she thinking? Feeling? Does she already know she will be unable to care for her? I can't even imagine. SIGH

Finished Painting!

BEFORE

AFTER

I finished painting the nursery this past weekend! It's such a happy bright room now... lol I want to go with dark furniture like espresso color, I think it'll look nice against the bright walls. It's a smallish room so I think I'm going to go with a crib that converts to a toddler bed and a small dresser. Not sure about a changing table yet. Will probably wait till we're matched to decide on that.

Next step is to start moving some clothes I already have into the closet!

Homestudy Visit #3

We had our last homestudy visit today! Woohoo!! We are soooo close to being able to submit our dossier! Probably another 2-4 weeks for the last clearances to come thru then just get one more doc notarized and certified and then off to the agency it goes!