Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!
I have been wondering all day if Caleb will have been born in 2006 or will be born in 2007?!? I guess will have to wait and see.

I600A - sucks a big fatty!!!!!!

Aggravated!! Ok for those of you who are not familiar with adoption forms and processes, I will explain this I600A.

The I600A is a Petition for Orphan Adoption. It is an application that usually takes around 90 days to process and it is for Homeland Security. It requires a completed Home Study.

So September 26th I send the I600A to USCIS to be processed. I tell my Home Study Agency that I sent it and they said they would send the Home Study when its prepared to USCIS. I called today since it has been around 90 days. The lady says they don't have my home study O_O ACK! So I call and email my Home Study agency and they said that they DIDN'T send it!! WHAT!! Now I looked at the USCIS documentation and it said that the Home Study has to be less than 6 months old when processing and until they receive the home study and the application the clock doesn't start "ticking"... so now I will be put back at the BOTTOM of the list and the home study is already 3 months old! We are so worried that the home study will be expired by the time they go to process it. This is frustrating, we're also cutting it close with that being approved before a referral.

-S

Waiting children

Well we received the waiting child video from the orphanage today. Part of it was so sad. A lot of the children had chickenpox there was really bad flies and almost every child they showed they said something about the parents being dead. On the other hand it was way cool getting to look at the orphanage and the nuns who care for the children. The orphanage looked nicer then i thought it could so that was good. The children looked well cared for so that was great! Most of the children waiting are sibling groups with older children and babies with hiv. I wish we could bring them all home!
-C

More News on Dad

Doctor just called (not the Oncologist) and said that they found cancer in his liver too. She also said both cancers are treatable but that they wont do surgery on the mass in his lung (which she also said was the size of an orange} because it is around the main artery. The Oncologist is closed today so I guess we will find out more later. Keep us in your prayers.

-S

A Christmas to Remember

Well, we are back in town. Actually since last night around 11pm. We left for FL Thursday evening and left FL Friday afternoon. My stepdad (who I've known since I was 3 yrs old) had an abnormal chest X-Ray that led to a CAT scan on Wednesday. On Friday my mom called me and said they found a mass, he has cancer. Tuesday the doctor will schedule an appt with the Oncologist and we'll see how far a long it is. The doctor said the mass was about as big as a plum and its near an artery. He has lost 20 lbs in the past couple months and has a cough which the doc said he had pneumonia. Dad is on Augmentin (sp?) that is really killing his apitite lately. Usually he is the garbage disposal at the table, up until today he had been eating 3 waffles and thats about it all day. I think his tastebuds are messed up because things that taste fine and that he would usually like tastes terrible to him. Today I tricked him into eating 3 waffles with syrup for breakfast and he didnt eat anything until dinner, but my uncle and aunt came over for dinner and dad wanted steak, potatoes, and salad; so thats what we ate (I didnt complain, its my favorite meal too!). He ate all of his steak and two helpings of mashed potatoes. So far he is doing well and doesnt feel sick. He has been sleeping most of the day, amazingly he's up right now as I type, watching TV. We spent the night at my parents last night when we got into town and I'm spending the night tonight on the request of dad. Court is at home tonight because it makes no sense to go back and forth to take care of Joplin; Guinan is over here.


I feel bad for Courtney because this is the first Christmas where she isnt doing anything and one of the very few she hasn't spent with her family. This was also going to be the first time I really spent time with her mother and father. I know she wants to be there and be here too. She's been great with me staying with my family and taking care of Joplin. I'm very lucky to have her, don't know what I'd do without her (dont mean to make everyone puke hehe). Anyway, we told Christine and her family that we would come down in January and have a Christmas then, big dinner, presents and everything. Besides isn't there controversy on when Jesus was born anyway? We could actually be celebrating it in the correct month! lol.

Well, thats it. Just wanted to update everyone... this is really hard but I'm really glad now that we are adopting, dad loves kids and I'd love for him to be able to spend time with his grandson.

-S

Caleb Social Security name

OK here is Caleb's names Popularity in the last 20 years. So its not too popular?!? I guess 35 is more then we would like :-( Its just everyone who adopts from Ethiopia names their child Caleb? Crazy!!

Popularity of the male name Caleb
2005 35
2004 33
2003 34
2002 35
2001 37
2000 38
1999 41
1998 42
1997 47
1996 48
1995 54
1994 60
1993 66
1992 74
1991 78
1990 88
1989 91
1988 108
1987 114
1986 131


So far from you all on the blog and friends here is the poll

Harrison 6
Julian 3
Noah 4
Kaden 3
Connor 1
Mason 5
Kade 1
Caleb 11



Just a little P.S

Here is Harrison the 2nd runner up on the Social Security:

2005 211
2004 210
2003 212
2002 199
2001 203
2000 184
1999 182
1998 174
1997 181
1996 209
1995 217
1994 218
1993 279
1992 282
1991 271

Caleb's

Everyone who is adopting from Ethiopia names their child Caleb!! REALLY its so crazy!!!! At first we were like “oh wow look another Caleb” then 3 then 4 and this is just with our agency. WTF?!?!
So she started to look at other agencies and blogs. Sure enough Caleb’s everywhere. Sari and I were like is this a joke?

We started talking about changing his name :-( I already feel like he is Caleb. Can’t change a name of a child after ya know?!?

BUT

If we stay a part of the Ethiopian adoption community we would not want him to share a name with everyone else.

What would you do?? Stick with the name. if we stop looking at the internet we would know no different right??


I want to stay with Caleb but i don’t want to call his name a 10 children respond :-(

Take a vote

1. Stay with Caleb
2. Harrison
3. Julian
4. Kaden
5. Kade
6. Noah
7. Isaac
8. Lex
9. Mason
10. Connor

Christmas in sunny Florida

Well we are leaving to go to Florida to my sister’s house for Christmas. Going to my parents house Christmas Eve already has my stomach in knots. This will be the first time we both went in 7 years!! Wish us luck!!!

Hanukkah Stuff for Caleb

So Court's sister is just loving the shopping for a baby part of this whole thing lol... Which I love, don't get me wrong. Her sister and brother-in-law couldn't be more supportive and excited its great! We are leaving for FL on Friday morning to see them... anyway, on to the Hanukkah stuff... oh one of these pics is from Nahnah too, I'll mark which one.

From Auntie Christine and Uncle Nate


From Nahnah


only a sample of the MANY MANY toys from Karla! You rock Karla!!!!


And last but not least, the couch cover that will cover the fugly couch I took all these pics on lol... this couch will stay in Caleb's room

And Tango Makes Three

So I read about this in one of my groups. Some of the women I talk to read this to their kids who just love it. So I had to do a little follow up research. What a great book!! Who knew it was real? I can't wait to run out and buy it! The small part I read online almost made me cry. Adoption hormones LOL


And Tango Makes Three (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, April 26 2005 ISBN 0-689-87845-1) is a children's book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole, based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo, who for a time, formed a couple. The book follows part of this time in the penguin's lives.

The pair were observed trying to hatch a rock that resembled an egg. When zookeepers realized that Roy and Silo were both male, it occurred to them to give them the secong egg of a mixed-sex penguin couple, a couple which had previously been unable successfully to hatch two eggs at once. Roy and Silo hatched and raised the healthy young chick, a female named "Tango" by keepers, together as a family

-C

Savta is now Nana and other names

So Sari's mom (she is the very supportive grandmother) now wants to be called Nana (pronounced like NahNah) instead of Savta. I don’t mind the change it shows me how much she cares and is thinking about it. Just wanted to update ya’ll so now when you read Nana its Grandma :-) Or when Caleb is reading this in the future he will know how much we all thought about him before he came to us :-)

Also I don’t know if we ever wrote about what we are going to be called? DP wants to be called Ima (pronounced eemah)(its the Hebrew word for mother) and I want to be MamaC (that’s what I call myself to the dogs and it stuck) I think its kinda cool that none of us get the traditional mother or mama title. We are not the traditional family :-) Although who knows whatever Caleb calls us might stick LOL.
Maybe I will start calling Sari Ima and myself MamaC on the blog? Maybe get into the hang of it? Naw that might be strange?!?!? A little too real :-)

-C (MamaC)

Happy Hanukkah!

Today at sundown starts Hanukkah. I hope everyone has a blessed one!

Good news keeps coming!

So this is indirectly related to adoption so stick with me. After 3 interviews and lots of phone calls I received an offer letter today for a new job that pays double what I make now!! YAY I will have money to pick up Caleb!! I am still in the process of going through my paperwork but I am very excited and nervous!
-C

I was right.. I rock!!

So adoption agency sent out an email yesterday. Referrals for baby boys are happening for people who sent their dossier in August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Referrals for girls, sibs, twins are happening for people who sent the dossier in May.
SO only 4 months!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not the 6 to 7 we thought.
Also the email stated that 7 referrals came out this week! Thats really moving fast!
That puts us at referral in April travel in August. That’s in no time! Sari and I couldn’t be more happy!
-C

Thinking out loud

So last night AGAIN I was looking at the agencies chat room database. I was reading through the FAQ and I read through the part about Ethiopia’s courts closing from August to October (crazy I know) well I have read that a thousand times but last night it occurred to me maybe that’s why the May people are only getting referrals now? You take out the 2 months that the courts are closed and that puts the referrals at 4 months which is exactly what the agency told us 3 to 5 months?!?! I mean it’s a long shot but makes sense right? Maybe we could get a referral by March. I am sure this is just hope talking but hey hope feels good!!!
-C

Caleb will be in my arms by this time next year (and repeat)

OK i just realized my mother knows NOTHING about the adoption. She has not asked ONE question. She does not know how old Caleb will be, what agency we are using, if we are traveling and how long the wait will be. How can she judge without knowing anything and how can i let someone like that bother me so much? When someone tells you they are pregnant you dont tell them "dont get your hopes up you could miscarry" and yet women miscarry everyday no people say "congrats" and anyone who says any different is rude or just a downer and you cant let people like that bring you down even if it is family. So next time i am just going to say "OK" and repeat over and over in my mind Caleb will be here in my arms by this time next year.. Caleb will be here in my arms by this time next year.. Caleb will be here in my arms by this time next year...
-C

GRRRR & BS!!

My mother just called. Asked me how the adoption is going (for the first time I might add) then proceeded to tell me not to get my hopes up, that she knows two people who adopted internationally and both adoptions fell through. She said they did finally get children but it took a while and was very difficult. I told her adoption is different then it used to be, it's different in every country and every agency. Our agency is one of only 6 allowed to adopt in Ethiopia they have been there the 2nd longest of any agencies, they do more adoptions then any other agency and that I did a lot of research and never read anything bad. It was all in one ear out the other. I know time will prove to her that this is happening but it really bothers me that she is so negative about it!!! What do I say to her? How can I prove her wrong? I feel like maybe I told her too soon cause now comes the waiting and the entire time she is going to be thinking yes I am right this is not going to happen. I just wanted to give her time to get used to it not time to be negative about it and to make me so freaken mad! It would be different if she was doing this to protect me but I have a feeling she is doing this as a way to justify to herself that this is not happening a back door to not dealing with it. GGRRRR!!! I need supportive people around me now in this difficult waiting stage not this BS!

-C

Ethiopian Safari?

So a lot of people have asked us if we are going on a safari while in Ethiopia. Although they do offer safari's it's not quite the African safari's people think of. From what we could find there are only a couple companies that even offer it. Ethiopia is not so much the jungle you might think about when you think of Africa but here are some of the animals we might see:

• Baboon, Anubis
• Baboon, Gelada
• Baboon, Hamadryas
• Abyssinian Bushbuck
• Menelik's Bushbuck
• Nile Buffalo
• Caracal, African Lynx
• African Wild Cat
• Colobus Monkey
• Gunthers Dik Dik
• Salt's Dik Dik
• Cordeaux Dik Dik
• East African Bush Duiker
• Bat-Eared Fox
• Northern Grants Gazelle
• Soemmering's Gazelle
• Genet Cat, Common
• Northern Gerenuk
• Neumanns Hartebeest
• Hippopotamus
• Giant Forest Hog
• Spotted Hyena
• Jackal, Black-Backed
• Jackal, Golden
• Jackal, Side Striped
• Klipspringer
• Abyssinian Greater Kudu
• Lesser Kudu
• Leopard
• Lion
• Mongoose, Egyptian
• Monkey, Blue
• Monkey, Grivet
• Monkey, Vervet
• Mountain Nyala
• Oribi
• Besia Oryx
• Ostrich
• Bushpig
• Porcupine
• Abyssinian Bohor Reedbuck
• Serval Cat
• Tiang
• Warthog
• East African Defassa Waterbuck

On a Desk Far Far Away...

We are SO freaken excited!!!! Caleb's paperwork is sitting on someone's desk in Africa!!! What else can I say?!?!

Dossier is in ETHIOPIA!

So, it had been 3 weeks since the agency said our dossier was sent out to the dept. of state and the Ethiopian Embassy. Courtney and I decide to call and see whats up since she said it would take about 2 weeks. She said she would send an email out when the dossier had been sent but I hadn't received one. Turns out she had the wrong email address... and here is the good news, THE DOSSIER IS IN ETHIOPIA!!!!! OMG! I cannot believe it!! this is the BEST news we've had in 3 weeks. We are officially waiting *jumps up and down* Yeeeeaahhhhh!!!!

-S

5 months

Its 5 months today since we started adoption. I only wish we did not have another 9 to go. I have to say this 5 went by pretty fast maybe the next 5 will as well!
-C

(It's) Getting Better (All the Time)

We feel better today. The waiting is so hard! If you are prego you get to have blood work, u/s feel the baby kick all those milestones and with adoption sometimes you go months with out anything. I cant wait to have a picture of Caleb! I am sure all these feelings we have now will just melt away :-)

Thanks everyone for the support! There is a baby at the end of this long (very long) tunnel :-)

A little blue

So Sari and i have been a little down lately about how long we are going to have to wait for a referral. We made the mistake of looking on our adoption group to see if any new referrals have come in lately... Well none have i mean zero! There are still people from MAY waiting for a baby! Thats 7 months not the 5 months we hoped. That puts us at next July / Aug. I can make excuses such as its not the adoption agency's site or maybe it has not been updated in a while but i really do think those are just excuses. When our dossier gets sent to Ethiopia (sometime this month) we will email the agency ask what the wait looks like now but i can tell you we are a little scared of what they are going to say. When i talk to other adoption mommies they remind us that this is the hardest part that we have to remember that there is a baby at the end of this journey no matter how long it takes. Its just hard to remember all those things when we are looking at a empty babies room or this time last year i was looking at bfp. I try to remind myself that this time next year we will be mommies no matter what and that once we have Caleb it wont matter how long it took. I just want to say we are a little tired today of being positive and reminding ourselves of how great it will be next year... We want a baby now!
Thanks for letting me rant. I needed it!

-C

Very COOL!!

Its a live camera on a watering hole in Africa.. All kinds of animals

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#

OR

Just click the title and it will take you there.

-C