Adopting Isaac

2007-09-20T20:31:00.000-05:00

New blog

2007-07-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

So we haven’t posted in a couple days cause we have been torn. We are not super comfortable posting private info about the adoption on an open website but you all are our friends and we want to share the good news and pictures.

So we decided that since we have to move the blog anyway (I guess Isaac just doesn’t fit anymore LOL) we will just start a new one that’s closed.

Adopt Micah
Please email maymicah@gmail.com for approval.. (If you email me and it doesnt work within 24 hrs email me again and i'll send instructions) I promise there is a picture of a beautiful baby girl at the end :-)

When our court date is over and we are approved, we will open the blog to everyone.

Our baby girl

2007-07-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

Ok here is some info..
She is 2 months old. Which is so great younger then we ever dreamed! She was brought to the orphanage by a nun from a smaller city then Addis.
She is in perfect health except for a small infection.
We should get the official referral paper work in the next week then we will post some pics.

Good news!

2007-07-09T18:52:00.001-05:00

That's right referral!
A GIRL!!!!!!!!!
Updates to come.

The year

2007-07-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

The year can be a little misleading.
Thats since we sent the application in. The official wait started in December when we filled out the dossier so 7 months ago.
Still is a long wait. But the year thing is a little misleading.

OMG!

2007-07-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

1 year today since we sent the adoption application in!

Dad Just Left

2007-07-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

Whew! its been a long weekend! My father came in from CT Friday afternoon and its been non stop until we brought him to the airport. We had so much fun eating out, doing stuff like the Art & Science Museum... so much fun! We also went to Babies R Us and got the stroller and car seat :D and also made a registry! Thanks Dad and Sue for the car seat and stroller!!! These are the ones we got (rated best by consumer reports)

It's Been a While

2007-06-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

I know its been a while since we really blogged... sorry, I hope you all are still checking :D It has been a busy couple weeks and weekends! Last weekend we were at Piedmont Park all day Saturday and Sunday in the heat and this weekend my father comes in until the 4th. I'm trying to keep my mind off adoption but its not working.

I just wanted to write to tell you all that we are still alive and well.

How are you guys?

-S

Our Reasons

2007-06-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Some people have asked why we decided to adopt from Ethiopia. I think I might have posted on this already but I will post again :)

We chose Ethiopia after a long time deciding and going over pros and cons of each country. The biggest reason is we looked at some statistics of the adoptions from Africa vs other countries and they were staggeringly low, one of the places that needs it the most. Skin color was never a factor to us and neither was Angelina Jolie but I really do applaud her. Just her status as a celebrity has raised awareness and visa's for children from Ethiopia have gone up dramatically since she adopted Zahara.
Another factor was money, Ethiopia was one of the countries that we could afford. I hope that doesn't sound bad to you guys but we all know in almost every decision money is taken into consideration. Also Ethiopia is one of the countries that you can get babies. :)

And those are the reasons :)

Have a good rest of the weekend guys!!

-S

Immigrant Visas Issued from Ethiopia

2007-06-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

Wow its amazing how much a couple celebrities can make a country popular! We did not go with Ethiopia because of celebrities have adopted there but who knows if they hadn’t if we would have found info on the web on agencies and groups?!?!

Fiscal Year Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
2006 - 731
2005 - 440
2004 - 289
2003 - 135
2002 - 105

Harry Potter

2007-06-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

6 months 1 week and 1 day officially waiting for a referral but it feels like 6 years 6 months and 1 week LOL. Not much more I can say to that…
So lets switch gears totally. I am SO SO excited about the new Harry Potter book and movie!!!!!!!!!! The new trailer came on last night and I couldn’t get to bed right away cause I was just laying there thinking about it. We already preordered our books for the midnight release and our movie tickets for the midnight release :-) It’s so great to have something to look forward to. Is there nothing Harry cant do LOL Are there any Harry Potter fans out there? Any guesses on how the book ends? I think I might need a Harry Potter ticker on here ;-)

Baby Teeth

2007-06-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

S dad sent us a bunch of dental stuff to send to the orphanage :-) He is the best!! I have terrible teeth so I hope my babys teeth will be taken care of from day 1! It’s a big heavy box so I have no idea how our agency is going to get it to Ethiopia but I am sure they get donations over there all the time. Anyway thanks Sdad!!!!!

6 months

2007-06-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

6 months today our dossier was sent to Ethiopia. I never thought I would make it this far without a referral. I should not be too terribly surprised when I think about it in months most people with our agency wait 6 months for a referral... I am surprised at how hard it is and I am terribley nervous we will not make it before courts close. Seriously it’s in the back of my mind all the time everything I do I am secretly thinking about courts closing. We are still doing a pretty good job at attempting to stay busy, we are painting the hall this week and S's dad comes into town in 2 weeks. I have gotten to a point where I really don’t care when I get a referral as long as it’s before courts close!!!

Increasing Immigration Fees: I-600A and Certificate of Citizenship

2007-06-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

FYI..
Are you planning on submitting immigration paperwork anytime before the end of the year? If so, you'd be wise to get moving soon on this paperwork. The USCIS has announced a hike in immigration application fees starting July 30. These new fee increases will affect most adoptive families at two points: when they are submitting their I-600A, and when they are applying for a certificate of citizenship for their children.

The fee for the I-600A Orphan Petition will increase from $545 to $750. The fingerprint fee (or biometric fee, as they now call it) has increased from $70 per applicant to $80. You will need to pay that $80 fee for each person 18 or older living in your household with you. One small good thing about this rate hike, though: the $750 orphan petition fee now includes the fingerprinting fee for one applicant. So you will only have to pay the $80 fee for the second parent and any other adults living in the home.

Keep in mind that many immigration offices will allow you to submit the I600A without a complete homestudy. So if your homestudy is not complete and it is close to the end of July, I would recommend submitting the I600A without the homestudy, thus avoiding that increased fee. Of course they will not issue your I171H without the homestudy, but at least you will have avoided the higher fee.

July 1st

2007-06-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

Well, we have started the countdown. Some of you have asked about courts closing and such, July 1st is the cutoff to get a referral before court close. 27 days and counting...

Shots

2007-06-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

We got our 2nd round of Hep shots today. We are 98% covered for Hep A and 78% covered for Hep B or at least that’s what the brochure said.

Someone’s Timeline

2007-05-31T09:23:00.000-05:00

Here is a timeline of someone in our agency adopting a 6 month baby boy. This is what our timeline will probably look like… Again our dossier was sent to Ethiopia in December.

July 7- Dossier sent to Ethiopia
Jan 15 - Referral
March 8 - Case submitted to court
April 5- Court date
May 5 – Travel

I know a lot of people wonder what the hold up is to referral or what happens after.. Hope this helps :-)

NPR Melissa Fay Greene

2007-05-30T10:10:00.001-05:00

On the way to S brothers house I heard Melissa Fay Greene speak on NPR. Although this is an older show and I am sure most of you have heard this for those who haven’t enjoy!!
Man I LOVE NPR!!!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6381100

More Clothes!

2007-05-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

We're back from Jacksonville and man, are we tired! We went to Busch Gardens on Sunday for 7 hours... I haven't done that in years!

While we were there Christine drags out this MOVING box FULL of clothes for both Isaac and the orphanage... Thanks so much Christine and Nate, we love you so much!!

Can you spot Waldo... I mean O'Malley? :-)

Thanks again!! Here's to another long week, even with today off...

-S

Darfur Petition

2007-05-25T13:44:00.000-05:00

http://ga6.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition

No News

2007-05-24T08:47:00.001-05:00

Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes!! I appreciate it all :D

No news regarding Isaac unfortunately. *sigh*

We are leaving for Jacksonville tomorrow evening to visit C's sister and brother-in-law. This should be a nice distraction to the long weekend. We are going to Busch Gardens :D yay roller coasters!!! It will be nice to see them and her other sister as well, I love going to Florida to visit them. We were hoping for a referral before we went down, but what are you gunna do right?

Anyway, just wanted to post to let you know we are still with ya! Have a good and safe Memorial Day long weekend... no drinking and driving!!!

-S

Happy Birthday S!!!!

2007-05-21T08:23:00.001-05:00

More Stuff.. Thanks Vanessa

2007-05-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

We've really been amazed with our friends and family, even people we don't know giving us stuff for Isaac, new and used. This stuff is from Gavin (walker is from Kim) someone we have never met.

This one is from Grandpa Ziggy :-)

Thanks again to Gavin and Vanessa!

No news

2007-05-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

Nothing going on here... Life is pretty much at a stand still waiting with anticipation for a referral. I asked S the other day “has anyone gone in the mental hospital because of waiting for a referral” we had a good laugh but secretly wondered. We are nowhere close to crazy now but give me a couple weeks LOL We have been staying busy I painted a mural in my friends baby nursery I will post pics later when she adds the finishing touches. Maybe I should go into the mural business? Well anyway just wanted to post that we are still alive and in spite of the tortures wait we are doing well.

Next Year!

2007-05-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

Mothers day went better then I thought it would :-) I thought we would be sad cause we don’t have a referral yet but we stayed busy and hardly thought about it! I hope all the women out there that are ttc or adopting had as easy of a time as we did. Next year will be our year girls!!!

2007-05-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

Physical Stuff Done (Isaac's room update)

2007-05-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

So yesterday and today we finished putting up the shades and putting together the rocking chairs... I got to use my dremel and drill >:) This concludes all the "physical" type stuff we have to do, now its just getting sheets, breathable bumper and changing table pad. I know you all are DYING to see the pics lol, so without further ado...

this is as you are walking in the door of the room

the shades

This is to show you how the shades work, its not the kind you pull down and they kinda shoot up.

the changing table, sans changing table pad at the moment

And finally, the chairs :)

I'm telling you guys, I'm in love with this room! the shades, chairs and rug pull it all together, its wonderful, so vibrant and happy. The only thing its missing is Isaac...

FREE Build-A-Bear for an Orphan

2007-05-11T14:56:00.000-05:00

On May 19th, Build A Bear (the store in the mall where you can make your own stuffed animal) is hosting a Build A Bear for an Orphan. You and your family can create a bear and all the bears will be given to children who are waiting for their Forever Family. Please help support adoption and even better you will be giving gifts to children... who doesn't like to do that?!

check out these links http://www.buildabear.com/aboutUs/Calendar/05-07_BABW_US.pdf or
http://tinyurl.com/2v9vvk

Thanks!!

Also, to all the mothers or mothers-to-be out there, Happy Mothers Day :D

-S

Dr. Seuss blue rocking chairs

2007-05-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

My mother (yes my mother who must be getting more comfortable with us adopting?!?!) bought me Dr. Seuss blue rocking chairs for the babies room / outside.
I got the chairs cause they match the blue but also thought in a couple months if he is over the rocking thing we can put them outside :-) So my mom got me 2 chairs and 2 over stuffed cushions that match perfect together and the walls :-) Here is what they kinda look like. When we get them all put together I will post real pics of em which will include the nice fluffy cushions as well.

Small Update

2007-05-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Talked to the agency.. They said the same old thing “you are getting up there” I know a lot of referrals went out in the last couple days so we got to be moving up right?!? After many calls to the agency over the last month or so I have reason to believe we are on the to 5. Now if that means the wait is a couple days, weeks or months I have no idea?!?! Just depends on how many babies they have sitting at the nursery.

Tag 7 random things about myself

2007-05-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Meg tagged me :-)
7 random things about myself

1. I used to be a ballet dancer
2. I broke my arm on a ceiling fan while dancing doctors called it a night stick fracture LOL
3. I take at least 2 baths and 1 shower a day
4. I hate tomatoes and ketchup bluck
5. I have 2 sisters and all our names begin with a C
6. I work from home and don’t get out of my pj till 4:00 everyday
7. I am a scaredy cat (example) I dont like the dark because of ghosts, being outside at night because of aliens LOL I don’t believe in these things but the scary me just the same.

I am going to tag...

5 McC Kids
Waiting for our Daughter
Frances
SJayne
wewannababy
Waiting to be a Mother
Lesson Plans to Baby Carriages

10 months

2007-05-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

10 months today since we sent in the application to begin adoption. Feels like a million years ago! If this was a pregnancy I would be having an elephant :-)

Update on Dad

2007-05-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I posted an update on dad. They are taking a break on chemo for a while, his cancer is still going into remission and next thursday he goes for another PET scan. His appetite is coming back and he ate a full meal the other day! Thats about it... so yay! I hope it keeps getting better :)

-S

Jumping

2007-05-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

Well I started jumping at every phone call today LOL I am sure this will be my life until referral LOL I hope the weekend brings some anticipated relief!

Click to fund FREE mammograms

2007-05-03T14:50:00.000-05:00

by clicking the button FUND FREE MAMMOGRAMS on this site http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2
you will be helping women who couldnt afford a mammogram otherwise. This takes a few seconds and requires nothing from you, nothing to sign up for, nothing to buy and no money; just click and click DAILY! Thanks!!

Mother’s Day

2007-05-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

What are you all doing for mother’s day? This is our first time celebrating it in the reverse roll. We talked to the agency yesterday and we have reason to believe that we might (might) get a referral before mother’s day. If we don’t get a referral by then I still want to celebrate it.. So any suggestions?? I think it needs to be big. Adopting we don’t get too much of the traditional baby stuff.

MAY!

2007-05-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

YAY It is finally May!! Hopefully referral month

Shopping

2007-04-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory is the bomb! Not the cleanest place in the entire world but had great prices. I bought a Graco pack and play and a high chair for less then $90 and look how cute it is!

We Miss You Still Mikey...

2007-04-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 1 yr anniversary that our good friend Mikey died. How he died was never discovered. He went to bed, and never woke up. Tonight a bunch of us will go to his favorite karaoke bar, do a shot of Jager and reminise.

We miss you still Mikey, and love you always. RIP.

Courts Closing and Travel

2007-04-27T09:11:00.001-05:00

Well good news on the travel part. Courts close for 6 weeks in mid August (i'm assuming that its not the same time each year because it coincides with the Ethiopian new year which changes every year on our calendar, but not on theirs) As long as we get and accept a referral by late June we will travel before the courts close.
I don’t understand how all year long its 3to 4 months to travel then when it gets close to courts closing they can make it happen in 2 months or less. Its this way with all agencies. The good part is this works to our advantage if we get a referral in mid May… Mid Aug is only 3 months away!! Also I am sure we will travel before that cause they are trying to rush things through.
I can’t believe we might have our baby before mid August! That’s no time at all!

Guinan the best fur baby in town

2007-04-26T11:55:00.002-05:00

Guinan my fur baby kicks butt!!! Bella is a 2 ½ little girl who we see once a week (or as much as possible) Bella is a very active, very small (still in 1 year clothing) little girl to my best friend Rachel. Every time they come over I put the dogs up. Not that I don’t trust them it’s just that the room can only take so much hyper in it LOL. So yesterday for the first time ever I let Guinan out with them over. She was the BEST dog you ever saw. She is a 90 pound lab who loves her toys. When I play tug with the rope she just about pulls my arm off. She was playing tug with Bella yesterday and was the sweetest thing you ever saw. She would grab the rope with her front teeth and just pull ever so gently. Then when Bella would win (how sweet is it that giunan to let bella win.. she never lets me win) Bella would run around the coffee table and Guinan would chase her (at only half guinans full speed) I have never seen a dog act like this around a child. Nevertheless my crazy hyper dog. I cant wait for Isaac and Guinan to be best friends :-)

On other news. We are on the top ten list waiting for referral (we think including families wanting other children and girls) So hopefully still on track for May

MIA

2007-04-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

I know we have not posted as much in April as we usually do... We have been TRYING to keep our minds off of baby stuff and referrals.
Over 9 months since we started adopting and almost 5 months officially waiting for a referral can be trying. At this point keeping busy is our saving grace LOL

Alicia and Eliza

2007-04-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Hey just wanted to send a shout out to Alicia CONGRATS on your referral!!
Cant wait to see pics of baby Eliza!

Yo! Party in my crib... 10pm

2007-04-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today we went up to my co-workers house to get the crib! THANKS SO MUCH CHI!!! It took us about 10 minutes to put it together... including having to change the bottom rails around cause i put them in upside down lol... check it out! oh and we got a rug for his room :)

Next thing we have to do is get the curtains up and his room will be almost complete!

-S

New ticker

2007-04-18T13:27:00.000-05:00

The countdown was making us crazy!!! So we had to change the ticker. Out of sight out of mind LOL

Oh and Happy Birthday to me:-)

Closet Door Knobs

2007-04-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it was (possibly) the last crafty thing we had to do to get his room
Dr. Suess-y. Here are the door knobs to his closet

We Have Been Shot

2007-04-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

We woke up at 7AM to be the first ones at the county health clinic and got our first round of shots this morning. Not the best time in my life but not a huge deal. Getting poked in the arm multiple times made me realize i really will be traveling to Africa soon!!!!!

Lets break the birthday curse! And other junk.

2007-04-11T08:39:00.001-05:00

I was thinking today how great it would be to get a referral around the time we lost Mikey last year. So lets all pray end of April! I have kinda had a bad luck birthday curse the last 2 years. 2005 my sister totaled my car (thank god she was not hurt) and 2006 Mikey passed away. So lets break the bad luck birthday curse this year darn it!!!!!!

On other news we found out today that Isaac will have a baby girl cousin! I am hoping they will be born best friends! Ashley is due a month after we will probably pick up Isaac so they will be close in age. Also my friend Kim is having a little boy so babies everywhere!!

When we changed the blog over Sari noticed we had something like 130 posts…. OMG we need a life! If anyone out there has read all 130 posts god bless ya LMAO.

Ethiopian calendar (thirteenth month)

2007-04-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

So I wanted to learn why I keep reading thirteenth month when researching Ethiopia. Very interesting so I thought I would share :-)

Ethiopic calendar is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and is also the liturgical year of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church where it is known as the Ge'ez calendar. It is based on the older Alexandrian or Coptic calendar, which is based on the even older Egyptian calendar, but like the Julian calendar, it adds a leap day every four years without exception, and begins the year on August 29 or August 30 in the Julian calendar.

Like the Coptic calendar, the Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of 30 days each plus five or six epagomenal days (usually called a thirteenth month). Furthermore, its months begin on the same days as those of the Coptic calendar, but they have different names, that are in Ge'ez. The sixth epagomenal day is added every four years without exception on August 29 in the Julian calendar, six months before the Julian leap day. Thus the first day of the Ethiopian year, 1 Mäskäräm, for years between 1901 and 2099 (inclusive), is usually September 11 (Gregorian), but falls on September 12 (Gregorian), in years before the Gregorian leap year.

4 weeks

2007-04-09T12:51:00.000-05:00

Ticker says we are almost at 4 weeks till referral!! As i get closer and closer to time I find it harder and harder to believe that it will actually happen. After all we started this adoption over 9 months ago and we started the official wait for a match 4 months ago the thought of getting a picture seems out of this world. The wait has started to be all time consuming thank god we shouldn't have too much longer now. May 13th is not 100% accurate no matter what the agency can just give us their best guess. But i think its a pretty good guess. Only time will tell :-/

Would You Eat Them in a Mural Filled Room??

2007-04-07T20:06:00.000-05:00

Thats right ladies and gentlemen, it is finished! Now, the mountain (on the left side) and the ocean we finished a couple days ago... the rest took the entire 1st season of Flavor of Love to finish....

Picture of the actual pic from the book

And now the wall!

Yay!! now to get the furniture in there!!

p.s. click on the pic to get a larger image

No Reason to Call

2007-04-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

So we were calling our agency once a week to see if the I600A was in Ethiopia yet and since we had them on the phone we always asked about the waitlist. Now we have no reason to call :-( We have to wait like 3 weeks to call just to check on the waitlist. They dont give us much info about the wait but its just nice to have something.. We sent our dossier early December so we have officially been waiting 4 months now!! Our last talk with the agency went like this:

Sari: anything new on the waitlist?
Agency: let me see.... you have moved up alot!
Sari: Still May?
Agency:That is a reasonable guess, sorry i cant tell you more

Approval is (FINALLY) in Addis!!!

2007-04-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

Got an email from my agency, its confirmed, my 1-797 (approval) is in Addis! Yay!! I feel like a huge weight is lifted. Now we just wait...

For those who don't know, or need a recap... in September we sent off the I-600a, that is the Petition for Orphan Adoption... basically its the US Govt approving you to adopt. When they approve you, they send you the I-797 form and also send that to the country you are adopting from. This process should take around 3 months. Finally wrapped up and confirmed by Ethiopia at 7 months.

1st problem: Home Study was never sent to USCIS (found this out 3 months AFTER the fact)
2nd problem: Approval was sent to the WRONG country.

So finally we are ALL done its fixed and in Ethiopia :-)

-S

We have a I600A Case Number!

2007-04-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

I called uscis (not the lady who messed up) they said it was dhl to Ethiopia on March 2nd?!? So I got the case number from them (which I have never heard of before) and our agency is going to try to find it today (which is Wed in Ethiopia) by case number not name. So cross your fingers! Also the lady who messed up emailed us back saying she emailed the approval. So I really hope its all done!!!!!!!! I can see the light at the end on the I600A tunnel!

Flying tips

2007-04-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

For those of you adopting or traveling with a baby here is a GREAT site!! Check it out. http://www.flyingwithkids.com/travel_planning.htm

April

2007-04-01T14:34:00.000-05:00

Already April so now we can officially say should have a referral next month! But then again whose counting LOL

I600A again..Can You Believe It?!?!

2007-03-31T10:16:00.000-05:00

Our agency checked its STILL not in Ethiopia?!?! We started this form in September the last we heard Guatemala was going to send it to Ethiopia and that was like 4 weeks ago. I really dont know how much longer i can try to fix other peoples mess ups on this very important form without losing it! I really dont know where to go from here i emailed the lady who originally mailed it to Guatemala maybe she can help. gggrrrr!

We could change your kid's diaper now

2007-03-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

Cause we have a changing table!!! Thanks Kim! Y'all how perfect does this go with the Doc Seuess theme?

One thing off the nesting list

2007-03-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

Well we can scratch one thing off the nesting list... but not the list you all have LOL We had a HUGE dead tree in the backyard. I was afraid to post it on our nesting list in case it fell and hit the house we would want insurance to cover it. Insurance does not cover a falling tree if you knew it was going to fall (or so my dad says) and since professional tree cutters (yes thats what i am going to call them) look at adoption blogs all the time i had to play it safe and leave it off the internet. Anyway.. They came and cut it down today well first they took down half my fence (its not the main fence its more of a dog pen)then charged me $1000. Now i have a 1/2 of a dead tree in my back yard that we are going to try to cut up and throw in the back. So i guess its not off my list since we are not done... Does the fact that its lying on its side count?? So don't expect us to blog much this weekend we will be to busy making are crappy back yard a little less crappy or at minimum the fence back up for the dogs.

6 weeks blah

2007-03-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

Talked to the agency today they said still on track for May.. I was hoping we would be early. I really dont know if i can make it 6 weeks. The wait has really started to get to me the last couple of days. This sucks!God help me if they go over the 6 weeks!

Caleb's Closet

2007-03-26T20:04:00.000-05:00

and new clothes :) He officially has more clothes than we do lol (the floor still has tape and plastic on it)

close up

inside left side, pants, hats and shoes

Inside right, toys are adding up!

Here are some of our fav new clothes out of the closet:

a Ralph Lauren onesie we got at Macy's, for $7!!

From Kathryn

THANKS KATHRYN!! isnt the butt cute!!?!

Mural #1 is FINISHED!

2007-03-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

and it turned out wonderfully!! Around 19hrs start to finish. Here are two shots for ya.

and close up

Now to start on #2

Counting Days.. Well Weekends

2007-03-22T14:06:00.000-05:00

Is it almost time to count down the days to referral yet?? We only have another 6 weekends to go but i dont know if i can make it LOL
The light bulb for the mural came in yesterday so at least we can stay busy right?!?!

CDC Recommended Vaccinations

2007-03-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

OK really all this?!?! And its a good $1000 each :-(

Recommended Vaccinations and Preventive Medications
The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to East Africa. Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need.

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.
Hepatitis B, especially if you might be exposed to blood or body fluids (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not receive the series as infants.
Malaria: your risk of malaria may be high in all countries in East Africa, including cities. See your health care provider for a prescription antimalarial drug. For details concerning risk and preventive medications, see Malaria Information for Travelers to East Africa.
Meningococcal (meningitis) if you plan to visit countries in this region that experience epidemics of meningococcal disease during December through June, (see see Map 4-9 on the Meningoccocal Disease page).
Rabies, pre-exposure vaccination, if you might have extensive unprotected outdoor exposure in rural areas, such as might occur during camping, hiking, or bicycling, or engaging in certain occupational activities.
Typhoid vaccine. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors
Yellow fever, a viral disease that occurs primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America, is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The virus is also present in Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers to endemic areas and may be required to cross certain international borders (For country specific requirements, see Yellow Fever Vaccine Requirements and Information on Malaria Risk and Prophylaxis, by Country.). Vaccination should be given 10 days before travel and at 10 year intervals if there is on-going risk.
As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults.
Required Vaccinations
A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain countries in East Africa. For detailed information, see Yellow Fever Vaccine Requirements and Information on Malaria Risk and Prophylaxis, by Country. Also, find the nearest authorized U.S. yellow fever vaccine center.

Murals on hold

2007-03-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

Yup murals put on hold. The light bulb burnt out last night and get this they are $24 and you can only order them..Boo
We ordered 2 seeing as how they only last 40hr each.
Man murals are expensive!

Adding to the Nesting List

2007-03-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

So i guess i am really nesting cause the list is getting longer.

clean the gutters
get the carpets cleaned
clean my car (like deep cleaning)
clean the blinds in the house (is there a better way to do this other then sticking them in the bath tub?)
Get rid of Guinan's training cage and clean that area (should take about 60 days all by itself to clean)

So we are painting the murals for the next two weeks.I am guessing we are going to be plenty busy waiting for the referral to come (which is so needed)with the murals and now this list that gets longer daily.

We Have a Boat!

2007-03-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

Friday we started on one of the murals. As you all know we are painting two scenes from Dr. Suess' Green Eggs and Ham. Here is a photocopy of the page of the book we are painting

And here is what we've accomplished this weekend.

Not bad eh?! the bottom has a strip of painters tape, so when we remove that the bottom will have a straight edge. We realize now, that this is going to take a long time to finish lol, we worked until about 1am Friday and until 3am Saturday and just finished up for the night tonight at 10:30. whew! but totally worth it!

-S

Maybe nesting?

2007-03-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

So i think i might be feeling the first touches of nesting LOL
I was thinking this morning. i need to

clean the gutters
get the carpets cleaned
clean my car (like deep cleaning)

Now i am a pretty up tight person so i think these things all the time but this morning it was a little different cause i ended it all with before Caleb comes... Like have to clean the gutters BEFORE CALEB COMES!!!
Nesting maybe :-)

Shameless Commerce...

2007-03-15T14:54:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! We just opened a cafepress store! check it out, stuff for babies up to 4T! I just started so things will be added so keep on checking back!!
If you look to your right, theres a permalink!

http://www.cafepress.com/adoptionstork

Check it out... Don't make me beg ;)

-S

Sacred Sites of Ethiopia and the Arc of the Convenant

2007-03-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

Sacred sites of Ethiopia

Seldom visited by foreign tourists over the past few decades due to its continuing political problems, Ethiopia is most well known as being the possible cradle of humankind. Fossil remains (the famous Lucy) discovered in northeastern Ethiopia have been dated to roughly 3.5 million years, making them the earliest known example of an upright walking hominid. The oldest known stone tools, dating to 2.4 million years, were also found in this same region. But Ethiopia has numerous other claims to fame, including the mysterious granite obelisks of Axum, the extraordinary rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and - most enigmatic of all - the church of St. Mary of Zion, probable location of the Holy Arc of the Covenant.

The early history of Ethiopia (also called Abyssinia) begins with the glorious but little known kingdom of Axum. The origins of the Axumite state are now dated to the middle of the 2nd century BC. At the height of its power, between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, the Axumite kingdom controlled most of present-day Ethiopia, including territories in the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The Axumite rulers were in regular diplomatic and commercial contact with Egyptian, Greek, Byzantine and Persian empires. The achievements of this grand culture are recorded today in the ruins of its cities, reservoirs, temples and, most remarkably, its towering black granite obelisks.
These obelisks, also called stelae, are known to be the tallest single pieces of stone ever quarried and erected in the ancient world. Their age and use is a complete mystery. Some scholars, extrapolating from ancient coins found at the base of the giant pillars, suggest that they may have been carved and erected around the beginning of the 4th century AD. Due to their proximity to nearby tombs, the obelisks may possibly have been used as memorials to deceased kings and queens, but this is only a speculation. The tallest of the monoliths, now fallen and broken into six massive pieces, was 33.3 meters tall and weighed an estimated five tons (the largest Egyptian obelisk is that of King Tutmosis, 32.16 meters high and now standing in Rome). The tallest obelisk still standing at Axum today is 23 meters. Precisely carved upon its sides (and upon the sides of many other nearby stelae) are what seem to be representations of multiple storeys with floors between them. Each storey features several window-like carvings and, at the base of the obelisks, what appear to be false doors complete with knockers and locks. Are these carvings merely artistic ornamentations or did they have some deeper function?

An even greater mystery surrounds the ancient city of Axum. A few hundred meters from the cluster of towering obelisks is a large walled compound surrounding two churches. Between these two churches, both dedicated to St. Mary of Zion, are the foundational remains of an ancient church and a strange looking, fenced off and heavily guarded “treasury” said to contain the true Arc of the Covenant. Legends tell that long ago this entire area was a swamp inhabited by evil spirits. God helped the local people by coming down to the nearby sacred hill of Makade Egzi and throwing a miraculous dust from heaven that dried up the swamp, dispelled the evil spirits and charged the region with a magical power. Over uncounted centuries shrines were constructed upon the hill and where the swamp had been. Around this holy place grew the cities of pre-Axumite and Axumite kingdoms.

In 331 AD, the Axumite king Ezana was converted to Christianity by the Syrian monk Frumentius. Upon the foundations of the ancient pagan temples, a great church of St. Mary was built in 372 AD. This church, probably the earliest Christian church in sub-Saharan Africa, was visited in the early 1520’s by the Portuguese explorer, Francisco Alvarez. Writing of the church, Alvarez says:

“It is very large and has five naves of a good width and of a great length, vaulted above, and all the vaults are covered up, and the ceiling and sides are all painted; it also has a choir after our fashion ... This noble church has a very large circuit, paved with flagstones, like gravestones, and it has a large enclosure, and is surrounded by another large enclosure like the wall of a large town or city. ”

What factors explain the remarkable grandeur of this church isolated so deep in the remote mountains of northern Ethiopia, so far from the orbit of Christianity? One explanation is that a rich king of a powerful empire built the great church. More compelling is the notion that it was built to house the fabled and enigmatic relic, the Holy Arc of the Covenant.
The Arc of the Covenant and its supposedly divine contents are one of the great mysteries of antiquity. Its story begins with Moses. The traditional founder of Judaism, Moses was born in Egypt, the son of a Hebrew slave. The Hebrews had been in bondage in Egypt for four hundred years from approximately 1650-1250 BC. Near the end of this period an Egyptian priest in the service of the Pharaoh made a prophecy that a child would be born to the Hebrews that would one day free them from their slavery. The Pharaoh, on hearing this prophecy, ordered that every male child born to the Hebrews should be killed by drowning. In hopes of preventing his death, Moses' parents placed him in a small basket, which they set adrift on the Nile. He was found by the daughter of the Pharaoh and subsequently raised as an adopted son of the royal family. During his upbringing he was extensively educated in the esoteric and magical traditions of the Egyptian mystery schools. At the age of forty Moses discovered that his original people, the Hebrews, were in bondage to the Egyptians. Enraged at this cruel treatment, he killed an Egyptian overseer and fled into exile into the Sinai wilderness.

Approximately forty years later, while grazing his flocks on the side of Mt.Horeb, Moses came upon a burning bush that was, miraculously, unconsumed by its own flames. A voice speaking out of the fire (Exodus 3:1-13) commanded him to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt and return with them to the mountain. Upon his return Moses twice climbed the mountain to commune with god. Regarding the second ascent, Exodus 24: 16-18 states: And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day God called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount fourty days and fourty nights. During this time on the mountain Moses received two tablets upon which God inscribed the Ten Commandments, in addition to precise dimensions for the Arc of the Covenant, which would contain the tablets.

Soon thereafter the Arc, a portable box-like shrine, was constructed and Moses and his people departed from Mt. Sinai. According to archaic textual sources the actual Arc was a wooden chest measuring three feet nine inches long by two feet three inches high and wide. It was lined inside and out with pure gold and was surmounted by two winged figures of cherubim that faced each other across its heavy gold lid. Many scholars believe it may have contained pieces of meteorites or powerful radioactive rocks.

In the ensuing two hundred and fifty years, between the time it was taken from Mt.Sinai to when it was finally installed in the first great Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the Arc was kept for two centuries at Shiloh, was captured by the Philistines for seven months, and then, returned to the Israelites, was kept in the village of Kiriath-Jearim. During this entire time it was associated with numerous extraordinary phenomena, many of which involved the killing or burning of often large numbers of people. Biblical and other archaic sources speak of the Ark blazing with fire and light, inflicting cancerous tumors and severe burns, leveling mountains, stopping rivers, blasting whole armies and laying waste cities.

Passages in the Old Testament give the impression that these happenings were divine actions of Yahweh, the god of the Hebrews. Contemporary scholars, however, believe that there may be another explanation. Writing in his meticulously researched book, The Sign and the Seal (concerning his search for the lost Arc of the Covenant), Graham Hancock suggests that the Arc, and more precisely its mysterious contents, may have been a product of ancient Egyptian magic, science and technology. Moses, being highly trained by the Egyptian priesthood, was certainly knowledgeable in these matters and thus the astonishing powers of the Arc and its “Tablets of the Law” may have derived from archaic Egyptian magic rather than the mythical god Yahweh.

At some unknown date, this awesome object vanished from its place in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Temple. The date of its disappearance and its subsequent whereabouts has mystified legions of biblical scholars, archaeologists and historians. Among the various explanations given for its disappearance, two are particularly worthy of consideration.

Ethiopian legends say that when the Queen of Sheba made her famous journey to Jerusalem she was impregnated by King Solomon and bore him a son - a royal prince - who in later years stole the Ark. The name of the prince was Menelik, which means "the son of the wise man". Although he was conceived in Jerusalem he was born in Ethiopia where the Queen of Sheba had returned after discovering that she was carrying Solomon's child. When he had reached the age of twenty, Menelik himself traveled from Ethiopia to Israel and arrived at his father's court. There he was instantly recognized and accorded great honor. After a year had passed, however, the elders of the land became jealous of him. They complained that Solomon showed him too much favor and they insisted that he must go back to Ethiopia. This the king accepted on the condition that the first-born sons of all the elders should also be sent to accompany him. Amongst these latter was Azarius, son of Zadok the High Priest of Israel, and it was Azarius, not Menelik, who stole the Ark of the Covenant from its place in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The group of young men did not reveal the theft to Prince Menelik until they were far away from Jerusalem. When at last they told him what they had done he asserted that they could not have succeeded in so bold a venture unless God had willed its outcome. Therefore he agreed that the Ark should remain with them. Thus Menelik brought the Arc to Ethiopia, to the sacred city of Axum, where it has remained ever since.

Dr. Seuss Stuffed Animals

2007-03-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

First off I must thank Karla SO SO SO much over and over again because she absolutely rox0rz my sox0rz! Today we were over Rachel's visiting her and her 2 yr old Isabella and she said "Oooh Karla gave me some stuff to give to you, lemme run to the car and get it" And of all things she could come back with, she comes back with this:

Can you believe it!? She also gave us a black zipped hoodie and cute Nikes! but they look to be about 12 months. OMG <3 Karla!

Another Dr. Seuss related thing. I got this on eBay. its 13 books in one, its huge!

Anyway, thats all :)

-S

If These Walls Could Talk...

2007-03-11T01:09:00.000-05:00

they'd say OMG U GUYS DID A KICKASS JOB PAINTING ME! lol ok, 5 pics from start to finish. Oh and we still have to paint the murals

Blank wall

Final white coat and taped for zig zags

First coat blue

FINAL PRODUCT!

1 month down

2007-03-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

1 month gone since we found out 3 months (May 13th) to referral. OMG!! It went by SO fast!!!!!! 2 month or less left!!!!! YAY :-)

Ziggy

2007-03-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

You want the bad news or good?? LOL
Lets go with the good.

GOOD_ Ziggy is doing so much better with the Chemo then they thought. They said he is actually going into remission!!!!! Of course he has to keep up with the chemo but we are all (including doctors) shocked at his progress. Although we are trying to stay level headed and keep one foot on the ground. Its a true miracle! We are so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAD (although in retrospect not that bad)_ He might have Parkinson's disease. He has had a problems the last couple years and it just got a lot worse. They tried him on some medications to see if they can get it under control. My grandmother had Parkinson's and although its a terrible disease so far he has beaten all the cancer odds i am sure he will take this head on and win.

YAY for Ziggy!!!!!!!!!! What a good day!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are all going out tonight to party!

Crazy thought

2007-03-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

Ok crazy thought... Caleb could already be on this earth.
Referrals from what i cant tell are usually 1 to 6 month old babies. That means he is probably already here! Crazy!
I hope he is being well cared for.

This time 8 months ago..

2007-03-06T10:20:00.000-05:00

This time 8 months ago we were filling out the adoption application.
Time moves so slow cause i don't even remember doing that lol
We are about 3/4 of the way done and this 1/4 that we have left is the fun part, full of baby showers and travel plans.
8 months i cant get over it.. thats a long time!

Adoption NOT 2nd place

2007-03-05T11:09:00.000-05:00

I think a lot of people think adoption is a last resort. Not that everyone is not supportive but in general the underlying feeling is adoption is 2nd place / last choice. Sometimes when we tell people we are adopting they ask why we dont try to have kids or on adoption forums there are always lots of posts from women trying to conceive while adopting. Dont get me wrong being pregnant is something i would love to experience. Its like cross roads the left way the pregnancy way was blocked so we go right the adoption way. We dont care which way both have there good and bad points in the end they both end in the same road family / a baby. We didn't really care which direction its the end result that counts.

A Big Congrats!!!

2007-03-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

We would just like to take the time to congratulate a friend of ours, Elizabeth who just got a referral and pictures of a 5 year old boy from Ethiopia!!! Hopefully they will be traveling in May to pick up their son. The referral of her son has gotten us so excited for ours, and he is so stinkin' cute!! Congratulations Elizabeth and family!!

-S&C

I600A almost fixed

2007-03-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

Two updates:
1. we received the approved copy stating Ethiopia instead of Guatemala
2. our agency said they would check with the embassy to make sure Ethiopia received it in about 3 weeks

wow i feel much better :-)

Caleb's First NFL related Peice of Clothing

2007-02-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

YES! Today I bid on and won that beautiful Tedy Bruschi jersey. Its 12 month so I'm hoping he will be able to fit it around football season! How cute is he going to look at the GA Dome when the Falcons lose to the Patriots next yr?? hahahaha I haven't been this excited about a piece of his clothing hehehe

GO PATS!

-S

Guatemala to Ethiopia

2007-02-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

So after further emails with the I600A women its our understanding that Guatemala embassy is going to receive our approved I600A and that they are going to send it to Ethiopia AND (this is the worst part) we cant check to make sure thats happened only our agency can. I sure hope this information is not correct. Because i really don't have much faith that Guatemala would send it to Ethiopia and that it will get in the correct hands. We will have our copy in hand but i would like the embassy to have one asap as well. blah what a headache!

P.S.

2007-02-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

When we called the agency to tell them the correct I600A was on the way the lady who answered the phone pulled out file to make the notes. She said before Sari hung up "hey you are about half way through your wait" Then Sari said "Yes May correct" and she said "Thats very realistic" Is it just me or does very realistic sound like it might be before that???!?!
I know i keep talking about timelines and dates of referral. You all are probably like "yes Courtney May we get it" lol. Its just there are only 9 weekends left its getting close and i am excited!

Maybe fixed?

2007-02-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

So we think we might have fixed the I600A problem. Only took one day of pure madness and freaking out to do it (we are good LOL) We hunted down the women who made the mistake (we are so sneaky LOL) and she said she would fix the problem and send us a new one asap. Now the reason i say it might be fixed is cause i still have to follow up with INS to make sure they dont send my info to Guatemala.
Hey its closer to being fixed then it was and there is nothing i can do now but wait and pray for no more mess ups (please god no more I600A mess ups)

Nothing is ever easy

2007-02-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

So the agency emailed us and said the homestudy people are the one who should take care of the I600A mess up. Sucks i could not get them to fix their mess up the social worker sure as hell is not going to fix someones else's. SO we are stuck trying to fix this ourselves yet again :-(
I am so frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!
Sari called today. The normal I600A approval location moved and we don't have the number so we called the general INS (USCIS) number and they directed me to the National Visa Center, they haven't received the approval yet so they dont even have us on file. We are supposed to call the visa people everyday to see if we can catch it before they send it to Guatemala (seriously they have no better idea then for us to call everyday?) meanwhile we are still trying to get a hold of the original I600A lady (the one who messed up) to see what she can do (i am not holding me breath)
Confused yet?!?! I know i am!!!! I am so so so pissed this is an important piece of paper we started this over 5 months ago and its still messed up and none of it our fault!

Paint and Pups

2007-02-26T10:18:00.000-05:00

We bought the supplies for the room yesterday :-)
$100 in paint! The room is going to look great the colors!!!! Dr Seuss really is amazing!

Another note one of the pups was adopted and the other one came home with us for another week. The Vet did not think her cold was healed enough for her to be adopted just yet (and i agree)I am glad she is back with us and trying so hard not to get too attached (ya right)

Adoption Agency is on it!

2007-02-24T12:12:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I scanned the I-797 (which is the new name for the I-171h which is the approved I600A)and sent it to the adoption agency because of the Guatemala City thing. I got a reply this morning and she did confirm that this is a mess up, that it should have been sent to Addis Ababa and she would get someone on it first thing Monday morning! She also said that it had happened before and she doesn't recall it being a big deal to get it resent. I feel a lot better knowing that the agency knows whats up and what to do to fix it. I thought it was going to be a stressful weekend, but i feel a little better, and I'm REALLY glad she checks her email on Saturdays! I love our agency. When the social worker/ homestudy people messed up we had to fix it ourselves and it took a month and a lot of stress/drama. This time we notified our agency of the mess up (which is not their fault)and they replied on a Saturday we will take care of it on Monday. They are the bomb!

On another note, we took the puppies to Petsmart for the adoption, I was so sad to see them go but I know they will be happy wherever they end up. Judy (the coordinator)is going to call at 3:30 (when it ends) and if they weren't adopted, we can take them back if we want. Here's hoping that someone with a big yard a good family adopts the pups :)

-S

Another I600A mess up :-(

2007-02-24T00:32:00.000-05:00

Well after a closer look looks they messed up the I600A GGRRRR!!! Looks like the sent it to Guatemala instead of Ethiopia. I am so pissed!!! This is the 2nd I600A mess up since we started this form 5 months ago! 1 form 5 months (thus far) its crazy!
Blah

I600A WOOT

2007-02-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

We received the homeland security approval today!!!!
After all that drama last month we are done WOOT!
We are forwarding a copy to our agency just to double check since we did have some bumps in the road already.
YAY :-)

Do you like Green Eggs and Ham

2007-02-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Would you eat them on a wall??

So we are not starting the mural yet (have to paint the walls first) we did get the projector and had a dry run

This drawing is going on the bookshelf we were just trying it out on the wall first.

Overhead Projector and Mural Design

2007-02-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well we are going to start the room in the next couple weeks. We decide to pick a Dr. Seuss theme and went with Green Eggs and Ham. We chose that one for several reasons

1. its Saris fav
2. we like the colors
3. its well known.

We found these directions on the internet and are going to give it a try. Wish us luck cause we are sure as hell not artists so we might end up with a mess :-)

Using an Overhead Projector to Transfer the Mural Design
Instructions

* STEP 1: Select a design that you'd like to paint on your wall. The design can be one you've drawn yourself or one you've found on a greeting card, in a coloring book or from another source.
* STEP 2: Make a color copy of the image you've selected to use as a reference when you're painting.
* STEP 3: Make a black-and-white photocopy of the image. Use the copy machine to enlarge the image to a size at which you can easily see all the details.
* STEP 4: Make a black-and-white transparency of your design. Ask the clerk at the copy store to help you.
* STEP 5: Place the transparency on an overhead projector.
* STEP 6: Turn the projector on and project the design onto the desired wall area.
* STEP 7: Move the projector closer to or farther from the wall until the design is positioned correctly and is the desired size.
* STEP 8: Mark the position of the projector on the floor with masking tape in case you need to move the projector before you've finished transferring the design.
* STEP 9: Outline the design on the wall carefully with pencil.

Tips & Warnings

* This is the simplest way to transfer the design to the wall surface.
* Select a simple design with a limited number of colors if this is your first mural.
* If you don't have access to an overhead projector, ask your friends. Teachers or others who do visual presentations at work may be able to borrow a projector for you to use.
* If you're planning to paint your design with light colors, use a light-colored pencil to transfer it to the wall. Black pencil lines may show through.
* Position the overhead projector squarely in front of the wall. If it's angled to one side or the other, it will distort the projected image.

Dad Update

2007-02-20T12:49:00.000-05:00

Well, this past Thursday dad has his third round of chemo. Surprisingly, the day of chemo he told my mom that he had a hankering for fried pork chops. So my mom took him to Folks (restaurant here that server typical southern food like hush puppies and turnip greens among other stuff) and he ate 2 pork chops and mashed potatoes! Then they went to the grocery store and we didn't have to use the wheelchair. I called my mom the next day to see if they wanted to go to dinner and she said dad was feeling pork chops again so we (me, court, mom, dad, mitch (brother), ashley (brothers g/f) and vanessa (friend of the family)) went and he ate again! I had some hope :) but then the next day he wasn't feeling well, same stuff again... tired, only drinks his nutritional shakes and a couple pieces of toast all day. Monday mom stayed home from work because Sat and Sun they had been up all night with vomiting and diarrhea. I talked to my mom yesterday and it was the same stuff as usual, he sleeps a lot and doesn't eat much. I wish he could have the shot of Procrit everyday. He is still very positive which is so wonderful! If anything changes I will surely post.

-S

Birth Parents

2007-02-19T13:28:00.000-05:00

So we have this great adoption book for Caleb. It is wonderful!! Has information on his home country, religion, immunizations, why we chose to adopt, why we picked out his name and (what I am going to write about now) his birth parents.
One of the reasons we choose international is because we did not want to do open adoption. I felt intimidated by the possibility of birth parents. So much so that it actually scared me. Then out of nowhere last night we were going through the adoption book taking out what we didn’t need (like things about foster parents and visiting at the hospital after he was born) and we came across a page titled first time you met my birth parents and Birth family tree 6 months ago I would not have even looked at that page I would have torn it out hoping Caleb would feel the same like all that mattered was us and our family tree. Yesterday I felt so different (when did this happen to me) I want Caleb to have as much information as possible about his family. I would not dream of taking out those pages from the book now. I even found myself truly hoping that we can get that information for him. Its amazing how much the love of your child can change you even before that child is with you. I feel less selfish it’s not about ME being the only parent he knows or ME being the only one he loves and wants to be with. I see the importance of documenting the first time I met his birth mother and definitely the importance of a birth family tree.
Now with this new awakening I just hope I can give that to him. With Ethiopia it could go either way. With an abandoned child you can’t get that information but a child given to the orphanage by the parent’s is often times willing to meet that adopted parents and say goodbye to their child. So let just hope I don’t have to take out those pages.

-C

Closet is Close!

2007-02-17T21:13:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Target and got a a couple things. As you can see in the picture the closet is almost there! Today we got that tub on the floor for his toys and at the top of the closet those little baskets will ultimately go on the shelf in his changing table to hold diapers and diaper supplies, right now its holding the clothes that we know will be too big when he comes home. Since we decided on the Dr. Seuss room, we've been looking for bolder colors instead of the soft pastels. Whatcha think? :-D

-S

Dr Seuss

2007-02-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

So we decided on the nursery :-)
We have been looking at bedding and crap for like a year it was all ok but nothing really hit home. Then today i stumbled across a website that had Dr Seuss murals and knew 100% Dr Seuss nursery!!
We will probably start it in the next month or two. y'all know that i will post pictures every step of the way :-)

Babies R Us

2007-02-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

We made our first registry last night :-)
Given its going to be 4 months before our shower so i am sure a lot will change but it was a fun thing to do. Did it all online and got almost everything we need :-) You know its crazy but making a registry really gets ya pumped for a baby. I was smiling the entire time we made it :-)

Here are some of the highlights:

I am sure my mom wishes she had this when i was a kid.. It takes babies temp

This was my favorite LMAO Its for when we change his diaper so he doesnt pee everywhere LOL

This is a book where you need to put cheerios in to finish the pictures. This is something Ima and baby will like cause Ima is a big cheerios fan too

Didn't everyone have one of these as a kid? Its like a right of passage

Not a number BUT...

2007-02-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

We talked to the agency (i know its a week early)and we didn't get a number BUT she said "you are 3 months away from referral and you will have your son in your arms this summer" How awesome is that!!! For the last 7 months we have been told "a guess would be 3 to 6 months" or we go on the website and try to guess what the timing will be...well now we have been told a precise answer!!! When people ask we can say MAY 13TH and we can start researching and planing our trip in August how cool!!!!

Foster Mommies

2007-02-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

So to kill some baby waiting time we are fostering pets :-)
These pups were going to be put to sleep cause they had a cold :-( so a no kill shelter took them in and we get to foster them for 14 days. After that they get fixed and adopted out. We are having so much fun!!!!!

Raising Money for the Orphanage

2007-02-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

So we were thinking of ways to raise money for the orphanage and here is one that you or maybe some of your friends might be interested in.

As you all know (or don't know), I am a Systems Administrator. As a hobby I like to create websites. So if you or anyone you know would like a website I will create one for you for a donation. You will have to buy your own domain (i.e - sampledomain.com) or you can sign up for free ones on Geocities.com among others. I can also create logos or Myspace pages (not the normal type of myspace pages, more like website looking, example: http://myspace.com/thelocomexican) using Photoshop.

Know that this is not for our benefit and all the money WILL be given to the orphanages in Ethiopia. This is a great way to be charitable and get something back for it! If you are interested please comment here with an email address to contact you at or email me at leastcmplicated _at_ gmail (dot) com

Thanks so much!!!

-S

Travel Information

2007-02-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

Ethiopia is situated in northeast Africa, bordered by Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. The major part of the country in the central area is a vast highland region of volcanic rock forming a watered, temperate zone surrounded by hot, arid, and fascinating desert. Places of interest in the capital, Addis Ababa, include St George’s Cathedral, the Menelik Mausoleum and the large market. AXUM, in the north, was the ancient royal capital of the earliest Ethiopian kingdom. It is renowned for multi-storied ancient carved granite obelisks and for the church which claims to house the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Also in the north, The Blue Nile Waterfalls are spectacular. National parks include the Simien National Park (in the northern mountains) and the Bale Mountains National Park, on high southern moorland country, which has its own unique flora and fauna. Ethiopian food is based on dishes called we’t (meat, chicken or vegetables, cooked in a hot pepper sauce). Local red and dry white wines are worth trying. Talla (Ethiopian beer) has a unique taste.

Best Time To Visit: Ethiopia can provide you with 13 months of sunshine or any kind of weather you like. It depends on the region that you want to visit and/or the activities you want to join.

Natural Features: Highlands including the highest peak Ras Dashan in Simien mountain range. There are dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, the dominant feature of the country is the Central plateau which contains a number of river systems like the Blue Nile.

Cant Wait for the Answers!

2007-02-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

As i am sure you all know (cause we have posted it 100 times) on Feb 20th we find out where we are on the wait list. We are so freaken excited. Even if we are 6 months away (which i don't think we will be) it will be so nice to get some real answers. A correct timeline to tell people when they ask and a real number to dream about :-)

PS- Update on Saris dad.
He is doing OK good days and bad. They got some hospice care which should start soon and i am sure that will be good for the entire family.