04.29.09
Long overdue update (long post)
Wow! I didn’t realize just how long it had been since I last updated the blog. In some ways, I guess that’s a good thing. It means I’ve been keeping busy and not obsessing on bringing the little guy home. Believe me, it’s easy to obsess if you let yourself. It has been 3 long months since our referral. We still have a month to go…possibly longer.
Our court date is scheduled for May 8 (that’s 4 days sooner than I last reported). It seems that there are a total of 14 families scheduled for court on May 8. Our Visa appointment at the US Embassy was supposed to be May 28. I got an email yesterday from our agency stating that the Embassy will only hear 10 cases per day per agency, which means at least 4 families are going to be shit out of luck! What that means is those 4 families are going to get later Visa appointments, either June 11 or June 25. The Embassy is now only hearing cases every 2 weeks. Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper last night. We probably won’t know when OUR Visa appointment will be until after/if we pass court. At this point, it’s all just so frustrating. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry sometimes.
One of the most frustrating things about this whole mess, other than we STILL DON’T HAVE OUR SON, is I can’t really confirm travel arrangements yet. The email I got 2 weeks ago said we would more than likely have our Visa appointment on May 28, so I went ahead and booked our airline tickets and accomodations in ET. Now there’s a possibility that I’ll have to change everything. Gggrrrrr! There’s also the possibility that we won’t get to travel with the two families I’ve become close to during all this. We have made all our travel arrangements together…even taken over almost an entire guest house in ET!! lol I would be devastated if we didn’t get to travel with them.
Well, enough moaning and groaning. I know I have no control over this. I never have. You would think by now I would quit fighting it. Guess it’s just not in my nature to give in. 
On to better news…my good friend Angie and her husband, Joe, are in Ethiopia right now picking up their son, Silas!! Angie and I have known each other since we both started in the Vietnam program way back when. We’ve cheered each other on and cheered each other up many times throughout this process. It is so great to see her dream finally coming true! She and Joe are also going to take pictures of our little guy for us while they’re there. Hopefully, they’ll get to give him a little lovin’ too. We can’t wait to see his little face and find out how he’s doing!
Now for some pictures…
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned the little guy’s name here on the blog. We’ve decided to call him Asher. My Mom made these awesome letters to go over the crib. She did such a great job! She also motivated/nagged me into painting the nursery finally. It turned out beautiful! Thanks Mom!
The next picture was a little reward to myself for being smoke-free for almost 3 months! I still can’t believe I kicked a 25 year habit without actually killing someone. Yay me!
We’ve had 2 of the 4 baby showers planned for us so far. Baby shower #1 was a small affair thrown by some friends that weren’t going to be at shower #2.
What great friends we have!
Shower #2 was the big affair that my Mom and best friend, Tiffiny, planned. Party planner, caterer, gourmet cake…you name it, my Mom did it! She had a blast doing it too! She was soooo good at doing it that the party planner offered her a job! LOL Our shower rocked Mom!
Do you think Asher got enough stuff?
Trying to organize it all.
Two more showers to go! I really don’t know where I’m going to put it all. I have the bestest family and friends! Thanks for being there guys and showering us with love and support!
01.06.09
Butterflies…
in my stomach everytime my cell phone rings at work. Yep, that’s me since yesterday. I called our case worker at our adoption agency today because I had some questions about our fingerprints expiring in March. I left a message for her, and when she called me back (even though I knew she was returning my call), my stomach did a nose-dive. I can just imagine how I’m going to feel when I answer her next call. The next call should be “The Call”. We are #33 on the overall waiting list, but we’re #4 on the list for those requesting a boy or either gender (which we did). Hopefully, we have a month like last month (16 referrals) and not November. Referrals were pretty scarce in November.
Owen and I finally bought the rest of the nursery furniture this past weekend. Since someone gave us the crib, I’ve been looking around for furniture that matches the cherry finish. I finally found the perfect match at The Baby Depot in Burlington Coat Factory of all places. We bought a 5-drawer dresser and a 2-drawer changing table. They look like they came with the crib. The nursery is actually starting to look like a baby is supposed to be in it. Next on the list is painting, which I’m soooo not looking forward to.
Here are some pics from our trip to Charleston a couple of weeks ago to visit Owen’s sister and her family.
Lunch at The Blossom
Andy, Diane, Amanda and Ron
Owen at the College of Charleston where Andy is a Freshman
Diane, Amanda, Owen and Me
We spent the weekend watching movies, hanging out in Downtown Charleston, lunch at The Blossom, coffee at the appropriately named Kudu Coffee House (named after the African Kudu – a species of African antelope), and just hanging out with some of our favorite people.
Here are some pics from Christmas at my Mom and Dad’s.
Owen and Me
Mom and Dad (aka Grandpa and Grandma)
Hayley (our niece) and her boyfriend, Cody
My sister, Christi, and her husband Tommy
Bill and Austin (nephews) anxious to open presents
This Saturday I’m taking a digital photography class at the Photography Center of Atlanta with my Mom. The class was my birthday gift from my Mom and Dad. I’m really looking forward to it. So far, I’ve only used my new camera on the auto mode with disappointing results. Wish me luck!
08.01.08
Leaving on a jet plane…
No, not to Ethiopia, unfortunately! Owen and I are leaving for California tomorrow for a week. Yay! Vacation here I come! I was just there three weeks ago for a week taking care of my father-in-law who fell and broke his shoulder and a vertebrae in his neck but that was no vacation, I assure you. This coming week will be nothing but relaxation, well as relaxing as being on the go for seven days can be. We’ll be visiting family (Owen’s and mine) and friends, eating lots of good ethnic food, possibly going to Disneyland, definitely hitting the beach, and taking a tour of all our old haunts.
We both grew up in Southern California. We left there eight years ago and not a day goes by that I don’t miss it. Unfortunately, it’s just too darn expensive to live there. Not to mention crowded.
No news on the adoption front. Just waiting, waiting, waiting. We have been on the waiting list for 36 days but who’s counting. ;) Referrals seem to have slowed to a crawl, which is kind of discouraging. I’m trying not to think about it too much. The courts will be closing soon for the rainy season in Ethiopia and not re-opening until October. That means the courts won’t be processing any adoptions during that time. Bummer for those folks who have cases that haven’t been processed yet. All in good time, I guess.
04.04.08
Favorite Photo Friday
This was my Great-Grandmother’s 92nd birthday dinner in 2006, six months before she passed away.
I’m really starting to feel like I’m making progress with our dossier paperwork. The only things we’re waiting on are our 3 reference letters, our home study amendment, and our birth certificates. Owen will be picking up certified copies of our birth certificates while he’s in California next week visiting his folks. As soon as our home study amendment comes in I’ll be sending our country change request to the USCIS. When we initially sent in our I600a form for Vietnam, they processed it in two weeks. I’m hoping they come through again! Dossier’s are going to Ethiopia like crazy and I don’t want to hit triple-digits like we did in Vietnam! From what I understand, our agency has over 40 dossiers in Ethiopia right now. I know there will be more and the wait time has already increased to 6-10 months for a referral. I’m really feeling the pressure to get things done!
