Quest toward Parenthood

Crying Time

2010-01-01T22:54:00.000-06:00

We finally were able to see a pediatrician this week!! We have a growing boy-- he's up to 11 pounds and 6 ounces and 22 inches long. He was a perfect angel during the appointment-- until it was time for his shots! Whoa!! That boy can scream!! He only screamed for a couple of minutes , but it felt like an hour to me. But he was a little trooper-- after he calmed down, he didn't fuss or cry for the rest of the evening. I was quite surprised too-- especially after all of the dreadful stories that I had heard!

Baby's First Christmas

2010-01-01T22:49:00.003-06:00

I wish I could share pictures of our cute little guy! He was adorable during the week of Christmas. He had 4 "Baby's First Christmas" outfits, so he was dressed in one almost every day that week.

He got a lot of things for Christmas, but mostly clothes. He got 16 sleep and play outfits! Some other things included a couple of blankets, a mobile, a toy bar for his carseat, a couple of stuffed toys, an activity gym, and a tummy-time blanket.

21 Days to Make a Habit

2009-12-20T10:36:00.006-06:00

A while back at work, I took a Franklin-Covey time management class. During the class, it was said it takes 21 days to make a habit. It's tried and true. I believe it because I experienced it just after I took the class and we've just experienced it again. (Today is the 21st day with Drew in our lives).

One habit that I've already made since he's arrived is the habit of making bottles. OK, maybe this isn't a habit, but I would rather not call it a chore. Wash, rinse, dry, fill. This cycle seems to be never ending! After 21 days, I believe that I could do this in my sleep!

Speaking of sleep...that's another habit worth noting. I've had to change my sleeping habits- no more sleeping until 10 am on Saturday mornings! But, Stephen's sleeping habits haven't changed at all! Oh well. A girl can still dream, right?! Drew's sleeping pattern is beginning to change too. He's staying awake a lot longer in between bottles and has even slept through the night a couple of times.

And a habit I hope we aren't making a mistake by doing...the habit of rocking him to sleep. There is nothing sweeter than looking down at his little sweet face when he's trying to fall asleep. He fights Mr. Sandman every night, but never wins. It is a long battle some nights. Some say we are spoiling him, but this is one habit that I have become addicted to doing.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-12-16T21:28:00.003-06:00

We've been asked many questions about our foster child and the experience we've had over the past couple of weeks. I thought I'd take a few minutes and try to provide some questions to the most common questions.

Why can you post pictures to the blog or Facebook? It's a confidentiality restriction by DHR. All of the details about the baby and how he has come to live with us is confidential. Of course, we can share some of the generic facts, but nothing that can reveal his identity.

How long will you keep him? This is more difficult to answer. We really don't know. It could be a few more days, it could be a few months, it could be forever. There are a lot of moving pieces to the equation. What I know for sure, however long we have him will be a blessing.

What have been the biggest changes to your life since you've had him? Everything has changed!! Our sleeping schedule is now determined by his sleeping schedule. We've had to adjust the heat at our house- we typically keep the temperature in the winter around 68 degrees, but with the baby, we've had to adjust it upward to 72 degrees. Finding the time to do laundry is a challenge (maybe because I use the baby as an excuse for not doing it at all!).

How is Baxter reacting to the baby? Baxter was a little stand-offish at first. He would simply smell Drew's head or feet and then back off. I guess the newness has worn off! Now, I may have Drew on one knee and Baxter on the other! Drew gets a good sniffing and a kiss from Baxter when we get home everyday.

Is there anything he needs? This is a loaded question! Unlike most children that come into foster care, he came to us with a lot of stuff-- clothes, diapers, blankets, bottles. He came with a car seat and swing too! We've only had to purchase formula and wipes. We've also purchased a play gym for his developmental needs. He's quickly outgrowing his newborn sleepers, but we have plenty of 0-3 months replacements. So for now, I think we're good on supplies.

These are just a few of the questions, but they are the most common. He's an adorable child and we are enjoying every minute of every day with him. We ask that you keep us in your prayers that everything works out according to His plan.

We're Finally Parents!!

2009-12-08T18:08:00.006-06:00

Yay! We have finally reached our destination! We have officially become parents-- foster parents, of course!

Last Monday, we got a call from our resource worker and she wanted to know if we'd be interested in fostering a 4 week old infant boy. It took me all of one second to respond a resounding YES! So, it was done. Just a mere 5 hours later, a social worker brought him to our home. Immediately, I was in love! He was the cutest little baby ever! So "Drew" is now living with us.

Due to confidentiality restrictions, I can't tell you much about his story. But, he was born into foster care and due to unforeseen circumstances, he was not able to live with that particular family. His birth parents are young. Also due to those same confidentiality restrictions, I can't post any pictures of him. But take it from me- he's simply gorgeous! He's a tiny little baby-- only 9 pounds at 4 weeks old! He's still wearing newborn clothes. He has the biggest blue eyes that are wide with amazement.

rew" is teaching us all about being parents. He's an awesome little boy- he only cries when he's hungry or wet, or when we give him a bath. He wakes up only once or twice in a night to eat, then returns to his sweet dreams. We've learned more in the past 7 days that we ever imagined!

We don't know how long he'll be with us. Time will tell. But, we know we are being the best parents for him at this moment in his life. And no matter what the future holds, we know we'll have shaped his life in a positive manner with our love.

Waiting Game

2009-11-22T17:22:00.006-06:00

The home visit on the 9th went very well. All of the exceptions that we had noted during the first visit were cleared. The interview portion was boring, but I think we aced all of the questions she had for us. So, now, we are just playing the waiting game.

Our worker told us she would type up her report during the few days following the visit. She called on Thursday for a couple of tidbits of information that she forgot to ask. I believe she probably gave the report to her supervisor for final approval on Friday or Monday. Now, we are just waiting on the certificate OR a phone call-- whichever comes first. A lot of the times, new foster parents will receive a phone call for a possible placement prior to receiving their certificate.

In the meantime, we've been decorating for Christmas. I had scheduled a week of vacation for this week, but due to the workload and upcoming deadline at work, it had to be postponed. Usually during this week, I put up our Christmas trees. So, we decided to start early. I have already completed three of our trees and will have one more completed by Wednesday. That only leaves our few smaller trees and the remainder of the decorations. Stephen is responsible for the outdoor decorations and has already started on them too! I'll post pictures soon.

Hopefully, we'll be getting the long awaited call soon. When we do, I'll be sure to post something-- I am sure it will be an adventure! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Long time...No blog

2009-11-07T19:46:00.002-06:00

It's been quite a while since I last posted. To catch everyone up quickly, we went to Gulf Shores on vacation, completed our foster parenting classes, got together for a couple of holiday gatherings, etc. You know...we've just been living our lives.

So, now I am posting to the blog...again. Like I said before, we completed our foster parenting classes. It was an interesting 9 weeks. We learned everything there is to know about kids-- just kidding!! I feel more confused now than ever before! We also had our first home visit with our resource worker. She cited a couple of items that we needed to do in our home and we've done those things. We've also had our physicals, completed our homework, became certified in CPR and first aid, and we've taken a water safety course. Our final step is having another home visit from our resource worker. It is scheduled for Monday.

Today, I feel like we are "nesting." I know this is usually for pregnant women, but I feel like that's what we're going through. We had to get both bedrooms ready for children. One is set up with a twin bed (we have boy and girl bedding that can be changed out quickly, depending on what we may get) and the other is set up as a nursery (we chose gender neutral bedding). I must say that I don't feel totally prepared, but I think we can handle anything that comes our way.

We don't know the timing of the whole thing yet. We should know more on Monday. But, I think we are getting close. I'll post more when I have more information. Please keep us in your prayers that everything goes well during our visit.

Foster Parenting 101

2009-06-21T11:14:00.003-05:00

Our first class was Thursday night. It was interesting- to say the least. We have two instructors, KR- who is a social worker, and FJ- who has been a foster parent for many years. The two of them take turns going through the information. KR tells the way things are suppose to happen and FJ tells you a real world case scenario from experience. The class started with an "introduce yourself" exercise. I just hate those- I think people say the weirdest things. But we muddled through it. Due to some of the responses, I think the classes will be full of laughs and a lot of great people watching [well, for me at least :-)].

The biggest part of the class was the twelve statements of "Strengths and Needs" that we'll have to learn. For instance- the first is Know Your Family. This seems silly to just see it on paper, I mean, it's just me and Stephen-- I think we know our family already. We've been a family for almost 15 years! But we have to identify a strength and a need related to knowing our family. So, it may seem like a silly statement, but it makes you think, right? How well do YOU know YOUR family? Could you identify a strength and a need? It's more difficult than I thought.

The other portion of the class was identifying characteristics of a child's behavior that relate to the type of abuse or neglect they experienced. For instance, if a child was abandoned, they may exhibit clingy-type behavior when they come into your home. Some of it seems like common sense, but I feel like it was good information to know.

And we have HOMEWORK! But, it's not too difficult. We both have to answer questions regarding our strengths and needs. The other portion is getting the first part of the paperwork completed. We have to turn in an application and a financial statement this Thursday.

Our Life has been a Roller Coaster (long post)

2009-06-14T19:27:00.008-05:00

It's been quite a while since I have posted anything to the blog. To be honest, there hasn't been a lot to blog about... some of the highlights since the last post...Stephen lost his job, we had a 30th birthday party at our house, a trip to the Rattlesnake Rodeo (for Dianna, not Stephen), then we hosted our families for Easter dinner, Stephen got a new job, we had to replace the HVAC unit for the house, and we made a big decision. Whew! It 's been quite a ride over the past few months. We've had so many ups and downs, it's been like a roller coaster!

Let's start with Stephen. After 7 years in the newspaper business, things came to a sudden end in March. First, in September, he gave his contract up as an independent contractor. All home delivery distributors were being eliminated and he thought the timing was right. But shortly thereafter, a single-copy distributor hired him. No big changes-- except that he was no longer the boss and he actually got one day off every week! I was ecstatic to say the least. Then, one Friday in March, she called and said sales were down and she had to cut someone on her team-- you know the adage- last one hired, first one fired. But he continued with his part-time job and looked for something else. Well, to both of our surprises, he interviewed with a local restaurant and was hired as a management trainee! The restaurant is called Taziki's Greek Fare and he is training at the UAB location. It is a great opportunity and we are both happy! The last few months have given a renewed sense in our relationship-- it's the most time we've spent together in years!

We hosted a couple of events in late March and early April. First was the big 30th birthday celebration for our friend, Amanda. It was an 80's themed basement party, complete with 80's music, hair styles, and fashion! Madonna was in attendance, as was John and Ponch from CHiPs. The night was filled with fun! It will be difficult to top this party!

Then the next weekend, Dianna and Amanda went to Opp for the 49th annual Rattlesnake Rodeo. It was a blast-- we tried some fried rattlesnake, saw a couple of rattlesnake races, watched a greased pole climb and buck dancing competition, and did a lot of people watching. Anyone who knows anything about Stephen, there should be no question why he didn't attend-- he absolutely LOATHES snakes.

The next weekend was Easter. A family tradition is that each of the ladies in my family has one holiday that she is responsible for each year. My holiday is Easter. We had my family as well as most of Stephen's family in attendance. As usual, it was exhausting, but a success.

Next, a run of bad luck. I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, Baxter was injured, then our HVAC went out in our house. Of these, the HVAC was the most devastating! The repair man said he could put a "band-aid" on our old system, but he did not recommend it due to the age of our unit. So, 8 hours and a few thousand dollars later, we got a new HVAC unit. Our house is much more comfortable now than it has been in the 3 years that we've lived here.

So, after all of this, we've made a big decision. We are no longer pursuing an international adoption or an agency adoption. As many of you know, the international adoption was called off months ago after we hit roadblock after roadblock. The agency adoption has not gotten off of the ground since November-- partly our fault, partly due to our circumstances mentioned above. BUT, we have made the decision to become foster parents. We've attended the initial orientation and we have a series of 10 classes to complete before we can move forward. The classes start this Thursday. We feel like this will be the path that will get us to our forever family. So, Amelia Quest may be over...now it is simply Baby Quest!

Where's Obama?

2009-04-21T20:50:00.011-05:00

Picking up where I left off after the last post...

My sister and I have this "tradition" that we started several years ago. When one of our nieces or nephew (only 1 of those) graduates from high school, we take them on a trip. We decide where we go based on the personality of the person. Thus far, we've taken Jordan to Chicago, Alexa to Philadelphia, Amanda to New York, and this time, we took Adam to Washington DC. According to him, we couldn't have picked a better place! We left on Wednesday, March 18 (of course, we were delayed in Birmingham and did not make our scheduled flight in Atlanta). But, we finally made it-- just a couple of hours later than we had planned. It was the first time that he flew on a commercial airplane and the first time he rode the subway! Both were a big hit!

The first day in DC, we went to the Capitol, then to the Pentagon, then the Arlington National Cemetary, and finally ended up walking the monuments at night. Needless to say, I about passed out from exhaustion when we got back to the hotel.

The next day, Friday, we went to the Bureau fo Engraving and Printing, the White House, the Postal Museum, Union Station, and the Library of Congress. From all of the times I've visited DC, I had never toured the Library...but I must say, it may be my absolute favorite place there! We had a late tour and had to leave when they closed, but if I go back, I will definitely visit again and recommend it to everyone that goes.

On Saturday, we let Adam decide which of the museums we were going to tour. He decided on the Air and Space Museum. We were there for 5 hours. Then we breezed through the Natural History Museum and flew through the American History Museum enough to see the Trade Towers beam.

And no, we did not see Obama. We did, however, see Marine 1 helicopters in route to the White House. We know he was there...but we just didn't see him. All in all, it was a great trip. Adam is a good kid and we are blessed to have him in our lives. I wish him good luck after graduation and into college!

March Madness

2009-04-13T22:04:00.019-05:00

March was a little more hectic than February. It seems like we had something to do every weekend.

First, I had to take an inspection trip for work to the Gulf Coast (I know, I know, but somebody HAD to do it!). Stephen was able to get a couple of days off from work, so he went with me. So on a Sunday afternoon, we headed to Gulf Shores. And, of course, our first stop was the Original Oyster House for some shrimp. Is it just me, or does shrimp taste better during the cold season? Anywho, then Monday, I did my inspection and we headed east toward Destin. What a beautiful drive! Although it was a bit longer than we expected.

Destin was the first official vacation spot that we went to after we got married. My how things have changed in the last 14 years! Destin is not the same as it was back then. Stephen has more memories of Destin than I do-- that's where his family vacationed when he was young. We spent the remainder of the day at the marina and at the beach. It was a glorious afternoon and we enjoyed the few moments we had in the sun.

We love the beach!

Our Little Cabin in the Woods

2009-04-13T21:47:00.010-05:00

I know it has been a while since I have blogged about anything. But, I thought it was time to get everyone caught up. My last post was in February, so that seems like a great place to start.

For Valentine's weekend, I wanted to do something special for Stephen-- it has been a while since we went anywhere together. I looked on VRBO and found a quaint little cabin on the lake. My main criteria for finding a place was that it had to be within 2.5 hours of home (otherwise, we would have just gone to the beach!). So, the place I found was at Lake Wedowee. It was super cute-- and the man we rented from was really nice. Look at http://www.papabearscabin.com/-- we stayed in Cabin #1. Although it was too cold to get out on the lake, just the view from the porch was enough to make us feel relaxed. I tried a new recipe for baked ziti (it was wonderful--I'll share it with you if you ask).

Here are a few pictures from the cabin in the woods-- literally, in the woods, out in the middle of nowhere.

cute and quaint
View of the lake
View of the lake from the screened porch.

February-- THE END.

It's Already February?!

2009-02-04T21:29:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that we are already over 30 days into 2009! It seems like just yesterday that I was blogging about being sick and ringing in the new year with sinusitis! What a difference a month makes! I am finally over my sickness and it was not a moment too soon. Now I think I may be coming down with the winter blues. I am sick of cold weather and rain.

Let me also say that I apologize for not blogging in a while. Like I said, it's already February and we are swamped at work. The last thing I want to do when I get home is sign into another computer. Maybe I should try blogging at work... you know, kill two birds with one stone! We'll see how the next couple of weeks go before I make that my decision!

Just a quick update on the adoption... we've officially stopped the Chinese adoption process. We were getting nowhere and it seemed like we hit a new hurdle every time we turned around. It's weird how things work out. But, we are going in a different direction and I hope to share some news soon. Until then, we ask for your continued prayers and support.

More updates will follow... I promise.

Nothing Cute about Acute Sinusitis

2009-01-04T17:18:00.004-06:00

This acute sinusitis is kicking my butt! I still as bad today as I did on New Year's Eve when I went in to see the doctor. Well, my rear end isn't hurting from getting a shot, but the rest of me still feels just as bad. I can breathe out of one nostril at a time-- except when I sleep. I think that is what the worst part is-- trying to sleep. I am breathing out of my mouth and my throat keeps getting worse and worse. The only good thing about this terrible sickness is that I have a good reason for not doing my housework! All I have done this weekend is laundry. And that was totally exhausting!

I've gone through an entire box of tissue. For this, my neck and shoulders are killing me. I have a headache like I've never experienced in my life. I feel like getting in the bed and not coming out for days.

I guess for now, I will prepare myself for more boring television shows. I can't concentrate enough to read. I think Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters are new episodes tonight. It will be the highlight of the weekend!

Looking back at 2008

2008-12-31T21:41:00.005-06:00

Well, it's the end of 2008. I am not sure how I feel about it. I started the year energized and ready for change. I am ending the year worn out and wanting things to just be simple. My resolutions lasted only about a week. I didn't lose the weight that I resolved to do. Thanks to the Twilight series of books, I didn't read as many biographies as I resolved to do. My positive attitude about all aspects of life-- well, it fell short too. Is it taboo to keep resolutions from year to year? I will have to google search it for sure!

Now, here we are on New Year's Eve. We met our deadline at work and I left the office slightly earlier than normal. Then I spent the next 2 hours in the doctor's office. I have acute sinusitis. I got a shot on each side of my rump. It hurts-- bad. Then another hour at the drug store filling two prescriptions. Then home to the couch and a box of tissues. To top it all off, my husband is in bed (if you don't remember, he works nights). But, he's getting up at 11:30 so we can bring in the new year together! We usually always watch the ball drop on tv. Have you seen this year's ball? I think it is gorgeous!

What's in store for tomorrow? Well, that is debatable at this point in time. I wanted to take my Christmas decorations down (yes, we are that family on the block!). If I feel half as bad as I do right now, our Christmas decorations may stay up for another week. We'll see. I know the day will involve a trip to the grocery store. The doctor told me about a home remedy for painful sinus swelling. It involves uncooked rice and an old sock. We don't have any rice in the pantry. And since we can't wash any clothes tomorrow (an old superstition of my mom's), I hope I can find a clean sock! You just place some rice in the sock and tie it off, put it in the microwave, then use it like a heating pad. She said I should have some relief soon. Let's hope so! The other reason for the trip to the grocery store is for a few more ingredients for my lasagna. We've had it for dinner for several years now-- who needs greens and black eye peas?

I hope everyone has a great night and a happy and prosperous New Year!

It's Almost Christmas Day

2008-12-24T08:59:00.007-06:00

I know that it's been forever since I have updated the blog. We've been really busy at work and at home, and honestly, I just haven't felt like being on a computer all day at work and then going home just to get online to update the blog. I am really sorry to all of my avid fans-- like MH who complained to me just the other night! I will do better in 2009!

We had a little get together at our house on Friday night. It was just some of the people from the office. It was a great time! We had plenty of libations, conversations, and laughs. Here is a picture of the ladies from the party (apparently, the guys were too shy to get in a picture and stand close together!!).

Also, I thought I'd add some pictures of our Christmas decorations. Please note our newest addition to our trees-- the black tree! We absolutely adore it!

Our big tree in the dining room.

The black tree and Santa tree in the living room.

The Black Tree!!!!

The mantle with stockings (before I get any wise cracks, no the cats do not currently have any stockings)

Santa on top of the entertainment center.

The Original Snow Village... Part 1

The Original Snow Village...Part 2

The Original Snow Village...Part 3

Merry Christmas to All!!!

Overdue Blog Entry

2008-11-09T12:20:00.013-06:00

It's been a month since our last blog entry, but nothing has changed. Unfortunately. We don't have anything to report on our home study, or the adoption process. We are getting very discouraged. But, we may have one last trick up our sleeves...don't count us out yet! Things may be changing, and when we find out more information, we'll clue you in! I don't want to count any chickens before they hatch, so that's all the information I can give right now.

Just an update on the two of us... Since I have last blogged, there have been a lot of events. My friend, Amanda and her sister Stephanie, ended up with a couple of extra tickets to Wicked, so my sister, Jo, and I took them off of their hands. The show was absolutely awesome! It was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Then, just a couple of weeks later, we were on our way to Atlanta again for the New Kids on the Block concert! What a great show! All of us were hoarse afterward. Believe me, I have love Donnie forever and you will think my opinion is biased, but it was the best show that I have ever seen (and I have seen some good ones-- Janet Jackson, Celine Dion, Prince). Hands down, it was the most energetic crowd that I have been a part of!!

Then there was Halloween! As usual, we have a big pot of chili for dinner after the trick-or-treaters were gone. We have 143 kids this year!! It was a good time for all of us... and lots of good snack foods too!!

Yesterday, we decided to put up one of our Christmas trees (yes, just one for now). We put up our black tree-- our newest addition to our stockpile of trees. We bought it last year after the holiday season, and it is absolutely gorgeous!! Special thanks to Yuko for making the bows-- she saved the day.

Frustrated, to say the least

2008-10-10T08:12:00.006-05:00

Ok, ok. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. But my frustration for the system is overwhelming and I just really haven't wanted to put it in writing.

I have been told that our home study has been sent to the Alabama Department of Human Resources for review (yes, still in review-- just a different party!). It was just sent this week. No one can tell us an estimate of how long it will take them to review it. It's just another waiting game. Then what, you ask? Well, after it is approved by ADHR, it has to be sent to INS for another review and approval. We'll have to have another set of fingerprints done for them. Then, it goes to the consulate and on to China. I think this is a never ending project! It's so frustrating because we are dealing with "experts" but a lot of our questions seem to go unanswered. Either that, or we are asking too many questions (which I have been said to do!).

Hopefully, we'll have good news soon. Keep your fingers crossed!

New Recipe Sundays

2008-09-21T19:22:00.003-05:00

For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying a new recipe for Sunday dinner. My newlywed friend, JWP, gave me the idea. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to cook and usually cook on Sunday's since that is one of two nights that Stephen and I get to eat together. But, I've been told that the typical family has only a handful of foods that they typically cook and eat. So, with the new idea and some hardly ever used cookbooks, I thought now would be great time to start "New Recipe Sunday."

The recipe for last week was Bruschetta Chicken Bake. It was good. It was certainly different than anything I've ever cooked. It was a casserole with stove-top stuffing, tomatoes, and chicken. Stephen and I decided to "put it in rotation"- meaning that I'll cook it again.

But tonight was awesome-- I tried another casserole (I just love to cook casseroles- a whole meal in just one dish- what could be better?!). It was Layered Taco Bake. I am telling you this- I could have eaten the entire thing by myself! The recipe was very easy, which was great considering we spent a few hours in the yard and were contemplating just ordering a pizza. The ingredients were easy- ground beef, taco seasoning, mac and cheese, and salsa. We both gave it two thumbs up and we agreed that it should be put into rotation and more often than the chicken from last week!

If you would like a copy of either recipe, let me know. Or if you have a "must-try" recipe for me, please send it (just remember- nothing with lettuce!!).

In Review...

2008-09-21T19:09:00.003-05:00

Maybe I have been working in a professional office for too long, or maybe I am just anxious to get this adoption moving, but what does it mean when someone tells you things are "in review"? When I tell one of my professional contacts that something is in review, it means that I have worked on it and that it my supervisor has the final authority to approve/deny it. However, my term of "in review" is only that way for a couple of days-- at the most.

I have been told for several weeks that our home study is "in review." Granted, we are at the mercy of our social worker and her timeline. She has to have one of her contacts approve the home study before it can be sent to DHR and be approved there. Then on to homeland security.

Everyone keeps telling me to be patient. I am trying, truly I am. But seriously, how much waiting can we do? How long will it be in review this time? Pray for us- out patience is wearing thin. We need something to happen soon so we can be refreshed and up for the next challenge.

Back from Alaska (long post, but lots of pics)

2008-09-14T10:17:00.087-05:00

It's been a while since I have blogged. I hope to have some news on the adoption process this week-- I hope we are getting close to having everything done so we can send our package to China. More on that when I actually have something to report.

We took an incredible trip to Alaska! We sailed on the Star Princess from Seattle to Ketchikan to Tracey Arm Fjords to Juneau to Skagway to Victoria then back to Seattle. We've been back for a week, but I have been trying to catch up and get the jet lag out of my system for the entire week. But, now, I have decided that I just had to blog about it (plus, some of you knew about the trip and wanted to see some pictures). So while the blog is primarily about the adoption, I wanted to take some time and show a few pictures from the trip. We took over 300 pictures, but I won't bore you with all of them.

First- a day in Seattle. We went to the Space Needle, the Science Fiction Museum, and to Olympic Park. Here are a few of my favorites:

In case you can't tell, Stephen and I are sitting on a pair of eyeballs!

From our day in Seattle, we went and boarded the cruise ship. It was enormous at 950 feet long and 17 stories high! Our first day was a day at sea. Luckily, our room was on port side, so we had a mountainous scene for most of that day. It was also our first formal night for dinner.

Tuesday was our first day off of the ship since leaving the port. We were in Ketchikan- a small town accessible by only air or sea. It is about 1 mile wide and 7 miles long. We immediately ventured off of the ship and into the town straight to Creek Street. This small street is home to a stream that is known for spawning salmon. We saw thousands of salmon trying to swim upstream. It was an amazing sight!

Then we went back to the ship to find our first excursion tour- a seaplane tour of the Misty Fjords. What is a fjord, you ask? Well, I am glad I can answer than for you. A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs that was formed by the submergence of a glaciated valley. The Misty Fjords is a National Monument created on December 1, 1978 by Jimmy Carter's proclamation. It encompasses more than 2 million areas with waters as deep as 2,000 feet and elevations of 7,499 feet. The Misty Fjords were 99% glacier covered 10,000 years ago. Our pilot covered a lot of information in a short amount of time. We got to see some of the most breath-taking scenes I've ever seen. Our excursion included landing on a lake in the middle of the wilderness. It was the easiest landing of a plane that I have felt. Once on the lake, he shut off the engine and let us get out on the floats and look around. It was quiet and beautiful- God's country. Just about 100 feet from where we landed was a lone American Bald Eagle watching us. It was truly a sight to see.

Of course, no day is complete without a little shopping! Did you know that Alaska is one of the best places in the world to buy jewelry? I bought a piece of Ammolite while I was in Ketchikan. Look it up- it's beautiful and rare!

Wednesday- the cruise ship did some scenic cruising around the Tracey Arm Fjords. It was awfully cold that morning at 6:00 am!

Wednesday afternoon, we ported in Juneau (current home to Sarah Palin!). We got off of the ship and directly on a bus to go to the airport. We watched a safety video and were dressed in "ice boots" at the airport and then loaded into a helicopter. Yes, we saw the Juneau Glacier Ice Fields by helicopter! But it didn't end there! We did the "Pilot's Choice" tour and our pilot picked two places on the glaciers for us to land and get out and walk around. It was incredible-- to say the least. Our first stop was at Herbert Glacier where the ice is approximately 400 feet thick. Granite rock mountains and ice was all you could see for miles. We got out and walked and saw some crevasses up close and personal. Thank goodness for those ice boots!

Our second stop was at the Mendenhall Glacier. It was more mountainous than our first stop, but just as beautiful. It looks like snow, but it actually fine ice. We made a couple of ice balls, but the guys weren't up for a fight!

Thursday we were in Skagway- another small town. We got aboard the White Pass and Yukon Railway and rode the train up to the border of Canada. We disembarked the train and got in a motorcoach that took us into the Yukon Territory and to a town called Carcross for lunch. Carcross is the fifth largest town in the Yukon and has a population of 420. We saw more beautiful and mountainous scenery on the way, and to our bus driver's surprise, we saw a bear on the side of the road eating! What more could we have asked for?! Did you know there was a desert in the Yukon too?

Friday was another day at sea and our second formal night. For some reason, we didn't take any snapshots that night. Oh, well. I guess the guys didn't mind-- they were tired of taking pictures. But don't worry, we took plenty of professional pictures on the ship that night!

On Saturday, our last port was Victoria, British Columbia. It was a cool city, but our excursion was terrible. We did the double-decker tour bus and it was more of a real estate tour than history of the town. We took a couple of pictures that day, including a man-of-war that we saw near the dock where our ship was ported.

All in all, it was a great trip! I want to say "Happy Anniversary" to Stephen- we celebrated our 14th anniversary on the ship. Also, a big "Thank You" to Jo and Brian- you guys are our best friends and we love you!

**Note to fellow bloggers- does anyone know how to correct the spacing around photos?**

No News is Good News?

2008-08-17T12:31:00.003-05:00

Who believes that old quip anyway? I am quickly believing that no news means nothing is getting done! I talked with my social worker this week-- believe it or not! The only news I received was "we're working on it." I am at a low point and I don't know what to do. I saw a friend of mine this weekend and she's going through this adoption stuff for the second time (she obviously has more patience than I do-- I don't know how she is keeping her sanity). She's going to try and get some information for me this week. I only hope it is good news.

On a different note, I have been looking at all kinds of blogs this morning. The old saying, it's a small world is true!! Just by looking at the blog of one of my high school friends, I have seen so many other blogs of friends of days gone by. Is it strange to leave them a message out of the blue? Or am I just being weird? I feel like I am stalking them unless I leave a message! But after 10 years of seeing them, would they really even remember who I am? I think I need some blogging etiquette advice!!

One World, One Dream

2008-08-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

After my last posting, I read through a couple of my friends' blogs. I must say to JWP- you inspired me to write my own post about the Olympics.

I have never really liked sports, which is not news to most of you who know me well. What you may not know is that I love to watch the Olympics. Let me be honest-- not all of the games catch my attention, but some do. I especially like gymnastics, swimming, and diving! And like JWP, I love the stories they tell about the athletes and their families. What some athletes do just to be able to compete is remarkable!

Another reason I am particularly interested in this year's games is the place--China! Even though it will still be a while before we travel to get our daughter, just the thought of being there is overwhelming. All of the stories are captivating to me!!

Hague Regulations

2008-08-10T11:23:00.004-05:00

Another week gone, nothing new to report. We did get a response from our agency and our case worker said that she sent the final revisions for the home study to our social worker. Apparently, one of the biggest problems in getting the home study finalized is the new Hague requirements. Apparently, there is an issue with our social worker and her non-profit status (she is based in Alabama and our agency is based in Texas). Regardless, it has been more than 12 weeks and we still don't have our home study. I think (and hope!!) the last form (the one from Homeland Security) will be easier than dealing with these home study requirements!!

I have had a couple of people ask about what Hague is-- so I thought this would be a good time to share.

Question: What Is the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption?

Answer: The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption is an international agreement between participating countries on best adoption procedures. These procedures have basically two goals in mind: 1) The best interest of children are considered with each intercountry adoption. 2.) The prevention of abduction, exploitation, sale, or trafficking of children.

The guidelines and procedures that are set forth in the Hague Convention are also for the protection of birth families, as well as adoptive families. Part of the Convention's guidelines ensures that one Central Authority is in place in each country so that adoptive parents get the most accurate information regarding adoption. The Department of State is the U.S. Central Authority for the Convention. According to the State Department's Web site, implementing the principles of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption is the State Department's top priority at this time.

History of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption--- The Hague Convention on Private International Law has been around since 1893, but the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption was completed for comments by member countries on May 29, 1993.

The United States signed the Convention on March 31, 1994. In 1998, President Clinton sent the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions to the U.S. Senate for ratification. In 2000, both Houses of Congress passed bills for implementation of the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (the IAA), Public Law 106-279. President Clinton signed the IAA into law on October 6, 2000. The United States ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption on December 12, 2007 in the Netherlands. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008. This means that private adoption service providers will need to be accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved, supervised by a provider that is accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved, in order to provide adoption services involving the U.S. and another Convention country.

Trust...

2008-07-28T20:49:00.003-05:00

Trust is a very weird thing. You automatically begin to trust as soon as you are born--you trust your mother to take care of your needs. As you get older, you begin to develop relationships and your trust gets tested and you learn life lessons from it. You trust your best friend for keeping that little secret that you don't want anyone to ever know-- no matter how small it is. Then, you get into deeper relationships and trust and love take on different meanings. You trust that the one you love will love you in return. You learn to trust your emotions and feelings.

But how do you trust someone you hardly know? How do you continue to trust that same person after they betray your trust? What if that person holds a huge piece of your future and keeps it hostage?

These are the feelings that I have been dealing with for a few weeks. We are going on 90 days waiting on our home study. I know it's done-- I have read it several times. I know it needs corrections-- our agency said so. I trust that our social worker is doing all she can to get it to us. But that trust is waning. Without our completed home study, we can't apply for approval from homeland security. These are the last two items for our dossier.

What can we do? What should we do? Those are million dollar questions. We COULD start over with a new social worker. We'd be out the money we've already spent and have to spend even more money on another one. We'd have to go through all of the interviews again. We'd have to wait AGAIN on approval from the agency and countless corrections. In the meantime, our documents will expire and we'll have the time and expense to get them done AGAIN. What should we do? What should we do, I ask.

As you can tell, I am having a rough time with this. Never did I dream that it would be this difficult to get documents together. I thought the hard part would be waiting for the day to hear that we have a child and then the wait to have her in our arms. I dare to say that this is more trying on our emotions. To be helpless, knowing what needs to be done and knowing there is nothing we can do to accomplish that last task.

Officially time for vacation!

2008-07-07T19:04:00.004-05:00

I am at my wit's end! I know I have said it before, but this time, it is more true than my other rants!! I figured that it has been 61 days since my social worker told me that my home study was ready. Here it is- a mere 61 days later, and still, we haven't received it. I just don't know what to do. I have been praying for patience and understanding, but at some point something HAS to happen, right?! I know that patience is a virtue, but really? 61 days? Come on!

On a brighter note (and please forgive me for ranting), we leave for Gulf Shores on Friday. Stephen can't go for the entire week, so we are getting a head start on Friday. I am really excited! A vacation is very well needed at this point. The ONLY good thing about the delay is at least now I can get a picture of all of the family together at the beach! That picture will definitely be part of my dossier!! I will post it when I return from the beach!

Getting Closer... I think!

2008-06-29T14:01:00.003-05:00

My social worker finally got back with me this week. She completed the changes to the home study and sent it for one last look over. I had a couple more typos that I found and I am not sure if the adoption agency had any further changes. So, hopefully this means we are getting closer to having the home study in hand so we can get the form sent in for homeland security approval.

Other than that, I don't have a lot to report. We are still landscaping the backyard around the pool. Our neighbors came over and helped us trim the shrubs-- Yuko knows everything there is to know about pruning and trimming! We bought a couple of stepping stones and river rock, but we are still unsure of how to finish it. Plus, Stephen may want to move it again next year, so I don't want to put to much money into it, especially just for one year!

Gimme (Dianna's mother) had to have an ingrown toenail removed this week. She's been in a lot of pain. So, she hasn't been able to go shopping. But for those keeping up with it, Amelia has about 100 or so outfits already! Here is a picture of her closet:

The Office

2008-06-16T20:01:00.005-05:00

If you'll remember a few months back, we were building an office in our basement to make room for the nursery. It's been done for a while, but I never remembered to add a picture of it on here. So, for all of you wondering if we really did finish the office, here is a picture of it. Tell me what you think...

As for the adoption, nothing much has happened. We know for sure that the agency has reviewed the home study and wanted a few changes. Our social worker is working on that and we haven't seen the final one yet. I am stressing out about it, but Stephen thinks I am stressing about nothing. I just want all of this paperwork to be done!

A Long Week

2008-06-08T15:42:00.002-05:00

It's been a long, long week. And we don't really have anything new to report- unfortunately. I met with our accountant this week and our taxes are done! That's an accomplishment in itself! But the better news from this happening is that Stephen's letter for his self-employment is complete.

We haven't heard from our adoption agency on the home study approval. But, I think we should hear something this week. I hope it's positive news so we can move forward. We have to complete our personal application letter (explaining who we are and why we want a baby from China) and gather some pictures to go along with it. Can you believe I am actually stressing out over the pictures?! We have many from which we can pick, but I want to send the best of the best. I may need to post a few and let you decide!

I know this was a quick post. But, I am going to get in the pool for a little while. For those who have requested a picture of it, here it is-- but keep in mind that we haven't done the landscaping yet!

At Long Last...

2008-06-02T21:30:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't updated in a while, but I really haven't had much to tell. Gimme has been shopping and bought more clothes and our pool if finally ready for swimming. That's been the most exciting news that we've had lately.

But now- hold on to your seats! Our home study is completed!!! It took us a while to get in touch with our social worker, but at long last, we have it and it's done! We reviewed it this weekend and found a few typos, so I sent it back to her this morning. She's already sent it to our adoption agency for approval. Once all of this happens, then we can get the dreaded form completed. I just hope it doesn't take long for it to come back to us. It's a recently updated form and I have received several emails about things they are finding out AFTER the form was submitted and returned for errors. Let's hope we can get ours right the first time!!

The most recent newsletter we received from the agency said that typical wait times have been extended from 24 months to 28 months. Let's pray that the time frames get shorter after the Olympics and after the cleanup on the earthquake damage.

So, that's all for now. I'll try to post some pictures this coming up weekend.

Ramblings

2008-05-12T19:11:00.002-05:00

I have nothing new to post. We've not progressed any further on the process. We are waiting for our social worker to complete our home study and send it to us for review. We are waiting to get an appointment with our accountant so we can get our financials done. We just seem to be waiting and hoping.

We have completed the office and we've moved in the furniture. It's quite comfortable. I'll try to get a few pictures on here soon. I want to finished one last thing before we take any pictures. But, hopefully, that will be done soon.

We bought an above the ground pool. It's been an interesting process to put it up. The first time, it was unlevel to the point of being dangerous. So, we had to drain it. We cleared off a bigger space in the yard and reset it. Then, we realized we had a small hole in the liner from the move. It has been patched and has now been filled with water. Even though it will be rainy this week, we hope that it will be warm enough to take a dip this weekend! I will try to get a few pictures of it this week too.

My mom has been shopping, again! I think little Amelia will be a little bit spoiled by the time she finally arrives. She has a ton of onesies! And many, many dresses! Stephen has even joked that we'll have disposable clothes- she'll wear and outfit once and then we'll throw it out! Even then, she'll probably have so many outfits that she won't be able to wear all of them without changing clothes every hour on the hour!

More ramblings later...

The List

2008-05-07T08:26:00.005-05:00

Ok, ok... I admit it! I "borrowed" this list from my friends blogspot page. But I made a few changes that pertain to our journey, or the journey that lies ahead.

You know you're meant to be an adoptive parent when:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

4. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

5. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth. (2 years!)

6. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.

7. You look forward to taking an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.

8. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

9. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

10. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!

11. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

Anonymous (with changes)

TV Junkie

2008-04-27T16:09:00.004-05:00

Everyone knows how much we love to watch television. We have more tv's in our house than heartbeats, believe it or not! My neighbor, Lisa, turned me on to a new show and I can't get enough of it! It's called Adoption Stories and it comes on Discovery Health channel. All of the shows that I have seen are awesome and of course, you should have tissue beside of the couch if you decide to watch! I am just a softee when it comes to these kinds of things- the Kleenex commercials even make me cry!

So far, my favorite episode was about a couple that adopted a little girl from China and then were able to get twin girls from South Korea. Their story was touching and all three girls were beautiful! I have set my DVR to record it everytime it comes on-- although I am not sure when that is. If you are interested, you should definitely find the time to watch at least one episode-- I think you'll be hooked!

Update on the process: we got our final pieces of information for our home study. We should have a draft of it this week for our review and for our adoption agency to review. Once that is done, we can send the home study along with the daunting government form for completion. Then we will only need a couple of more things to get the whole thing done!! We are both really excited and hopeful that it will go quickly.

I have found a great source of information-- a friend from my first class at UAB- Stephanie. She and I talked this week for a couple of hours. She has been through the process and has a beautiful baby girl and will be going back to China after the Olympics for another precious little girl! She eased my mind and answered a lot of questions for me. Let's just hope she has the patience for me during the remainder of this process. I know I will have so many more questions as time goes on!

We Can See the Light at the End of the Tunnel

2008-04-20T10:21:00.003-05:00

Finally! I thought we'd be chasing documents for years to come, but we are finally making some progress. Last week, our social worker came for her last visit for the home study. We have to get her just a couple of pieces of information (we have 2 of the 3 and should have the last tomorrow). She should be able to complete her report this week!

So, that leaves us with just a couple of other things to get done. Our application letter, a government form, and letter from our CPA. Hopefully, we can get those started this week too. I am having some difficulty with my doctor's letter about my insulin pump-- just the details, like having it on letterhead AND having it notorized. This has been a sore subject this week for me!

What's next? I will have to have of the documents certified by the county of the notary. For instance, if my notary resides in Jefferson County, I will have to go to the Jefferson County Courthouse and have them certify the document that the notary has signed and sealed. THEN, we'll have to take the certified documents and have them sealed by the Secretary of State in Montgomery. (By the way, this is all happening during my absolute busiest time of the year at work. My boss is being very understanding about it all-- I just feel bad about missing any work during this time of the year.) Then the state sealed documents will be sent to the Chinese Consulate for verification or something like that. I will have to give more details when I get my head around what happens. Maybe we can have this in the works by the end of April. I hope we can anyway-- I am ready for this little girl to get here!

Gimme's Purchases

2008-04-12T11:58:00.012-05:00

I have been telling you about the many, many outfits that Gimme (Dianna's mom) has been buying over the past few weeks. They have come in all styles, sizes, and colors! Here are a few of our favorites.

Can you guess which one is Gimme's favorite?!

No Hope for Twins!

2008-04-07T21:11:00.002-05:00

My curiosity finally got the best of me. I called my contact at the adoption agency and asked for more information about twins. She said that twins are very rare in China. Since she has been with the agency, she's only seen 5 sets be adopted. While the written guidelines aren't too different, she said that they've noticed income levels are higher and the fees are almost double. I don't think we'd be able to qualify, and if we did- we wouldn't have the fees to go through with it. I still think twins would be fun!

Someone asked me this week about another child from China at a later date. The bad thing is that we'd have to wait for one year and then start the entire process over again. Another country? Maybe- but we really haven't given it a lot of thought. Just getting through this one may do us for a lifetime! But, you never know.

I finally got in touch with someone in law enforsement to get our police letters! Stephen and I are going on Friday to see her and, hopefully, we will have letters in hand when we leave! That will be a worry lifted off of my shoulders! Only a few more documents left to get...stay tuned.

Another check-mark on our list!

2008-03-30T11:01:00.002-05:00

We completed the remaining 4.5 hours of adoption training this week! These last few hours seemed more "meaty" than the first 5.5 hours. The first of the classes was "Separation, Loss, and Grief" which taught us the phases that an adopted child goes through and training to help prepare us to help her resolve any intense feelings. I must say that I never imagined a baby who is less than 12 months old could have so many issues!

The other class was "Multicultural and Transracial Adoption." It addressed the unique challenges and rewards of parenting children from different cultures and ethnicities. It gave tips on how parents should handle stereotypes and bigotry. Adoption is truly opening my eyes to many challenges that I never thought I would have to face.

So, now what? We still have a few documents to get for our dossier. Stephen said he will go to get his physical this week (for anyone that talks to him on a regular basis- you might need to offer some encouragement for this task!). We have located someone who knows a County Sheriff to help us with our criminal background checks and police letters. And we still need to get in touch with our accountant to get a letter for Stephen since he is self-employed.

My mom has been shopping again. I haven't seen what she bought this week, but she said there were more clothes and more blankets. Keep checking back-- I hope to have some pictures up soon for some of the recent shopping spree purchases! I wonder what she would do if we could possibly come up with the extra fees to get twins?! Just kidding! Really, I don't think that is an option for us, but a girl can dream can't she? :-)

5.5 down, 4.5 to go!

2008-03-24T12:10:00.002-05:00

I took last Monday off to do some fun stuff with my friends. Kim is in nursing school and it was her spring break. We decided to have a massage at the Greenhouse Day Spa in the Summit. It was the first massage that I have had-- and believe me, it won't be the last! It was great! After our massage session, we met Tiffany and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Again, it was great! It has been a long time since we've seen each other and it was fun to get together without the pressure of eating and getting back to the office within an hour!

When I returned home, I was very relaxed and ready to do some adoption training! Well, not really, but that is one of the things that we have put off doing, and it has to get done to move on to the next step. So, I sat for a few hours in front of the computer and learned all kinds of adoption stuff.

The first class that we did was Bonding and Attachment. It gave some suggestions on how to bond with the baby when we meet her. It was interesting. I never knew adopted babies go through so much and have such difficulty trusting and attaching to their new parents.

The next class was Your Child and Emotions. I feel like this class dealt with parents who are adopting older children, rather than babies. But, it is a requirement regardless. It gave suggestions on how to positively address feelings of the adopted child. Most of it seemed like common sense, but I suppose it will be helpful in the long run.

The last class was Medical Issues. It gave some general information on medical issues that are common in orphanages and then specific information for each country. Again, a lot of the information was common to us because that is what helped us make a decision on where to adopt. One reason we chose China was due to the health of the children, but we have to be aware of the conditions that are most common in the country.

All in all, we have completed 5.5 hours of the 10 hours of required training! I have taken today off too, since I had over 25 people at my house for Easter lunch yesterday. I felt like I deserved another day this weekend to clean up and relax. The plan for today also includes completing the other 4.5 hours of training. Aren't you jealous?!

Gimme Goes Shopping

2008-03-16T10:31:00.002-05:00

My mom- to be known as "Gimme" to Amelia- has been shopping again! She's bought some adorable outfits, lots of blankets, and all kinds of toys! One of the cutest outfits is a little pink and white bubble suit with a matching headband. There are all colors of onesie's and a couple of little dresses. Gimme has already picked out a couple of things she wants to have Amelia's picture made in! I would advise people to buy Kodak and Creative Memories stock-- with as much as we'll be buying, it will be a good investment!!

Just a quick update on the adoption process: we received our passports, I've had my physical, we are working on the adoption training, and we've got most of our financial statement done. So, I think there are just a few more things to do and we can get our dossier completed-- Stephen's physical, police reports for both of us, and employment letters.

A quick update on the remodel: we found someone to do the taping and mudding for the drywall! It was done this week. The handiman- Mike- also painted our stairwell for us (Stephen didn't want to be up that high on a ladder!). We picked a color called Jungle Chameleon- a fresh green shade- for the stairwell and office. Stephen is supposed to paint the office this week, but I have a ton of things for him on my honey-do list for this week. For those of you who don't know, I have Easter for our families at my house- so I am expecting over 20 for dinner on Sunday. He is always very helpful to me during this time of the year!

Make Room for Baby

2008-03-02T17:41:00.003-06:00

We bought our home two years ago. It has three bedrooms and two baths with an open floor plan. The house is on a basement- which was one of the things that drew us to it. The basement was unfinished when we purchased it. At the time we bought, we never dreamed we'd be doing a remodel-- but we are!

One of our extra bedrooms is currently used for our home office. With Stephen's job, it is a must! But, the room with the office is the one that I want to use for the nursery. And our other bedroom is a guest bedroom (not that we have a lot of guests, but you never know when you'll need it). So, we decided to build out a couple of rooms in the basement. We started with the office.

We ordered the materials at the end of January and construction started three weeks ago. Stephen and our neighbor, Roger, is doing most of the work. Roger is awesome- I don't know anything that he can't do! The first week of construction, they put in all of the studs and had to extend the steps. The second weekend, Roger wired the room and put in one of the doors. This weekend, all of the drywall was installed, as was the second door. So, now, we just need to find someone who can tape, mud, and finish the drywall. If anyone knows someone that can do this, please let me know.

The second room is placed on hold for the moment. We need to have room to get around and work and we need to have the office completed first. The second room will be my scrapbooking room! I am anxiously awaiting the construction of it!

Last week, we also picked up the baby furniture for the nursery. We got a convertible baby bed, chest of drawers, and a changing table. The color is honey maple. I know we may be a bit premature in buying the furniture, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. Plus, we have plenty of room for storage until we need it.

Lastly, my mom is super excited about the adoption. We haven't had a baby in our family for almost 14 years! This week, she found a sale and, of course, she bought the baby an outfit. It is adorable- mostly yellow with pink and purple flowers (it is a winter set-- 24months). She also picked up some headbands to match. Amelia is going to be spoiled before we even get our dossier completed!

The Dossier

2008-02-23T10:45:00.005-06:00

I have had a few people who have read the blog to ask me questions about the Dossier- also known as the paper chase. So, I though this would be a good time to get some of those questions answered.

After we signed the adoption agreement with the agency, our next step was to complete the dossier that will be sent to China. The dossier is compiled of many documents that Stephen and I have to obtain and have notorized, then we have to have them certified by the county, then we have to have them authenticated by the state, then sent to the Chinese consolate.

Each week, we get two emails from the agency-- on Monday and Thursday. These emails give us our "assignment" to complete that week. We are four weeks into the emails and it seems like each one gets more difficult as we go along. The first week, we had to obtain certified copies of our birth certificates and our marriage certificate. It was easy! There is a website for the Vital Statistics for Alabama, so we just logged on, ordered them, and paid the fee. We received them in the mail within a week of the order. We thought if everything went this easy, we been done quickly. Boy, were we wrong!

The second week, the emails told us to get our passports. Still, not a big deal-- just go to the post office and get them done. So, I completed our forms online and we scheduled our time to get together and go. The passports are ordered, we are just waiting to get them back from the government.

The third week, we had to find and hire an agency to do our home study. Thankfully, I had already done some research on this and it was already in the works. Our first home study visit was at the beginning on February. We have to complete a few more things on our list before the home study can be completed.

Then, this week, we were assigned to get our medical forms completed. This is simple enough- go to the doctor and have a physical, get the forms completed by the doctor (with legible handwriting), and get the forms notorized.

I may be putting too much worry into getting the dossier done. Just typing this blog, I realized that the tasks at hand aren't difficult, they are just time consuming (as is the entire process). But, again, it will all be worth it in the end and we have Amelia in our arms.

By the way, don't be afraid to ask questions or leave comments! That may give me the material I need for the next blog entry...

I've heard enough....

2008-02-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

OK, OK! I finally started a blog! So many of you wanted a weekly update about the adoption process, so I figured the best way to keep you all up to date was to do a blog.

So far, we know that the process is very long- approximately 2 years. We know we'll get a baby girl who will be between 9 and 12 months old. We've named her Amelia Ellen, thus "Amelia Quest."

Many of you have asked why we chose China for adoption. We did some research and narrowed the list down to 3- China, Russia, and Guatemala. From there, we based our decision on the age of the child, health of the children, length of travel time for the parents, and cost. China met all of our needs and expectations.

We are working with Great Wall China Adoption Agency (see their site at http://www.gwca.org/). We've signed our first adoption agreement with them. The biggest part of the process now is called "the paper chase"-- and that's what we are currently doing.

We have hired a social worker for our home study. During the home study process, we've had to get approved by the DHR for Alabama, have our fingerprints submitted to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and do a lot of paperwork. Our first visit with our social worker was last Saturday. It was approximately 4 hours, but everything went well. We have to complete 10 hours of adoption training before we'll see her again to complete our home study.

We've had to get copies of our birth certificates and marriage certificate. We will have to get employment letters, a letter from our doctor, certified financial statements, more fingerprints, and the list goes on and on. All of the documents are needed to complete our "dossier" which will be sent to the Chinese government for approval. They will ultimately be the ones who will award us the baby.

Sounds simple enough, right? After they award us the baby, we will have between 6 and 8 weeks to plan the trip and travel to China. The process is fairly straight-forward-- we will travel to China and spend 14 days. I'll give more detail on the trip later.