one more step

Howdy readers.  I hope everyone is enjoying (or has enjoyed) their holiday weekend.  I have been very productive.  This morning with the help of Mel, I got some of the painting done in (what will be) the baby's room.  Should be able to finish more of it before the end of the weekend but I can take it slow.  (Don't worry aunt Linda, I am taking care with the ceiling this time).  It is going to look super great!  More importantly (to the process), I finished my adoption self-study questions (19 questions to answer, took me about 7 type written pages to complete).  I am glad to be done with this, one more step to cross of the list.  I should be able to send my CIS documents (some goverment forms to prequalify me to petition to adopt an orphan from abroad) on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Things are really moving along.  I am focused and excited. 

stacy

support

Hi all ... I am supposed to be working, writing up procedures for intakes .. but it seems that once I get on this high speed internet at work, all I want to do is search for adoption stuff.  I found a motherload today.  Announcements, books, clothes, music, baby books etc.  How exciting.  This adoption is moving me towards new worlds (in lots of different ways).  It's so amazing to discover how many peoples lives have been affected by adoption.  It seems as if everytime I mention the adoption at least one person has a story about how their friends or family have been touched by adoption.  When I look at all of the "stuff" out there about adoption, I believe that my experience isn't isolated.  I think that people who are adopting (internationally at least), pretty much get hooked into a new world.  It's exciting ... you all know how much I love my new worlds!  I am busy working hard on my self study questions, hope to finish those up tonight and then will work on the CIS documents (government stuff) to hopefully finish next week.  Then another wait ....

love you all

stacy

Adoption class

I have been consumed with adoption education for the past two days.  What a trip!  I assumed (partially correctly) that a lot of people would annoy me because they would ask stupid questions. That didn't really happen much.  I got a lot of information that I already knew either through social work school, through my own searches or because my friends have recently been through the international adoption process.  I now hold in my hands the questions to my self study, which must be completed before I start my next step, the home study.  I met my social worker, Karne.  I also got some more information about the Ethiopia program.  The program director said that her best guess at this point is that people who start the process now could be travelling to get their child by November.  NOVEMBER.  Wow!  She also said that we need to start the US Immigration paperwork now, rathar then after the home study (which is the way most other programs work), because of the speed of the program.  We saw some videos of the orphanage, cute!  She has adopted 4 kids from Ethiopia herself.  There was also a single mom on the adoptive parent child who has adopted a girl from Ethiopia about a year ago.  It's all very exciting, overwhelming, emotional, exhausting ...   More to come.

changes

I forgot to tell you all about the baby, the TV and Jen.  Last night, over dinner ... I was pondering how to arrange the house (post baby) in my head when it occurred to me that I had decided (and forgot) that we were going to move the tv downstairs after the baby comes.  I callously mentioned the idea to Jen and for a brief moment I was worried that seizures might ensue.  "But we love the tv" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.  I tried to comfort her by mentioning the tv she'd have in her room, and that we'd still have tv downstairs but at first it was no use.  Then she uttered words that I never, never thought I'd hear her utter ... "well, I guess we could get rid of cable ..." this is when I almost lost it ...   will keep you posted

baby thoughts

There is no new news to report.  Will have lots to say after I take the adoption class next Thursday and Friday.  The pigeons are still annoyingly present, trying to rebuild their nest.  I have had conversations with the neighbors on both sides of my house, ironically both of them started the conversations and both conversations were about how they plan on staying in their houses and not selling.  Well, that's good news .. but sort of not news at all ...rathar just a check in to say everything is staying the same. Of course, this is the normal spring check in ... where we haven't seen each other for months except for rushing in and out of doors.  I remember the one year when late in the spring Janet (from the alley) all of a sudden had an extra child, an infant.  She actually went to the whole pregancy without me noticing, due to the timing.  It's actually that child's (Mosango), daycare spot that I am covetting for my own child when he/she arrives.   Well both Sharon (neighbor to the north) and Jit (neighbor to the south) seem happy about my adoption news.  Sharon is excited that eventually Kyla (her granddaughter) will have someone to play with .... I am excited that my secret plans to send the baby to sharon's yard to play on the swingset will acutally be welcomed.  It's a park right next door!  Now if only Sharon will let me borrow her hottub when she's not home ... hmmmmm where there's a will ...  more later

baby names

Hey everyone ...  Thanks for reading the blog and for your continued support.  I am just getting more and more excited.  I have come up with a list of my favorite names for girls and boys.  I welcome your input on these names ie. whether you like them or not.   In parenthesis are the simple meanings for the names.   Girls:  Lucy (light), Ruby (gem), Eileen (light), Helen (light).   Boys:  Simon (it is heard), Franklin (free man), Leonard (lion like), Bryant (strong, honorable), Jonah, Oliver. 

Think spring!