So, we got a package in the mail today! It contained our "Certificate of Adoption Approval"!!! This was amazing to receive and a bit scary all at the same time. Over Memorial Day weekend we completed all 10 hours of our Hague Training, what a task that was. It was really good to learn about attachment issues as well as some of the other developmental issues we might be facing. Knowledge is always good but in this case I felt that it really put some fears behind me.
We were at "gotcha" party for a friend that adopted a little one from Russia last year and it was amazing what we saw. There were at least 4 other adopted children and we could actually identify some of the things we had learned about in some of the kids. Truly amazing!
We now have a few fees to pay and then our CIS approval to get back and then we will be "paper ready" and be in the "Que".
Little Man:
I can't wait to have a party for you. I am already so very proud and everyone and I mean everyone is asking about you. We talk about everything we are going to do together and all the fun times teaching you about the outdoors, sports and all the other "boy" things as your Mom likes to say. Grandma, well we can't decide if that is what we are going to call her, has already started buying you toys - she is so excited! We love you so much and I can't wait to see you!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mia Colpa, Mia Colpa!!
Ok so it is "my fault"!! I have been very negligent and have been pretty slack on blogging. In my defense there was the whole WT thing and my travel schedule has been pretty brutal of recent. So much has happened in the last few months it is hard to know where to start. Well I will hit the highlights. The most significant development is that we have our homestudy DONE!!!! We have been deemed "fit" for parenthood! I must admit - Connie and I have 5 degrees between the two of us, we have seen some of the most amazing sites in the world and I have never been so proud of something as when our case worker said - "you guys are approved". WOW! It gives me chills every time I say it.
So now we are waiting for the official paperwork to "catch up" with us - what a nice feeling. Well the waiting continues... We now are waiting to get our official approval paperwork in the mail and then to complete the federal finger printing process and finally we will be paper ready - that should be in another month or so (or at least I hope).
More recently we attended our first official "Gladney event". It was the open house for international programs at their new facility in Fort Worth. And can I say, it was absolutely wonderful. What a great facility. Everyone was so wonderful and we got to meet other couples that had been through the process and some that are like us - going down the road. Well that is about it so I am going to sign off.
So now we are waiting for the official paperwork to "catch up" with us - what a nice feeling. Well the waiting continues... We now are waiting to get our official approval paperwork in the mail and then to complete the federal finger printing process and finally we will be paper ready - that should be in another month or so (or at least I hope).
More recently we attended our first official "Gladney event". It was the open house for international programs at their new facility in Fort Worth. And can I say, it was absolutely wonderful. What a great facility. Everyone was so wonderful and we got to meet other couples that had been through the process and some that are like us - going down the road. Well that is about it so I am going to sign off.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Who has the ball?
Well it is out of our hands at this point! Like it ever was!!! We have completed all the paperwork we can at this point and have paid our fees. Now we get to wait for our Homestudy to be scheduled and once that is done we will then be waiting on our federal paperwork to come back and then we might get to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
There are so many other things going on right now that it feels like a huge mountain (of paper) has been lifted off of us and now we can focus on a few other things that need to be attended to, WT, the house, each other, the family, our friends, our jobs... I have to attribute our success to the "queen of organization" - Connie! I am not poking fun, I am giving her all the credit in the world - she is the BEST! While the process thus far has only sparked a few disagreements and a few cross words, it has been her ability to keep things straight and being the driving force that things got done as easily as it has!
Well that is all from the land of wind and weather.
There are so many other things going on right now that it feels like a huge mountain (of paper) has been lifted off of us and now we can focus on a few other things that need to be attended to, WT, the house, each other, the family, our friends, our jobs... I have to attribute our success to the "queen of organization" - Connie! I am not poking fun, I am giving her all the credit in the world - she is the BEST! While the process thus far has only sparked a few disagreements and a few cross words, it has been her ability to keep things straight and being the driving force that things got done as easily as it has!
Well that is all from the land of wind and weather.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Are we "healthy"?
So we have completed our medical exam - what a trial that was. We had more blood drawn than we typically donate and our family doc said that we looked healthier than most the parents that come into his office so he thought we were good to go. The most difficult part of the entire process was getting the paperwork done. I think the office staff at the doctor’s office thought we were crazy when we told them all the hoops they were going to have to jump through to get all the correct forms completed. I think they thought we would come in for a physical and they would sign something and away we would go. The entire process took more than 6 hours of your time (no telling how many on theirs) and 3 different trips to the office (not including the two to the health department to have the TB test done).
I hope that is the last of the medical exams - I am not that crazy about going to the doctor when I am healthy and sitting in the waiting room with the masses of plague ridden sick folk that should be there. But with our figures and every other part of our bodies crossed that could we got out of there without catching some form of the flu or only God knows what.
It has been a very difficult week for me - emotional ups and downs. The stress of the process is not what I expected. Connie seems to be handling things much better than me. She is a rock and just soldiers through the mind numbing process and endless piles of paperwork - two copies of this five copies of that - I don't know how she keeps it straight!
Note to our "Little guy":
You are so lucky and you don't even know it. Your mom is the greatest! She is the strongest person I have ever known and we are both so lucky to have her in our lives! I can't wait to see her with you, the two most important people in my life and who I love so very much. Well signing off for now - Love, Dad.
I hope that is the last of the medical exams - I am not that crazy about going to the doctor when I am healthy and sitting in the waiting room with the masses of plague ridden sick folk that should be there. But with our figures and every other part of our bodies crossed that could we got out of there without catching some form of the flu or only God knows what.
It has been a very difficult week for me - emotional ups and downs. The stress of the process is not what I expected. Connie seems to be handling things much better than me. She is a rock and just soldiers through the mind numbing process and endless piles of paperwork - two copies of this five copies of that - I don't know how she keeps it straight!
Note to our "Little guy":
You are so lucky and you don't even know it. Your mom is the greatest! She is the strongest person I have ever known and we are both so lucky to have her in our lives! I can't wait to see her with you, the two most important people in my life and who I love so very much. Well signing off for now - Love, Dad.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The ice that never was.
So there we were about to load up and head to Dallas when Connie's cell phone chimes. A voice mail. We were so excited to meet with the Gladney folks in person for the first time and finalize our application process. But the Lord had a different plan, Gladney called to inform us that the meetings scheduled for this weekend had been canceled due to weather. And in typical Texas fashion the ice storm that was suppose to bring Fort Worth and north Texas to its knees never developed. While I do not blame the Gladney folks for erring on the side of safety, I was very disappointed. I guess we will have to wait a bit longer.
Note to our boy:
Not a big set back! We will be there! We love you so much and I am working on everything I can to make your dad the best dad possible! You haven't even made it here and you are already changing my life! I need you so much.
Note to our boy:
Not a big set back! We will be there! We love you so much and I am working on everything I can to make your dad the best dad possible! You haven't even made it here and you are already changing my life! I need you so much.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Forms away!
Well we sent of our I-600A paperwork to the department of homeland security today! So another ball goes out of our court, I must admit that it feels good to have things off our plate and on someone else's plate but at the same time now we get to WAIT!
We are headed to Fort Worth at the end of this week to visit Gladney Adoption Agency. We are going to find out a great deal from this trip - we will meet the individual in charge of Russian adoptions and we have a huge list of questions to ask. We will also get to meet other couples adopting in Russia and hopefully we will find a couple that we can cuss and discuss the process with.
Every time we move forward I get more and more excited. I have been scared but now a very weird peace has come over me and I can't wait to hold him in my arms - I get emotional thinking about it. For me that is pretty HUGE! I rarely get emotional just thinking about things but just thinking about my little boy and what all I get to do with him really chokes me up! So, hold on world we are going to be a force to be reckoned with!
Note to our little man:
I am making a list of all the things I want to do with you - hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, climbing (wow do I need to get in shape for that), building things (and if you are going to be anything like me - you will want to tear things up as well), and of course being a BOY - and all the fun that you can stand! You know what the best thing is... Mom loves to do those things too! In fact, she is better at some of them than I am - but don't tell her I said that. I love you and will write again soon!
We are headed to Fort Worth at the end of this week to visit Gladney Adoption Agency. We are going to find out a great deal from this trip - we will meet the individual in charge of Russian adoptions and we have a huge list of questions to ask. We will also get to meet other couples adopting in Russia and hopefully we will find a couple that we can cuss and discuss the process with.
Every time we move forward I get more and more excited. I have been scared but now a very weird peace has come over me and I can't wait to hold him in my arms - I get emotional thinking about it. For me that is pretty HUGE! I rarely get emotional just thinking about things but just thinking about my little boy and what all I get to do with him really chokes me up! So, hold on world we are going to be a force to be reckoned with!
Note to our little man:
I am making a list of all the things I want to do with you - hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, climbing (wow do I need to get in shape for that), building things (and if you are going to be anything like me - you will want to tear things up as well), and of course being a BOY - and all the fun that you can stand! You know what the best thing is... Mom loves to do those things too! In fact, she is better at some of them than I am - but don't tell her I said that. I love you and will write again soon!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Baby Steps
Well it has been a few days since our first orientation with Judy Hays, our Gladney contact. Connie and I are looking so forward to the next steps. While we didn't learn anything new during the orientation, we have been reading everything we could get our hands on, it was really nice to talk to someone that could explain the time line a bit better. Here is how things are suppose to go - or at least the best that I can comprehend - my head is still spinning a bit, I wonder if it will ever stop?
We filled out our Gladney application and sent in our check this last weekend and so that formally starts the ball rolling on the paperwork.
Next we will complete our I-600A paperwork and send it in to the Department of Immigration (I think now a part of Homeland Security). With this form we have to get copies of everything that proves we are who we are and send it all in together. We are hoping to have this done before February. That starts the Federal ball rolling - so our boy will be a citizen when he gets off the plane with us.
Next we will need to hire a company, KBS more than likely, to complete our dossier. This is a BUNCH of documentation that is sent to Russia to once again prove who we are and that we will be good parents.
While KBS and the Feds are working on our paperwork we will have our home study completed by Gladney as well as a bunch of background checks and physicals. Sounds like fun!
Now comes the fun part. After all the paperwork is done and approved we are considered "paper ready". At this point we are placed on a waiting list in Russia (in a specific region in Russia). Once the Russian officials match a child with our criteria they will make a "referral". At that point we will receive a call and a photo of the child. We then make a preliminary decision to go visit the child (not a decision to adopt at this point). If we accept the referral we then travel to Russia for our first visit - about 7 days long. We meet the child and at that point we make the decision to adopt him or not.
If we choose to adopt him - we then jump through some more hoops and come home and wait for a court date - no telling how long that can be. Once we have a court date we head back over to for the second on hopefully last visit. During this time we will stand before a Russian judge and answer all kinds of questions. In the end we will have our boy but we will more than likely have to wait 10 days to officially get him. During that waiting time we cannot be with him but instead are forced to either stay in country or we can come home - we are STAYING. We might do some traveling but I really don't want to go very far.
After the 10 days we go pick him up and then head to Moscow to process his visa and final paperwork and get on a plane and come home!
That is so over simplified it isn't even funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am sure I have left out some really important information and got some steps out of order but for me right now that is about all I can comprehend! I have asked Connie to just point me in the direction I need to go and say GO! That way I know I will get done what I need to get done.
Well it is really late for me and so I am going to hit the sack.
Note to our "little man":
You got me scared! I pray every day that I don't let you down and can be a good dad! To think that you are going to depend on me for so many things is kind of scary and also really exciting all in the same breath. There are so many people that can't wait to see you! I love you!
We filled out our Gladney application and sent in our check this last weekend and so that formally starts the ball rolling on the paperwork.
Next we will complete our I-600A paperwork and send it in to the Department of Immigration (I think now a part of Homeland Security). With this form we have to get copies of everything that proves we are who we are and send it all in together. We are hoping to have this done before February. That starts the Federal ball rolling - so our boy will be a citizen when he gets off the plane with us.
Next we will need to hire a company, KBS more than likely, to complete our dossier. This is a BUNCH of documentation that is sent to Russia to once again prove who we are and that we will be good parents.
While KBS and the Feds are working on our paperwork we will have our home study completed by Gladney as well as a bunch of background checks and physicals. Sounds like fun!
Now comes the fun part. After all the paperwork is done and approved we are considered "paper ready". At this point we are placed on a waiting list in Russia (in a specific region in Russia). Once the Russian officials match a child with our criteria they will make a "referral". At that point we will receive a call and a photo of the child. We then make a preliminary decision to go visit the child (not a decision to adopt at this point). If we accept the referral we then travel to Russia for our first visit - about 7 days long. We meet the child and at that point we make the decision to adopt him or not.
If we choose to adopt him - we then jump through some more hoops and come home and wait for a court date - no telling how long that can be. Once we have a court date we head back over to for the second on hopefully last visit. During this time we will stand before a Russian judge and answer all kinds of questions. In the end we will have our boy but we will more than likely have to wait 10 days to officially get him. During that waiting time we cannot be with him but instead are forced to either stay in country or we can come home - we are STAYING. We might do some traveling but I really don't want to go very far.
After the 10 days we go pick him up and then head to Moscow to process his visa and final paperwork and get on a plane and come home!
That is so over simplified it isn't even funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am sure I have left out some really important information and got some steps out of order but for me right now that is about all I can comprehend! I have asked Connie to just point me in the direction I need to go and say GO! That way I know I will get done what I need to get done.
Well it is really late for me and so I am going to hit the sack.
Note to our "little man":
You got me scared! I pray every day that I don't let you down and can be a good dad! To think that you are going to depend on me for so many things is kind of scary and also really exciting all in the same breath. There are so many people that can't wait to see you! I love you!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Getting Ready
Well we have told the entire family, well most of them, and we have past the point of no return. Wow that sounds bad but really I have never been more excited about the prospect of having a "little man" around the house and seeing the joy that he will bring to our lives. Connie is going to be such a great mom and I can only hope to live up to the standards my father and other great men in my life have set.
This blog will chronicle our journey to our new home. Home is such an amazing word, it has so many meanings and elicits so many different emotions and feelings when you say the word and when you think back on what the word has meant to you. We have our first "orientation" meeting tomorrow and I think I am going to be more nervous than anything else. I so want everything to go smoothly and QUICKLY. Just think, our little boy might be out here right now or was just born today or might be born tomorrow. I have to admit that this process seems overwhelming but the end product will be spectacular. I will write more tomorrow after our meeting.
Note to our little one:
Hang in there big guy, we are coming to get you and we already love you more than you can even imagine! The Lord has a path for your life and it won't be long before we can walk down that path together as a family!
This blog will chronicle our journey to our new home. Home is such an amazing word, it has so many meanings and elicits so many different emotions and feelings when you say the word and when you think back on what the word has meant to you. We have our first "orientation" meeting tomorrow and I think I am going to be more nervous than anything else. I so want everything to go smoothly and QUICKLY. Just think, our little boy might be out here right now or was just born today or might be born tomorrow. I have to admit that this process seems overwhelming but the end product will be spectacular. I will write more tomorrow after our meeting.
Note to our little one:
Hang in there big guy, we are coming to get you and we already love you more than you can even imagine! The Lord has a path for your life and it won't be long before we can walk down that path together as a family!
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