It has been so long since my last post because reading about someone waiting is about as interesting as watching paint dry.
To bring everyone up to speed, we spent the winter waiting on paperwork finalization, letters, court dates and the sort of legal things that are not exciting but necessary. We were told in February that our "preliminary hearing" was scheduled and that from that date, OUR court date could be set and we would make our first trip. That date came and went, we were told with favorable outcome from the preliminary court hearing. We waited more. All that was left was a letter from the Ministry that handles children's affairs that gave a favorable statement to the adoption so that our travel date could be set. We are now going on week six without this letter being issued. There is quite a bit of frustration that can mount up when you have spent three years waiting on one thing after the other.
Today we got a phone call that at least the reason for the delay has been figured out... There is a letter from a regional government that needs to be issued before the Ministry can issue theirs. Apparently the Ministry requested this regional letter directly from the regional government a few weeks ago, but my in-country agency representative only learned of this today. Our agency's hope is that the letter can be procured early next week and that we can be given our travel date in the next couple weeks.
I know we've heard that a few times before so we're staying guardedly optimistic about it. This weekend I know that we will be saying extra prayers for the Regional Government officials to be ready and willing to write the letter on Monday. The rest is (and always has been) out of our hands.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Happy Birthday, little Hille!
Before the month is over, our little man will have his 3rd birthday.
Half a world away, I can't help but wonder if it will be acknowledged, if he will feel special, if he even knows or could comprehend how year number three on this Earth will lead both him and our family down a hard, life changing path that will turn both our worlds upside down in the most awesome way.
I feel excited about his future birthdays- knowing that every year we will celebrate his existence in our lives in a way that I think every child deserves.
The excitement is closely bound to sadness in my heart; his birthday. His birth. I pray that the woman who gave my son life- his biological mother- can feel peace and will know that her son is safe and will be loved & cared for. I can't pretend to know what she went through. I can't imagine the choices she had to make, and I know I will never, ever pass judgment for any of that. Because of her, we have him; and for that I love her too.
Often, people want to know- what now? Our paperwork (& his) is sent through many avenues to make sure that absolutely everything is in line and done correctly. One thing that always causes a bit of a drop in the stomach is called a "Request for Evidence"- or RFE- where any agency involved can ask for more info to substantiate a document's validity. Although they are actually very common at about every level of the process- they are time consuming. They're the little bumps that take more time. We were informed this week that our paperwork went straight through USCIS without any RFE's and is now at the Embassy level. This is awesome! We expect the US Embassy will have some RFE's- but we are indeed one step closer to being given a court date and being allowed to travel.
Also we have had a few inquiries about financial donations that need to be 501(c) for tax purposes. In a previous post I had mentioned we had an account with an organization, however our church has graciously offered to do this for us, and will provide tax receipts for any monetary donations. I will place the address to the right.
We also can't thank everyone enough for the t-shirt support. We sold well over 100 and will go to print again if we can "tip" the count again- so if you DIDN'T get a shirt and want one- teespring.com/hille is the place to go!
Half a world away, I can't help but wonder if it will be acknowledged, if he will feel special, if he even knows or could comprehend how year number three on this Earth will lead both him and our family down a hard, life changing path that will turn both our worlds upside down in the most awesome way.
I feel excited about his future birthdays- knowing that every year we will celebrate his existence in our lives in a way that I think every child deserves.
The excitement is closely bound to sadness in my heart; his birthday. His birth. I pray that the woman who gave my son life- his biological mother- can feel peace and will know that her son is safe and will be loved & cared for. I can't pretend to know what she went through. I can't imagine the choices she had to make, and I know I will never, ever pass judgment for any of that. Because of her, we have him; and for that I love her too.
Often, people want to know- what now? Our paperwork (& his) is sent through many avenues to make sure that absolutely everything is in line and done correctly. One thing that always causes a bit of a drop in the stomach is called a "Request for Evidence"- or RFE- where any agency involved can ask for more info to substantiate a document's validity. Although they are actually very common at about every level of the process- they are time consuming. They're the little bumps that take more time. We were informed this week that our paperwork went straight through USCIS without any RFE's and is now at the Embassy level. This is awesome! We expect the US Embassy will have some RFE's- but we are indeed one step closer to being given a court date and being allowed to travel.
Also we have had a few inquiries about financial donations that need to be 501(c) for tax purposes. In a previous post I had mentioned we had an account with an organization, however our church has graciously offered to do this for us, and will provide tax receipts for any monetary donations. I will place the address to the right.
We also can't thank everyone enough for the t-shirt support. We sold well over 100 and will go to print again if we can "tip" the count again- so if you DIDN'T get a shirt and want one- teespring.com/hille is the place to go!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Hip, Hip, HOORAY!!! (Referral Day)
Looking back, I realize it's been almost a year since I blogged last. There was a drastic slow down over the winter and spring of 2013-14. The very depressing standstill made it difficult to keep our chins up sometimes, and honestly, we didn't want to discuss it too much. Sometimes when people meant well and would ask, I would literally reply with, "I don't want to talk about it." Since nobody likes a depressing blogger, I just stayed silent here.
Then....
Oh, but then.....
Monday July 28th, I got "the call".
I had just finished shooting a session of an amazingly squeezy little 8 month old boy at my photography studio. I saw I had a missed call and as I buckled in to drive home I listened to my voice mail.
"We are excited to show you a file of a little boy...." was about all the message I had to hear before I flew back into the parking spot at my studio and called them back. As my case worker gave me information- his age, name, birthday, my hands were shaking so hard that I couldn't even write on the scrap of paper I had tried to make notes on. She kindly promised to e-mail me all the information. I cried, and laughed and I think probably scared our case worker.
I took several deep breaths and drove home. I walked to the babysitter and picked up our daughter. By the time we made it home, Brett was there. As Madigan sat down with the iPad, I pulled up a picture from our referral e-mail and called Brett downstairs. I calmly handed him my phone when he reached the bottom and said "Would you like to see this face? We have the rest of his file to review...." More tears and laughing, prayers and combing over the info with a fine tooth comb. We reviewed all the information with our pediatrician and by Wednesday, July 30th, we knew it was right. We accepted the referral.
As is most of the adoption process, a lot of the information we have is confidential. But I want everyone to know he is so handsome, so loved and so amazing. :) We had recently spoken with our case worker and discussed the upper end our 'age limit'- although we had originally requested that our son be less than 18 months, as the years passed we felt comfortable with an age closer to 3. This little man is not quite three, but will be before we can get him home. I want to share his face with the world. I want to kiss his cheeks, and tell him I love him, and introduce him to the most excited big sister in the world. I want to watch his daddy give him piggy back rides. I want to snuggle him to sleep. I know those things will come in time, but I'm so happy that it seems that it will be sooner rather than later.
The support that's been shown is overwhelming. So many texts, facebook messages, emails and in-person hugs. So much support. I think every person is asking two things. "What now?" and "How can we help?"
What now?
We wait more. Although this part is hard, it's the validating of all the documents and approval from government offices that must happen. It's waiting with a purpose. We will wait to 'clear embassy', and be given a date to travel for our first court date. There will be two trips to Ethiopia. One for our first court date, and then we have to return home to wait for final approval. We are hopeful that we will be allowed to travel before the end of the year- however- with the 'rainy season' upon us we won't hold our breaths. I know that our agency is working on his behalf to get him home to us as soon as possible. That gives me a deep sense of security.
How can we help?
Pray. Pray for us, pray for the process, pray for him, the orphanage workers, everyone involved.
Share. Share this blog on your page- because you never know how deeply adoption has reached into the lives of your family & friends. Ask them to pray and to share and to help. However they can.
Buy. Financially, two international trips isn't easy. Although we have been working and saving, (and we will continue to do so), finances will be tight. You can help by buying something:
www.justlovecoffee.com/bringhomehille is our coffee sales site. If you want to buy coffee for a cause, this is the place to do it!
www.teespring.com/hille Is a site for a t-shirt sale we are doing. I designed the shirt, and we need to sell a minimum of 100 before they are printed. The proceeds go directly to offset our travel costs- the "end" date is August 18th. (I'm looking into child sizes if we can go to print!)
Give. If you have room in your heart and your budget to give a financial donation, it would be deeply and sincerely appreciated. A few ways are to click the "donate" button on the right side of the page and donate directly there via paypal. If you or your organization needs to donate to a 501(c)(3) account for tax purposes, we are have our account set up with AdoptTogether, the link to the right should be working to donate there.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to let us know they are supporting us. The excitement we have is just hugely increased when we know how much love & support we are getting from those we have known forever and those we have yet to meet!
Then....
Oh, but then.....
Monday July 28th, I got "the call".
I had just finished shooting a session of an amazingly squeezy little 8 month old boy at my photography studio. I saw I had a missed call and as I buckled in to drive home I listened to my voice mail.
"We are excited to show you a file of a little boy...." was about all the message I had to hear before I flew back into the parking spot at my studio and called them back. As my case worker gave me information- his age, name, birthday, my hands were shaking so hard that I couldn't even write on the scrap of paper I had tried to make notes on. She kindly promised to e-mail me all the information. I cried, and laughed and I think probably scared our case worker.
I took several deep breaths and drove home. I walked to the babysitter and picked up our daughter. By the time we made it home, Brett was there. As Madigan sat down with the iPad, I pulled up a picture from our referral e-mail and called Brett downstairs. I calmly handed him my phone when he reached the bottom and said "Would you like to see this face? We have the rest of his file to review...." More tears and laughing, prayers and combing over the info with a fine tooth comb. We reviewed all the information with our pediatrician and by Wednesday, July 30th, we knew it was right. We accepted the referral.
As is most of the adoption process, a lot of the information we have is confidential. But I want everyone to know he is so handsome, so loved and so amazing. :) We had recently spoken with our case worker and discussed the upper end our 'age limit'- although we had originally requested that our son be less than 18 months, as the years passed we felt comfortable with an age closer to 3. This little man is not quite three, but will be before we can get him home. I want to share his face with the world. I want to kiss his cheeks, and tell him I love him, and introduce him to the most excited big sister in the world. I want to watch his daddy give him piggy back rides. I want to snuggle him to sleep. I know those things will come in time, but I'm so happy that it seems that it will be sooner rather than later.
The support that's been shown is overwhelming. So many texts, facebook messages, emails and in-person hugs. So much support. I think every person is asking two things. "What now?" and "How can we help?"
What now?
We wait more. Although this part is hard, it's the validating of all the documents and approval from government offices that must happen. It's waiting with a purpose. We will wait to 'clear embassy', and be given a date to travel for our first court date. There will be two trips to Ethiopia. One for our first court date, and then we have to return home to wait for final approval. We are hopeful that we will be allowed to travel before the end of the year- however- with the 'rainy season' upon us we won't hold our breaths. I know that our agency is working on his behalf to get him home to us as soon as possible. That gives me a deep sense of security.
How can we help?
Pray. Pray for us, pray for the process, pray for him, the orphanage workers, everyone involved.
Share. Share this blog on your page- because you never know how deeply adoption has reached into the lives of your family & friends. Ask them to pray and to share and to help. However they can.
Buy. Financially, two international trips isn't easy. Although we have been working and saving, (and we will continue to do so), finances will be tight. You can help by buying something:
www.justlovecoffee.com/bringhomehille is our coffee sales site. If you want to buy coffee for a cause, this is the place to do it!
www.teespring.com/hille Is a site for a t-shirt sale we are doing. I designed the shirt, and we need to sell a minimum of 100 before they are printed. The proceeds go directly to offset our travel costs- the "end" date is August 18th. (I'm looking into child sizes if we can go to print!)
Give. If you have room in your heart and your budget to give a financial donation, it would be deeply and sincerely appreciated. A few ways are to click the "donate" button on the right side of the page and donate directly there via paypal. If you or your organization needs to donate to a 501(c)(3) account for tax purposes, we are have our account set up with AdoptTogether, the link to the right should be working to donate there.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to let us know they are supporting us. The excitement we have is just hugely increased when we know how much love & support we are getting from those we have known forever and those we have yet to meet!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Time Flies....
Suffice it to say the summer flew by very quickly while we are in "hurry up and wait" mode.
September brought and end to the summer rush and a new number in our waiting family line:
we are in the "teens"!
Wow!
That hit home with the realization this could all be happening sooner rather than later. The internal struggle hasn't changed at all as we wait for our monthly update- patience and excitement and wondering and waiting.
We are still waiting for our referral- to receive a picture and a biography and news that our son is waiting for us. Crazy! We are affiliated with Children of All Nations (CAN) adoption agency out of Texas. Their 'sister' agency that has in-country contact in Ethiopia is West Sands. Recently the staff from West Sands took a trip to Ethiopia and informed the families in the program that they are in need of medical supplies. Right now it's the rainy season in Ethiopia- and the constant moisture and temperature fluctuations can get the babies in the orphanage sick with respiratory issues (much like we do in the fall here in the USA). The e-mail from the West Sands staff spoke of the great care given by the nurses, but also of some "needs"- simple things like diaper rash cream, scrubs for the staff, mosquito nets for the beds- that would lessen the burden on the children and staff. As a nurse I know what it means to have every supply you need at your finger tips. I can't imagine working day to day needing simple supplies, which is why I have started gathering some of the 'needs' to be delivered by a traveling family. If anyone who is reading this would like to donate scrubs, diaper rash cream, mosquito nets or other medical supplies, just e-mail me at sillyhille @ gmail and I will be happy to point you in the direction of making a donation too.
One thing that really touches me is the possibility that my son's heart beats on this very same planet as mine right now. Waiting family number eighteen- and as we wait for our monthly update filling our days with school and work, God's hand is moving across the globe in ways we won't ever fully comprehend. It is highly likely that my son has been conceived- I often wonder: has he been born? Is he one of the babies being rocked by the nurses who are asking for supplies to be donated? It can sometimes be frustrating to be here waiting and wondering, hoping for a monthly update that has us closer and closer to seeing his face, but when I really let myself think about the process of adoption that has led us here- and the path that will lead us home, I don't have anxiety at all about it- I feel nothing but peace and happiness.
And I think that's the way it should be.
September brought and end to the summer rush and a new number in our waiting family line:
we are in the "teens"!
Wow!
That hit home with the realization this could all be happening sooner rather than later. The internal struggle hasn't changed at all as we wait for our monthly update- patience and excitement and wondering and waiting.
We are still waiting for our referral- to receive a picture and a biography and news that our son is waiting for us. Crazy! We are affiliated with Children of All Nations (CAN) adoption agency out of Texas. Their 'sister' agency that has in-country contact in Ethiopia is West Sands. Recently the staff from West Sands took a trip to Ethiopia and informed the families in the program that they are in need of medical supplies. Right now it's the rainy season in Ethiopia- and the constant moisture and temperature fluctuations can get the babies in the orphanage sick with respiratory issues (much like we do in the fall here in the USA). The e-mail from the West Sands staff spoke of the great care given by the nurses, but also of some "needs"- simple things like diaper rash cream, scrubs for the staff, mosquito nets for the beds- that would lessen the burden on the children and staff. As a nurse I know what it means to have every supply you need at your finger tips. I can't imagine working day to day needing simple supplies, which is why I have started gathering some of the 'needs' to be delivered by a traveling family. If anyone who is reading this would like to donate scrubs, diaper rash cream, mosquito nets or other medical supplies, just e-mail me at sillyhille @ gmail and I will be happy to point you in the direction of making a donation too.
One thing that really touches me is the possibility that my son's heart beats on this very same planet as mine right now. Waiting family number eighteen- and as we wait for our monthly update filling our days with school and work, God's hand is moving across the globe in ways we won't ever fully comprehend. It is highly likely that my son has been conceived- I often wonder: has he been born? Is he one of the babies being rocked by the nurses who are asking for supplies to be donated? It can sometimes be frustrating to be here waiting and wondering, hoping for a monthly update that has us closer and closer to seeing his face, but when I really let myself think about the process of adoption that has led us here- and the path that will lead us home, I don't have anxiety at all about it- I feel nothing but peace and happiness.
And I think that's the way it should be.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Ethiopia On My Mind
We got our January update this week, and we are still several referrals away from the top of the list.
I often get asked, "How do you handle the waiting? And why do you seem so calm when you talk about this adoption?"
I get overwhelmed with thoughts & emotion when I think about our adoption and everything that goes into our son becoming a part of our family. There is a chance that we could have our referral by next Christmas. That means right now, somewhere half way around the world a woman is pregnant with my son.
Except it's her son right now.
Our son.
I don't know the circumstances that could surround his conception, his gestation, his birth or ultimately his delivery to an orphanage. Whether his family can not care for him by inability or lack of desire, I do not know. In fact, it does not matter to me.
I already love him and I love his biological mother for what she is doing.
My God is a sovereign God and I don't think we are his second choice for this child. I think before our son's conception, God knew this child would be our child. He is at work in his biological mother as much as He is at work in me, and I am in awe of that thought. Everything is happening in His time, according to His plan. I can't force this, I can't wish or pray any part of it to happen more quickly. What God is doing there is infinitely more important than the wait I am enduring here.
I read something a while back that just echoes with me when I think about the biological mother in our adoption process.
Once there were two women,
who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
the other you call Mother.
Two different lives
shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
the other became your sun.
The first gave you life,
the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love,
the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,
the other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
the other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions,
the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
the other dried your tears.
One gave you up.
It was all she could do.
The other prayed for a child,
and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears,
the age-old question through the years:
Heredity or Environment -
which are you the product of?
Neither my darling, neither,
just two different kinds of love.
I know that once we receive our referral and know more of our son's story, I will grieve for him and for her- his biological mother. In fact, I think I already do when I think about her (which is on a daily basis). Does she know right now that she can not keep her baby? Has she already made that decision? Every time I think of her, I am driven to pray for her.
When given the time to really think about the chain of events that takes place from conception to the final gavel tap finalizing an adoption, it's mind blowing. It's also awesomely powerful and convinces me time and time again that miracles happen in this world. This journey is not made by accidents; it is formed by divine intervention, and those miraculous actions take time.
I suppose it's all of those things that make this waiting seem easy.
-Sarah
I often get asked, "How do you handle the waiting? And why do you seem so calm when you talk about this adoption?"
I get overwhelmed with thoughts & emotion when I think about our adoption and everything that goes into our son becoming a part of our family. There is a chance that we could have our referral by next Christmas. That means right now, somewhere half way around the world a woman is pregnant with my son.
Except it's her son right now.
Our son.
I don't know the circumstances that could surround his conception, his gestation, his birth or ultimately his delivery to an orphanage. Whether his family can not care for him by inability or lack of desire, I do not know. In fact, it does not matter to me.
I already love him and I love his biological mother for what she is doing.
My God is a sovereign God and I don't think we are his second choice for this child. I think before our son's conception, God knew this child would be our child. He is at work in his biological mother as much as He is at work in me, and I am in awe of that thought. Everything is happening in His time, according to His plan. I can't force this, I can't wish or pray any part of it to happen more quickly. What God is doing there is infinitely more important than the wait I am enduring here.
I read something a while back that just echoes with me when I think about the biological mother in our adoption process.
who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
the other you call Mother.
Two different lives
shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
the other became your sun.
The first gave you life,
the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love,
the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,
the other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
the other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions,
the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
the other dried your tears.
One gave you up.
It was all she could do.
The other prayed for a child,
and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears,
the age-old question through the years:
Heredity or Environment -
which are you the product of?
Neither my darling, neither,
just two different kinds of love.
When given the time to really think about the chain of events that takes place from conception to the final gavel tap finalizing an adoption, it's mind blowing. It's also awesomely powerful and convinces me time and time again that miracles happen in this world. This journey is not made by accidents; it is formed by divine intervention, and those miraculous actions take time.
I suppose it's all of those things that make this waiting seem easy.
-Sarah
Monday, November 26, 2012
I obviously suck at blogging....
Gah! September was my last post- really?
We were officially dossier to country in September just in time for Brett's birthday. Having a monthly number update is only mildly exciting, considering the "list" doesn't always move by the same number of places each time. There could be 1 referral or 10 in a month... so it's all arbitrary. (Yes- we have obviously done the math 100 times with "if there are XX referrals on average every month we could have ours by XX date!) We are being overly optimistic when we say that we hope to have a referral in hand by Christmas....2013. :) I can't help but think about Earl Nightingale's quote:
"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway."
So I guess we wait for the time to pass! As we prepare for Christmas we have been doing a lot of reading about the Ethiopian celebration of Christmas- Ganna- held on January 7th. Typically there is fasting on the day before, followed by an early morning Church service and a meal of wat (stew) and injera (flat bread). I'm thinking I need to find a recipe and attempt my own wat & injera... I would love to have that tradition in our house as well! They also have a big celebration on January 19th for the commemoration of the baptism of Christ. I can't wait to learn more about these celebrations and host some of our own in the years to come!
How does your family prepare for Christmas?
We were officially dossier to country in September just in time for Brett's birthday. Having a monthly number update is only mildly exciting, considering the "list" doesn't always move by the same number of places each time. There could be 1 referral or 10 in a month... so it's all arbitrary. (Yes- we have obviously done the math 100 times with "if there are XX referrals on average every month we could have ours by XX date!) We are being overly optimistic when we say that we hope to have a referral in hand by Christmas....2013. :) I can't help but think about Earl Nightingale's quote:
"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway."
So I guess we wait for the time to pass! As we prepare for Christmas we have been doing a lot of reading about the Ethiopian celebration of Christmas- Ganna- held on January 7th. Typically there is fasting on the day before, followed by an early morning Church service and a meal of wat (stew) and injera (flat bread). I'm thinking I need to find a recipe and attempt my own wat & injera... I would love to have that tradition in our house as well! They also have a big celebration on January 19th for the commemoration of the baptism of Christ. I can't wait to learn more about these celebrations and host some of our own in the years to come!
How does your family prepare for Christmas?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
USCIS Approval
Today we received USCIS approval in the mail... This isn't any kind of major hurdle, but a very necessary one. Having all the correct legal paperwork in place to allow us back into the USA after our second trip to Ethiopia is sure handy! ;)
Probably the most exciting thing is that my best friend from childhood is expecting her first child this March! (It's been a hard secret to keep too!) I know that she & her husband will be amazing parents and I can't help but wonder.... Will we have children about the same age? Isn't that every girls dream- to raise a child at the same time as her best friend? We have been told repeatedly that we should expect 12 month wait for our referral- and realistically it could take longer than that- but every time we get a new approval of something, an e-mail from our agency, or even just read news from Ethiopia (or stalk Addis Ababa on Google Maps, right honey?) we just grow in excitement. Although my second child may not be exactly the same age- I'm still very excited to see our families growing at the same time!
Because someone asked earlier and I hadn't gotten around to posting again (let alone answering questions)- the agency in Texas we are using is called "Children of All Nations". It's all a bit complicated when you cross international borders, but essentially there are only so many approved agencies that are allowed to facilitate adoptions from Ethiopia- So CAN handles the end of things in America but they work with another agency called West Sands. West Sands is responsible for the Ethiopian end of things- and the bottom line is that West Sands is the official agency that is helping us to adopt. Clear as mud, right?
We have also been asked quite a bit "Why Ethiopia?" and although I've touched on it a bit before in previous posts, it comes down to a few basic things. First, we knew we felt called to adopt from Africa. Of all the African countries that allow married couples under the age of 30 with biological children (yes- you can be too young to adopt by some countries standards!)- we did some serious research on each program left. The end point is that Ethiopia has a very stable adoption framework and they have a genuine concern for their infants/children in the system. It also helped that we KNOW people who have adopted from Ethiopia. Having the ability to e-mail and chat with other families and friends of families really helped seal the deal, so to speak.
The last question I've been asked recently is in regards to our timing in sharing our news- Did we share our adoption news early? Yup! Have you ever asked a 4 year old to keep a secret? :) When our social worker had to interview Madigan for the home study, we knew she needed to be clued in. The social worker asked completely age appropriate questions- but Madigan was prepared to answer when she was asked about adoption, how she felt about being a big sister, and how prepared she was to wait longer than most sisters have to wait. (PS- to Gwen, the social worker who was tasked with "interviewing" our daughter--or did she interview you? I'm still not sure--... God bless you. That is all I have to say!!)
Have I missed anything in this synopsis? :) Feel free to ask!
Probably the most exciting thing is that my best friend from childhood is expecting her first child this March! (It's been a hard secret to keep too!) I know that she & her husband will be amazing parents and I can't help but wonder.... Will we have children about the same age? Isn't that every girls dream- to raise a child at the same time as her best friend? We have been told repeatedly that we should expect 12 month wait for our referral- and realistically it could take longer than that- but every time we get a new approval of something, an e-mail from our agency, or even just read news from Ethiopia (or stalk Addis Ababa on Google Maps, right honey?) we just grow in excitement. Although my second child may not be exactly the same age- I'm still very excited to see our families growing at the same time!
Because someone asked earlier and I hadn't gotten around to posting again (let alone answering questions)- the agency in Texas we are using is called "Children of All Nations". It's all a bit complicated when you cross international borders, but essentially there are only so many approved agencies that are allowed to facilitate adoptions from Ethiopia- So CAN handles the end of things in America but they work with another agency called West Sands. West Sands is responsible for the Ethiopian end of things- and the bottom line is that West Sands is the official agency that is helping us to adopt. Clear as mud, right?
We have also been asked quite a bit "Why Ethiopia?" and although I've touched on it a bit before in previous posts, it comes down to a few basic things. First, we knew we felt called to adopt from Africa. Of all the African countries that allow married couples under the age of 30 with biological children (yes- you can be too young to adopt by some countries standards!)- we did some serious research on each program left. The end point is that Ethiopia has a very stable adoption framework and they have a genuine concern for their infants/children in the system. It also helped that we KNOW people who have adopted from Ethiopia. Having the ability to e-mail and chat with other families and friends of families really helped seal the deal, so to speak.
The last question I've been asked recently is in regards to our timing in sharing our news- Did we share our adoption news early? Yup! Have you ever asked a 4 year old to keep a secret? :) When our social worker had to interview Madigan for the home study, we knew she needed to be clued in. The social worker asked completely age appropriate questions- but Madigan was prepared to answer when she was asked about adoption, how she felt about being a big sister, and how prepared she was to wait longer than most sisters have to wait. (PS- to Gwen, the social worker who was tasked with "interviewing" our daughter--or did she interview you? I'm still not sure--... God bless you. That is all I have to say!!)
Have I missed anything in this synopsis? :) Feel free to ask!
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