Leaving on a Jet Plane

**I couldn't post/upload photos in Ethiopia, so I have gone back through and listed each post on the day it was written (in other words it is post-dated).**

Shannon’s Mom & Dad flew back to Dallas this morning. In the afternoon we finished packing and ran some last minute errands for a backpack we could use as a diaper bag. We left the house around 6 p.m. and went to eat dinner. Chloe was tired from the day and slept through dinner. She woke to say goodbye to us at JFK and I cried saying goodbye to her.


We checked into our flight on Emir*ates. Our flight was schedule to take off at 11:00 p.m. but we sat waiting for the de-icing trucks for 45 minutes. The flight to Dubai was nice. Our travel agent had booked the bulk head seats like we were traveling with Oliver already so we had plenty of leg room in economy. Matt slept for some 5 hours. I slept off and on for about 3 hours and I managed to watch 3 movies. Time seemed to go quickly for a 12.5 hour flight.

We landed 15 minutes behind schedule at 8:45 p.m. (Dubai time). Most people on our flight were using Dubai as a hub to other destinations so we got through customs and got our luggage quickly. The airport is amazing and new. Lights danced and flashed on the marble and against the palm trees. It was impressive.

We then caught a taxi to our hotel—the Hyatt Regency.

Leaving Today

We leave tonight for Dubai. We will arrive tomorrow in Dubai, stay two nights and then go to Ethiopia on Sunday to meet Oliver. We are packed and ready to go.

I don't know about internet connection but we will try our best to post from Addis Ababa. I am bringing a journal along to document the days.

Less Than Two Weeks to Take-Off

Two weeks from today I will be on an airplane headed for Dubai. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I still have to accomplish. But, as my husband reassured me last night, it will all get done and we will be with Oliver soon. Most of the stress comes from the work we have been having done on the house. Our house has been rearranged and taken apart so many times in the last few months I am a little tired of it all.

Our floors were refinished this week and I was blocked from our basement and laundry room. I managed to gather together Oliver's clothing that we will take but still have to wash it. I am just pleased that the big work is done on the house and I don't have to keep putting our house back together and I can concentrate on putting together Oliver's room.

Tonight we're FINALLY breaking out the indoor Christmas decorations. The finish on the wood floors will be set and we can put up the tree without fear of destroying the floor. We had to break the news to Chloe that we weren't getting a real tree this year. We just don't want to have to deal with the needles on the floor and our 6-month old puppy trying to eat the tree or drink the water from the base.

We've got a long list to accomplish this weekend. I am now on the search for a diaper changer (we never got one for Chloe and I am not changing diapers this time around on the floor or beds). I took Matt to BrU, but he didn't like any of the diaper changers there (I know, I know, its a diaper changer for goodness sake).

I just keep repeating...It's all going to get done.

A Whirlwind of Activity

Our lives have become a whirlwind of activity since finding out our travel dates. We had our embassy document conference call yesterday with our agency and went over all the paperwork we have to complete and get back to our agency ASAP. It has to be at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa next week. I am sending it via F*ed* E*x tomorrow morning. It took me 3 hours to get Tur*bo T*ax to open up our 2006 taxes so I could get our Adjusted Gross Income for that year (the past 3 years are needed for a U.S. Embassy document). It was such a saga and I was completely worn out and grouchy last night from the experience.

The interior of our house is painted. I have been putting the furniture back in order and trying to figure out where the pictures and paintings were all hung. Chloe says it looks like we just moved in our house and she's right. It's pretty much a disaster. Our wood floors will finally get restained/repaired next week and I can concentrate on Oliver's room and putting up some Christmas decorations inside the house. A tree would be nice at this point too.

I am so thankful that my parents, sister and brother-in-law will be here for the holidays to help us get ready and to calm me down. My sister is staying on to keep Chloe and the dogs while we are in Ethiopia. She will also stay a short while after we return home with Oliver. My friends have organized meals for us on our return, much to my disapproval---I hate to ask for help or anything. Its very nice of them and will be appreciated.

I made Oliver's pediatrician appointment yesterday. He goes to the doctor for his checkup the Tuesday after we get back. My sister will still be here at that time to help.

I am trying to figure out what to take to Ethiopia. My friend who traveled to Africa a few years ago told me the people would ask for sneakers and American t-shirts. I don't think I am going to be handing out sneakers in Addis Ababa but I'm gathering some shirts with NYC area logos and teams and my friends are too. I am also trying to figure out what donations I will take for the orphanage. I have to put a call into our agency to find out what is needed. When we went to China we donated a crate of formula we purchased in town while visiting the orphanage. I am trying to find out if we can do the same in Ethiopia.

I had a complete spaz out today because I couldn't get our travel agency to call me back and book our flights and hotel which were on hold. I emailed our travel agent yesterday afternoon to tell them what we decided on our travel plans and that we wanted to book a.s.a.p. I never heard back yesterday (and they are 3 hours behind us on the west coast). I thought for certain they would call me by noon today because our flights were on hold until 1 p.m. today. When I still hadn't heard from them I called and left a message for our agent to call us so we could book. Three hours passed and not a word. I called back and left a message and then sent an email just to get my point across. Another hour passed. Just as I started to call another travel agency, the phone rang. It's all worked out and we our flights are booked. I just got the confirmation.

Our travel plans are to leave on December 31 and fly to Dubai. We want to see Dubai, so we opted to spend two nights before we leave for Ethiopia on Sunday, January 3. We should see Oliver that day! We then spend the week in Ethiopia before we fly out on Friday, January 8. We are unsure when our U.S. Embassy appointment will be right now because January 7th is Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas. What a great time to be in country! We're back home on January 9th. That gives us a whole weekend at home with Chloe and Oliver.

TRAVEL DATES (and freaking out a little bit)

We have travel dates!!!! We are to be in Ethiopia on January 3rd!! That's right---in less than one month. I think I have to call a travel agent now as ticket prices are 2-3 times what we thought it would cost.

SO EXCITED!!

It's Official

We got the information via email from our agency director. Tonight was the tree lighting in our town. I took Chloe to Chinese school, which is in our downtown, and then we met Matt at a restaurant. Downtown for the Holidays is a big deal in our village and everybody comes out for it so we meet and see lots of friends and neighbors. Also, my cell phone reception in our downtown is sketchy. Apparently our agency director tried to call me but I didn't receive it or hear it. Right before the countdown for the tree lighting I pulled out my cell phone to use it to take a photo. That's when I saw the email response to "RE: Court News?" from our agency director. I opened and saw the word "ratified" and gave Matt a big kiss and shared the news.

I didn't speak with our agency because it was 7:30 p.m. EST so I don't know any details. From what I gather, our agency only knows we were ratified and does not know the date. I expect we will get lots more information next week. Right now we are just excited about the good news.

Should Hear Something Today

We expect to get some news from our agency today. We did not hear from them yesterday so I assume that means that our case did not get heard in court. We were told not to write yesterday down on our calendar as our new court date. The attorney was unsure what would transpire.

I should probably hear word late this afternoon (EST) on when our court date is rescheduled. I'm really hoping for next week, not a month later.

Its a busy day today, which is a good thing. I will be the taxi driver for the day, taking the puppy to obedience school, Chloe to/from school and then to Chinese school this afternoon. At least it will keep me away from obsessing over the computer and phone all day.

On a sweet, side note: We haven't relayed any of the delays to Chloe. She wouldn't understand, so we haven't shared our disappointment and frustration with her. Yesterday when we were playing in the basement, she randomly went to look at Oliver's picture, kissed it and said, "Please come home soon little brother." It was sweet. Now that I look back though I think it was more of a prayer that another child come into our home. I think she is beginning to believe I am no fun to play with!

Kreativ Blog Award

I've been tagged for the Kreativ Blogger award. These are the blog award “rules.”

I. Thank the person who awarded me the award, and link that person’s blog on my blog. Thanks Jennifer. Now I have to think of 7 things about myself and 7 other bloggers to tag!

II. Identify seven things about myself:

1. I taught History in middle school for 7 years. I left to be a stay-at-home mom to Chloe.
2. I've been married for 11 years to Matt. We got engaged in Vienna, Austria on Valentine's Day.
3. I'm a serial volunteer/organizer. Last year I served on the Board of Director's for 3 organizations, this year I serve on two. Chloe drew a picture of her family last year at pre-school and it was of just she and her dad. When she was asked where her mom was in the picture she replied, "She's in a meeting." I'm excited to report that I will be taking a break from volunteering next year to concentrate on family.
4. I live in New Jersey, but I am a native Texan.
5. I'm opinionated and bossy. Apparently this is a learned trait as my daughter is very much like me.
6. I like living on the east coast and have no desire to move back to the south again. I live just outside the greatest city in the U.S. so there is so much to do. I don't mind the winters (we like to ski), it's the spring I can't stand.
7. We own an RV and like to go camping.

III. Award seven bloggers with the “Kreativ Blogger Award,” post links to their blogs, and leave a comment on each of their blogs, to let them know of the honor.

I'm going to give this a shot, but am only naming 4 bloggers.

1. Ang-she is waiting on her court hearing to ratify the adoption of her son and daughter. She is my fellow east-coaster with our agency.

2. Sarri-also with our agency and getting ready to send in their dossier to Ethiopia. I wish you all the best on your journey--I hope its a smooth ride!

3. Diana-she really is a Kreativ Blogger, so creative! Diana designed my A Family United blog and this blog for Oliver. She adopted her daughter from China in 2006. I always enjoy reading her posts.

4. Rachel--another creative mommy blogger her crafts and sewing put me to shame. I love to check in on their Ethiopian adoption progress, they are also adopting from Toukoul but with a different agency.

In Limbo but Relieved to Have Some News

I heard from our agency director just a little while ago. She spoke with the attorney in Ethiopia. It seems that MoWA has had meetings and that the paperwork they need to submit to go into Oliver's file wasn't there. It seems to be widespread for all the court cases this week. Realizing they now have a backlog, MoWA is going to try to play catch-up in the courts and get the missing paperwork submitted and the cases heard asap.

Our attorney in Ethiopia is being called in tomorrow before the judge who has Oliver's file. He believes it is to hear our court case. The attorney was at his home when he spoke with our director so he didn't have his files in front of him. Oliver's Ethiopian name is not a typical name, so he could recall that he received a court summons about Oliver. We were told not to rely too much on our case being heard tomorrow and that with the backlog, we should know more Friday as to whether we got heard or if we have been rescheduled to a later date.

Though we continue to wait, at least we know why we have the delay.

Still Nothing & New Updated Photos

We still have no word on whether we passed court or not. Apparently the phone line is so bad that it cannot be confirmed which families passed court. An email was supposed to be sent today but it still hasn't arrived. This isn't encouraging. The pessimist in me says it means we didn't pass and gear myself up to wait again for court.

But, congratulations to the other family with our agency who had their court date today and passed--that's great news!

The email from Toukoul works and we received updated photos of Oliver today. He changes so much each update. We also found out he has chicken pox, so that was a little upsetting.

I'm emotionally spent today.

No News

We don't know the outcome of court today (or if our case was even heard). Our agency called this afternoon to let us know they couldn't find out the status of our court case from the attorney. We expect to find out tomorrow. Praying for good news tomorrow!

7 More Days

One week until our court date. I am beginning to get nervous--wondering if all our paperwork is together and nothing is missing. Hoping it all works out in our favor on November 30th.

Two Weeks to Go!

Two more weeks until our court date! I have been busy Christmas shopping because I know IF we pass court on November 30, that my mind will become consumed with planning and packing for Ethiopia. I am proud to report that as of today my Christmas shopping is done! I have to start mailing packages out next week to our family in Europe. I just have to wait on the arrival of our Christmas cards which I ordered last week. I am so excited to know that this is out of the way and I can concentrate on preparing for our trip to Ethiopia.

Lately, I have been going over and researching formula, baby food, baby items we still need and even diapers. Its been 4 years since we have had an infant and when Chloe came home at 11 months we had in our minds that 11 months was pretty old and we didn't buy "baby" items. Hindsight is 20/20 and I realize now that Chloe was very much a baby. One example is we bought the Bri*tax Marath*on car seat. Eventhough we faced it rear seating, the thing swallowed her. She looked so tiny in it. In fact, 4 years later, she is still in this seat (front facing now, of course). We had thought to use the same convertible car seat for Oliver but a friend with three daughters has since brought to my attention that I should probably check into getting an infant car seat. Her oldest is in many of the same activities as Chloe and she told me her infant car seat has been great since she spends most of her day going back and forth to elementary school, pre-school and after-school activities. Her 9-month old stays snug and fastened in and if she is napping, she doesn't have to wake her up. We never considered the infant car seat for Chloe because we had in our minds that she would be too big and too old. I am rethinking it for Oliver. I am back and forth all day carting Chloe to kindergarten enrichment, to school, dance, Chinese school, etc. I'm beginning to think this will be a buy on the baby items list.

The other thing I am debating about is diapers. I am starting to feel that I should consider a greener option for diapering Oliver. I've researched these diapers and don't know if I should take the plunge and give them a go. I'm seriously afraid of mid-day blowouts. Maybe I am more reluctant because I've already gone through the diaper-testing with Chloe, I know which brand of disposable diapers I like and they worked for us really well. Maybe if I had used cloth with Chloe I wouldn't be afraid. But, I didn't and this is new territory. Still considering this one.

I haven't begun to research formulas. I know what we used with Chloe, she's healthy and happy, so I will probably reach for it when it comes time to choose. That is unless our pediatrician recommends something else. As for baby food (oh, yea, I researched that too) I have made a decision to feed Oliver organic baby food. I just believe in organic foods, especially for my child---let me just jump on my soapbox and clarify that I believe in REAL organic food, not the organic food owned by the giant conglomeration that opens a window in a over-crowded holding pen and declares their cows are organic. I'm talking real organic, like most people imagine it to be, not loophole organic products. Ideally, I would like to take my organic produce that I get delivered and make baby food, but with an older child, I know this probably isn't going to happen as much as I would like so going for this brand of baby food will ease my conscience a bit. They also give back to the community, and that's a good thing.

So, as we approach our court date, I seem to have all of this figured out, somewhat. Guess I should finally start on the biggest task, getting Oliver's room ready!

Update!

We got our much anticipated update on Oliver this afternoon. We received two photos of Oliver and a health update. He's doing well. He looks so different in his photo and he is smiling! He's 13 lbs. 10 oz. at 4 months old.

1 Month Ago Today

we got our referral for Oliver! We only received one photo with our referral so I am hoping that we get 3 more photos this week!! Can't wait to see more pictures of our little guy!

Today also marks 3 weeks until our court date (November 30).

Ethiopian Culture #2

I found a great article on-line on the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which we hope to participate in while we are there.

I also learned that the popcorn that everyone refers to in the ceremony is not the popcorn we know but sorghum.

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!

Happy Halloween everyone! We have a court date---November 30, 2009!! I just checked my email and there was the message from Tami, sent today! So excited.

Ethiopian Culture

I love to travel and I love to learn about different cultures. I am very much looking forward to our journey to Ethiopia and especially meeting our son.

I have read all the obligatory books on adopting from Africa and Ethiopia. I am now focusing my attention on books and media on Ethiopian culture. We have TiVO* and while still in the paperchasing phase of the adoption I entered the keyword "Ethiopia" into TiVO* to have it search for shows on tv relating to the keyword topic. TiVO* found several shows but two were useful.

• As strange as it sounds, Biz*arre* Fo*ods* with A*ndrew* Zi*mmern* was very informative. Of course, you get to see some of the wilder food choices in Ethiopia but the footage of the Mercato in Addis Ababa, Harar and other areas was great. They also showed a coffee ceremony and explained the process and the purpose of some of the foods involved.


• Our favorite was the Globe* Trekk*er TV show on Ethiopia. We enjoyed it so much, I went to our local library to check out the DVD series on Eastern Africa, which includes the Ethiopia show.

I am also reading a fiction book set in Ethiopia--

I haven't finished the book yet but I am enjoying it. Through the fictional story of two brothers, both surgeons, the book tells the historical and cultural story of Ethiopia.

Weighing Our Options

Matt and I have been looking at our options for traveling to Ethiopia. We have decided on two options (and possibly a third):

• British* Airways from JFK to London, overnight in London and then on to Addis Ababa. Matt is English, so this is an easy option. The only problem with BA is that their flights into Addis Ababa arrive around 2 a.m.


• Emirates*from JFK to Dubai, overnight in Dubai and then on to Addis Ababa. We like the fact that it breaks the long flight up and we have always wanted to visit Dubai.
  

We haven't really looked at the KLM* flights through Amsterdam, but I think that option is a distant third. All options are great airlines, it will probably come down to scheduling and pricing (which means Emirates* will win out).

Cyber-Stalking Court Dates

I thought completing all these house projects would keep me busy and my mind off the constant wait that accompanies international adoption. Instead, the carpenter, the carpet installers and others seem to have taken over my house and I am relegated to one room in my house whiling away the day herding dogs out of the way of the workers and spending time on my laptop reading news and adoption blogs in between taking Chloe to her activities. I just want the work to be done now so I can do laundry and clean up the mess of boxes and books dispossessed during the work (never thought I would say I wanted to do either of those things).

So, while I sit here watching the carpenter come in and out, saw and hammer, I search for court dates. I just read that a family that received their referral one month before us received their court date in early November today. Another family, who received their referral two weeks before us got a court date this week of the 2nd of November (that's earlier than the other family who got their referral before them). Point is, November court dates are being scheduled for people who received their referrals in September. That's good news.

And Now that We Have Our Referral, What's Next?

We spoke with our agency last Wednesday and discussed what comes next. In Ethiopia our dossier is being translated and placed with Oliver's file to be presented to the Ethiopian government along with medical tests that must be completed in order to bring Oliver home.

For us, we do little on the adoption front but wait for our court date. In Ethiopian adoption, a court date will be scheduled where our file and Oliver's file will be presented by an attorney, hired by our agency, who will represent us. The court declares the adoption legal and in Ethiopia we will officially be Oliver's parents. When we travel to Ethiopia to pick up Oliver we must complete the U.S. portion of the international adoption in order to have the U.S. allow Oliver admittance and recognize the adoption.

Life seems to be full ahead as we wait for our court date (we should know the date it is scheduled in a couple of weeks if not sooner). It seems unlikely we will have a November court date so I am hoping for a early December court date. In the meantime, Chloe and I went to Build-A-Bear* and Chloe picked out a bear, put in Brahm's lullaby and gave it life for her little brother to enjoy when he arrives home. I thought it was something she could do to make the adoption real for her.

Celebrating our Referral

Sorry, the photos were taken on my iPhone* so they aren't the best.

Matt was supposed to work late on Friday so we didn't expect him home for dinner. Of course, when we received "the call", he shared the good news with his co-workers and shot out the door.

Chloe had Chinese* school on Friday afternoon so I took her to art and dance. The school is an ad hoc school run by parents with children adopted from China and the NYC Chinese Cultural Center. I told Chloe she could share our good news with everyone at school. After class was over I went into the room with the other mothers and asked Chloe if she wanted to share her big news.

She started jumping up and down and yelled out with much excitement, "Barak Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize"!

WHAT?!

"No, that's the President's big news--what's your big news?" I asked.

"Oh, we got our referral for my brother in Eth-ee-pee-o-ha," she said non-chalantly, upset no one else shared her joy on the President's prize. I don't think its sunk in yet with her.

To celebrate our referral we went to eat Ethiopian food at Lalibela* Restaurant in S. Orange*, NJ. This was our first time having Ethiopian food and our waiter, Austin, was very helpful. The table of four adults next to us was so impressed that Chloe tried and ate the Ethiopian food---that's our girl.

We spent the rest of the weekend sharing the good news with friends, staring at the one photo we have of Oliver and kicking the house projects into high gear.

We will speak further with our agency this week or next and find out what's the next step in bringing home Oliver.

WE HAVE A SON!!!!

We got the call from Tami at 3:54 p.m. today that we have a son!! I was caught completely off guard. I almost didn't answer the phone as Chloe and I were playing Le*go Star*Wars on the Wii*!! Glad I picked up the phone!! Tami asked if I was having a good day and I told her I was pretty sure I was going to have a great one now! After Tami double-checked our email address to send the report and photo I asked her to send it to Matt---I then couldn't remember his email address I was so excited.

Until Oliver is officially declared our son by the Ethiopian courts we cannot post any identifying information.

Matt is on his way home and we are going for Ethiopian food tonight to celebrate.I know there are other referrals for our agency today so I am eager to hear all about them!!

160 Days Waiting

160 days can be converted to one of these units:
13,824,000 seconds
230,400 minutes
3840 hours
22 weeks (rounded down)

The time and date website is probably my most visited site on the internet. I use it to number crunch and speculate the date of our referral. When I see someone post their referral news, I go to the date/time calculator and calculate their wait time. Why I do this I don't know. Its not helping me in the wait---especially when the wait times are shorter than ours. {SIGH}

It also seems that the Ethiopia courts did not reopen this week as expected. Word on the rumor mill is that they are to open sometime the week of October 18th. People that were given court dates for the expected reopening of the court have been rescheduled to that week. Our agency told us that they didn't expect a backlog of court cases after the reopening, but they told us that that before the courts didn't open as expected. {SIGH}

In my number crunching tonight, I came to the realization that our winter break vacation we scheduled all so many, many months ago is going to have to be rescheduled. We made plans to escape the Northeast winter and head to Costa Rica in February. IF we get our referral in the next month I predict we will travel to Ethiopia in January 2010, not giving us enough time to either get a visa for Oliver to go to Costa Rica or get his green card and certainly not his certificate of U.S. citizenship and U.S. passport. I haven't rescheduled anything yet, just taking it one day at a time and checking the calendar for the school break date in March or April. {SIGH}

By November 1st?

We signed up to give the altar flowers at church on Sunday, November 1. We're hoping to get some Divine Intervention and have our referral before that date. We would like to dedicate the flowers to Oliver as our church announcement of our referral.

Many months ago we signed up to give the altar flowers on September 19th thinking we would have our referral. Didn't work out that way. We dedicated the flowers to my father and for his health-- he had a heart attack the week before (and doing very well now after two stints). So, I am praying for good news to share at church on November 1 and not a family health scare.

5 months Waiting

I have to admit that I broke down and contacted our agency last week. I wanted to know their take on the "scandal", the exact dates the Ethiopian courts reopen (opening this week) and if there would be a backlog and how much longer we had to wait.

The response back was very nice and put me to ease. We were told that though they don't know where a family stands in the referral process that they didn't expect that we would have a longer wait than expected---the average wait is still 4-6 months. In other words, we should be getting our referral in the next month. I hope they are right!!!

Radio Show: Adopting from Africa

Adopting from Africa was the topic of Creating a Family radio show this week. You can listen by clicking this link. There is mention/discussion of the recent Australia*n tv expose on Ethiopia adoption.

Synopsis: This week’s Creating a Family radio show (Wed., Sept. 23) will be on Adopting from Africa. We’ll be talking about what countries in Africa are open for international adoptions? How stable are the adoption programs in these countries? How do you adopt from Africa? Can you adopt independently from a country that doesn’t have an active adoption program. My guests for this show are representatives from three adoption agencies with long standing programs in various African countries: Wide Horizons for Children, Holt International, and Adoption Advocates International.

What to do While Waiting...

One year ago today we were in the process of starting our Ethiopian adoption. On this day one year ago we had our second home study interview. I thought about all the things we've done regarding this adoption since we started. Here's my list (in no particular order):

1. Got a puppy, Flash--puppies are hard work!! A puppy and a baby--what were we thinking?


2. Plan & host a cocktail party for 60 people the night after our 2nd home study interview. The tents for our yard were being set up and the crew kept ringing the doorbell to ask questions in the middle of our home study. It wasn't stressful at all!


3. Feel smug because this is the third time you have gone through this process. Of course, smugness comes to abrupt end when you realize that Ethiopia's process is nothing like the process for adopting from China.
   
4. Naively think that this wait will be easy. We waited 7 months for Chloe's referral in 2005 and are still waiting for our 2nd referral from China (Oct. 2006 LID). How hard could a 4-6 month wait be? Ha! Ha!
   
5. Have your oldest (and only) child start kindergarten and realize that you thought you would be pushing a stroller with two younger siblings in it as you walk her to school.
   
6. Gather information and dates of all recent referrals and times waited. Create a spreadsheet and timeline for possible referral dates. Get upset when we pass the "average wait time" calculated. Sigh.
   
7. Program a special ring tone for the adoption agency.
   
8. Scour the Internet for every blog that has anything to do with Ethiopia, especially one's with recent referrals and travel.
   
9. Read There is No Me Without You, Lonely Planets: Guide to Ethiopia, From Ashes to Africa, Love in the Driest Season and I'm Chocolate and Your Vanilla. Also reading a myriad of other books on international adoption.
   
10. Get interviewed by a local newspaper for a feature article on what to expect when you are expecting to adopt internationally. Tell our stories, give advice and try to act like we are above it all and are seasoned veterans who can avoid the snares and pitfalls of international adoption. During interview get interrupted no less than 15 times by dogs, doorbell, package delivery and refereeing Chloe's play date.
    
11. Compare recent referrals for other agencies and second-guess our decision as some agency wait times decrease.

In all seriousness and in light of recent news reports that are running through the boards like wildfire, choosing a reputable, licensed agency with a track-record you can investigate is more important than choosing an agency based on wait times or the pretty catalogs of children and materials.

Let the Projects Begin

Its time to make this adoption "REAL" and start decorating and getting the house in shape. Since Chloe is back in school and we have family coming for the holidays, there is no time like the present.

I placed the order for Oliver's bedding last week from P*B*K and for a darling tented shelf unit from Land* of Nod*. I also have my eye on a red dresser that I will purchase in the next month or so. Matt and Chloe are going to pick the wall colors and paint Oliver's room together!

We are also making plans to baby-proof the house and have some built-ins done in the playroom for toy storage. We are having a built-in entertainment system put in with shelves for toy storage and books. I want to buy baskets to put some of Chloe's toys in, one's we want to keep out of reach of Oliver.

We are also re-doing our book shelves in our formal living area. Right now they are crammed full of books and board games and we hope to clear it out and de-clutter. We will also re-tile the hearth around our fireplace. I've only had the tiles for a few months now, so getting that project out of the way will feel good.

I am really excited about getting all this done. Doing it now gives me the time to clear out and organize before Oliver's arrival (it also gives me something to concentrate on instead of constantly wondering when we will get our referral).

Work should begin the end of this month and be done by the first or second week in October. I'll post photos of Oliver's finished room on this blog and of our other projects on the family blog when all is underway and complete.

In the Window...

Our referral should be coming in the next two months! In the meantime I am keeping myself busy enjoying our last few days of summer before Chloe starts kindergarten.

I've Hit the Wall

Both Matt and I came crashing into the waiting wall this weekend. We both looked at each other and wondered aloud, "When will we get Oliver's referral?". The answer: who knows?

We've been waiting nearly 34 months for a referral from China. We are aware how long the wait can go. With China, we are resigned to the fact that we can tick off progress, no matter how slow, each month with the arrival of referrals. But with Ethiopia? We know nothing. We have nothing to go on except for the timeframe our agency gave us. Its better than nothing.

For us, the waiting game always seems the same. At first, you are excited, eager with anticipation, looking forward to referral day. Then, as time goes by, you become discouraged and time seems to move slowly. The next phase is the worst, feeling like it is never going to happen, something is wrong with your dossier, they don't like you, etc. It's the rollercoaster of emotion and wondering. It then seems the next step is the numbness. You step back, reassess and guard your heart. Then you repeat the process until the referral comes.

Right now, I am in the pity party stage. I'm comparing our wait to others, searching for blogs of those who adopted recently, adding up how long they waited. It's not comforting, some waits are a few weeks and some are months and months. They are all over the place.

In the meantime, in order to avoid the full-blown pity party, I am keeping myself as busy as possible. Chloe starts kindergarten in three weeks and we are enjoying our last few weeks of summer. The new puppy, Flash, is also keeping us busy. He's a handful. My father is coming up for a week to spend some time with us since he couldn't come when my mother and sister visited because of the growing season.

I'm hoping this new stage of waiting will end soon with a referral.

Court Closure

Word on the street has it that the Ethiopian courts will close from August 21st to October 6th. Considering that our timeframe for referral, 4-6 months from DTE, falls right during the closure, it seems likely that our referral will come during the closure. Right now, I am predicting that our court date will be in November and our travel will be late November or December.

Another Month Down

We are getting closer to the referral window our agency gave us (between 4-6 months).

Update on Closures

Our agency sent us the information that the courts in Ethiopia will be closing for the rainy season on August 21 and will reopen during the first week in October. The most likely scenario is that we will be delayed by the court closure, that is IF we get our referral before the first week in October. If that is the case, we are looking at travel in November or December. Right now, my wish is to travel in 2009 and that we don't have to wait until the new year to travel.

In the meantime, I have called our insurance company to discover, and it is no surprise, that travel vaccinations are not covered. With that knowledge I don't have to get our general practioner to order the vaccinations and can go to the travel clinic at our local hospital and start the shots asap.

Oliver's 1st Gift

My friend Johanna and her family sent a surprise gift for Oliver this week. It is the first present we have received for Oliver and it is even more special because Johanna, the thoughtful, organized and on the ball person that she is, was the first person to send a present when we were waiting for Chloe.

Thank you Johanna and family. You made our day!