My Husband Rules!!!!

Jerret is the best husband ever!! He had a HUGE surprise party for my 30th birthday on the 4th. It was a huge luau with leis all around and food and drinks for all. He even had a raffle with give-aways for all the guests. And It WAS a surprise because I totally thought I was going to the Josh Turner concert with my cousins. (I know, it was a disappointment to miss out on Josh, but it was an even better party!)

I walked into his parents backyard to find my entire family and a slew of friends. This was totally the best birthday party I have ever had. He even arranged for my Aunt Cyndi to come and pick JJ up at 9:00 so that we had the rest of our night free. By the end of the night everyone who was left ended up in the pool. It was a blast. Here are a few pics (and yes, I did enjoy a few adult beverages -hence the Miller Light in my hand)...

New JJ Pics

Ok, so we're a tad camera happy in this family. Below are some recent pics of JJ enjoying his summer. He loves being outside - and loves the pool even more!

Kool Aid Popsicles and General Hospital

Jerret is always teasing JJ about what a sweet life he has. Babies – or at least the lucky ones – have it made with someone to feed, bathe, and diaper them; someone to hold them when they’re tired, and hug them when they are sad; someone to kiss their boo boos and make the pain disappear with the magic of a band-aid. But it’s not just JJ…being a kid is sweet, period. And being a kid is even better in the summertime.

Watching as the kids in the neighborhood ride their scooters down the middle of the street and share stories while strolling down the sidewalk takes me back to a time when I too had little more to worry about than finding a friend to play outside with, or what teacher I was going to have when school started in September.

I remember the days of Kool-Aid Popsicles made in an ice cube tray and 25-cent lemonade stands to help beat the heat.

I remember begging my mom to call my aunt Charlene and ask if we could come over and swim as they were one of the few lucky enough to have a pool.

I remember staying at Grandma’s house for weeks at a time and watching her sit on the couch peeling potatoes as the theme to General Hospital played in the background, signaling that it was 3:00 and Grandpa was on his way home.

I remember mom making popcorn in a pan on the stove and not even having a microwave.

I remember when it was a treat to go to McDonald’s, and you were even luckier if you were allowed to eat inside!

I remember when visits to the ice cream store were a rare occasion and a vanilla cone with eyes and sprinkles put a smile on everyone’s face.

I remember playing t-ball on a team where we wore matching t-shirts and hats, but jeans rather than baseball pants.

I remember using my own money for buying my new pink and white bicycle.

I remember shopping for school clothes and being cautious enough to know it was NOT OK to spend $50 on a pair of shoes.

I remember swimming at Crane Creek and eating bologna sandwiches for lunch.

I remember when a family vacation was a one-hour drive to Cedar Point and one night in a hotel room.

I remember dad taking us to by kites in the spring and flying them at the park on Sunday afternoons.

I sometimes wonder if kids today are too spoiled. When did it stop being a privilege to get a new toy or outfit, or to have dinner in a restaurant? When did it become complacent for us to roboticly answer “yes” when our little ones shouted “Can I have some gum?” in the check-out line of the grocery store.

I will do my best to give JJ some of the best times of his life. I will do my best to give him memories that he will always remember because they were special times and not the norm. I will show him how to put a playing card in the spokes of his bike to make it sound like a motorcycle. I will teach him how to put his napkin in his lap while he eats and order from the waitress himself. I will give him an allowance and teach him to work for the things he wants or thinks he needs.

He will know, as I did, that mom will always be there to reel him back in if he ever gets too demanding and Grandma is there to spoil him just a little at the right times.

I'm Behind!

For some reason I haven't been able to log into blogger lately so I am severely behind in my updates. JJ is doing well and is now saying "wow wow wow" and "ball" about 50 times a day. No walking for us yet, but it is getting very close - yeah, we are totally jealous of AP! A few of the Kyrgyz adoptive families got together for an impromptu reunion down in SC last week and we were totally bummed that we weren't there. Plus, we missed the big CWA reunion that was held at Myrtle Beach last month. We really want JJ to see him Kyrgyz "cousins" so hopefully we'll make it down for a reunion soon.

We've been having some troubles getting JJ to sleep lately. He fights it and fights us every night and Jerret is in the room next door as we speak, trying to get that boy to lay down. He just wants to play, play, play and flashes that 1000-watt smile and we just have a hard time telling him no.

Last weekend we went out to dinner for my brother's birthday and had terrible service. We waited about 45 minutes for our food and JJ was just getting antsy, as any kid would. We fed him some of my cottage cheese and crackers and he was as happy as can be. I think that he'll be feeding himself with a spoon any day now.

3 weeks until my big birthday. Yes, I will be turning 30 and am just cringing at the thought. I don't know why but I can't stand the fact that I will be 30 already! I took the day off work in lieu of a total mental breakdown, which I wouldn't want anyone at work to witness.

Here are some updated pics of JJ.

Life in America is Pretty Sweet

Jerret sent me a picture the other day and asked "do we even remember this kid?"

This was THE picture. The one that made us fall in love with our JJ. This was the picture that our agency sent us and we took one look and said "Can we have him?" He was only 3 months old in this picture and it would be another seven months before we would travel to meet him. He seems like such a different person now. He is so active, so cuddly, so funny, and so at home here that it's hard to imagine that he came home less than 3 months ago.

This kid was meant to be here, with us, and it's like we never skipped a beat. We knew that God had something big - even great - in store for us. I am so glad that we had the wisdom to listen and follow his plan. Many people have commented on how fast he seems to be adjusting and it's as though he's been with us forever. I hope this continues...

JJ is doing great and is so close to walking. He is at the "cruising" stage and walks holding on to furniture. He is cutting his 6th and 7th teeth and loves sharing Popsicles with dad. Below are some recent photos...as JJ says (through Jerret)..."Life in America is Pretty Sweet"

A Nice Weekend

We had a great weekend relaxing at home. Friday night Jerret and I took two of my "other" boys to the Mudhens game and we had a great time. The weather was a perfect 72 degrees and the game was intense with 4 homeruns before the 7th inning! JJ hung out at grandma & grandpa's house. He is saying his first real word, which happens to be "kitty cat" (or kiki as JJ says). Aunt B has cats and she must have taught him this. Anyway, here are some pics from our weekend. He had his 2nd pool adventure and is going to be a guppie before we know it! Oh - and the picture at the top is him on his new toy (a John Deere tractor, of course!)

We're Starting Him Young

How cute is this kid? He was out in the barn with Grandpa last weekend and got his first ride on a Deere! When you're from the country you are easily amused by tractors and lawn mowers - especially if they are a John Deere. JJ is already wanting to drive....

Memorial Day weekend was nice (hurray for the 3-day weekend!), but the weather was either cloudy or rainy all weekend. Monday afternoon the sun finally came out and it was a great day. We were down the street at our friends cook-out. They just had a new pool dug, but the water wasn’t in yet. Half-way through the party the guys got tired of looking at the gaping hole in the ground and decided to open up the hydrant and fill it! The kids loved it and played in the pool as it was being filled – and that water was COLD! Jerret and I took turns pushing JJ in the baby swing, which he loved. We don’t have a swing set at our house yet, and will most likely be moving in the next 2 years, so maybe we can convince Grandma and Grandpa to get a swing set???? Wishful thinking, I know!

Thanks Grandpa....

We were watching the news last night and a story came on about Memorial Day and the fact that so many people have no idea what the day is actually about. There were about ten people interviewed and when asked what Memorial Day was, not one could answer. Of course everyone knew it was a free day off of work and the first 3-day weekend of the year, but not the true reason for such a holiday.

Apparently I am an exception to the rule, but I have always been raised to know the meaning of memorial day. I have been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary #537 since I was 12 years old. My grandparents took me and my cousin Joe to the beaches of Normandy the summer of 1994 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of D-Day. I hang a picture of my grandfather in his army uniform on the wall of my cubicle - proudly displayed for all the world to see.

Grandpa Helle is one of the neatest guys you will ever meet. He has story upon story about his life in Patton's Third Army. While never boastful, he will tell anyone who asks about his experience in the Battle of the Bulge and the bullet still lodged in his side to act as a constant reminder of God's grace. In 2005 he travelled with friends to Washington DC to see the new WWII memorial and was interviewed by a reporter from Virgina Living magazine who could see in his face that this was a man with a story to tell.

I could go on and on about the hardest working man I have ever known, but he would rather I talked about something else. So as a tribute to grandpa, here is a picture of him with JJ at their first meeting.

We Just Love This Guy...

Below is a copy of the announcement I created to send out to friends.

So yesterday was tough having to leave JJ at Aunt B's house. She's not actually my aunt, but is the aunt of my cousin Carrie (she watches Carrie's 4-year old too). Aunt B was so sweet and was trying to show JJ how to blow kisses as I walked out the door. She kept saying "Put that one in your pocket mom and save it for later." He did well and Jerret was a little disappointed when he went to pick him up at the end of the day. I guess JJ just sat still next to Aunt B and didn't give Jerret the big open-armed reception that he was hoping for.

If I thought yesterday was hard, today was nearly unbearable. As soon as I put JJ down at B's house he crawled right over to her and raised his arms for her to pick him up. I almost burst into tears on the spot! I was still thinking about it when I arrived at work and needed to be reassured by my friend Becky. She reminded me that Aunt B is going to love him and take care of him as well as I would and that JJ needs a place away from home where he is happy and comfortable. I am so glad that we found B and that she is with JJ when I can't be there. It's hard for Jerret and I right now because we are just getting good at this and now he's away for 8 hours out of the day.

He's 1!

Our little guy turned one on Friday and we celebrated with a small party at Grandma's house. I really didn't want a big party since we did just return home and everyone has been giving us gifts like crazy! Not to mention the fact that we had two showers, one of which was just two weeks ago. So this wasn't necessarily a "party party" - it was more of a "come and meet our baby" for our family that lives on the other side of the state.

JJ had a blast and was very excited to meet his cousins from Cleveland. Everyone was so happy to see him and we were just glad that they could all come and visit for a few hours. He didn't waste any time diving into his b-day cake, as you can see in the pictures. By the end of the afternoon he was ready for a long nap and Jerret and I were too!

Saturday night I took my nephew AJ to the GX International show and we watched skateboarders, break dancers, rappers, and listened as a few of the performers give testimony on how they became followers of Christ. The stories they told were pretty powerful, and we listened as one guy told how his mother had him at 15, had two other kids by the age of 18 (all with different fathers) and said that he watched his mother get beat by her boyfriend day after day. They ended up running away and living in shelters and even their car when there was no place left to go. Through all this he learned that there was a place to turn, and that led him to believe in something bigger than us all. It was so awesome to watch as people in the audience - kids in fact - were so moved by these stories that they proudly stood up and said they wanted to know more.

One of the girls (she was a dancer) told her story of being abandoned as a baby on the stairway of the police station. I don't remember exactly what country she was from, but she was born in Asia and was adopted by a Norwegian couple who took her home with them to Norway. Hearing her speak and listening to her story made me think of JJ and how lucky we are to have found him. So many people that we meet say what a lucky boy he is to have been adopted by us, but we are the lucky ones.

Tomorrow is JJ's first day with the sitter :( She is a wonderful lady so I know there is nothing to worry about, but I am just sad that I can't be home with him. Jerret's cousin who came to visit was telling us how she is now able to work from home 4 days a week and only goes in on the 5th day. I am so jealous! She still has to take her son to daycare, as it is just too hard to work with a little one at your feet, but man - how nice would it be to not have to do hair and makeup every morning?!?

Things Are Good...

I have always heard that being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job in the world; and it's not that I ever doubted that, it's just that I never realized quite how hard it really is until I took on the role myself.

I still have a couple of weeks before I have to return to work, so I have been taking advantage of this one-on-one time with JJ. My 5-year-old nephew happened to break his arm last week, so I have also been busy taking care of him while my brother works. When AJ is not injured he is a wonderful helper. I can ask him to run and get things, help pick up around the house, get dressed by himself, etc., and he will eagerly help out with no questions asked. Now that he has a broken arm, I am (of course) having to do everything for him and JJ, and it has not been easy! I seriously do not know how some people do it and now have a new appreciation for moms that do this 24/7 without a break.

JJ seems to be adjusting perfectly. Since arriving home 3 weeks ago he has learned to crawl, pull himself up from a seated position, clap his hands, say "Mama", drink from a sippie cup, and is starting to feed himself with a spoon. He is learning everything so fast; there is no end to this kid's capabilities. He has only gained 1 pound so far, but has grown 3 inches. We are still feeding him as much as he'll eat, which seems like all the time! He has had to get 3 shots so far because he was so behind on vaccines, and he's had numerous tests run - all of which have come back normal.

Jerret calls from work every day and says how much he misses him. He keeps telling me how hard it's going to be for me when I go back to work.

It's So Good To Be Home

It's been a little over a week since we've been home and we are just loving our little boy. He is so happy all the time and loves to smile and laugh and play. It's great. The picture above is from our last day in Almaty, but his demeanor is still the same. We are very lucky.

Monday was his appointment with the local international adoption doc, who will now be his primary care pediatrician. We were surprised to learn that he has grown 2 inches since his last appointment, but has not yet gained any weight. We are feeding him like crazy, but the doctor recommended giving him as much formula as he will take. He was only getting about 8 oz. per day at the orphanage (if that) and he has some catch-up to play weight wise, so we have accepted her advice and been giving him bottles in between meals.

The doctor said that JJ has a really bad ear infection in his right ear, which we were given a script for (just as the doc at the SOS clinic had told us). We really couldn't believe that it is such a bad infection because the kid never cries or pulls at his ear, and he hasn't had any kind of fever since we've had him. Before we left the office the nurse came in and said she needed to do a PPD test. Jerret held JJ while the nurse inserted the needle and JJ never made a sound.

The doctor also ordered all kinds of tests that will need run in order to make sure JJ doesn't have any hidden conditions we may not be aware of. We took him to the hospital lab yesterday and had to hold him down while they drew blood. It was very difficult to watch. He cried while we were holding him down, and the nurse needed to poke him 3 times before finding a good vein. The poor baby cried and cried, but he stopped as soon as the nurse was finished and I was able to pick him up.

Other than the appointments, we are just busy getting used to our new roles as parents. Jerret is very hands-on and will do anything I ask - even change diapers.

We're Home!

We are finally back in the good old USA and happy to be home with our baby.
Monday was our last embassy appointment in Almaty and we were issued all the documents necessary to take JJ out of the country and grant him entrance into the US. Once this was finished we were free to leave and we hurried back to our hotel to begin packing. Our flight was leaving for Amsterdam at 7:20 on Tuesday morning and we could not get out of that place fast enough.

We met our adoption facilitator at 3:30 a.m. in the hotel lobby - she would be our escort to the airport and would translate our situation to the immigration police if needed. I began making small talk with her on our way to the car and asked if the other families were on their way home without any hiccups. She surprised me by saying one of the families was gone, but the other decided to cancel their flight when one of them became ill. This must have been a very hard decision to make. They had three children back at home and often talked about how much they missed their kids and couldn't wait to see them. Jerret said he wouldn't have stayed for any illness unless he was in danger of losing a leg or something. I agreed.

The flight to Amsterdam was absolutely lovely. We were on a 330 Airbus, and granted bulkhead seating with an infant bassinet for JJ to lay in. He was a little apprehensive at first, but after a while he adjusted and slept in it for a little over an hour, providing much-needed relief to my arms. The plane looked almost empty and had only about 50 passengers from nose to tail. There was so much room that many people switched rows and could lay across all three seats and sleep during the 7-hour trip if they wanted.

We didn't realize that we had a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam and fought to stay awake with JJ the entire time. In the line for our flight back to Detroit we met three guys who were on their way home from a sprint car race in Johannesburg, South Africa. After a few minutes of conversation we discovered that the men were not only from Toledo, but from the same small town that I am! It truly is a small world.

The last leg of our flight home was the longest. JJ didn't sleep much, maybe for only an hour total, and he wanted to be up doing something the entire time. We tried getting up and walking around with him, which seemed to work when it was possible, but was very hard to do without being in the way of someone. This last leg is also where we learned how important it is to pack the diaper bag with more stuff then you think you will actually need.

An hour before we were to land we discovered we were out of diapers, which we needed in a bad way. We didn't have any choice at this point but to wait until we landed and get a new diaper from our luggage. After a few minutes the smell became so unbearable that other people on the plane began to take notice. The girls in the row behind us even began spraying perfume to overcome the odor. Although we didn't have a new diaper to use, Jerret thought he could salvage the old one by taking JJ into the bathroom and "wiping it out." (I tried to convince him this wouldn't work, but he still thought it was worth a try). After a few minutes Jerret and JJ returned and I laughed out loud when I noticed a baby wipe sticking out of the back of JJ's pants. The whole idea of "wiping it out" didn't work too well and Jerret decided to let the baby enter the US commando, with about 7 wipes shoved down his pants. The wipes reappeared later when in line at the US customs office, only this time they were sticking out from the bottom of his pant leg.

Customs went smoothly and we quickly found our luggage and were met by the limo driver we hired to take us home. It was so nice to be in familiar territory and we were glad to be on our way home. We are both getting used to the time adjustment and are taking turns getting up with baby.

Our Weekend in Almaty

It was a relaxing weekend here in Almaty. Although there are so many things to see and do in this capital city, we made the decision to just lay low and ride out the last few days until we are able to leave and take our baby home. I know that many of you are going to ask about the culture here and the different sights around the city, but I have to be honest and say that we did everything at an arm’s length. This whole process of becoming parents for the first time coupled with the adoption process itself is so much to take in that we gave up trying to take the city in. It is just too much.

Saturday we took a trip down to the local farmer’s market. This looked much like the farmer’s market back at home, only on a much grander scale. Rows upon rows of flowers, spices, nuts, fruits and vegetables on perfect display lined the stands as different vendors shouted out to passers-by in Russian. Even vendors working at the same booth were competing for customers, shouting out prices in an attempt to under-cut the next guy. We stopped at a booth when a man from Tajikistan asked us if we were from “America?” When we told him yes, he came back with “New York?” – That is one thing about this place…it is so far on the other side of the world that the only concept they have of the US is New York City. Jerret ended up buying three oranges from the guy and we continued on through the market.

At the very far end of the market was the exact reason I refuse to eat at some of the restaurants in foreign countries. There, in the open air, with no refrigeration involved and for all the world to see, was the meat market. Racks hanging with sides of pork, beef, lamb (and I’m sure some horse was in there too), stood in the background of tables filled with butchered meat. We walked the length of the meat tables, which spanned the entire warehouse, and watched as vendors worked using various hand tools ranging from hatchets to hammers – things we would typically use on a home repair project. Near the end of the row a young girl stood organizing the days goods – lamb’s head and beef livers – and waited for the next customer to make a purchase.

At the table on the very end an older lady with her head wrapped in a white scarf worked intently, stuffing unidentifiable chunks of meat into sausage casings. We were amazed to see that she did not make any attempt to chop or grind the meat up, or even mix it with any seasonings. I tried to take a picture of her as she worked, but she stopped me, yelling something in Russian and waving her finger back in forth in front of her face. Whatever she was making was beyond us and it would have to stay that way. Directly across from her table was a small room that contained two bathtubs filled to the brim with pig intestines, which were being cleaned for their role in the mystery sausage preparation. (See pic)

Outside of the main warehouse was a bazaar where locals set up booths and sold everything from clothes to power tools to laundry soap. We passed many of the clothing booths where customers stripped down right in the middle of the aisle trying clothes on. If the booth had enough workers, it was sometimes one person’s job to hold up a towel or sheet in an effort to shield the customer. Many “booths” were actually random sections of the sidewalk where locals laid down a sheet to mark their spot and filled it with various odds and ends. Most of these areas contained such random goods that it appeared as though the people were selling their only worldly possessions. This intrigued us, and this area became the place we did the majority of our shopping.

The weather turned bitter cold in the short time we shopped, and I didn’t have a coat with me so we decided to head back to our hotel. On the way back we saw an elderly woman crying on the street, wailing out loud and crossing herself over and over again. From the window of our cab we saw three women begging in the street and one girl who looked to be about 8 or 9. Each of them would just walk up to the car windows and stare or point to their mouths asking for food. One lady held her crying baby in her arms and presented him to each car that passed. I told Jerret she must have been pinching him or something to make him cry that hard because that baby looked like he was in pain. I saw a lot of people give her money.

We stayed in for dinner that night and ordered pizza from room service. It looked well-enough like pizza from back home, but definitely didn’t taste the same.

A Trip To See The Doctor

Our first appointment in Almaty was for the SOS clinic where they would check JJ for any obvious issues we may need to deal with before heading home. JJ’s appointment was at the same time as the other two babies in our group and we all made the short drive together along with our in-country adoption facilitator. After checking in we made our way to the waiting room where we met two other American families who had adopted from Kazakhstan. One mother was from Washington DC and reported that she had been waiting to go home with her child for seven weeks!

We didn’t really know what was going to happen during this check-up, only that it is required by immigration before we could leave the country, so I think it is fair to say we didn’t have any expectations here. I was holding JJ in my arms when a nurse entered the room and called out “Jack Hartman” and Jerret and I quickly jumped up to follow her. The nurse turned to us and said “This is for the test HIV,” and instructed us to sit down. I knew that it would be a blood test and began getting very nervous at how JJ would do and even wondered how Jerret and I would do watching our new baby being poked with needles.

I sat down in the chair next to the nurse and held JJ in my lap. Jerret sat directly across from us and pulled out a rattle, shaking it like crazy in order to distract JJ. The nurse said she could take the blood from his finger, which made me feel a little better about the impending pain we would be putting this poor boy through. She grabbed his hand and JJ quickly lost interest in whatever ruckus Jerret was making with the rattle. He sat and watched as the nurse pricked his finger and milked it until there was enough blood to fill two tiny vials. He never once cried and never made a sound, just watched.

After the blood test we were ushered into another exam room where they checked JJ’s height and weight. I was a little surprised to hear that he weighed only 17 pounds, as my forearms would say that number should be much higher. He was measured as 27 inches long. Our final stop at the clinic required a more thorough exam of the baby, who checked out just fine except for a minor ear infection in one ear and a rash, which the doctor provided medicine for.
Once the medical exams were over, all three couples returned to our hotel and were instructed to meet in the lobby at 6:00 to have dinner together where we would all fill out the paperwork required by the Immigration Police. We ate dinner at the SOHO Café, which is a local “American” restaurant with wall-to-wall New York City décor. We sat and picked at our food as we tried to fill out paperwork and take care of the baby all at the same time. This was one of our last required duties and we would have the next three days free before our meeting at the US Embassy on Monday.

Bishkek

We have taken about 200 photos since we have been here and I wish I could share all of them with you, but I can't.

It is customary for adoptive parents to give gifts to the orphanage director, doctor, and caregivers in addition to a donation to the orphanage as a whole. We chose to take new clothing and medical supplies as our orphanage donation and presented the director with two gift bags full of alcohol swabs, band-aids, ace bandages, paper tape, and even a stethoscope. The director was thrilled and quickly handed over the stethoscope to the doctor exclaiming, "This is a good...uh...how do you say in English?"

After seeing how sick so many of the babies in the orphanage are, I wish we would have taken more to help them. They need formula in a bad way. We were told that JJ was given 8 oz of formula each morning, but have a hard time believing that. I am guessing he was only given this amount a couple of times a week. They are also in desperate need of jarred baby foods and vitamins. We could have purchased these things cheaply at the supermarket in Bishkek, and had we known the circumstances were so grave, we certainly would have done so. I even thought about purchasing these things after we returned that first day, but the drive into Tokmok was just over an hour away and there was not a time we would have been able to return. For those families who have not yet travelled, my best advice is to take money to purchase the much-needed supplies at the Beta Store.

The photo on the left was taken in the orphanage courtyard. The colored gazebo contains two large play pens and is where the babies play when the weather permits, which according to these people is not often. It could be 70 degrees outside and they would still dress the babies in three sleepers and a hat. It is still hard to comprehend that a little over a week ago our baby was living in a place with such incredible circumstances.

JJ is too cute. He loves attention and grows restless when sitting or laying in one place for too long. It is hard to imagine that this is the same boy who, according to the orphanage director, slept nearly 16-18 hours per day and was only released from his crib at mealtimes and for one hour of play. He seems to be adjusting well, and from all signs really likes his new parents (although I think he likes Jerret best).

Throughout the adoption process we read books or participated in courses about attachment disorder, anxiety attachment, post-adoption stress disorder, and hyperstimulation – all issues that JJ could face. We are so happy with our new baby that we sometimes forget that he is dealing with some very scary circumstances. After all, he grew inside the womb of a person who was supposed to love him and take care of him forever, and was born under severe conditions in a hospital to the same woman who left him there after only a few days. He had no one since the very beginning and was sent to the orphanage in Tokmok where he had no choice but to grow attached to the only people who ever showed him any type of affection. The caregivers at the Baby House obviously cared for this boy very much. They had been caring for him for so much of his life, and even after we found him at 3 mos. old, continued to care for him until we could come and get him ourselves. He didn’t know those women were not his mother. He didn’t even know what a mother was. And then here we bust into his life and tear him away from the only people who had ever loved him. Most people, including us, believe it is enough to go and bring a baby home and shower it with love, and that baby will realize what is happening to him. Yet that is never the case. How does he know that we too will not abandon him after a short time, or that another family isn’t waiting in the wings to swoop him up the same way we have? He doesn’t. Although we haven’t seen any signs (yet), attachment disorder makes perfect sense.

You would think that because we are spending so much one-on-one time with the babies that they would attach quickly, but that is not always the case. One of the other couples in our group returned to their child’s orphanage the other day to retrieve a blanket they had forgotten and as soon as they entered the familiar place their son bolted for one of his favorite caregivers. The staff was overjoyed at his return and their ability to see him once again, and for one last time.

There are tricks to help overcome some of these attachment issues. We are told to hold the baby as much as he wants to be held and not to let him lay in his crib until he is able to cry himself to sleep, but to instead console and comfort him. Feeding is another important bonding time and although JJ can hold his own bottle, we are to hold it also so that he knows we are there to provide for his needs. To deal with hyperstimulation, it is recommended to limit the babies activities for a while, which (for some) could include no TV or not letting everyone in the world hold the baby until he has sufficiently bonded with the parents. When we were at dinner tonight one of the waitresses was commenting on how cute JJ was and asked to hold him. I handed him over without even thinking, but after a second wondered if it was a mistake. I know he was not going to grow attached to a waitress who held him all of one minute, but if I continue doing things like this would he grow less attached to me, thinking I might be quick to hand him over just as his first mom did and even as his caregivers at the Baby House did?

As I was typing this post, I overheard Jerret singing this song to JJ:
(to the tune of B-I-N-G-O)

I know this boy, his name’s JJ,
And he liked the buckeyes
Watched them on Saturday
And we drove to the game
Then we slept on Sunday

I know this boy his name’s JJ
He drinks from a glass
Yes he can can can
You can drink from a glass
But not from a can

We just changed the second-worst diaper we’ve had since we’ve been here. We’re getting much better at it. This is one messy baby!

New Country & A Happy Baby

We are in Almaty now, and I am finally in a place where I am able to post so there is a lot to catch up on.

It was 8 p.m., pitch black and raining when we left Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday night with our adoption facilitator and the two other American couples and their children. Because of the size of our group, we needed two vehicles to make the trek. Jerret and I chose to ride in the 4-door sedan along with our facilitator. Our driver was from Almaty and spoke no English. The beat-up grey Volvo he was driving had a pungent odor, smelling on the inside as though he had used the heater for warming curry chicken.

Jerret cradled JJ in his arms, trying to get him to sleep as we drove through the night waiting to cross the Kazakh border. Surprisingly, we arrived after only 30 minutes and were told to “wake up” and get our passports ready as the car we were riding in reached a stop. Our adoption facilitator told us to follow her and we, along with the other two couples, exited the vehicle and proceeded by foot to a well-lit shack where the border patrol agents asked us to present our visas. The guard didn’t speak any English, but we understood that he wanted us to move inside as he pointed to those of us carrying babies and then again to the building up ahead. The second stop required further scrutinization of our passports, as the agents were now required to verify the stops shown on our visas before allowing our entry into Kazakhstan. JJ grew increasingly heavy in my arms and began fussing quite a bit as he was missing a feeding at the exact time we were waiting for our clearance. (The orphanage babies are on such a strict regimen that you could probably set your clock based on their cries for hunger). An hour later we were finally all finished with processing and permitted to enter Kazakhstan.

Jerret and I slept off and on and took turns holding JJ during the drive. After about 2 hours we realized that JJ doesn’t particularly care to be held 100 percent of the time, nor is he used to it, and the only way we could get him back to sleep was to lay him between us - directly on the seat. It was another hour before we finally reached the city of Almaty.

Around midnight our group of three families checked into the Hotel Otrar, which looked nice enough from the lobby. We had previously heard that the rooms in this hotel are extremely small so we should upgrade to a junior suite if at all possible. All three families wanted to upgrade to the suite, yet there was only one available. We decided to let one of the other families take the room and resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be in a smaller room for the next 6 days - until we saw what lay ahead...

We made our way up to the third floor and found our room – the smaller than small room. The 10 x 10 space consisted of two twin beds and three dressers. It was all nice, and very clean, but we literally did not even have room to turn around in there (let alone any amenities such as oh…say… an alarm clock). We were so tired from the day’s journey that we decided to crash anyway and reconsider our hotel options in the morning.

The next morning we talked with the other couple from our agency that was unfortunate enough to stay in the miniature room. They too decided we needed to look for another place and the husband and Jerret offered to explore the city in search of a new, bigger, better hotel. About 3 hours later the men returned and boasted of their find – a double room with a TV and two chairs. Bigger sounded better to all of us, so we checked out of the Otrar and into the Alma-Alta hotel.

The lobby was very deceiving and certainly looked nice enough for our stay, yet as soon as the elevator opened to our 5th floor room, I knew we were again at an inadequate place. The grey, carpet-covered floors were also covered with stains, and the same curry chicken odor that I noticed in the car the night before lingered down the hallway. The doors to the room looked as though they were made of plastic and did not deadbolt. The room was divided in two and had a separate sleeping and sitting areas, but both were equally dirty. The final straw came when I stepped into the bathroom for the first time and found tiled walls with dirty brown grout and a bathtub that looked as if it had not been washed since the 1970s. I was really trying not to be snobbish about the whole situation, but this bathtub was literally so dirty that I was not about to take a shower there myself let alone put my baby in it. And again, no amenities meaning no alarm clock and definitely no internet access in our room. We again spoke with the couple that had switched hotels with us and once again decided we would explore new hotel options in the morning.

Fast forward to this morning and I am happy to report that we found a great hotel that is ultra-clean. The room is big (again a double room) and has every amenity needed, including an alarm clock.

We stayed in most of the day today because of rain. For dinner we ventured out with our new friends and ate at an awesome Chinese restaurant called Di Wang (Jerret just can’t get enough apparently). JJ is eating like crazy and it is so cute to watch him drink out of a glass the way he did at the orphanage. That boy will eat anything and everything in sight and jumps with excitement at the sight of a bottle. We are all doing well, just ready to come home.

The water smells funny here – not just in our hotel but everywhere.

Long Night...

Our first night with baby was a long one! According to the orphanage doctor, JJ takes his last meal (which happens to be eggs, sausage, and bread??????) at 8:00 and is fast asleep by 9 - for the night. Yeah...totally not how it happened.

Jerret fed him a bottle of formula at 8:00 and he did fall asleep. Jerret put him in the rickety pink bassinet provided by the hotel and we thought we would stay up for a few hours and enjoy some down time, so we didn't bother going to bed until 11:00. (I am quickly learning that as soon as the baby is asleep we need to take full advantage of the opportunity to get a little shut eye of our own). So we laid down to sleep at 11 and by midnight he was wide awake. At first he just laid there making baby sounds and talking out loud. After twenty minutes he was bored with that and started crying. We didn't know it at the time, but he had an upset stomach and that is what was keeping him up. First Jerret tried to comfort him, and then I, yet he just rolled around and cried for nearly fifteen minutes. Jerret gave up helping me and resigned to leave him in the crib to cry himself to sleep. I was tired enough to go along with his idea when I began hearing the gurgling sounds coming from his belly. The belly sounds were loud and many and just sounded painful. His diaper provided the confirmation that we needed to know we had a sick baby on our hands. I was at a loss for how to handle his issues and luckily, with the time difference in mind, was able to get on-line and solicit help from my friends at work.
JJ slept off and on for 2-3 hours at a time until 7:00 when it was time for more food. He really didn't nap much at all the rest of the day, so hopefully he sleeps well tonight and we can start fresh tomorrow.
We didn't go out at all in the morning and I stayed in with JJ while Jerret took a walk with one of the other dads. The walked all around this city and sampled some foods from local roadside vendors. When they returned it was raining, but the other couples wanted to take a trip up into the mountains, so we all went.
The hour-long ride into the mountains was very interesting. We ate at a restaurant called 12 Fireplaces. It has a very log cabin-y feel to it and they really cooked your food in one of the outdoor fireplaces. I am happy to report that I ate an actual meal today. It was a beef kabob with french fries platter that Jerret helped me to finish. JJ slept the entire ride there and the entire ride home.
Oh - another observation of this city. For being the capital city, it is still very modest. It is not built up or "Americanized" by any means. There is no McDonald's, KFC, or shopping mall. According to Jerret, this is all very different than in China-l

Here He Is World!

I slept for only 3 hours last night and found my mind wandering for another 3. I'm not sure if it was the anxiety over what was about to happen or the fact that my internal clock still believes we are on Eastern Standard Time - probably a combination of both. After tossing and turning 30 or 40 times Jerret woke and we eagerly discussed our approaching day. Forty-five minutes into our conversation Jerret decided it was time to get some rest and went back to sleep. I tried again, and couldn't sleep at all so I began reading a book I brought with me.

We met our in-country adoption facilitator at 8:00 a.m. and our driver took us to the Tokmok orphanage where we first met our baby. Jack was bigger than Jerret expected and about the exact size I thought he would be. It was feeding time when we arrived and the caregivers gave him his last orphanage meal of applesauce and porridge, which looked like cream of wheat with corn in it. When he was finished eating they gave him juice straight from an old worn tin cup, and he lapped it up with no problem! The orphanage director asked us if we had brought clothes for him, which we had, and we handed them over to the oldest woman caregiver who quickly changed him and handed him back over to us. They must have felt that our clothes weren't "warm" enough and added an extra layer of their own clothing as insurance under his new outfit. Finally they asked if we had a coat for him and I showed the blue and green fleece snowsuit that I packed at the last minute The woman said "perfect" and bundled him up as tight as could be.

We then travelled across the courtyard and had a short meeting with the Doctor/Director of the orphanage. She spoke English fairly well and was very thorough in going over JJ's daily schedule. We talked about his demeanor, and were assured that he was a very happy baby. It was obvious that he will be greatly missed by all of the women who took care of him. Many of them stopped us on the way out and requested to have their picture taken with him.

After our meeting we had to hurry back to the hotel as the other two families were eagerly waiting for our return. They were leaving to pick up their little ones at 11:00, but needed the car and driver (who was driving us). We didn't arrive until almost noon but no one seemed to mind. They were just excited for us and took many pictures. Later in the day, when all of us had our newest family members, we travelled to the US Embassy in Bishkek. It was in an out-of-the-way location and had mainly American workers.

Finally, we went to dinner as a group at a little Italian restaurant down the street. It was a nice walk and Jerret used the baby carrier strapped to his front to transport JJ. The two have bonded in the most amazing way. JJ is fascinated when Jerret speaks to him because he may have never heard a male voice. The orphanage employs only women and he has been at the orphanage since the day he left the hospital following his birth. Dinner was interesting as JJ has some digestive issues. I won't go into detail, but let's just say his restaurant episode involved both me and Jerret, a ladies room, three diapers, many stares, learning complete control of our gag reflexes, about a dozen wipes and two pairs of pants. I think its fair to say he takes after his new dad in the bathroom department.

Overall he is a very good baby. He hasn't cried for longer than a minute and is interested in everything we do. He is extremely active and loves attention. We were surprised to see that he is crawling and able to get himself into a seated position. He can also stand while holding on to the furniture. No teeth yet, but I think I see a couple starting to poke through. Our schedules are definitely not cooperating at the moment as JJ is fast asleep and here I sit at 1 in the morning as awake as ever.

Tired...

Eleven a.m. came way too quick this morning and we had a difficult time just getting out of bed. We woke at 10 and quickly showered before making our way downstairs to the breakfast buffet. The spread was interesting. Most of the breakfast choices were sweet breads, none of which I recognized (so you know I passed). There were three "hot" choices: rice with green beans and corn, cauliflower with corn and peppers, and some sort of mystery meat hot dog-looking thing. Jerret, of course, tried it all.

We went out shopping at the local mall, which seemed more like a flea market as the stores weren't actually stores in the traditional sense. We bought three bags full of traditional Kyrgyz garb to save for JJ until he is older. Jerret couldn't (or wouldn't) pay full price for anything as he was having pretty serious flashbacks of the Silk Market in China. We were able to negotiate prices for most things, but nothing like he could in China (or so he says).

After the mall we traveled by taxi to the Beta Store, which is the local supermarket. We purchased bottled water and some bread and cream cheese to eat for lunch. We went back to the hotel in late afternoon and took a short nap before dinner. Jerret woke me at 5:00 so I could get around before leaving for the restaurant and I could not function. I literally could not get out of bed. The combination of not getting enough sleep last night and my internal clock being all screwed up really set me back.

We went out to dinner with the two other famiilies from our agency. We at at the Four Seasons (not associated at all with the hotel - darn!). I chose to stay on the safe side and had chicken and french fries. Jerret was a little more daring and went for the lamb kabobs.

A few things I noticed at the stores...People are beautiful here. Not just beautiful, but strikingly beautiful...gorgeous, in fact. The women really make an effort to look nice and pay attention to their appearance. And most people look really young. Even the older people we have seen still have a very young appearance. Only the very oldest people had wrinkles. Another observation, no one paid us any attention here. They didn't care that we were American and didn't treat us any differently at all. Jerret noticed this as well and said that we didn't seem to stick out as much as foreigners do in China.

We met a nice American man outside of the hotel this morning. He is here working on a special project for the US and was happy to hear our stories.

I am really tired right now and can barely keep my eyes open. We leave the hotel at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and will make the hour-long drive to Tokmok to meet our baby. We still have to get our orphanage gifts and donations together yet tonight and pack our bag full of firsts for JJ, you know - first American diaper, first pacifier, first toy, and his little own version of Old Glory courtesy of my mother-in-law. We will probably be unable to sleep all night, which is a bad idea considering we will be with baby from here on out.

Time for bed!

We’re Here!

After three nearly inedible airplane dinners, four security checks, two mile-long walks around a Turkish airport, and an 85mph taxi ride to the hotel we have arrived! Our journey started off on a scary note when my passport was not registering at the Northwest Air check-in counter. For some strange reason there is a number that is scratched off, or was never there in the first place, or whatever – but there is a missing number and it was causing us some difficulty when we checked in. My heart physically hurt as I watched the lady behind the desk swipe it over and over again to no avail. Finally, she entered the numbers by hand (which worked) and told me that I may encounter this problem again as we go to check-in or transfer flights.

The flights went well, they were just incredibly long. The Northwest flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was really nice and had the most decent food. That leg of our trip took a little over 8 hours and was a comfortable ride. Each seat had a television monitor recessed in the headrest, so we were able to chose our own movies to watch and control our own volume (I watched Bobby, Jerret chose Night at the Museum and the new Rocky).

We arrived in Amsterdam and easily found our next flight schedule and departure gate. The Amsterdam airport was really nice and had many employees that spoke perfect English. The people we ran into there were of diverse backgrounds, but still everyone seemed to speak English. I was actually a little surprised at how nice the Istanbul airport was as well. The bathrooms were very clean (and we all know how important this is) and smelled like perfume (is it weird that I noticed that?). Istanbul is where we met the two other US families from our agency that are also adopting from Kyrgyzstan. Their babies are at a different orphanage than JJ, and we are hoping to join them when they go meet their newest family members.

When we arrived in Bishkek it was 3:00 a.m. on Sunday and we waited in line a short time for customs and our luggage. People are very pushy here. Not necessarily rude, but just aggressive. I guess they feel that you have to push for your spot, or what it is that you want, or you will never get it. I had to learn this the hard way as Jerret pushed his way through the crowd at the luggage check and left me in the dust. I felt weird (rude) at first, but quickly realized that aggressiveness is the name of the game and if you don’t take your spot you will lose it. I stepped over, between, and around people and no one seemed to mind.

Our agency in-country facilitator was waiting for us as soon as we picked up our luggage and she had two cars waiting to take us back to the hotel. We arrived at the Silk Road hotel at 4:00 in the morning. Thankfully we thought to pack some snacks in our luggage and had pretzels, chex mix and vitamin water as soon as we were able to unload. In total (on all three flights) I drank 3 cups of pepsi and ate a cup of rice, two pieces of bread, a small bag of lemon cookies, and a tiny bag of pretzels, so our snacks are definitely coming in handy. It is now 6:45 a.m. and our group is going to the local shopping center tomorrow at 11:00 to get whatever things we may have forgotten to pack and a whole lot of bottled water.

Oh – and Jerret wants me to tell you all two things: 1) the Ohio State basketball game is on live in our room, and 2) I knocked over a plant as soon as we entered our room and spilled a pile of dirt all over the floor. I cleaned it up as best as I could, but it is still deep in the fibers of the carpet. And there is some unidentifiable object under one of the chairs in the room. It looks like a mushroom to me, but I won’t get close enough for confirmation.

Only a Few More Days!

Getting things ready for this trip has been a chore! My husband has suddenly morphed into the packing police and keeps lecturing me on keeping our luggage to a minimum so we can remain “agile.” We have settled on one suitcase each, although his original idea was for the two of us to share one – ha! We are busy getting all of JJ’s things packed and ready to go. (Who knew a tiny little baby would need so much stuff?!)

We leave on Friday and will travel through Istanbul, Turkey on our way to Bishkek. We will not arrive until early Sunday morning and will not see our precious baby until Monday. But the good news is that once we meet him, he is forever ours and will stay with us from that day forward. I am a little nervous about seeing the orphanage where he currently lives and all the babies who live with him. We were originally granted approval for 2 kids (and still are) so I know I will be wishing the entire time that we were bringing another one home with us as well. It’s going to be hard!

After the required three day stay in Bishkek we will travel by car to Kazakhstan where we will visit the US embassy to fill out all the documents necessary to bring our baby home. We have had some difficulty finding a hotel in the region as they are all currently booked for some odd reason. The prices are outrageous and range from $180 to $465 USD per night. Our agency has reserved us a room that is middle-of-the-road pricewise, but we are free to stay wherever we choose.

I am most worried about finding things to eat while we are in-country. Because I don’t care to eat anywhere the USDA doesn’t apply, some people might say I am a picky eater. In fact, my college roommates labeled me a “food snob,” (although I would hardly say that scoffing at a person eating cold spaghettio’s from a can is any reason for name calling. That’s just downright nasty!). Jerret considers himself a world traveler now that he has been to China 3 times and insists I will have no problem finding things to eat. I have already removed meat, dairy, raw vegetables, and water from my “Approved Foods to Eat While in Kyrgyzstan” list and hope to find comfort in the fully-thriving breads and grains category. Not that I am in any danger of withering away down to nothing. A 10-day diet should do me some good!

Getting Ready!

We've been gearing up for our bring trip across three continents to bring our baby home. We are leaving in two weeks, and reality is finally setting in that we are really doing this! After a year and three months of paperwork, meetings, fingerprints, applications, tears, joys, ups and downs, we are leaving!
We actually found JJ when he was only 3 months old, so to know that he has grown without us was hard, but a blessing at the same time. I am so nervous about what to expect when we meet him. Will he understand at all that we love him and are his new parents? Will he miss the women who have taken care of him for the past 9 months of his life? Will he miss the sounds of the orphanage that has been the only home he has ever known?
I'm sure that most new parents experience some degree of anxiety before they actually meet their new babies. But I almost feel as though pregnant mothers are a little more prepared and will know what to expect from their newborns. The nine months of pregnancy leading up to the first magical meeting are usually filled with countless hours of research in the forms of Lamaze classes, reading of parenting books, unsolicited advice, and conversations with friends about their pregnancy and parenting experiences.
While many adoptive parents have likened the adoption process to that of being a pregnant elephant (due to the fact that elephants are pregnant for around 18-22 months, about the same length of time for the adoption from start to finish), I haven't felt "pregnant." My past 15 months have been spent stressing over paperwork, financing the adoption, talking with doctors, and making travel arrangements for a "very" third-world country. On one hand I feel cheated, on another I wouldn't change a thing as I know this was the path chose for us.
To say that I am nervous about becoming a parent is an understatement to the nth degree. I worry about the babies health and if I will be able to recognize when he is not feeling well. And if he is not feeling well, will I know what to do to comfort him and help him to get better? And if he is sick and has to visit the doctor, will the doctor be able to diagnose him quickly so the situation may be remedied?
There are so many things to worry about once we are parents, I haven't even began to worry about our actual travel to Kyrgyzstan yet. I hope that part takes care of itself...probably not the right approach.

THE WORD!

We got it! We got it! We got it! We have been anxiously waiting to hear those two little letters, and Tuesday we finally got a call that said "GO!" So we are leaving to pick up our baby!!!!

We will be leaving in about 4 weeks and have been searching the internet for flights, hotels, information on Kyrgyzstan, and reading all we can find from other families who have made the trek. The crazy part is that we totally missed the call in the first place because the message was left on our home answering machine, which Jerret didn't check after work, and I didn't even make it home until nearly 9:00 that night. I simply assumed he had listened to whatever messages we had and I never bothered to listen to them myself. The next day I happened to be checking the webboard that is hosted by our agency and I noticed one of the other families had a posting regarding their travel dates. Knowing that we had a court date on the same day as this family, I followed my hunch and contacted our agency who said they did have travel dates for us as well, and they were trying to contact us via our home phone. (They wouldn't know that this is a bad idea, but anyone who knows us KNOWS we are really bad about picking up the home phone). I know they have my cell number, as they have called me on it many times, but nevertheless we got the message and are ready to leave!!!

We do know that we are also traveling with two other families from our agency who are also adopting infants. It is comforting for us all to know that we will be going through this process with others who can understand the craziness of it all and empathize with our situations. We are all planning on staying at the same hotel and will be getting our babies from the same orphanage. I can't wait to post his picture for all of you to see!

Oh Yeah...Had A Court Date!

Quick Update - We had our court date last week and everything went well! We are now officially in our 30-day waiting period (waiting for the adoption decree to go into effect). Once the 30 days are over, our baby will need a passport and some other paperwork completed, but he will forever be ours and we will be going to pick him up. We're more than excited.

Besides that, we've been busy finishing the nursery. It looks great, and the Ohio State theme that Jerret so desperately wanted actually came out looking much better than I expected.

Oprah - (Man She's Smart!)

I was watching Oprah the other day and she had on a couple that has been dealing with some pretty serious infertility issues. They were younger and have been trying to have kids for years with no luck. They cried together and both talked about the disappointment they were dealing with and how they wanted a baby more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, Jerret and I know these issues all too well. The wife was so upset and kept crying and saying how she felt as though she was letting everyone down. She felt as though it was her fault she wasn’t able to conceive and she couldn’t handle the fact that she was not living the life that she had planned for herself, and more importantly (to her), not at a place in her life that others thought she should be (you know the stereotype – wonderful husband, 2.7 kids, SUV, white picket fence and a dog named Rover).

Oprah tried to ask why she felt this way. Why did she need to live in the “idea” of a perfect family? Why could she not take the cards that God has given her and let her own life play out? Why live in someone else’s dream? She told the couple to “Let it Go.” The wife cried and cried and said she couldn’t and didn’t know how, and Oprah continued with her advice saying that the life this couple was supposed to be living was passing them by because they could not let go of their unsuccessful attempts at getting pregnant. She told them to “Let Go and Let God.”

I thought about Oprah’s advice and tried to understand what exactly she was saying. She was telling this couple that if they could not get over this one setback in life and take what God was giving them (or not giving them), they would forever be stuck – mourning the baby they would never have. The world would pass them by and they would never know what had been there waiting for them all along because they were too wrapped-up in their own sorrows. Perhaps the couple were meant to be missionaries, traveling throughout the world doing “God’s work”, and the reason they were not given children of their own was because they couldn’t be tied down to one place when they needed to be out and traveling all the time. Maybe both husband and wife carry some rare genetic disorder that would result in the untimely deaths of the mother, child, or both. Or perhaps the couple could not conceive on their own because they were meant to take one of the many children in this world who have no one to care for them.

In retrospect, I am not sure how Jerret and I finally decided to move past the lives we were living into the life we were meant to live. We too were living in the infertility fog. For over three years we injected hormones, sat through ultrasounds, bought ovulation predictor kits, took at-home pregnancy tests, and lived with the disappointment that seemed to follow month after month. It was not until our second ectopic pregnancy that I realized we couldn’t live the way we had been for so long. It was time for a change. This was our time when we needed to Let Go and Let God. So we did.

Offering up our lives and letting go of the control is not an easy thing to do. We had to put aside all of our preconceived notions about what our life was supposed to be and deal with what our life was. We knew that God had a different plan for us; the challenge was in accepting the plan. Whatever he had in store for us was going to be big, we were sure. And it was (is).

Documents in Kyrgyzstan...

Well, our documents have been submitted to Kyrgyzstan and we are just waiting to hear when our court date is going to be. Hopefully everything looks ok, and we will soon be on our way to pick up our baby.

Also - the word is out. JJ stands for Jack Joseph. A friend let it slip that that was what his name was going to be and the news spread like wildfire. So now you all can know too!

We are still very excited and waiting for the word...

So Close...

I received a call from our Agency yesterday and our documents have been translated and are now at the embassy in Washington DC. We are waiting for a court date, and praying that all goes smoothly. We are not required to attend the court hearing itself, and once it is complete, there is a 30-day waiting period before the adoption decree actually goes into effect. Right after that we will travel and pick up our little JJ!

There are about 6 families from our agency that are going over in the next couple of weeks to meet their children and bring them home. One family is adopting a little girl from the same orphanage as JJ and she has graciously offered to take him whatever I would like to send. I have been sleeping with a blanket of his (we read this is a good thing to do so he can sense us - through smell I guess - sounds weird, but it makes sense). Anyway, I will send her the blanket and she promised to deliver it along with many hugs and kisses!

Thanks to my wonderful friends for the awesome gifts. It's so nice that everyone is excited to join us on this journey!

Double Good News!

I just received wonderful news from our adoption agency!!!! First, they received our dossier with all of the forms and it appears I filled out everything correctly (thank God!), and it is now in the process of being translated so it can be sent to Kyrgyzstan.

Second good news of the day - Kyrgyzstan has begun issuing passports! This means our little JJ can get one to come home! This is all so awesome (and overwhelming!).

We still need to wait for our court date, which should happen within 30-45 days. Its hard to say when, but I take comfort in the fact that only a few agencies are conducting adoptions in that country right now, and 75% of the other families from our own agency have already had their court date...so maybe...just maybe...they have some time to fit us in!

We need to bring this baby home so bad. He needs us just as much as we need him.

A Lesson In Using FedEx...

I spent a long, very long, day Thursday in Columbus getting all of our adoption docs authenticated for our dossier. This was the final step before sending it off to Kyrgyzstan where they will approve us for adoption of JJ!

The Republic of Kyrgyzstan needs to see that the documents we are providing them are authentic, and therefore need a seal from the State of Ohio before they will be accepted. The State of Ohio won’t accept the forms until they are authenticated at the county level, and the county won’t accept the forms until they are notorized by a notary public (can you see the stress level involved?). So, in the end, each of our documents ended up having 3 different seals – one from a notary public, one from the county, and the final seal from the state.

My cousin Carrie (bless her heart!) offered to go with me so I didn’t have to make the trip myself. It worked out great because she needed to stop at her office HQ near Columbus to pick up office supplies anyway. We woke up bright and early and left our houses at 7:30 a.m.

Our first stop was in London, Ohio so that we could have our State Police clearance form signed at the county. From there we drove to Columbus and had all of the papers authenticated. On the way down we received directions from the ever-so-enthusiastic security guard, who was more than animated when telling us that the nearest Kinko’s is located at Spring and High.

We spent over an hour and a half at Kinko’s making copies of all the documents, being careful not to remove a staple, make a tear, or alter the pages in any way, shape, or form. (Doing so can cause the entire packed to be invalidated). From there we needed to find a local branch of my bank so I could purchase money orders for the document processing (no personal checks allowed) and translation.

Once we had the money orders in hand, it was time to find a FedEx in order to ship my package overnight. It was about 4:30 by this time and we needed to move fast! We drove from Columbus to Dublin, Ohio and not a FedEx in sight. After driving all that time and going from point a to points b and c and d, my brain function began to wither and I finally found a post office, which lead to a momentary lapse in judgment. Happy to just have found ANYWHERE at all to ship the darn thing, I decided to send the package through the US Postal Service – Priority Express ($33!!!!) Needless to say, my package has not yet arrived…lets not forget that today is MLK day, therefore, no mail. I couldn’t sleep at all Thursday night and laid in my bed wondering if I made a major mistake by not using FedEx for delivery. Now that it’s Monday and my package still has not arrived, I can safely say that yes…it was a HUGE mistake.

Getting Closer...

We are getting closer...we really are! I thought this day would never come, and this process that we began a year ago may finally be coming to an end!

Today I will receive the very last form we need to complete our dossier! It is the State of Ohio police background checks for myself and Jerret. I have been tracking this package since November, and found out a few days before Christmas that my application was rejected. I sent a check for $16.00 (just as the lady on the phone instructed me to do) and sure enough, they don't take personal checks. Getting this information nearly made me cry, as I thought we were so close. I couldn't even wrap my mind around this new delay or how to remedy the situation, so I called a friend of mine and asked for ideas on getting this paper back in the shortest amount of time. A money order and two FedEx envelopes later, I will have my package! And according to the trusty FedEx tracking site, it will be here by 2:30!!!!

The next (and one of the final before traveling to get our little JJ) step is to take our dossier to the state capital for authentication. I will drive it to Columbus later this week and then FedEx the entire package to our Agency! I can't wait. We are so close...so close!

As you may have noticed, we have decided on a name for our baby. Until he is here I will refer to him as JJ. Yes, those are his initials, and I really wish I could tell you but the whole attachment thing...you know how it goes.

Finally...

After a very, very difficult past couple of months, I finally have some good news to report. We received our immigration papers in the mail yesterday! I was so relieved and so ready for some good news, so it came at just the right time. God is good!

We still have a small issue that needs worked out...Apparently, the Kyrg government is in the process of re-issuing new passports. They do not have the new format rolled out yet, and this is causing a hold-up for travelers. I am told that no one is able to get a passport in that country right now. Everyone say your prayers! We need this issue cleared up to bring our baby home!