We just got word we are confirmed for our U.S. Embassy appointment on Wednesday, March 16. YES, you read that correctly. We leave Sunday night. What have I been doing the past 12 weeks since our court date? ummmmmm, apparently not enough. So much to do. But I cannot even describe the joy and excitement.
Tuesday we received word the embassy had requested another letter on our case. I was gutted and resigned to the fact that Bekalu would be without us for his first birthday on the 17th. Now not only will we be WITH him, but we will be over our embassy interview and ready to come home and start our lives as a family of four.
Over. The. Moon.
I had hoped to offer to take packages for waiting families, but doesn't seem like there is time. But if you want us to visit you child, send us an email at heatherandrolyn at gmail dot com with name, foster center number and maybe a photo.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Progress.
Last Thursday our paperwork was submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We are not sure when we will hear if everything is approved and when we will need to be in ET to have our embassy appointment and MOST importantly have Bek in our arms forever. We are hoping and hoping for good news SOON. Just the thought of that gives me chills and sends happy tears rolling down my cheeks. He has been without a mother's arms for almost 9 months. While I do not doubt he is being loved and well taken care of, it is not the same as the love of a family.
Bekalu John we can't wait to have you join our family forever.
It's going to be such a happy amazing incredible unbelievable giddy heartbreaking hearthealing lovely over the moon kinda day.
Bekalu John we can't wait to have you join our family forever.
It's going to be such a happy amazing incredible unbelievable giddy heartbreaking hearthealing lovely over the moon kinda day.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Speechless.
Natalie just called and said she had GREAT NEWS.
MOWA decided to issue our paperwork after all.
I'm sitting here crying PURE happines.
I think I might also be in shock.
Gladney has our MOWA letter and Bekalu's birth certificate and is waiting on his passport. Next Thursday they will submit our paperwork to the US Embassy and they will review our paperwork. The estimate for this is one week, but we don't really know for sure as we are the first Gladney family being processed with the new embassy procedures. There is still a chance the US Embassy will want to do a further investigation or request other paperwork on Bek or us. But we are at least through this one hurdle. Fingers crossed everything goes ok with the US Embassy and we could possibly be WITH Bek for his first birthday.
To all the other families waiting for their own good news, I'm sending you lots of LOVE and positive vibes to ET for things to wrap up quickly. I have to think that us getting our paperwork issued is a good sign. And you know how I looooooove signs.
MOWA decided to issue our paperwork after all.
I'm sitting here crying PURE happines.
I think I might also be in shock.
Gladney has our MOWA letter and Bekalu's birth certificate and is waiting on his passport. Next Thursday they will submit our paperwork to the US Embassy and they will review our paperwork. The estimate for this is one week, but we don't really know for sure as we are the first Gladney family being processed with the new embassy procedures. There is still a chance the US Embassy will want to do a further investigation or request other paperwork on Bek or us. But we are at least through this one hurdle. Fingers crossed everything goes ok with the US Embassy and we could possibly be WITH Bek for his first birthday.
To all the other families waiting for their own good news, I'm sending you lots of LOVE and positive vibes to ET for things to wrap up quickly. I have to think that us getting our paperwork issued is a good sign. And you know how I looooooove signs.
Six Months.
Six months ago today we saw his beautiful face for the first time. Tomorrow Bekalu John will be 11 months old. I'm trying my best to stay positive that we will be together for his first birthday. But as the day draws closer and closer my hope is fleeting at best.
It's been fairly easy to fall into moments of grief during this wait. As I look through 6 months of updates and pictures it hits me how much he's grown and changed. We have missed so many of the precious moments that make up a child's first year of life. I have tried my best not to look at other's adoption time lines because it gets the "WHY US?" questions flowing. Especially when I read about those that went from referral to home in less than 4 months. It DOES happen, just not with us. Our time line is filled with, ooooh hmmmm wait delay wait delay wait. So much out of our control. It is beyond frustrating.
I know that we will have a lifetime together. But honestly that offers me no comfort in this moment...I don't want to miss his first birthday or his first steps. But it's likely I will. And that is hard to accept.
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Friday, February 11, 2011
My Mama always told me....
...there's a lid for every pot.
What a perfect pair.
The lighter on cue at minute 1:29 = the BEST.
Happy Friday everyone!
Another week bites the dust. Sigh.
What a perfect pair.
The lighter on cue at minute 1:29 = the BEST.
Happy Friday everyone!
Another week bites the dust. Sigh.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The light...
Sorry I dropped off the planet. But my mother always told me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all." Sigh. Seriously...the waiting...the waiting to go back to Ethiopia and bring our beautiful boy home, well, there are no words to describe the torture.
It's complicated, but we were given original dates to travel. We booked tickets. (Hello $500 in change fees) We let our jobs know. We got our babysitter another job for my maternity leave since my leave from work will not be paid. Yes, you read that correctly and I will save it for another post, or not...please re-read my Mother's words of wisdom above. And then everything stopped. The skinny is this: we are missing one piece of paper that in 5 weeks has not been able to manifest itself. I could give you the blow by blow but honestly it's hard for ME to wrap my head around and by the time I got it all out...you'd be asleep.
Every day for four weeks we've thought this is THE day. Only to be crushed when it was not. It is similar to that feeling when we were waiting for our referral and about 5pm without the phone ringing we would both let out a sigh that hurt. It is exactly like that if only that feeling could be multiplied by a million plus.
Yesterday after hearing bad news yet again I made a decision. It just is what it is. When our paperwork is complete we will go and bring our beautiful boy home. No more looking at our timeline and being sad that we have fallen into almost every pitfall that could cause a delay. That is all in the past. There is nothing that can be done about that now. Just as there is not really anything that we can do about this piece of paper that is the missing link.
So I've stopped waiting. It will come when it comes. Today when we got our daily "Nope, nothing." I just said ok and got back to work. No tears, no sigh, nothing. Maybe I'm just numb?
Tonight I looked at this picture and I thought THIS is the light. He is the the beautiful light at the end of the tunnel.
My sweet boy. Bekalu John. We are coming for you soon. And until we do, we're getting ready for you here. Your room that you will share with your sister is almost complete. She said tonight she wants to cover the wall by your crib with drawings just for you. She is very concerned that you do not have "your song" yet, so we worked on that while getting ready for school this morning. Sorry to say Mr. Bek, but your song will likely include your sister's name and probably something sparkly or pink or both. But them are the breaks when you have a big sister. There is more love growing than can be contained within these walls and I'm certain you've felt it covering you.
I'm only focusing on the things that are positive and the things I can control. Everything else is in the dark for now. And the light, the light is YOU and the love and joy I feel when I imagine you in your family's arms forever.
p.s. I reserve the right to change my mind about being positive if __ more weeks pass without said piece of paper. And yes, the number of weeks I can promise being positive without some movement is TBD. ;)
It's complicated, but we were given original dates to travel. We booked tickets. (Hello $500 in change fees) We let our jobs know. We got our babysitter another job for my maternity leave since my leave from work will not be paid. Yes, you read that correctly and I will save it for another post, or not...please re-read my Mother's words of wisdom above. And then everything stopped. The skinny is this: we are missing one piece of paper that in 5 weeks has not been able to manifest itself. I could give you the blow by blow but honestly it's hard for ME to wrap my head around and by the time I got it all out...you'd be asleep.
Every day for four weeks we've thought this is THE day. Only to be crushed when it was not. It is similar to that feeling when we were waiting for our referral and about 5pm without the phone ringing we would both let out a sigh that hurt. It is exactly like that if only that feeling could be multiplied by a million plus.
Yesterday after hearing bad news yet again I made a decision. It just is what it is. When our paperwork is complete we will go and bring our beautiful boy home. No more looking at our timeline and being sad that we have fallen into almost every pitfall that could cause a delay. That is all in the past. There is nothing that can be done about that now. Just as there is not really anything that we can do about this piece of paper that is the missing link.
So I've stopped waiting. It will come when it comes. Today when we got our daily "Nope, nothing." I just said ok and got back to work. No tears, no sigh, nothing. Maybe I'm just numb?
Tonight I looked at this picture and I thought THIS is the light. He is the the beautiful light at the end of the tunnel.
My sweet boy. Bekalu John. We are coming for you soon. And until we do, we're getting ready for you here. Your room that you will share with your sister is almost complete. She said tonight she wants to cover the wall by your crib with drawings just for you. She is very concerned that you do not have "your song" yet, so we worked on that while getting ready for school this morning. Sorry to say Mr. Bek, but your song will likely include your sister's name and probably something sparkly or pink or both. But them are the breaks when you have a big sister. There is more love growing than can be contained within these walls and I'm certain you've felt it covering you.
I'm only focusing on the things that are positive and the things I can control. Everything else is in the dark for now. And the light, the light is YOU and the love and joy I feel when I imagine you in your family's arms forever.
p.s. I reserve the right to change my mind about being positive if __ more weeks pass without said piece of paper. And yes, the number of weeks I can promise being positive without some movement is TBD. ;)
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