Now that I know who our soon to be son is, I often wonder what he is up to throughout the day. He is 10 hours ahead of us, so most times when I am daydreaming about him and his activities, he is in fact sleeping.
I wonder what his schedule is like. Does he get up and immediately get to have breakfast? Or does he have a quiet play time while his caregivers prepare breakfast and get everyone up and ready to start the day? What does he do at play time? Does he like naps or does he just lie there quietly while others sleep? Does he have a “Kaz Mama” in one of his care givers?
Now that he is one, I wonder what they are feeding him. Does he still use a bottle…doubtful from what I have read of others experience’s. The most current measurements we have were taken on February 18 and showed that his head circumference was ok, but that he is underweight and small compared to American standards at that same age. When I spoke to the IA Dr. about his “smallness” she said that it was nothing to worry about. “He is just not getting enough calories.” This is something that we can easily change once we get him home. She advised me to keep him on formula longer than “normal” and to make certain to get some good, iron fortified vitamins. She thinks that once our little guy is home he will start to grow like a weed.
I can’t wait!
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Nothing new...
No new news on the adoption front. I am planning to email our SW tomorrow though. I really hope that she has some good news for us because I am having a rough week. I am so ready to meet our little guy and wrap my arms around him.
Sigh…
Waiting IS the hardest part.
Sigh…
Waiting IS the hardest part.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Happy Birthday...from afar
Today our soon to be son turns one year old. I'm filled with an array of emotions today. Of course if he were already here then today would be a wonderful day filled with lots of giggles and cake. As it is though, I am at work, J is in Charlotte watching the first round of the NCAA tournament, Sherman is at home, and our baby is in an orphanage in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.
Earlier in the week when I thought about this day I was very sad and filled with self-pity and great sorrow about the fact that our baby is not with us. As I have moved through the week, I have tried to change my attitude somewhat. Instead of focusing on the negative of the situation, I am trying to keep the positives foremost in my thoughts. On this day last year, we did not even know that we would be adopting; we were in the throws of our last IVF cycle. Oh what a difference a year can make! Now we know who he is , where he lives, and that we will be traveling to meet him within the next little while. Wow, now we know we are going to be able to build a family together! That is something that we were not sure of this time last year.
To celebrate this morning I watched his video and sang Happy Birthday to him. Every time that I watch the video I notice something new about him and his surroundings...very cool. I have his little face memorized like only a mother can. I know that he will have changed dramatically when we see him, but I am hopeful that I will know those eyes as soon as I look into them.
Happy Birthday little guy. Mommy and Daddy will be on our way to you as soon as possible.
God Bless you son.
Earlier in the week when I thought about this day I was very sad and filled with self-pity and great sorrow about the fact that our baby is not with us. As I have moved through the week, I have tried to change my attitude somewhat. Instead of focusing on the negative of the situation, I am trying to keep the positives foremost in my thoughts. On this day last year, we did not even know that we would be adopting; we were in the throws of our last IVF cycle. Oh what a difference a year can make! Now we know who he is , where he lives, and that we will be traveling to meet him within the next little while. Wow, now we know we are going to be able to build a family together! That is something that we were not sure of this time last year.
To celebrate this morning I watched his video and sang Happy Birthday to him. Every time that I watch the video I notice something new about him and his surroundings...very cool. I have his little face memorized like only a mother can. I know that he will have changed dramatically when we see him, but I am hopeful that I will know those eyes as soon as I look into them.
Happy Birthday little guy. Mommy and Daddy will be on our way to you as soon as possible.
God Bless you son.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Good News!
Our SW emailed me today with some wonderful news:
I just spoke with S [the Kazakhstan program coordinator for our agency] and she said that your dossier has been translated and is now being sent to the embassy for registration. It will probably take a week or two to get that done. Then you dossier will go to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This will also take a couple of weeks. We are still looking at waiting another month or so before travel, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.
Woo Hoo! We could be traveling in just a little over a month!! I could be holding my son on Mother's Day!
Oh my gosh, I am SO excited! There is so much to do to get ready to go.
I just spoke with S [the Kazakhstan program coordinator for our agency] and she said that your dossier has been translated and is now being sent to the embassy for registration. It will probably take a week or two to get that done. Then you dossier will go to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This will also take a couple of weeks. We are still looking at waiting another month or so before travel, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.
Woo Hoo! We could be traveling in just a little over a month!! I could be holding my son on Mother's Day!
Oh my gosh, I am SO excited! There is so much to do to get ready to go.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Updated Timeline...again
We received our "updated" I-171H on Monday. When we changed countries from Russia to Kazakhstan we had to get our I-171H updated to reflect that we were going to Kaz and not Russia. We got 5 copies notarized and appostilled today for our dossier and turned them into our agency. One more thing to check off the list!
7.26.04 signed with agency
7.27.04 turned in Homestudy application
7.28.04 mailed I-600A
8.8.04 first homstudy visit
8.23.04 fingerprinted
8.29.04 final homestudy visit
9.2.04 homestudy completed
10.28.04 received I 171H
11.04.04 dossier submitted
2.17.05 received a surprise referral from Kazakhstan
2.24.05 mailed I-824 to switch countries
3.14.05 received updated I-171H
waiting to receive our official approval to adopt from the Kaz government...
Still saying lots of prayers for God to move our paperwork through the Kazak Government swiftly so that we can go and get our little boy!!
7.26.04 signed with agency
7.27.04 turned in Homestudy application
7.28.04 mailed I-600A
8.8.04 first homstudy visit
8.23.04 fingerprinted
8.29.04 final homestudy visit
9.2.04 homestudy completed
10.28.04 received I 171H
11.04.04 dossier submitted
2.17.05 received a surprise referral from Kazakhstan
2.24.05 mailed I-824 to switch countries
3.14.05 received updated I-171H
waiting to receive our official approval to adopt from the Kaz government...
Still saying lots of prayers for God to move our paperwork through the Kazak Government swiftly so that we can go and get our little boy!!
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Ungrateful...
I am awful. The Lord has blessed me so thoroughly, and yet I am never satisfied. He has blessed J and me with a wonderful baby boy in Kazakhstan, but that isn't enough for me, oh no. I want to have him HERE and NOW! The waiting to go and meet him is awful. I am trying to remain positive and remember that we now have a child, it is just a little bit longer until we can go meet him and bring him home. I should be grateful for so many things, and yet all I seem to be able to do is grumble.
I need to get my attitude right...and quick. I can't serve Him effectively with this attitude.
I need to get my attitude right...and quick. I can't serve Him effectively with this attitude.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Updated to do list...
The past few weeks have seen a lot of home improvement work in the Squared household. J painted the dining room a stunning red, as well as put up new chair rail. He painted the living room, entryway and hall a gorgeous coffee ice-cream color. Last but not least, he put down new hardwood floors in the dining room and living room. The house looks awesome and I could not be more thrilled with the way it looks. Now when we bring our little one home, and people come to visit, I won't feel bashful about asking them into my home. It wasn't that I was ashamed before, it was just very vanilla. Now, I feel like I have a home with some real pizazz.
Of course there is one major thing that we have not done yet; we have yet to finish the nursery. We have painted it a lovely light blue, but we have not put up the border or stained the new dresser and bookshelf that we bought. Nor have we assembled the crib. I know that we have time to accomplish these things, but I don't want to be caught at the last minute either. I want some time to enjoy the room all set up and perfect, just like I would have done were I pregnant. The next few weekends are jam packed already, so I think that it will be quite awhile before we are able to finish assembling the nursery. I am hopeful that once that is done, I will enjoy this time before our little one arrives.
Well, a girl can always dream can't she?
Of course there is one major thing that we have not done yet; we have yet to finish the nursery. We have painted it a lovely light blue, but we have not put up the border or stained the new dresser and bookshelf that we bought. Nor have we assembled the crib. I know that we have time to accomplish these things, but I don't want to be caught at the last minute either. I want some time to enjoy the room all set up and perfect, just like I would have done were I pregnant. The next few weekends are jam packed already, so I think that it will be quite awhile before we are able to finish assembling the nursery. I am hopeful that once that is done, I will enjoy this time before our little one arrives.
Well, a girl can always dream can't she?
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Step by step...
This is a fairly concise summary of the adoption process in Kaz courtesy of the US Embassy's adoption webpage.
"U.S. citizens hoping to adopt a Kazakhstani child begin this endeavor in the U. S. Once prospective adoptive parents are cleared for adoption in their home state, and have completed processing with the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (Form I-600A), the next step is to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to indicate intention to adopt a Kazakhstani orphan. An adoption agent normally assists with this registration by submitting the file of documents ("the dossier") to the Kazakhstani Embassy or Consulate in the U. S. The Kazakhstani Embassy then transfers the dossier to the MFA in Astana for processing, which sends it to the Ministry of Education in Astana for review, which forwards the file to the Guardianship Body in the town where the parents wish to adopt. The length of dossier processing is unpredictable.
Once the dossier has cleared each stage and the parents have cleared a final security check, the Guardianship Body will then issue a letter inviting the parents to travel to Kazakhstan to apply for adoption. This letter is necessary for the parents to obtain a Kazakhstani visa, and after obtaining the visas the parents are free to travel to Kazakhstan to proceed with their petition for adoption."
"U.S. citizens hoping to adopt a Kazakhstani child begin this endeavor in the U. S. Once prospective adoptive parents are cleared for adoption in their home state, and have completed processing with the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (Form I-600A), the next step is to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to indicate intention to adopt a Kazakhstani orphan. An adoption agent normally assists with this registration by submitting the file of documents ("the dossier") to the Kazakhstani Embassy or Consulate in the U. S. The Kazakhstani Embassy then transfers the dossier to the MFA in Astana for processing, which sends it to the Ministry of Education in Astana for review, which forwards the file to the Guardianship Body in the town where the parents wish to adopt. The length of dossier processing is unpredictable.
Once the dossier has cleared each stage and the parents have cleared a final security check, the Guardianship Body will then issue a letter inviting the parents to travel to Kazakhstan to apply for adoption. This letter is necessary for the parents to obtain a Kazakhstani visa, and after obtaining the visas the parents are free to travel to Kazakhstan to proceed with their petition for adoption."
Friday, March 04, 2005
Updated Timeline...
The updates to our timeline are in bold below:
7.26.04 signed with agency
7.27.04 turned in Homestudy application
7.28.04 mailed I-600A
8.8.04 first homstudy visit
8.23.04 fingerprinted
8.29.04 final homestudy visit
9.2.04 homestudy completed
10.28.04 received I 171H
11.04.04 dossier submitted
2.17.05 received a surprise referral from Kazakhstan
2.24.05 mailed I-824 to switch countries
waiting to receive our official approval to adopt from the Kaz government...
Saying lots of prayers for God to move our paperwork through the Kazak Government swiftly so that we can go and get our little boy!!
7.26.04 signed with agency
7.27.04 turned in Homestudy application
7.28.04 mailed I-600A
8.8.04 first homstudy visit
8.23.04 fingerprinted
8.29.04 final homestudy visit
9.2.04 homestudy completed
10.28.04 received I 171H
11.04.04 dossier submitted
2.17.05 received a surprise referral from Kazakhstan
2.24.05 mailed I-824 to switch countries
waiting to receive our official approval to adopt from the Kaz government...
Saying lots of prayers for God to move our paperwork through the Kazak Government swiftly so that we can go and get our little boy!!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
God's Perfect Plan
I don't know when or where I found this poem. It has been stuck to our refrigerator for the past several months. Like so many things that are hanging on our refrigerator, it has been ignored and it has hung there unread for many months. Well, that changed this weekend.
J and I have been working on some major home improvements the past few weeks. The latest is that we are putting in hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms. Ok, let me clarify, J has been putting in the floors. I watch and act as the gofer. The couch was moved into the kitchen while the improvements are being made. Right into the middle of the kitchen. Because of this optimal placement, every time that I walked between the couch and the fridge I knocked the poem off of the door. I must have picked it up 20 times last weekend without ever reading it. Finally, on the 21st time of stopping to pick it up and put back on the door I stopped to read what it had to say. I was moved to tears. It is so accurate. I want to have it either made as a cross-stitch or done in calligraphy for the nursery.
J and I have been working on some major home improvements the past few weeks. The latest is that we are putting in hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms. Ok, let me clarify, J has been putting in the floors. I watch and act as the gofer. The couch was moved into the kitchen while the improvements are being made. Right into the middle of the kitchen. Because of this optimal placement, every time that I walked between the couch and the fridge I knocked the poem off of the door. I must have picked it up 20 times last weekend without ever reading it. Finally, on the 21st time of stopping to pick it up and put back on the door I stopped to read what it had to say. I was moved to tears. It is so accurate. I want to have it either made as a cross-stitch or done in calligraphy for the nursery.
God's Perfect Plan
The angels looking down from heaven saw the woman start to cry,
Saw her heart breaking once again, saw her husband deeply sigh.
The angels each could feel their pain from way up in the sky.
Must they always have such heartache? The angels wondered why.
So they approached the Heavenly Father and asked him to explain
Why a loving, faithful couple must endure such hurt and pain.
For they only want a child to love, to share their lives and dreams,
The Father gently told them "All is not quite as it seems".
"You see, there is a child for them, I've picked the perfect one,
Their hopes and dreams will be fulfilled one day through adoption".
"This child will not be born to them, yet together they will be,
Soon joined in love and happiness, finally a family".
Then the angels sang a song of joy for the Father helped them see
God's plans include such special ways to make a family.
-unknown
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