2011 certainly did not disappoint!
-We started the year with sending our dossier to Colombia, which was a big step and a huge relief! It took 6 months (half the year) until we heard that we were approved for 2 siblings 0-4 yrs. So now we wait...
-We set a a few big projects to work on throughout the years to ready our home for a family of 6 and have accomplished a few of them. One being we finished our very large basement! We were under construction for 4 months, but it is finally complete and ready for 4 children to run and play and grow. We also added a large deck off the back which pretty much finishes up the final touches of our home which we built and moved into 3 1/2 yrs ago. As our boys continue to grow we realized we needed one more thing in our backyard that every parent will contemplate at some point or another...a swing set! So we set out on an adventure to find the perfect swing set that would not only accommodate many children but also grow with them. We are proud to say after a lot of sweat and equity we have a swing set! Our last project was the combined masterful planning for my obsession with organization and Charlie's compulsion with building and playing with tools; cubbies! Yes, Charlie built me 6 large individual cubbies! Big enough for us and 4 full grown children! He amazes me everyday with his ability to design and build things. I am truly blessed to have this man as my husband.
-Just a quick note that we still have one more big project, adding a bathroom!
-We got back in shape this year too! I have always been in love with food and been very active working out, but after 2 babies in 1 1/2 years I lost my mojo. I am happy to say that I lost 10 lbs this year and got my body back! I have found time to exercise again and have started to feel remnants of my pre child self.
Now that we are 6 months into our wait I can say I still feel as if it is forever away that we will meet our children. We talk about them often, are they born, are they being held and loved, are they being provided for, will they be boys or girls? Sometimes it is hard when I see people around me getting pregnant and having babies knowing I no longer have that option. Then I realize that I did have that option and try to be grateful for that, but a little part of me will forever mourn. It is wild how this life we live throws us so many curve balls and it is up to us to have the tenacity to navigate them. Charlie and I had a vision to have a large family and I can say I never thought we would be heading down the path we are now. BUT and that is a big BUT I am soooo very excited for this journey! The path that I have traveled down was truly meant for me in so many ways. I am a forever changed person. I have traveled many paths and experienced many more things that I would ever have thought possible. I have really looked at the world and the people around me differently. I have become a better wife, mother, and person all because of Colombia. So as the years go by I will continue to reflect on my life, how it has changed, and how it will change. I will continue to prepare to become a mother of trans racial children and biological children at the same time and I will continue with every ounce of me to strengthen my marriage through this process. So as we head into 2012 my hope is that it is a quite year. We have no big plans, but to just be. To reflect on the crazy few years we have had ranging from a miscarriage, building a home and moving, having 2 children in 18 months, realizing we can't have any more children, a big career move for me, and this amazing journey to adoption. It has been a tremulous few years filled with grief and happiness. I can say 2012 has brought a big sigh of relief. I feel as if I have run a marathon and now it is all about maintenance. This is the year I hope to just chill out and see what happens. Happy New Year!!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thoughts
Well it has been awhile since I posted and I can say not too much is going on. We completed our updated home study and are getting ready to send in our I800A extension. Seems like yesterday we were just doing this. It has been about 5 months since we were approved and I can't believe how fast time goes. With that being said I feel as if we have not progressed at all. I am still quoting a 3 year wait to people and look forward to eventually saying 2 1/2.
As far as life goes we are just trucking along. Working on projects to prepare our home for 4 children. Charlie just built cubbies for 6 because his wife (me) is obsessed with organization. Pictures will follow later. We have been trying to come up with a financial plan to travel to Colombia and take time off from work. Having survived 2 unexpected 4 month maternity leaves from work we understand the financial impact so this time we are trying to get way ahead of ourselves.
I m loving this Christmas season! Mainly because my 4 yr old really gets it this year so we are having lots of fun!
Well not much more to say. The year is coming to an end and shortly I will be doing my yearly recap and looking forward to what next year will bring...... Feliz Navidad!
As far as life goes we are just trucking along. Working on projects to prepare our home for 4 children. Charlie just built cubbies for 6 because his wife (me) is obsessed with organization. Pictures will follow later. We have been trying to come up with a financial plan to travel to Colombia and take time off from work. Having survived 2 unexpected 4 month maternity leaves from work we understand the financial impact so this time we are trying to get way ahead of ourselves.
I m loving this Christmas season! Mainly because my 4 yr old really gets it this year so we are having lots of fun!
Well not much more to say. The year is coming to an end and shortly I will be doing my yearly recap and looking forward to what next year will bring...... Feliz Navidad!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
ICBF Wait List
This is the newest updated wait list for ICBF. Our dossier was approved July 2011 so as you can see the wait is over 3 years. Hopefully there will be more and more movement as time goes on.
Age of Child ------- Date of Application Approval by ICBF
Child 0-12 months ------ Dec - 2007
Child 13 - 23 months ---- Dec - 2007
Child 2 years ----------- Jun - 2007
Child 2 - 3 years -------- May - 2007
Child 3 years ----------- Dec - 2007
Child 3 - 4 years -------- Dec - 2007
Child 4 years ----------- NOT LISTED ON NEW FORM
Child 4 -5 years -------- Jan - 2009
Child 5 years ----------- Oct - 2009
Child 5 - 6 years ------- Oct - 2009
Child 6 years ----------- NOT LISTED ON FORM
Child 7 years ----------- Jul - 2011
2 Siblings 0 - 4 years --- Apr - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 5 years --- Feb - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 6 years --- Sep - 2009
2 Siblings 0 - 7 years --- Feb - 2010
2 Siblings 0 - 8 years --- Feb - 2010
Age of Child ------- Date of Application Approval by ICBF
Child 0-12 months ------ Dec - 2007
Child 13 - 23 months ---- Dec - 2007
Child 2 years ----------- Jun - 2007
Child 2 - 3 years -------- May - 2007
Child 3 years ----------- Dec - 2007
Child 3 - 4 years -------- Dec - 2007
Child 4 years ----------- NOT LISTED ON NEW FORM
Child 4 -5 years -------- Jan - 2009
Child 5 years ----------- Oct - 2009
Child 5 - 6 years ------- Oct - 2009
Child 6 years ----------- NOT LISTED ON FORM
Child 7 years ----------- Jul - 2011
2 Siblings 0 - 4 years --- Apr - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 5 years --- Feb - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 6 years --- Sep - 2009
2 Siblings 0 - 7 years --- Feb - 2010
2 Siblings 0 - 8 years --- Feb - 2010
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Fall Update
Well not much going on here, just the usual daily grind....
We are in the process of updating our homestudy. Yup, been a year already! Time sure does go by fast.
We have been talking about learning Spanish a lot. Blahhh! I am starting to dread the process of home schooling myself, but this is a must. We gave ourselves until January to start and it looks like Rosetta Stone has won.
We are potty training Anthony which I must say is the one thing about parenting I dislike. It is a must and the end result is great, but the in between is brutal.
In the midst of this Anthony has been waking up multiple times a night the majority of nights which has made Charlie and I very tired and a little bit cranky. But we are making it and the mornings we are tired and cranky we laugh about wanting 2 more children. I always have to remind myself that we are not bringing them home today. However, I am making mental notes of where we are with Chase and Anthony now because this is the age range we are approved for.
Chase celebrated his 4th birthday. I am stating to get a feel for the age range we are approved for with Colombia. Some days I want 2 4 yr olds and others 2 1 yrs olds. Some days 2 boys and others 2 girls. I really feel it is all in God's hands. However, I do wonder if one or both of my children are born? How is their birth mother doing? Are they being held and loved? Every day I look at my boys and hold and love them. Amazing how little we appreciate the world we were born into when it is good and how scared we can become if it is bad.
Anyways, I have made an internal pack with myself to not wish life away. Living in West Virginia we tend to talk about the upcoming winter with gloom and doom and can't wait for it to end. In adoption we spend so much time trying to fill our time with preparation hoping the referal will come that much sooner. But life is a beautiful thing and so is youth. So I am going to try my hardest to enjoy this time in my life, enbrace winter, hold and love my children (and my husband and maybe my dog :)), and learn Spanish!
Chase's 4th birthday party. It was a WVU Football game day and of course we always TRY to get Rosco in the picture too!
We are in the process of updating our homestudy. Yup, been a year already! Time sure does go by fast.
We have been talking about learning Spanish a lot. Blahhh! I am starting to dread the process of home schooling myself, but this is a must. We gave ourselves until January to start and it looks like Rosetta Stone has won.
We are potty training Anthony which I must say is the one thing about parenting I dislike. It is a must and the end result is great, but the in between is brutal.
In the midst of this Anthony has been waking up multiple times a night the majority of nights which has made Charlie and I very tired and a little bit cranky. But we are making it and the mornings we are tired and cranky we laugh about wanting 2 more children. I always have to remind myself that we are not bringing them home today. However, I am making mental notes of where we are with Chase and Anthony now because this is the age range we are approved for.
Chase celebrated his 4th birthday. I am stating to get a feel for the age range we are approved for with Colombia. Some days I want 2 4 yr olds and others 2 1 yrs olds. Some days 2 boys and others 2 girls. I really feel it is all in God's hands. However, I do wonder if one or both of my children are born? How is their birth mother doing? Are they being held and loved? Every day I look at my boys and hold and love them. Amazing how little we appreciate the world we were born into when it is good and how scared we can become if it is bad.
Anyways, I have made an internal pack with myself to not wish life away. Living in West Virginia we tend to talk about the upcoming winter with gloom and doom and can't wait for it to end. In adoption we spend so much time trying to fill our time with preparation hoping the referal will come that much sooner. But life is a beautiful thing and so is youth. So I am going to try my hardest to enjoy this time in my life, enbrace winter, hold and love my children (and my husband and maybe my dog :)), and learn Spanish!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Learning Spanish???
So we are now in the process of thinking we will learn to speak Spanish. I realize this is a huge undertaking and must say I am not sure I am up to it. After 8 years of college I thought my learning days were over. Continuing Education here and there sure, but a new language; I hope I can do it? So I purchased Little Pima for the boys and we had our first lesson last night. This will be our Monday (or Tuesday) night routine for a few months to see how it is going. Since Chase is about 4 and Anthony is 2 we felt this was a great time to start with the basics for them and maybe Charlie and I will pick up on some things too before we start some form of formal learning. Rosetta Stone??? I must say it is a bit overwhelming, but I don't want to put it off since 3 years will fly by if I put it off. So here goes and we will see how well it goes!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Approval!!!!!!!!
Every day I have been thinking about the call and checking my phone and finally yesterday we got "the call!" My heart was still when I heard it was Nichole, but when she said we were approved words cannot describe the relief. I kept wondering if I would be out and about or at work, but it turns out I was at home with my boys and my 2 cousins who were visiting from Arkansa. It was my one cousin's 14th birthday so we had just baked a cake and were hanging out waiting for it to be done and the phone rang. I immediately hung up and called Charlie at work. We had a busy night, but later when it was just Charlie and I we were able to toast this hurdle we just leaped and talk about what the years to come will bring. It finally feels real and for the first time I feel a tangible timeline for this process. We are so very excited to be officially waiting and understand the hardships of the years to come, but for this time we are going to relish in this step! Here we go..............................
Thursday, July 28, 2011
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