Our Plus One

It has been awhile...

2009-09-30T21:17:00.005-04:00

Hey all. Wow, I didn't know it had been so long since my last post.

We all are good. Sophia is growing so quickly--she seems to have hit a growth spurt lately. Growing tall and sassy by the day.

A quick note, a group of the Ethio-families are getting together this Sunday at Shilito Park, around 4:30. Post or email for more details...

And now, some incredibly cute pics:

At Uncle Todd's 40th

Sophia's 2nd Birthday Party

Just one afternoon at Aunt Emmie's

Blog Crossing II

2009-02-19T14:15:00.002-05:00

It would seem that there is a group of mommas and their habesha babes converging on Louisville tomorrow for dinner. Lindsey and Ian from over at Clevinger Corner and Amy and Sophia are heading over...

That essentially means that Ian and Sophia are having their first car date. At least they will be well supervised.

p.s. I am doing the snoopy dance...details to follow.

Fingers crossed...

2009-02-18T13:40:00.001-05:00

Here's hoping for joyful news for Ms. M*

In other news...stay tuned for news of major blog crossing....there is planning afoot!

A belated Chritmas Post

2009-01-19T17:34:00.004-05:00

Well, we just downloaded from the camera the Christmas photos. Sophia is a bit harder to get to stay still for picture these days. When she was younger and less/non-mobile, taking her picture was much easier.

Here are a few:

A WooHoo to David and Laura

2008-12-10T14:47:00.003-05:00

A big WooHooo to David and Laura! There are in Ethiopia right now to bring their son, Jonah Zelalem home. The got through their Embassy appointment and hopefully are now just waiting for his visa to be processed.

Play Time

2008-12-10T14:15:00.003-05:00

Last night we had pizza and spent the evening with the Clevinger's. Sophia and Ian spent the entire time chasing each other, playing, mimicking, and throwing ornaments from the Christmas tree--well, they did take a short break to eat a few bites of pizza and of course later for a cup cake. And, there was a good amount of hugging and smooching thrown in for good measure. Lindsey took some photos, so hopefully she got some good ones of the two smooching bandits!

Sophia didn't make it out of their neighborhood before she crashed out, and I think Mr. Ian was well on his way to Sleepyville when we left.

Seeing our two habesha babes together make me happy. I am extremely thankful that Ian and Sophia have each other. In a few short months, Ms. M* will be home and their group will grow to three, multiplying the fun.

One year hence...

2008-11-26T10:08:00.006-05:00

The first day...

Halloween 2008 -- Our little Bumblebee Ballerina!

One year ago

2008-11-25T16:35:00.002-05:00

We landed at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with only our wits and each other, 6 bags, and the trust that a driver named Alazar would be waiting beyond the throng of people just beyond baggage claim--and, the heart-pull of a little girl who lay waiting for us in her crib, somewhere in this city we found ourselves.

Fall harvest at the orchard

2008-10-12T15:36:00.013-04:00

Swinging the day away.

Como te llama, llama?

Leopold the Llama
Swinging with Poppa!

...and Mommy.

Cousins on the hay ride.
Our little sunflower!

Get Together Update/Change in Venue

2008-09-22T20:24:00.003-04:00

The venue has been changed for the get together. Everything else remains the same, we are now meeting at Shilito Park. Here is a map to the park--it is behind Fayette Mall.

Family Get Together -- Come one, come all

2008-09-10T22:08:00.002-04:00

Hey all,

In a recent post, I wrote how nice it would be to get a group of us who have been blessed with children from Ethiopia together for a family outing. Well, thanks to Josa, this is firmly in the planning phase.

Here are the particulars:

When: October 11 -- Noon

Where: Jacobson Park (South east Lexington, KY)

Who: As many as we all know and can get there

What: Pizza is the food that seems the easiest...and whatever else you may want to bring (more on this will come in a future post)

So, if you are in the area/region, feel free to join us.

A Circle Completed

2008-09-01T22:15:00.009-04:00

In May of 2007, Amy and I were in the beginnings of the adoption process. As with many families, the enormity of the process had us feeling a bit overwhelmed, uninformed, and unprepared. We felt as though we were swimming in storm surf with no view of land or scrap of flotsam. To help us find our way, we started this blog in hopes of making connections with other families who were going, and had gone, through the process to ease us down the road. Along the way, we connected with the Clevingers through our families’ blogs.

We both went through the entire process in almost lockstep. We completed our home studies around the same time, we completed our dossiers around the same time, we received our referrals around the same time, and we traveled to Ethiopia around the same time. Through all our up and downs, the waiting, and the anxiety, we developed a great email and blog relationship with Lindsey and Courtney; but, even though we live in the same area, we never had the chance to meet in person. We wanted to try to meet up in Addis, but we both had our crazy schedules and illnesses to deal with, so we had to delay meeting until we were back stateside.

We finally meet the Clevinger Three (soon Four) this past Friday night for dinner. It proved to be as though we sat around a table together many times before. To start, once our little ones saw each other, their eyes and faces lit up in a deep smile. As we sat, talked, delayed ordering, talked more, our little ones played and took each other’s crackers. After dinner, Ian and Sophia were able to get down and play with toys and a rogue straw. It was a treat for them to meet and I am thrilled to think of all the play-dates, birthdays and gotcha days, and maybe even a prom date too (hey, Ian did steal a little kiss at the end of the night).

As we look forward to raising our little girl, we know making great connections with other families who have also been blessed with children from Ethiopia will support her (and her family) as she grows. We are blessed to count Lindsey, Courtney, Ian, and M* as one family we know will share our joy in seeing our Sophia grow from a beautiful little girl into beautiful young lady.

A la "Lost" -- Blog Crossing

2008-08-28T21:07:00.002-04:00

The world of this blog will cross with the world of another...stay tuned to find out who!

It's party time here, too!

2008-08-18T21:54:00.005-04:00

Just as our friends over at Lindsey and Courtney, it seems that the party time in the wee hours of the morning has taken root here too. It seems to hit around the 2:00 hour, and Sophia wants to jump, climb the crib, and wants everyone to be with her--or, she with us. Though, last night she slept the night through with only few cries and whimpers.

I think that she has traded that time in the morning hours for the afternoon nap without telling us. Lately, she hasn't been taking her afternoon snooze at daycare and some days she and her little friends seemingly conspire to forgo their nap--one day all six babies didn't take a nap. Wow, the young woman in the room that afternoon seemed to be feeling it, too.

In other news, she is still growing and loves pulling up and standing to play. Instead of the sitting in her little activity center, she loves holding onto and walking around it and playing with all the
toys. It will not be long until she is trying to take steps. Oh boy!

Olympic watch

2008-08-15T12:29:00.004-04:00

Ethiopia has taken its first gold medal.

Tirunesh Dibaba has taken the gold in the women's 10000m.

From American Life in Poetry

2008-08-13T15:03:00.003-04:00

The US Poet Laureate, 2004-2006, Ted Kooser has a weekly column where he chooses a poem he finds that shares one poet's unique view of our American life as refracted through poetry's prism. This arrives in my inbox every Thursday; sometimes whimsical, sometimes tragic, and others, such as this poem, which are surprisingly close to my experience of watching my daughter play and eat.

Enjoy!

To Katharine: At Fourteen Months

All morning, you've studied the laws
of spoons, the rules of books, the dynamics
of the occasional plate, observed the principles
governing objects in motion and objects
at rest. To see if it will fall, and if it does,
how far, if it will rage like a lost penny
or ring like a Chinese gong--because
it doesn't have to--you lean from your chair
and hold your cup over the floor.
It curves in your hand, it weighs in your palm,
it arches like a wave, it is a dipper
full of stars, and you're the wind timing
the pull of the moon, you're the water
measuring the distance from which we fall.

--Joelle Biele

Where has the time gone?

2008-08-12T20:42:00.007-04:00

First of all, my apologies the adopto-blogoshere for being entirely behind (scratch that, delinquent) on any and all posts since Fathers' Day. I was warned a while ago from one of Amy's friends that I was going to be issued a demerit for not posting and keeping Sophia's site updated.

So, here we go!

We spent our first Fourth of July in Chicago. We went with our close friends and their daughter (our goddaughter) and we all had a great time, tasty food, and beautiful weather. We shopped Michigan Ave, the four girls took a carriage ride, experiences the Taste of Chicago, and road the El. We were so surprised by the cool weather we were treated with, we had to by Sophia warmer clothes to wear.

We toured the city on a river boat (I know, kinda touristy, but very cool) on the evening of the Fourth. We headed down the river, through the Chicago Locks, and then out onto Lake Michigan for a loop around the lighthouse.

Fast forward a few weeks--

Looking back, the months that have past since we met our little girl, Ethiopia seems so long ago. It seems to soon to celebrate her first birthday. But in the same thought, she seems to be so much older with each new sound, every time she crawls a bit faster, and more independence she shows.

We had a cozy little party for Sophia--and for her great grandfather, with whom she shares a birthday--complete with burgers and hot dogs, potato salad, cake, and ice cream. And, a pink pinata, fashioned in the shape of a numeral one.

Some of her family were disappointed that there was not more cake carnage than this.

Hanging out with her Granddaddy!

Now, as we knock on the door of 13 months, we prepare for the first steps and the unstoppable walking to follow. Looking at her when she wants to get from A to B, her face tells the tale of her knowing that crawling is really inefficient and there must be a better way. Before that, her parent must finish baby-proofing the house.

Out of all the present of that day, she never let this yellow and white ribbon get too far from her sight.

Hello from Amanda

2008-08-01T23:51:00.002-04:00

Hello, this is Amy and Dustin's niece Amanda. I took the picture of Sophia's baptism. .
I was just wanting to say hello to everyone out there! Thank You for all of the nice comments of Sophia!
Amanda!

Happy Fathers' Day!

2008-06-15T16:12:00.003-04:00

Those Winter Sundays
--Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
And put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
about love's austere and lonely offices?

New things

2008-06-11T09:22:00.004-04:00

Sophia started day care this week. She has been staying with Amy's mother and grandmother for the past 4 months, so there have been many folks this week adjusting to new things.

We chose a local, church-run day care that many of our friends and family have gone, including our goddaughter. It was just very tough to get a spot there...we signed on the waiting list last march when we sent the application to our adoption agency. It took longer to get into day care than our entire adoption and post-adoption leave time. Wow!

Our home study agency had their yearly, family picnic whilst we were vacationing in Florida. We hated to miss it and especially Courtney, Lindsey, and Ian.

In the past two weeks we have meet two local families who are adopting from Ethiopia. We spent a Saturday in the park with David & Laura and their daughter. There are awaiting their referral of their little boy. And, at Whole Foods this past Saturday, we meet someone else. He and his wife are traveling at the end of July to bring home their little girl. We are very pleased to know the a network, however small, is building here locally and in our region--a network for parents and one for the little ones at the grow.

Maybe these KY families should plan a little late summer, early fall get together....

Fav Foto Monday

2008-06-09T19:22:00.004-04:00

Sophia on our first vacation. We went to Florida for a wedding and then on to Panama City Beach to see my family--they were on vacation too.

We three went to a park near downtown a few Saturdays ago to meet a family who is awaiting their referral from Ethiopia for an infant boy.

Photo Friday

2008-05-23T08:18:00.007-04:00

Yes, I am unashamedly borrowing this from some of the other bloggers around here....

Tuesday morning -- Sophia excited about voting in the Kentucky Primary (and it counted for once)

Addis Kidan Guest House

2008-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

During our 4 weeks in Addis, we stayed with the wonderful folks at the Addis Kidan Guest House. Our friend, who we met during our stay, produced this little "video" of the guest house. Check it out to see our Ethiopian home.

Monday Morning Musings

2008-04-21T08:32:00.004-04:00

Sophia now has 6 teeth. Two more popped through Saturday night--and there are still more on the way. Because of that fact, she is not sleeping very well. That means, her parents have not been sleeping very well--and, her Momma has been a trooper the last few nights in getting up with her.

Even with the sleepless nights and the discomfort of teething, she is still so sweet and loving when she wakes up in the morning. She has this thing of tucking her chin into her shoulder, cutting her eyes to me, and then springing the biggest and cutest smile--it just melts me.

Catching up..

2008-04-17T21:25:00.004-04:00

We are still here, and we are all well. Sophia has four, pronounced teeth--the front four. Those came in with only a modicum of fussiness. Now, more have set in. Four on the top at least one molar. Wow, the crossness that we missed with the first four has laid in for these that just arrived. A little Baby Oragel and Baby Tylenol really helps.

Sophia was received the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, March 30. Father John List, our pastor, was the officiant. For a baby who doesn't like the bath, she hung with the Holy Water fairly well.

This is Sophia waving at the congregation. First time she had really waved purposely before, and she was really waving to beat the band. Her Godfather Jim is in the middle back, and her Godmother Emilyis on the left.

Sophia had her 9-month check-up last week. She is 16 lbs., 10.5 oz and 28 inches long. Meaning, she is in the 16th percentile for weight and the 75th for height.

We learned that her lead level was 9.8 in December, with a measure of 10 being the threshold for concern. Dr. Childers allayed our trepidation by saying that her exposure was environmental and the level with drop naturally. She will have another test in 3 months, and her level should be down considerably by then.

Other than that, we are all well. Little Miss gets up most mornings at 3:00 and is awake for 2 hours or so.

Talk to you all soon!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T19:35:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter to all. We three hope that you have had a blessed Easter Weekend!

Don't trust the DS-230, 33 a & b

2008-02-20T20:40:00.003-05:00

When we filled out Sophia's Application for Immigration (DS-230), we checked the 'Yes' boxes for 33a and 33b. By checking these two, USCIS was supposed to share the information from our application with Social Security Administration to generate an SSN and send us her card.

Well, after two months of waiting, I gathered all our documents and headed for the local SSA field office. Needless to say, there was no record of this happening, no number generated, and no card on the way.

Has this option worked for anyone else?

We have teeth!

2008-02-20T20:35:00.002-05:00

Sophia has two new teeth! She has been trying to cut them in for a few weeks now, and just this past Saturday one of the bottom, front two popped through. And, the other front, bottom tooth came through the next morning. She is very proud of them.

Mailbox stalking : Revisited

2008-02-07T22:10:00.001-05:00

Hey all. I must apologize for not posting for a while; it seems lately that days quickly pass the next.

When we came home, Sophia traveled on an IR-3 visa. We arrived in Addis 2.5 days before our court hearing, so we were able to see her before the hearing. Since she traveled on an IR-3, we did not have to file a separate application for her Certificate of Citizenship. From all that we read, the C of C would be mailed no later than 45 days from date of entry. Counting the days, we have been stalking the mailbox, ala I-171H-style.

It finally arrived today! woot woot

In the interim, Sophia has been growing and thriving. We have been the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Kentucky for her post-adoption physical and evaluation, which went really well. She has started on real food....rice and oatmeal cereal, bananas, pears, applesauce, and sweet peas...she loves the peas!

She is now holding her own bottle...I still don't know how I feel about that :)

I could go on...

everyday, still, holds new looks and giggles, new discoveries, new depths of emotions, and new treasures for a lifetime....

Thankful

2008-01-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kerri for posting this link.

This gave the needed boost for my self-promise to remember all that touched my heart in Ethiopia and the profound understanding of the wealth and blessing of my life...

Doctor Visits

2008-01-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

We had our first doctor visits during the last few weeks. We were to go to our regular pediatrician last Thursday for a check up and to start her vaccinations. But, Sophia developed a cough towards the beginning of last week. Our well visit turned into a sick visit. The cough was viral, and we found out that she had an ear infection as well.

We were supposed to have her first visit to the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Kentucky the day before that, but we had to postpone it. We just didn't think Sophia would be too keen on being poked and prodded (especially the OT exam) while having 101-102 fever.

Fast forward to this Wednesday, we had a great visit with Dr. Shawn Taylor at the IAC. She is a great doctor with tremedous wealth of knowledge about international medicine, especially internation orphans. Sophia still had the ear infection. We are on our second round of antibiotics. As for the physical, the outcome was close to our expectations. She is a bit behind in her truck muscle development and her reaching, grasping, etc. But Dr. Taylor and the OT specialist, Megan, gave us some great instruction and documentation on how to get her up to the curve.

In all other areas, Sophia is all A-pluses, with gold stars. We had our first trip to the book store tonight--she loves her books! That makes me a happy papa!

We are home..

2007-12-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

Well, we have been home now for one week. We left for Ethiopia on 11/24 and arrived home with our little one on 12/21. Over the next few weeks I will post what one could call a wrap up of our trip. There is so much to cover day by day, so I will try to cover the highlights.

We arrived late in the evening on 11/25, minds and bodies numb from being awake almost two days. Queued for our visas, then for immigration, for our bags, and finally for customs (which was nothing but an x-ray machine). Outside we found our driver, Alazar, who proved to a trusted ally and resource on the streets of Addis, and made our way from the airport to our guest house.

The next day, we awoke, called our lawyer, Abebe, and made arrangements to meet our little one. We arrived at Toukoul Orphanage, had coffee with the director, and left there to go to Toukoul 2, where little Sophia waited for us. A short car ride down the street, around a roundabout, a left turn, right, then another left, we were there. The culmination of our journey was upon us.

Amy and Sophia --taken just after she was placed in our arms for the first time around 11:00 on 11/26. This is the first picture taken and is by far my treasure of the entire trip.

Second day, morning visit. She is just too precious.

Our first family outing--Metro Pizzeria. They make some of the best pizza you will find anywhere.

A close up on the way to Metro. Sophia loves the Snugli!

Kidist and Sophia. Kidist runs things at the Addis Kidan Guest House. I can only begin to tell you how wonderful and caring she is...

Just a happy baby hanging out, entertaining her parents.

Clearing the fog of confusion

2007-11-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Hey all..so there was some confusion on our travel, etc.

We found our on Wednesday that they (out Ethiopia coordinator & domestic agent) want us there before the court date so we can see Sophia at least one day before the court date. This will change the after placement procedures when we arrived stateside...no domestic readoption proceedings...

So our court date is the same, 11/28...we are going just much sooner than we expected..

We have our travel date

2007-11-14T20:02:00.001-05:00

We were gobsmacked with the sooner-than-expected referral and the quick court date, but nothing compared to the news we got today.

We leave next saturday...the one just after Thanksgiving!!!!!! November 24!!!!!!!! I guess that we will be packing our bags rather than putting up the tree on the Friday after.

We have so much left to do, but we know that we will get it all done in its own time. We are just basking the cloud that has enveloped us with the thought that she will be in our arms in two Mondays from now.

We are waiting to hear how long we will be there, but our miracle-worker Carol said she wants to get us there and back quickly.

We will be posting any and all updates that come in the next few days...

For the Fathers, and especially mine...

2007-11-13T18:27:00.001-05:00

Since we received our referral, my thoughts have been consumed with knowing, understanding, and collating the never before felt emotions and feelings I have for this little girl. Just I as I posted before in having to remember there is no value for time in algebra, I need to remember my physic lessons as well. I told Amy one night I have so many swirls of feeling and emotions inside me,I know from whence they came, but I do not know what they are. I just know they are. But these new residents of my heart and soul have not displaced who lived there before. My soul has gained an immense mass, but the volumes has remains unchanged.

Most days I check the Poetry Foundation web site for the daily poem, but I have not in while (we were our of town most of last week). I finally found the words in the following quatrains for a new, swelling feeling I am experiencing: I am starting to feel more like a father than a son.

Men at Forty

Men at forty
Learn to close softly
The doors to rooms they will not be
Coming back to.

At rest on a stair landing,
They feel it moving
Beneath them now like the deck of a ship,
Though the swell is gentle.

And deep in mirrors
They rediscover
The face of the boy as he practices tying
His father’s tie there in secret,

And the face of that father,
Still warm with the mystery of lather.
They are more fathers than sons themselves now.
Something is filling them, something

That is like the twilight sound
Of the crickets, immense,
Filling the woods at the foot of the slope
Behind their mortgaged houses.

--Donald Justice

We have our court date!!!

2007-11-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

November 28, 2007!!!

We got the email last night from our agent--we were totally surprised that we got it so soon and it is so soon. i have trying to get this post up all day, but the hours today have slipped past. The Observational Amy Breedlove noticed the subtle change of one of the two tickers above, so now I have to post.

We will talk to our agent tonight...hopefully we will hear some definite travel times, etc.

Check back soon for more....

Introducing....

2007-11-03T22:55:00.000-04:00

Sophia Lidet Baker!!!

That's right! We have our referral. Due to a few hiccups with our case, Amy and I had resigned ourselves to a December-January timeframe for our referral. Through God's blessing and the hard work of others, we were caught totally unaware at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday morning.

October 31 is a day that will live in our hearts and minds forever.

Her birthday is July 16, so she is just 3.5 months old; just touch under 10 pounds, but 24 inches long. And she had long fingers. And her eyes are just precious.

In reading the good news of other referrals, I have noticed a string of coincidences of dats and times, etc. We have some interesting ones as well:

Her birthday is July 16, same as Amy's Granddaddy (which just tickles him to death).
We received our referral on October 31, which is my dad's birthday.
She arrived at the Addis orphange on October 13, our anniversary...
She is named Lidet, which means "anniversary"

Amy was home on Wednesday, which started an any other unassuming Wednesday. I was in my office working a map when Amy rang. We usually talk around this time everyday, so I minimized my work, and as I answered something in my email caught my eye. There, in bold, black, unread typeface, "Baker family referral." My head and body was instantly numb. I asked her what was happening, I think I remember saying "I don't understand, what's happening?" She had tried calling just before that, but I had my headphones on and the phone on vibrate so I didn't hear the rattling.

We now understand how the simplest of tasks become cumbersome and almost impossible when adrenaline hits the body. Amy had wrestled the laptop attempting to open it and was having trouble opening the email and then the attachments. Our mouths were dry. And, there is not many other details I can recall for the next few hours.

I know I left vapor trails leaving my office and then the parking garage. I truly drove my path through town all by memory and instinct.

We meet at the top of our stairs for the deepest and stongest hug I have ever felt.

Then, I saw the beautiful face of out daughter for the first time.

We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have offered the abundance of encouragement and prayers; thank you from the depths of our hearts.

We look forward to the next phase of our journey to finally join our daughter, was are glad we have you all to share it with.

May she stay in St. Brigid's cloak...

LifeBooks

2007-10-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

Anyone started one?

Anyone have any plans for one?

Pre-made/store bought layout? Striking out on your own?

The Google returns about 27.83 books about lifebooks for every 1 return for a life book...

An Evening With David Sedaris

2007-10-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

We had a awesome weekend away for our anniversary. We started the day (well, at noon) with a 90-minute massage for each of us that was in a word, much-needed. We left the Massage Center with a slightly different and lighter gait. And, it is still with us.

We had a great hotel room downtown, just a few block from the Victoria Theater and adjacent to the Oregon District. We ended up having dinner at The Dublin Pub and cheered on the Cats for the part of the game we were able to see.

And then, on to the theater. David Sedaris is one our favorite authors. Mostly non-fiction, he writes with a sharp wit and humor, but it is always layered over insightful and meaningful obersvations of love, family, life and loss. We laughed all the way through the reading, with only a few moments surprised by a few tears. As you can see in the photo, we stayed around after to meet him and get our book signed. While talking to him about our anniversary, he pulled his bag from under the table and handed us a little bauble--a small, black, plastic spider. We loved it.

After returning to the Bluegrass, we meet our friends and goddaughter at an apple orchard in Woodford County. We stayed a brief span, the sun was brutal. But we did get some good photos.

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend. I am still floating from the time away I had with my girl. Hearing her laugh during the performance was the treat for me...

2007-10-15T15:00:00.001-04:00

Jobs I've Had
1. GIS Specialist
2. Technical Writer
3. Trainer

Places I've Lived
1. Sidney, OH
2. Oxford, OH
3. Lexington, KY

Food I love
1. I could go on longer here than in books and tv combined....so, steak, shrimp, scallops, green beans, irish potatoes, and cornbread.

Places I would rather be
1. Ethiopia
2. Somewhere with Fall-like weather right now

Movies I love
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Usual Suspects
3. Any Monty Python

TV Shows I watch
1. Brotherhood
2. Lost (Counting down to Feb 2008!)
3. The Office
4. Damages

Books I love (where to I start, these I could not go without)
1. The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
2. The Complete Works of Elizabeth Bishop
3. All Day Permanent Red-- Christopher Logue
4. The Great Gatsby
5. "Hills Like White Elephants" -E. Hemingway (short story)
6. "The Things They Carried" -Tim O'Brien (short story)
7. The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams Vols I & II
8. The Road Cormac McCarthy
....ok, I stop there...but I could go on...

I would tag someone...but all those I would tag have been tagged and/or tagged me...

Our first shower

2007-10-12T23:01:00.000-04:00

Amy work folks threw a baby shower for us last night (Thursday). We both had a great time and were humbled at their support and generosity. We had some great food, fun games, and one of best cakes we ever had!

And the gifts were nice too...cute little sleepers, outfits, trickets and accoutrements...and a beautiful, hand-knitted blanket. Very cute!

A much needed getaway

2007-10-12T18:07:00.001-04:00

Amy and I are taking off for the weekend...for our anniversiary. Headed to Ohio to see/hear our favorite author read (from his new book, hopefully). We are very excited. Plus, with all going on around town, it is a good weekend to get of town.

We received an updated timeline for our new case manager. We are looking at 2.5 to 6.5 months until we are home with our little one. Even though this is a bit longer than we orginially anticipated, knowing that lessens the impact. The prosopect of interminable waiting was trying on our patience, to say the least.

A big thanks to Lindsey and Courtney for their continued prayers and support.

And, big ups to our new case manager, Carol.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Well, there was more

2007-10-08T16:37:00.000-04:00

We were able to head our for little shopping on Saturday--I found the worlds greatest shower shirt

And on Sunday we found the cutest sign/plaque to hand on the outside of her door. It is predominantly pink, with some green tones--complements her room colors nicely....and Sophia in script. It all hangs from a pink ribbon...very cute. Now, we just have to find something of equal cuteness to hang it from...

We took the find as an omen of good news soon to arrive.

Monday Cleanup

2007-10-08T15:20:00.001-04:00

First of all....the temperature should not be any where near 90 degrees on October 8 in Kentucky. The A/C unit has been fighting the good fight all day, but it is slowly losing ground. Once the sun makes the turn to the south-facing side, my windows become an Easy Bake Oven.

The weekend was tame...Amy and I reclaimed the guest bedroom that was the office. It was chocked full of all sorts of furniture, wall hangings, and anything else that was displaced while we finished Baby Sophia's room. Wow, it feels so good to have that room cleaned up.

Other than that, no new information on the adoption...

Remebering algebra class

2007-10-03T23:30:00.000-04:00

"In zen and the art of algebra
there is no value for time."
-John Cale "Zen"

As I lay, restless, yesterday's down swing still sits fat on my neck. I really do not have a thought as to where this post is going, so it will be a surprise for all. I was reminded of the snippet above from a John Cale song--i still do not know how it arrived to be on my iPod--it always strikes me, though, the times it would slide into the rotation. There is no real narrative to the lyrics, no meaning or 'plot' to follow. The words of the lyrics blend into the music to a point that the one can not exist without the other--becoming some Lryic..beautiful, but impossible to understand...much short of but similar to the gliding voice of an aria...the unequivical beauty of words never really meant to be understoond, but felt...carried forth...remembered.

I thought of this while working on Sophia's room with Amy...we would lose hours in there...leaving the left side of our brains outside, we danced--inside--as we taped, rolled, brushed..she with light pink, I with the darker. There was no waiting in her room...she was there with us...no presence to felt with finger tips...just the soul's knowing what the fingers can not touch and the eyes can not see.

2007-10-02T23:05:00.000-04:00

There is the fruit of our labor. We are so glad that it is done, but we really enjoyed doing to project, and doing together. We almost had to replace the carpet because some paint seeped through the drop cloth....so we are glad that we didn't have to take it that far.

The file transfer to the new computer is complete, ahhhh..wireless is sooooo cool.

The Room!

2007-10-02T18:40:00.000-04:00

We have to be close, right?!?

2007-10-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

I am so incredibly happy with the referral news that seems to hitting the blogosphere...at least in the small circle we keep....it gives me hope that we are soon in the queue!

Ah, relish the finishing

2007-10-01T13:18:00.001-04:00

We are done with the baby girl's room!!! Woot woot! Everything seemed to come together at once, and poof, we were done. The chair rail turned out nicely--(big ups to the fact daddy got to buy a new saw ;) I think Amy and i discovered a new type of math while ciphering the odd angles in a few parts of the room.

The paint colors are perfect.

We did take a break on Saturday to head to the Christ the King Octoberfest. Excellent brats, german potato salad, and kraut...raffles....and bingo. A real treat of the evening turned out to hear Peter Buck (of R.E.M) and Scott McCaughey play a set.

I hope to get the pictures up this evening so all can see.

take care

-d

Pictures will be posted soon...

2007-09-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

The chair rail is up...just a bit of chaulk and touch up paint tomorrow, and we are ready for the furniture...

Another week passes....

2007-09-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

Hey all!!!

There have been a few changes happening...

We have painted! We opted for two-tone pink separated by white chair rail. We painted the bottom part a medium-dark pink (think bubblegum) and the top part a light pink (think cotton candy). We bought the chair rail last night, will paint it today, and hang it tomorrow. We are so close. I hope to have the baby furniture assembled and in place by Sunday.

The biggest news is that we now have a new agent with IFS. We were notified by an out-of-the-blue e-mail informing us our case will be transfered Carol, the executive director of IFS. Even though it may be a good thing, it is still a major shift this late in the process.

My mom has all the fabric she needs to complete the dust ruffle and window treatments...

Take care, all

Hey...only a week's gap this time...

2007-09-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

Hey all....just touching base....

No new news...still waiting to hear about waiting.

The walls of Sophia's room remain primer-white with swatches of ivory and two shades of pink. We will at least paint the ivory, base coat this weekend.

We have the bolt a fabric my mom needs to made the window treatments....now, just figuring out how to get it to her. It is only about 5ft long...hmmmm

And a thank you to Lindsey over at http://bringinghomebabyian.blogspot.com/ for sending us a link to the Daileaders blog. They are in Ethiopia right now to bring their daughter (Sophie) home....very sweet.

Really, not post since 8/31

2007-09-13T09:18:00.000-04:00

Here are few things that have been stored away in my mind, waiting to be posted.

Amy and I spent part of the Labor Day weekend with my parents while they were in from Georgia....had a nice lunch together on the patio of a local restaurant. Then, bless my father for this, we spent about 2.5 hours at the fabric store. After must searching, comparing, and searching again, we found the perfect fabrics to make Sophia's dust ruffle, curtain panels, and crib sheet. My mother has been fighting the bit to sew something for the little one's room...I cannot wait to see the finished product.

We have started redoing the nursery. We have narrowed down the paint choice from broad idea of yellow or pink to two shades of pink, and we now have one chosen. Now, we just have to decide how we want to paint the room....wide stripes, narrow stripes, wainscoting below chair rail, pink on top and ivory below chair rail....or no chair rail with only a painted line....ahhhhh...the possibilities are maddening. :)

Lastly....Amy received this from a friend of hers who has adopted from Guatemala twice...uplifting when we needed it:

"You know Amy…I truly believe these are our birthpains as adoptive parents and as hard as it is to imagine, these are the days that will bond you to your little girl forever. Praise God that we ache for these children, because it is that which reminds us that they are OUR children…that in His perfect wisdom, before He knitted them in the womb, before He knitted us in the womb, He knew that she was yours! And that is what makes it bearable until she is in your arms forever."

Still makes my eyes leaky...

take care, all

By popular request - a post

2007-08-31T09:14:00.000-04:00

After reading through a few of the surveys that are floating, especially question #4 of said survey. This sums it well: "Even if you don't really have anything to say...don't keep us hang'in!

While I was waiting for Amy to get back from Indianapolis last night, I decided to dust of my guitar. It was been a very long time--to but it perspective, after I opened the case, I literally had to dust of my guitar. Expecting to play it worse than I played the trombone in 5th grade, I tentatively fingered the frets to find the cords I use to know. I was no virtuoso before--not even good--but I played fairly well. I was able to get through a few phrases of the song in my head (of course I had to look up the cords on the Web).

As I said before, picking up the cello again has been in my head for a few weeks...maybe this will suffice for a bit. Although, I will have to remember how to restring it--my old strings have rusted a bit...and my high E string has a slightly buzz to it. I add it all up to character.

Cheers

OK, I'll play too

2007-08-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

1. How many blogs are listed under your favorites list that you check EVERY day? 2 of 2...and I will usually lurk through the linked web of connections.

2. How many times a day do you "go to the bathroom" and end up checking blogs? At least 4 times a day.

3. Do your kids recognize the other kids from the blogs that follow? No kids...but there are many familiar faces to both of us.

4. Do you keep track of how often people update their blogs and get upset when they don't keep to the schedule?? Nope...if there are no new posts since my last visit, I read the old stuff again.

5. Favorite time of day to check blogs? Anytime.

6. Who's blog is your favorite? I like them all equally...in their own special way :)

7. How many of the blogs that you follow are people that you have never met in person? None, but I hope that soon changes

8. How long have you been married? 44 days from today will mark six wonderful years

9. Fav. food? it may be easier to list what I don't like...the tops would be wood grilled strip steak, and Amy's potato salad and broccoli cassarole....oh, and, white half-runner green beans, fresh tomatoes, and corn bread.

10. Fav. TV show? Dirty Jobs...Mike Rowe makes me giggle....maybe a little Ninja Warrior thrown in for good measure.

11. Anything that you forbid your kids to watch on TV? I am sure there will be something...

12. How long was your adoption journey from beginning to end? Started in March and are still waiting...

14. What did you imagine your family to be like as a little girl? Well, as little boy and after....nothing even remotely close to what I have now.

15. Favorite Momma down time activity? Daddy down time will be reading or surveying the inside of my eye lids

16. Do you have more online friends than "in person" friends? I think the in-person friends have the edge.

17. Tell us the cartoon character that you most look like: Stimpy

18. What toothpaste do you use? Colgate

19. Stupidest adoption comment/question that you've received? Too much for here....it kills me

20. Fav. non-adoption website? Geez...there are so many...Amazon.com....Lexington Public Library...poems.com....poetryfoundation.org

Sophia's Mix

2007-08-29T23:26:00.000-04:00

Over the last few months I have been collecting and collating songs that strike me for a "mix-tape" for Little Girl Sophia. I have imaged it playing softly from the corner of her nursery--the lifts and falls of each phrase carrying her off to Dreamland..

Here is what I have so far, in no particular order:

"Father and Daughter" -- Paul Simon
"Circle Dream" -- 10,000 Maniacs
"Rainbow Connection" -- Kermit or Sarah McLachlan
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" -- Israel Kamakawo'ole
"Dreamland" -- Mary Chapin Carpenter
"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" -- Dixie Chicks
"Imagine" -- John Lennon or Chet Atkins (I haven't decided yet)
"Nothing but a Child" -- Steve Earle
Something my Andrea Bocelli, maybe "Ave Maria"

More to come later

It has been too long since last I posted

2007-08-29T09:29:00.000-04:00

All is quiet on the baby girl adoption front. Chris (our agent) is back from vacation and is checking for any updates in our case. Not too much has noticeably moved forward in that last few weeks. So, in the place of any real news, I offer a few scattered thought.

This weeks mind-consuming-diversion thought: "I would like to play the cello again."

I do have a beef with Fischer Price. A few times throughout the day I stalk all the e-mail accounts for any shred of news about the adoption. I checked Amy's home account and my eyes keyed in on the subject line of an e e-mail from Fischer Price "Are you ready to bring baby home?" A flutter, a peak of excitement, and crashing disappointment--all in the span of about 1.2 seconds.

Flipping the channels last night I stopped on an ABC program called iCaught. I was caught by the segment about Parkour, or extreme running. I stayed with it for awhile. At the end, they have a regular segment called "3 words" that features viewer-submitted videos feature a three-word manta. Some people held up paper with their hand written messages to the camera, others wrote on their hands, arms, etc. One reduced me to tears. A mother holds her sign, "Adopting from China." Her son holds his. "Waiting for sister". And the water works ensued.

IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE!!!

2007-08-13T14:02:00.001-04:00

We just received word from our agent that our dossier has arrived in Ethiopia! WOOT WOOT!!

Still don't know what affect, if any, the courts being closed will have on the processing of our dossier and referral. Our agent leaves for vacation tomorrow, so, hopefully, he will have time to get us that tidbit before he goes.

Definitely a good bounce for this Monday!!

Waiting Game -- Expanded Edition

2007-08-08T09:52:00.000-04:00

First off--a big HOORAY for the Clevinger family! They received word (and FedEx tracking number) that their dossier is making the trip from DC to Ethiopia. That is a great milestone and huge relief to them, I am sure.

As for us, we are still awaiting word from our agent as to the status of our dossier. He told us Monday ours should be sent sometime this week. We are still waiting for more detailed information. So, we wait.

All's quiet

2007-07-30T15:22:00.000-04:00

We have been in a trough of activity since the crest of the dossier debacle. We heard from Adoption Ave, and in their estimation the dossier will be in DC for 10 days--then on to Ethiopia. Our exercise of patience continues.

We continue with readying our house for our new arrival. We are close to deciding on the crib set and the wall color for the nursery. The crib and changer still awaits assembly--seems better to do that after we paint.

After this, I imagine we will be focused on clips and clasps, elevating and removing items as we baby proof the house.

The Room

2007-07-26T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here is my first try at a possible layout for the baby's room...(the small images are linked to larger files)

All's Well Cried the Town Crier

2007-07-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

Dr. Baila from Adoption Avenues emailed he received the corrected paperwork for the I-171H and it is on it way to DC for authentication. WOOT!

In other news, the baby furniture arrived yesterday. So that tasks lies before me...a good task for the hands to quiet the mind.

We've got trouble right here in River City

2007-07-19T16:25:00.000-04:00

We are using Adoption Avenues to handle our dossier during the authentication rounds in DC. We were unaware that we needed to send a copy of the I-171H instead of the original. Of course, the copy needs the "True Copy" statement notarized, certified, and authenticated.

Luckily, we still have time to react. In talking with Dr. Baila @ Adoption Aves I learned the dossier would have made the rounds in DC without trouble, but once it reached Ethiopia "we would have much bigger problems than this"--his words.

I wish this would have happened yesterday. Then, we would have a little more time to get this resolved this week instead of spilling over into the next. But I could not ask for anyone better to deal with than Dr. Baila. He handled this quickly and efficiently.

New books from Grandma

2007-07-18T09:27:00.001-04:00

My mom was in last night, passing through from Ohio on her way home. She came bearing gifts for our little one.

Off to the Sweet Shores of Africa: And Other Talking Drum Rhymes

A Very Clever Crocodile

A Very Friendly Firefly

The first book on the list is written by Uzo Unobagha and it very much holds to African drum and speech patterns. I would recommend this book to anyone. The last two are two nifty pop-up books that are, well, nifty.

A really good weekend

2007-07-17T08:40:00.000-04:00

Following the Lucky Friday the 13th, we had a full weekend of post-dossier shopping to do. The first thing that was bought was a 200 oz. bottle of Dreft. Such a small thing, but very cool nonetheless. But, even better than that, we went crib and baby furniture shopping. Wow! I was astounded at all the choices.

Here are the items we bought:

Crib

Combo

I stand in Defiance of Friday the 13th

2007-07-13T18:43:00.001-04:00

The passports were waiting for us when we arrived home from work!!

WOOT Cubed!

Yet another good thing

2007-07-13T16:29:00.000-04:00

Passports were mailed to us Priority Post on 7/11!!!

WOOT WOOT!

Another good news update

2007-07-13T15:17:00.000-04:00

WOW...the good news just keeps on coming today!

We heard from our agent that our dossier checks out and it is now on its way to Adoption Avenues. IFS has teamed with Adoption Ave to handle the Authentication in DC, the US State Dept. and the Ethiopian Consulate. Everything seems to be drawing into a tighter focus, now. I am giddy with anticipation.

If this were Candyland, if feels as though we just drew move ahead 15 spaces card.

Tomorrow is our first trip to the baby outfitters--furniture, fabric, and colors are all ripe for the chosing.

Passport Update

2007-07-13T10:09:00.000-04:00

I just called Ben Chandler's office to see if they could offer any help to expedite our passports since all our documentation has unexpectedly preceded the arrival of our passports. The good news is the person who handles the passport issues was as nice and as helpful as she could be. We should now receive those sometime next week or the week after instead of being in limbo until late August or after.

WOOT!

The song

2007-07-11T14:26:00.001-04:00

Here's the song I wrote about earlier

Waiting game

2007-07-11T08:36:00.000-04:00

We heard from our agent (Chris) and he has the dossier in hand, and will be checking it over so we are anxious to hear his feedback. The feeling of this process being totally out our hands is a new and weird one. Patience is usually one of my strongest suits, at least I have been told many times that is the case, but I find myself struggling with "eagerness." I take solace in the fact that each day that steps over the next into tomorrow is one day closed to our little girl being in our arms.

A strange song experience happened the other day at work. I was just sitting at my desk, deep into my work, the music from my headphones quietly behind me in the middle distance when a Paul Simon song crept into my ear, demanding to be heard. "Father & Daughter," I had never heard it before Monday. All I can say is that I am glad I'm in allergy season so if anyone asked why my eyes were watering, I had an easy out.

This song killed me. Sophia seemed so far away, but so much in my heart. I will have to post the lyrics soon.

Take care, all

Good article

2007-07-09T08:34:00.000-04:00

Interesting read

We are done!!!!

2007-07-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

Amy and I sent off our dossier Saturday morning. It should be in our agent's hand by 3:00 CT this afternoon. I can only begin to describe the relief, satisfaction, and sheer happiness with sending this off...and the breath-holding anxiety that comes with waiting to hear it has been received on the other end.

The next step is a big one: once the dossier is looked over and all is determined to be in order--we get THE REFERRAL!!! We now look to that with hopeful anticipation.

Acceptance

2007-07-07T10:17:00.000-04:00

God bless you little one and your new family!

And then there was last night

2007-06-26T15:25:00.000-04:00

An email from our first agent has turned everything, once more, on its ear. But it is a good turning upon an ear...maybe a two plus two.

Praying for guidance....praying for a path...praying for wisdom...

Progress report

2007-06-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

8 documents notarized this morning, and 12 certified by the County Clerk 10 minutes ago.

The beats are starting to hit a rhythm.

It is almost ready!

2007-06-25T09:54:00.001-04:00

Amy and I have all our documents in order for our dossier. We now have five files of paperwork: For Notary; For County Clerk-Fayette; For County Clerk- Franklin; For State Authentication; and, Ready for Dossier. After lunch today, we will have four, and, hopefully, after tomorrow or Wednesday we will only have one--Ready for Dossier.

One of the final items we needed for the dossier was our picture together. After 69 exposures we got one with smiles, lighting, and framing all concordant.

We are beyond excited at the prospect of sending this to Chris, our Intl Agent.

We are so close!

2007-06-20T10:09:00.000-04:00

We made some very good progress on the dossier last night. We have a few remaining questions for our international agent, but got an auto-reply message that he out for a conference until this evening...so, hopefully our e-mails will be read soon....

More papers and more notary publics...

WE GOT IT!!!

2007-06-19T17:59:00.000-04:00

Our I-171H was waiting in the mailbox for us today. I called Amy with tears in my eyes to tell her!

Now off to finish the last two documents for our dossier!

Oh my gosh....this is awesome!

Passports!

2007-06-08T09:45:00.000-04:00

I had almost forgotten about those pesky little things. This article reminded me of the fact that we are still waiting. We sent off our applications in early May, so we should have those, hopefully, sometime in August.

I keyed in on one part of this article, that fact that Rep. John Salazar from Colorado was able to light a fire under the State Department to expedite a constituent's passport application. We need our passport information to finish our dossier paperwork, so I wonder if I would have the same luck with a call to Rep Ben Chandler?

New York Times article

2007-06-04T13:47:00.000-04:00

Surge in Adoptions Raises Concern in Ethiopia

Do not let the headline give slight palpitations as it did me.

However, I do agree with the tenet that the sharp increase of adoptions from Ethiopia should indicate that government and adoption agency oversight should be bolstered to accommodate and monitor the rise in adoptions. If any process is allowed to grow so quickly with no checks in place to monitor compliance, then we all fall victim a glutted program now more vulnerable to misdealing and fraud.

The other part of the article is focuses more on families, children, and the agencies that care for the children. The highlight, for me, was how one particular agency is taking proactive measure to combat "institutionalization symptoms" in the children.

Definitely a timely article and subject we should stayed tuned to.

Adoption picnic

2007-06-04T13:32:00.000-04:00

Adoption Assistance (our home study provider) hosted their annual picnic. Amy and I had a great time--my parents went with us and I am glad they were able to share it with us. Boy, we had baby-fever before, and now it is even higher. Their setup was pretty good. Once people signed in and made name tags, they migrated to a large circle of flags from the countries of choice they have serviced. We found our way to the Ethiopian flag and set up camp.

We were the only ones for awhile. We ran into someone Amy knows through her hair stylist (they adopted an adorable baby girl from Texas, so they moved on down to the USA flag). It wasn't until we were getting ready to leave (we were hungry and the rain was threatening) that we met another couple in process to adopt from Ethiopia. They are getting ready for their home study--gosh, that seems so long ago. I hope that we both make our way back there next year, and that our little ones can play.

Watching the families, the kids playing, running, riding the ponies, made the inevitability of having our baby home even more solid. Even the bills don't dampen the joy and hope of fetching the mail to find our 171H.

Dossier -- the final leg

2007-06-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

Amy and I hammered out some good work on our dossier last night--there are only two documents remaining. That really felt good. We had a few questions for our international agent, so we sent off another email in hopes of a quick response.

In related news, we are still waiting for our passports and I-171H. We need the passport numbers for one of the remaining documents for the dossier, so I hope those arrive before the 171H.

Required reading

2007-05-31T13:55:00.000-04:00

Started reading Introduction to African Civilizations last night. For the "Introduction" nod in the title, it seems to academic and fairly dense. The first chapter takes the reader through a tightly condensed history of the evolution of man during the past few 10 million years.

The interesting parts, those that I am able to distill keep me turning the pages. The history, geologic record, prehistoric anthropology are quiet interesting. The high points so far: early near-man; totem; and, maternal-lineage.

Tonight's chapter (#2) is Introduction to the History of Ethiopia.

Wednesday morning thoughts

2007-05-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

Well, no 171H in the post last evening. Should be soon--we hope.

My mind was bouncing around this morning on the drive in about when Ethiopia fell into our hearts. I remember the day, the answer came as a tiny whisper in my ear, a tiny click in my heart. Our state-side agency did not have an Ethiopian program when we started the process, so Amy and I were bouncing between China and India. When ever the one asked the other which country we like more, it was always a 50/50 split between the two--somedays one would have a 51/49 lead. One day Amy and her mom where working on the computer when Amy wanted to show her mom some photos of available children that our agent (Brenda) had sent us. When she opened her e-mail, there was a notice of the new program--I found out later that Amy had a similar feeling as I did when I saw it.

A few days later, Amy and I were in the office, when she showed me the e-mail from Brenda. That is when I heard the tiny whisper, "that is your answer." The only other time in my life I had ever know something so surely and quickly was when I looked into Amy's eyes for the first time. From the moment when the tears started, we both knew where our baby was/is.

When people ask us, Why Ethiopia?, we are not being flippant when we say, it was no decision at all--it is almost like it was chosen for us.

I-171H?

2007-05-29T16:37:00.000-04:00

Amy has a feeling it will be waiting for us in the mailbox after work....let's hope so.

PostSecret

2007-05-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

This was one of the cards on PostSecret this week. Stopped me for a minute.

The long weekend

2007-05-29T11:42:00.000-04:00

Nothing new to report from this weekend. We are stilling playing the waiting game with BCIS (INS) for our I-171H. Today marks the fourth week since we turned in our initial paperwork.

We watched this weekend's Dateline NBC segment, "From Russia With Love" on Sunday about the couple from New Jersey who adopted twins (boy and girl) from Russia and their initial journey to find more information about Sophia and Joe's birth family. A journey that would double the size of their family. Joe and Sophia had two brothers (twins) and two sisters (twins) who lived scattered periods of time with their mother, but most of their time in separate orphanages. The Dateline story details rest of the story...I won't spoil here, but will on down the page--so stop reading if you want to read what happens.

Link to the story

Their story really tugged at my heart, many times wiping the tears from my cheeks. Not only the kids, on both sides, but for the family and the community that rallied around them to help them bring their other four children home. I was happy for all eight of them...and a bit jealous and impatient.

But, they had to wait as we are. They had even more legal hoops through which to jump on account of the children's ages, so that tempered my initial feelings.

Each day takes us closer to holding her in our arms...

Cliff's Notes

2007-05-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

I do not really know where to start the summation of the last two years, or if the past is what this blog is to be. I know my wife and I are are adopting a little one from Ethiopia; we are smack in the middle of the stateside process; each day is a test of the patience people have told I am blessed with more than normal; she seems so far away to be so close to my heart, my mind, and my soul.

Day One

2007-05-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

Well, not really.

Take your pick: Year Two; Month 28, Day 750+.

The hopes, dreams, fears, visions, and thoughts of the journey of adoption--to have our plus one.