Well, this weekend is Memorial Day and that was my goal to stay peaceful and not start obsessing about getting a court date. I am still doing pretty well, but I think it's taking most of my concentration to concentrate on work and school. When I sit down to type my brain just keeps going, "when is our court date...will we pass this summer...will it be in July...will it be after I am back from Russia...will it work with Ababa's class schedule in the fall...will we pass the first time...how long will it be between court and embassy...." So, this weekend I'm going to post some awesome videos of ET and cool projects in my neighborhood and of course, the story of Vilele....
But, for today...
Korah video
The City of Addis Documentary
A Walk to Beautiful short
A mom, a dad, an amazing little boy who was born in Ethiopia, and a miracle pregnancy...our adventures becoming a family.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Rays of Sunshine
Two very cool things for today.
An Ethiopian friend gave us the meanings of B's Ethiopian names. When you put his American name along with those names, his whole name has the coolest meaning!
God heard
with his luck
my prayers were answered
How amazing is that?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!? Even before we knew this, we loved his full name, all his names, and hope they represent something of the different facets of him--where he's come from and who he will become. We thoughtfully chose his American name (which is also an Ethiopian name) with much prayer (and Ababa and I each had dreams that was his name!) but we are amazed at how his whole name also represents our journey to him and God's incredible faithfulness.
No matter what the future holds, and whatever bumps we may encounter in becoming a family, B is truly an answer to our prayers! We know that God hears our prayers and believe that God is placing B in our family, but we also grieve for the loss B and his birth family have experienced. We don't understand how the beauty of B joining our family can come from the ashes of loss and pain surrounding the circumstances that are leading to him joining our family but we are grateful that it does and that God is working a miracle in bringing our family together.
For today, I wanted to show this video. It blew me away and made me smile:-). I am going to post more of the story of Vilele and his brothers later this week, but for now...here's Vilele.
An Ethiopian friend gave us the meanings of B's Ethiopian names. When you put his American name along with those names, his whole name has the coolest meaning!
God heard
with his luck
my prayers were answered
How amazing is that?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!? Even before we knew this, we loved his full name, all his names, and hope they represent something of the different facets of him--where he's come from and who he will become. We thoughtfully chose his American name (which is also an Ethiopian name) with much prayer (and Ababa and I each had dreams that was his name!) but we are amazed at how his whole name also represents our journey to him and God's incredible faithfulness.
No matter what the future holds, and whatever bumps we may encounter in becoming a family, B is truly an answer to our prayers! We know that God hears our prayers and believe that God is placing B in our family, but we also grieve for the loss B and his birth family have experienced. We don't understand how the beauty of B joining our family can come from the ashes of loss and pain surrounding the circumstances that are leading to him joining our family but we are grateful that it does and that God is working a miracle in bringing our family together.
For today, I wanted to show this video. It blew me away and made me smile:-). I am going to post more of the story of Vilele and his brothers later this week, but for now...here's Vilele.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Court Update
We got a quick update from our agency today that families who were submitted to court a few weeks before us just received court dates for mid-June. AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! I'm trying to remain level-headed about this, but this is really, really, really exciting!!!
Please keep praying that we get a court date (and pass court) before the closure.
Sweet B, we may get to meet you in just a couple of weeks!
On a other note, I met my adorable niece V this weekend and am in love:-) B-you're going to have an awesome cousin to play with!
Please keep praying that we get a court date (and pass court) before the closure.
Sweet B, we may get to meet you in just a couple of weeks!
On a other note, I met my adorable niece V this weekend and am in love:-) B-you're going to have an awesome cousin to play with!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
1 week waiting and Pre-B List
We haven't really done any count downs on our blog, but I think the count down to court we'll have to count in weeks (and then once we have a court date date, watchout b/c I may just nut up and start counting down the seconds:-)
So...1 week waiting for a court date.
Since waiting for a court date is already dragging by, I think we'll start a pre-B list (basically our list of everything we want to get done before B comes home). I'll keep adding to it and will let you know when things are done:-) If not tumbleweed might start rolling through mamaababaandwoosha land:-)
1. FINISH KITCHEN PROJECT (Ababa is heading this one up:-)
2. Finish B's room
3. Get back on track with my daily Bible readings (I am trying to read through the Bible this year. I fell off the wagon about 3 weeks ago and it is going to be rough to catch up but it's only going to be harder when B gets home:-)!)
4. Pass my May/June Finance course (it is going to be hard to concentrate and Finance is not exactly my strength)
5. Do Pilates for 30 days straight (I can't start this until I get the go ahead from my Dr given the torn ligaments in my foot:-(
Stay tuned...more to come later:-)
So...1 week waiting for a court date.
Since waiting for a court date is already dragging by, I think we'll start a pre-B list (basically our list of everything we want to get done before B comes home). I'll keep adding to it and will let you know when things are done:-) If not tumbleweed might start rolling through mamaababaandwoosha land:-)
1. FINISH KITCHEN PROJECT (Ababa is heading this one up:-)
2. Finish B's room
3. Get back on track with my daily Bible readings (I am trying to read through the Bible this year. I fell off the wagon about 3 weeks ago and it is going to be rough to catch up but it's only going to be harder when B gets home:-)!)
4. Pass my May/June Finance course (it is going to be hard to concentrate and Finance is not exactly my strength)
5. Do Pilates for 30 days straight (I can't start this until I get the go ahead from my Dr given the torn ligaments in my foot:-(
Stay tuned...more to come later:-)
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day
Since blogger had some major issues yesterday, I'm posting my Mother's Day post today:-)
Hopefully next year I will be a mother on Mother's Day (as Ababa would say, "If God say the same").
I have been blessed to know a lot of great mothers: my mother, Ababa's mother, my grandmothers, my friends who are mothers...strong, intelligent, loving women whose hearts are full of love for their children. I want to be like them:-)
We will never get to meet B's birth mother. Hopefully we will learn more about her life and death when we travel to Ethiopia; however, even though she has passed on we want to keep her memory alive for B and acknowledge the incredible role she played in his life. He is, and will always be, part of her and she is, and always will be, part of him.
Hopefully next year I will be a mother on Mother's Day (as Ababa would say, "If God say the same").
I have been blessed to know a lot of great mothers: my mother, Ababa's mother, my grandmothers, my friends who are mothers...strong, intelligent, loving women whose hearts are full of love for their children. I want to be like them:-)
We will never get to meet B's birth mother. Hopefully we will learn more about her life and death when we travel to Ethiopia; however, even though she has passed on we want to keep her memory alive for B and acknowledge the incredible role she played in his life. He is, and will always be, part of her and she is, and always will be, part of him.
Legacy of An Adopted Child
Author Unknown
Once there were two women,
Who barely knew each other.
One is in your heart forever,
The other you’ll call mother.
Two different lives,
Shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
The other became your sun.
The first gave you life,
And the second taught you how to live it.
The first gave you a need for love,
And the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,
The other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
One gave you the seed of talent,
The other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions,
The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
The other dried your tears.
One gave you a family,
It was what God intended for her to do.
The other prayed for a child,
And God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me
Through your tears,
The age old question through the years.
Heredity or environment…
Which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling… neither,
Just two different kinds of love.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Submitted to Court!
Well, after my mopey Monday (and a horrible night in the ER on Tuesday due to a severe ankle sprain/torn ligament that I got at w@rk:-( ) we got this super exciting message from our agency yesterday:
Your case was submitted to the Federal First Instance Court in Ethiopia today.
YAY and PRAISE GOD!!!!
So, now we keep waiting:-)
It will probably be 4-6 weeks until we are assigned a court date and then the actual court date will be 4-6 (or more) but there's a chance we could be meeting B in 8-12 weeks!!!!!!
We also got our weekly update on B. I haven't been posting his stats here, but in case you were wondering, he's exactly 2 1/2 and he is now:
weight-28.6 lbs
height-35.1 inches
head circumference-19.4 inches
Your case was submitted to the Federal First Instance Court in Ethiopia today.
YAY and PRAISE GOD!!!!
So, now we keep waiting:-)
It will probably be 4-6 weeks until we are assigned a court date and then the actual court date will be 4-6 (or more) but there's a chance we could be meeting B in 8-12 weeks!!!!!!
We also got our weekly update on B. I haven't been posting his stats here, but in case you were wondering, he's exactly 2 1/2 and he is now:
weight-28.6 lbs
height-35.1 inches
head circumference-19.4 inches
Monday, May 2, 2011
Mopey Monday
I wish I had a more upbeat post for today, but I don't...so we'll dub this Mopey Monday and hope it's not a regular feature on the blog!
I don't know why, but today was hard for me. So instead of blowing sunshine up your a#$, I am just going to be real:
-I hate that a little boy is sitting in an orphanage half a world away with no family to take care of him and that me and Ababa are sitting here with empty arms and an empty house with no child to love and raise and care for.
-I hate that my son-to-be is not the only child in this situation, but that there are many many many (some say 147 million) other children who don't have families who can take care of them...and that people and families who have the financial and emotional capacity to do something about it through humanitarian aid, family preservation programs, and adoption...don't.
-I hate that families who want to raise and take care of their children can't because of medical, financial, and/or social challenges.
-I hate the dense layers of inscrutable bureaucracy that stand between me and my son-to-be.
-I hate that there is no date to look forward to when I know that my child will officially be my child, my son, and will be home in NYC in our arms.
-I hate that there are children right here in NYC and NYS who need families who can love them and raise them but are not free for adoption and/or the process seems to be more heartwrenching and opaque than international adoption (and that we didn't have the courage to try harder to navigate that system...after B is home, we may try again).
-I hate that there are unethical agencies who believe the ends (or the dollars!) justify the means, and bribe, coerce, recruit, and otherwise interfere in negative ways in the child relinquishment and adoptive processes...and then have the audacity to do it all in the name of "God/Jesus".
-I hate that the issues that lead to the legitimate need for international adoption (and the potential solutions) are so dense, complicated, and of such magnitude that it seems to be insurmountable.
-I hate that at least one agency is currently telling their clients that the MOWA changes are adding another YEAR to the process (our agency, who I do trust, says they have not seen any slow-down yet and cases are still being processed at about the same speed as before the 5-case per day announcement).
-I hate that even with "normal" processing times, there is a good chance that our case will get stuck in the rainy season and B won't be home until Thanksgiving/Christmas.
-I hate that I am jealous (but also DELIGHTED:-) for families whose children are home, soon to be home, or almost through court...pretty much anyone who is further in the process than us!
-I hate that many adoptive families insist they only want to adopt healthy infants or infant twins, especially girls, and overlook toddlers and older children. (There are an absolutely adorable pairs of sisters who are 6 and 8 on our previous agencies waiting child list. They've been on the list for at least 2 months and still aren't matched with a family! Families, I love you, but if you want "sugar and spice and everything nice" it is right there in front of you, times two! There are also some amazing diamond in the rough boys who are around the same age and our current agency has waiting boys in the 2-3 year old range and older. And honestly, adoption shouldn't be about how little or young or cute or handsome the child is... This is a child, not a puppy, not a doll, not a toy...this is a human being who needs and deserves a family just as much as you, and your current children/friend's children/neighbor's children...you get my point:-) and I say that as someone who didn't feel ready to jump directly into parenting an older child or a teenager and as someone who can't adopt a large sibling group in our current little 2-br NYC apt, but God is working on my heart and perspective! Open your heart and your family and adopt. Love these children--boys, older children, sibling groups, children with a variety of special needs (including some very mild/correctable ones)--children who families are ignoring, not just the cute little babies who families are clambering to adopt and waiting years to be matched with).
-I hate that I am PMSing b/c it makes me mopey and reminds me that not only is our adoption out of my control and subject to some major delays and uncertainties, but that for at least one more month a child won't be joining our family "the old fashioned way" either.
I love that we are matched with B!!!!! I love B (even though we have never met, I love him, pray for him, think about him constantly, and can't wait to meet him). I love that God is good and knows us, and knows B, and knows the desires of our hearts. I love that he knit B (and me and you:-)!) together in our mother's wombs. He knows every hurt and every hair that falls from our heads and His timing is perfect...but i also know that this hurts and does not make sense to me and today was hard...hard, hard, hard!
Mopey Mondays suck!
I don't know why, but today was hard for me. So instead of blowing sunshine up your a#$, I am just going to be real:
-I hate that a little boy is sitting in an orphanage half a world away with no family to take care of him and that me and Ababa are sitting here with empty arms and an empty house with no child to love and raise and care for.
-I hate that my son-to-be is not the only child in this situation, but that there are many many many (some say 147 million) other children who don't have families who can take care of them...and that people and families who have the financial and emotional capacity to do something about it through humanitarian aid, family preservation programs, and adoption...don't.
-I hate that families who want to raise and take care of their children can't because of medical, financial, and/or social challenges.
-I hate the dense layers of inscrutable bureaucracy that stand between me and my son-to-be.
-I hate that there is no date to look forward to when I know that my child will officially be my child, my son, and will be home in NYC in our arms.
-I hate that there are children right here in NYC and NYS who need families who can love them and raise them but are not free for adoption and/or the process seems to be more heartwrenching and opaque than international adoption (and that we didn't have the courage to try harder to navigate that system...after B is home, we may try again).
-I hate that there are unethical agencies who believe the ends (or the dollars!) justify the means, and bribe, coerce, recruit, and otherwise interfere in negative ways in the child relinquishment and adoptive processes...and then have the audacity to do it all in the name of "God/Jesus".
-I hate that the issues that lead to the legitimate need for international adoption (and the potential solutions) are so dense, complicated, and of such magnitude that it seems to be insurmountable.
-I hate that at least one agency is currently telling their clients that the MOWA changes are adding another YEAR to the process (our agency, who I do trust, says they have not seen any slow-down yet and cases are still being processed at about the same speed as before the 5-case per day announcement).
-I hate that even with "normal" processing times, there is a good chance that our case will get stuck in the rainy season and B won't be home until Thanksgiving/Christmas.
-I hate that I am jealous (but also DELIGHTED:-) for families whose children are home, soon to be home, or almost through court...pretty much anyone who is further in the process than us!
-I hate that many adoptive families insist they only want to adopt healthy infants or infant twins, especially girls, and overlook toddlers and older children. (There are an absolutely adorable pairs of sisters who are 6 and 8 on our previous agencies waiting child list. They've been on the list for at least 2 months and still aren't matched with a family! Families, I love you, but if you want "sugar and spice and everything nice" it is right there in front of you, times two! There are also some amazing diamond in the rough boys who are around the same age and our current agency has waiting boys in the 2-3 year old range and older. And honestly, adoption shouldn't be about how little or young or cute or handsome the child is... This is a child, not a puppy, not a doll, not a toy...this is a human being who needs and deserves a family just as much as you, and your current children/friend's children/neighbor's children...you get my point:-) and I say that as someone who didn't feel ready to jump directly into parenting an older child or a teenager and as someone who can't adopt a large sibling group in our current little 2-br NYC apt, but God is working on my heart and perspective! Open your heart and your family and adopt. Love these children--boys, older children, sibling groups, children with a variety of special needs (including some very mild/correctable ones)--children who families are ignoring, not just the cute little babies who families are clambering to adopt and waiting years to be matched with).
-I hate that I am PMSing b/c it makes me mopey and reminds me that not only is our adoption out of my control and subject to some major delays and uncertainties, but that for at least one more month a child won't be joining our family "the old fashioned way" either.
I love that we are matched with B!!!!! I love B (even though we have never met, I love him, pray for him, think about him constantly, and can't wait to meet him). I love that God is good and knows us, and knows B, and knows the desires of our hearts. I love that he knit B (and me and you:-)!) together in our mother's wombs. He knows every hurt and every hair that falls from our heads and His timing is perfect...but i also know that this hurts and does not make sense to me and today was hard...hard, hard, hard!
Mopey Mondays suck!
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