tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89044324289324078252024-03-13T15:25:06.155-04:00Choosing African AdoptionOur family's process adopting from Democratic Republic of Congo... a three year journey to adopt from Africa that recently ended with our son in our arms!Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-52296135627583596342013-04-23T18:25:00.001-04:002013-04-23T18:25:12.703-04:00Meeting Jonathan in Kinshasa - Part 1I am so late in writing down all of the things I want to remember from my travel to Kinshasa and from meeting Jonathan. I think a part of me is honestly afraid that I'll never be able to capture the magic and love and sweet perfection of those two weeks, so I think, "Why bother even trying?" But I do so want to record some of the memories for myself, but mostly for Jonathan. While I was in country, Adam said the most perfect thing - he told me that spending that time in Kinshasa was the closest thing we'll ever have to Jonathan's birth story. Every year, we tell our daughters' about their birth stories, and we can never have those memories for Jonathan. But what we can have is a collection of memories, stories, and items from one of the most amazing adventures of my life - my trip to meet him.<br /><br />So, on February 28th, Adam and I traveled from Charlottesville via car to Washington DC for my flight from Dulles to Brussels. It was a surprisingly stress-free experience. I'd been packing for so long (ummm... like a year?) and had perfect to do lists of what I would need to do prior to leaving, what Adam would need to do while I was gone, etc etc. I got accused by one of my adoptive traveling mama friends of being Type A... I didn't see myself that way, but it was possible that all the way up until my plane wheels were in the air that I actually was incredibly Type A! Once I had Jonathan in my arms, I promise that all changed.<br />
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When we got to check-in at Dulles (no line and we got super close parking - easy peasy!), I had so many bags that the agent thought Adam was flying with me. We got all 180 pounds of my luggage checked, scanned and on its way and then we just had to say goodbye. Honestly, we both did really well considering this was going to be the longest time we'd ever been apart since first meeting, but as I was walking to the escalator, I caught a glimpse of Adam walking away and it hit me pretty hard. I cried a bit, but mostly I was just so freaking excited to finally - FINALLY - be on my way. No more to do lists, no more late night Embassy calls, no more crying over emails! It was the shucking of a burden I didn't even quite realize I was bearing.<br /><br />At the gate, I met my awesome travel partner, Felice, who'd also been my late night Embassy calling partner for weeks prior, so despite meeting her at that moment officially, it felt like we'd been friends for years. We later said that being a part of one another's adoption seriously speeds up the friend quotient. There is no more being acquaintances when you've cried with someone over meeting their child for the first time.<br />
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Our plane was on time, our flight to Belgium was completely uneventful (I watched reruns of <i>Downton Abbey </i> and the movie C<i>lueless</i>, though I later found out that almost every single adoptive parent had watched <i>Argo</i> on the way over... apparently I was done with drama and needed a little levity in my life - thanks, Alicia Silverstone.) We arrived in Brussels and had to make the long hike (and bus ride) out to the far off terminal that had African flights. There we met up with some other adoptive moms who were going to Kinshasa for bonding trips or for community development. It was so great to start to meet some of the adoption community in person, finally. Thank goodness for Facebook profile photos, because we all basically knew one another right away.<br />
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The flight from Brussels to Kinshasa was much more comfortable (the flight was not crowded at all and I got a few seats to stretch out on). It was also easy and uneventful. Seriously, all of my travel to Kinshasa was so easy and almost relaxing. I paid for that relaxation on the flights home, but that's a story for later.<br />
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Felice and I weren't sitting together, but later we found out that we both cried when we landed in Kinshasa. There is a phenomenon that occurs on some plane rides where people returning home clap and yell in celebration when they land (this has happened a few times to me in the Caribbean and I've heard it always happens on flights into Puerto Rico). When all the Kinois folks on the plane start celebrating, I started crying. After more than 13 months, I was in the same city as my son. I was going to see his home country, meet his people, and learn more about DRC culture than any website or book could provide me. It was such a great feeling. Nothing could've happened at that moment to take away that joy.<br /><br />Felice and I were both prepared for a crazy airport experience due to reviews from other traveling families. I don't know if we just got lucky (i.e. arriving at a quieter time of day), but our experience was super smooth. After passing Immigration, we found our protocol right away (I would always recommend a protocol - he was very reassuring to have around) and were able to relatively quickly get our bags (all 360 pounds of our luggage made it! Thanks so much Brussels Air - you're awesome.) After that, we were taken outside to meet our agency's coordinator, D. He was welcoming, if a bit reserved. We got loaded up and headed into the city.<br />
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We were told to expect at least a 1.5 hour car ride to our guesthouse... it only took 45 or so minutes. Again, everything really fell into place pretty easily for us. It was dark during the drive in so I couldn't see much, except for hundreds and hundreds of trash can fires on the sides of the main road and thousands of people milling about. Some seemed to be walking home but many were just socializing, it seemed like. The ride was a bit scary, but I'd seriously prepared myself for the driving "techniques" in DRC so I wasn't too shocked by the passing-a-car-in-the-oncoming-traffic-lane thing.<br />
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We arrived at Sunny Day Guesthouse, I was prepared for some big check-in procedure - not so much. The gate guard staff grabbed our bags, opened a few rooms up, taught us how to cut on the AC and the WiFi passcode and we were set.<br />
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So by this point, everyone who knows me well expected I would be immediately jumping the shower (I take two showers each day on most days, and by this point I'd been about 30 hours without one). Well, I didn't. First, I skyped Adam to let him know that I'd arrived. Apparently, he got next to no sleep because he kept checking the flight tracker through an app on his iPad. When we finally spoke, it almost 10pm my time, so they'd all been waiting (anxiously) to hear from me. We were lucky to have a fairly good Internet connection at Sunny Day, for most of the time, so we could use Skype and FaceTime fairly often.<br />
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After I spoke with Adam, I was so excited to unpack and organize my room (okay so possibly some of my Type A-ness came to Africa with me). All I could think about was getting the room, food, clothes and toys perfectly organized before I went to sleep, because I didn't want to have to deal with it the next day (bad choice - I had A LOT of time the next day that needed to be filled and I'd already done everything!). Unpacking 180 pounds of luggage was no small task, but I got everything organized and put up and finally got to take a shower (I have a picture of what I looked like at this point, but it's definitely not something to be shared... yuck!). I was in bed by 11.30 or so and even took sleeping medicine... but I was back awake by 4.30am. Not fun and definitely not good considering the next 10 hours would probably be the longest of my life (possibly excluding labor, but that's only because labor includes pain and at least during this wait, I got to put my feet in the pool!)...<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-75211605541543503402013-03-24T15:43:00.000-04:002013-03-24T15:44:26.113-04:00For Zia Francoise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This information deserved a post of it's own... Through my adoption journey, I've met a few people with whom I felt a connection that defied the fact that we'd never actually met in person. Bonding through the trials and tribulations of adoption is pretty common, but there are some people that you just know you would love and befriend, with or without the adoption crazies. One of these people is my friend Brenda... she and I had hoped we'd travel to DRC together to pick up our children, but right after she got her final I600 approval for her four year old daughter Zia Francoise (and only a week after we got ours for Jonathan), the US Embassy instituted a new investigation procedure that set her case back by at least 3-6 months. I was devastated for her, and when I went to the Transition Home to get Jonathan, I spent a special moment with sweet Zia telling her that her momma was coming soon.<br />
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Since my time in country, some alarming medical issues have been discovered about Zia, culminating in emergency surgery and hospital stay in Kinshasa, all while her mother is across the ocean, aching to be with her daughter. Despite not yet securing an emergency medical visa for her daughter, Brenda is taking the colossal risk of leaving her job, home and family here to temporarily move to Kinshasa to be with Zia in the hopes that she can ensure she gets the best possible care and attention.<br />
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It could be an additional three months or more before the paperwork in finalized (though we are hoping and praying that is not the case - Zia needs to be home now), and Brenda will be living in one of the most expensive African cities. She'll also be faced with mounting medical costs, all of which will need to be paid in cash at time of service (this is not like the healthcare we're used to... if you can't pay, you aren't treated).<br />
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In an effort to help relieve one of Brenda's many concerns and uncertainties, I requested that she allow me to create a webpage to raise funds for Miss Zia. I knew that any donation or contribution could literally affect Zia's quality of life and well-being. How often is there a cause to which we can contribute and actually know that every dollar will be spent in the absolute best of ways? How often can we contribute to something and see the results smiling back from her mother's arms? I don't often fundraise, and never asked for contributions for our adoption, but this is one little girl who I can get behind helping.<br />
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So, if you are able, could you<b> read more about Zia's story below and consider donating</b>? She's a beautiful little girl who's faced more in her four short years than I ever have. She deserves to be under the care of awesome US physicians and to be able to literally breathe easier every day.<br />
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<a href="http://parkerperkins.com/for-zia/"><b>http://parkerperkins.com/for-zia/</b></a>Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-92042506699536992132013-03-24T15:31:00.001-04:002013-03-24T15:31:19.280-04:00A Family...As of March 13th, that's what the five of us are... a family. A whole, complete, on-the-same-continent, over-the-moon and happy-as-clams family. I left on February 28th for DRC, arrived on March 1st, and had Jonathan in my arms on March 2nd. It was, in so many ways, one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever had. I want to write more about Kinshasa and about our first few weeks with Jonathan, but, not surprisingly since I now have three children, I'm a bit short on time.<br />
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That being said, I had to put a few photos up of our first ten days all together. And I wanted to just check in and say that we are are doing so well and are so happy. Jonathan is seriously the perfect match for our family. If I were to have invented a child in my mind that would slot right in like a missing puzzle piece, I don't think I could've created a more perfect personality for us. He smiles often, laughs loudly, plays constantly, and just makes me tear up with joy sometimes when I realize how lucky we are to have him here, safe and happy.<br />
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So here are a few photos... more information about Kinshasa, my travel, meeting Jonathan, and our bonding to come soon-ish :)<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-22325693331421712032013-02-25T02:58:00.002-05:002013-02-25T02:58:35.804-05:00We have a visa!! (and 150+ pounds of luggage)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, tonight/this morning will go down in history as possible the only time I have literally run laps of happiness around my home... I finally heard the magic words - Jonathan's visa was issued!!<br /><br />Here's the craziest part - we didn't even expect it to be issued until at least tomorrow, and possibly not until later. We were merely calling to get an update on our investigation and to gently prod (possibly, not so gently) the US Embassy in Kinshasa to get a move on our case (we have been waiting four weeks since Embassy appointment today). There was a lot of drama over the last few weeks about when/if our agency's visas would be issued for about ten waiting families. The US Embassy in Kinshasa is apparently extremely understaffed right now and some of the things that needed to happen prior to these visas being issued just weren't happening.<br /><br />So tonight we expected, at best, a detailed update. At worst, to not get through at all. And we had a lot on the line with this call because I decided a little over a week ago to travel, with or without visa. I basically decided that we'd waited long enough and I would just tough it out in Kinshasa and maybe try to make best friends with some Embassy employees during my extended stay.<br /><br />So now, instead, I can spend my first days with Jonathan getting to know him over the hundreds of handheld applesauce snacks I packed versus trekking it over to the Embassy each day to hang out until we got that one, oh-so-important stamp. And I can be almost absolutely assured that we will be back in the US in a relatively short time. The day that my entire family is under the same roof is, finally, not that far away.<br /><br />I'm so happy that we've finally come to the end of this journey and can now begin our way more important journey of knowing, loving and raising Jonathan. This thirteen month pregnancy has gone on LONG enough!<br /><br />Oh, and yes, please don't judge me - I do have over 150lbs of luggage. In my defense, much of it's donations, and the rest is food (I'm not sure gluten free is a very supported lifestyle in DRC, so I am packing to be on the safe side!). I should be pretty prepared, though. This might be one time where my over-packing actually is very useful.<br /><br />So in less than a week, I can officially say I'll be holding my son. That is the most surreal and wonderful thing I could ever type on this blog. After years of dreaming of adopting, and over a year of looking at one sweet little face, we will all finally start the next phase in our lives. I cannot wait.Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-79806556293835436282013-01-28T20:48:00.001-05:002013-01-28T20:53:21.222-05:00Embassy Appointment - Check!Today was our Embassy appointment and everything went well, according to our caseworker, who emailed this afternoon. We were a bit concerned because Jonathan's birth mom was required to travel thousands of miles from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa to be interviewed. This step is a relatively new one, so she was not informed of it when placing Jonathan for adoption. We were worried about her ability or willingness to travel so far, but we found out today that she made the trip and her interview was a success.<br />
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We are beyond grateful to this woman that we will probably never meet. Not only did she have to do one of the most difficult things a mother would ever have to do, but over a year later she had fly across the country to be interviewed about her reasons for doing it. She is an amazing woman, and I would hope that one day I can say thank you to her directly.<br />
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So now we wait for our final okay to travel! This is finally, actually and seriously our last and final step. It is sort of surreal as we have been in this journey for over two years now, and I cannot even begin to wrap my head around the fact that we will probably meet our son in less than a month. So happy, so nervous, and so, so, so many things to do (seriously, we've been making lists all day - if, say, 90% of that stuff gets done, we should be good to go)! Hoping for mid-February travel, but it's all in the hands of the Embassy workers right now.<br />
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Not much longer now! Can't wait to meet our little man :)<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-42260747171756438662013-01-21T10:28:00.000-05:002013-01-21T10:33:58.275-05:00We interrupt our regularly scheduled program...... for our first non-adoption blog post. Right now, we are in a really great stage with the adoption - I am waiting on a specific date (January 28th), not just waiting with no end in sight. This means much less email checking, much less (overall) anxiety, and much more productive days.<br />
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On that note - Adam and I recently launched a new online <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/">skin care, beauty, fragrance, and bath store</a> that I had to announce online because a) I am so excited that it's launched and live, and b) it doesn't hurt to advertise on any platform (even if that platform is generally related to adoption, and not to skin care products :).</div>
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<a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/">Elements Beauty Shop</a> is the online portion of our <a href="https://plus.google.com/101950630821934715021/about?hl=en">local, Richmond, VA-based retail store</a> we opened back in November. We partnered up with my aunt, Sherry Burgess, and her wife, Jeanie Rule, to create a business that we not only (hopefully) profit from, but also that we could enjoy running each day. Those thoughts led us to the niche beauty product world. </div>
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We each focused on product lines that meant something to our own shopping patterns and skin care needs. I insisted on having <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/natural-care.html">natural beauty products</a>, both organic and of natural ingredients, which led us to product lines like <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/weleda.html">Weleda</a> (which I use on my girls now, and will use on Jonathan once he gets home - <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/weleda/where/product-type/baby-care.html">Weleda Baby Soap</a> is supposed to be great for Black skin!) and <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/jurlique.html">Jurlique</a> (a feel-good line because all the ingredients are grown on an organic and sustainable farm in Australia). Jeanie loves fragrances, <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/fragrance/fragrances-for-women.html">perfumes</a> and just anything that smells great. She spent months researching fragrance families and the <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/fragrance.html">most exclusive fragrances</a> available. Sherry had a passion for <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/skin-facial-care/anti-aging.html">anti-aging skin care</a> and snagged us authorized distributorship with some of the world's most exclusive and advanced skin care lines, like <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/erno-laszlo.html">Erno Laszlo</a> (quite seriously, skin care to the stars... for more than 40 years!). Adam ensured that we carried a good selection of <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/for-men.html">men's products</a> (which, as I found out over the last few months, means a lot more than just shaving cream or cologne!), with lines such as <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/jack-black.html">Jack Black</a> (no, not the actor), <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/shop-by-brand/grooming-lounge.html">Grooming Lounge</a>, and <a href="http://elementsbeautyshop.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=AHAVA+Men%27s">AHAVA for Men</a> (a dead-sea salt based line that is sooooo good).</div>
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So, as of this past month, we are now open, online and taking orders! Such an accomplishment, because most days, I feel like I get 10% done compared to my old working style. The other time is spent (obsessively) checking my adoption board and day-dreaming about all the work I'll be able to get done once Jonathan is home and in my arms (ha! wishful thinking, maybe?).</div>
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Thanks for your attention during this "interruption" - now back to waiting on Embassy and pre-packing our suitcases! Won't be long now... Oh and for your patience, a new picture of Jonathan :)</div>
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Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-90628890888573771062013-01-16T11:37:00.000-05:002013-01-16T11:38:53.333-05:00This is what my face is doing right now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, after 11 months and 25 days, we've finally seen a true smile from our son! Thanks to an amazing family and their unbelievably kind daughter, we have picture after picture of our little man smiling, laughing, snuggling his friends, and just generally having a great time! It makes me happier than I could've imagined and makes me want to see that little smile in person as soon as possible.<br />
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Not only did this family shower our kids with love and attention, they also raised money and purchased lots of outdoor playground equipment... apparently, Jonathan loves the slide:<br />
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So we have other reasons to be joyful, too... We received our I600 approval earlier this month and were able to (almost immediately) snag an Embassy appointment for January 28th. We've spoken with our agency and confirmed that Jonathan's docs are all in order for that last and final appointment, so we hope to travel 2-3 weeks after that date, when Jonathan's US visa is issued. Things are really, finally and truly coming together now, and we couldn't be happier or more excited!</div>
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Oh and here are some more pictures of our sweet, smiling boy! (P.S. Okay, so that outfit is probably not what I would've chosen for him, but I can look past the Minnie Mouse tank top if it makes him that happy and smiley :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man, what pretty teeth... so happy that intense dentist<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-9526139965273624062013-01-01T20:48:00.000-05:002013-01-01T20:48:21.862-05:00Progress!Well, since our last blog, we've had some major setbacks and some major progress. I was too blah to blog after the setbacks, and too cautious and/or superstitious to blog about our progress. Basically, this is how it's happened over the last two months - we got all of our paperwork and prepared to file our I600 (mid-November), and then we found out that Jonathan's birth certificate had a different date than the rest of our adoption paperwork (January 6th, 2010 versus the original birth date we received, January 6th, 2009). Originally, our agency thought it was a typo, but after contacting our lawyer, they found a birth judgment dating back to the month directly after our referral that also had that date, so it was now a matter of figuring out which date was correct and how to correct the documents accordingly. I think this was a pretty rare occurrence for our agency, so there was some lag in figuring out how to move forward.<br /><br />To add to the complexity of the issue, Adam and I had always thought Jonathan was younger than his given age. He is extremely small, though that can be due to malnutrition or just environmental factors, and he just looks less mature than the almost-four we thought him to be in many of his photos. That being said, our agency confirmed with the lawyer and birth mother the 2009, so we moved forward with that date on our paperwork (I don't think we'll know his actual age, for sure, until I am able to take him to US doctors and dentists for their opinion, but that's okay). Last week, we finally got the corrected birth certificate, so, paperwork wise, I think we are finally done.<br />
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While waiting for the corrected paperwork, Adam and I made the decision to go ahead and file our I600 application with the paperwork we had. We received information the day after Christmas that we needed additional paperwork (not relating to the birth certificate), and that was sent in last week as well. We hope to have our I600 approval sometime this week.<br />
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Once we get our approval, we can make our Embassy appointment (the last appointment made from our agency was for January 18th - hoping for a date around there). After Embassy, we expect a 2-3 week wait before we travel. If everything goes perfectly (and that has not been the theme of our adoption to this point :) we should travel February 3rd or February 10th.<br />
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And while it's been really tough with the holidays and with Jonathan's (3rd or 4th) birthday coming up, we have been so lucky to receive lots of pictures and updates of our little man over the last few weeks. Lots of agency families are traveling and they've been kind enough to post photos of our little guy. He seems to be doing mostly well... a little bit of respiratory issues (the air in Kinshasa is very bad, so this is not surprising) and a little bit of distended belly. Minor issues that will respond well to the cleaner air and better diet he'll have when he gets home.<br />
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Keeping our fingers crossed that these last few steps go off without a hitch... we're coming for you soon!<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-30536321513444046782012-11-08T16:42:00.000-05:002012-11-08T16:42:11.859-05:00Sweet boy.No news. Literally, none at all since his move to the Transition Home 4.5 weeks ago. I have no idea what we are still waiting on, but I know that our I600 has not yet been filed, so I cannot begin our final countdown to picking up this sweet boy.<br />
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I hope our I600 will be filed within the next week, but I have so little information that I don't like to put a timeline in place. So for now, like so many other times, we wait.</div>
<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-41137913386280651882012-10-24T16:59:00.000-04:002012-10-24T17:03:17.844-04:00New pictures and updates!The last 24 hours has been the most exciting time for us, in terms of updates and information about Jonathan. Yesterday afternoon, we were able to see a video of the Transition House (provided by a family who traveled just over two weeks ago) that showed a bit of Jonathan in his current home. It was so excited to see him moving and watch his facial expressions (still seems like he is a very serious little man... at least, in front of the cameras).<br />
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And last night, we had a deluge of pictures and information come through from Kinshasa, as another of our adoption friends traveled to pick-up their beautiful daughter, Addy. I must say that this momma has gone so far above and beyond for all of us waiting parents that I just don't know how I can thank her enough! Not only did she start posting pictures last night (only her second day in country and the first day she met her daughter!), but this morning I awoke to more photos and comments about each of the children she met! It was so exciting to read an actual description of Jonathan and to hear what size he was wearing. These may seem like small details to someone outside of the adoption world, but to me, they are some of the most amazing things to read:<br />
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<i>Jonathan- size 2-4, quiet (vocally) likes to get attention. Would do anything to make us laugh. I made the mistake of laughing when he threw a toy at me and he thought it was so funny when I laughed...it was hard to get him to stop--totally my fault! I don't think I laughed that hard all day. He is the new "Pierre" of the house!</i></div>
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I don't know much about Pierre as he went home back in June, but from what I can tell from other blogs, he's all-boy... a bit mischievous, a lot lovable. That sounds like a great predecessor for Jonathan to have :). We do a lot of laughing around here!<br />
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And just having been in the Transition Home for two weeks, he already looks much more comfortable and healthy than in our last photos. He's got gorgeous skin, bright eyes and a perfectly round, shaved head. He still has a very serious look (we've yet to see him smile!) but our friend in country assured me that he laughs a lot - just not in front of the camera. And to be honest, I love his little suspicious looks - I think he'll fit in just fine around here! My youngest daughter has some very similar looks of her own.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful group of children! Can't wait to meet some of them myself soon!</td></tr>
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So, we should be getting an updated medical later this week (which will be the first time we've ever known his actual height and weight - hopefully all the 3T clothes I bought will fit!), and we are just waiting on a few more documents before we can file our I600 (the last and most important US step in our process). The I600 will lead to our Embassy appointment, which will lead to Jonathan's visa and our travel. Exciting times around here, and we are hoping to be with this little guy before his 4th birthday on January 6th!</div>
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Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-3078297684445007402012-10-15T10:38:00.001-04:002012-10-15T10:38:27.301-04:00Our Little Guy...We were able to get our first new picture of Jonathan (from a very kind traveling family) since July. He looks very much the same - still sad and serious and very handsome. This picture was taken just two days after his arrival to the Transition Home, so I am certainly not surprised that he looks so wary, but it still breaks my heart a little bit to look into his face and know exactly what he needs but not be able to give it to him. I've been a mother for over seven years and whenever one of my children has this look, it's because she needs me to scoop her up in my arms, hug her as tightly as I can, and tell her that it's going to be okay (and, yes, I still try to do this with my 7 year old!). It's so hard to look at this photo and not be able to do just that for my son:<br />
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Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-40173949501618840472012-10-12T14:09:00.001-04:002012-10-12T14:09:54.332-04:00A Great DivideIt's occurred to me over the past few weeks that I am constantly living in two worlds. My life here is full of hard work, fun, laughs, and so many other things to keep me busy and occupied, but each day, I find my mind wandering to thoughts of a little boy whom I've never met, yet somehow still love and care for from across an ocean. I'll be doing the simplest of tasks, folding laundry or cooking dinner, when I realize that the only things I've been thinking of revolve around Jonathan's recent move to Kinshasa or to the emails I hope to receive with notice of progress on our case or what time it is in Kinshasa and what he might be doing. It's the strangest sensation - missing someone you've never met. <div>
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And today I'll find myself absently checking my email, hoping that before the weekend we'll hear some sort of news or receive a new picture, and each time, when there is nothing there of interest, I feel another twinge of disappointment.</div>
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And though I am struggling somewhat, I am trying to remember how lucky we are to be as far along as we are. I speak with parents each week who are stalled in some step of the process or another and realize that we are very close. But as we get closer, oddly enough, the waiting seems to get more difficult. As we get closer, he feels more like our son. And how can I live normally with my own child so far out of my care and control? Each day, he becomes more real and then seems that much further away.</div>
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Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-61417091276456889502012-09-24T11:49:00.000-04:002012-09-24T11:49:17.377-04:00In Transition?Right now, we are hoping to hear any minute of plans for Jonathan's move from Lubumbashi to our agency's transition home in Kinshasa. This step will mark the final stage of our adoption, and means that we will probably be with our son in two more months!<br />
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And while we are, of course, beyond excited, I can't help but think of the sadness and trauma that will most likely come with Jonathan's impending move. From what I can gather, Jonathan has been with his current "welcome family" since December or January. From pictures we've seen since his arrival into that family, he's been healthy and seemingly well-loved. While the day that he moves to Kinshasa will mark and huge step for us as a family, it also marks another loss in Jonathan's life (a life that has already been filled, in three years, with more losses than I've had in all 29 years of mine). Does he have a bond with a foster parent or sibling that he'll have to leave behind? Will he miss his room or bed? Will he be scared by his first plane ride or trip through a bustling airport? Will it be difficult to adjust to a setting where the primary languages spoken are not his own (only to move in two months to another home with yet another language)? I am hoping that his adjustment to the transition home is as easy as possible, and that he is given some understanding as to his adoption and the family that is waiting excitedly for him across the ocean.<br />
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On a lighter note, we've spent the last month preparing for Jonathan's arrival by doing the thing that I've been waiting to do for months and months - setting up his room and moving our girls into a shared room! We've been saving this project until we were sure we'd passed court, so being able to pick out paint and bedding was like a celebration of a very important milestone! And having two girls, we were in a whole new world when trying to agree on boys' bedding and decorations :) Here are some pictures of the (mostly) finished products:<br />
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<b>Jonathan's Room</b></div>
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<b>Hannah and Emma's New Room:</b></div>
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-91649803696665874162012-08-30T12:16:00.004-04:002012-08-30T12:16:34.945-04:00Approved! With the documents to prove it...Well, I've been holding off posting on our blog until I had some sort of news to share, and now I do! We were officially approved to adopt Jonathan by the Lubumbashi courts! We are finally in our last 30 day wait. After those 30 days, he will officially and irrevocably be ours! We are so ecstatic. It all seems so much more real and possible now.<br />
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We actually heard in early August that our case had been approved and signed off on in the courts, but we could not get our official typed and sealed documents until this past weekend. I'm not sure of the dates on the document as we haven't seen a copy yet, but sometime around August 25th, we officially became a family, even with an ocean between us.<br />
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So now what? Well, we have 4-6 weeks of document collecting to wait through now. New birth certificate, possibly corrected court documents (we haven't heard of anything yet, but, in general, there are at least a few errors that have to be corrected on court paperwork), and other post-judgement documents that will complete the Congolese portion of our adoption.<br />
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After those are collected and our Certificate of Non-Appeal is issued, Jonathan will be moved to the agency transition house in Kinshasa. This will be a very exciting step as it means that we are in the final stretch of our process and it also means very frequent updates on Jonathan. As the transition home is run by our agency, I can be sure he'll receive our care packages and I should often receive health and personality updates. We expect he will be in the transition home for 6-8 weeks, after which we are able to pick him up!<br />
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I never thought we would be looking at November as a pick-up time frame (my worst case scenario time frame was always October), but I don't see any possible way that we could make it any earlier than mid-November. Fingers crossed that the remaining documents needed come through much more efficiently than our other court documents.<br />
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So, like most every other step in the adoption process, we wait. And Jonathan waits (though he probably has no clue who or what he's waiting on). To celebrate our court news, Adam and I are painting and re-decorating the kids' rooms for Jonathan's impending arrival. I've been waiting on this step, but I feel like we can now confidently say we'll be a family of five very soon!Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-56317005212625469852012-07-11T13:34:00.002-04:002012-07-11T13:34:51.862-04:00Good things come to those who... blog?Well, right after Monday's admittedly whiny post, I received a great email update with many pictures of our little man! Unfortunately, we didn't get much news about our court case (just that we haven't yet received a decree or certain paperwork), but it was great being able to see how JN has grown over the past 3 months. Here are our favorite pictures (those eyelashes are beautiful! Can't wait to see this guy in person!):<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-14764731308118956172012-07-09T16:24:00.001-04:002012-07-09T16:24:44.744-04:00Patience is a virtue...... I, admittedly, do not possess. The blog has been quiet over the last month, and so, unfortunately, has my email inbox when it comes to our adoption. We were told our file would be submitted to court on the 21st of May, and that we should expect a court decree in 3-4 weeks. After our decree, we would be in our 30 day waiting period - the final step to JN becoming an official Parker.<div>
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Of course, the day of June 11th (exactly 3 weeks after our file was submitted to court in Lubumbashi), I began checking my email obsessively throughout the day (and night - I've received a few late night emails from our caseworker, so I couldn't rule out hearing from her only during business hours... and by the way, I know this sounds obsessive... it's because it is obsessive! Refer back to the title of this post.) </div>
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At the end of June (with no "new" news), we were told that our caseworker would actually be visiting our child in Lubumbashi. While there, she expected to get photos and updates on all of the children. I also thought we would get a very clear update as to where we were in the adoption process, as, presumably, our caseworker would be talking directly with the lawyer about our case and the other cases pending within our agency.</div>
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I checked blogs and Facebook each day, seeing new, lovely pictures and personality updates about many of our agency's referred kids. I was so excited for every family that got an update, but each day that *our* update didn't come, I had more and more feelings of dread. I started to think that maybe they forgot that we were adopting JN and didn't meet with him (irrational), that there was some sort of bad news about him or our case that they couldn't share over email (possible), or that there was no news about our case and we were still in a holding pattern (probably pretty realistic).</div>
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After waiting a full ten days after the first family had received their updates, I finally broke and called our agency. After a few days, a very nice office manager there was able to report that, yes, there was an update and new photos pending, but that I wouldn't get them until next (this) week.</div>
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A part of me was grateful just to hear something about our son. And to know that, eventually, we would receive an update like the other families from our agency. But another part of me was (and still is) very disappointed that, somewhere across the country, pictures and critical information exist about my (to-be) child and I have no control or no recourse to get them. I'm completely at the mercy of another person's (obviously and understandably) busy schedule. There is an email pending that could potentially change my life (not to be dramatic, but we could possibly, officially have a son across the ocean and not know about it) that could come at any time. This is not a good place to be in. The anxiety, the not-knowing, the fear of the unknown, and the excitement of the possibilities all combine to make me a constant bundle of nerves. </div>
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And honestly, I feel I've done pretty well with the wait until this point. I've been able to compartmentalize my emotions and anxiety, so I could live my life each day without constantly wondering. But now to know that we are so close to such a major milestone (and to know that beautiful pictures of our future son exist), I cannot help but think of JN and the adoption pretty much constantly.<br /><br />I know, in the end, all the anxiousness and waiting will be worth it. Soon these feelings will be a distant memory. I know all that logically, but unfortunately, it's not helping me much right now.</div>
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Also, I'm writing this post in lieu of emailing or calling my agency *again*. It's working for now, but who knows how I'll feel as business hours wind down for yet another day in which I know nothing more. </div>
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Thinking of all the families out there in the same position (and, to be fair, my agency didn't give every family updates - it seems like it was about half of waiting families, so there are many others feeling exactly the same as I do now), and I am sincerely hoping we hear something soon.</div>
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<i>- Patience is the art of hoping.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Luc de Clapiers</span>
</div>Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-62917908156138814792012-05-25T14:39:00.002-04:002012-05-25T14:39:57.036-04:00Why Adoption? Why Africa?Almost every adoption blog I read has a similarly titled post as this. And while each post shares many common ideas and thoughts, each one is invariably a bit different than the last. Each family has such unique circumstances and paths toward adoption that I still enjoy every 'Why Adoption?' post I read.<br />
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So why adopt? This is probably the question I see written across many people's faces when Adam and I reveal that we are adopting. We have two young healthy girls who were born easily and with fairly uneventful pregnancies. We are quite young parents (at least for the adoption world), and we have a very nice balance in our lives in which we are able to be great parents but also enjoy individual pursuits that are important to each of us. I think many people wonder why we would disrupt that balance, or why we would pursue adding to our family when we have two already. And I can't always explain it, honestly, because it's something that we entered into with our hearts, not always with our minds.<br />
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I've felt like I was meant to adopt since college or earlier. Well before I met Adam, I loved watching stories of family united through adoption (particularly international adoption). I used to watch adoption documentaries or TV shows, and when Guatemala and China adoption became so popular, the thoughts were always just below the surface that, someday, I wanted to be apart of that path. I'm not sure why I felt so strongly, but, like many of the things that make each of us as individuals, I think this desire to adopt was a combination of life circumstances and my own inherent personality.<br />
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After our oldest daughter was born, I started talking to Adam about international adoption. Mostly just attempting to expose him to the idea and families that had adopted. Adam was less enthusiastic about it and never really thought of it as a serious option for our family. Adoption, especially international adoption, was outside of his realm of experience and just something he'd never considered. Shortly after that, I had our youngest daughter, so discussions were tabled as we adapted to life as a family of four.<br />
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When Emma turned two, we aggressively started to pursue adoption. It took Adam much time to wrap his head around the idea of adopting and become as enthusiastic as I was. Mostly his concerns revolved around adding a third child to the family, as he was perfectly content with our family size. A third child throws you into mini-van territory and Adam was not ready for that ;) Also, in fairness to Adam, many of friends had not even started having children and I was asking him to consider expanding our family to three children under 5! I probably was crazy!<br />
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Now that a few years have passed and our girls are bit older and more independent, Adam is thrilled we are adopting (as am I obviously!). We aren't adopting to 'save' a child, but instead feel like this is the way to complete our family. We love the idea of embracing a new culture into our family, of being able to raise a boy after two girls, of (if I'm honest) being able to skip the infant stage and move into the sometimes-more-fun preschool age, and of being able to advocate for a child waiting for a family. We want to adopt because it's right for our family, because we believe our son lives in DRC right now and is just waiting for us, and because it's our path. I don't know how to explain it properly most times, as it is intangible emotion that can't always be described in practical terms.<br />
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Are we nervous? Yes! Do we sometimes think we've lost our minds, just a bit? Of course. I think we would be somewhat naive if we didn't have those natural fears (very similar to fears I had when pregnant with both girls, actually). But we feel such peace about our adoption right now that we know we've made the right choice.<br />
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I'll save 'Why Africa?' for my next post, as I wasn't anticipating just how many words would be needed to describe what brought us to this point in our lives...<br />
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<br />Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-23125484753786312222012-05-23T23:45:00.000-04:002012-05-23T23:45:28.034-04:00*Crickets*So my email has been very silent this week... well, at least silent about any possible adoption news. As I said, we possibly, maybe had a court date this week, but we weren't sure what that would mean as far as hearing about our process as the judge generally is taking an additional 3-4 weeks to sign a decree after giving verbal approval.<div>
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So we wait for verbal approval. And after we hear about that, we'll wait for our final court decree, and then we'll be able to submit all of our information for some key remaining pieces of the adoption puzzle - a new birth certificate for JN, a passport, and a visa for entering the US. Once his new birth certificate and passport are obtained, we will be able to file for an appointment with the US Embassy, which means travel to DRC! So not too many more milestones to go before I get on a plane to see our boy.</div>
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I'm still in the area of limbo where I haven't started re-doing rooms or buying any major items, but I think as soon as I hear about court, I will feel ready to get those things moving along too. I thought I'd found the perfect bedding (after two girls, shopping for a toddler boy is <b>hard</b>!), but I think it just got vetoed by my mom.</div>
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And I always try to remind myself, even though it seems difficult each day that passes with no news, this really has been a very smooth and quick process overall, especially considering other families stories that I've read about over the past few years. And the silver lining? Patience has never been a virtue of mine, but, through this process, I'm learning it pretty quickly (or not so quickly, as the case may be)!</div>Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-17249097607285434872012-05-21T09:51:00.001-04:002012-05-21T09:51:06.025-04:00While You Were Sleeping...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I'm not certain, but possibly, while we were sleeping (or any time this morning, really), our case should have been submitted to the court in Lubumbashi. Again, I'm not totally clear, but I think this means that our court date should occur very soon. Basically, our file will be reviewed, given something like verbal approval, but we will wait 3-4 weeks for the final, official court decree signed by the judge.<br />
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If all goes well with this court date, then I can finally breathe a big sigh of relief and know that JN is on his way to becoming one of our family! I haven't heard, yet, of a family <i>not</i> passing court, so I'm being optimistic. Also, our agency has recently hired some new associates in-country that are supposed to help ensure that all our (very important!) paperwork is in proper order for upcoming Embassy and Visa appointments, etc.<br />
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I don't expect to hear anything today (and possibly not even this week), but it is exciting to know that across the ocean and across the Democratic Republic of Congo, our case could be sitting in a very important spot right now!<br />
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Around here, we are preparing for summer as the girls will both be out of school soon. It's finally gotten hot enough to plant all of our veggies and get some sprinkler time in. Everyone is ready for pools to open and for a beach trip we are taking in June.<br />
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As for getting ready for the newest family member, I am (somewhat superstitiously) waiting until we hear about court before putting major preparations into motion. At this point, I have picked out bunk beds, bedding (man, finding boys' bedding is much harder than finding it for girls!), and a few other odds and ends. I'm big on list-making and getting things in place <i>way</i> ahead of time, so I'm itching to have his room finished, clothes packed and toys organized. Hopefully soon!Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-21282703840036032202012-05-19T18:01:00.000-04:002012-05-19T18:01:21.142-04:00Signs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've always been a believer in things happening as they should... whether it's called fate or destiny, I tend to think I've followed a certain path because of some grand plan. When we decided to adopt, it seemed like (for many years) that I was fighting against my fate. Each turn we took seemed to lead us down the wrong path; nothing about our adoption choices and plans felt 'right' to me; and each month, we found ourselves further and further away from completing an adoption of our future child.<br />
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Many times, I thought we should halt our adoption (and at one point, we put it on hold for about a year), but I'm stubborn at heart. I wouldn't give up, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were supposed to adopt our third child, even if evidence kept piling up that we weren't on the right path.<br />
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When we considered our options of changing to the DRC program and being matched with JN, I felt, for the first time in our journey, that we were on the exact path that we were intended to be. Everything clicked into place - I was finally at peace with our choices (versus being tormented that we would make the 'wrong' decision). And as if to confirm the feelings I was having, everywhere I turned there were signs. Some big, and some small, but undeniably odd occurrences that had to be more than coincidence.<br />
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At some point, I started documenting those signs, because they have been so important to me in affirming that this was the right path. That this adoption attempt will end with a son who will complete our family. Here are some of my favorite signs:<br />
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<ol>
<li>On the day that we had to make a decision about switching agencies, programs, and being matched with JN, I was driving home from dropping off Hannah and was so conflicted. I literally said aloud, "Just give me a sign, please."<br /><br />
When I got home, I started to research a trip we were taking that weekend to a local art museum. When I checked to see which traveling exhibits we would see, the first banner should a Congolese sculpture. The title of the exhibit was "Visions from the Congo"! We committed that day and saw that exhibit a few days later. When I asked for a sign, I'm not sure I knew it would be so clear or would come so quickly!</li>
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<li>Prior to telling Hannah and Emma about our referral (we had lost a referral before so wanted to wait to tell them until things were a bit firmer), I took them shopping and was picking out a few toys for JN's upcoming care package. I'd recently found out that JN spoke Swahili, and I was looking for picture books or similar. While shopping, Emma walked up to me with a big smile and said, 'Hakuna Matata!'. This means "There are no worries," in Swahili. She hadn't watched The Lion King in years!</li>
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<li>If you combine the birthstones of Hannah, Emma, and JN, it makes the colors of the US flag!</li>
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<li>I bought a children's book for Valentine's Day without reading it all the way through. It taught the phrase 'I love you' in multiple languages, and when I got home (out of only about 8 languages that were represented), I found the translation 'Nakupenda', which is Swahili, JN's native language.</li>
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<li>Everyone in our family had the blood type A+, and I've always joked (sort of) that if ever needed (hopefully not), we could be blood or organ donors for one another. When I got JN's medicals, the first thing I noticed was that he, too, is A+!</li>
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Those aren't the only things, but they are my favorites. And whenever I'm having an uncertain moment about the status of our adoption, I just read over these and know that this is going to happen. I really believe that, finally, we are right where we are supposed to be.Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-17574950432812914162012-05-16T22:05:00.000-04:002012-05-17T22:06:08.222-04:00Our Referral Story...Like many things in our lives, Adam and I received our referral sort of non-traditionally. Had we stayed in the Ethiopia program, we would have waited on a list of parents and would have one day received a phone call from our agency presenting us with a referral. At that point we would accept our referral and begin the process to bring that child home.<br />
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Well, that's not exactly how our referral for DRC went, because we were matched with a waiting child. At the beginning of January, I began to feel some anxiety about the pace at which Ethiopia adoptions were moving within our agency. Because of this, I began to do some more research into available African adoption programs. I knew Rwanda was out due to its recent shutdown, and I kept hitting brick walls with other country programs. I inquired with a few agencies about Democratic Republic of Congo, but I never found a program that felt like it "fit". I was also very cautious about leaving the ET program and didn't want to make that leap unless their was a child in our age range, waiting for a family. With the uncertainty of international adoption (and the big changes we'd seen just in our own personal adoption journey), I didn't feel comfortable getting on yet another wait list.<br />
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Luckily, our preferred age range and gender meant that there were children waiting with some agencies in DRC. On a whim, I contacted an agency called A Love Beyond Borders after stumbling onto their website. The site listed no waiting children within our age range, but when Kelly contacted me, she told me that they'd recently had a large batch of children become available for adoption through their (very new) DRC program.<br />
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From the moment I spoke with Kelly, I felt great about the agency and their processes. Having been around the IA block for multiple years (and having been in a situation with a smaller, unstable agency), I was very wary about leaving a well established program and agency for a smaller, more unknown program.<br />
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But when I saw his picture (out of the many waiting children that Kelly sent for me to review), I felt like, "This is it. This is where we are supposed to be. This is the child we are supposed to adopt." Because of the ups and downs of our adoption, I couldn't let myself become too excited or to prepare too much. I spent the next week discussing the possibility of adopting JN, a just-turned three year old in Lubumbashi. I asked for, and received, signs around us that made it clear to me that this was the path we needed to be on.<br />
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We officially were matched with JN on January 20th, 2012. Immediately, we had to begin collecting paperwork to update our home study and to build a completely new dossier. We did this with two days to spare of our 30 day deadline, and our dossier was translated and sent to Lubumbashi, DRC in late March.<br />
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And now we wait... checking my email way too often, hoping for updates or new photos. Cherishing the few small photos we have. Shopping and preparing (less and less cautiously as everything moves forward extremely well). Talking to our girls about what this will mean and how things will change. And while it's not a traditional referral-phone-call-big-surprise story, it still feels wonderful. And it definitely feels like the right choice for completing our family!Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-63023024187472201592012-05-15T19:37:00.000-04:002013-03-25T13:03:14.915-04:00Our Adoption Time Line<br />
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<li>2006 - 2007: We first begin discussing international adoption. At the time, I was most interested in adopting from Guatemala, but as that program closed and the Ethiopia program began to grow, I started heavily researching African adoption.</li>
<li>Mid-2009: We begin to pursue the adoption of a waiting child in Ghana with a small agency.</li>
<li>July of 2009: Program in Ghana through our agency is suspended and we lose our referral. Put our adoption plans on hold.</li>
<li>August 2010: Contact Forever Families of Virginia to begin a new home study for an Ethiopian adoption.</li>
<li>August 2010: Apply to Gladney's Ethiopia program.</li>
<li>August 28, 2010: First home study meeting.</li>
<li>September 15, 2010: Second home study meeting.</li>
<li>September 29, 2010: Third home study meeting.</li>
<li>October 14, 2010: Submitted completed Gladney application.</li>
<li>November 17, 2010: Gladney approved.</li>
<li>November 30, 2010: Begin dossier for Ethiopia</li>
<li>December 2010: Referrals are suspended for Gladney's Ethiopia program for three months.</li>
<li>February 14, 2011: Receive USCIS approval for a male child 0-3 from Ethiopia. </li>
<li>April 2011: We do not send in our dossier, due to Gladney's investigation and uncertainty with ET program. We briefly consider Honduras as an alternate adoption option.</li>
<li>May 2011: Decide to continue with Ethiopia as the investigation is concluded with Gladney.</li>
<li>June 15, 2011: We are on the wait list for Gladney's Ethiopian Program.</li>
<li>June 2011 through January 2012: Very little movement within the Gladney Ethiopia Program due to slowdown with referrals.</li>
<li>January 11, 2012: Contact A Love Beyond Borders about their very new Democratic Republic of Congo adoption program. Receive information on their current waiting toddlers and preschoolers.</li>
<li><b>January 20, 2012: Receive official referral of three year old boy from Lubumbashi, DRC!</b></li>
<li>February 18, 2012: Sent completed dossier to ALBB for JN's adoption.</li>
<li>March 27, 2012: Translated dossier is received in Lubumbashi.</li>
<li>May 11, 2012: Receive notice that our case will be submitted to court in Lubumbashi on May 21.</li>
<li>May 15, 2012: Go to Alexandria to be re-fingerprinted for our USCIS I-600A update.</li>
<li>May 21, 2012: Our case is submitted to the court system in Lubumbashi.</li>
<li>July 9, 2012: Receive personality update, pictures and news about Jonathan from Stephanie, who traveled to meet the waiting kids. Found out our case had not yet been approved.</li>
<li>August 1, 2012: Receive notice that our case has been verbally approved by the judge, but we must await final official judgement before beginning our 30 day wait.</li>
<li><b>August 13, 2012: OFFICIALLY PASSED COURT!</b></li>
<li>August 25, 2012: Our final and official court decree is received! We are now in our 30 day, non-appeal period.</li>
<li>September 12, 2012: Hear from Stephanie that Jonathan is to be moved to the transition home within the next two weeks or so.</li>
<li>October 6, 2012: Jonathan arrives in Kinshasa to begin his stay at the ALBB Transition Home.</li>
<li>November 8, 2012: All of our paperwork has finally been received to file our I600!</li>
<li>November 14, 2012: Find out that Jonathan's birth certificate has an error. His birthday is listed as 1/6/2009 on some paperwork and 1/6/2010 on other paperwork.</li>
<li>December 5, 2012: We decide to send in our I600 packet with the incorrect birth certificate, while we wait for the corrected one.</li>
<li>December 7, 2012: Our paperwork is received at the USCIS office in Missouri.</li>
<li>December 21, 2012: We find out our paperwork has been received and assigned to Officer Rivera for review.</li>
<li>January 4, 2013: We are faxed our I600 approval!!</li>
<li>January 10, 2013: We call the US Embassy in DRC to get our final visa appointment.</li>
<li>January 24, 2013: Jonathan's drop-off for Embassy paperwork.</li>
<li>January 28, 2013: Jonathan's Embassy appointment!</li>
<li>February 25, 2013: Visa is issued!</li>
<li>February 28, 2013: Kristy leaves for DRC</li>
<li>March 2, 2013: Jonathan is in Kristy's arms!</li>
<li>March 12, 2013: DGM issues exit letter and Kristy and Jonathan depart DRC</li>
<li>March 13, 2013: FAMILY DAY! We are all together for the first time. </li>
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Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8904432428932407825.post-68731062932821148922012-05-09T16:57:00.000-04:002012-05-17T21:49:33.022-04:00Long Overdue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I can say that this post (and blog) has certainly been long overdue. My husband and I have been contemplating, discussing, researching and pursuing an African adoption for over 3 years now, but I've never taken the step to actually document our process. Now, as we look back over three years of twists, turns, and memorable moments, I'm sad that I wasn't more vigilant in keeping a record of our African adoption. This blog is a little bit of chance for me to rectify that as we are in (we hope!) the 11th hour of our long adoption journey.<br />
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Before I start to recall our journey over the next few posts, I'll tell you a bit about our family. My husband Adam and I have been together for over eight years and have lived in multiple parts of Virginia. We've now settled in the Piedmont area of Virginia with our two daughters, Hannah (7) and Emma (5), and currently own our own business, working in graphic design, Internet marketing, and web design (which makes it even more ridiculous that I've never started a blog before this point!). We love traveling together, spending time outdoors (especially at any beach that we can get to!), and constantly seeking out new, fun adventures. Adam thinks my constant need to be moving forward and to experience new things is sometimes exhausting, but also (mostly) exciting. It also ensures things never get boring around here! ;)<br />
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We began talking about international adoption in the year after our oldest daughter was born. Since early college, I remember having a desire to adopt internationally. The idea of embracing a totally different culture into my family, while also creating a family in a non-traditional manner really appealed to me. Adam had never considered the idea prior to my broaching the subject. It took months (a year?) of earnest discussion until he felt as comfortable as I did with the idea. And now that we have a referral picture and a possible court date, everything is solidifying for us, as we can both finally see the light at the end of a sometimes dark and uncertain journey.<br />
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Anyway, on to the fun stuff - our time line and process thus far. And then, hopefully news in the next few weeks about court. After that travel (yea!) and home. We are hoping to travel in August or September, but honestly, in international adoption, who can be sure of anything?Kristen P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15791018265556862826noreply@blogger.com0