Lilypie Waiting to adopt Ticker
"No I didn't give you the gift of life, but life gave me the gift of you!"

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

My Boys


Friday was the best day ever! It was so fun to spend the entire day with my sister, brother, sister-in-law and the 4 most precious boys in the world! It was so incredibly fun to shop for baby / kid clothes together, all 4 of us got to shop for our kids and it was just great! I love you all!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Thank You to My Family!

Last Thursday I picked up my littlest man Diesel from the trainer, and although not yet perfect, I am starting to see that we have hope. :) Through many talks with my dad, dad has offered to help me continue Diesel's training for another couple months. Our hope is to have him titled in Field Trials and hopefully breed him once he is officially titled. I just wanted to thank my dad as he knows that this is something that I really feel that Diesel needs, as well as something that I would really like to do, but I am not financially in the position to continue his training to the degree that he would need. In the end, all of this training is going to make for a much more peaceful home for all of us, and I know that my dad understands this. Quietly, without the words being spoken, as that is our family, I know that this is a gift to me from my dad to help with my adoption. Thank you Dad!

To my mom, who will be my last minute travel partner, I am so thankful! I know that this is a bit much to ask, but my mom is ready, with weeks notice, to take off from work and fly to Kaz with me to help with the traveling, emotions, unexpected and be my company & support! It means the world to me to have my mom with me and to have her support, 100%, throughout this journey. I can't wait to share my travel with my mom, my baby's grandma, what an amazing memory! Plus, this will be the first time ever that my mom flies over the ocean, all for her grandbaby!

My sister and best friend in the world, is my rock! She is my cheerleader! I love sharing this experience with her because I know that she is just as excited as I am! To say that I am lucky to have her is a complete understatement. Thank you so very much Beck!

And my little brother Matt, little only by age (he is 6'4"), he too has been very supportive. I know that this adoption journey has thrown Matt for a bit of a loop, but I have been very happy that he continues to keep an open mind and ask me many questions about my journey. I treasure our day together Friday! To shop together for all of our babies was about the best treat ever! Thank you for your support buddy!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Got it!

Today I got my passport in the mail!!!!!!! Yahoo! It only took 11 weeks and 2 days. hehe I guess that checking the mailbox every day does work! Now all that I have left to complete my Dossier is my CIS approval for an orphan. And then it gets sent off to a bazillion people for approval, so we are still looking at late September or more likely sometime in October (at the earliest) for my first travel date. Then again, I could travel in the Spring, who knows. :)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Better Than Being "Paper Pregnant"

Today one of the other single moms in my Yahoo group put it best, "My child is growing in my heart, not in my stomach." So True!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Progress!

Friday I got great news times 2:

1. I received an email from my Home Study agency with the initial draft of my Home Study.
2. My Doctor called to let me know that my Physical Letter, that was initially done but come to find out it wasn't 100% right, was now re-done! :)

This means that all that I have left to have a fully complete Dossier is copies of my passport, which should be here in the next 2 weeks, and my CIS approval. Yahoo! What can take some parents a couple months has only been a 5 week process thus far! Yahooooo!

Get to See My Boys!



I can't wait for this weekend! My boys, all 4, are coming to my house on Friday to spend the day. I am seriously so super excited. This will be the first time that I get to officially meet my newest nephew, Kolter. Kolter is now just 3 months old, he is my younger brother Matt and his wife Candice's first baby, they live in Montana, so getting together is a real treat! Ty 'Bear', Izaak and Eli are my other 3 beautiful nephews, they are my bigger sister, Becky's boys.

Baby Clothes :)




So I heard somewhere that I should bring clothes with me to Kaz for my daughter, really I am not making this up just to go shopping :), so this weekend I started my mandatory shopping spree. I must admit that I had a bit of sticker shock at the beginning but I warmed up to the price tags fast, she is worth it! Plus I am a good sale shopper. And yes, I love pink! I promise that I will continue to add additional colors to her wardrobe. :)

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Our Timeline So Far

2-14-07 Valentine's Day - allowed myself for the first time ever to think of me as a mom and actually bought a Valentine's card that spoke to me, my sign, that I needed to move forward on my journey to adopt. This was the first thing that I have ever purchased in true anticipation of being a parent. A big day! Very emotional!

3-3-07 My 31st Birthday - Sent out my application to my adoption agency.

3-23-07 - Received acceptance letter from my Agency.

The week of March 26th I freaked out a bit before sending in my contract to my agency. :)

4-6-07 Good Friday - Sent out my Contract to my agency with my first big check.

4-11-07 - Sent out my Home Study application.

4-12-07 - Sent out my I600-A "Application to adopt an Orphan."

(and in between, filled out a bazillion forms, got fingerprinted 3 times, visited my doctor, had two home study visits, sold my pontoon and a leather living room set to raise some cashola, ordered 3 additional certified birth certificates, received 3 letters of reference from great friends, sent out my renewal for my passport, got court documents from the state of NE from my stupid "Minor In Possession" that I so stupidly got when I was 18 (still haunting me), had my "Guardianship" letter signed and notarized ..... twice :) ..... and so on.)

"Love you Lots, Mom"

Tonight is a "Memory Lane" visit of sorts. Looking back through my journal, I pulled out a card that mom had sent on Good Friday 2007 (the day I sent out my actual contract to my agency - first BIG check), and it reads: "I am so thrilled that your journey as a Mom starts today!!! I can't decide who is luckier; you or your daughter! (with a smiley face) Motherhood is not always easy - - - but it is always worth the price you pay in tears & laughter. I can't imagine life without my children - - without you! I am still Grandma's little girl - you are still my little girl and somewhere out there is YOUR little girl!!! What a beautiful circle! Love you! Mom"

Once again, I am blessed!

I also read a journal entry from March 5th, that morning I called Grandma and Grandpa and left a message on their home phone. As I was driving to work, I realized that they may already be grandparents for a 5th time, my daughter is probably out there already waiting for us! Mom, "Grandma," called back after listening to my message that afternoon with an excitement in her voice that I hadn't yet heard and left a message,"Oh teenie (my nickname) that is the most amazing thought, our granddaughter is out there!" She was giddy. I could just feel her beaming at the realization. This was the first time that I felt in my heart that my mom was 100% in this with me. Not that she didn't support sooner, as she always does, but that she too was just as excited as me now!

Looking Back Just a Bit


Tonight I was reading the journal that I had started in February and I came across a couple wonderful memories that once again warmed my heart while reading. My first entry was 2-14-07 "Valentine's Day" and it read:

"Today I allowed myself to dream of you as if you are my actual reality, my future. Today is Valentine's Day, the day to celebrate those whom we love most in our lives, today I celebrate you! My daughter, wherever you may be - I love and celebrate you. Today I found the perfect card, it is a very girlie pink with tiny flowers, and all it reads is, "Daughter." This is my inspirational momento now - Today I start my journey to find you." Love your Mommy (with a purple heart drawn next to it.)

To look back on that day is amazing. I had never allowed myself to think about 'Me, Christy' actual being a mom, it wasn't my reality. Valentine's Day 2007 I allowed myself to dream!!

You Know You're A Waiting Adoptive Parent When...

* You check your voice mail more than 5 times per hour to see if "The Call" came.
* You dread the weekend because you won't hear anything.
* You look forward to the weekend because you need a break from holding your breath every time the phone rings.
* You want to scream when friends and family ask if you've heard anything.
* You want to cry when friends and family don't ask if you you've heard anything.
* You know the meaning of the word apostille and you're not afraid to use it.
* You are one of the few Americans who know that the INS is now the USCIS, with a brief stop at being the BCIS in between. Confused? You should be!

"The Complete Book of International Adoption" Dawn Davenport

Monday, May 14, 2007

What is next?

So today I realized that I am that adoptive parent that I couldn't imagine I would be, I ran to the mailbox after work today to see if my Apostille documents for my Guardianship Letter had yet arrived....and it did! Yes, I now await the mail and even check my mailbox more than once a month (just before bill time.) Quick Update: My Dossier (a bunch of paperwork proving I am not a criminal and am suitable to parent) is nearly complete and ready to be looked over by my agency, sent off to the Secretary of State to be Apostilled and then will be shipped off again to be translated and then it is on to Kaz for their okay. Still a ways to go needless to say. :) My passport is still missing, it has been 9 weeks now. Still haven't purchased my new car I have been meaning to dicker on. Sold another house today - feweee. Moving right along! Thank heavens!

Sleeping with my "Pink Teddy"


This past Friday, two days before "Mother's Day," I stopped into our local Hallmark to pick up some specials for my mom and my sister, and low and behold, I bought a new "Pink Teddy." :) hehehe Okay, so it isn't what you may think, but it sure is cute! I wanted to pick up a special teddy bear for my daughter so I could start sleeping with him every night. My plan is to then leave him with my daughter at the baby house while I am away so she can get used to my smell and remember me while I am away. :) I want to make her transition to our family as comfortable and least traumatic as possible. A while back while reading one of my adoption books it asked me to visualize myself as a child/baby, living what I knew to be my normal life, surrounded by my friends & caregivers, not knowing any different existed....and then one day a really nice lady came and adopted me, took me away from all that I knew, my routine, my friends, my caregivers, familiar smells & voices. How would I feel? I would be terrified, even though this person that took me was really nice and gave me new clothes, kisses & attention. She smelled different. I didn't understand her language. It would be traumatic to say the least. That thought completely impacted me. I guess that I would have never thought of just how scary it must be to be adopted as a child / toddler or even an infant. While I have been busy planning and preparing for this event for months, she likely had no advance preparation. I want to be very sensitive to that, thus my new "Pink Teddy." :)

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Baby Houses



It is 11:00 and I am still up and at'em. I received an email back from my program coordinator Anne today, and I wanted to share. Anne let me know where 8 of the 9 baby houses that my agency, Little Miracles, works with are in Kazakhstan. Please see the map of Kaz and notice the hearts, one of these regions is where my daughter is waiting for me.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

My Friends Rock!


Tonight my girlfriend Sherree popped over to my house with the most wonderful 'thank you for being a friend & thank you for being a part of my wedding' gift. What an amazingly thoughtful gift to give a waiting mom the week of Mother's Day. Perfect! To all my friends and family with heavy minds and hearts right now, I Love You!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Questions Answered

I have gotten a couple questions that I would like to answer for everyone:

1. How long before you are able to travel & bring home your daughter? I am told that it is reasonable to expect to travel to Kazakhstan for my first, 3-4 week trip, this Fall and to bring her home on my second, 7-14 day trip, by Winter; however many things can come up and it is important for me to try to stay flexible.

2. What is the cost? Costs differ greatly from country to country and also depending on the child you are looking to adopt. Adoptions of infants / young toddlers in Kaz range from $30-$40,000.

3. Did you ever consider Domestic Adoption? For me, I have always dreamed of adopting internationally, so I didn't look into adopting Domestically very much. From my understanding, all domestic adoptions are now 'Open Adoptions' where parents are in communication throughout the child's life, and this isn't 100% comfortable for me, plus birth mothers now choose their child's adoptive family, and how reasonable would it be for a birth mother to 'choose' to have their child adopted by a single mom?

4. Did you ever consider artificial insemination? No! :) This is a very personal decision as well, but the thought of being pregnant is such an emotional experience (not that adopting is not, but it is different in mind / heart) and I would just feel that I was missing out not having a husband with me to experience my pregnancy. And nothing in me would want to choose a 'Dad/Donor' by stats on a piece of paper either. Who on earth would truly donate for this? Would they really be a highly educated doctor with great genes, no mental health issues, athletic all stars, etc? Hmmmm I think not. Only my perception though, but my mind tends to tell me that they may just be poor college kids and that icks me out. :)

5. Can you pick your daughter's name? Absolutely! Will I pick / change her name though? I am not yet sure. I am trying not to fall in love with a name until I meet her. I do want to learn her given name and see how I feel about keeping her given name as a first or at least as her middle name, this is already a part of her and it would be ideal to keep her given name in some fashion......as long as we can pronounce it with some confidence. I do have a name I love but am not yet ready to share. That must be the middle child in me. :)

6. What kind of paperwork do you have to collect? The answer would be everything and then some. :) Original certified Birth Certificates, Guardianship letters, reference letters, FBI background checks, local background checks, HIV testing, Psych evaluations, Physical, letter from your bank showing you are in good standing, home ownership/ rental letter, home study, photos of my neighborhood / rooms in the house / family & friends, financial statement, ++++ Crazy hu! :) And all of those need to be notarized then sent to the state to be apostilled then sent out for translation and then sent to Kaz to be okayed. Phewweee! These guys are serious! :)

Please always feel free to ask questions, I am always happy to answer as I am able. I understand that this is a crazy journey that is foreign to most of us, so I welcome your questions. :)

Even More Great News

Yesterday I spoke with my builder, and he offered that we have our 'Adoption Garage Sale' at their business location instead of at my home. This is an amazing opportunity as there is a ton of great parking, lots of room to spread out tables and furniture, amazing Highway frontage for great garage sale traffic, and a back garage area to store everything from day 1 to day 2. Perfect! Seriously, as bizarre as this sounds, this garage sale has been one of the most uplifting things that I have experienced. It is just amazing how friends and family pull through for you! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Getting Ready


How do you prepare your world for the addition of your first child? That is what I am trying to figure out as a first time mom and I am learning that I can do much more than just paint her bedroom and buy cute baby stuff. So far, this is what I have done to get my world ready for our new little addition:
  • Moved my real estate office from Spring Lake Park (45 minutes each way) to Big Lake (2 minutes from my home.) This will give us more bonding time, save $ on Daycare and Gas, and help me to be closer to home for those 'just in case' moments.
  • I have sent my littlest man, Diesel, to Puppy Boot Camp. The last thing that I want is to have a freaky puppy and a new baby, so I best get Diesel in order before my daughter's arrival so we can all stay a bit more sain. :) Poor little man had to have a laso around his neck at the drop off. hehehe
  • I am currently car shopping for a 'Mommy Car,' not yet ready for a Mini-Van, but a good car that has reasonable payments (to make up for the new daycare expenses), a DVD player (a must on the trips to see Grandma/pa, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins) and full side and front air bags. We are looking at a Honda Pilot.
  • I met with my new Insurance Agent and saved $1500 a year on insuring my properties and my vehicle. Holy Cow! FYI - my agent is licensed in 5 states if you want his name, he does Rock!
  • My cabin is on the market, a bit sad but a good trade! :)

So much to do & so worth it!

Izaak, Elijah & Ty 'Bear'

Izaak, Elijah & Ty 'Bear'
Cousins (Izaak wants to name my daughter (his cousin) Isabella, Sant (for 'Santa') or Hershey (his friend's dog's name.) Hmmmm I told him that if we name her 'Hershey,' that would mean that we get to give her a lot of kisses.

Kolter Matthius Simon

Kolter Matthius Simon
Littlest Cousin......possibly. Kolter may indeed be the same age as his little girl cousin in Kaz. :)