Finally...the Clevingers meet the Bakers!!!

This weekend we got to have a delightful dinner with two amazing people and their stunningly beautiful Ethiopian daughter. Having gone step-by-step through this process alongside this family made this meeting even sweeter. About a year ago we were so excited to find another KY family adopting from Ethiopia...The Bakers. We waited anxiously to receive our I-171Hs and then the tumultuous wait for a referral. We had plans to meet in Addis, as they left and we arrived, however the epic that was our trip delayed us so much that we missed seeing them. So finally, on Friday night, wet met the Bakers and darling Sophia! Ian was a little Romeo at first trying to get an keep her attention. Then he put on a squealing show, stole everything she tried to play with, and ended with some good natured toy throwing! We crawled around in the floor of the restaurant and took lots of pictures of the two of them. It was inexplicably nice to talk to these people. They know our plight. Not necessarily just the adoptive parent aspect, but the new parent aspect. The toddler parent aspect. The interracial family aspect. I am so thankful that Ian and Sophia will be long time friends but I am even more grateful that we finally have the Bakers in our circle to lean on for advice and support during this adventure called parenthood.

This boy knows his way around a computer and a Blackberry!

Dancing baby

Spokesperson for Gold Fish crackers!

He is showing his strong face!

Ian is quite the little dancer these days! He knows its cute so he uses it as a way to divert attention when he is being mischievous!

We don't really have anything to report on the adoption front. The courts are closed and scheduled to reopen the last week of September. We will keep our fingers crossed that we get a court date and travel plans before Christmas. My optimistic side is absent these days. I try to remember that the blessings are the children not my time lines being granted. I was able to send two care packages to our little darling this month. I look so forward to getting some new pictures of her and finding out if she was happy. I know that knowing about us could possibly be taking a toll on her. As children leave the place she is now I worry that she may wonder why we aren't coming. In the letters I send her I tell her that we are trying very hard to get all of the paperwork together. It is a process that is difficult for many adults I know to understand much less a precious child waiting for parents. Where oh where did my positive attitude go??

We are trying to keep busy and doing a great job at it. Playtime around here is 24/7. Ian is trying to get over a nasty little ear infection and runny nose. I think it is mostly allergy related but I dread the coming months of winter sickness.

Ian is doing and saying everything. He is a total mocking bird so you have to be careful about what is said. If I am on the phone griping about something he walks around the room acting like he is fussing at someone. I am teaching him bad habits! Oops! He knows who we all are now and freely points everyone out in pictures. I finally get my own title now. Before I was either Sissy or Daddy. Thank goodness he throws me a bone every now and then! Ian is still sleeping in our bed. He starts every night in the pack and play (since the crib is all the way upstairs and down a hall) and about 1 am he wakes up (completely if I don't hurry) and wants in our bed, wants a cup of juice and wants his mommy to snuggle him up. I have learned to do things in my sleep that I never knew possible and not even remember that I did them until I find evidence the next morning. I have learned that intermittent sleep is better than no sleep. I have learned that the kitchen is a long way from the bed...come prepared for war. I have learned that Ian's back has a spring in it that prohibits him from laying in bed and going to sleep the easy way. I have learned that it isn't bedtime until I have broken a sweat, spilled juice all in the bed, and jiggled my leg until the muscle revolts in fatigue! I have also learned that if it can electrocute, fall on, or otherwise harm, it must be a fun toy, why else would mommy run and shriek every time I get near it?? My day is about keeping him alive and assembled. I am learning the joys of parenting a toddler boy. What a joy this child brings me and what a blessed mother I am. Enjoy the video.

Thankful for the many blessings

Loving the view but needing a nap (note the favorite blankie that used to be mine)!
Don't forget me! Yipee!
All tuckered out after the Wacky Bear experience=)
Mommy and her sweet boy!

Where do I start? Bad news first. Belay informed Natalie that our dossier will not be ready to submit to the courts prior to the closure. That insures a Nov/Dec travel. This makes us very sad that we most likely will not be with M* on her birthday. The waiting will be very difficult but we are understanding of the immense amount of work the in-country staff is doing to help SO many families be united with their children. God's timing. Apparently He has something in store for us or our sweetie girl in the meantime. So we wait and pray.

The good news. I am thoroughly entertained by a world class comedian, actor, singer, musician, and A number one ham! The fabulous, amazing, Ian. He keeps my cheeks sore from smiling and laughing at the quirky little things that he never stops doing! Cute baby story: Last night I got Ian out of the tub and wrapped him up in a towel. Cortney was getting ready for bed in the bathroom. As we left the bathroom, un-cued, Ian says, "Bye Da-Da". He is 1, when did he start speaking in sentences??? Appropriate rhetoric at age 13 months? We were both laughing so hard and Ian started fake laughing because he wasn't sure what was funny! Amused I tell you...thoroughly amused!

We got an update on our sweetie girl. She said that she was a little scared about the adoption and to tell her family that she loves us. We also got her sizes and she is oh so small. Cortney's good cooking will put some much needed weight on her quickly I am sure. Since we were in the Smokey Mountains this weekend we got to do some serious shopping for our little darling. I went nuts! Girls stuff is wonderful! I loved each little outfit I put together and all of the accessories! It was kind of like some much needed therapy! Then I brought all of the clothes home and put them in the closet that will not be used for at least 4 months=(

Ok, so there is the update. The good, bad and not so ugly. I am counting my many blessings tonight and praying that God will love and keep our daughter, displaced by many miles. I have to admit that this is the feeling that I most dreaded of the whole process. Preparing the dossier is tedious, time consuming process but at least it takes your mind off of the fact that you have a child 9000 miles away.

Reading baby and why won't my book close?

Seriously Mommy? Put the camera away=)

I think the video I have uploaded shows the benefits of reading to even the youngest of babies! We have always read to Ian and in the beginning a book was judged most on taste but now we are starting to look at content!!!

Last night was the first night since we came home that Ian slept all night without waking up any and in his own bed!!! I got up at 4am so startled because he was still asleep in his own bed! I ran over and checked to make sure he was okay then with a big smile stretched out in my bed! It was a good sleep for all of us!!

I tried taking pictures of Ian in his little Ethiopian outfit the past two mornings. He is less than amused by my photo shoots and tells me off while I'm chasing him around snapping pictures. I am inspired by the recent photos on the Breedlove blog. She does such a good job of capturing the true essence of her subject. I have always tried to get that picture that really stands out above all the other million snapshots I run around taking! I think 50% of my problem is me but I have to give some discredit to my camera...time for a new one!!!

Our dossier is in Ethiopia as of yesterday. It will spend the next few weeks getting translated into Amharic. In the meantime I am trying to put together a photo album with all of the things M* may see when she gets home. I read somewhere that it is good to send photos of everything so she can get familiarized with her new home even before she sees it in person. Hopefully there will be some families traveling before the shut-down and maybe we can send it by one of them if they aren't already overloaded with stuff!!!

Until next time...enjoy the video of Ian reading his book and figuring out why it just won't close!! I probably should have helped him, but it made a great video watching him figure it out!

Moving right along

Our dossier is in transit to Addis Ababa and is scheduled to arrive on July 7th. At that point there is nothing we can do except wait. Unfortunately, I anticipate our travel to be in Nov/Dec due to the rainy season and usual backlog of cases after the government closure. I am prepared for this and I am trying to enjoy the final months of our family of three!

Ian is doing so many things now. I was watching some old video today while uploading this video and I was amazed at how much he has changed in just 1 month. He is so much more steady now when he walks and he is repeating and mimicking every single thing he sees. He is such a little chatter box!

I have been reading some books on older child adoption and I catch myself being very naive at times. I have never parented an 8 year old child so I guess I just don't really know what to expect. Our social worker was very persistent in making certain that we are aware of all challenges we may be up against, but I keep thinking how it just won't be like that for us. Don't get me wrong, I know that she will probably have many issues with boundaries and defiance. I also know that grief and loss cause a whole host of issues. But in my mind at the end of the day I picture her being loving and happy to be part of our family. Check back in 6 months and I may be singing a different tune!

For now, enjoy this video of Ian admiring a picture of his sister-to-be. Be amazed at my nearly 13 month old son acting like a big boy.

The Best Worst Day

This is the day that tried to break me down. It all started at the brink of a new day...12am. I was sitting on the couch catching up with a friend whose ailing father is in ICU when I hear little squeaks of cry come across the baby monitor. I run into the bedroom and scoop my little bundle up out of the pack and play and crawl into bed with him as I do every night. However, Ian had a different plan for the night. He was awake...wide a-freakin-wake! So until nearly 2 am I rocked and cajoled my little pumpkin trying to use my special mommy powers to persuade him into sleep. Nothing doing. After two hours of playful slaps, not so soft kisses, and swift kicks to the head (all inflicted upon the poor, unsuspecting parents!)...he slept. My alarm started shrieking at 6:20am and I jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower. I am always late meeting my sister to drop Ian off but I was determined to be on time despite my 4 hours of sleep. Then the phone rings and it goes something like this...


Brother-in-law: Linds


ME: Jamie has a stomach virus (I knew this because she has three kids, 2 of whom had a stomach virus last week)


Brother-in-law: Yep


ME: Gulp..


Why did I gulp you may be asking? Because I knew that no one else was going to be available to watch Ian today and I was pretty sure that I couldn't call in sick because without a pharmacist the pharmacy would be closed for the day. So I call my boss and explain that I need to use one of my 16 personal days because of this situation. He politely tells me that we don't have anyone to come in and help me, so...I am just out of luck. Then I do what any daycare fearing mother does...take Ian to work! For 9 hours, until Cortney got off work, Ian worked with mommy at the drug store counseling patients and eating popsicles! I was sooo nervous about how he would do since he is the squirreliest of one year olds! He greeted customers, made their wait times a little more interesting, engaged in several games of catch with the balls he got off the shelves, and amused the heck out of our staff! At the end of the day I was thankful to know that he isn't quite as rotten as I thought and wow is he fun to be around!





You would think that it is over, right?





When Cortney got home I called and asked him to check my email even though I really wasn't expecting anything only to find...a letter from M*!! Natalie said that before she could even send our letter and picture that Ryan (Gladney in-country representative) had sent her a letter that M* had written. M* didn't know the specifics about us but she did know that she has been matched with a family. The letter was incredible. I needed to hear each word that she wrote. She put many of my fears of her not wanting or accepting the situation, to rest. I was very worried that she would be angry about getting a new family or that she would not want a new family. I understand that at some point she will probably have me eating my words, but she seemed really excited about everything! I have read the letter many times already and looked at every detail. I am thankful for this gift that we have been so blessed to receive. Somewhere this little girl is thinking about her family in America and all of the greatness that she associates with this ideal. Knowing that she knows makes this all seem very real. It also makes the wait just a little more miserable.

Get the bowl off my head!

Our family photos...the last piece of the dossier! See ya dossier!

Can I Get a WOOT WOOT??

IT'S HERE!!!! We have I-171H approval to adopt one beautiful little darling girl! I quickly copied it, notarized it, certified it at the county level and shipped it off to the KY Secretary of State for certification today! One last document and we say adios to our SECOND dossier!!! Last night I spent over 2 hours scanning our certified documents to burn to a CD for Gladney. NEVER AGAIN! I was once again kicking myself for not using Kate Sproat (KBS Dossiers) for the dossier. I don't think that I really understood the amount of stress she took off of us until this time.

We are so excited that now we may get to have some kind of correspondence with our lovely little sweetie. They told us that they will be showing her pictures of us and reading her a letter written by us, introducing ourselves. I wrote the letter over a month ago but each time I read it I change something. How does one write such a letter??? A letter saying, hello, my name is...., and if everything goes well we will be the closest of family??? She is a little person with an opinion on what she wants and doesn't want. Do we make reference to being "mommy" and "daddy"? Should that wait? Is she ready to hear those things from us? We have spent months falling in love with pictures and notions of how she is and who she is. And she...hasn't had a clue that 9000 miles away two people were pining over her picture and praying intensely that she would soon join their family. As with many adoptive parents (not all so I hear) it is love/bonding at first sight. I know that legally she isn't our daughter yet but the bonding has already started. If for some reason, God doesn't have it in his plan for us to adopt this little girl (which I don't believe is so) I would want her to know that she was loved by us in the "mommy"/"daddy" way. I would want her to know that two people cared so much about her that we did everything we could with the tools God gave us to bring her into our family. So, that is the long way of saying that I want so badly to refer to myself as her mommy and Cortney her daddy. Still praying about all that.

Last weekend Ian went on his first boating trip. We had a great time with my sister, her husband and all of our kidos! Life is good. We are happy...a little happier today=) I am working hard to not rush things and to enjoy each and every day of Ian. These are the days I have waited all my life for and I want to remember each smile, word, and action forever!

SUPER EXCITED FAMILY!! It was a love/hate relationship with the tube!

Cuteness

Coolness
Sometimes you just have to have a pink fly swat with a big pink flower on it from the Dollar Tree.


And sometimes you have to carry that pink fly swat around all night until bedtime and mommy has to sneak it away as you go to sleep!