Friends of ours just adopted!! Pics and travel story

Blessings to all of them.

Michelle, I am terrible at cameras!! UGH! I took a disposable and the flash didn't work and when I got them developed, only two pictures were in the whole pack and CD! And they were bad pics of my sons. Clair had folks using her digital camera all over the place and I asked her if she would email me some. She said she would and nopics yet. Her home update page doesn't ahve anything else either. I sure she's busy and getting adjusted to things. I will post as soon as I get them. I was supposed to have a new digital camera already, but all the choices of options and prices have me like a deer in the headlights.
The party was fun and it was so nice to see everyone.

Susan

How exciting!! Ginger looks fabulous! Makes me want another too...

Michelle - Sure you and yours will be great parents too! Glad you are getting closer!!

My friends just got back recently from adopting their little boy from Russia. Can't wait to see the little one!

What kinds of fabrics/designs are you using for the "100 Blessings Quilt" (I prefer blessings too, in case you couldn't tell!) ~ Suzi :)

I still have not been searching for the quilt fabric for Michelle. I'm waiting for a day when I can go out without the 2 boys.. This upcoming Friday is promising. :)

Susan

Susan, Okay...well I will be looking forward to seeing those pictures of Ginger whenever you post them!

Suzi, I hope DH and I will be good parents! We are praying that the Lord prepare us with His wisdom.

As far as fabrics...100% cotton. Any design goes. A lot of people are giving us Chinese type themes...such as; ladybugs, Chinese characters, pandas, butterflies, etc. Whatever strikes your fancy. I am happy to email directly to you the exact instructions on our Blessing quilt if I haven't already. Just let me know.

picabo sent me a piece of fabric that is from the quilt she is making for her niece who is getting married Sept 10th along with a beautiful card that she made from the fabric as well. Because it has extra meaning to her, it is even moreso of a blessing to our baby. So y'all can be as creative (or like in my case...non-creative)...as you'd like. I have some of my friends at church who have written a scripture to "baby" on their computer and printed it off and pasted a piece of the fabric they are giving onto it. Picabo's so far has been the most creative we have received. But like me...I'm not creative and so do whatever you feel like doing! It is all just so wonderful and I'm so blessed to "know" all of you!

My sister is going to try and start laying the pieces out for the quilt sometime in October. Although, I have a feeling it will be more like after the first week of November b/c my niece's 9th bday is Nov 5th and she usually plans pretty elaborate parties for her kids.

Well, I continue to dream about our daughter. Praying dayly for her protection in her mother's womb, during her abandonement and during her time in the orphanage. We have finally received our Home Study last week, so i sent one off to the CIS (immigration) in San Antonio and should hear from them in the next 2 weeks of when DH and I go to get FBI fingerprinted. I also got all the docs certified by our Sec of State and got them all put together to go to Chinese consulate for authentication. The Texas docs went to Houston, the birth certs went to other Chinese consulates since I was born in Boston and DH born in Mtn. View, CA. It was a relief to get all that stuff out of here. It takes them about 20 working days to return the originals with their authentications. The CIS will take about 2-3 months to get our immigration 171H paperwork to us. Then it all goes to Great Wall as a dossier and off to Beijing! It is a painful process, I tell ya. Definitely worth it!

Michelle

Michelle,
I think you said you were getting a girl. Imagine the waiting time is less for a girl in China. Do you have any names in mind yet?

I thought about tons of names for my first. Kept saying how about ___, with all the dif names ... Between time husb went home from hospital and came back, I said how about ___? (changing it again) and he said too late, already told everyone it was___!

Second one, knew months in advance what her name was going to be! Good thing she was a girl like they said, or I wouldn't have had a clue! LOL

May your process be swift! Your love for your little one be complete! May God hold her in His hand, protecting her in the womb, the orphanage and bring her to you safe and sound! Take Care! ~ Suzi :)

Michelle - all good wishes and positive thoughts are going your way. Stock up on tissues for your tears of joy, pure joy.

Arlene

Thanks Suzi and Pirl!!

Suzi, we are most certainly getting a girl. There are so many who are abandoned (95% of the ones abandoned are girls). I hear that it doesn't really take longer to get a boy...but usually the boys have some minor medical problems such as cleft palette or large birthmarks. It is horrible that they abandon babies b/c they are not perfect...or not a perfect boy.

We have several names picked out but nothing definite. We both want to use DH's mother's name as the middle name which is Margaret. First names include some biblical names and others that just sound cute with our last name. Rachel (Jacob's favorite wife) is one we like. Bethany is a town in Israel near Jerusalem where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived and it sounds good with our last name. My sister doesn't like it b/c she says it sounds snooty. There is a woman in the book of acts named Tabitha (also called Dorcas) but everyone thinks of the Bewitched show with that name. But it says in Acts 9:36 about her: "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha who was always doing good and helping the poor..." And as you know, she died and was resurrected by Peter and because of that, "many people believed in the Lord."

We like the name Macey, Jordan, and Reagan. So those are the few names we are considering. But we haven't nailed one down yet.

DH and I just received our "appointment" to have our FBI fingerprints done. We have to drive the 4 hour round trip to San Antonio b/c for some reason, CIS (citizenship and immigration services) does not have a district office in Austin...believe it or not. You'd think the Capital of TX would have a CIS office??! DH can't go until Saturday which makes me nervous. We have everything done except the fingerprints which is needed in order to have our I71H paperwork which has to go with the dossier to China.

The Houston Chinese consulate is VERY fast. Anyone sending their TX documents to be authenticated in Houston, don't bother doing next day delivery. They had it done in under a week. Still waiting on my birth cert from NY consulate and DH's from San Fran consulate.

We are nearing the end of this paper nightmare and so if anyone is going to adopt from China, let me know and I am happy to help you out. It is all so overwhelming when you first get the adoption manual and find out everything that has to be done.

Susan, still waiting for pictures of Ginger!!! ;)

Michelle

Time for all the rest of us to buy Kodak stock - looks like we know someone who just might be taking lots of photos!

It's such a heartache to think of the women who give up their little girls because boys are preferred. That's something that's so alien to motherhood. In a way I'm thrilled because people here benefit and the children benefit enormously.

When the day comes that you cry just watching her sleep, because she's YOURS and because you love her, it will be a really good feeling.

Arlene

Pirl... That is what Motherhood/Parenthood is all about...No matter how this little one came into your life. The feeling can't be described. It is wonderful.

My niece just found out she is expecting her first child. I have got to tell her what you just said.

Thank You

Betty

I'm very protective so I'm sure I'll be like a mother bear. And just because I didn't have her in my womb, doesn't mean I'll love her any less...that is what all adoptive parents tell me!

Congrats on your niece's pregnancy. We will want to see pictures of course!

Thanks for all your kind words,
Michelle

I pity the people who can't view it as the miracle it is. As the ads say, Adoption - a never ending love story. So true.

I wish I had Erma Bombeck's column, from long ago, at my fingertips. When she says there are dogs that make better mothers than some she knew, there are cats who love and protect more, fathers who do a better job, etc. I could cry at the truth of it.

Having a baby in your womb doesn't grant you a bit more love for the child. Having the miracle of life handed to you is a gift beyond words.

I have no idea how I stumbled into this thread, but it has been fascinating.
All the pictures are great.
Michelle, good luck to you, you sound like you will be a wonderful mother.
My sister works for a travel agency that handles the travel arrangements for one of these adoption agencies and has told me the challenges she is sometimes faced with in arranging flights etc.,
I enjoyed reading everyone's encouraging posts.
I am looking forward to hearing Michlle's news on her daughter. you go girl......

pirl, you are so right! My mother abandoned my sister and me when I was 7 and Deb was 11. She was an alcoholic with lots of baggage (she has been sober for 12 years now) and was a great mom until she started drinking around when I was 4. Then it all went down hill fast. She married my dad when she was 17 to escape the abuse she faced every day at the hands of her parents. She became a mother at 18. My dad took custody of us when she left and raised us and we have a wonderful step mother. My step mother did not have us in her womb, but she loved us and protected us as if we had been. So I proof in my own life that a woman isn't a good mother just because she had the baby in her womb. I may have mentioned this in an earlier posting...sorry if I am repeating myself.

Thanks Pebble, wow..you live in Turkey hu? I'd love to go there and visit all the sites where Paul started the first churches in Asia Minor (Turkey). I've been to Israel, but the two other places I've wanted to go are Turkey and Jordan. I would imagine that your sister has a lot of interesting challenges with the last minute arrangements she has to make for adopting parents that are traveling to get their babies. I did travel arrangements for the CEO I worked for, and he and his wife were challenging enough...I can't imagine doing it for adopting parents...the high emotions that are running! Well I am glad you came upon this thread and I will keep all you peeps updated on what is going on.

The latest...Fedex came this morning with our authentication for DH's birth cert from the San Francisco Chinese consulate. Yeah! So one more...which will be mine coming from NY. And off to the CIS early Sat morning in San Antonio for fingerprinting. The adoption agency says to wear gloves when gardening or working with your hands and to put lots of lotion on them at night so that you don't have any cuts or scrapes on them. Apparently the digital fingerprinting method is very sensitive to those things.

Michelle

Michelle, you'll have the best looking hands in town....keep them lathered and protected.....

I moved here two years ago with my turkish husband, i was born and raised here though, so it wasnt like moving to a foreign country.
I was at Ephesus a couple of weeks ago and visited Mary's house.

I am looking forward to hearing your good news

cheers/pebble

Michelle,

I just found the Erma Bombeck article and will give it a separate post but I invite all who loved Erma to come and read it. It's a gem, dated April 5, 1968, before many of you were even born. You'll be glad I saved it. I will post it under Parking Lot as Motherhood.

Arlene

Thanks pirl/Arlene!! I was born in '64! haha. I'll be an "older" mom. But the Lord has blessed me with great health and lots of energy that I will need when we get our baby. Currently we call her "Su-lin" (since we haven't picked a name yet) b/c the very first Panda ever brought to USA from China in the 40's was named Su-lin. Su-lin means "a little bit of something sweet".
Michelle

Hey ya'll.. Been fun catching up. Katrina kinda took the wind out of my sails there, but I'm back.

Thanks to Pirl, I finally have a digital camera. No, she didn't buy it for me (darn!) But she sure did steer me in the right direction. We have taken some pictures with it, but I still haven't played around with getting them uploaded online. Will soon. Claire has not sent me pics of Ginger yet.. I'm going to email her.

Michelle, I'm so glad that things are moving along for you and I'm really glad to hear all about it. :)) And you all are right about being a mother... It's not about conception.

Susan

Soul: your last four words should be posted over the front door:
IT'S NOT ABOUT CONCEPTION.

God bless you for that one.
Enjoy the digital camera.

And as for you, dear Michelle, my son was born in 1965 and it looks like he met the girl of his dreams back in January. If they get married she'll be your age by the time she's a mother. Age is a state of mind. There are probably many women my age who didn't get up at 5:30 to polish windows while it's dark, and clean the glass in the kitchen cabinet doors but they don't garden either!

pebble, you went to Ephesus? How cool! I love all the stuff that has been dug up! Gosh, I'd love to visit Turkey.

Susan, oh good! Can't wait to see pictures. How is Ginger doing? How are mommy and daddy doing since they've been back from China?

pirl, you are right...it is not about the conception. your son met the woman of his dreams? Cool!!! age is a state of mind...not sure if it is my immaturity or that I have tons of energy...but I do not feel 41. DH is 7 years younger than me and he acts older than me. haha.

Michelle

Our latest update...

DH and I went to immigration in San Antonio on Saturday early morning and got our fingerprinting done. It is very strange...it is done with computer scan rather than ink. They had to do my fingerprints over and over b/c I guess the cleaning solutions I use made it hard to read clearly the prints. Everyone is super nice at the CIS and it all went swimmingly. We even went to the Riverwalk and had a romantic breakfast and walked along the Riverwalk and smooched. hehe.

All in all, a very good day. So now we wait for FBI to check over our prints and do their little background checks and give the results to the CIS. Then the CIS will issue our I171H number.

Our DTC (dossier to China) is getting close! Of course, that is when the waiting game begins!

Michelle

I love the Riverwalk. We ate someplace highly touted and it was divine. We even do our smooching at our ages!

Glad that all went well with the fingerprints and you're always a step closer to your baby.

I am so very happy for you.

Arlene

Thanks Arlene! Believe it or not, we even stopped on the way home in San Marcos at the outlet mall. DH hates crowds and shopping...so he stopped there for me b/c I needed to use the bathroom. hehe. We looked in some shops and found a replacement salad plate from the Mikasa outlet...only $4.99. I had chipped the old plate and to order a new salad plate on line was $20! silly. He even was okay with going to a few shoe stores.

Then we stopped in Buda at that huge big new Cabela's hunting store. We are not hunters, but we wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. Seems Austin is very excited about this silly store. I liked the stuffed animal exhibit, but really wasn't all too excited about anything else. People were buying stuff by the cart loads though.

I am hoping the 171H comes really quickly!

m

Oh Michell, glad things are moving along for you. I have emailed Clair about the party pictures, but she must be busy. I have my camera up and running and here are my two boys :)

They are both just too sweet. They look so happy and why not? Perfect picture of joy!

Susan, Oh my gosh..those boys are adorable. I like the kitty too. :) What wonderful blessings your boys are. Thanks for sending the pics.

Pirl, thanks lady for the recipes. I got them yesterday in the mail. THank you so very much b/c boy am I tired of the same 5 things I make every week. I need to get my hiney to the store and get some ingredients so that I can cook some of these.

Michelle

Thanks!

Are these recipes online here at daves at all?? I need to cook more too... lately it's been all garden, all the time.

Susan

Soul - I was just writing about that very same subject in a Dmail to ButterflyChaser. I made the vat of chili in late August and put it into bags and froze it for the future along with little bags for chili dogs. It's a great time saver for when you're busy or hate leaving the garden.

Some of the frozen products either aren't as bad as I believed they'd be or I'm just starving and would eat a bag of frozen peas that would be fine. We bought some frozen chicken and spinach ravioli and with some sauce, salad and Italian bread it's fine.

My friends Shirley and Denny have just left for China for getting their baby. here is their new blog: http://yeofamily2china.blogspot.com/

Another happy story to follow!

:')

Oh Sweet!!

Susan

Have y'all had a chance to check out my friends Shirley and Denny's blog lately?
http://yeofamily2china.blogspot.com/
They got their baby on Wednesday. She looks so sweet and like she is totally happy with who her parents are. Most babies cry when they are put into their new mother's arms...but not this one. Her name is Shekina Joy. named after the God in His Shekina glory in the bible.
Just wanted to update y'all.

As far as Bryan and me...we still have not set up a website yet. ugh. I have a friend in from Chicago so we can't do it this weekend as we will be busy. I may do one under caringbridge.org and then change it to our own website when we get closer to going to China. caringbridge is great but you can only post 2 photos at a time.

We still have not received our stuff from immigration yet, but it has only been 2 weeks. I expect it to take at least another 2 weeks. We had to re-do one piece of our paperwork according to our case worker we did not write it correctly. So a bit of a hassle but better to have it come up now rather than when we are about to send the Dossier to China.

That's it for now.
Michelle

Just to let you know... I finally got to meet the two Russian babies my friend adopted. The babies were soooo lucky to have found a new home. The little boy is 18 months old and not walking The girl is 12 months and not walking either. Both are so tiny. The little boy has gained 7 lbs in the 3 weeks that he has been with her. Lucky babies, Lucky new family. Prayers for the families who gave up their babies.

Betty

Hey Michelle, I will look at the blog soon :) Thanks for the update!

Picabo, my friend that adopted from Russia told me that babies are regularly adopted that are said to be "older" than they actually are so that they can be adopted sooner and leave the country. I don't know if this applies to Russia, but maybe they are younger? I think the pediatricians have a way of determining the age maybe? I'm not sure.

Susan

Hi Betty, that is wonderful news. Post some pictures of them when you have a chance please. One of our pastors and his wife adopted 3 babies from Russia. None of them could walk and they were all underweight. The nurishment they get in the orphanages is terrible and they don't get a lot of room to crawl or walk. They have 2 to 3 babies in each crib and they don't take them outside to get exercise. So the poor things just sit in their crib all the time. That is what Wayne and Alli found with all the Russian orphanges they went to. One of their boys got seriously ill when they got him back here and after the doctor racked his brain trying to figure out what was wrong with him (they thought he was retarded among other things)...they found out he had lead poisoning!!! They still use lead based paints in the orphanages apparently. They had to de-tox him and now he is fine. With the right nurishment and vitamins and exercise, all 3 children are up in their weight and walking and talking and doing fantastic.

They may get a rough start and a slow start, but once we get them here, they flourish.

Michelle

These two are already doing better. We met at a park and I sat on the ground and talked to the babies. I held their hands and feet. I tickled their tummies while I talked to Mommie. They both watched me and smiled. When I quit touching them they would stretch their little legs out to touch me and then smile when I started playing with them again. Both are blonds and already look like their new mommie.

I get to baby sit soon.

Betty

Oh Betty, isn't it wonderful! Such sweet babies. :)

I did make pics of the babies. I need to ask mom if it allright with her to post.