We got our LOI today. It looks like we'll be traveling in December. Truthfully, I have absorbed myself in my work since September. Once I heard that we wouldn't get any news until at least early November, I had to buckle down and focus on something else for a while. Of course, that doesn't mean that I am not thinking of our little boy everyday. However, I just felt so deflated...after setting ourselves up for the August/September timeline, and having that time pass without word. I have imagined getting to this step over and over, but couldn't allow myself to drown in disappointment as each day passed with no news. Luckily, we both love our jobs. This allows for some relief in the day to day.
So now we're here. We feel a rush of excitement, but hold onto a little anxiety. Until we are looking at our son, I think we'll be slightly reserved. Years of adversity have built up my hesitant nature. Buz is definitely my resource for positive thoughts. He seems so content. His demeanor exudes confidence in this process and our journey to parenthood.
I have much to do, as I have put some items off because it was difficult to stare down the endless wait. Now I will dig deep and work at completing my list.
December...we have to believe...it's time.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Preparations and Excitations
No official news to report as of yet, but our preparations continue as we hope for an LOI soon. We're still expecting an August/September time table. I have weekly conversations with our coordinator. Even when she has no news to report, just talking with her makes me feel more connected with this process (and ultimately our son). She is always very positive and understanding.
This is an exciting time. We're doing something everyday in preparing for our trip and/or the arrival of our son. His room is finished. Take a look. It is absolutely perfect! I sit in the rocker everyday, just daydreaming.
We just can't wait to meet him. Recently, we chose a small stuffed monkey (a gift from our shower) that we will bring to him in Kazakhstan. I fall asleep with it every night. Yet another way to stay "connected."
Our entire family is truly elated and anticipating those first pictures and videos to be posted of our family of three. We're putting together a photo album to share with Justin. There he will get to know the faces of all of the family members who love him so much.
To our family and friends: Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. Hopefully our next post will speak of "take off!"
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We're going to ASTANA!
We got quite a surprising phone call from our coordinator yesterday. When I saw our agency's number on caller id, I was praying for some good news. I thought it possible that our paperwork had gone through to the next leg of its journey in Kaz. She said, "Your dossier has passed through both Ministries, and you're going to Astana!!!" She went on to explain that as soon as we can be matched with a boy, we'll be expecting our travel dates (Letter of Invitation), and away we'll go. I could not believe my ears. After all of the set backs and extra waiting due to processing delays, we thought surely that this call would not come until fall. In my last entry, I wrote that I hoped against all odds that we would be waiting for our LOI at the one year point. We started this process on July 6, 2007. Now, 11 months later, we are waiting for our travel dates!!! This is amazing. It looks like a summertime trip is a definite possibility again.My mind is spinning. We have so much to do. We're looking forward to all of it: baby proofing, finishing Justin's room, learning as much as we can about our region, planning for our trip, lining up a pediatrician, making last minute purchases. We've been told that once we get the call with our LOI, we will have only a couple of weeks to gather, notarize, and certify another batch of documents, purchase our plane tickets, and pack for a two-month stay. So, we are trying to get as settled as possible with all else while we have the time. School is out in two weeks, and this should be an exciting summer. Buz will be recording his next CD through the end of the month, and I will happily immerse myself in preparations.
Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan (since 1997). Again, we will be learning as much as we can about the city before we travel. For now, I have attached the following link, because this website had some beautiful pics of Astana.
Monday, May 12, 2008
One step closer...
Our dossier is on its way to Kazakhstan! We got the call from our coordinator this morning. It left New York last Wednesday according to the tracking info. Of course, I will be watching everyday to see when it actually gets delivered in country this week. We are so excited! This is a wonderful Mother's Day gift. The waiting has been excruciating, but now we are on the move again.
The rest of the process looks like this:
*Delivered to Astana at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week. Approval here could take a few weeks or a couple of months depending upon the caseload there.
*Delivered to Ministry of Education. Here we will be assigned to a region for travel in Kazakhstan.
*Letter of Invitation. This is when we get our dates for travel, scramble to get plane tickets, and pack.
*Leave for the trip of a lifetime. YAY!!!!
At this point, I would estimate our travels will happen in the fall. We originally thought that we would be traveling over the summer. However, the suspension (although it was lifted quickly) set us back a couple of months.
This July will mark one year since we officially began this process. We dropped the application into the mailbox on July 6, 2007. I still hope, against all odds, that we will be in that final phase of waiting for our LOI when we get to the one year point.
Hope is a powerful emotion. Somehow it manages to stay alive throughout years of doubt and disappointment. There have been times when we have just walked through time, as shells of ourselves, putting one foot in front of the other and just getting by. Now as we move closer to becoming a family of three, hope is blooming again.
My sister gave me a card for Mother's Day that put it together perfectly:
"Your Already a Mom in Your Heart"
There's a miracle happening in your heart. Beyond the excitement and anticipation, already there's a love between you and your child that's unlike any other love. It's a love that will be yours forever. And there are so many more miracles yet to come.
I pray that this will be our last Mother's (& Father's) Day as "soon-to-be parents." Personally, I have never wanted anything more.
The rest of the process looks like this:
*Delivered to Astana at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week. Approval here could take a few weeks or a couple of months depending upon the caseload there.
*Delivered to Ministry of Education. Here we will be assigned to a region for travel in Kazakhstan.
*Letter of Invitation. This is when we get our dates for travel, scramble to get plane tickets, and pack.
*Leave for the trip of a lifetime. YAY!!!!
At this point, I would estimate our travels will happen in the fall. We originally thought that we would be traveling over the summer. However, the suspension (although it was lifted quickly) set us back a couple of months.
This July will mark one year since we officially began this process. We dropped the application into the mailbox on July 6, 2007. I still hope, against all odds, that we will be in that final phase of waiting for our LOI when we get to the one year point.
Hope is a powerful emotion. Somehow it manages to stay alive throughout years of doubt and disappointment. There have been times when we have just walked through time, as shells of ourselves, putting one foot in front of the other and just getting by. Now as we move closer to becoming a family of three, hope is blooming again.
My sister gave me a card for Mother's Day that put it together perfectly:
"Your Already a Mom in Your Heart"
There's a miracle happening in your heart. Beyond the excitement and anticipation, already there's a love between you and your child that's unlike any other love. It's a love that will be yours forever. And there are so many more miracles yet to come.
I pray that this will be our last Mother's (& Father's) Day as "soon-to-be parents." Personally, I have never wanted anything more.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Our Baby Shower
One word describes our shower... PERFECT! The attention to detail was amazing. The theme was a mix of "Two Countries...One Family" and the safari theme we chose for Justin's room.
The colors were those of the national flag of Kazakhstan. The cupcakes had two mini flags in each (US & Kaz). The jungle animals on each table were wearing little tees that read: "Born in Kazakhstan and loved around the world."
Also on the tables, were little business cards with "kids speak" translated into Kazakh, and mini bags of coffee with labels that read: "When the baby is awake, everyone is awake." There was a collection of children's books (with adoption themes) placed around the room. As we floated, we were just blown away by the amount of thought and care that our family had put into every last item.
It meant so much to us to finally get a chance to celebrate our adoption with family and friends. Personally, I had been waiting for this day for so long, and it truly went above and beyond what I had imagined. We had a blast!
Our nieces (Jillian and Gabby) were adorable, as usual, helping out with the gifts.
Thanks to everyone who joined us. Your gifts were extremely thoughtful. We are still unpacking and putting stuff together. We are taking our time, and savoring every moment of putting Justin's room together, and getting our house "baby proofed."
I've posted this selection of pics from the shower for all to enjoy. Please join us now, as we pray for some smooth sailing to bring us to our travels and our son. We are so ready!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Dossier suspension...LIFTED!!!
This was the title of the email that we received last Tuesday from our coordinator. I couldn't believe it! Could it really be over that quickly?? JCICS posted the following, "Joint Council is pleased to report that at the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador confirmed that the temporary suspension of dossier processing by the Embassy is lifted and dossier’s meeting all necessary criteria will be processed." If you want to read the complete announcement, just click on the link below.
http://www.jcics.org/Kazakhstan.htm
Needless to say, we are extremely happy with the timely resolution of the suspension. Our dossier will be back in the hands of a consular official this week! Our original submission date was February 5, 2008. We've been told that the Consulate will honor this original date, and provide a quick approval upon review of our documents. However, we are reluctant to believe it will move through smoothly. Can you blame us? Anyone who knows us surely understands that the road to parenthood has been anything but smooth. In fact, between the losses through miscarriage and the scare this past week, we are still quite hesitant with our emotions. But, we will let go, just for one moment, and say, "YAY, YAY, YAY!!!" It has been a long week, but it could have turned out so much worse.
Again, thank you bunches to our family. You've stayed positive and supportive. It was clear that you all would have done anything to help us through, and it meant a lot to us.
I told Buz, just after we read the announcement, "I am going to sit on the floor in the middle of Justin's room and take a deep breath. I am going to open his closet, look at his clothes, and allow myself to imagine again. I am going to smile again every time I walk by and peek into his room. I am going to go though all of the gifts from our shower, and remember all of the special details of that day." This is going to happen!
On that note, I will be entering another post surrounding the baby shower. It was so amazing, and it is wonderful to be able to sit back and savor those memories now without the bitter taste of doubt. I am waiting for the pics, and will write it up when I receive that disc.
Once more...YAY!
http://www.jcics.org/Kazakhstan.htm
Needless to say, we are extremely happy with the timely resolution of the suspension. Our dossier will be back in the hands of a consular official this week! Our original submission date was February 5, 2008. We've been told that the Consulate will honor this original date, and provide a quick approval upon review of our documents. However, we are reluctant to believe it will move through smoothly. Can you blame us? Anyone who knows us surely understands that the road to parenthood has been anything but smooth. In fact, between the losses through miscarriage and the scare this past week, we are still quite hesitant with our emotions. But, we will let go, just for one moment, and say, "YAY, YAY, YAY!!!" It has been a long week, but it could have turned out so much worse.
Again, thank you bunches to our family. You've stayed positive and supportive. It was clear that you all would have done anything to help us through, and it meant a lot to us.
I told Buz, just after we read the announcement, "I am going to sit on the floor in the middle of Justin's room and take a deep breath. I am going to open his closet, look at his clothes, and allow myself to imagine again. I am going to smile again every time I walk by and peek into his room. I am going to go though all of the gifts from our shower, and remember all of the special details of that day." This is going to happen!
On that note, I will be entering another post surrounding the baby shower. It was so amazing, and it is wonderful to be able to sit back and savor those memories now without the bitter taste of doubt. I am waiting for the pics, and will write it up when I receive that disc.
Once more...YAY!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sad news to report...
Sad, disappointed, angry, confused...none of these adjectives do justice to describe just how we are feeling today. On Tuesday, we received a phone call from our coordinator. She said, "I have some disappointing news for you regarding delays at the Consulate." My stomach dropped, and I sat down. She went on to explain that a consular official had confirmed with our agency their intentions to temporarily suspend the processing and forwarding of dossiers to Kazakhstan. They gave no reasons or time frame for a possible lift of this suspension. Later, the Department of State issued the following official statement:
"The Department of State has been informed that the Embassy of Kazakhstan is conducting a review of current procedures regarding inter country adoptions. The Embassy will not process new adoption dossiers until that review is completed. We have offered to assist the Embassy with its efforts to ensure that adoptions from Kazakhstan to the United States are conducted in a transparent, serious and honest process. It is not known at this time how long this review will require."
Needless to say, we were devastated. She sent us the following link on Thursday: "Yesterday I listened to a radio talk show that discussed the latest information known on what is going with the process of adoptions Kazakhstan. Please feel free to log onto the Internet at the link below and list yourself (discussion is the first ½ of the show To listen to the show go to the radio page and click play."
http://www.findingyourchild.com/index.php?content=radio_show
Go to archives and click on Adoption 101
The one piece of info that we do know, is that a new Kazakh/US Ambassador is at the embassy conducting this "review." We do not know what specifically he is looking for or why this came about. We can only hope that this will happen quickly, allowing the consulate to reopen for good.
We are numb. Our dossier was supposed to be in country at this point! It is Friday, and we have no news...just speculation. This is excruciating. I was hoping to have a conversation with our coordinator today. Unfortunately, she never called.
We have waited so long, and this news brings up those feelings of loss all over again. I'm sure that there are many other couples wading through the same issues right now. We're so sorry for all of you. We just keep moving to keep the pain and doubt at bay.
We hope to have some positive news to share next week.
Of course, I will be posting an entry and pics about our baby shower. I just need a little time to process this chaos and get my mind in a better place.
Thanks to our family for your love, prayers, and support.
"The Department of State has been informed that the Embassy of Kazakhstan is conducting a review of current procedures regarding inter country adoptions. The Embassy will not process new adoption dossiers until that review is completed. We have offered to assist the Embassy with its efforts to ensure that adoptions from Kazakhstan to the United States are conducted in a transparent, serious and honest process. It is not known at this time how long this review will require."
Needless to say, we were devastated. She sent us the following link on Thursday: "Yesterday I listened to a radio talk show that discussed the latest information known on what is going with the process of adoptions Kazakhstan. Please feel free to log onto the Internet at the link below and list yourself (discussion is the first ½ of the show To listen to the show go to the radio page and click play."
http://www.findingyourchild.com/index.php?content=radio_show
Go to archives and click on Adoption 101
The one piece of info that we do know, is that a new Kazakh/US Ambassador is at the embassy conducting this "review." We do not know what specifically he is looking for or why this came about. We can only hope that this will happen quickly, allowing the consulate to reopen for good.
We are numb. Our dossier was supposed to be in country at this point! It is Friday, and we have no news...just speculation. This is excruciating. I was hoping to have a conversation with our coordinator today. Unfortunately, she never called.
We have waited so long, and this news brings up those feelings of loss all over again. I'm sure that there are many other couples wading through the same issues right now. We're so sorry for all of you. We just keep moving to keep the pain and doubt at bay.
We hope to have some positive news to share next week.
Of course, I will be posting an entry and pics about our baby shower. I just need a little time to process this chaos and get my mind in a better place.
Thanks to our family for your love, prayers, and support.
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