Journey to Kai

The final post - - - -

2009-12-14T04:59:00.000-08:00

Ohmigosh what a whirlwind of a year it has been! I look at the pictures from the last post, and I honestly, truly, positively can NOT believe it has been just about a year ago! Kai looked like a little peanut, and Austin still had his little-boy smile.....not so much anymore on either count.

Kai's adjustment and acceptance of us as her family has been nothing short of amazing. She is healthy, happy, funny, adorable and smart. I fully expected there to be more "bumps in the road", but everything she has experienced and all the changes in her life in the last year have been developmentally exact. We accelerated her immunizations to catch up to requirements. She has consistently grown, both in height and weight. Austin has accepted her as his little sister, and although he would tell you that she is annoying, they have moments of happiness and fun together that just melt my heart! I feel SOOOO blessed to have two such awesome kids; it is just what I ever hoped and prayed for!

Kai is a normal 2-year old who loves books, puzzles, playing with her baby dolls, putting on (and walking in!) my shoes. She is talking up a storm and making sentences with so many words I have to really concentrate to understand all of them! My favorite is when - out of the blue - she says "Ah wu you mush Momma" ("I love you much Momma")!! I tell her I love her mush too!!!

Austin turned 6 in January with a pool party at a local hotel with a heated indoor pool. He and 5 other boys swam and played like 6-year-old boys do, then we had a sleepover at the hotel. It was crazy-fun, but I am glad I don't have 7 kids! :) Kai did get to experience her first snow in early March. She wasn't too thrilled with it - - - she's like her Momma! The Winter turned into Spring with the usual flurry of kid birthday parties. Austin played baseball again and had a fun time with his buddies.

Kai was baptized on March 29th at the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange with Dr. Doug DeCelle performing the ceremony. My parents and family got to be there along with Shawn's family and several of our dearest friends. We celebrated the happy occasion with a dinner at the country club.

Before we knew it school was out! Austin took swimming lessons with one of his BFFs then did baseball camp the following week with another BFF. Father's Day, Vacation Bible School, and camps at the club filled up many of our summer days, and we spent many weekends on our boat on the lake tubing and swimming.

Two weeks before summer's end the kids and I had the opportunity to head to the beach along with my BFF and her daughter. Kai LOVED the beach (I knew she would; she is, after all, MY daughter!)! We had an awesome time! We got home then turned around and drove to North Carolina to squeeze in a visit to my parent's house. It was short but sweet, and we got to celebrate Pop's birthday with him which was great.

In August, Austin started 1st grade at Hollis Hand and Kai began going 3 mornings a week to a preschool at St. Mark's. Both are enjoying school and learning SO much! Austin is reading really well and it is opening up a whole new world of knowledge for him. Kai loves to draw (scribble?) and can count to 13! We're still working on learning our colors and letters, but she is doing amazingly well.

Austin has been losing teeth like crazy since school started. At the present, he is missing 5 of his front teeth, including his top two middle ones. What a change it has made in his appearance! No longer a little boy - - it is bittersweet for me as his mother. I know they are both growing up, but it just happens so quickly. I really do try to savor the moments of motherhood and remind myself that they'll be grown before I know it. Kai has all her baby teeth including her two-year molars. I'm just glad that since her verbal skills have improved she has hardly used those chompers for biting others! That was a problem for a short time.

We went through the process of domestic re-adoption for Kai so that she could obtain an American birth certificate and Social Security number. She became "official" on August 27th!

Kai turned two at the end of October. I figured since she missed out on celebrating her first birthday, we should do it up big for her second! She had three birthday parties: one at preschool, one for the family and our friends from Atlanta, and one girly-girl "Sparkly" Party where everything was pink and/or glittery! It was awesome!

Now as we celebrate again the Christmas season, I am filled with joy more than ever before. My family is complete! I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. Our journey to Kai was different than how Austin came to be in our lives, but there is no less love for either child. Just like the Grinch, my heart has grown with love for my family and also my friends. Kai is not a child of our flesh, but she is a child of our hearts. There were times when I wondered whether we would be able to get to her and bring her home, but I never lost my faith in God's plan (and timing) for us. In fact, in looking back, I can see that God was making me stronger with the challenges that the adoption process brought. I had never prayed so hard in my life, and I am so very thankful that God answered our prayer, and we were able to have our precious daughter home with us. I give Him ALL the glory! Where there is great love there are miracles, and I do believe with all my heart that BOTH of my children are miracles.

The will be the final post for the blog. The journey TO Kai is over - - but the rest of the journey has only begun!

God is good - all the time - and all the time God is good!!!!!! Always keep the faith!!!!

A few more pictures of cuteness!

2009-01-03T06:48:00.001-08:00

Happy 2009!

2009-01-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

Well as anyone still checking this blog knows, I have been a terrible blogger since Kai came home. What a difference it makes with two children at home!! I am so behind on everyday tasks, it's a wonder anything is getting done. I've made it my intention to focus on spending time with my family and not worrying so much about "stuff". I recall seeing one of those e-mails not long ago about how your children won't remember whether the dishes were done or the beds were made, but they will remember the hugs, the playing together, and the laughs - - - so we've been trying to have lots of those!!

The holiday season has been especially merry and bright as a family of four - - - Kai and Austin are developing a really sweet and special relationship. My heart just melts when I see them laughing together!! He can get her going like no one else can - -- SOOO cute!!

I hope to post again real soon (really!) about all the wonderful things about Kai, but I'm sure you are all much more interested in just seeing some new pictures - - -and over a month of "Sweet, Sweet Baby" has hopefully not run EVERYONE off! :) Hope you all have a wonderful year in 2009!!

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T19:26:00.001-08:00

Oh, how much we have to be thankful for - - - EVERY day!! Good health, lots of love, freedoms, family and friends. Thanks, God!!

We normally do Thanksgiving dinner here at our house for my family and Shawn's, but thanks to the generosity of my sweet sister Shelly and my mom and dad, we celebrated at Shelly's this year. I don't know how I could have pulled it off, and they did it beautifully!!

Kai was a great joy; very friendly and fun with everyone! We all had a great time and enjoyed a wonderful meal together.

On a sad note, Shawn's grandfather passed away on Wednesday morning. He had just turned 90, and had lived a full life, but it's always hard to accept, especially at the holiday season. Our prayers are for his family and their peace tonight.

Adjusting to life at home....

2008-11-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

Kai is doing remarkably well adjusting to her new home and surroundings - - - the rest of us are working on it! She is a happy girl - - - and just seems as if she's been here forever. She finally slept through the night last night, so that was a good thing. I've had to feed her two bottles overnight prior to that, and getting a good night's sleep was hard. But my mom came and stayed two nights this week to help out while Shawn had to be out of town. I took Austin out on Wednesday for some one-on-one time. He isn't relishing his role as a big brother yet, but I'm hoping that will come in time.

Here are some pictures from our travels back home and once we got here.....Enjoy...and don't ever forget: There IS no place like home!!!!

...And now there are four!

2008-11-17T10:36:00.001-08:00

We are happily home, getting over the jetlag, and adjusting to life with our energetic one-year old and her big brother. The flight home went much better than we had anticipated; Kai is a really good traveler!!

And although it was a busy weekend, it was great to get back. My parents and some of our friends did a covert mission to welcome us home with pink bows, balloons and ribbons everywhere along with gifts for Kai and Austin and food supplies galore! Thanks to all our sweet friends and family for making us feel so special and for the love you have for Kai!! She is a lucky girl to be so embraced so quickly.

Kai has been pure joy since getting home, especially considering all the changes she has been through in the last two weeks. She is laughing and is just generally a happy girl! And she LOVES her big brother like crazy - - - it is SO cute to see her face light up when she sees him or even hears his voice. He is getting used to the idea of sharing mom and dad....

I will have more pictures to upload in the next day or so - - - - MANY thanks to you all!!

Meet Kai??

2008-11-13T17:59:00.001-08:00

We leave in a few minutes for the airport, but I wanted to let everyone know that we would like to invite whoever would like to meet Kai (and who can) to drop by this weekend! Family is invited to come on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00, and friends can come on Sunday afternoon also from 3:00 - 6:00. I wasn't able to send out an e-mail, so hopefully enough people will see this post and can spread the word. Very informal; don't even know how Kai's schedule will be once we get home, but this has been a long time coming, and we want her to meet all the important people in her life!

A fix!

2008-11-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay!! I can hardly wait to post pictures just as soon as we take them....there's a lot of sweetness to share in this little girl! She has the cutest dimples you have ever seen...on her knees! We are madly in love with our spunky little Kai and have enjoyed every minute of this special time with her. What precious moments have been condensed into a short couple of weeks - learning so much about her and relishing the discovery of it all!

We leave in the morning and look forward to getting home to see Austin, family and friends. I will try to post one last time in the morning. I think it would be a cool thing for anyone and everyone who is following Kai's blog to write even a short comment following this post so that we'll know who's still with us. Just click on the " __ comments" that shows by the time stamp at the end of the post. Add your comment and submit!

Our hearts are with you all for the wonderful love, patience, kindness and support you have all shown throughout this crazy Journey to Kai (J2K!)- - even from strangers, some of who are still waiting for their own joyful reunions with their Vietnamese babies. I pray every day for the waiting families and for the children; for their peace and happy endings. And I know that God will unite them all in His due time!! Keep the faith!! Of course, this is far from the ending for any of us....it is a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives, and I give God all the glory for allowing us to take this next step.

So...here are the last day's pictures of our little angel....the bathing suit and hat was only worn once in the room (too cold to swim, but does she look ready for the catwalk, or what?!?), and the bow in the hair (look closely) was in there for approximately 2.5 seconds before she pulled it out (sorry, Nicole! I'll keep trying!!). The Vietnamese lady in the picture is the agency's facilitator. She was a tremendous help to us through everything! She is expecting her first baby, but she's had lots of practice with babies, we could tell, and will make a wonderful mother. It was a joy getting to know her as well.

Hope to see everyone very soon!!

No pics, but GREAT NEWS

2008-11-11T23:57:00.000-08:00

HOORAY!! We are back from the visa interview, and there were no issues. It actually took less than 5 minutes for the Embassy to look at our paperwork! Our facilitator will pick up Kai's visa later this afternoon, and WE ARE DONE!!

Flights are confirmed for Friday (another HOORAY!), so we should be home (can I say HOORAY three times in one post??) at around midnight Friday!!

Just had to share the great news with everyone back home.....I will take and post some more pictures before we leave for you Kai crack-heads out there (HAHAHAHA!!)!!

LOVE TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New pictures of cuteness!!

2008-11-11T19:15:00.001-08:00

Thanks, Amy J., for reprimanding me about not posting pictures! She is, after all, the cutest little thing I've ever seen!! Enjoy!!

Hang tight - -

2008-11-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

Kai's medical examination was today and everything looked great! Another hurdle out of the way - yay!!! She is 19.6 lbs. and 19 1/2 inches tall - - - a sturdy and healthy girl!!

Unfortunately, we found out this afternoon that the Embassy was closed today and will be closed again tomorrow for meetings. Ugh!! That means that we can't get Kai's visa until Wednesday at the earliest....which means we won't be able to fly home Wednesday after all!! We had just received our itinerary; now we've got to change it again and hope that there are seats available on Thursday. We will continue to have faith that God's got it covered (He does), and we will get home at the right time.

Fun with Kai!

2008-11-09T00:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we toured the Hoa Lo Prison, where John McCain spent time as a POW. Prisoners were subjected to torture, inhuman living conditions and execution. There was even a guillotine they had used. It was chilling, to say the least.

BUT! We have had a great couple of days with Kai! She continues to do well, and I think she has accepted the fact that we're not going anywhere.

The best news of all is that we are confirmed on flights back home next Wednesday!! WOOHOO!! I can't wait to begin our lives - at home - as a family of four. God continues to bless us!!

Here are a few pictures, including one of that AWESOME smile I told you about. We are seeing it more and more!!

How cute is this....

2008-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

....funny girl face?? Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days of our sweet little angel! We haven't had the greatest weather (major flooding before we arrived and a typhoon is expected to hit the area tomorrow afternoon!), so we haven't been able to do as much as we had hoped. Thank goodness we have a 3 bedroom apartment to stay in so we can move around quite a bit.

Kai is an extremely active one-year old!! And she has been very clingy to me....I had forgotten the art of eating, brushing teeth and making bottles with one hand while holding a baby on my hip! She is really warming up to Shawn, too, as we knew she would.

We bought a stroller and she just loves riding in it! Every day as the weather would allow, we have taken walks around to different parts of the city. Yesterday we went to the Old Quarter and had lunch at an outdoor cafe around Hoan Kiem Lake. The waitress brought Kai some corn on the cob and she LOVED it! We had to ask for a second piece to get through lunch - - wish I had a bucketful! :)

Kai has been very sad at bedtime; crying for a long time before going to sleep. But last night - no tears!! I think we are making significant strides in her adjustment to us - - - what a relief! She is SOO snuggly and sweet and funny! She makes this hilarious, huge-smiley face when she thinks something is funny - - like when she passes gas! And she is really smart. She helps Daddy put the key card in the door, knows how to push the buttons on the tv, goes to the door when she wants to go somewhere, and so many other things that tell us she understands. What an awesome time we are having getting to know her!!

Thanks to everyone for all the best wishes! Hopefully we will be home next week and can see everyone very soon!!

AHHH! I can post again!!!

2008-11-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but for the last two days when I've tried to login to post on the blogsite, it gave me instructions in Vietnamese - - and more detailed instructions than the usual e-mail address and password, so I have been STUCK, unable to post. ANYWAY!!! I logged on tonight and for some reason it's back to English, and let me just say HALLELUJAH!! My Facebook friends have been able to see some pics, but not everyone, so.....with no further adieu.....I am so happy to share some pics of Kai!!!

She was really open to us when we were at the orphanage, laughing and smiling. We spent about an hour there before we were told it was time to leave and go to the G&R Ceremony. The nannies were very sad you could tell, but I also saw how much love they had for Kai and - as we left - I was overcome with gratitude for these two ladies who had cared for Kai, day in and day out with oh-so-little in the way of resources. I hugged them both profusely and thanked them for the good care they had given to her. They didn't speak a word of English but I'm sure they understood. Shawn couldn't believe how dirty the orphanage was (and it was), but seriously.....it's not like these people can bop down to the local Wal-Mart, buy some 409 and scrub sponges and give the place a good cleaning every couple of weeks! This country is P.O.O.R.!!! It's really unbelieveable and humbling to see how some people live.

On the way back to Ha Noi, Kai did a little crying and was upset for a bit. I held her and comforted her....it was all I could do. I really thought that was the end of it, but at bedtime for the last two nights, she is just inconsolable and cries herself to sleep, exhausted, with me holding her, rocking her and rubbing her back. I know she is missing her sweet nannies, but we are doing all we can to help her make the transition. I'm not sure how long that will take, but we will do whatever it takes!

Today was better; we went shopping a bought her a sweater (it's been a bit chilly and almost everything I brought were sundresses!) and some new shoes (all the shoes that I had were too big - - the girl's got 3 1/2 size feet!) and a stroller. We walked all the way around Hoan Kiem Lake with Kai in her stroller. She didn't make a peep for 2 hours! We decided to have an early dinner - Kai had only a little over an hour nap earlier - but it was clear as soon as we got to the restaurant and sat down for dinner that she was in no mood for a leisurely dinner! We left without ordering, and got sandwiches to-go from a cafe attached to the hotel.

Anyway!! I know things will get better, and we are so overjoyed to be with her!! She is absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS and SWEET!

Hopefully, my blogsite will continue to cooperate so I can keep updating the end of the journey for you. We may be flying home at the end of next week rather than the following Wednesday (11/19). THAT would be awesome!!

We got to Skype Austin earlier today, and it was great to see his precious face!! I'm so appreciative of all the help we have had with him....and it's a real comfort to know that he's been well cared for!

More later.....!!

We're here!!!

2008-11-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

We arrived today (Tuesday) in Hanoi at about 12:35 p.m. It was about 30 hours of total travel time, and although it is only 6:30 p.m. here, we are exhausted and ready for bed!! The Giving & Receiving Ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow. The in-country facilitator is meeting us in the morning at 8 a.m. for the drive out to the orphanage to meet KAI!!!

I don't know if any of you have heard about it or not, but within the last three days, northern Vietnam has received about 20 inches of rain and there is flooding all around. It was the most rain they have received in that amount of time in over 20 years! We heard about it as we were about to leave, but after checking the flights it didn't look like there any delays, so we just figured we would deal with it when we got here. As we flew in this morning, you could see large areas of flooding. Over 40 deaths have been attributed to the flooding, and you could see why. The devastation was huge!! Now they are worried about disease, post-flood, and lots of people are wearing face masks.

I can't wait to tell you all about the sights and sounds we have seen thus far, but for now I can only tell you how EXTREMELY EXCITED we are to get to meet Kai tomorrow for the first time!!!

Austin is doing well; we got to talk to him earlier today.

Hopefully when you see this next we will have been able to post pictures with our girl!!! YAY!!!!!

On our way!!

2008-11-02T10:35:00.001-08:00

We are leaving within minutes for the airport - - - can you believe it?!? We fly to LAX tonight, then to Taipei, Taiwan then to Hanoi, arriving on Tuesday mid-day. Whew!! It will all have been so worth it when we see Kai on Wednesday!! I am hoping to be able to upload a photo from the Giving & Receiving Ceremony, so look for that on Wednesday.

Our plans as of now are to return on Wednesday, November 19th. Our flight gets in at midnight. However, there is a chance that Kai's visa and passport could get issued earlier than what we've allowed for, so we may get to return the weekend before.....that's what we're hoping for!!

I'm already a little sad about being away from Austin for so long. He was very needy today and of course it's because of our leaving. But he's a tough little guy, and I know he'll be okay. Thank goodness for all of his wonderful grandparents who will be taking good care of him while we're gone. Lots of love to Mam & Pop and to Grandma & Grandpa!!

Thanks to you all for your continued prayers for our safe travels! Bon voyage!!!

Leavin' on an airplane....

2008-11-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

....in about 34 hours from now!! I'm still not sure it's completely sunk in. I keep having all these thoughts about the actual moment when we will see her face and hold her in our arms - the reality of that - but it still just seems like a dream, a hope, a prayer....

Today is final laundry and putting-it-all-in-a-suitcase day, and I can't wait!! All the orphanage and nanny gifts are ready, the paperwork has all been copied and is ready to take with us, so we just need to pack our clothes and toiletries. I am most excited to pack Kai's cute little girly stuff! I can't wait to see her in a dress!! I just hope it's all going to fit in our luggage and not go over the weight limits!! :)

We had a fun time last night at our trick-or-treating hayride (thanks, T & S!!!)! This has become a tradition of ours that is as fun for the adults as it is for the kids. Austin was a Hot Wheels Racer, and he looked so cool!

I will try to post again tomorrow - - - I thought our flight left mid-day tomorrow, but we actually have until later in the afternoon. I will be SOO ready to go!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Kai!!

2008-10-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today is Kai's 1st birthday, and although we aren't with her for that.....we WILL be with her very soon!!

Trying to get a flight booked for Friday has proven too difficult for so many reasons (crazy layovers, cost, etc.), so it looks like we will leave on Sunday instead. I can't stand to spend one more second without her, but the return travel was going to be like an Amazing Race episode, and I don't want to put her through that! It means we won't have our Giving & Receiving Ceremony until Wednesday probably, but it means a much saner process for us all.

Austin has a school party on Friday (and I'm helping), there's the trick-or-treating/hayride tomorrow night, and he has a birthday party to go to on Saturday, so we'll still be able to do all of those things with and for him.

Now I can start packing and getting all the last-minute things done, including voting (DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!) without feeling like a chicken with my head cut off!

Thanks to EVERYONE, again, for all the kind words, calls, and e-mails. I haven't been able to respond to most of these, but just know how much it is all SO very much appreciated!! What an exciting time for us!

OMG, Part II

2008-10-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like after all the incessant waiting - - - we will wait no more! Our Giving and Receiving Ceremony is set for MONDAY - that's right - THIS MONDAY!!! We will be holding Kai in our arms in just 5 short days!!!!

Shawn is on the phone now booking flights that leave on Friday and return in two weeks....I will give the details when we have them.....

What a wonderful day it has been!! Such an outpouring of love and kindness for Kai.....my heart is so full!! Thank you to everyone for the tremendous support!!

O-M-G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

OH-MY-GOSH!!!!! I absolutely-positively cannot believe I am FINALLY telling you this, but WE RECEIVED OUR PRELIMINARY TRAVEL APPROVAL FROM USCIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have waited so long to tell you that, I can't even believe I am saying those words!!! I was so deflated yesterday and have been so sad that we were going to miss being with Kai on her first birthday. I was having a hard time thinking about anything but her in the last couple of days, and I have been poring over all the documentation and wondering what our next step would be if we didn't get approved.

Then - - - about 20 minutes ago - - - I get up to do one of my usual overnight e-mail inbox checks, and there it was!!!!! I didn't even pull it up, I just read the subject line: I-600 preliminary approval, and went running into the bedroom to tell Shawn!! We laughed, hugged and cried - - - I feel like the 1,000 pound gorilla just jumped off my shoulders!!!

GOD IS SO SUPER-GOOD!!! I prayed yesterday for strength to get through this, for understanding and acceptance for His timing, and for peace that Kai is being taken cared for and getting the nourishment and attention she needs.......God gave me all of that and MORE!!!

I can't imagine going back to sleep tonight, there are 8,000 things I want to do to get ready to go! I don't know exactly when we'll travel yet, but it should be within a week.....I will update the blog as we know more!!!!!! Thanks to EVERYONE who prayed, who thought of us, who lifted us up to God in the last 10 months. We have appreciated so much the outpouring of your love and prayers. I don't know why it's taken so long, but God had a plan - He still does - and He always will!!

My friend Jessica brought me some of her should-be-world-famous cookie dough yesterday with a sweet note of encouragement. We call it "crack dough" because it is SOO yummy and hard to stop eating......could it be that it's "lucky dough", too??????? Thanks, Jess!! Love ya!!

Worth a good chuckle!

2008-10-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself sitting around eating bon-bons with nothing better to do......(ha!).....check out this website for some laughs: www.yearbookyourself.com

It's HI-LAR-I-OUS!!! And I needed that....

What a Wonderful World!

2008-10-26T04:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Austin's school's Fall Festival was this weekend, and what a fun time it was!! It poured down rain on Friday and even Friday night, so I was really concerned about the weather, but as promised on weather-com - - - sunny skies!!

Austin promptly got his hair painted red and won a goldfish - - - what a wonderful world!!!

Shawn and I had a date night last night, and we were talking about how glad we are that we moved from the "big city" to raise our children in a small-town lifestyle. Just spending the whole day with kids running around, eating cotton candy and doing all kinds of fun things is just what I envisioned when we made plans to move. What a change from six years ago!! I'll take this any day......

The countdown is on until the 30 day waiting period is up. Saturday will be 30 days. We hope and pray that we will hear some GOOD NEWS (I-600 approval) this week!!! I wish I had a dollar for each time I've said that - - - I'd buy you ALL a new car! :)

Warning: Extreme Cuteness Ahead!

2008-10-22T16:50:00.001-07:00

As promised, we received some new pictures of Kai today!! She is SUCH a sweet cutie-pie - - - I almost can't stand it! I am thrilled to see how big she is and that she looks healthy. We hope she's waiting to take her first steps until she's with us!

It was a great e-mail to get, but of course, we would have preferred THE e-mail with I-600 approval - - - - it's been 21 days since we submitted the additional paperwork.

We are keeping the faith and staying strong - - -

8:45 a.m. in Vietnam....

2008-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

....and you know what I'm doing.....checking e-mails for that elusive one that will grant us freedom to go get our sweet baby girl...

The best news I can share is that we have been promised new pictures of Kai this week!! If nothing else, we can at least see what she looks like now. The last pictures we have were from July 19th, and I know she has changed so much since then.

I will post those here just as soon as I see them....can't wait to see her sweet face!!!

A Glimmer Of Hope?

2008-10-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

I had a lengthy conversation tonight with a fellow RFE recipient who gave me some encouraging information regarding what it took to get their I-600 approval - - -finally!

There are too many details to share here, and we have to allow the 30-day window for the USCIS review, but I felt very hopeful after hearing her story (which was nearly identical to ours is circumstance)!

Just keep up the prayers - - - God is never late - - - and keep the faith that Kai will be home with us very soon!!

It's Monday morning in Vietnam....

2008-10-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

....and in between refreshing my inbox page every 5 minutes or so, I'm poring over any and every blogsite I can find about other RFE cases. Maybe it wasn't a good idea since I found a few that were extremely discouraging!

It looks like most responses to RFEs include a rebuttal (9 pages in the case of one family I found!). Since our response was the additional documentation only - - and CIS has never asked for a rebuttal - - - I'm not feeling very good about getting approval. It sounds like we missed an opportunity to plead our case, but how could we have known??

I am 100% prepared to hire an international adoption attorney if we don't get our approval. The cost is definitely a deterrent, but what choice do we have?? We can't keep playing this cat and mouse game back and forth with CIS, and maybe that will be what it takes to get it done. I just don't know....feeling a little deflated today.....

Snaggletooth!

2008-10-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Check this out....Austin lost his first tooth last night!! Isn't that the cutest little guy you've ever seen?? He was so worried that it was going to bleed that he let it get SO loose - over the last two weeks - that it practically popped out on its own! He was so tickled that it didn't bleed.

We are still waiting, waiting, waiting for a response to our additional documentation. It's now 7:50 a.m. in Vietnam. I imagine the CIS office opening soon to the smells of coffee and the sounds of morning chatter. Everyone is glad it's Friday and....let's hope everyone is in a very happy, understanding and caring mood! I can just see our big, fat file coming across the chick-in-charge's desk and her thinking, "Gosh, this family has been waiting SO very long for their sweet little girl! Look at all the time and effort that was put into their response! It's a little hard to sort through all the paperwork, but this is just silly. Uniting this child with her family should be our top priority! Let me just type up this I-600 approval and get it to them right away......."

We've got until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow or it's on to next week......I seriously doubt anyone over there is working over the weekend. Keep praying, and we will, too!!

Soccer!!

2008-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Finally - a post NOT related to the adoption!

Saturday mornings in the Fall are filled with soccer games these days! Following the inevitable last-minute rush to find the shinguards and socks, we faithfully pile chairs and a cooler and zoom out to the local soccer fields. It's great entertainment, actually! Friends who have preschoolers too young to play even join us to watch the 4 and 5 year olds attempt to get the ball down the field and into the goal (a shout out to Dee and Bee!). Deft coordination is not on most of the youngster's skill list, but they get an "A" for effort in my book!

Unlike the older kids (I'm not looking forward to the serious competitiveness ahead!) they are simply learning team participation and basic soccer techniques. There's no mean-spirited shouting or criticizing from the parents; it is meant to be a positive learning experience for the kids. But what is amazing to me is how quickly they improve in their abilities! This is Austin's second year, and he's much more likely to get in the middle of the fray and make his own attempt to get the ball. He has scored a few points, pulled off some great turn-arounds, and made lots of assists. Last year I'm not sure he kicked the ball more than twice! And some of the kids are really good!

Shawn is one of the Assistant Coaches, so it has been a fun family experience for us all. And I am officially a "Soccer Mom"!! Sure, there are those that snicker at the title, but I really love it! And I am proud of us for focusing on our family rather than wallow in despair about not having Kai home. Some days are easier than others, but we are so blessed, and I'm glad we consciously recognize the blessings we do have. God IS good!!!

Go Blue!!!

Paris Pics!

2008-10-03T07:34:00.001-07:00

Finally a moment to breathe and post some pictures from our anniversary trip to Paris! I cannot figure out how to put captions next to each one, and they show up in the reverse order from how I upload them, but here's what you're seeing:

- This is me updating the blog at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris awaiting our return flight home.
- We weren't looking for it, but stumbled across the memorial to Princess Diana and the tunnel where she was killed. It was chilling to see; I can't believe it's been more than 10 years since that happened!
- This was taken in the GYNORMOUS plaza of the Musee' de Louvre, which is now an art museum. You can't imagine how big it is (it spans 15 acres), and the modern glass pyramid is in remarkable contrast to the 12th century architecture. Louis XIV, Napoleon I and Napoleon III all lived here at one time - - - - imagine THAT as your crib!!
- I forgot the names of these next two places, but aren't they unbelievably beautiful?!?
- Shawn and I at the Eiffel Tower. Again, you can't imagine its vastness until you see it in person! This steel tower (over 1,000 feet tall) was built between 1887 - 1889 as the entrance for the International Exhibition in Paris for the centennial celebration of the French Revolution and is named for its designer, Gustave Eiffel.

And that, boys and girls, is my history lesson for the day!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

The right decision??

2008-10-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I just couldn't help myself - - - I called Vietnam last night and - on the second try - spoke again to "Russell". She was not as abrasive and condescending as she had been in our former conversation (I can't believe that was nearly 3 months ago!!), but she was definitely all business. She was aware of the paperwork issue and she said we had two choices: she would return the originals to us and allow us to send them back OR she would disregard the cover letter from our agency and allow the paperwork to stand on its own as the response to the RFE. Both e-mails we received from them stressed that we are only allowed ONE submission of a response, so this was an important decision. She kept saying that we have "plenty of time", since we were allowed 84 days to respond, but I reminded her that getting our daughter home as soon as possible was our top priority!

I told her I would need to talk to Shawn and would let her know our decision via e-mail.

Shawn and I discussed it and based our decision on: 1) having them return and then sending back the documentation would take about 10 - 14 days - - further delays - - , 2) there would be a chance that the paperwork could get lost and 3) the documentation itself is what they will base their determination on anyway.

SO! I sent an e-mail response to USCIS last night - which they acknowledged receiving - and our submission date is 10/3/08. They said they require 30 working days for a response. I hope and pray that it won't take that long!

Was it the right decision?? I guess time will tell....

Crazy and crazier!

2008-10-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, here's what we know: USCIS will not accept RFE documentation unless it comes directly from the waiting families (that's us, in case you're just tuning in!). Since they received the package that contains the only originals, we are having to ask (implore, beg!) them to FedEx the package to us so that we can then turn around and send it right back to them. Yeah, I know, it makes a lot of sense, right??

I just sent an e-mail in response to their's that came overnight. Wouldn't be surprised if they ignore that for another week or so......

Another hoop, another jump - - - I wonder what FedEx Express Service costs between here and Vietnam?

Not frustrated, not frustrated, not frustrated....

2008-10-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

Today's e-mail from HCMC stated that they received our package of additional documentation, however, they cannot accept paperwork from our agency on our behalf. The paperwork has to come from us directly.

(Not frustrated, not frustrated, not frustrated....)

What?? Sounds like another delay tactic to me!

(Not frustrated, not frustrated, not frustrated....)

Seems like our agency should have known this, but rather than place blame and focus on that, I forwarded the e-mail to them and asked them what/how we should do as next step.

(Not frustrated, not frustrated, not frustrated...)

I will not allow frustration to take over!

2008-10-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

At 3:30 a.m., we received what we believe to be an "auto-response" from the Embassy in Vietnam. It states that they cannot accept paperwork and requests via e-mail (you may note that this is a complete reversal from before we they would ONLY communicate via e-mail) and that they will notify us when they are in receipt of our RFE documentation. It's been 8 days since it was sent to them - from Vietnam, to Vietnam.

After a long conversation with our agency, I was extremely discouraged and disappointed to know that our only recourse at this point is to wait. A good rash of tears ensued; luckily no one was home at the time to have to listen to it other than the pets.

However, I have been attending a women's Bible study every Wednesday for a month, and it's funny how God puts things in front of you just when you need them. We meet for small groups then come together for a lecture by a fantastic speaker (who herself is battling cancer). The topic for the last two weeks has been angels and demons. One of the things she said today was particularly relevant to me when she talked about how Satan puts discouragement and doubt in our minds to keep us from a close relationship to God. I can see how that has been happening to me lately through this adoption process, but I will not allow it to continue! This has been God's journey all along, and if I am anxious it shows my lack of faith. I DO trust and I DO have faith that God will allow us to bring home our daughter, and nothing will take that away from us! I don't know the timing, but I will remain steadfast and hold to the fact that it will happen - and I will do it without frustration, without despair!

I can't wait to share the good news with you all very soon!!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl (and Aunt Julie)!

2008-09-30T04:47:00.001-07:00

Kai is 11 months old today, and although I was hoping for a wonderful birthday surprise, my inbox this morning had only the usual junk.......

I am sad for all the milestones we have missed in her life so far, and I just continue to remind myself of all the years we will have with her ahead. I cannot imagine how disappointed we will be if we don't have her home by her first birthday. Please, please, please let us get the approval SOON!!!

Happy Birthday to my SIL, Julie, who today turns "the new 30"!! We look forward to celebrating with you!!

Back to the Waiting Game

2008-09-29T09:05:00.001-07:00

I want to thank EVERYONE who has sent the Senator letters! We were blown away at the huge response, and we just hope and pray that it helps expedite the review of our case.

I e-mailed the Embassy just to ask them to acknowledge receipt of the documentation, and - of course - got no response (!!). Senator Chambliss' office did an inquiry this morning, so maybe they'll have better luck than I did.

Also, our police clearance letters had expired in August. I had been thinking it wasn't a big deal because we just get them locally. However, I had forgotten that they also have to be county-certified, state-certified, and authenticated by the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco! YIKES!! If we were to get travel approval this week, we'll be pushing it to get these back in time! And Shawn is out of town, so that further complicates things.....I'm working on it, though! Hopefully they will be on their way to the state level by this afternoon.

Our medical letters expire 10/28, so let's just keep our fingers crossed that we are back home by then!

Just keep praying!!

Feeling better all around...and it's FRIDAY!

2008-09-26T04:46:00.000-07:00

Austin is (finally!) better after being out of school for three days. Thank goodness!! It's been a looonnnnggg week.....About the only good that comes out of having a sick child is lots of snuggling time! I didn't mind that part at all!

We are feeling better, too, about the additional paperwork that was submitted to CIS this week. I went over it all with a fine-tooth comb with our agency yesterday, and it appears that it may - in fact - address the discrepancy in the original paperwork (!!!). It's embedded in one of the summary reports that their Department of Justice prepared for the People's Committee, so I forwarded just that summary to the CIS with an e-mail pointing out the explanation and requesting a response.

I decided against posting the senators' letters on this blogsite (too much personal info), but if I know you personally, you will be getting an e-mail from me asking you to sign and send the letters. I hope you will consider doing so. We do NOT want the process to go stagnate at this point, and we feel like the CIS should do an immediate review of the case and make a determination. It has been 157 days since they acknowledged receipt of our I-600!!!

Kai will be 11 months old on Tuesday.....

Brian Andreas rocks!

2008-09-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

I found a perfectly-fitting Brian Andreas (I HEART him!) print on another blog, and although I can't figure out how to copy and paste the picture, here's the text:

"Feels like some kind of ride - but it's turning out just to be life going absolutely perfectly"

How fitting!

Austin is STILL sick - high temp at 4 a.m. and coughing like crazy - so we're waiting for a return call from the doctor's office. I then have to call the adoption agency and talk about the paperwork...

Disappointment abounds

2008-09-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have read and re-read every document that we received today at least 10 times. I've studied them, written timelines, cross-referenced contradictions, and added confirmations, and I still don't know what to make of it! I honestly don't know if it will help our case or not, but I feel pretty certain that it won't be sufficient to adjudicate our I-600. It clearly doesn't provide a reasonable explanation of why the hospital discharge report contradicts the mid-wife's report. There's lots of mumbo-jumbo that dances around the topic and gives scenarios surrounding the events, but it does not provide a direct explanation and neither side has recanted their story.

Let me share with you an excerpt from one of the reports, just to give you an idea: "...I was called by Manager of General Planning...I came to the department and met a foreigner with his interpreter there (CIS agents). Mr. YY gave me the Hospital Checking Out Document of Patient XX (the birthmother) for me to check and I found the mistake in difference in the year in that document. Then I said to Mr. YY that the working time was finished and I left the department to go back home." Uhhhh....okay....yeah, we KNOW that 10/31/08 hasn't happened yet, so the year is wrong. Duh. But can someone PUH-LEEZE look at the REAL discrepancy, and that is why is there a Hospital Checking Out Document in the first place if SHE NEVER FORMALLY CHECKED OUT?!?!?!? All the other documents say (and these are direct quotes) "she left", "she disappeared", "she gave birth, ran away, and left her baby in the hospital", "she escaped from the hospital", "no one came to receive the baby", etc.

We can only hope that the CIS might get as worn-out and exasperated as we did reading all of this, and maybe they will just say "okay, okay....just don't make me read any more, and we'll approve your I-600! You can leave tomorrow!".....Well, one can dream, can't they?

I asked the agency to call me to discuss it, which they did, but apparently at the exact time I left the house for 2 minutes to go to the mailbox! I didn't even realize I had missed the call until it was 5:30 p.m./too late to call them back.

I am beyond frustrated but not beyond hope.

Paperwork received - - - now to make some sense of it!

2008-09-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Good morning -

I am sorting and re-reading through the myriad of documents that arrived in my inbox this morning....glad to have gotten something, but I just can't see where this is going to be enough! It is very confusing, redundant, and hard to read mostly because the word arrangements get changed in the translation. It addresses the "'08 vs. '07" issue in the original documents, but not the "disappeared from hospital vs. formerly discharged" issue. Also, the police report (saying the birth mother cannot be located) is referenced but is not included. HOWEVER! It's more than we had this time yesterday, so we are working to make some sense of it!

Strep and Stress - - -

2008-09-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I knew it was coming....just about everyone I know has had at least one sick child in the last few weeks, so it was just our turn, I guess! Austin came home from school yesterday feeling lousy, and I didn't want to wait to see if it would get better on its own. I took him to the doctor first thing this morning. He has strep throat, so we are homebound for two days. Ugh. The doctor visit was horrible since Austin knew exactly what the swab was for, and he didn't want any part of that! I literally had to hold him down while he screamed so they could get it done. AND his temperature was 103.6!! I have GOT to get a decent thermometer that gives consistent readings (we have 3 different kinds and none work well!). I knew he had a fever just based on how warm his skin was, but it scares me for it to get that high. They gave him Motrin while we were there and it's much better now.

AND - - - - the only e-mail I have gotten regarding the adoption was one from our agency saying they are still waiting. BIG UGH!! I'm trying SOOO hard not to let it stress me out, but today the stress is winning. They said it may still come today, but since it's nearly 2 p.m., I'm not feeling very hopeful.

Tomorrow??

2008-09-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

We are supposed to have the translated documents e-mailed to us tomorrow (our agency should receive them overnight tonight)!!! I'm not sure why they didn't ask for details about the content (I sure would have!), but were told that it does explain the discrepancy in the original paperwork we received.

SO! They asked for additional evidence, we are providing it, so they should approve our I-600, right????

I hope and pray it will be that straightforward!

Pics to share!

2008-09-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

Good morning to all!

At this point in our process, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't post a picture of Kai for all to see. Early on, it was advised against, but today I am claiming her as our own. No one will be taking this little angel away from us. The question is not "if", but "when"!

So - - - as we have been for months now - - - - I invite you to enjoy that precious little face! Those gorgeous eyes! That punkin mouth! What long fingers! I just love every inch of her and can't wait to hold her in my arms, kiss her all over and tell her HOW VERY MUCH WE LOVE HER!!

We are optimistic that this will be a great week for Kai's adoption. If we don't see the documentation today, I will start making some noise; it's been a week already. AND I plan to draft a letter to our congressmen for family and friends to send so that - hopefully - the USCIS will review the documentation quickly and give us our I-600 approval. Today is day #153!!! I may even attach it to the blog so that anyone could send it to their own congressmen...in fact, that is what I shall do!! I hope you will all join us in our mini-crusade to get our daughter home!

Working on it!

2008-09-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

Good morning to all!

I heard from our agency - - - they are working on the translations of the documentation, there is apparently a lot of paperwork (that's good!), and the in-country facilitator "thinks" it will be sufficient to satisfy the USCIS for I-600 approval (that's GREAT!!!!!). They will send us and the Embassy the paperwork once it's translated, then - again - we wait.

Keep praying!! Every day we are one step closer!!!

Home, sweet home!

2008-09-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

We are safely home and were SOOO excited to see Austin! I got an e-mail from our agency that said we may not hear anything until today or tomorrow.....I'm about to e-mail her back and find out why the delay.

Stay tuned.....

Bon jour...

2008-09-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

...From Paris!! We are at the Charles de Galle airport awaiting our return flight home. It has been an amazing trip, and I will write more at length later (and add some pictures of this BEAUTIFUL city!). We celebrated our 7th anniversary having dinner at a wonderful restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower!

But for now, I wanted to let you know what is happening in adoption-world: The Justice Office in Vietnam called our agency's in-country facilitator on the 15th and asked her to come pick up the documents the following day (which is basically now - it's 3:30 p.m. in Vietnam). SOOO.....because it's only 4:30 a.m. at home, our agency rep hasn't begun her work day yet, so we won't know what has transpired until we get off the flight later today. And the documents will have to be translated before we see them, but I asked our agency not to wait until all of that is done to contact us. I am much more interested in content than seeing the actual documents.

I'm so full of anticipation I can't stand it! Nervous, excited, anxious, eager and HOPEFUL!! I just pray, pray, pray that it will be enough to end this craziness!! Kai is 10 1/2 months old, and I can't believe how close we're getting to her first birthday. It just breaks my heart not to have her with us.

Anticipation....it's keeping me waiting!

2008-09-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, another reference to song lyrics - - - this time it's the legendary Carly Simon who sings the words of my heart!

This could be a big week in the adoption process, and I ask you all to keep us in your prayers. The Vietnamese officials have promised the documentation by September 15th, which is our Sunday night, so we may know exactly what they have this week. Of course, we have no way of knowing if it will be sufficient for the USCIS to grant us the I-600 approval we so desperately need - - - or how quickly they will review it. I've heard horror stories from other families who received RFEs like us - - they provided the additional evidence then the USCIS has taken months to make a ruling! I pray, pray, pray that this doesn't happen in our case. I've even been praying for the USCIS and Mary Ann Russell specifically - - - if anyone needs God's help, it's them!

I am a little nervous about going to Paris, just because it's such a pivotal time, but we will have e-mail access and will be available to be reached if/when our agency has the documentation to pass along.

Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support - - - Let's GET KAI HOME!!!!

Girls' Night!

2008-09-04T05:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a pic from last night's Birthday Club/Girls' Night - - not sure how Dee and Claire managed to nearly completely be out of the shot, but we had a great time catching up with everyone! Happy Birthday to Claire and Jill!!

Student of the Week!!

2008-09-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yep! That's our boy!! Student of the Week - - - !! We're so proud of him; he's such an awesome kid!

We had a fun Labor Day weekend with dear friends from Atlanta here (shout-out to the T clan!). We took the boat out and went to our "soon-to-be" new dock. The kids had a blast swimming and riding the boat towable (sort of like an innertube, but you sit in it). They were worn out and having fun! I was worried about Shawn's back, but he was cautious so he felt okay afterward.

We close on our new lot on Friday and are going to get to go see a Show House for a floor plan we found that we love! Check out the "Lifestyles Home" plan on this website: ginnhomedesign.com. It is a beautiful house with every feature (including TWO pooper rooms in the master bath!) we could have dreamed and a couple we will do without (the elevator, for one!). I can't wait to see it "live"!!!

Sorry, but still no news about the adoption. I just hope that all this waiting isn't in vain and that whatever documentation will be provided will be just what we need to get I-600 approval!! Today is day #134 after Acknowledgment of Receipt (!!).

Kai turned 10 months old on Saturday, so we had to return most of the 6 - 9 month summer outfits we had. It broke my heart. Happy Birthday, Sweet Angel - - - - we will be coming to get you just AS SOON AS we can!!

A little distraction is a good thing!

2008-08-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

It has always been a dream of mine to raise my children in a neighborhood where kids run around and play together, families hang out together, and where community spirit abounds. Our current neighborhood is nice enough, but it is mostly comprised of empty-nesters and retirees. And since I was pregnant with Austin while we were having it built, I had NO idea how much STUFF children accumulate, and we didn't design our house in the best kid-friendly way. Fast forward five years, and we have simply outgrown the functionality of our home. It doesn't have sufficient storage space, the laundry room is more a "laundry closet", and we would love to have a basement for all the kid stuff.

Our lot is great; we have a 4-acre fishing pond directly behind our house, we have lake access to "the big lake", and we can put our boat in at a boat ramp very close by. We've loved all the wildlife we get to see: deer, blue herons, Canadian geese, hawks, ducks....and yes, even snakes! It's very private and serene.

But for at least two years we've been thinking/talking/wishing about a neighborhood that is 2 miles from Austin's new school, and in which Austin's best bud Jay and his family purchased a lot several months ago. A lake lot was recently put on the market within the last couple of weeks....SO....drumroll, please!!....we signed a contract on it this weekend!! YAY!!! Of course, we can NOT do anything until this adoption is completed - - to do a change of address on the mountains of paperwork we completed would be disastrous - - but it has been a great distraction for us to look at house plans, talk about what's important for us in the new house, and to NOT THINK ABOUT THE ADOPTION PROCESS!!! It's the next best thing to a beach trip!! :)

Shawn is still working from home and trying to take it easy. He's feeling okay, and I'm just looking forward to him feeling 100%. We've had 3 days of pretty much solid rain (which we desperately needed!), but I think we're both getting a little cabin fever. I've at least made it to the gym with regularity and run errands, but it's been a lot of time within these four walls. It's supposed to rain again most of tomorrow.....thank goodness I've got plenty of Fall Festival stuff to work on!

Hello again, Gina??

2008-08-24T04:28:00.000-07:00

I know there are a couple of Gina's in the VN adoption world, but I am trying to find again the one who is adopting a son from Danang and received a RFE? You sent me an e-mail, I replied, and then I didn't get a response - - - - I fear it may have gone to "junk" automatically??

Anyway, I would really like to e-chat with you about RFEs.....please find me again! :) Thanks!

It is what it is: more waiting...

2008-08-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

We heard back from the agency today. The facilitator was told that the documentation would be released to her by September 15th (over 3 weeks away!!!). Since we don't know exactly what they have, we are unsure if this will even be enough to satisfy the CIS's additional requirements for evidence. However, it's much better than the refusal to release we had previously, so we will wait.

The bright spot is that the police have NOT been able to locate the birthmother, and we have been told that the police report reflects that. That means that the DNA testing, etc. will not be necessary (provided that the CIS will accept a police report as sufficient evidence of an attempt to locate - - - of course, they SHOULD, but none of what they do seems very common-sensical!).

SO - - - - I guess the Paris trip will be able to happen without conflicting with any travel plans to Vietnam. We will have an amazing time, I'm sure, but I would much prefer to be going to get Kai instead!!!

BUT - - - - it is out of our control - - - - so we will press on and live our lives as best we can without Kai here. I am Co-Chairing the Fall Festival at Austin's school at the end of October with a friend (shout out to Caroline!!), so there is plenty to do for that. And we are looking at house plans to design and build our "kids house" that we hope to live in for the next 15 - 20 years; that's exciting!

I guess there won't be much to post about for a few weeks - - - can't wait to give you all some REALLY happy news!!

A glimmer of hope????

2008-08-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

At 9:45 p.m. tonight, I received an e-mail from our agency rep who gave us the good news that the in-country facilitator met again with the People's Committee and they agreed to release the paperwork to her!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what this means exactly, but it COULD be really good news for our I-600 approval!

Stay tuned for more details to follow....it could be a long night!!!

More frustration - - -

2008-08-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

I know, I know - - - all our readers are going to disappear because they won't be able to stand any MORE frustrating news on the adoption front! There may not even be anyone checking this blogsite anymore for updates; it's just too depressing!

Stick with us, folks, and "hang in there" (uck!)!! This WILL happen, Kai WILL eventually come home, and our family WILL be complete!!

But in the meantime....just when you think it can't get any crazier.....

Our agency's rep did meet with the People's Committee in our province (who are over the provincial officials) on Tuesday, but they refused to give her the documentation they obtained! They told her they were angry with the Embassy, and they were not going to give it to her. UNBELIEVABLE!!! Are they in KINDERGARTEN??? I can just picture them standing there with their arms crossed, saying "nah, nee, nah, nee, boo, boo"!!

We still don't know WHAT they have, but they must know that it will be helpful to our case (could it possibly be enough to satisfy the CIS?!?!?) if they're hanging on to it to spite the Embassy, right?? We do know that the police questioned the hospital officials so that's good news. I'm torn between being upset and hopeful....but GIVE ME A BREAK! We are talking about a baby here!!! I don't care if the Embassy ticked them off - - - just give us the documentation already!!

(Sorry - - - I regress - - - is it too early to have a glass of wine??)

The agency rep feels like if she gives the Committee a couple of days to calm down then cooler heads will prevail. She will ask them again for the documentation by week's end. I'm not sure I agree, but I have to see if she's right. She's a native Vietnamese after all and she understands the culture more than we do, of course. Once again....time will tell!!

I will share some happy news with you, for a change! Shawn has to go to Paris for business in a few weeks, and I'm going to go along for a long weekend (we'll purchase refundable tickets, of course, in case we get I-600 approval and get to go to Vietnam instead)!!! YAY!!! I've been to France (Marseilles), but not to Paris, so I am UBER-EXCITED to go! And we'll be there for our 7th wedding anniversary which will make it even more special!

Shawn is continuing his recovery from his back surgery, although I think it is harder than he expected it to have been. He's been at home all week recuperating but hopes to go back to work some next week. THANKS to everyone for the cards, calls, meals (Dee and Claire!) and prayers. Shawn expects he'll be a new man by next Spring!

Signing off.....

Another hurdle crossed

2008-08-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Shawn's back surgery went well, and we are back home today to begin recovery. The surgeon was able to remove a "good chunk" of the herniated part of the ruptured disk, and he said the prognosis is very good. However, for several weeks, Shawn cannot lift anything heavier than a bag of sugar and he has to avoid bending or twisting. That should be interesting!

But for the time being, he is on pain medication and is taking it easy.....

In adoption news, our agency's in-country facilitator is meeting with the Hung Yen officials on Tuesday. The officials have been working on our paperwork, so we should know more after that. AT LEAST it is being worked on, but we have no idea what to expect as an outcome. I'm staying positive for some kind of direction as a result.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Might as well....

2008-08-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned somewhere along the way that Shawn has to have back surgery to fix a ruptured disk he has battled for the last 15 years. The original plan was to do it as soon as we returned from Vietnam, but given the delay we received last week we figured it would probably be best to go ahead and have the surgery. He should have time to heal before we travel, and this way he won't be in pain when we do travel.

SOOO - - - the surgery is scheduled for TOMORROW morning, thanks to a last-minute cancellation. Austin will spend the night with friends (thanks Caroline and Jodi!) so he doesn't have to miss school, and I will take Shawn to Atlanta tonight since he has to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m.!

I'm really okay with this; it is probably the best thing to do. I would like to think that there would be some news in adoption world this week, but - honestly - I don't think there will be. The discrepancy has to be cleared up, even if the birthmother cannot be located, and I have a feeling there will not be a quick resolution......still staying positive, though, and the surgery will be a distraction! I probably will not have another chance to blog until this weekend....

Good luck to all my pre-school moms out there who start school this week! I hope everything goes smoothly, and I will MISS YOU ALL at the playgroups!! Hopefully, I will have another pre-schooler very soon and we can all catch up!

Just more waiting - -

2008-08-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

We're back to playing the waiting game - - - this time to find out if Kai's birthmother can be found. Turns out, the in-country facilitator actually has to make the request of the "officers" (like police) and they have to try to find her. We have no idea how long that will take, but I'm hoping it will be pretty straightforward.

We got a lot of documents from the hospital today, on which the conflicting reports were based. It is clearly a case of she-said, he-said, and that's frustrating. At least we were able to find out some details about Kai's birth that we didn't know!

Tomorrow we have to go to Atlanta for our re-fingerprinting appointments (I guess they assume we've been out robbing banks in the last 15 months while waiting for our adoption to go through!). I wouldn't have believed they would have expired, but alas, they will. Our new 6-month travel visas arrived last week....SURELY these won't expire, too!

Thanks again to everyone for following along on this (insane!) journey - - - - just keep the faith that Kai will be home with us soon!!

Seeking gina....

2008-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I would love to connect with gina, who left a comment on Friday's blog, and discuss RFEs....can I get your blogsite or e-mail address?? Thanks!

But the greatest of these is LOVE!

2008-08-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

"Love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance; that is why love is so strong. So it can carry you all the way home." - author unknown

Whew! Friday was rough, but Shawn and I took the day to process everything, re-read our RFE 800 times, and we got to speak to our agency about the next steps. At least we don't have the incessant waiting and lack of details regarding our case. We can take action and work toward getting Kai home!!

Before Friday neither we nor our agency knew any details regarding Kai's birth. We were told only that she was abandoned, and that we may or may not be able to find out any other information. The RFE provided details about Kai's birth in the Hung Yen Province General Hospital. To summarize, the field investigation (done by CIS) resulted in two conflicting reports:

1) The first was from a midwife at the hospital that said the birthmother (who provided a name and address) was admitted to the hospital on 10/30 at 10:30 a.m. She delivered the baby, but at 5:30 p.m. she could not be found. At 7:30 p.m. hospital administration was informed.

2) The second was from a chief hospital official. He said the the birthmother was admitted to the hospital on 10/30, delivered the baby, then was discharged the following day with all "proper briefing on follow-up care". However there was no relinquishment letter obtained.

What we suspect happened is that the midwife's story was correct. The hospital official concocted his report in an effort to save face as to the care and supervision of the patients. His report even shows the date of the discharge to be 10/30/08, which we feel further supports the fact that it was not written at the time of the actual discharge ('07).

Anyway, the CIS in HCMC is requiring US to find the birthmother, have her sign a relinquishment letter, provide certified copies of her personal identification, get DNA testing done, and to provide an explanation of the discrepancies in the two reports. UGH!!!!!!!

Our agency tells us that many times these women give false names and addresses because they do not want to be found. We are hoping that is true in our case. The in-country facilitator was going to attempt to locate the birthmother this weekend, using the information she provided. If attempts are made to locate her and are unsuccessful, then CIS has to consider this to be an abandonment case and to approve our I-600.

If she IS found, we have to jump through all the hoops to provide all the information the CIS is asking. It could take months.

Of course, it is important to us to know that Kai is in fact a true orphan. I cannot fathom anything untoward happening that forced the birthmother to leave her behind. However, she has had 9 months to find her if it was something as sinister as baby-snatching. She clearly left the hospital, either by disappearing or being discharged, without the baby.

We will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to find resolution to this! Thanks SOOOO much to everyone for the tremendous support.....it has been an unbelievable journey to Kai!! I can't believe it isn't yet over, or at least coming any day now, but I have to accept it and go forward.

God has really been lifting me up during this. I have had many moments of despair and helplessness, but I could write volumes of different instances when I have felt Him carrying me through. Just this morning in church, the beautiful music ("The Anchor Holds" and "More Than Wonderful") and the pastor's message entitled "Strength in the Midst of Turmoil" were all speaking RIGHT to us!! Shawn and I took turns passing the only tissue I had between us.....He is making us stronger through this, and I know He is drawing us nearer to one another and, more importantly, nearer to Him!!

"Right now three things remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is LOVE!!"
I Corinthians 13:13

Great news....and really bad news.....

2008-08-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

The great news first: Austin had his first day of kindergarten yesterday and had a fantastic day! I had to wake him up at 6:30 a.m. (!!), but he got right up, pumped his arm and said "Yeeesss!! First day of school!" I just love his zest for life, and his teacher, Mrs. P. is phenomenal! All around it was a great day.

The REALLY bad news: We heard from CIS this morning. The sent us a "Request for Additional Evidence" (RFE), which says they have to obtain additional information about our case. We have 84 days to submit the information, or we can withdraw our I-600 application. They provided specific information about Kai's birth which I will not share, but basically there was a discrepancy on some of the documents. We don't know what any of this means yet, but just continue to pray (hard!) and keep us in your thoughts. This is the worst possible scenario, short of an outright denial, which I cannot allow myself to even imagine is still a possibility, but it is.

STILL nothing.

2008-08-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

Push, Push, Push, Push!!

2008-08-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

NO news from my inbox this morning. I kept waiting to post, hoping that someone might be working late (well, they ARE behind, HELLO!) and maybe, maybe, maybe we would get good news. Sigh.

As I lay in bed thinking of 8,000 different things, I was reminded of my labor for Austin's birth. At the time, I thought 14 hours of labor (AND the meds in my epidural ran out AND the doc and nurse had another emergency and left the delivery room and didn't return until 10 minutes before Austin was born!!) was difficult - - and it was - - but without a doubt, this is harder.

But I had the sense that I'm at the point in this crazy adoption process where I just need to "push, push, push, push" just like I did through labor. I can still hear my sweet friend Suzie and Shawn saying those words in my ear as we labored to get Austin here. It isn't easy, but the end result is SO very sweet....

As an aside, I re-connected last night with a friend who's daughter and son-in-law are also adopting from Vietnam. The have the referral of their baby girl who will - sadly - have her first birthday this week without them. My thoughts and prayers go out to M & J in NYC. She also posts to chronicle her adoption journey - MUCH more eloquently than me (she is an attorney, after all) - and I hope she won't mind if I copy some of her most recent post here. Her words felt as if they were coming from my soul:

"...Not usually one to share my emotional load, I've learned to lean on my friends and family, to share with them the endless ups and downs of this wild ride (that is, they've listened to a whole lot of venting and wailing and possibly some whining), and we've become immeasurably closer as a result. I've also gotten to know people I never would have met otherwise, friends I've never seen in person, but without whom I now I can't imagine living (you know who you are!). I've seen families form and expand and solidify, and watched through the magical Internet as so many children have transformed in the loving care of their new parents.

I've also been compelled to explore and deepen my religious faith, to trust in God even when I'm in the depths of despair in this often arduous process. Though I've always had a reasonably strong faith (I'm usually very private about religion, as I'm hyper-conscious about not wanting to make anyone feel uncomfortable or excluded), I had never fully appreciated what a relief it is to give yourself over to your faith, to trust that God (or whatever your higher power might be) will not let you fall, and that He has everything worked out for you, so while you do have to make choices and grapple with the questions themselves and live your daily life, you don't have to suffer or figure it all out alone. You know, "let go and let God" and all that stuff, which sounds terribly banal but in practice has gotten me through a lot of very dark days.

(All that AND I've bought a whole lot of really cute clothes. And also toys. And books. One can't discount the healing power of purchasing baby things.)

(There has also been substantial chocolate consumption.)

I guess my point here, assuming I actually have one and that I'm not going to ramble on like a deranged Oscar winner for the rest of the night, is that Noelle has given me so much more than I ever expected in her short life. I've always known that our lives would grow exponentially when we met her, that holding her in my arms would be the gift of a lifetime, but I never imagined how much I would be changed by her even before that moment.

So, baby girl, for your first birthday (just a day away!), I am celebrating you and your life, and all of the beauty you have brought into our lives. Your light shines on everyone who sees you; you cannot imagine how many people are praying for you, thinking of you and wanting only the best for you. I am so thrilled to be your mother, to love you and comfort you and support you forever, and watch you grow into what I know will be an amazing woman. We can't wait to put our arms around you and kiss your sweet face, and share with you all of the love in the world.

Happy birthday..."

Our other little hottie!

2008-08-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

How cute is Austin decked out in his boxer briefs and beads from the 4th of July parade in Seaside??? I love that little guy so much - - - and he is going to be an AWESOME big brother!!

A little sumpin' sumpin'

2008-08-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is anxiously awaiting news (as are we!!!!). The tremendous support from friends and family is overwhelming, and I just want to thank each and every one of you for the prayers, thoughts, cards, e-mails and kind words of encouragement!! I am amazingly okay with everything knowing that very soon we will be ecstatically happy and our daughter will be in our arms to stay.

We DID hear something from CIS this morning, but it was not the I-600 approval. They simply stated that a second investigation was just completed and "A final review of your case is being processed and forwarded to this office for final processing". I just hope and pray that translates into a final APPROVAL - - - and soon!!

Stay tuned.....film at 11! :)

Day #100 - - -

2008-07-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

We are home from the beach - - - - great fun with great friends - - -

I was shocked to pull out my calendar to see that we are at day #100 (!!!!) of awaiting our I-600 approval! My, how time flies when you are having (NOT SO MUCH!) fun! Thank GOD for a beach escape weekend which turned into a week escape. Back home now, my stomach is in knots, and I've been trying to contact CIS in HCMC since 9:15 p.m. tonight! (8:15 a.m. there). They said the officials were out doing DNA investigations and would be back in an hour; to call back then. I've been calling ever since and I can't get anyone to answer the phone! AARRGGHHHH!!!

I will keep trying - even if it means calling all night; hopefully we will have some good news tomorrow!!

Still waiting....but at least with the sun and surf!

2008-07-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

We have had a really fun weekend at the beach....and although Shawn has to go home tomorrow, we are going to stay on until we get our I-600 approval or Thursday, whichever comes first! Friends from Atlanta are here until then, so Austin is having a ball playing with his buddies in the waves.

My mind is not off the adoption (stagnant!) process, but I at least feel like I can get through the days while we are here. It wasn't easy back home, since EVERYTHING was done in anticipation of travel news. We FedEx'd all of our documentation for our re-fingerprinting on Friday. We will have to renew our visas as well, I guess.....sigh.....

I called USCIS in HCMC last night. I don't know whether to believe it, but they said the officials are working on our case and we should receive news this week (good, I hope!). Time will tell.....

When the going gets tough.....Part 2

2008-07-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

I know I said I wasn't going to blog again until we heard some good news...

And it's NOT the news we were hoping for, but we ARE headed to the beach again - - - - it was that or spend an entire weekend moping around. SO! We are throwing stuff into the car as fast as we can to hopefully get there before nightfall!!

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend, and maybe next week will be THE good news!!

Bloggin' Break - -

2008-07-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

I am taking a break from blogging - - - as mama used to say, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". My next post will be after we hear good news.

Love and kisses to you all!!

Working Day #60!

2008-07-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

As of 9:00 p.m. tonight it is WORKING day #60 - the maximum amount of time alloted to process and approve our I-600, according to the U.S. Citizens & Immigration Services (USCIS). The end of last week was a confusing and frustrating one. I won't go into all the gory details here, but to summarize the Senator's office received an e-mail from USCIS saying they were in Kai's province Thursday to investigate our case (part of the standard procedure - but why did it take 3 months to do it?!?) and that officials were not being "very forthcoming". Our agency says they have heard this excuse before. I don't know what or who to believe, but I do tend to think the agency has dealt with similar situations so they should know.

Even more frustrating than that is the fact that we will have to be re-fingerprinted and will have to get new travel visas if we don't get I-600 approval THIS WEEK! AND since we have to get together all kinds of paperwork to re-do the prints, we have to start that process since we can't assume the approval will come this week. The fingerprints expire 8/23 and must be valid when we receive Kai's travel visa, which is one of the last things that will happen when we are in Vietnam. AND if the approval doesn't come early in the week, we are going to miss Austin's first day of kindergarten, which will break my heart. AND Shawn is waiting to have back surgery to fix a herniated disk, but can't do it until we return.....in the meantime he is in constant pain.

WHEW!! I'm tired of posting all the bad stuff, and I bet ya'll are tired of hearing it! I promise this is it....I will only post positive things from here on out....HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!

Will it ever end??

2008-07-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today is calendar day 85 and working day 58 (if I've calculated the VN holidays correctly). STILL nothing from USCIS and no response from the inquiry done by our Senator's office. You would think I would be used to it by now, but today I'm not handling it very well.

I received the most shocking bit of news from our agency yesterday: apparently there is no discernible logic to the order in which they process the I-600s!! A family that received acknowledgment of receipt a month AFTER us has already traveled and is back home with their child! And four other families that received acknowledgment on 4/9 are in Vietnam right now. Ours came on 4/23. And they have even seen cases that were approved in 2 weeks! WHHAA???

Where is the accountability on the part of the USCIS??? They have never explained to anyone what their procedures are for processing cases.....my question is WHY??? I am SOOOOO angry (and I am not the type of person who is quick to anger) and to say I am frustrated is a vast understatement. We have done all we know to do. If we don't get an approval overnight tonight, then Monday will be our working day 60. If it goes beyond that, I WILL be ballistic!!

I have even dreaded checking my e-mails overnight and each morning - - - - so far it has been a fruitless search - - - - - and the disappointment each time is overwhelming.

Will it ever end???? I know in my head that it will, but my heart is feeling like we will never get Kai home!!

STILL waiting....

2008-07-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

"Hang in there!" ad nauseum

2008-07-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing overnight - - - If I hear "hang in there" one more time I don't know what I'll do!

Austin and I are heading to Atlanta today for more birthday celebrations (I like to have a birthday week, not just a birth-day!): lunch today with my Granny and my MIL and then dinner tonight in the Big City with my girls Suz, Shell, Jodie, and the Amys.

I'm seriously considering skipping Body Pump at the gym this morning so we can get going. I feel a little "Retail Therapy" might be in order, and I am looking forward to a fun dinner out with friends!!

Better get packing!! I'll be watching my e-mails from there, though, so don't think we might miss anything...

There is still time!

2008-07-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's 11:15 p.m. here - 10:15 a.m. in Vietnam, so I'm still holding out hope for a birthday miracle!

We have been in touch with the office of one of our Senators today. They were going to call the Consulate for us and just see if we can find out a status update for our case. Keep ALL of your fingers crossed and say a BIG prayer for us tonight, that maybe, maybe, maybe this can all come to fruition!!! My biggest tears come when I think, "we just need to get our daughter home"!!

Thanks to all of our LG friends for a great surprise birthday celebration yesterday (thanks, Joe and Tina for hosting the "would-be" pool party!) and to a fun lunch today at Chick-fil-A.....these little festivities help keep my mind off the pressure cooker in my head!!

Nada -

2008-07-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Nothing - Zilcho -

Well, the junk e-mails from FTD, Reunion.com and Victoria's Secret (do they send those EVERY day??) were there, but not THE e-mail from USCIS.

A local politician and friend is calling one of our Senators today....I am just hoping and praying that by having someone take a look into it, it will bring attention to the amount of time it is taking.....and get the I-600 approval we so desperately need!!

BTW - The timestamp on my blog is 4 hours behind, I just noticed. Last night's blog was written at 11:16 p.m., not 8:16 p.m.! Maybe when I have several hours to figure out how to change it, I will! LOL!!

Best Birthday Present Ever???????

2008-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

In 45 minutes, I will be forty-something......

Dear God,

I know that your timing IS perfect. My faith has grown stronger, not weaker (although at times it felt that way) through this process. I know that our daughter is on the other side of the world and she needs to be home with us. PLEASE let us hear something tonight from USCIS so we can start the new beginning of our lives....so many people are affected; so many people care, and we FEEL your LOVE!!!

I pray that beginning tomorrow - when people ask - I can say that we are leaving for Hanoi in a week!!

Thank you for your infinite wisdom beyond our comprehension. Thank you that we are even able to go through this journey - - - - we are so blessed already, but my prayer every day is that this little girl is happy and healthy and that she will complete our family in ways we can now only imagine...

In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN!!

If it doesn't happen this week, our visas will expire, our fingerprints will have to be re-done, and we are SO very close to missing our son's first day of kindergarten because we will be out of the country..........SO MANY THANKS to ALL of our friends and family for the tremendous support!!

Day #78....

2008-07-09T03:08:00.000-07:00

STILL - STILL - STILL no news!!!!!!!!

Praying for a miracle here.......not sure how I'll get through each day waiting.....

Pics from Seagrove!

2008-07-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

We're back home after the much-needed relaxation and fun at the beach....still no news....

BUT!! I wanted to share some beach pictures from Seagrove/Seaside. Austin had a ball playing in the surf and got braver and braver each day.....pure joy!!

Kai will be 8 1/2 months old next week (and I will be 40-something!)....please keep praying that we hear something SOON!! Shawn thinks it will be on my birthday (Monday), but I sure don't want to have to wait that long!!!!! We need to get our little girl home.....Mommy misses you, wants to hold you and kiss you, Austin wants to make funny faces to make you laugh, and Daddy can't even imagine how much he is going to love his "Daddy's Little Girl" when he holds you for the first time!!

PBJ for breakfast?!?!!

2008-07-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

Good morning from the beach!!

We have had another amazing beach trip with Austin. It's no surprise how good he is when he gets (nearly!) every indulgence possible and can play, play, play, stay up super-late, and have peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for breakfast followed by Oreos with chocolate milk! He knows - because we tell him - that there are certain things you only get to do while you're at the beach. No wonder he loves it here as much as we do!!

We had a blast watching the 4th of July parade that goes from Seagrove to Seaside....it gets bigger every year and they have the cutest floats which range from decorated golf carts to massive trailers pulling boats! We got a cajillion beads and candy, and I even "caught" a tossed water balloon (did I REALLY think it WASN'T going to bust?!?).

The outdoor concert and fireworks in Seaside was also spectacular! What a wonderful slice of Americana - - -

Now it's time to head home and get ready to go to Vietnam!! This weekend hasn't put the looming, and elusive, I-600 approval out of our minds, but it has allowed us to relax like we had hoped and just enjoy the time together.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend as well!! And I hope the next blog contains some REALLY good news!!!

Stay tuned 'till next week....

2008-07-03T04:24:00.002-07:00

There was no e-mail from Vietnam last night, so I guess I can now relax and enjoy our weekend at the beach....I don't have to worry about heading back home to get ready to leave. Although, if there is anywhere in the world I would rather be right now other than the beach, it would Vietnam, getting our sweet baby HOME!

It is SOOO beautiful here, and I love it SOOO much; I just wish Kai was here with us!! Surely we will hear something next week.

We will be heading out on our bikes in a few minutes to have breakfast in Seaside.....Austin is excited to have Mickey Mouse pancakes at our favorite breakfast spot, The Great Southern! I just need a little java!!

When the going gets tough.....

2008-07-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

The tough go to the beach!!!!!

We are on our way to Seagrove Beach to enjoy the holiday weekend, try to relax, and try not to think about I-600 approval........

Hope you ALL have a wonderful and safe 4th of July holiday!! God Bless America!!!!!

Day #70!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Kai turned 8 months old yesterday, and it was a really tough day for me. I even started tearing up in my Body Flow class at the gym when the Macy Gray song, "I'm so glad you're here" was played!! Anyone who knows me knows I'm not the kind of person who wears their heart on their sleeve, but I am just so upset that we STILL haven't heard anything!!! I promise not to turn this into a rant, but AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A BIG thanks to everyone who called to check on me.....I'm doing okay - - - really, I'm fine - - - - seriously, good - - - fine, just fine - - - - :)

Yesterday's highlight was meeting a new friend here in town who has very recently adopted a sweet little girl from China. They have only been back 3 weeks, and the little girl is 10 months old - - - 2 months older than Kai. She was SO precious, and I got to hold her and play with her...TOO fun!! A big shout-out to my new friend, Amy!! I look forward to getting our girls together for a playdate when Kai is home!!

We are just hanging out....passing time....hitting the gym and the pool with regularity. I even woke up yesterday and thought "I know! I'll start a new project and then we'll hear something for sure - - - - right in the middle of it!" So Austin and I headed to Home Depot for paint and supplies (BTW - - found a new painter's tape that actually works; it's called Frog Tape) to repaint the master bathroom. Even though our house is only 5 years old, our bathroom walls have just been abused between water splatters, hair spray (me!), and spray gel (Shawn!). And Austin had been spraying air freshener on the walls of the "pooper room" (he didn't realize that you only need to spray it into the air!!). It does leave a stain, people, so do NOT try this at home!

The good and bad news is that we finished it last night!! I really like the new shade; it's much warmer and browner, and it goes great with the seashells/beach theme I've got going on in there.

I guess I am going to have to finish working on my scrapbooks after all, which I have been avoiding doing.....Austin has a playdate this morning, so I guess that's what I shall do! Wish me luck!!!

New week - - - renewed hope!

2008-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry for the last posting......I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I am looking forward with hope to the new week ahead! We are at day #67, far later than I had ever wanted to be, but that can only mean that our I-600 approval is coming SOON, right??

In 8 hours, I can start watching my inbox again..... :)

My inbox is NOT my friend today - - -

2008-06-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Blanket apology: for anyone not in the mood to hear a rant.....move on.....don't look back...!

This week has brought on an array of emotions for me; I've officially declared that I hate watching my inbox - - - where I was previously stalking it for some glimmer of hope, some confirmation of upcoming travel plans - - - it has become a glaring reality of NO NEWS!! I actually avoid checking (not really, but I'm trying!) my overnight e-mails because the elusive I-600 approval e-mail has NOT been there!

An "e-conversation" with my agency regurgitated (sp?) the "you have to allow for 60 working days" before any inquiries can be made. They told me last week that the average time for approval is 2 months! Well, hello!!! We are now PAST THAT and I am SO trying not to FREAK OUT about it!!!!!! 2 months is NOT the same as 60 working days!! My official education never progressed beyond a 4-year bachelor's degree, but even I can do the math!! In my mind, I guess 4 -5 beyond the 60 calendar days is okay, but we are now at DAY #65 and I am frustrated!!!!!!!

I am discouraged, upset, eager, and hopeful all at the same time!!! I know it's forthcoming, but enough already!! Kai is almost 8 months old....she's doing things that we - as her family - SHOULD be seeing her doing and loving the experience of it all....instead, we are sitting idly on the other side of the world waiting for some governmental process to take place so that we can bring her home to be with her family and to start her new life with us.

What else can I say????

Stalking my inbox again!

2008-06-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, well, my Sunday night routine has been to begin stalking my inbox beginning at about 9:00 p.m. (8:00 a.m. in Hanoi). It will be day #62 tomorrow, and our hopes of travel in June are slipping away fast.

This weekend has been tough, especially having to give the same ole' "no - we haven't heard anything yet; yes - we're still waiting" line. I'm just downright tired of saying that!! I am so looking forward to telling everyone WHEN we are leaving and WHEN we will be bringing Kai home!!

I've been wrapping up all of my volunteer work, Shawn has taken the business trips he planned (and earlier didn't know if he would have to cancel or not), VBS is over, the Georgia Cup bike race was this weekend (which Shawn organized), and WE ARE READY!!!!

Come on USCIS and MAKE MY DAY!!!!!!

Disappointment.....and hope!

2008-06-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today is calendar day #59 (!!), but as the work week in Hanoi comes to a close (it is 6:00 p.m. there now), it seems very unlikely to receive our I-600 approval this week. I can't express how disappointed we are, but I am trying to stay positive and hopeful.

Our church's Vacation Bible School has been this week, and Austin, of course, is having a great time. I have been helping with the 1st and 2nd graders. It's funny how God gives us little blessings to get us through hard times....one of the songs the kids have been learning has as one of its lyrics: "Jesus said 'don't worry', and that's good enough for me - - I've got peace deep down inside of me". I have been singing that over, and over, and over, and over......

Still Waitin'!!

2008-06-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Today is calendar day #55 - - - - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let our I-600 approval come this week!! It would be such perfect timing (God's always is!). Austin has nothing planned for next week, and he could be at Grandma and Grandpa's, then the following week my parents will come down from Winston-Salem to stay with him until we come home. We are SOOOO ready!!!

We got a wonderful surprise today with pictures of Kai that were taken over the weekend!! She is so absolutely adorable, precious, cute, etc (I could go on and on!), but she just looks SO sad! She isn't smiling in any picture we have of her.....she just needs us to make her happy!! And we will, hopefully SOON!!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the tremendous support through calls and e-mails.....Please continue to keep us in your prayers; this is as hard as it's been for me......

Day 44!

2008-06-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Day 44 brings me renewed hope that our I-600 approval will be soon! Our agency reports that it has been taking - on average (and with all the disclaimers you can imagine) - 2 months from pre-approval. Our pre-approval was April 23rd, so we might expect to hear something within the next 2 - 3 weeks! YAY!!

In the meantime, please check out the pictures of Kai's nursery - - - ALMOST finished!!

A much needed beach fix....

2008-05-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

We decided that we needed a trip to the beach to take advantage of the long holiday weekend and to get our minds off the waiting for I-600 approval. We usually go for the week of the 4th of July, but since our travel plans are unknown right now, we just couldn't wait! Our favorite place in the world is Seagrove Beach/Seaside, Florida. We were married on the beach in Seagrove nearly 7 years ago, so it holds a very special place in our hearts!

We made that decision on Sunday, and we left on Friday, so the week was a whirlwind of getting ready. And Austin had swimming lessons with his best bud, Jay, every day (went great - yay!).

The beach trip was definitely a great idea. We wanted to spend some time just with Austin, since his whole world is about to change. We played on the beach, built sandcastles, did "wave-jumping", played in the surf, and swam in the pool at the condo (Austin's favorite!). We also rented bikes since we forgot to bring ours (duh!), and rode to Seaside each morning for breakfast. It is a beautiful place, and I'm so glad we went. We were supposed to come home Monday, but we were having such a great time, we decided to stay another night! It was a wonderful family time, but of course it's always great to be back home.

STILL NO WORD on I-600 approval, and now it's getting tough. We have thought we would travel in June all along, and now that June is - - - oh - - - - 2 days away, I'm getting very anxious. Hopefully we will hear something in the next week or two, and will still travel in June.

Kai is 7 months old today, and I just can't stand not to have her in my arms.....

P.S. Here are some pictures from our beach trip. Will post pics of the nursery next; we're almost finished with it!!

Finally Some New Pics!!

2008-05-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful surprise it was today to see an e-mail from our agency coordinator with NEW PICTURES OF KAI attached!! The facilitator was unable to attach the pictures she took weeks ago, so she actually drove back out to the orphanage (which I understand is a couple of hours from Hanoi) and took some more that she was able to send!! I thought that was really amazing of her to do that for us.

Anyway, Kai has grown up SO much since her original referral picture, when she was almost three months old. She is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!! She's sitting up unassisted, too, which is a great indication of her motor skills and development. She has the sweetest face I have ever seen, and it makes me ACHE to not be able to go get her, right now, this very minute!! She looks healthy and perfect in every way, but her clothes actually look moldy in the picture....I hope that's not the case, but it looks pretty disgusting. I just pray she is getting all the love, nurturing, and nutrition that she needs. By the looks of it, she is getting that!!

YAY!!!!!!!!

SCHOOL IS OUT - FOR - SUMMER!!

2008-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, school is out as of last Friday, so the summer months are upon us! It was a crazy-busy week with end-of-the-school year activities, kindergarten screening, Austin's last t-ball game and party, helping paint and caulk at our church's Habitat for Humanity build, and Supper Club at our house last night!! WHEW!!

Next week begins swimming lessons and a renewed focus on some of my volunteer work....

Last weekend was another baby shower for Kai with our sweet friends in Atlanta, and man-oh-man is she spoiled already!! A million thanks to the Leechs for hosting a fun, casual cookout at their house....and to "the Amys" for all that they did to make it a really special celebration! Kai got clothes (TONS of way too cute stuff, including her first bathing suit and coverup!!), shoes, a Bumbo seat, 3!! diaper bags (long story, but thanks Pottery Barn Kids for two separate screw-ups!), sippy cups, a blankie, bibs, a book and a bib, burp cloth and onesie from a really great Atlanta company, "Little Things". We have had so much fun "playing" with it all - - - and we are humbling by the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone!

NOT ONE WORD from US-CIS regarding I-600 approval.....I'm going to have a button made to wear that says "No, we don't know when we are going to Vietnam yet"! Seriously, I am so touched that people care enough to ask, but I feel like a broken record!! My poor inbox is checked probably, literally, a hundred times a day during the weekdays (the approval will come via e-mail). I don't check as much on the weekends, because I know the government offices are closed, but even then I keep hoping some poor overworked data entry person is having to work overtime to catch up and maybe - just maybe - will have our approval to send! Also, because of the time difference (Hanoi is 11 hours ahead of us), I really hound my inbox in the early morning and late evening hours, when they're working.

All futile efforts at this point, but I WILL know right away when I do see the approval, and I will make every attempt to notify anyone and everyone who has asked me that question.....

Today is Day 26, and working day 15 (I think).

Just keep praying for an efficient and ethical process!!

Drumroll, please......

2008-05-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, IT IS FINISHED!! It only took 3 months... :)
I am so happy to have pink girly-girl stuff in there!!

Just wanted to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all the wonderful moms I know and to everyone waiting to become a mom!! My sweet friend Claire had her baby today and got the best Mother's Day gift ever!! More posting later - - - lots to share, but no news on the adoption front......

Is it possible??

2008-05-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to miss someone that you haven't yet met?? I have a real sense of missing Kai in the same way that I would miss Austin or Shawn (after a few days, of course! :)) It's like a piece of me isn't there....I really have to stay positive and strong. I got tired of being patient waiting on updated pictures from the facilitator in Vietnam (who was at Kai's orphanage weeks ago) so I sent an e-mail BEGGING for the pictures. Apparently she can't get the photos to attach to the e-mail, but she has been and is still trying to get them to us.....I've been hounding my inbox, hoping "maybe today"! I won't give up hope that they'll come soon.....and by the way, they could send our I-600 approval, too! Today is day 18 (business day 13, although I think there was some Vietnamese holiday last week, so it could only be like 10 -11!).

It has been a busy week with end-of-school year stuff, t-ball games, and.....is everyone sitting down??.....the closet is JUST ABOUT FINISHED!!! :) Shawn was out of town for a few days this week, so I painted the walls, ceiling, door and trim. All that's left to do is hang the light fixture and install the handle!! Can you believe it?!? I bought some clothes hangers yesterday, so I'm ready to get everything in there!

We are off to Atlanta today for another shower given by my "golden friends" in Atlanta: Suzanne, Michelle, Amy P and Amy H!! I am S-O-O feelin' the love!!!

Party Pics!

2008-05-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oh my!!!

2008-05-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

We were blown away by the baby shower this weekend!! Our friends in LaGrange outdid themselves in a big way - - - props to the hosts: the Hollstroms, Raglands, McMinns, Armstrongs, and Langstons!! There were 40 people there, the house and decorations looked beautiful, the cake was unbelievably pretty, the food was awesome, and everyone had a great time! Kai received many amazing gifts, including a pink tutu (thanks LJ!) and her first bling: a silver bracelet and a pearl bracelet!! We are so blessed by the outpouring of love this child is receiving already....

Am having some trouble getting the pictures uploaded, but check back.....

On my mind.....at 6 months

2008-05-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

Kai was really on my mind yesterday! She's on my mind a lot, but yesterday she was 6 months old, and I could not stop thinking about her! I think so many things about her, but yesterday I was wondering if she is doing the things that Austin did at 6 months.

In an attempt to get absolutely everything done, organized, put away, etc. before she comes home, I have been scrapbooking four years worth of Austin's pictures.....don't tell anyone! :) I call it "quasi-scrapbooking", though, it's more like a photo album on pretty paper. It has been fun to go through all the pictures, remember all the fun times and how precious he was. Here were Austin's "milestones" at 6 months:

- Ate his first fruits and veggies
- Got his third and fourth teeth
- Pushed up on his arms
- Sat alone
- Looked at books

Little Kai, please come home soon!!

Pics of the nursery!

2008-04-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

At last.....the long awaited pictures of the progress of Kai's nursery!! We still have a way to go until it's finished, but you can get an idea of how it's shaping up! I just love it!!

Bad Blogger......Good News!!

2008-04-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

My original plan was to post weekly - religiously - to track the adoption process. Well.....please forgive me!!

However, I do have a bit of good news to share in adoption land......we have received acknowledgment from the CIS in Ho Chi Minh City that they are in receipt of our I-600, which the they review with our other paperwork to determine that Kai, in fact, qualifies as an orphan. It says that "most determinations will be completed in 60 working days." SO.....that clock begins officially ticking today!! Our prayer will be that it won't take that long....we shall see!! I have to remind myself that every day is one step closer to bringing Kai home!! Once we receive the approval, we will travel within 1-2 weeks!! YAY!!!

More good news is that the nursery is well on its way to being finished!! Kai's closet still has to be painted, the light fixture hung, and the doorknob installed (emphasis on the word "still"!!), but the crib is set up with the cute bedding on, and the other furniture is in place including the glider and ottoman, which we had re-upholstered in an ultrasuede chocolate! I can't wait to snuggle up with Kai and read bedtime stories in it!! I promise to post pics soon.....

We have lots to do in the next few days. I am hosting a baby shower here this weekend for a dear friend of mine who is due on June 1st, and we've been working on the house and yard to get everything looking nice. After that, I will be a better Blogger......I hope!! :)

Swing Batta, Batta!!

2008-03-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but Austin started his second season of team sports last week!! He played soccer in the fall and now it's T-Ball season! I know he's my child and all, and of course I think everything he does is awesome, but honestly....he's got a good eye and a great swing! He's really enjoying playing, we're with some great other families, and it truly is just for fun at this level. I just love watching him. He looks SO grown up, and the entertainment value is priceless!! GO RIVERCATS!!!

On another note, we had a baby shower Saturday for a friend of mine, Denise, and it was loads of fun! She was sort of "anti-shower" when we first brought it up (it's her second child), but we convinced her to let us do it, and everyone really enjoyed it. We had it at a local restaurant, so it was really easy! She is due on April 12th, looks FABULOUS, and although she and her husband have not found out the sex of the baby, we're all convinced she's having a girl. She got ALL girlie-girl stuff, and it sure got me in the mood to do some shopping!! Still holding off for now.....

BUT! We did get Kai's room (mostly!) painted today!! YAY-HEY-HEY!!! It is UBER-pink!! Hubby is worried, but the bedding and accessories are so graphic and bold, I think it will be fine. You can never tell until everything is in there.....which I hope will be soon! The closets are getting close to being finished - - - sure wish we had hired a contractor in the first place! :0

Stay tuned for updates.......and pics!!

Oh, the wisdom of Tom Petty...

2008-03-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Tom Petty had it right all along.....the waiting IS the hardest part!

I wish there was something new to report about in adoption-world, but there just isn't. It has been 2 months since our referral, so the VN approval is hopefully only 2-4 weeks away. Then we file the I-600 (US-CIS form) and wait some more. This is where it gets interesting: it's is supposed to only take 60 days. Now they're saying "oops, we meant 60 BUSINESS days", which adds about 16 days to the process (for whoever is counting!). AND....many people are having to wait 90 or 100 days for approval! It's C-R-A-Z-Y!!

Anyway....I'm trying not to whine, obsess about it, or be upset. I know that the timing is in God's hands, and I remain faithful in that. There's nothing that we can do, anyway, except to encourage others to write their congressmen and representatives (which I am doing).

Once again, I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer.....I try to live my life by it!!

.....and the website is.....

2008-03-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ooops! Got all caught up and forgot to give you the website:

www.bringourchildrenhome.org

Website and A-C-T-I-O-N!

2008-02-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make you aware of a website I found that clearly explains what is happening in the world of Vietnamese adoptions, specifically the delays in processing of the Form I-600 by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services in Ho Chi Minh City and the Immigrant Visa approvals by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. It also includes some sample letters that can be sent to our Georgia Senators:

Saxby Chambliss
416 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Johnny Isakson
120 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Since this directly affects the time we wait to go to Vietnam to bring home our daughter, I respectfully ask each of you to consider sending a letter to one or both of the Senators.

It's a shame that babies - OUR babies - are without their families longer than necessary and that the lives of these children have to hang in the balance of the politicians......