Operation Organization

Lately, I have been dealing with our wait with a combo of nesting and shopping. I have been working on the baby's closet this week. As you can see from the picture, I've spent plenty of time shopping... or Gymboree exploded in the closet.

I have been going through everything and sorting by size. The dresser is already full. I have been storing the larger sizes in plastic tubs. I still have more tubs to squeeze in there. I hope he doesn't outgrow all the sweet outfits before we get him home! E, do I earn points for stockpiling baby clothes?

In adoption news, we are currently waiting on DNA testing. This involves waiting for the province to locate our baby's birth mother. Once located, they will coordinate a date/time and travel to HCMC for the test. Hopefully, she has not moved and they can find her easily. I'm not sure when we can expect an update on the progress of that effort. This part of the wait is much harder. There is a lot of uncertainty on how long our next steps will take. The DNA process is still new, and the delays continue in our baby's province. There has been some movement to get cases progressing though. We are optimistic that every one's efforts will be rewarded, and families will get to travel there soon.

You may ask, what the heck is taking so long. Well, once the DNA testing is complete and possitve, we should get out I-600 pre-approval fairly quickly. This is the last major US hoop to jump through. In addition, we still need a few things on the Vietnam side. None of them can happen until the province delays are resolved. We are waiting for IAD Approval, PPC Approval, and scheduling of the G & R ceremony. Then, as soon as we can get on a plane, we will travel to Vietnam for the meeting of a lifetime!

In exciting news, families with our agency are leaving this week for Vietnam. Another group will be joining them later in the month. I can't wait to follow along with their life changing trips! It's the next best thing to traveling yourself ; ) A

First Set Of Wheels...

Baby boy's first set of wheels is on the way to our house. I finally decided on a stroller. D and I went to Babies R Us Sunday after Church. I had been researching them online, but I wanted to try them out a little. I am really happy with how this one steers and folds up. I hope baby will enjoy it as well. He has his own little steering system with sound effects ; ) Thank you to everyone who got us gift cards for the baby shower. They came in handy on our shopping trip!

Now, I'm in the market for his next set of wheels. I really would like to get him a Radio Flyer Tricycle and a wagon for his birthday. I have picked some out and added them to his wish list. Anyone have advice on one to choose?

I have been having fun using Kaboodle lately. If your not familiar with the site, it allows you to build a wish list... sort of like a registry... with any stores. When you're browsing online and you see something you like, you can click Add to Kaboodle, and add it to your list. I love it, because I always see something great, and then forget where I saw it. Now, I can be a much more efficient compulsive shopper ; )

There aren't really any adoption updates for us at this time, hence the compulsive shopping. We hope to hear some good news soon. There are currently delays in our baby's province. We are praying things are resolved soon! While there are no updates for us, there are fabulous updates for our fellow adopting families. Several families are traveling very soon to bring their sweet babies home. We can't wait to follow along with their journey. Good luck to all! We are so happy for you! A.

11:1

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

9 Months Old

We were happy to get the news this week that our baby boy was released from the hospital Monday. I am so grateful he is feeling much better. We love this little guy so much.

This is the earliest picture we have of him. He is about 7 weeks old, and he has a full head of wild hair. It is really amazing how he can steal my heart from so far away.

He turned 9 months old this week. It's hard not to feel sad for all the days we can't be with him. I think about him all the time, and I wonder what he is doing. We still have a while to wait, but it is so hard. I know that wonderful day is coming!

We will continue to pray for him every day and concentrate on that day when we can hold him in our arms. That will be our happy ending! A.

Busy week

This has been a busy time in our adoption journey!!! Last Friday, our I-600 was submitted. This week, we got our notice of receipt for the I-600 and a request for DNA testing. Those are all big milestones that bring us closer to bringing our baby home. We can't wait to have this sweet baby boy in our arms!!

Unfortunately, we received news Monday that our baby was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Several babies from his orphanage were also hospitalized, and some have already been released. They plan to keep him there until he has completed his antibiotics. We have been anxious, but trust he is getting the care he needs. It is hard not being able to comfort him. I am grateful that some of the Nannies are staying with the babies at the hospital. We have been praying extra hard for his health and protection.

Luckily, we got new pictures of him a couple of weeks ago. He looks good and healthy. Isn't he precious?