171 Approval & Welcome to the Program Phone Meeting!!!

I am happy to say that I finally have moved on to a new stage in my adoption process and we are now an official waiting family. Our agency uses the date on our 171 (ours was 9/30/09) so I have in fact been waiting 1 whole month today.
Mike and I had a phone meeting yesterday with our case manager at WACAP. We discussed details about the program (nothing really new), and we gave her our preference on gender and age. We decided to request a boy 12-30 months and that we would like to be considered for a boy up to 36 months. I was hoping to get something out of her as far as where we fall on the infamous list... but alas I got nothing. I have to call in 4 weeks and then I will be given some kind of an idea. So, here it is. I am waiting.

Adorable Ethiopia Products!!!

How adorable are those cute shirts and these notecards??? Pretty darn cute right... well then go check out my friend's site and help a fellow blogger out. She is in the process of adopting a sweet baby girl from Ethiopia and there are some great products including an uber cute tote bag. The image is the shape of Ethiopia and all the words that fill it in are words her family (including her 2 year old- see the word "Roar") came up with when they thought about the adoption process. So, what are you waiting for... Go!!!

More Halloween Fun!!!

Pumpkin patches and trick or treats have been our theme this month as we visited the pumpkin patch not once but twice this month and spent another day at Disneyland. We have been having so much fun together... and I am excited about the fall weather rolling in (although as I type it is a blasted 86 degrees outside).
I love this time of year (or I will once it gets cold) when the air is crisp and you can bundle up with your favorite hot beverage. Plus, there are so many fun things to do together!!! I am looking forward to trick or treating, my boys birthdays next month, our family trip, thanksgiving and xmas. And, I am even more excited because yesterday we were "officially" accepted into our placement agencies Ethiopia program, and my dossier is done and being mailed back to me from Sacramento and our 171 arrived approved since 9/30/09 which is the date our agency uses as the date we began waiting. So, this year I am even more excited about all the upcoming events bc it will keep my mind off the wait (hopefully) and it is possible that next year we will be doing these same events as a complete family with our new child. So, I am settling in for fall and the long anticipated wait for my new son!!!

Yesterday was a good day.
I received my home study after picking it up from the post office (it was lost but now it is found). Then to my surprise when I got home I had my last document for my dossier and my notice of favorable determination for my 171... Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!
So, my documents are now on their way to Sacramento to a courier who will walk them in to be authenticated and then mail them back to me... and my notarized Home Study is on its way to Wacap so I can soon be Officially Waiting!!! Of course there is a decent size check I have to write in between those stages... but it feels good to be moving on to the next phase. I am hoping the holidays keep me crazy busy so the wait is manageable.

Almost there...

I am going crazy lately. You see my home study is done and immigration received their notarized copy... but my copy for myself and the one I need notarized for my agency are M.I.A.!!!! I told my social worker I would be patient until this Friday (she mailed it on Sept. 23rd) and then I would need new ones sent to me. But, today my patience is gone and I just want to drive to their office and pick up new copies.
In the meantime I have been trying to not drive my doctor too crazy b/c he had to re-do our medical certificates b/c his notary did not put the proper language on the form for my dossier. I was nervous after I called and emailed him with no response. But, today he emailed me that he was available and had the new document ready if a notary could be there today. I grabbed my phone (thank goodness for the iphone) and I was able to find a notary experienced with dealing with international adoption paperwork and who would accept a paypal payment b/c the doctor was nearly 2 hours away from me at his hospital today. And, the mission was a success!!!! Whew...
So, once my home study makes it to me I can finally send everything to be authenticated. Keep your fingers crossed that the authentication process goes smoothly. Man o' man am I nervous about sticking all this paperwork in the mail. But, at least I am feeling a little closer. A quick side note I started listening to the basic amharic cd in my car today. But, for some reason the only thing that I can recall learning is "I am your mommy". It's okay though I have a long wait ahead of me so hopefully I will learn more in the meantime.

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Catch Up

I don't know where time goes... but I have a lot of catching up to do. We wasted no time getting into the Halloween spirit this year starting with a visit to Disneyland on the first night of their Halloween festivities. The place was packed but we still managed to have a good time!!!

And, this past weekend we did a little brick or treating. As you can see my kids are readily getting my $5 worth on the orange t-shirts. They want to wear them every time we do anything Halloween :)

The kids were thrilled that they were able to change into their actual costumes in the evening to go back in to Legoland for the actual trick or treating.

Adoption Update:
USCIS received our Home Study... YAY!!! But, my copies I think are lost in the mail... BOO!!!
I have to re-do 1 document for my dossier then I can get everything aucthenticated. I am approaching my goal date of Oct. 15th which is when I wanted to be done with the dossier. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Good news is that our agency uses the uscis stamped date for the date you are officially starting your wait. Come on 171H!!!

Happy October!!!