What is the significance of this number you ask? It is the distance (in miles) that I am currently from my son.
He is without family in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. He is considered a second class citizen and to some, nothing more than something that should be thrown away and forgotten.
But to us, he is life. We could not be more excited to be adopting Sterling than we are now. We are more than thrilled to be bringing him home with us.
Let me fill you in on the paperchase...it ended today. At approximately 12:35 I called USCIS to inquire as to the whereabouts of our I171H. You see, our officer (who was AWESOME btw), had promised to email me a copy by Wednesday. Well, Wednesday came and went and no Golden Ticket. So,I called today. SO GLAD I DID. She emailed it Monday...to the wrong email address...I wish I would've called sooner but EVERYTHING happens for a reason. So today after speaking with her, our coveted Golden Ticket arrived in my inbox. It was a beautiful moment. But also, it was quite nerve wrenching.
It's an experience, I think, can only relate to adopting parents (internationally at that!). I have been working on this stack of paperwork (the paper pregnancy) and finally it is finished. Every last piece is in place and every last notary is there...yet I feel no peace. I am still frought with nervousness. As soon as it arrived I texted Brian that I needed him home to sign our notary page so we could send it off to be apostilled. And then I noticed the error. Brian's name was only spelled with one L. Some of you are giggling about now...there's no L in Brian you say...but there is an L in Brian's middle name...Phillip. But, here is the tricky part...some of Brian's legal documents have one L and some have 2. I emailed our stateside helper and she says go with it. But, just to be safe I emailed our Eastern European helper too...no response...I also emailed our USCIS officer and asked her to change it to match Brian's passport...also no answer. We decided to send what we had and we prayed for the best.
Off we went to We've Got Mail and More, our local packing store (Lisa has been great!) And, we get everything packed and ready to ship to Tallahassee, FL. Here our entire dossier will be apostilled (the Secretary of State will check every notary page and be sure it has been signed and stamped by a legitimate notary and will send a whole page approval for each). We get this all done and walk out the door and <ding> my phone email goes off. It is the correct spelling of Brian's name on the Golden Ticket. We walked back in and asked Lisa to take the envelope apart, print the new form, and repack it. She is more than willing to help. We agree immediately that this is a sign from God and we are thrilled.
So, the dossier is off. It should arrive tomorrow before 11am EST. We are hoping that it is apostilled and returned to us by Tuesday - when we can send it straightaway to Europe for translation and submission to Sterling's government. At this point, we are assured of NO travel dates. However, we are ASSUMING that our travel dates will commence around the end of September or the very beginning of October.
We are more than thrilled. In just 2 months we will be travelling, and within 3 months our little boy will be HOME - with us! We are so excited!!!!
As we near the end of our journey we have some things we would like you to consider:
1) If you haven't made a donation yet to Sterling's FSP please do so. This money will help us travel to Eastern Europe, adopt our son, and most importantly, help us bring him home!!!! You can donate here: http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorhinz
2) Please PRAY. For those travelling now (Debbie's family, Jenny and Eric Monier and the Earlywines) that they may have safe travels and productive visits. That their children will come to understand them and that the Lord will bless them with peace of mind and fill love in all their hearts and also the He will facilitate the adoptions in a positive and productive manner.
3) Please PRAY for OUR process and our travels. That they will continue to move smoothly and without barrier. That God will help us to follow His ways and walk in His footpaths as we continue on this journey. That Sterling will remain safe and healthy and that we (and our paperwork) may have safe travels.
If you have been hesitant about donating or have been waiting until you are SURE that this is for REAL, NOW IS YOUR TIME. As soon as our dossier returns from Tallahassee we will be mailing it off to Europe. From that point we should be TRAVELLING within 4-5 weeks. Wouldn't you love to know that you helped us make our dream become a reality?!?!?! Please help us bring our little boy home!!! We are MORE THAN READY to become a FAMILY!!! If not for us, PLEASE consider helping him...Sterling will turn 5 on Monday and helping us to bring him home will the BEST birthday present he EVER RECEIVES!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Even Closer!!!
So today we checked the mail and...
Our USCIS fingerprint appointment information was in there!!!
The appointment is scheduled for August 23 at 10 am. When I was told the appointment date over the phone I told her that this is the second day of school. She encouraged us to walk in as soon as we got our paperwork...so, we will be walking in for our fingerprints on Monday. Hopefully we can get and they are processed quickly and we can get an email copy of our I171H by Friday...not sure if this is reasonable but we can hope!!
Let me explain what is left in the process so those of you not in the process can understand exactly HOW CLOSE we are to meeting our son!
1) We get our notarized copies of our agency license on Monday. This is last piece of our paperwork outside of our immigration approval.
2) We will walk in for our fingerprints on Monday afternoon at the local USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration) office.
3) Prints will be submitted electronically to be processed and results sent to our officer.
4) Our officer will approve (we hope) our application for orphan petition and will fax or email a copy of our I171H to us.
5) We send our ENTIRE dossier to Tallahassee to be apostilled and it will be returned.
6) Once return we send it to Europe to our facilitators. They will translate it and prepare it for submission to the European Government we are adopting from.
7) Our dossier will be submitted to the government.
8) We will receive an appointment date to meet with the State Department of Adoptions to receive our referral to go meet with and begin the adoption of Sterling.
9) Once we get this date - we know our timeline!!!
It looks like A LOT of stuff, but HOPEFULLY we can get steps 1-6 done by August 19th. And hopefully we get submitted by the beginning of September. If so, we could get a travel date by late September and have Sterling home by late October or early November!!! Talk about Thanksgiving!!! :)
We have a few outstanding donations (people who have committed to donate certain amounts but have not been able to just yet. Taking those into account we are only $1200 from being FULLY FUNDED!!! PRAISE GOD!!! We started with only $11,350 and have saved/fundraised almost $8,500 with the help of family, friends and strangers. THANK YOU!
Please continue to pray for our process and the process of all other adopting families...It really is a roller coaster and the closer we all get the further it feels away...BUT IT IS SO EXCITING....In about two and half months Brian and I will be parents!
Our USCIS fingerprint appointment information was in there!!!
The appointment is scheduled for August 23 at 10 am. When I was told the appointment date over the phone I told her that this is the second day of school. She encouraged us to walk in as soon as we got our paperwork...so, we will be walking in for our fingerprints on Monday. Hopefully we can get and they are processed quickly and we can get an email copy of our I171H by Friday...not sure if this is reasonable but we can hope!!
Let me explain what is left in the process so those of you not in the process can understand exactly HOW CLOSE we are to meeting our son!
1) We get our notarized copies of our agency license on Monday. This is last piece of our paperwork outside of our immigration approval.
2) We will walk in for our fingerprints on Monday afternoon at the local USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration) office.
3) Prints will be submitted electronically to be processed and results sent to our officer.
4) Our officer will approve (we hope) our application for orphan petition and will fax or email a copy of our I171H to us.
5) We send our ENTIRE dossier to Tallahassee to be apostilled and it will be returned.
6) Once return we send it to Europe to our facilitators. They will translate it and prepare it for submission to the European Government we are adopting from.
7) Our dossier will be submitted to the government.
8) We will receive an appointment date to meet with the State Department of Adoptions to receive our referral to go meet with and begin the adoption of Sterling.
9) Once we get this date - we know our timeline!!!
It looks like A LOT of stuff, but HOPEFULLY we can get steps 1-6 done by August 19th. And hopefully we get submitted by the beginning of September. If so, we could get a travel date by late September and have Sterling home by late October or early November!!! Talk about Thanksgiving!!! :)
We have a few outstanding donations (people who have committed to donate certain amounts but have not been able to just yet. Taking those into account we are only $1200 from being FULLY FUNDED!!! PRAISE GOD!!! We started with only $11,350 and have saved/fundraised almost $8,500 with the help of family, friends and strangers. THANK YOU!
Please continue to pray for our process and the process of all other adopting families...It really is a roller coaster and the closer we all get the further it feels away...BUT IT IS SO EXCITING....In about two and half months Brian and I will be parents!
Even Closer...
So today we checked the mail and...
Our USCIS fingerprint appointment information was in there!!!
The appointment is scheduled for August 23 at 10 am. When I was told the appointment date over the phone I told her that this is the second day of school. She encouraged us to walk in as soon as we got our paperwork...so, we will be walking in for our fingerprints on Monday. Hopefully we can get and they are processed quickly and we can get an email copy of our I171H by Friday...not sure if this is reasonable but we can hope!!
Let me explain what is left in the process so those of you not in the process can understand exactly HOW CLOSE we are to meeting our son!
1) We get our notarized copies of our agency license on Monday. This is last piece of our paperwork outside of our immigration approval.
2) We will walk in for our fingerprints on Monday afternoon at the local USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration) office.
3) Prints will be submitted electronically to be processed and results sent to our officer.
4) Our officer will approve (we hope) our application for orphan petition and will fax or email a copy of our I171H to us.
5) We send our ENTIRE dossier to Tallahassee to be apostilled and it will be returned.
6) Once return we send it to Europe to our facilitators. They will translate it and prepare it for submission to the European Government we are adopting from.
7) Our dossier will be submitted to the government.
8) We will receive an appointment date to meet with the State Department of Adoptions to receive our referral to go meet with and begin the adoption of Sterling.
9) Once we get this date - we know our timeline!!!
It looks like A LOT of stuff, but HOPEFULLY we can get steps 1-6 done by August 19th. And hopefully we get submitted by the beginning of September. If so, we could get a travel date by late September and have Sterling home by late October or early November!!! Talk about Thanksgiving!!! :)
We have a few outstanding donations (people who have committed to donate certain amounts but have not been able to just yet. Taking those into account we are only $1200 from being FULLY FUNDED!!! PRAISE GOD!!! We started with only $11,350 and have saved/fundraised almost $8,500 with the help of family, friends and strangers. THANK YOU!
Please continue to pray for our process and the process of all other adopting families...It really is a roller coaster and the closer we all get the further it feels away...BUT IT IS SO EXCITING....In about two and half months Brian and I will be parents!
Our USCIS fingerprint appointment information was in there!!!
The appointment is scheduled for August 23 at 10 am. When I was told the appointment date over the phone I told her that this is the second day of school. She encouraged us to walk in as soon as we got our paperwork...so, we will be walking in for our fingerprints on Monday. Hopefully we can get and they are processed quickly and we can get an email copy of our I171H by Friday...not sure if this is reasonable but we can hope!!
Let me explain what is left in the process so those of you not in the process can understand exactly HOW CLOSE we are to meeting our son!
1) We get our notarized copies of our agency license on Monday. This is last piece of our paperwork outside of our immigration approval.
2) We will walk in for our fingerprints on Monday afternoon at the local USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration) office.
3) Prints will be submitted electronically to be processed and results sent to our officer.
4) Our officer will approve (we hope) our application for orphan petition and will fax or email a copy of our I171H to us.
5) We send our ENTIRE dossier to Tallahassee to be apostilled and it will be returned.
6) Once return we send it to Europe to our facilitators. They will translate it and prepare it for submission to the European Government we are adopting from.
7) Our dossier will be submitted to the government.
8) We will receive an appointment date to meet with the State Department of Adoptions to receive our referral to go meet with and begin the adoption of Sterling.
9) Once we get this date - we know our timeline!!!
It looks like A LOT of stuff, but HOPEFULLY we can get steps 1-6 done by August 19th. And hopefully we get submitted by the beginning of September. If so, we could get a travel date by late September and have Sterling home by late October or early November!!! Talk about Thanksgiving!!! :)
We have a few outstanding donations (people who have committed to donate certain amounts but have not been able to just yet. Taking those into account we are only $1200 from being FULLY FUNDED!!! PRAISE GOD!!! We started with only $11,350 and have saved/fundraised almost $8,500 with the help of family, friends and strangers. THANK YOU!
Please continue to pray for our process and the process of all other adopting families...It really is a roller coaster and the closer we all get the further it feels away...BUT IT IS SO EXCITING....In about two and half months Brian and I will be parents!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
HOORAY!!!!
So, the past 10 days have been a roller coaster....ups and downs...I will try to sum them up the best that I can.
Medical Clearances:
7/21 - We both went to the doctor to pick up the medical statements. Brian's looked great...mine looked horrible...Not that they cared...They said, come back tomorrow....
7/22 - they called and the notary did not come in that day so come back Monday
7/26 - Brian drove out to Lake Mary after a workshop and the copy they gave him was the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen. The words were printed off the page, the girl who filled it in (mind you its supposed to be filled out by the doctor) had writing the size of Alaska and couldnt fit anything on one line...The notary stamp was smudged and lightly doubled stamped...REALLY? The sad part is I left them the directions!!!! Good grief... So, Brian asked for another...which they gave him...not notarized...NOT HELPFUL! It really is a good thing I wasnt there...for those of you who know me...you understand that...
7/27 - Finally have a usable notarized version of my medical statement...almost a month after my original visit
USCIS:
7/14 - Our app is received at the lockbox
7/22 - Our app is received at NBC (National Benefits Center)
7/22 - I fax a copy of our doctor's request for expedition
7/25 - I call to be sure that said request has been attached to our application...they dont know...say its too early to tell
7/27 - I call again to be sure that the request for expedition was matched to our application and end up talking to the rudest person...(Im SURE it was Laura's officer!!! lol) LOOONG story short she says no (much more to that...and I was furious) I RE-fax and EMAIL the letter to NBC. Cranky pants emails me back a commentary that basically says we cant be expedited and we wont be expedited we will be waiting our 75-90 days like everyone else. Let the tears flow...I vent with friends...and lo and behold someone knows someone who can help..."Let me email her," he says.
7/28 - Nick (thats all you get...first name) emails his contact...4 hours later we have an officer and ARE being expedited through the process (expedition granted on medical grounds) and we have a fingerprint appointment...on Aug 23. I tell her that is the 2nd day of school and she tells us to try to walk in as soon as we get the card...YAY! THANKS NICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the NORMAL roller coaster we live on right now...everybody adopting goes through these coaster hills: UP, down, UP, down....its sooo taxing....and emotionally draining.
The good news is we only need two things: our notarized letters stating our copies of the agency license is real and our I171H (aka Golden Ticket) from USCIS (see above) HOPEFULLY we have the notarized letters this week and HOPEFULLY we have our Golden Ticket by mid August...THEN we COULD be travelling in late Sept through October!!!!
Hold on Sterling we are coming!!!
PS Sterling's birthday is on August 8th!!! He will be 5! Kind of sad he has to spend it in an orphanage but it is the LAST birthday he will spend there!!! Please pray they dont transfer him to a mental institution before we can get there to bring him home!
Medical Clearances:
7/21 - We both went to the doctor to pick up the medical statements. Brian's looked great...mine looked horrible...Not that they cared...They said, come back tomorrow....
7/22 - they called and the notary did not come in that day so come back Monday
7/26 - Brian drove out to Lake Mary after a workshop and the copy they gave him was the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen. The words were printed off the page, the girl who filled it in (mind you its supposed to be filled out by the doctor) had writing the size of Alaska and couldnt fit anything on one line...The notary stamp was smudged and lightly doubled stamped...REALLY? The sad part is I left them the directions!!!! Good grief... So, Brian asked for another...which they gave him...not notarized...NOT HELPFUL! It really is a good thing I wasnt there...for those of you who know me...you understand that...
7/27 - Finally have a usable notarized version of my medical statement...almost a month after my original visit
USCIS:
7/14 - Our app is received at the lockbox
7/22 - Our app is received at NBC (National Benefits Center)
7/22 - I fax a copy of our doctor's request for expedition
7/25 - I call to be sure that said request has been attached to our application...they dont know...say its too early to tell
7/27 - I call again to be sure that the request for expedition was matched to our application and end up talking to the rudest person...(Im SURE it was Laura's officer!!! lol) LOOONG story short she says no (much more to that...and I was furious) I RE-fax and EMAIL the letter to NBC. Cranky pants emails me back a commentary that basically says we cant be expedited and we wont be expedited we will be waiting our 75-90 days like everyone else. Let the tears flow...I vent with friends...and lo and behold someone knows someone who can help..."Let me email her," he says.
7/28 - Nick (thats all you get...first name) emails his contact...4 hours later we have an officer and ARE being expedited through the process (expedition granted on medical grounds) and we have a fingerprint appointment...on Aug 23. I tell her that is the 2nd day of school and she tells us to try to walk in as soon as we get the card...YAY! THANKS NICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the NORMAL roller coaster we live on right now...everybody adopting goes through these coaster hills: UP, down, UP, down....its sooo taxing....and emotionally draining.
The good news is we only need two things: our notarized letters stating our copies of the agency license is real and our I171H (aka Golden Ticket) from USCIS (see above) HOPEFULLY we have the notarized letters this week and HOPEFULLY we have our Golden Ticket by mid August...THEN we COULD be travelling in late Sept through October!!!!
Hold on Sterling we are coming!!!
PS Sterling's birthday is on August 8th!!! He will be 5! Kind of sad he has to spend it in an orphanage but it is the LAST birthday he will spend there!!! Please pray they dont transfer him to a mental institution before we can get there to bring him home!
Monday, July 18, 2011
I feel like a slacker...
I haven't posted since July 9th...Seriously???
Well, let me sum those 9 days up for you...PAPERWORK and WAITING!!!
We officially sent in our USCIS application for bringing Sterling home and are waiting on that to process.
Currently, we are only missing 5 pieces to our dossier and our USCIS clearance...
1) USCIS I171H (aka The Golden Ticket) - this piece of paper gives us permission to bring Sterling back into the country. We applied for expedition and have a nurse's letter and a doctor's letter asking for expedition. PLEASE PRAY that our form is expedited. If it isn't it can take 2-3 months for processing. :(
2) Doctor's Clearance for Erin - appointment on Thursday afternoon to wrap this up (everything's done just need signatures on the form!)
3) Doctor's Clearance for Brian - appointment on Thursday afternoon to wrap this up (everything's done just need signatures on the form!)
4) State Background Check Results on Erin and Brian (mailed off for them on Friday - they can take 5 business days to process plus we need to get them mailed back to us so maybe a week out on these)
5) A letter from DCF saying that our Social Worker is licensed and allowed to conduct home studies in the state of Florida. The dossier asks for the Social Worker's license but Florida does not require license by the SW - just by the agency...So we wait for this one to get back too...also probably around a week.
6) Notarized letters from our home study agency that verify the copies of the licenses we have are accurate. (should be getting these in the next day or so!)
IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED (as planned in my head that is...) We will be submitting our dossier by the first or second week of August....which HOPEFULLY would mean we would be travelling early to mid September....
BUT ALL OF THIS IS CONTINGENT UPON OUR USCIS APPLICATION BEING EXPEDITED. God has come through for us time and time again throughout this process...PLEASE PRAY that this expedition is granted so we can get Sterling home!!!
We are almost FULLY FUNDED! We are only $5000 short of being fully funded for our adoption and our trip to Eastern Europe!! Hooray!!
Well, let me sum those 9 days up for you...PAPERWORK and WAITING!!!
We officially sent in our USCIS application for bringing Sterling home and are waiting on that to process.
Currently, we are only missing 5 pieces to our dossier and our USCIS clearance...
1) USCIS I171H (aka The Golden Ticket) - this piece of paper gives us permission to bring Sterling back into the country. We applied for expedition and have a nurse's letter and a doctor's letter asking for expedition. PLEASE PRAY that our form is expedited. If it isn't it can take 2-3 months for processing. :(
2) Doctor's Clearance for Erin - appointment on Thursday afternoon to wrap this up (everything's done just need signatures on the form!)
3) Doctor's Clearance for Brian - appointment on Thursday afternoon to wrap this up (everything's done just need signatures on the form!)
4) State Background Check Results on Erin and Brian (mailed off for them on Friday - they can take 5 business days to process plus we need to get them mailed back to us so maybe a week out on these)
5) A letter from DCF saying that our Social Worker is licensed and allowed to conduct home studies in the state of Florida. The dossier asks for the Social Worker's license but Florida does not require license by the SW - just by the agency...So we wait for this one to get back too...also probably around a week.
6) Notarized letters from our home study agency that verify the copies of the licenses we have are accurate. (should be getting these in the next day or so!)
IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED (as planned in my head that is...) We will be submitting our dossier by the first or second week of August....which HOPEFULLY would mean we would be travelling early to mid September....
BUT ALL OF THIS IS CONTINGENT UPON OUR USCIS APPLICATION BEING EXPEDITED. God has come through for us time and time again throughout this process...PLEASE PRAY that this expedition is granted so we can get Sterling home!!!
We are almost FULLY FUNDED! We are only $5000 short of being fully funded for our adoption and our trip to Eastern Europe!! Hooray!!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
A Sigh of Relief...
Best news we've had in WEEKS!!!! Lots of families have been praying and we have ALL been blogging about it. The country we are adopting from decided to cease all adoptions and close down for 3 months starting July 11th. Well, we got news TODAY that they are staying open for children who are on the Special Needs list (as defined by their government). THIS MEANS NO SHUT DOWN FOR STERLING!!!! Praise God!!! We are so excited....thanks to EVERYONE who has been praying for our process!!!
Now the panic mode sets in a little. We had really slowed down on paperwork because of the shut down. There was a chance we would have to redo ALL of our documents after they reopened so a lot of us stopped working or slowed down. BIG MISTAKE! Now we are back on and trying to work in double time! Lots to do, tons of paperwork to have approved and apostilled. And we MUST get our CSP and our USCIS (immigration) paperwork out ASAP!!!!
This also means we need to fundraise FAST. We are a little over 2/3s of the way to being fully funded! We thank God for that too! These are the fundraisers we are working currently. Please help if you can!!!
1) Personalized Necklaces (pictures on this blog) $10-$12
2) Personalized Disney T-Shirts for Birthdays and Trips Coming Soon
3) Custom built cabinets donated by Lowes for us (a $750 set-up) to be silent auctioned or raffled. Still working on this
4) A garage sale is in the works....
PLEASE SHARE OUR BLOG! WE NEED ALL THE HELP AND PRAYERS WE CAN GET!!! I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME AWESOME NEWS!!!!!! HOORAY!!!
Now the panic mode sets in a little. We had really slowed down on paperwork because of the shut down. There was a chance we would have to redo ALL of our documents after they reopened so a lot of us stopped working or slowed down. BIG MISTAKE! Now we are back on and trying to work in double time! Lots to do, tons of paperwork to have approved and apostilled. And we MUST get our CSP and our USCIS (immigration) paperwork out ASAP!!!!
This also means we need to fundraise FAST. We are a little over 2/3s of the way to being fully funded! We thank God for that too! These are the fundraisers we are working currently. Please help if you can!!!
1) Personalized Necklaces (pictures on this blog) $10-$12
2) Personalized Disney T-Shirts for Birthdays and Trips Coming Soon
3) Custom built cabinets donated by Lowes for us (a $750 set-up) to be silent auctioned or raffled. Still working on this
4) A garage sale is in the works....
PLEASE SHARE OUR BLOG! WE NEED ALL THE HELP AND PRAYERS WE CAN GET!!! I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME AWESOME NEWS!!!!!! HOORAY!!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tom Petty Had It Right
The Waiting Is The Hardest Part.
Between waiting for Sterling and waiting for news on the newborn we are pursuing as well, Brian and I will be champion "waiters" when we do have our children home. Patience has NEVER been a virtue of mine - which is, I suppose, precisely why this is happening to us. It's definitely a skill I needed to work on. It isn't fun, but I know it's worth it. I trust God, I know everything will work out the way it is supposed to, and I know my patience is so much better than it used to be. But, the waiting is still hard.
That being said, I wanted to clarify some things for you:
1) We are not buying our children. The money for an overseas adoption pays mostly for travel, living arrangements overseas, and facilitation costs. Facilitation costs = paperwork completion and translation, lawyer's fees, legal fees, assistance with the country's adoption process, and someone to be there to help us get everything we need from in country.
2) Yes we know there are plenty of kids in America that need families. We are on a domestic list. We have been on a domestic list for 6 months. We are pursuing a domestic adoption. The problem is, in our country, money goes a long way. Agencies can charge what they want for services. There is no regulation of the agencies here. Believe it or not, it is easier and it takes less time to adopt from overseas. And, our foster care system is pretty decent. Overseas these children have nothing. When they turn 5 they are institutionalized. Yep, you read that right, They are put in mental institutions - with adults. Most don't live through the first year. The children that are immobile or have physical limitations are often tied down to their cribs. Please don't try to "find" me a child in the United States. We are pursuing a domestic adoption already and we are working with a network we are very happy with.
3) No, we are not rich. Neither are the majority families whom adopt. Brian and I are very lucky, Sterling had a generous grant thanks to a celebrity benefactor who donated a large sum towards his adoption. Most of these families have children already (we are one of the few who do not) and are completing their adoption through fundraising efforts and the help of family friends, family, and even LOANS. We are two-thirds of the way to being fully funded. This is very exciting for us. We only have the last push to be ready to go!
4) Yes, we "know what we are getting into." We chose this path. It is the right path for us. We are happy and excited. Please be a part of our happiness and joy, please don't try to talk us out of it. It won't work and it will upset us. All parenting is a lifelong commitment - not just the parenting of children with special needs.
5) Yes, we are pursuing two adoptions. Yes, we want two children with Down Syndrome. This is VERY common. There are many benefits to having 2. I'm not getting into it, I just want to point out that this is what we are doing.
This post seems like a rant. We have GREAT friends. But we have friends who do not understand our motivations, who do not have the same beliefs we have, and who feel like we are rushing into this. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. Please trust us! Please be supportive! Please pray for us! But please don't give us your advice or opinions with the thought you are going to change our minds. You will not, you will only hurt our feelings. Believe it or not, some of our biggest supporters have been strangers. We have met many great families in this process and have made lots of new friends. We enjoy talking with families who have done this before and who are doing it now. It's awesome meeting new people and making new friends. We love ALL our friends and our families. Please be HAPPY for us! We are soooo excited and thrilled.
If you are nervous for us please consider reading the following:
1) Babies with Down Syndrome
2) Gifts
3) Gifts 2
4) Noah's Dad's Blog (http://www.noahsdad.com/) Rick posts DAILY about life with a baby that happens to have DS. His life is NORMAL! Babies with DS are more like typical babies than they are different. Don't believe me? Have doubts? Do some reading! :) It'll make you feel better. And it will put you in our shoes!
5) Look at these pictures... http://www.parenting.com/article/a-special-joy-babies-with-down-syndrome-galleries and read what the parents have to say about their little ones.
6) The Bible - we are all adopted Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Thanks for reading! Don't worry about us!!! Be happy!
Between waiting for Sterling and waiting for news on the newborn we are pursuing as well, Brian and I will be champion "waiters" when we do have our children home. Patience has NEVER been a virtue of mine - which is, I suppose, precisely why this is happening to us. It's definitely a skill I needed to work on. It isn't fun, but I know it's worth it. I trust God, I know everything will work out the way it is supposed to, and I know my patience is so much better than it used to be. But, the waiting is still hard.
That being said, I wanted to clarify some things for you:
1) We are not buying our children. The money for an overseas adoption pays mostly for travel, living arrangements overseas, and facilitation costs. Facilitation costs = paperwork completion and translation, lawyer's fees, legal fees, assistance with the country's adoption process, and someone to be there to help us get everything we need from in country.
2) Yes we know there are plenty of kids in America that need families. We are on a domestic list. We have been on a domestic list for 6 months. We are pursuing a domestic adoption. The problem is, in our country, money goes a long way. Agencies can charge what they want for services. There is no regulation of the agencies here. Believe it or not, it is easier and it takes less time to adopt from overseas. And, our foster care system is pretty decent. Overseas these children have nothing. When they turn 5 they are institutionalized. Yep, you read that right, They are put in mental institutions - with adults. Most don't live through the first year. The children that are immobile or have physical limitations are often tied down to their cribs. Please don't try to "find" me a child in the United States. We are pursuing a domestic adoption already and we are working with a network we are very happy with.
3) No, we are not rich. Neither are the majority families whom adopt. Brian and I are very lucky, Sterling had a generous grant thanks to a celebrity benefactor who donated a large sum towards his adoption. Most of these families have children already (we are one of the few who do not) and are completing their adoption through fundraising efforts and the help of family friends, family, and even LOANS. We are two-thirds of the way to being fully funded. This is very exciting for us. We only have the last push to be ready to go!
4) Yes, we "know what we are getting into." We chose this path. It is the right path for us. We are happy and excited. Please be a part of our happiness and joy, please don't try to talk us out of it. It won't work and it will upset us. All parenting is a lifelong commitment - not just the parenting of children with special needs.
5) Yes, we are pursuing two adoptions. Yes, we want two children with Down Syndrome. This is VERY common. There are many benefits to having 2. I'm not getting into it, I just want to point out that this is what we are doing.
This post seems like a rant. We have GREAT friends. But we have friends who do not understand our motivations, who do not have the same beliefs we have, and who feel like we are rushing into this. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. Please trust us! Please be supportive! Please pray for us! But please don't give us your advice or opinions with the thought you are going to change our minds. You will not, you will only hurt our feelings. Believe it or not, some of our biggest supporters have been strangers. We have met many great families in this process and have made lots of new friends. We enjoy talking with families who have done this before and who are doing it now. It's awesome meeting new people and making new friends. We love ALL our friends and our families. Please be HAPPY for us! We are soooo excited and thrilled.
If you are nervous for us please consider reading the following:
1) Babies with Down Syndrome
2) Gifts
3) Gifts 2
4) Noah's Dad's Blog (http://www.noahsdad.com/) Rick posts DAILY about life with a baby that happens to have DS. His life is NORMAL! Babies with DS are more like typical babies than they are different. Don't believe me? Have doubts? Do some reading! :) It'll make you feel better. And it will put you in our shoes!
5) Look at these pictures... http://www.parenting.com/article/a-special-joy-babies-with-down-syndrome-galleries and read what the parents have to say about their little ones.
6) The Bible - we are all adopted Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Thanks for reading! Don't worry about us!!! Be happy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)