A Natural Family: June 2008

Preparing for take off.

WE FINALLY RECEIVED WORD THAT OUR I600A MADE IT TO ETHIOPIA!
So, that has totally made my Monday morning. A huge weight off my shoulders. Now, I can really just focus on getting ready to go without having to have that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I may have to be in Ethiopia for several weeks waiting for U.S. government offices to communicate with each other (Aaargghh.)
Second on the 'interesting emails I received this morning' list is an email letting us know about the dates/times of our birth family visit. Right now it is scheduled for Sunday to Monday. (I am not sure how this will work b/c I thought our Embassy appointment was Monday afternoon... but whatever...) So, that 'Dear Birthmother' Letter needs to get a-rolling.
In the world of 'packing for an international flight where you'll have a baby on the return trip,' I am trying to pack everything for our family (of three :)) in carry-ons and all the donations in checked luggage. Maybe I am crazy, but the last minute travel backpack from Auntie Jenn just might make it all possible. We have two large large large suitcases filled with shoes, diapers, wipes, toothpaste, and toothbrushes to take to Horizon House. (Which means, we'll have two large large large suitcases to fill with goodies on the return trip...)
In closing: We had our medical update (that we received for the month of June) assessed by Dr. Aronson (as this is included in the initial fee we paid for her review of the referral information) and she said that, although Adu is not on the chart for weight and height, he does look like he is doing a good job at his job... growing! And, that his head circumference is on the chart at a whopping 3%. I had asked her whether or not we should schedule an appointment to see her when we return or if she thought our primary care physician could handle Emmett Adu's stuff. And, this was her reply... and THIS is why we'll pay the big bucks, schlep a baby into NYC, just to see her and get her feedback...
"I would definitely suggest that you see me for the initial evaluation. Being laid back is admirable, but the complexity of medical and developmental issues for kids adopted from Ethiopia requires a kind of vigilance that isn't consistent with being laid back. Your GP will live longer than I will, but we all make choices....I love my work and I am committed to a kind of service that I had a destiny for since I was very young. I am privileged to be able to specialize in the care of children adopted from abroad and I enjoy it because watching kids go from barely making it to thriving is a kick!"

Cool gifts and such :)

9:24 AM Edit This 1 Comment »

Here are some of the most awesome gifts we've received for Emmett Adu. We have acutally gotten SO SO SO much stuff for him that this post could be a billion scrolls long, but this is just the stuff that I could grab to photograph this morning.

1. My Family, My Journey from Aunt Lynn. Perfect for adoptive families as it has adoption specific language without being too mushy about it all. Nice shabby chic look :)

2. Shoes. Baby shoes make me speechless. A pair of classic Converse from Auntie Mimi, and a pair from SeeKaiRun from the Manley clan.

3. Baby Obama t-shirt. Nuff said. He'll look great in it.

4. Automoblox (awesome--from Uncle T). Wooden cars that pull apart and can be put back together in different formations. I want more but haven't been able to find them at my Target.

5. So, you've got to check out this book. A friend ordered it for us online, and it created a whole story around the formation of our kid's name! (Yep... the WHOLE name). It ends with this line, "Emmett Adugna Firew Burton has a wonderful sound. A more perfect name we could not have found." I tear up every time.

One week and One day to go.

12:48 PM Edit This

I am sitting here in my cubicle waiting out what is my last day in the office for four months. Many friends and co-workers have stopped by to wish me well and ask how I am feeling about my new transition into motherhood. And... I've got to say that I feel mixed emotions. This whole process has been one big bag of mixed emotions. I feel stressed. Stressed that our current situation with Emmett's I600A won't work out in time. (The I600A has been approved and sent to Ethiopia, but by frickin DHL... So, the Embassy in Ethiopia hasn't received it yet... And if it is not there on 7/7/2008 when we are scheduled to have our interview, we will have to reschedule and stay in country until it gets there...) I am stressed about getting the boy put on my insurance. I am stressed that I won't bring enough clothes or formula for him. And all of these things, I know, will most likely 99% work out just fine--but, I can't say that I am not stressed about it.

On the other hand, I honestly feel somewhat detatched. I have pictures of this sweet little tiny boy. They tell me he's mine. I think of him as my own and show his picture off as such, but there is a part of me that hasn't quite bonded yet. I know myself well enough to know that this distant feeling is part of the way I work when I am anxious and will eventually go away.

Finally, I am pretty ecstatic. For those of you who know me well, getting off work for four months--for almost any reason--is my life long dream. I don't think I've been off work this long since I started working. I am pretty pumped that we are finally moving to a new stage of the adoption process. I am SO SO SO excited to meet him and get to know him and share him with Justin. I can't wait to see J as a father. He is perfectly suited for this job, and it will be a beautiful thing to watch. I never thought I would say the following, but here it goes: I am having a hard time waiting to use all the delicious little baby parapheralia that we have gotten over the past couple of months... Confession: I used the stroller the other day to take my little 4 y/o friend Yannis to the park. It was awesome.

So--there you go. My feelings in a blog post. I may block comments to this one.

Other Updates:
Today: emailed release of information to Congressman Rush Holt in order for him to advocate with CIS and NVC (National Visa Center) for us and E.
7/4-7/12 Ethiopia
7/11-7/13: Gramma CC, Gdad Glen, and Grandma Diane arrive (along with all NJ and NYC buddies)
7/15: E's first appointment with our Dr.
7/17: E's appointment with Dr. Aronson in NYC (IA doc)
7/25 ish: Gramma CC leaves
8/3ish: Auntie Jenn and Uncle Ry Ry
8/15: travel to AR
8/17: Shower in S-town
8/24: Shower in MH
8/29: Return to NJ and really settle in...for the long haul... :)

New Stuff and Stamford Shower

10:15 AM Edit This 2 Comments »

I have ALWAYS wanted one of these.

Hot , right? :)

Scott and Julia (and Bess). Their awesome house held the shower.

Yes, an actual 'money tree.'

Donations for Horizon House.

Pictures.

8:55 AM Edit This 1 Comment »

Justin on his first Father's Day. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne.

And ties... of course.

E's awesome little room. Light sculpture courtesy of Uncle T.

Wowee Zowee

3:41 PM Edit This 5 Comments »

Okay, so really... things have been going a mile-a-minute. This has become the most boring blog ever. I remember the days that I had time to contemplate big issues dealing with big life questions... race, adoption, spirituality, etc... Now, I am more likely to have the thought,"Geez, did I really forget to bring my lunch to work AGAIN today??"

Our flight information is the following:
Depart--Friday July 4th: EWR to D.C., D.C. to Addis (arrive Sat. July 6th)
Return--Friday July 11th: Addis to D.C., D.C to EWR (arrive Sat. July 12 at 2 p.m.)

We went with Ethiopian Air and booked through Susan Parr Travel. I highly recommend them. We called them Friday evening right after getting our travel info from WHFC and they not only answered the phone, but had quotes to us that same night. THEN, they followed up with another email OVER THE WEEKEND to let us know we'd made the flight we were wait-listed for. Awesome. I love it when people go the extra mile. The tickets ended up being around $2000 each with a $160 lap ticket for Emmett Adu on the way home. Our SUPER COOL parents bought the tickets!!! So blessed...

Next rock-my-world piece of news is that I sweet talked my department and HR rep into letting me exhaust my vacation days BEFORE I start Family Leave-- meaning I will get to be off for close to FOUR MONTHS. I mean, close to three months will be unpaid, but that's what I've been saving my pennies for all this time, right?

Tomorrow: Last vaccination visit
Monday: Mandatory call in meeting for Group 65

More to come.

We we we we are going to ETHIOPIA!!!!

6:18 PM Edit This 17 Comments »

The travel call came today!!! We will leave on July 4th or 5th--waiting to hear back from the travel agent!!!

This means.... that his case has gone through the courts in Ethiopia... so...

We'll show you more when we actually have him in our arms. :)

Oh yeah... BTW...

3:24 PM Edit This 6 Comments »

I got my Masters degree in the mail the other day.

A few years of work to open up the mail box and find a half smooshed, definitely bent envelope with a piece of paper for my trouble.

The most anti-climactic Masters degree ever.