Adoption Options Picnic

First of all, I just have to tell everyone that I finally have a crib. This ebay nut finally got one! YEAH! It is a Pali and they start in the stores around $350. I got mine from an Orange County lady for $180 and it included the mattress. The really great thing is that it matches the changing table I got off of ebay(for $41) perfectly. I couldn't have planned it any better. Guess I owe this to my mother for teaching me how to find a bargain! Thanks Mom!

On the adoption front, this past Saturday, Steve and I drove down to San Diego to attend our adoption agency's reunion picnic. It was a beautiful day and there were lots of people there. I felt a little weird being there with no children but that subsided quickly. One of my message board buddies told me to look for a couple and once I saw them, I walked right up and introduced myself. They were very helpful and I love talking to her. She also adopted a boy and a girl at the same time from Russia. She was very informative and gave me her email address. After that, Steve and I just sat on the bench in front of the playground and just watched the children. They were all so beautiful. It just makes me want this NOW! I want the children home with us ASAP. While we were sitting on the bench, a guy came up to us and asked if we were adopting from Russia. We said yes and he said he was in the same boat last year. He was so friendly. We walked with him over to the swings and Steve and I took turns pushing his 20 month old Connor on the swing. He and his wife have been home for 3 months now with their son. He was also very candid and informative and gave us his business card to contact them with any questions. I am finding that all of these post adoptive parents are so willing to help and answer questions. He told us that next year it was our job to find another person sitting on the bench and talk to them. I told him I liked that idea. It falls under the "pay it forward" category. Loved it!

After the picnic, we had our appointment with the psychologist. It was more of an interview so she could write a letter stating that we're not wack jobs or anything. And just so you all know, yes we did pass! Some of you might be asking how....don't know! We collected all of our documents and we were on our way. $400 less in our pockets but we got everything we needed. Of course the traveling notary took his share as well. I think I have told many of you that practically everyone has their hand in this cookie jar! Oh well. If it brings our children home to us, I'm all for it!

So skip ahead a few days and we are again traveling down to San Diego again. Poor Steve is sick and we drove down there on a Tuesday so we could listen to a speaker that the agency had brought in. She is a pediatrician that specializes in adoption medicine. She was really great and had a hand out for us. It basically went through all the things that we could encounter medically before, during and after this process. It was great for Steve to hear all of the things that I have been reading about. I think he thought I was being "freaky" about wanting to have the kids evaluated when they get home. This doctor told us to have it done within 2 weeks of returning home. I found a guy, who is a doctor, out in Long Beach that was referred to me by the agency. He and I have already spoken. I know this sounds freaky to do this so early but I don't want them to tell me it's going to be a 3 month wait before we can get in. I want to be able to be proactive here instead of reactive. WOW! What an educational thing to say. Guess all this educational background helps. Also, it would be difficult to go to a regualr pediatrician and expect them to be up to date on international adoption issues along with health issues and vaccines. By going to someone who understands this, they will give us a thorough evaluation instead of, "go home and feed and love them." The speaker last night told us the same thing. It was sort of funny last night, Steve leaned over to me and whispered, "do all of this times TWO!" I guess I didn't fell overwhelmed because I have been trying to read my books. I am hoping to get a lot more reading done this weekend. Steve and I are leaving for Pismo Beach tomorrow, Thursday Oct. 12th, for a long weekend with the American Coach group. So in some aspects I want the kids to be home tomorrow but then I pop back in to reality and think of the fact that I still have 2 rooms to decorate, 2 books to read, doctors to find, 2 wardrobes to buy, etc., etc. I then realize we still need a little bit of time to get prepared and the way these past few months have been flying by, it'll be March before I know it.

People keep asking me where we are in this process. We're on the referral list waiting for them to call us and give us a referral which basically means they will be offering us 2 children. We are number 5 right now in line. I guess I should see if we have moved up at all. We have also basically completed our Dossier which if you all remember was a list of documents we had to compile. It will then get translated and sent to Russia. The only things that are not done are the time sensitive documents which are the police letter(yes we have to have the police dept. write us a letter), our employment letters and another doctor physical. These are only good for 3 months so we will actually get these done after we accept the referral. If you have been reading the other posts I have done, we keep hearing that things will begin to open back up once the reaccreditation comes through which they are hoping will be taken care of by the end of October early November. We are still really hoping to travel by March. Steve says February. We'll just have to wait and see. Going to the picnic and seeing all of those adorable kids didn't help this waiting period. I have been meeting a lot of people those who are post adoptive and they are very willing to help which makes it better.

Alrighty, now that this has turned into a novel, I might just get back to work! Hope everyone is doing well. Keep my children in your thoughts and prayers. They are in an orphange right now not even knowing what is coming their way and that 2 parents are waiting for them and loving them already. They may not be dreaming of us but you know we're dreaming of them!