now that we got your attention

here is something worth watching about adoption:

An Adoption Story by Jillian Lauren

alright folks

it looks like we will be flying to addis ababa on monday morning!  i am planning on updating this blog during our trip so that folks can follow along if they want.  the schedule of events will go something like this:

court date (july 10)
court decree issued
MOWYCA letter written
birth certificate issued
passport issued
visa medical completed
submit to embassy
embassy interview

this process is predicted to take 3-8 weeks.

while we are there, we plan on doing a lot of eating.  if you're interested in what and where we are eating (and of course, what we think about it all, or more accurately WHAT DAVE THINKS ABOUT IT) check out dave's food blog:
berberecoffeeinjeraplease.blogspot.com

so off we go on our own magical mystery berbere tour. . . wish us luck :)

we have a court date!

amazing! we found out today that we have a court date.  in two weeks!

on hold again.

AGAIN!!!!!!! our entire process is on hold again until MOWCYA comments on our paperwork and they aren't doing comments now. . . . nothing is going to happen until we get the 'comments.'  so.  we wait. again.

and just like that . . .

our adoption process is moving forward!!!!! slowly, but surely.  our PAIR docs are at the embassy in Addis Ababa!  if you look back at the post i put up on jan. 1, we are in between step 3 and 4.  yay!

 a month ago, i wrote that i was going to stop blogging about this adoption. . .  and i was doing my version of 'running away' when times get rough.  that is what i do.  when shit sucks, i hide from the world.   i'm not proud of it, but that is how i process things.  i prefer to figure out how i feel about things and what i want to do about it without 'everyone' else's input.  i am an extreme introvert, especially when it comes to crisis situations.

but i strongly believe in not missing out on an opportunity to celebrate.  and this is definitely an opportunity for celebration -- even if there is snow on the ground right now.  so please celebrate with our little family this week.  however it is you do it:   drink champagne with breakfast, let your kids watch tv, book some plane tickets somewhere fun, dye your hair blue, get a tattoo. . . . 

no more blogging about this adoption

i do not plan to blog about this adoption anymore. . . not that i was really doing much.  we got an email today from our agency telling us about some problems with paperwork blah blah blah.  unfortunately we have been in this position before and didn't seem to learn from it. this has made it clear to me that i have once again become attached to the idea of a particular child and a particular future.  neither of which were/are mine yet.  and that is dangerous and sad. . . . so no more blogging about this.  

good things happen when you nap

we have made some progress on the long list of things that need to happen to finish this adoption process!!  while i was napping on monday afternoon, we received our PAIR documents via an email from our agency.  we applied for our PAIR letter yesterday.  yay! now our next step is to wait the estimated 3-4 months to get our PAIR approval letter in the mail.  we still have a long way to go but at least we are moving now. . .