Bringing you home

The 10th??

2011-10-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Well, sheesh I missed it. Here it is October 20th and I missed the 10th. I have an excuse though. I was out of town for work from the 9th to the 14th.. LONG trip. I missed the babies like crazy but we got alot of good work done for our new product team. We have another trip in November, for some more training but it should be a good learning opportunity.

What's going on with the kids, you ask? Well.. Maddie has turned to biting. She has her new chair and wants to be by herself in that chair and 'read' her book. Well, her brother allows nothing of the sort, and constantly crawls over to her and tries to take the book. Mind you, he tries to take everything away from her and it just so happend that his elbow was close to her mouth ... the wail that came out of Zachary was heartwrenching. I knew something happened but didnt know what till i saw the 8 little teeth marks in his arm. What do i do about that? We told her NO Biting and No Teeth but she still tries and sometimes we dont catch her in the act. I've read its 'normal' for kids to bite but youza its not fun for mommy to deal with. Any suggestions??? I am open to anything.. she may get a bite back if she's not careful.. Zachary has two teeth.

As for Zman.. hes sleeping in his crib!.. Yay.. he has gone back and forth from the playpen to his crib for a while now.. always waking up and screaming until someone picks him up. But we have his blanket and his snuggly and his Pooh with him everywhere he sleeps now so hopefully we figured it out. Its kinda funny to take EVERYTHING in the crib from one place to another for him but it seems to keep him comforted having those things with him. He doesnt nap!! ugh.. Nana likes a nap once and a while and Maddie is good for at least 1 two hour nap sometimes 2 but Z is a 15-20 minute napper and thats it.. any suggestions there would be greatly appreaciated too.

The dog door is still a fascination for them.. the other night Max (the dog) wanted to come in but Maddie was sitting inside it. She's gonna go out one of these days.

A promise and video

2011-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish I had time to keep this Blog going. I want to take the time... but I just dont. I am going to be realististic here and make a promise to anyone who looks at this blog because they dont have a Facebook account. Sometimes I wish i didnt, but I do, and its easy and quick and then I can get back to the kids and school. Anyway the promise is.. I will post here on the 1st and the 15th of the month at least. I will put it in my iPhone and in my Outlook and Hotmail calendars and will make it happen.. please forgive. I will be better.

Ok now for the update.. Well miss M has been walking up a storm.. this kid is pretty good at it too.. she has not had any skinned anything and rarely falls down. she slows down and steps over things or turns to the side to go around things.. even little things like her lamb on the floor .. its quite funny actually as she shimmies around her brother with him grabbing at her. Her latest facination is the dog door. uh oh. She used to just lift up the inside flap (we have a two flapper) but the other night, as i was watching her she nearly climbed through it and dropped her milk outside. I hadnt realized she didnt have it any more until I took the garbage out the next morning and there it was on the patio. Little stinker. She has also proudly taught her baby brother how to splash in the toilet. Ugh. Let me back up a bit... both the babies LOVE the bath and pool and will splash and splash until the water is ice cold and they are shivering. M usually has a 'moment' when I take her out of the tub. So when they found the dog water they were VERY excited.. well the dog water is now taken up periodically during the day when the kids are loose and walking and crawling all over the house. But then... dun dun dun... they found the toilet. Eek... It was kinda funny but still gross (immediate bath btw). I was sitting in the office (which as you know if you've been around here a while, used to be my master closet) right by the master bathroom and I hear splashing.. hmmm did i leave the water running in the sink? OMG its the kids. So I get up and go in there and they are smiling and having a great time.. Lesson learned.. toilet seat DOWN. Fast forward 1 week. I am now in the habit of putting the seat down, and am in the office working.... splash splash... crap!! M the big sister had lifted the seat up and was holding it for her brother with her head. Argh.. i dont want those toilet locks because, lets face it, I have encountered them and when you gotta go its hard to concentrate on getting that thing open. So we have resorted to closing the bathroom doors.. that should keep them out.. until she is tall enough to open the door of course.
And for Z.. well in addition to his shenanigans with his sister, who he adores and laughs at all the time, is crawling on all fours now. He likes to stand up and is getting really good at it..falling over often but after a quick cry gets right back up. He fell last night and banged his lip..it got all red but he went right back to it after his 'moment'. He chases his sister around and usually ends up running into something. The poor boy.. he has a bruise on his forhead now.
ok.. heres a Video of Z-man my little angel boy.

Shes Walking, he's crawling

2011-08-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest.. I will post more this weekend.. i hope. I need to update on the goings on...Facebook can be very convenient and i have slacked off on the blog. I really want to keep this up for them. Anyway here is a quick video of punkin runkin walking.. she is getting so independent. She's been walking for a week or so now. Love love love these kids of mine.

Finally pics

2011-06-11T20:02:00.001-07:00

Well we finally got family pictures taken only a month late. Z of course smiled almost every time he is such a ham. Maddie did great but towards the end there she had a little attitude so Nana brought out the big guns (her Lamb blankie). Things are going well with the two of them in the same room. One wakes up the other but usually they go back to sleep.

M is eating great she likes peas and strawberries, likes ham and meatballs. So far still no peaches but everything else is good. She stand up next to things and walks with the walker and when we hold her hands. The other day she was holding only 1 of my hands and just let go..... stood there a little bit then realized she was standing and sat down on her butt... lol it was kinda funny the way she looked up at me like 'why did you let me do that'. Z is eating a little rice cereal he is up to a scoop and a half and sucks it right off the spoon.. he also tried the sippy cup today.. I think he likes it. Not sitting up yet by himself but rolls back and forth. He's starting to like napping on his side. Anyhooo.. here are the pics. There are more on FB. *Hugs*

Grab a drink and snack.. this is long one.

2011-05-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? I am sorry fellow bloggers I have been gone a while.. busy with two kids, full time work, filling out paperwork for Z's finalization and going to school. Its a wonder I have time for a shower some days... oh wait... well thats for another post lol.

M has had her 1 year birthday (May 7) and then we celebrated my 2nd Mothers day. I actually forgot that my first Mother's day was last year.. wierd huh. Mom had to remind me that it was my second.. I was telling her that it was really amazing that it was my first Mother's day and I had the pleasure of 2 little ones in my life.. she politely reminded me that..... um NO.. that was not correct. Last year Maddie was born on the Friday before Mothers day. Hmm.. thats right.. i totally forgot. Those first few days (who am i kidding--weeks, months) were kind of a blurr so its no wonder that I missed that I was part of the Momma posse now and, in my defense I had never been a Mother before so was always on the giving end of the honored day.

So what has been going on.. Well I am 7 months away from completing my bachelors degree.. Woo hoo.. I am 50/50 on whether I will keep it up and go on for my Masters (leaning towards going for it). Today--I want to get my masters in Adult Education/Training. I am really enjoying my new role at work and all of the new technologies for teaching that are out there. I love working from home (most days) but sometimes miss the people part of working. We are contemplating a move but not fully committed to that yet.

Z is growing leaps and bounds. His 4 month appt he weighed in at 15 lbs and somewhere around 26 inches. He LOVES to be held and likes tummy time for significantly longer than his sister. He has rolled over 2x but not consistently so I dont think I can count that as a milestone just yet. He doesnt really do the pacifier thing either (much to the thrill of my pediatrician) but loves his fingers.. I guess those are good enough.. no teeth but drools like nobody's business and goes through 2 or three bibs a day.

M is not growing leaps and bounds but she is 1 and moving around like a little speed demon. She crawls (very quickly when she hears Elmo on Sesame Street) and does the La-La-La-La when he is on. She stands up on stuff and likes it when we walk with her, nothing solo-yet. The helmet is OFF yay.. her head looks pretty good and now I have to do her hair..oh boy. We have gotten into the habit of moisturizing a couple of times a week since we got it off and are washing it once a week. So far I like the cocobutter conditioner the best.. just wet it down, glop it on, rub rub rub and it really keeps it soft for a couple of days. Maddie loves having her head rubbed.. i think it was because of the helmet when we took it off at night we would rub her head to loosen her curls that were smashed down. I want her used to fussing with her hair so I dont have to fight with her when she is 2.. although that will probably still happen. Anyway. We tried the two puffs in the front look.. no pics yet.. but it was really cute. She had her 1 year appt and weighed in at 17 lbs (yes 2 lbs lighter than her brother) and 28 inches (yes very close). The pediatrician is happy with her growth she is still on the chart but I saw she is close to going off. She is eating real food with her 4 teeth. Loves cottage cheese (who knew) ham, not too fond of chicken yet. Likes carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, squash, strawberries, not to sure about bananas, doesnt like peaches, likes the lil toddler meals. She had the carrot ravioli with peas and carrots the other night and ate the whole thing. Loves toast, and had some pizza crust the other night (a carb lover). We just introduced milk in the sippycup and she isnt so sure about it.. she isnt a juice drinker so is used to water in her cup but i think she likes it. Her birthday was awesome.. we had friends over some with kids some without. My friends John and Jared and their two littles A and T-R. Teresa came over with D and V along with her grandchildren H and R who had fun with the toys.. our living room is where all the toys so as you can guess its a little crazy. I cannot believe its been 1 year and now I am the lucky momma of 2!! Wow. Enjoy the Pics

Teeth

2011-04-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well finally P.R has a couple of teeth. She popped out the first one last month and the second one just seemed to 'appear' out of nowhere.. and now SHE GRINDS her two little teeth. Its just about enough to send me scurrying away with my hands over my ears. I have two sounds that absolutely send me into a frenzy.. one is grinding teeth.. and the other is scraping a fork (or some other utensil) accross a plate.. just the thought of it sends the hair on the back of my neck into full alert. I am sure she doesnt do it on purpose, the Pedi said that it looks like she's gonna get all of em in at once, so she is probably trying to set those little fellas free. but still.. Mommy cant handle the grinding.. Whew that was quite a rant but I feel sooo much better. She hasn't had any other issues with the teething other than alot of drool and chewing on everything so for that I am thankful. B.C is growing like a weed. We had his 2 month appt the other day and he is a whopper at 12.5 lbs. PR weighs just 3.5 lbs more but she has 5 inches on him. If she doesnt have a spurt he's gonna pass her up. He has kind of a wierd schedule he will eat about every 3 hrs during the day then at night seems to want a bottle every hour til about 9 then zonks for the night. Tummy time is going much better with him. He holds his head up really good but tends to fall asleep after about 5 minutes or so.. that must be exausting. I will post more pics soon!

Catchup and working from home

2011-03-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

Well, its finally happend. I am done (well mostly) with traveling for work. I am working primarily from home and its a little wierd and wonderful at the same time. I have to somehow get into a routine. A couple of times I have spent the whole day in my PJs without even thinking about it. Oops.. I just got up with Baby Chicken and kept moving, started work at 8 and before I knew it, 6pm was here and it was time to STOP working. If any of you out there have some working from home tips I would love to hear them. We are having a 'virtual' team meeting this week so I am on calls all day. Eww. We had a session yesterday on time management and there were some really good tips on time wasters and stress..one of the biggest tips that I got was to 'schedule time for work' sounds silly but when you are on conference calls all day you dont really 'work' also de-clutter your office.. a cluttered office is a big stressor (so true) so during some of the more uninteresting calls I went through all the papers on my desk.. deee--cluttered..!! it was awesome, my shredder got quite the workout. I still have one little box of personal stuff to go through (it didnt seem right to do that while 'working' ) but I can see my desk. We do have a mandatory lunch break, thank goodness, so I do have some time during the day to take a break. Taking breaks is something that I dont seem to do much though.. I find myself eating lunch at 2, sitting at my desk.. I know I need to get better at that.

And now on to baby news!! Z (aka Baby Chicken) is growing like a weed. Much much faster than P.R. He is eating about every 2-3 hours 4 or sometimes 6 oz. We think he weighs about 11 pounds and is rapidly ougrowing the newborn things we have. Did I mention all the great stuff we got from T? OMG she gave us (and still does) at least 4 big bins of clothes, shoes, sleepers, socks really everything I needed for him. I am so blessed. She said she was just waiting for another boy to join our little Pants with Feet Possee.. did I ever mention the PWFPosse? Well we now have a Posse of 5 single mommies/ We all began our adoption journeys in Krygystan..All of us but our newest member adopted domestically our newest member K(CO) is bringing home her little one the end of the month Woo hoo!! Things have been passed all accross this country for these wonderful kiddos.. Its so wonderful to have these strong resiliant women in my life!! Oh and we are having a partial PWF 'meeting' here in AZ the end of the month.. we are al trucking up to the Grand Canyon for a day trip. and have plans for a spring training baseball game. I am so excited and will NOT be working the whole week.

Sheesh I have rattled on for a while now.. I guess getting up at 6am with B.C. is a good thing.. Here are the latest pics of the two most precious gifts a girl can get.

Tub time with Punkin Runkin

2011-02-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well I think P.R. is over the bathtub hump.. we are transitioning her to the big tub but when I tried it the last couple of times she was a little overwhelmed and just sat there scared. Then Nana (brilliant Nana) had the idea of putting the blow up tub on the counter where we had been bathing her. Voila' that worked! Heres a video.. she made and incredible wet mess but had a great time with her toys .. must be the perspective of being able to see everything.. eventually we will try the tub again but for now she's enjoying it!

New Addition

2011-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Funny how things work out.. There is a new addition to our family. P.R. welcomed a new brother on January 19th..!!! I am so thrilled (and very tired)! Z (no nickname yet) was born at a hospital near me and I got the call on the 20th, he was in my arms on the 21st and home we went. It all happened so fast! Nana and I were discussing when the next addition to our family would be and God decided .. .umm right NOW. Everyone has been so wonderful. T is loaning us a bassinet until we can get another crib.. oy.. we went shopping and traded in the Caddie (the big stroller) for the Escalade (the DOUBLE stroller) last weekend and its big but it works great. P.R. has upgraded to her new carseat. Remember when we were in TX getting M and I took the car seat class? We got a free carseat then and its been just waiting for M to be ready to get into it. It seems as if it was almost someone's plan that I would get a last minute placement and need to have two carseats.. hmm things have a funny way of working out huh. Anyway, if you havent already skipped over all this to check out the pics here he is. Three weeks old today!

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T20:18:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone. Dinner went off last night without a hitch and we all had a great time. T came over with D & V they were a suprise addition which was so great. I think next time I will shoot for 145 degrees instead of 150 degrees, I knew about the 'continued cooking' after you remove it but like my prime rib a little more rare. It was super good though. So I will catch up on some pictures. As promised the cranial band pics. I think her head is already getting rounder.. .. wishful thinking? I dont know. We have an appointment Tuesday for a checkup and measurements so we will see. It feels a little rounder. We went shopping today and got a bunch of stuff for next year. I dont know if Christmas with the V's II will occur in 2011 or in 2012 but we will be ready. This year we had little stockings for silverware holders, next year, (or whenever) real napkins --smokin deal on those, and a red berry theme with new table cloths and a runner.. I might have to have a Christmas in July party or something. lol. Maddie enjoyed her first Christmas and was the life of the party!!

A couple of things

2010-12-19T22:06:00.001-08:00

Well, first up, the Christmas dinner planning is coming along nicely. I have delegated some of the items but sill have alot to do. The menu so far is: Prime rib, Red Potatoes with Rosemary, Sweet potato casserole, Apple Salad, Corn, broccoli cheese casserole, lettuce salad, rolls, fruit pizzas, cream cheese with raspberry chipotle sauce, crackers and pineapple salsa dip, caramel chocolate cheesecake, strawberry rubarb pie, lemon supreme pie and wine. Whew! lots of food. Should be fun though, I am excited to share the holidays with friends againg this year.

The other thing? Punkin runkin is now the new owner of a Hanger Orthotic cranial band. At 4 months the peditrician didnt like the flat spot and told us to work on tummy time.. we did the best we could but she just wouldn't stay on her tummy so at 6 months we went to see the orthotics people. We saw two and decided to go with Hanger, the people there were so nice and they were able to scan her head instead of using plaster to cast it. I will post some pics soon.

1st Christmas

2010-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come up so fast!.. I know I should know by now that its December 25th but still, with everything new that has happened this year I am just suprised it came so fast and I am so unprepared. In January it was "What am I going to do", February "Will she pick me" March "She picked me!" April, "I wonder if its a boy or girl" and then "Its a girl" May "OMG she's here" June "She's really here" July "Man its Hot here (LOL)" August "She's 3 months old" September "Its still HOT" October "what will we be for Halloween" November "Finalization Woo hoo, I have so much to be thankful for" and December.. Christmas? when did that get here?

We are having friends (who feel like family) here at the house this year. Punkin Runkin's first Christmas wow. The tree is up and we are working on decorating the house. The baby swing replaced the armchair that was in the living room and now we dont know where to put it because now there is a Christmas tree there.. And we will accomodate for a group of 12 in our little house. I am not worried though, we got 15 in my little 2 bedroom duplex a few years ago.

I wish all of you a joyous holiday season, whatever your flavor, and new year filled with hope and joy unending. Who knows when I will have time to write again.. One of my new years resolutions is to keep this up for P.R. so she can see what led me to her and what happend after.

*Hugs*

Online Scrapping

2010-11-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Well I am trying my hand at online scrapbooking. When Maddie was born I wanted to scrapbook our journey and milestones. So I bought the cutest book and some scrapbooking supplies at the store and sat down to get started..well, it didnt work out so well for me. What I like about it..using creativity to place and truly make them personal. What I dont like about it.. I kept changing my mind on how I wanted the pages to look. Of course I wanted them to be great right away and as I started working with the cut out papers, and embellishments I had trouble making the adjustments.... I couldnt commit to anything! arrgh .. so of course I took a break and started exploring the digital version of scrapbooking. I got some great suggestions and finally made my first TWO pages. I used cropmom.com and its free to play around and create and save to the layout to you website account. I like that they have some templates already created that you can just add pictures to. I created a couple then when I went back to my account I tweaked them and made some new ones. To 'get them' buy 'credits' for $1.99 each. Each page is 1 credit. You download the page in a .jpg that you can send to an online photo printing service. I am using Costco since I am a member and I can go pick them up. I am definitely an 'immediate gratification' type person so I didnt want to wait for the pages to be mailed to me, so having the option to pick them up is great. So .. here they are. Let me know what you think. If you have had experience doing online scrapping let me know how it went.

its FINAL

2010-11-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

We are back from San Antonio, which is my new favorite city btw. Why is San Antonio my new favorite city you ask? Well because for one, my daughter was born there, and two on Friday November 12th at 1:30pm Madelyn Grace Michelle Vermeer was decreed, irrevocably my daughter! We had finalization and of course she had a couple of things to say lol. When the Judge asked if she agreed she smiled and started talking, it was so funny. He said 'Well I guess she agrees'.

It was a bit surreal, whole court thing. I guess I was expecting a private session with the Judge, but thats not how it works in Bexar County Texas. We were in the courtroom with a bunch of people and he went through the docket fairly quickly. So in front of an audience (which Mads absolutely loves) we were called up and the attorney asked me a few questions and then he said he read the paperwork and wholeheartedly approves and signed the paper. We got a picture with the Judge, he was a bit shorter than me in my 3 inch heels so I squatted a little. lol

And now we are over the moon happy and enjoying this little miracle every day.

Holy Moly I have been gone long

2010-10-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. Its been a few months since I posted last and things have been moving along nicely with M. She is rolling and eating cereal hates peaches but loves everything else. So Far. I learned something while M, Nana and I were on vacation visiting family in N.H. the beginning of October. Did you know that when you start babies on food you are supposed to do the vegetables first? I didn't. Not for any critical health reason, like veggies are less likely to trigger allergies or they are easier to digest or anything like that. But for a reason that totally makes 100% sense. If the baby starts out with fruit they get a taste for sweet and then wont eat the veggies (which are a little tart btw). Hmmm, of course noone TOLD me this but when I mention it everyone already KNOWS. Ah the joys of being oblivious to the obvious. M also has a bit of a flat spot, this girl will not stay on her tummy for anything, she rolls over almost immediately. It takes her longer when we have the towel under her but she still gets over. She is pushing up but, that pesky flatspot isnt going away fast enough for me.
On another note I just got done with the worst class so far with school. Mind you there have been some doozy weeks in there since I started in January but this entire 6 weeks was pure--icky. It was Business Statistics and frankly I don't see how some of this stuff is relevant to every day business. I found some things of value but for the path I am on the majority of it was just brain scramble on toast. I am soooo glad its over. Now .... on to Macroeconomics- doesnt that sound like fun. *sigh*

Pictures are in!!

2010-08-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

So we had pictures taken last weekend and we got them today. I scanned some and they are uploaded. It was HOT in the room and I was crawling all over keeping her looking at the camera.. she is having some camera shyness issue lately. She got all excited when whe was half naked.. go figure. Those are the ones with the smiles. She is doing awesome.

Pictures tomorrow

2010-08-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

Nana told me the other day that 'she's growing up too fast'... 'she's only 3 months old' I said. We have pictures tomorrow. Now I am not thrilled..I never have been thrilled about pictures. But I was excited that we would get some pics of Punkin runkin.

3 months old today

2010-08-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Punkin Runkin is 3 months old today. On one hand, time seems to have flown cause she is so little 11 pounds now, the other she has grown so much and is hitting milestones. I am so blessed to have her in my life. She is now the age when I first met Ben. I think often of him and hope that he is doing well in Kyrgyztan with his family. His picture is with hers on the shelf in her room. She will know about him when she gets older.
We are getting some work done on the kitchen. A month or so ago we had the 1980's sliding glass door taken out and a pair of brand spakin new french doors put in. My first house had french doors. Anyway, Mom and I decided that we needed some more cupboard space. So we called our 'guy' and had him get started. Its looking really good. We thought it would look a little wierd since we are adding cabinets and a new countertop but its not. The kitchen is an absolute disaster but we are almost there. I will post pics when its done.

A MONTH!

2010-08-01T12:04:00.001-07:00

Jeez, its been a month since i posted last... bad blogger. Things have been busy and I am so grateful for every gift I have been given. Maddie is almost 3 months old (Aug 7) and she has had her first airplane ride. Mom and I drove to San Antonio when she was born so this was her first trip in the air and we werent sure what was going to happen. She did awesome.. she cried a little and with the bottle went right to sleep.. I had visions (thanks to my co-business traveler friend Mark) of being 'THAT' person, you know, the one with the screaming baby for the entire trip, the one who prompts hearing loss by those who crank up the ipod to max to drown out the noise. But, as usual she amazed me and didnt have an issue with the pressure. She slept through 2 landings (to the pilot's credit they werent bad) and everyone who walked by said what a good baby she was.

We were in South Dakota (me for work and Maddie and Nana for social visits) for 2 weeks. Living in a hotel (flashbacks to San Antonio) wasnt bad this time, maybe since we know Sioux Falls and had other things to do.

Things are going great with her. I havent had any issues with people looking at her then at me and wondering.. hmm how'd that happen. Its kinda funny to wonder how people's minds work. I was in Walmart the other day and the sales girl asked me how long I was in labor with her.. I said '19 hours' since thats how long it took to get to San Antonio!!!

So.. lets catch up on some pictures shall we??? There are some random ones, some pictures of her room and her insanely full closet.. (again with my shopping problem) and some of friends in South Dakota. Mom mentions every day how she is growing.. and growing.. I know she has to and I am glad she is but still.. I am trying out Smilebox.. hopefully this works.

This free slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I have GOT to quit spending money

2010-06-27T21:55:00.001-07:00

The Chair!

I bought a new camera! Its a Nikon Coolpix P100 and very cool. In a previous post I mentioned my camera envy and my little 4 year old Canon was ok for taking general pics but when you have a moving squirming baby that youre trying to catch that smile, it just wasnt cutting it. So I invested in a camera that does movies, can take consecutive pics quickly and can zoom to the next block. lol.. And here are some pics from it. Punkin Runkin has been the focus of many a picture as I am working throught the adjustment.

Shopping Take 2

2010-06-21T21:56:00.001-07:00

Sheesh, I know I JUST went shopping but when an opportunity presents itself you have to jump on it. Pamela and Emmi were in town Monday. So, of course off to Anthem to the outlets we go.. our destination- Carters, OshKosh, Stride Rite and A childrens place. It was sooo fun meeting Pamela and Emmi in person. We have known each other 'virtually' for almost 2 years and have finally met.

First stop, lunch.. we were having a great time, Emmi wiggling in her Mommy's arms and Pamela, un-fazed, eating her salad and chatting. I on the other hand was holding Maddie, not so gracefully, on my left shoulder and trying to eat my salad. (for those of you who dont know I am LEFT handed) so I was holding on to Maddie with my right hand, over my left shoulder and trying to eat around her..picture that and THEN she PEED on me.! Yep came right out of the diaper, ran down her little leg and fell off her knee onto my shirt. Hmm. Thanks baby. We are definitely going back to the gDiapers! So off to the bathroom we go, Maddie gets a wardrobe change and Mommy gets a wet wipe blotting--all the while thinking I hope I dont smell like pee all day, that will suck. Well, a little trivia for you all.. baby pee doesnt smell. Yay. So back to the table we go, finish lunch then off to the outlets.

I was armed with my trusty coupons (20% off at Carters and OshKosh) that I had printed out for each of us (Me, Mom and Pamela) and the 20% off one I got from the Carters outlet in El Paso, we started out. We sort of did a divide an conquer and scoped out the store and loaded up the strollers with all the goods. I restrained myself quite well I think, I spent under 100. Now Pamela on the other hand.. that girl can shop. Good thing we had the coupons. While we were there I saw another gal getting a bunch of stuff and I offered her one of the extra coupons that I had, she had the cutest little girl who wanted to 'see the baby'. Unbeknownst to both of us we had emailed a couple of years ago when she had questions about my agency. The little girl is from Kaz and is absolutely beautiful. So we finished up in Carters and then were off to the food court for a break.. shopping is hard work and if you dont think so then you are doing it wrong! *lol* We finally had a chance to get some pics and I have camera envy now, thanks Pamela. One more wardrobe change.. this time because it was so HOT and we were off again. Found a cute store with some really unique stuff Naartjie and shopped there a while. It was getting late so just one quick run through Childrens Place and we were out of there. Babies tired and sleeping in the carseat. It was soooooo wonderful to spend time with them finally. It was a GREAT day.

Shopping!

2010-06-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

I remember the days when 'Shopping' was a spur of the moment, what can I buy (for myself), shop til I drop sort of excursion. Well, the times have changed. It takes a bit to get Punkin runkin's --'stuff' ready and then I usually dont time it right (I take too long) so the minute we get her in the carseat its time for her to eat again. Well that was the story this afternoon. We were going to Babies R us to redeem the giftcards and use the 20% off coupon (Thanks Becky) for THE CHAIR and ottoman. Woo Hoo. We werent too sure the coupon would fly since the chair had to be ordered, and usually the coupons there are no good for diapers, formula, and some of the big ticket name brand items that people really want a deal, the list of things you can't buy with it takes up half the coupon. Whats the point of giving out coupons if they wont save you significantly. But, I digress....so... imagine my suprise when the guy putting the order in says Yes you can use the coupon, OMG really! Sure and if you 'apply for this card' you get another 10%.. and its no interest no payment for 6 months... hmmmm 30% ... just what I need one more credit card. Historically I am a big fan of the 6 months no interest gimmick, I think of it as layaway that I get to bring home. lol...So I walked away with 30% off my rocker and 10% off the ottoman (the 20% was for ONE item). Two gift cards later and I am forking over a whopping 72.00 for this chair an ottoman. Did I mention how much my friends ROCK!!! I get it in a week... but thats not all.. mom and I had been talking about getting a bouncy seat for P. R. since she slides down on the (borrowed) swing that we love. She's just too tiny for it. They had a deal going on with buy this swing (or highchair) and get the bouncy free.

How cool is that. This swing goes 3 different ways- side to side, or it turns left, or turns right. Well since I had a second 20% off coupon that brought the cost down for that too.. AND on top of that since I am signed up at Strongmoms I got coupons for Similac Advance formula for $5 off and a free 8 pack of 2oz ready to feed bottles.

I think today was better than the day I found the cool Coach Diaper bag at the outlet (in El Paso Tx) for 70% off.

I Do love shopping!!!

Meet and greet

2010-06-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wow do I have some great friends. Remember 'the chair' I mentioned a few posts ago? Well the giftcard total is almost enough to get it. I am soooo blessed to have these people in my life. So a BIG thank you to Becky, Tari, Joe, Mark, Emily, Jane & Michelle for a wonderful day and the very generous gift. I am sure M and I will have lots of times rocking the night away! Nana is excited too. She cant wait til we get it. For now here are some pics of the day!

the video yesterday and pics today

2010-06-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics. Not much going on today just hanging with Lil-bit and Mom. So I thought I would post some pics. We have a big day tomorrow M's Meet and Greet and are excited about that. She is so awesome and I am so blessed to be her Mommy.

5 Weeks today

2010-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Lil-Bit is 5 weeks today. This is vid of her last week some time. I guess I didnt program the date time stamp on the video camera. She is doing awesome. I will post more pictures of her but figured this would (hopefully) be a good filler between pictures. She is so alert and active.. I have more video (suprise suprise) but am still trying to get the best clips. Of course 'I' never look as fabulous and will probably have to put a little more effort into my appearance if I am to allow some of the other videos out of the house. lol.

I had a busy week for work this week. Unfortunately, my company doesnt have 'maternity leave' persay and I didnt want to take unpaid time so I am now back to work. I was fortunate to be able to work in some home office time but it is still hard to juggle working, and taking care of her.

Maddie's Meet and Greet

2010-06-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

My friend B is having a 'meet and greet' for Maddie. When we thought Ben was coming home we had a shower and I got alot of things that have been just stored and waiting for child to play with. So I told B that I really didn't need another 'shower'. I have gotten so many things from friends (thanks T, K and E) that Maddie's closet is stuffed. So, in honor of Maddie's homecoming I wanted just to have a time to introduce my daughter (jeez I like saying that) to all my friends that have been with me this past 2 years. So the meet and greet is on.. Next Sunday the 19th at B's house. I am excited to show her off.

She has changed so much since she was born. I was looking at her first pictures and she was sooo tiny. Putting her 1 month picture in the frame. I think she almost has a double chin!!! I bought a scrapbook and am slowly trying to figure out how how to do this scrapbooking. I am much more 'technically inclined' and should probably just use one of the online scrapbooking websites. The book I bought is sooooo cute though. I will figure this out. If there are any scrapbookers out there I would love some tips.

Oooh I need this chair

2010-06-03T21:22:00.001-07:00

We had an outing the other day. Out to lunch with S at PF Chang's it was yummy. We fed M before we left for lunch and wanted to go to babies r us to get some microwave sterilizer bags. Well, once we got there we lost track of time looking at all the cute stuff and it was soon time to feed M. So rather than leave the store (we absolutely were not done looking around) I copped a squat (well not literally) in the MOST comfortable rocker/glider I have been in. They have a plethora of gliders in that store and M and I tried out a couple through her 3 ounces. This one is the Serenity Classic and has an ottoman with it. Its a bit spendy ($360 + $140 for the ottoman) but mom says its an 'investment' we will be rocking for years in this thing. Good point. Leave it to Mom to help me justify such a purchase. The closet may have to wait, I think this is soooo much more important to spend the money on.

Closet systems

2010-05-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

I suppose now is the time to add some organization to Maddie's closet. Its just one of those reach in's that go the entire length of one wall and has one shelf and one hanging bar. I am trying to get something inexpensive but not 'cheap'. I looked at the IKEA PAX system of closets and can put one together for around $1000 or I can go with the Lowe's Home Options storage solutions. The Options one looks a bit more sturdy and adjustable and might be a little cheaper since it has a couple of starter kits, at $250 a pop, that I can put in the closet then fill in the middle. Either way its looking like around a grand. Then the next question...can I put this in myself or do I have my handyman do it. Its more $$ but less headache. I have one week more off work.. the time has flown by.

6 lbs 4 oz!

2010-05-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

M had her first appointment with her new pediatrician today. Dr G was awesome she was totally open to my questions and understanding when I said that I didnt really have any medical history (yet). B-mom was adopted from the foster care system in TX so she doesn't really have anything and B-dad told the agency he would work on the history but so far we haven't gotten anything. I told her so far things are wonderful. M's little 'outie' bellybutton is a bit herniated but doc said that it wasn't anything to be concerned about. She has gained a ton (well not really 'a ton') but is now 6 pounds 4 oz. Woo hoo! Thats up from her discharge weight of 4 lbs 15 oz. I expected her back to her birthweight (5lb 2oz) and am glad she is doing 'amazingly' according to the doctor. I told her about the situation and about M's exposure during the beginning couple of months. We have our next appt in two months. Our job til then is tummy time and keep eating.

Whew

2010-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

I think the last two days have been just crazy for lil'bit. She is getting used to the dogs. Max whines when she cries and follows me everywhere, well not just me follows whomever has the baby. He keeps trying to lick her head (gross) and has tasted her bottle, which irritates mommy when she is trying to feed the baby and mid feed we have to start a new one. arrgh. Luka is doing well all things considering. She is a bit protective of me so this is a big adjustment for her. She doesnt have my attention whenever she wants it so we watch her closely, Max is letting her know to stay away from the baby.

Lil'bit had a bath today in her bathtub. She didnt like it any more than she did when we had the bath in the hotel sink. Baths are still a bit of a challenge for me, she has so many creases and folds ---lol--and let me tell you, if you dont know already, Desitin is stubborn to clean off. Works great for a little rash but h-a-r-d to get off.

We're Home!

2010-05-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

After I called ICPC we got them what they needed and POOF 3 hours later we were on the road. I wish I would have called on Tuesday! Anyway there was some communication gaps (go figure) and no follow up (there's no exuse for that one) AZ and NY are the only two states that require the adoptive family to be state 'certified' to adopt. That was one of the miscommunicaton points. So I talked to ICPC, ICF and got what they needed to send in. Then sent in the bill from the TX agency all to the ICPC guy and 5 minutes later.... I am not kidding.... literally 5 minutes later he called me and said that I was good to go and that he had emailed the TX ICPC guy. Although AZ said I could leave, I couldnt since TX didnt give me the go ahead. So, I called the agency and told them that AZ had called me. They called TX and an hour and a half later.. poof I get the call that we have been waiting for. Yay we can leave. We had started packing the car when I got the call from AZ so we just had one more trip (it took THREE) and load up M and hit the road.

We stopped in Tucson to see friends and eat dinner then back on the road. Here are some pics of the night.

So we are home, the dogs are freaking out, they really have no idea what this little noisemaker is, and are very whiny, I think M is a little scared of the noise. I am going to keep a close eye on them and try to limit the contact for a little bit and let her get used to the new noises. The hotel was quiet (with the exception of the TV) so there are alot of new things for her to get used to. They are so excited that we are home after such a long trip.

I wanna go home

2010-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

We are STILL in Texas. Last news was the the State of AZ has the paperwork and they emailed what was missing on Monday so what the heck is taking so long. OK there is my vent.

Shopping yesterday was fun and took longer than we thought so M had to eat on the run. She did well, after she threw up all over me, and smiled lol. I am learning how to pack the diaperbag. We had all the basics.. formula, diapers, wipes, changes of clothes.. well we found that we forgot an extra t-shirt so she had to go without. She didnt seem to notice. I got a new Coach diaper bag and some very cute stuff at the Carter's outlet. The stroller won out in the transport baby category.. I am still trying to figure that one out.

Things are going well. M is hanging in there with the travel bed. We are trying to keep her on a schedule. Doing better with the every 3 hours she is a good eater, up to 2 oz and occasionally 2 1/2 oz.

Jeez I hope we get the call tomorrow. :)

More Pics

2010-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

So here are some more pics. We are going to venture out of the hotel today.. there are some outlets near by so we are taking a little exursion. Hmm the Moby or the stroller.. not sure which one.. Probably the Moby since the stroller is packed behind Maddies other bag (she has two) and the cooler. Funny how when I travel for work I can pack a week's worth of everything I need in one carry on suitcase but when you add a Nana and a baby you have a Murano full of stuff. Its all good though.!

In El Paso- halfway home

2010-05-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well we've moved a little closer to home while we wait for ICPC to clear. M was a traveling champ. We stopped about every 2 hours to let her get out of the carseat and have some food and change her but all in all she did really well, she slept most of the time and seemed to like being outside the brief times we were out. We are in yet another hotel room but this one isnt a suite like the other. Mom says that I spoiled her last week with the kitchen and bedroom.. but hey I am out of Hilton points and have to fork out the dough for the rest of this trip. We did find a place with a fridge and microwave so at least the food we bought in San Antonio wont go bad.

Still a bit wild at night but she has been really good and I'm starting to figure out her queus.

So much for a 'schedule'

2010-05-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

So we had a wonderful night (M up like clockwork every 3 hours--change, feed then back to bed) and I thought we were home free this was the mysterious 'schedule' the nurses were talking about at the hospital. Not so much.. she was up and down last night an ounce here, an ounce there and finally at 4 am 2 ounces and zonk. We got up bright an early and got ready to go to class. It was nice to get out into the world after being in the hotel and only leaving for a walk and to go to the store. M came with us to he Hospital for the Baby U classes and we got a new convertible carseat. The instructor suggested we leave M in the infant carrier/carseat for a few pounds but then we can move on to the convertible. Cool.

New theme

2010-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I changed the theme again. Pink seems to be my favorite color these days. (I wonder why *grin*) I am sure at some point pink will go back to its original standing, green is my usual favorite, but for now-pink it is. Last night M woke up every 3 hours like clockwork and was eating just shy of 2 ounces. She eats so much better when I stay on schedule. Yesterday we had a litle run of an ounce about every 1 1/2 hour. I was having flashbacks from Monday (up at every whimper and noise) but I think I actually got some segmented sleep. Yay. She is eating good. She is now laying here on the hotel sofa with me in her little swaddler (my little burrito). We give her some stretchy time and she likes sucking on her fingers. She had her first mani yesterday, jeez those fingernails are tiny.. we used the emery board (good tip on doing while she sleeps) I couldnt bring myself to use the clipper. I was going to do her feet (Mommy loves a good mani pedi) but they were fine and must be a bit ticklish because everytime I touch them she pulls her feet away from me.

We are still in TX and have not heard anything from the Agency with regards to BM. We were hoping to meet her but only have today left, for the Agency to facilitate a meeting. She hasnt been in contact with the Agency at all. We left a gift for her at the agency and they will keep it for her til she can come get it. Mom and I were shopping on Mothers day and found a ring/necklace/earrings set of emeralds (May birthstone) that was just perfect, so we separated it. BM told the SW that she liked earrings so she will be getting the earrings, I am a ring person so I will keep the ring and M will have a beautiful new necklace to remember her BM and the bond we three will always have.

We are getting excited to go to CPR/Carseat class tomorrow and then heading home on Sunday. We are missing the dogs and home. We keep talking about what their reaction is going to be.

More pics

2010-05-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well we are settling into a pseudo routine... she seems to have her days and nights mixed up. Is there any truth to the theory that if you are born at night you are a night owl.? It seems to be the case with M she was born at 11:32pm. Great advice from other mothers- Nap when she does! Anyway.. just waiting for ICPC.

My day today

2010-05-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Whew its been a long road. I know that everyone says that its worth it when its over (and it is) but jeez its a hard path to follow. Anyway, my new daughter was discharged and I took her out of the hospital today at 1:30 CST. I am over the moon and happy and tired and looking forward to getting to know this little, and I mean little, person. So with out further ado (if you havent looked already) here she is. She was born May 7, 2010 at 11:32pm. Weighing in at a whopping 5lbs 1.9oz (I told you little) and 18 inches. Her name is Madelyn Grace (Maddie) and Nana and I are in San Antonio TX, settling in with her. We will be here til ICPC clears. I have the opportunity to take an infant CPR class and safety seat class and I am taking that opportunity while we wait. Please forgive the silence, I wanted to keep it close til it was official.

I will post more pictures soon.

May 5 2010

2010-05-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

On May 5, I had the opportunity to talk to baby's birthfather. He had some questions for me and expressed that this is a very hard decison but wanted to talk to me and get to know me a little bit. It was a great call, even though I was nervous talking to him and didnt know what to say. He told me his concerns and I was honest with him and spoke from my heart. By the end of the call he told me that birthmom had made the right choice in an adoptive mother and that although he considers 2 parent families ideal the most important parent is the mother. He assured me he would make his decision soon.

The next day I waited on pins and needles calling the agency a couple of times to see if they had talked to birthfather. They had, he told them he would make his decison Friday, and he wanted to talk to me again. I called him and he told me that he had made his decision but wanted to be the one to tell me that he had decided that he would sign the papers and allow me to raise the baby. WHEW I was scared, but also felt that he loves this baby enough to make sure that I was the right family for her.

Hmm.. alot going on

2010-05-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

So theres been alot going on the past couple of months and it all seems to have come to a head. To get you up to speed, we need to back up a bit. In mid-February I signed up with Heart to Heart and towards the end of February signed up with a referral agency 'A bundle of Joy' after spotting a situation on their website that looked interesting to me. The situation? A birthmother in Texas due May 6 unknown gender, she was asking for couples from her agency but opened up her criteria when ABoJ got the situation. Around St Patricks day I got a call from A bundle of Joy telling me that the birthmother in TX had picked me!! I had a few weeks to get all the paperwork ready and started yet another paper flurry. Adoption Angels in San Antonio is my new agency and oh boy, frantic paper work, updated homestudy, FBI prints (again) all bring us up to now. The past 3 weeks have been a bit hectic. At first the agency couldnt find the BF then they were able to contact him and he told them he would sign.. Yay.. all things moving forward. He never did, he himmed and hawed kept saying 'I will sign Monday' all the while increasing my anxiety. Fast forward to Friday... he told the attorney that he didnt want to sign. I am freaking out now. And today is Sunday.. I talked to the attorney again today he said that the BF has changed his mind again and is now considering the adoption but wants to talk to BM first. I suppose we will see what the week ahead will show.

The new fridge is in

2010-04-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Only minor drama in the fridge install. The delivery guys had to take off the handles, then had to take off the doors, then had to take the my front door off. I measured the space where the fridge goes but didnt measure the walkway to the kitchen or the size of the front door. This thing is a monster. The delivery guy said that when I sell this house I'd probably better leave it.....lol. It looks awesome though! The full contents of the other fridge only takes up about 3/4 of this one. I was wrong about the 'clean steel'. Turns out I bought the stanless one, I had been looking at refrigerators off and on for months and they all started to look alike. Oh well, so I will have to deal with fingerprints.

Taxes back.. so now New Fridge!

2010-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

I decided when I got my taxes back that if it was good enough I would invest in a new, more efficient, fancier fridge. I know.. 'dream big Beth..dream big' lol. I didnt want to touch the adoption fund and have been living with this smallish fridge since I bought my house 5 years ago. Anyway I have been perusing my company website to see what kind of deal I could get. We have a great employee discount and I found that on top of that I got another 10% off. Sometimes its good to work for a global multi-divisional company. I found the fridge but then---what color do I get? Should I match the (old) dishwasher, stove and microwave and get white? Or, go for the snazzy new Clean Steel option (no fingerprint stainless-woo hoo) and work to replace the others--of course only thinking of the environmental benefits to new energy efficient appliances not because I want pretty, shiny appliances. hehe. And then the kicker--do I want the water dispenser inside or on the outside?? Decisions Decisions. Here in Arizona having cold water dispensing from your fridge is, in my opinion, a necessity not a luxury. We cant just 'turn on the tap' and get cold water here. Betcha didnt know that huh. The water from the sink gets tepid at best, and that's only if you let it run (again with the conservation) for a while. So the CleanSteel won and since there will be a little person running around the kitchen someday the water dispenser is inside the fridge. I dont want any puddles of water when she gets big enough to figure that out. Here it is (it comes on Friday) Woo Hoo!

Springtime in the desert

2010-04-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love living in AZ in the spring. The weather is great and there are so many things that flower. My roses are awesome. They smell so good! I am not a big 'rose' scent person. I dont like the lotions and potions or candles that are 'rose' scented. I dont know why but I just prefer to smell a ROSE when I want to smell a rose. The scent of Orange blossoms (from all the citrus trees here in AZ that bloom) remind me of my first spring and summer here in AZ. There isnt anything that smells like that. People have tried to reproduce it but, there is nothing like Orange blossoms the way God intended them. Lilac is another.. I LOVE the smell of the lilacs that grow wild in Minnesota/South Dakota where I am from. Its not overwhelming just really soft. I have been able to find a couple of candles so I can get that one but sometimes there just really isnt anything but nature that gives us these things.

On the adoption front. Just when things seem to be moving in the right direction in Kyrgz there is a revolution. Jeez, can we catch a break? Fortunately the orphanages and all of our friends over there are ok but there have been losses and that is upsetting. What this will do to the 65 families waiting is anybodys guess. Domestic is moving along I am very optimistic... cryptic huh?

New eReader

2010-03-28T21:30:00.001-07:00

I have jumped on the e-reader bandwagon, finally. While Mom and I were in Mexico we had dinner with some friends and they were going on and on about their new Kindles. I must admit, I had NO intention of ever buying one of these overpriced electronic gadgets. I never liked reading on my laptop, and figured it would be the same. I loved reading an actual 'book'. AND I never had to turn 'off' a book on take-off or landing. Well, I stand corrected. I really like it. I did some research online, about the Kindle, the Sony eReader and the Barnes and Noble Nook. I found that, for my use, I would be better off with the Sony E-Reader. In addition to the epub books it can view, I can read pdfs and word docs. The ability to read word docs comes in handy when I am on the road and want to review my syllabus or workshop documents. I dont have to carry them. I am still getting to know it, but so far I have read two books and its really cool. It also allows me to make lists and write notes. It has a keyboard or you can use the handwriting feature. I like it. I like it alot.

The latest news from Kyrgz is hopeful the laws have been passed but we still have no timeline for bringing kids home. On the domestic front, I am staying positive and am hopeful that I will be a mommy soon.

Happy St Patricks Day

2010-03-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

I know its almost over but I wanted to say to all my blogger friends out there Happy St Pattys Day. I am glad I was able to have my corned beef and cabbage on Sunday... yum yum yummy btw. Tonight I had KFC for dinner. I usually try to eat a little better than that lol, but I slacked off this week so had to make a run for the finish line with my homework tonight. I got it done though. whew. I am only 1/2 Irish but, I have been feeling so hopeful lately.

St Pattys day

2010-03-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted today but I am sitting her smelling the awesome, yum-yum, yummy treat we are having for dinner. Corned Beef and cabbage.. that old Irish St Pattys day staple. I will be out of town on the 17th so we are having it tonight. Mark and Michelle are coming over for dinner and I am jazzed. I love it..

A Muddy weekend

2010-03-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

If you have noticed my other blog wrote on there that I went to Mexico a couple of weekends ago. The car was only 2 weeks old and it had quite the trial. I have some friends that have a house on the Sea of Cortez on the western coast of Mexico. Anyway there arent any asphalt roads out there, just dirt and theres no electricity, everyone has solar panels (yeah environment!) Anyway it rained Saturday night and was muddy. We had to drive on this muddy road to get out. I was following an Expidition that was fishtailing in the mud and was, quite freaked out and nervous about how the Murano was going to handle the mud. The Xterra (which was only front wheel drive) would not have been any good but the Murano worked well ! I guess it was a good test of the AWD. I am more and more happy with this new car. We got home safely and it got a good bath and is all clean. Yay!

Nothing new on Kyrgyztan, there is always talk but not much action. We will see what the next set of meetings brings.

On the domestic front I am networking and staying hopeful.
Hugs
Beth

the new 4 wheeled baby

2010-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

Shopping therapy is always nice. I have been in saving mode for so long that when the dam broke and I spent some money it was ALOT. I bought a new car. The old one (a Nissan Xterra) had dutifully served its purpose. I bought it just after the accident that totaled my CRV. When I went shopping for a car after the CRV accident I was looking for a tough-big-mean looking vehicle. Fast forward 5 years. I am thisclose to paying it off ($298 close) and the visor clip (you know that little clip that keeps the visor from sagging) broke. Mom and I were out to lunch with some friends and thought lets stop at Checker and see if they have one. If only that were the end of the story. Well they didnt have one so it was off to the Nissan dealership to see if they had one. I knew I liked the Murano since I had rented it before and thought 'what could it hurt' lets see what they have. Uh huh thats how it started. So 4 hours later I had traded in the security blanket for a very cool family, carseat ready vehicle. Now I just need a 2 legged baby to put in it!!

Two more

2010-02-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I was cruising the list of 'favorites' and found a couple of situations I am interested in. I sent off my info, thank goodness I have electronic copies of everything, and will have to wait and see if these referral agencies and birthmother think I am a good fit for the situation. With the new agency its a waiting game, they do all the matching so, birthmothers will review my 'stats' and choose. Don't get me wrong it is a wonderful process but its a little different for me. When I first started this adoption journey I was in the situation of an orphan child who needed a home and 'bam' I was matched. This process is a little different and I am thrilled that there is truly a choice for the birthmother. The last couple of months (well since I lost B in October) I have been proactively checking available situations online. I joined a couple of referral agencies to open up my networking and have found a few situations. None have worked out yet, but I am hopeful that this new combination of proactively searching and a new agency will mean the difference in building my family this year. I am Optimistic. :)

Still nothing

2010-02-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

There was some activity (on the PAP's part) last week and the week before but still nothing is going on over there. No decisions dispite the February 15 date coming and going.

On a more positive note I have started with a new adoption agency. J is wonderful but their domestic program is very very small and they just dont have the network to get the word out. So I have signed up with a new group that seems to have quite a network and great birthmother programs. I dont know what will happen next I am just taking it day by day.

I am meant to continue

2010-01-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned that I had some documents up for expiration and that I would potentially be giving up my journey to adopt from Kyrgyzstan. Well L called me and emailed me my appointment for FBI fingerprints and said 'go today'. I said sure and since the FBI prints dont use that icky ink it didnt take long. So apparently someone is telling me to stay the course. I am hoping that there is some resolution in February regarding whats going on. I am at peace with whatever plan I am to follow. The things that are happening in that little country are beyond my control.
What is in my control is to persue domestic situations that I believe will grow my family. I will keep you posted but am keeping some of the details private. I now believe that I underestimated the opportunities in the US because of my niavety. There are birth mothers that do not exclude a single woman as a potential forever family for their child. Times they are a-changin'.

The latest

2010-01-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

Nothing new on the Adoption front. I was intending on renewing my international documentation but have passed the deadline. In November I got my homestudy renewed and talked to the UCICS and they said to wait til the beginning of January. Then they changed everything and I missed the deadline. I am still waiting to hear from them as to whether or not I can still get the free extension or not. If I can, then I am supposed to continue the wait for Kyrgyztan if not, I will be done. I am sad that this chapter may be closing but am happy that I have the opportunity to persue domestic adoption. I am also starting school this week. Yay!

Okey Dokey

2010-01-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

So after the 'Morph' I need some help. If you haven't noticed yet there is a new addition to the sidebar to the right. At the top is a link to my 'About Me' blog. This blog is where birthfamilies can 'get to know me' a little better. I also have a link to my agency's website there. There is an entry titled 'Friends comment on me' (or something like that). Anyway, a couple of friends have left comments about me for birthfamilies viewing the blog to see. If you are so inclined and would like to say a few words click the link and add your comment. I will review and add them. I have also signed up with a referral agency to increase my visability. My agency only has a small network so I figure, it cant hurt right? I am beginning 2010 very hopeful that this new step will be a positive one.

The morphing of the blog

2010-01-02T00:33:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and full of new possibilities in the adoption world. A year ago I started this blog to document the journey as I worked to build my family. Now that the door to adopting a child from Kyrg has all but been slammed in my face, I am excited to persue situations domestically. I will keep you posted. I am starting over.

2010

2009-12-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

I havent posted in a while..there has been alot of sadness to deal with. Friends have lost loved ones, a new life was cut short, and two more were lost before having a chance. Personally, I think I have been sad for a few months now, so much loss and disappointment.. but am looking towards 2010 with a renewed hope. Witnessing the strength that has been shown to me by these families experiencing such devastating loss and the FAITH that things will get better has renewed my own faith that everything happens according to a plan. A plan that I do not make and that I never did. Wishing everyone out there a wonderful start to a new year.

Not much to tell..

2009-11-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

Nothing much going on yet. There is talk of a meeting with parliment this week, to decide on laws concerning IA. Probabaly good for the future of adoption. However, I have not heard of ANY mention of the 65 waiting families. Of course the hope is that we will be exempt from the new laws and somehow, these adoptions will be allowed to complete. Even though B is back with his birthmother, I am determined to help the children. Follow this link to Ebay for some Kyrgz items for sale as part of a fundraising effort by John Wright for the children. There are a couple of really cute nativity sets and some bookmarks, and ornaments. There's also a 'pie in the face' challenge going on, visit Joh's Act of Kindness blog. Five Dollars can do SO much for them.

As for me? J is sure I will receive another referral when things get moving. And that I am still considered one of the 65. I still believe my child (or children) is/are waiting for me in that little country. I am still sad but can now look at the pictures I have of that beautiful little boy and remember. Often the memories make me smile.

Getting there... B :)

Life goes on

2009-10-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Life goes on.. I am still not sure what the future holds for me, whether my child is still in Kyrgz or not. There is still no news to what will happen since I have lost B and have no referral to complete. My agency is still trying to figure out how it will play out. There is no way to tell right now what is going to happen with the waiting families, or if I will still be considered part of the group. I am still hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to accept another referal (or two) and complete with my original group.

I am happy to have been given the chance to love a little boy and help with his care until his birthmother could take care of him. I am sad that he will not be with me..and hope only the best for him and his birthmother.

Thank you

2009-10-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you all, my friends. I find it amazing that in this cyber world, we have such connections to those we have never 'met' - in any common definiton of the word. I have followed others journeys to completion, some still in progress, and some just starting a new journey. Everything seems to continue.. as it should. I dont know if it has really sunk in that I have lost him forever. He has been like a dream for more than a year. It was my worst fear (her coming back to take him). I am out of town for work and know that this weekend will be rough when I get home.

I am angry now..angry that those in another country arbitrarily stopped everything when we were so close to being together forever. Angry that they are still making families wait to be together. Angry that some families have had to make heartwrenching decisions. Angry that the children are the ones who are suffering the most.

I have been told by my agency that I may still be able to complete an adoption there. I was nearly done, all the paperwork is there, and had been 'referred a child'. I dont know what the government knows, they may have no idea that this 'referred child' is gone now. They (J & T) are checking to see what can or needs to be done. I know there are children who need familes and I may not be in the right frame of mind to make the decision today, but I will not deny a child who needs one, a home with me. Maybe this was His plan all along. To open my eyes and get that internal flame a-burnin'.

Devastation

2009-10-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

My friends I received some devastating news today. B's 16 year old birthmother (probably 17-18 now) returned sometime over the last two months and reclaimed him. I received an urgent email from J with the news and to call her asap. My journey to him is over. I dont know what I am going to do next. The latest news has been so encouraging the PM is onboard with completing adoptions that are already in progress, we were all so hopeful. And now, I dont know what is going to happen. I think I am still in shock and am in no position, emotionally, to make any decisions about what do do next. J had some suggestions and to be honest, I dont know if I will continue down this road or not. Is my child, the child truly meant for me, still in that little country? Perhaps. Was it my job to love B with all my heart, for just this little while? I dont know. The tears are coming again.

Everyone Pray

2009-10-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight (well, tomorrow in Kyrg) the PM is meeting with Parliment and we are told he will be discussing IA. So all day today and all night tonight we are praying and lighting candles, working on mojo, getting our chakras in order, and ensuring our karma is good, all in the hopes that we will fill up his heart with the children's plight and get the ball rolling again. My candles are lit, please light one at your house for B and all the other babies waiting for their forever families to bring them home.

A little Nugget more

2009-09-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Someone on the group heard from their agency that the PM will be discussing IA on Oct 2. Yay. Jeez I hope this means something good. I have to get my fingerprints redone soon and my I171H is ok for a while but I am going to go ahead and get it extended so there isnt any question of validity. J doesnt know yet what else I will have to get renewed. Its been so long since I started the paper trail I really have no idea what I need to get done. We are still being a bit quiet about some of the information we just want to make sure that there is nothing that could potentially seem inappropriate.

Thank you everyone for your continued support. I will share more as I learn it.

Whats the hold up!

2009-09-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

So there are some things going on that I am not at liberty to talk about yet. We have been asked not to mention it but its good. I can talk about some Senators stepping up and writing a letter asking for an audience with a very important official. There was some success with that.

Its so hard to be optimistic with all that has gone on the past year. We have had ups and downs and always hoping that what things are said will come true. I really still dont know what is going to happen in the next few weeks but I am hopeful that things will be back on track and moving soon.

Nothing on the domestic front either. I am really at a crossroads here with what my end goal is. I have a lot of soul searching and contemplation on what I really want to do. I know I want to be a Mom. That much is a given. I love a little boy in a foreign country with all my heart. Will that be enough? I dont know.

We will see what tomorrow brings.

Article about the Kyrgz 65

2009-09-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

We still have no word on movement for those of us waiting to complet our children's adoption from Kyrgyz. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the US on Sept 23-25. We have started a letter writing campaign to our Senators requesting their intervention and asking them to try to get a moment with the Prime Minister on our behalf. The article posted last week on Eurasianet includes interviews with a few of the waiting families. The stories are heartbreaking and echo the feelings and situations of all of us. Please feel free to copy the link and email it to your officials in the hopes that the chatter on capitol hill will get to the Prime minister and he will use his power for the good of the children.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav091009.shtml

Nothing new on the domestic front either. J responded to an email I sent her requesting the status (domestic is new for my agency) and she indicated nothing yet.

Thank you all for your support. I am sorry I dont keep this up as well as I would like. I will try to do better.

Hugs

Nyet

2009-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Nothing is going on on the adoption front and to be honest, nothing going on on the life front. It seems like the stall in Kyrgz has stalled everything. My birthday came and went with no hoopla (thats good) and I havent had a vacation all year (thats bad). Ive been waiting to use all of my vacation for B's arrival since there isnt a maternity leave for adoption. Since we dont know when anything will move I have to do something. I hadnt realized how time moves on but I have just been doing the same thing. Checking the boards. Watching the email. Praying and hoping. Waiting Waiting for something, anything to happen. Now that I have come to that realization its time to do something about it. I have my vacation time requested and dont know where yet but I am going to DO something.

Update from J

2009-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

I got an email today from J (ABC Adoptions) that my profile is ready and they are getting ready to do some marketing and uploading of PAP profiles to the website. Mine happens to be one of them. I dont know if you are aware or not, but my international agency (Internation Child Foundation http://childfound.org/) is beginning a domestic US program aka (ABC). woo hoo! I am saving some of the cost by sticking with them. I dont anticpate a 'quick' match but that's ok, since it gives me more time to get the funds together.

Still no news from the Kyrgz front. They had the election and we sort of knew who the 'winner' would be. Parliment takes the summer off so nothing will be presented to them til at least September. There is talk that some, for lack of a better term, 'ammendments' were drafted in hopes of changing the law in Feb that halted everything. From my understanding they are only written for the 65 waiting families but in reality, if we dont make it to the top of the Parliment's list for Sept we are probably looking at a long winter of waiting.

Thank you, my friends, for all your ongoing support. I agree with all of you when you tell me 'Why dont they see how this is affecting the children, and let you go get them.' Believe me. I completely agree. B is now 13 months old. I think about him every day. I hope he is doing well.

A call to action and an article

2009-07-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

NCFA (National Council for Adoption) is pleased to announce that the introduction of the Families for Orphans Act(H.R. 3070*) and the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act(S. 1359 and H.R. 3110), both of which are a result of NCFA´s collaborative involvement in the Families for Orphans Coalition.** Both proposed acts represent a potential victory for millions of vulnerable children from around the world who need a permanent family and for child welfare advocates who proactively work globally to address the permanency needs of children.
I also joined a new facebook group. Pass the FACE act. Go to the following link for more information about EACH and the legislation that they advocate for internationally adopted children.
http://www.equalityforadoptedchildren.org/legislation/legislation.html

The article on Kyrgyz was about the children and the Kyrgyz government adopting the Hague Convention. J summarized it well. This is from her weekly newsletter. See B's blog for the full article.
KYRGYZSTAN
There was a rather lengthy news report, but it did not
say anything new... there is discussion of adoption, and a strong defense of
adoption by the representative from Bishkek who came to visit the US, but
nothing concrete has been done. It was mentioned that the 65
waiting families are essentially ready to complete, but no timeframe
given. The Parliament is still discussing the Hague Convention and
remarked, again, that adoptions cannot be completed with either an inter-country
treaty or Kyrgyz become Hague compliant. It is hard to decipher
under what principle they will allow the waiting children to be united with
their US families, or when. If the election goes smoothly, I hope they
will address the question and resolve the issue of the waiting families
immediately thereafter. However, there are no guarantees that the
political situation will lend itself to adoption matters following the
election. The US is cultivating a better relationship with Kyrgyz,
however, and that helps. Although we cannot directly tie adoption
to diplomatic relations, it is certainly true that if a rapport and good
working relationship exists, it benefits
adoption.

As most of you know

2009-07-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

As most of you know I am getting ready to start this all over again as I plunge into my 2nd adoption, this time domestic. In preparation and support for this new adventure, I now have a new Wiget on my blog. The Chip In website allows for friends and family to contribute, via PayPal, to my next foray into motherhood. I have a bit to go and was asked to find a way to allow friends and family to help with the funding. So here is my plea. If you want to contribute, click the link, every dollar counts! I am also going to start making bookmarks again. I have been so busy at work I have had no time for 'fun stuff'. I enjoy making bookmarks and earrings and am going to make sure to make the time to do something fun. Stay tuned. B

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone. No real news to speak of we got an email update with pretty much what we already knew. The note did include mention of a possible proposal on our behalf, maybe being presented to Parliment. I had thought this was done (previous post) but we havent heard anything. Not extremely encouraging but at least we are still on the radar. Presidential elections are July 23rd so we are still on the assumption that we wont hear anything til after then.

So to pass the time, I am getting a little remodeling done. It all started with my desire for a new refrigerator. I wanted a bottom freezer with water and ice in the door. So I needed to hire a plumber to add a water line. That lead to moving the laundry room and making a little office for Mom. Then I decided, since the market sucks and I wont getting a bigger house any time soon, I also needed to carve out space for me to have an office. When B comes home I will be working from home *big smile*. So I am losing my walk in closet...*frown*. Its 5x10 so it will work just fine for an office, near the potty, can shut the door for conference calls. So where will I put my clothes and shoes, you ask? I am getting 2 closets built in the bedroom which will actually work better for me. Suprisingly, its not making my room noticibly smaller. Its still a good sized room woo hoo. The next two weeks will be a mess in my house but then we will be more comfortable. Oh, I am getting the new refrigerator too!!!

I will keep you posted.

Here we go again

2009-06-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like we (B and the 65) are on the agenda for the KG parliment meeting tomorrow. Well, more like 'today' since they are 13 or so hrs ahead of us. Jeez I hope this turns into something good. The Yahoo Group has been a buzz with up to the minute entries from all of the news reels we watch. I have been looking too but havent seen anything that they havent already mentioned. http://eng.24.kg/ (is in English) and http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.kenesh.kg/&ei=RRY3SriZNYaEtwfLl_DcDA&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkenesh%26hl%3Den is the translated link to Kenesh, one of the other news sites. I will keep you all informed when I know something else.

Since tomorrow is today over there it is also B's 1st birthday. He is a year old. I am sad to be missing this milestone but have faith that he will be here, with me, for his next birthday and every one after that. Its hard to believe it but its been over a year since I started this journey and I remember EXACTLY where I was when I got the call from J with his referral. I was so optimistic and thought things were moving so quickly. I got his referral and I hadnt even fishished my dossier! I worked so hard to get everything done and ready. When he was 3 months old (in October) I made my first trip. I though he would be home by Thanksgiving, Christmas at the latest. The delays were already beginning but the process hadn't come to a screaching halt until after my visit. We are still in the same situation waiting and waiting for something to happen. I was fortunate to visit him again in January and he was doing well. I havent seen him since but have gotten a couple of pictures. Not the same, but something. Thank you so much for all your support and prayers for me, and Porkchop and all the other kids that are waiting to come home.

This Just in:

2009-06-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I got this from one of the News websites I have been watching (along with the entire 65 group)

'Jun 23, 2009 at 14:00 pm deputies of parliament of Kyrgyzstan with the participation of lawyers from the United States will discuss the issue of international adoptions. '

Press-service of the Zhogorku Kenesh

I hope this turns out to be something good.

Ok so the news is flying

2009-06-17T23:35:00.001-07:00

There have been numerous international articles written on the results of the DC meeting. ALL GOOD. The delegates have stated wonderful sentiments of children having better lives here than in the orphanages. Babies getting medical care that has given them new, healthier lives. The delegates that came to the meeting have become great advocates for us as we wait for something to get moving. They mentioned how we encourage and keep their heritage alive with books and stories of Kyrgyz, all things that we (the waiting families) have already committed to continuing. It really feels like positive things are happening. I still think they will wait til after the election (in July) to make any decisions so we are still waiting. J sent an email saying that our incountry source was told that things will start up again in 10 days. I am not as optimistic about that one. We have heard that before. I am still hanging in there.

I find that shopping therapy is good for the soul and I got some smokin deals at a Macys clearance center. I bought lots of different sizes of pants and long sleeved shirts to take to Kyrgyz when I go. I suppose the girls there were wondering why I bought 6 pairs of red pants (who needs 6 pairs of red pants..right?....) and sweaters and long sleeved tshirts with no regard for size. Most everything was under $3 the pants were $1.50.. cant beat it.

Not a whole lot going on

2009-06-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a while since I posted and, unfortunately, there really isnt anything new to say. We are still waiting for a decision on when (or if) the 65 waiting families will be finalized and we can go get the kiddos. The meeting went extremely well and the team of families was instrumental in changing the perception of IA from negative to positive for one of the delegates. They have responded via email to one of our spokesfamilies and said they would do everything they can to reunite us with our children. The yahoo group is listing that IA is on the agenda for the Parliment in June. We dont know if they will actually decide anything or if it will just be discussed. Even if they do decide to get things going we dont really anticipate any actual progress or any ability to travel until after the presidental election in late July. I am emailing J to see if B can visit the orphanage and get some updated pics of Porkchop. I am sad that he will be turning 1 without me. June 25 is coming up fast and there is no way he will be home for it. I will post more as soon as I know anything else.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Hugs
Beth

A successful meeting

2009-05-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

A group of families both current and waiting spoke to the group in Washington on Friday. They posted their thoughts on the group last night and from their words everything went very well. (See B's blog) We all had very high hopes that the officials would be moved by the stories and love we have for these children. They were. They could see the love of a mother and her 8year old adopted son sleeping in her lap. They heard from that same mother the only answer, that matters to the question 'Why?' that answer - 'Because I love her'! This is the same answer we all have for that question. They saw the pictures and stories of the children that we all gave to put faces to the waiting children. The received books showing how other children, who have come home already, are thriving with their families here. I believe this will truly make a difference in getting the process moving. I hope to hear more news soon.

As far as my plunge into Domestic? I am working on my intro letter to birthparents and my blog with the rest of the 'get to know me' information. I am taking this a little slowly, because of the finance challenge and I want to make sure this is the right time for me and for B.

Meeting this week

2009-05-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

There is a delegation of Kyrgyz officials visiting Washington this week. The waiting 65 have our own delegation to meet them. The meeting is on the 29th (Friday). The families are gathering information and families that have brought children home are helping with stories and photos. C has gotten a wonderful book together and we have all submitted stories of our children and their needs.

Familes were invited to speak on behalf of the children and the families and I am happy that T was one of them. Our group is made up of first-time adoptive parents, and adoptive parents that are on their 2nd or 3rd or 4th adoption. We are all from different backgrounds, have different experiences, different professions, single, married.. sooo different but all brought together in this little bubble of waiting.

Pray for the safe travels of the families and that the delegates open their hearts and hear the love and longing we have for these children. Our hope is that the delegates will use their voice to get the process moving.

Considering another big step

2009-05-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

First off. I want it to be perfectly clear that in my heart I know B WILL come home, its just a matter of when. He has stolen my heart and will keep it forever. This state of limbo has given me more and more conviction and intensified my desire to be a mother. I had a wonderful day with my Mom and her unwaivering support has been a blessing. We talk and talk about what it will be like when he comes home, wonder why its taking so long, what it means for us, and how much I rely on her. She is not only my mother, but one of my closest and dearest friends. And now the punch line. I am starting to explore domestic adoption. I have always thought my little family would include 2 children. The planner in me had a schedule all figured out- B would be home in December (in time for the tax year) and I would use the credits and the reimbursement from my company to get a good chunk of the fees covered for the second. And then.... well you know what has been going on. I need to find out some things with my agency, they dont have a domestic program and I want to make sure starting a new process doesnt interfere with B's adoption. I dont know what docs I can still use or if I need to start all over. And then, where the money is going to come from is a big ? too. I am probably crazy to start this all again with the current economic time but someone out there needs me as much as I need them and I'm gonna do everything I can to find them. Just like before, I have no preference.. boy or girl. That's my story....and I'm stickin' to it.

PS.. L, told ya so.... hehe congrats

the glimmer flickers

2009-05-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

We got news that adoption was not discussed during the parliment meeting last week. There is a holiday next week so we are, again, waiting for 'our day in the spotlight'. In J's update this weekend she still feels that the belief of the powers that be (aka the MOE) is that they will start completing the in process families' adoptions, 'they indicate that it will take about a month to catch up with the matched waiting families' (quoted from J). Jeez I hope its true. If it is true then there is a bit of hope that B will be home very close to his 1st birthday. (June 25). I dont know if its just me or not but this whole process is totally overwhelming.
I am definitely overdoing it at work to keep distracted, and man am I getting tired. We have a big release of a software upgrade and creating that training, performing that training (with the rest of the girls) and traveling full time to customer sites is just getting to be too much. I am so fortunate to have 'the girls' on the team to bounce ideas off of and get a different perspective. I am starting to get really good at asking for help. I suppose that means I am 'growing', the control freak in me is lessening, perhaps to prepare me a little better for motherhood. It still sucks though. I dont want to be an exhausted wreck when it finally comes time to get on a plane and bring back the most precious thing in the world. Anyway, when I know something you will too.

a glimmer?

2009-04-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

I cant say much, since nothing is verified as true. If you have been following this journey at all you know that we hear some rumors and they turn out to be untrue. I am a member of a yahoo group for other waiting parents and even though I dont talk much there, I find an enormous amount of comfort and information. We are from all over the US and even abroad. Anyway, there is a rumor that there is some 'positive' action going on. I got an email from J yesterday. She talked to T and without getting to detailed (remember they asked us not to release anything publicly until it is confirmed by the Kyrg govt) things may start moving for us waiting families. Maybe as soon as a month from now. Just moving, not get on a plane. But, at least I will be able to tenatively book the plane. I am hoping for a confirmation from the US Department of State, who has been working for us as well. Believe me-when I get that confirmation of action this blog will be updated. I am so blessed to have friends (virtual and warmblooded) who are sharing this journey with me encouraging positivity and supporting me. You really dont know how connected people are until you are put in a situation where you REALLY need that connection and your friends are there. I am trying to be strong and positive. (I cant have an emotional break right now.. i may have to update my medical docs-lol) I've been doing ok. Focusing alot on work (fortunately theres lots to do), relaxing, and taking time to let go of those things I cannot control. I think of it as 'delegating' I can handle those things within my control and those I cannot are handled by the only One who can.

On a happy happy note. Jellybean has made her (Yes L, I said 'her') debut on the world wide web in her first baby bump shot. The credit goes to her hubby and it is beautiful. I am looking forward to the 'growth'.
Love to all
B

Jeez

2009-04-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

Jeez, there is still nothing to report. They had their meeting and discovered some discrepancies. We really have NO idea what is going on. Nothing solid is coming from the powers that be, so we all just keep waiting to hear something solid. B has turned 10 months old without me. I am still hopeful that we will hear something sooner rather than later. I hope we will hear something positive. T came back from her visit with M and had some pics. B has 2 little teeth! So cute. He looks good. I have not been able to stop my shopping habit however. I went to PS for work and there is an outlet mall there. Needless to say there were some smokin' deals at C#$ters and I couldnt help myself. I did get some bigger sizes 12-18 months they should be ok. Fortunately, I dont have to worry about weather since its warm here all the time. Keep the prayers coming!

Still waiting

2009-04-12T18:43:00.001-07:00

Well there isnt much to report. Some talk has been occurring over there but nothing concrete or final. The hope is that they are still talking and working on making a decision for the pipeline families. We are again told we will hear something 'hopefully this next week'. There is a conference call on the 15th and I will let you know what happens during that. Please continue to pray for B and all the other familes. Also pray for T, she is over there now visiting her daughter M. Pray that she stays safe and gets back home safely. Hopefully she will have time to check in on the babies and give us a healthcheck report when she gets home. This was in the Kyrgyz news on April 8:
At least 225 children of Kyrgyzstan adopted by foreigners within past 2 years
08/04-2009 15:06, Bishkek – News Agency “24.kg”, By Nargiza YULDASHEVA
At least 225 children of Kyrgyzstan were adopted by foreigners within the past two years, the First Vice Prime Minister Uktomhan Abdullaeva said at the joint session of the three parliamentary committees on Wednesday.
Most of these children (164) were adopted by the United States citizens, then goes Sweden (21), Israel (20), the Southern African Republic (5), Italy (1) and Germany (1).
Most often foreigners adopt special needs children, while Kyrgyz citizens for certain reasons never apply for adoption of children like that.
“We have information about children adopted to U.S. or Canadian families. They are safe and sound,” Abdullaeva said when asked about cases of deaths or mistreat of Kyrgyz children.
Right now we are planning to elaborate a data base of all adopted children and in the future to establish a child adoption institution.

On an extremely happy note RFBF is now baby Jellybean. L, I am keeping you, your hubby and JB in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs

9 Months today

2009-03-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

B is 9 months old today. He was supposed to be home. Way back when I started this process, everything was moving so smoothly. I started in February, got my homestudy done by the middle of April, picked Kyrgyz as my adopted country the beginning of June and got my referal for B the beginning of July. I was really oblivious to the political goings on in the country as I focused on the dossier and getting it completed. Nothing seemed to have stopped last summer, families still went to visit and pick up their children. October finally came and B was 3 months so I could go visit him. And then.... the stall. I was so happy to have the opportunity to visit him in January all the while thinking..'its just a bump in the road' they will start moving again. After my wonderful visit I get home and things were not any better.. and still arent. Its frustrating even more now because Kyrgz is going to have a presidential election in July. Please pray that the babies are home before then. Hugs to all thank you so much for your support.

Got a couple pics

2009-03-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

This was in my email last night. He looks good (except, of course for the fashion statement) He's not wearing anything I brought him. I am hoping he is growing, but it's hard to tell.
There has been lots of talk on the yahoo group but none of us have heard much concrete. As usual. We are supporting each other and even if I dont talk much on the group their words always let me know there are others in the same boat I am. Frustrated, ticked off, worried, impatient, aprehensive.. and lots of other adjectives I dont have enough effort to type. lol. I am holding on, waiting to see what happens at the end of the month. There are reports on this website http://eng.24.kg/ that we have been watching. There have been some articles with some negative comments about 'foreigners' and illegal but we have it on good authority that it was a copy vs an original document and it was a while ago. So we should hear something by the end of the month.

On another note. Woo Hoo for RFBF. Got word today that they have made themselves comfortable and have signed a 9month lease. Yay 'L'.. hugs to you and your hubby.
B

Small note from J this week in her update

2009-03-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Kyrgyz Republic
T spoke with Ambassador Z Friday -- but other than saying they are all working on it, I do not have anything of substance. The investigations that have been going on seem to center on Bishkek; I have not heard of any in Tokmok. But they seem to be reviewing ALL the adoption documents, so maybe they just have not gotten there, yet.
The Kyrgyz president, according to The Economist, has given the US six months to renegotiate the base. We will see what happens with that; while it does not affect adoption directly, any swing between Russia and the US from inside Kyrgyz can influence how the Kyrgyz government feels about the US in general.
As soon as I have any specifics, will let you know.
I have not heard more directly from the DOS; but have heard from others that they are very engaged in trying to get children home. Whether they can get this done before the end of this month remains to be seen. Praying.

Still no news

2009-03-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

We still havent heard anything on the adoption front. Still waiting til the 20th or 31st not sure. We were hoping for pictures but nothing there yet either. J is still working on trying to find anything out. She has to talk to T and T has to wait for Ambassador Z to get back to her, then there is the time difference. When it is nighttime here its daytime tomorrow there. Challenging all around but would really like to know whats going on. There is so much unsubstantiated information..is political aid from a country (other than the US) the reason we cant get the babies home? Have we been following the rules while the Kyrgyz government had no intention of following through? There has been alot of press lately. Some things are being uncovered in the investigations in Kyrgyz regarding corruption and some people involve in adoptions, years ago, not following the rules. Some of the other families have been asked to give copies of payments made to the Kyrgz government. I havent been asked and am pretty sure J would let me know if they want anything from me. Just still hoping something will start moving.

No news til Sunday

2009-03-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

There is nothing new yet. J is busy with a seminar this weekend so she will send out her update on Sunday. Our incountry coordinator B, is supposed to go get pictures this weekend. We probably wont get anything from him til next week. I hope Porkchop is growing and healthy. I sent J an email yesterday asking 'what happens next?' I wanted a time line, and did she think it would be long process once they start signing. She thought that after my letter is signed it would be about 2 months of court and paperwork then I could travel, jeez I hope they sign by then end of March or at least start. B will be 1 the end of June and I really want him home for that. I know that there are other families who are not going to be able to be with their chidren for their 1st birthdays and that makes me sad.

One more thing. I have a 'virtual friend' out there that, probably without her even knowing it, makes me smile every time I read her blog. Anyway, please pray for her and RFBF that they make themselves comfortable and grow.

JCICS update

2009-03-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

The JCICS put an update on their website today. Not much info but it does seem like they are pretty happy with what they arent telling us, I guess we will find out when we find out.

The DOS had a meeting with the agencies (of the families waiting) and requested some caution when publishing information they hear from sources in Kyrgz. There has been alot of misinformation (aka lies) told to.. well pretty much everyone. J sent a quick update the end of last week and asked that we not post anything until its confirmed. She will, absolutely, keep those in our little ICF family updated with all she knows, good or bad, but will not be able to share everything 'rumored' publicly and has asked that we not post anything either. I am respecting her wishes but will say that the latest conversations seem promising but no champagne or letter or airline booking yet. I think I have forgotten what I will need to do when I get 'the call'. My documents are up to date (so far) nothing expiring til June so I think I am ok. Mind you, I dont think things will move very quickly once they start so I am preparing for 'baby steps' (pun intended) when things get going. There are 65 of us (5 in my little ICF family) that are all going to sprint out of the gate when we start getting letters and I hope that little country is prepared for us to come. Wouldnt it be great if we could all just go at once and take over the place... lol.

Anyway here's the latest from the JCICS:
March 3, 2009 - Joint Council is pleased to confirm that U.S. Embassy officials in Kyrgyzstan met late last week with the Vice Prime Ministers Office regarding the 65 in-process intercountry adoption cases and the future of intercountry adoptions from Kyrgyzstan. At this time Joint Council cannot confirm the exact contents of the conversation.

Further, we can confirm that police investigations are occurring in Kyrgyzstan in regards to accusations surrounding child buying for intercountry adoption. No further information on this subject is available at this time. As soon as more information is available Joint Council will release it on our website.

My son is 8 months old

2009-02-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

B turned 8 months old on the 25th. Nothing solid on the news front, we are still waiting to hear anything. I went into his room, its ready and waiting, and so am I. I hope there is some positive news soon.

Update

2009-02-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

The latest update from J last week isnt all that great when I really get into it. J had a good point in her weekly email today. The Kyrgyz government may want a 'Treaty' but the US Dept of State pretty much already has a 'treaty' its called the Hague Convention, and doesnt really want to go outside of that on a percountry basis. The hope is that the Kyrgyz government will see the need for completion for the families in progress. J made excellent points regarding the support and fees we have already paid to the government. We have followed all of the rules set by the officials during our entire process so far. T is working on a letter to that effect. She is in contact with the Ambassador and the hope is that the Ambassador can make some push to 'grandfather' those families thru using the old laws and get our children home. Again, we are being told next week for more information. The press release last week gave the Kyrgyz government a deadline of March 31. Another deadline but, setting a deadline isnt a guarantee that they will keep it.

The latest from J

2009-02-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

I got an update from J on a press release from Bishkek. I dont have the link for the report so it is posted here. The overall sentiment (from my perception) is that the Kyrgz government wants to have a treaty with those foreign countries it will allow children to be adopted to. J felt it would make sense to have some sort of interim agreement between the US and Kyrgyz to allow for the already matched children to be 'grandfathered' in and complete the adoptions considering the expense the families have already paid in fees to the government. We arent sure what type of treaty or agreement they are trying for but the deadline in the press release is March 31 (11 days after the initial March 20 deadline for the Committee's findings). J thinks that any permanent treaty would take a few months to determine from country to country. T talked to Ambassador Z and she said to wait a couple days and she would find out what kind of agreement the would want. So I guess we wait.. some more.

Kyrgyz Republic Government Addresses Regulation of
Adoption Procedures

BISHKEK (AKIpress) – Kyrgyzstan's prime minister, Igor Chudinov, has signed a Kyrgyz Republic (KR) government directive addressing child adoption issues. This was reported today, February 17, 2009, by the KR Government Press Service.

The document in question was approved with a view toward regulating the procedure for adoption of children who are citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, and improving the Kyrygz Republic's legal framework in that area.

Given those considerations, and in accordance with Article 130 of the Kyrgyz Republic Family Code, the Government of the Kyrygz Republic resolves:

To declare invalid Section 3. "Adoption of Children Who Are Kyrgyz Republic Citizens by Foreign Citizens" in the "Statute Regarding Rules for the Placement of Children Without Parental Guardianship for Adoption by Cititzens of the Kyrgyz Republic, and by Foreign Citizens", as approved by KR Government Resolution No. 121 on February 22, 2006, "Regarding Confirmation of the Statute Regarding Rules for the Placement of Children Without Parental Guardianship for Adoption by Cititzens of the Kyrgyz Republic, and by Foreign Citizens".

Simultaneously, it is resolved that adoption of children from the Kyrgyz Republic by foreign citizens or stateless persons shall be authorized only if an international treaty exists between Kyrgyzstan and the foreign state.

The KR Ministry of Education and Science and the KR Ministry of Labor and Social Development have been assigned to submit by March 31, 2009, following established procedure, their proposals regarding improvement of those statutes that regulate child adoption.

Pursuant to this document personal responsibility for compliance with KR legislation in adoption matters is placed upon the heads of state administrations at the level of the republic's regions and districts.

It should be noted that this directive becomes effective immediately on the date of its official publication.

AKIpress

The UNICEF factor

2009-02-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

This is a link to the UNICEF official postion on international adoption http://www.unicef.org/media/media_41118.html . To quote this document 'For children who cannot be raised by their own families, an appropriate alternative family environment should be sought in preference to institutional care which should be used only as a last resort and as a temporary measure. Inter-country adoption is one of a range of care options which may be open to children, and for individual children who cannot be placed in a permanent family setting in their countries of origin, it may indeed be the best solution. In each case, the best interests of the individual child must be the guiding principle in making a decision regarding adoption' Why then, are we famlies who have been through all the documentation requirements, met all the qualifications, expended individual humanitarian aid to the orphanages that our children are growing up in, being denied this exact option the UNICEF stands by. Why are Hague Accredited agencies not being allowed to continue with the adoptions that are in progress. The US department of State is involved to try to get things going again but we dont know, concretely, when things will happen. Meanwhile our children are getting older and more institutionalized.

Kyrgyzstan is not part of the Hague Convention community of countries. So UNICEF in its mission has lobbied to make Kyrgystan a Hague Country. Mind you, I dont think its a bad thing at all. In the long run it will be better for the children. It just sucks that they have to get involved NOW, couldnt they have waited 6months, until Ben was home? Here is a link to the Wikipedia definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hague_Convention_on_Protection_of_Children_and_Co-operation_in_Respect_of_Intercountry_Adoption it has a pdf of the entire convention. The main objectives of the Convention are:
-to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights as recognized in international law;
-to establish a system of co-operation amongst Contracting States to ensure that those safeguards are respected and thereby prevent the abduction, the sale of, or traffic in children;
-to secure the recognition in Contracting States of adoptions made in accordance with the Convention. I suppose my frustration is echoed by those who have gone before me when other countries have started their process to become Hague Accredited in the midst of their adoptions. I will continue to wait anxiously for news, knowing that I will hear nothing until March 20.

Not good news

2009-02-14T15:50:00.001-08:00

I got an update from my agency and from the Dept of State. They say that the Kyrgyz government has created a commission whose responsibility it is to redefine policy. They are planning on giving their findings on March 20 to the government. What does this mean?: well it sucks but it means that they are not going to process ANYTHING til after March 20. With this news I am very sad and worried. I think that now, with this new news that Ben will not be home before May. They also said that they will, most likely, waive the 30day wait and will hopefully gear up court to process multiple families at once. Wewere also told that families should be getting info and measurements on him regularly. We dont know what else is to come. We are also not sure what impact the closing of the US Airbase at Manas Airport will be. Noone know but my agency thinks that these two issues are separate and doesnt think that they will impact each other.

I am learning that international adoption is full of bumps and detours. This is taking alot longer than I anticpated when I started 1 year ago.

Nothing, Nada

2009-02-10T17:58:00.001-08:00

So nothing new on the adoption front. Still waiting to hear if the letters are being signed. I dont know what is going on but I am just waiting. Waiting for some good news.

I am also now on Facebook. Apparently Facebook is the place to be. Its not good enough that I blog now I need to be on Facebook. Its pretty cool though, and it seems that everyone is on there. I already have a few friends and have had someone throw beads at me (for Marti Gras) and start a pillow fight with me. I am waiting for a few friends that I havent seen for a while add me to there list so we can get back in touch. Its definitely got some 'six degrees of separation' potential. I will keep you posted on this latest endeavor.

I've been away from here a while

2009-02-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

I know I have been away from the blogging world for a while but there really isnt anything concrete to say. My letter hasnt been signed, I havent had court and we dont really know when it will happen. We (all of my fellow adoptive parents) have heard multiple times that 'next week they will start signing letters'. These comments havent been truthful so I am hesitant to allow myself to believe this latest update. I want to believe what they are saying in Kyrgyzstan but I am a little 'gun-shy' so to speak. From what J says in her update to us this week, they are reviewing the dossier and our coordinator in country said he was certain that T's letter will be signed next week. I am very happy for her but sad for me at the same time. J says that they are prioritizing special needs children to get them home so they can get the medical care they cannot get in Kyrgz. I am fortunate that B is healthy and terrified that something will happen that noone is expecting. I try not to think about it but, lately with UNICEF 'trying to help' and comments that Americans are only taking the healthy children, I am scared that they will take him back and give him to a Krygz family. My mind tells me that there is no way they would do that but that doesnt stop the fear in my heart.
Below is what we heard yesterday from J.

Hi All,I talked to T a few minutes ago. This is the message...B literally saw that family dossiers were being reviewed at the MOE. He said he is certain they will sign the letter for T next week. They are prioritizing children with special needs who need medical attention.They do not plan to stop adoptions.Any families with documents submitted to court previously will have to go through court again. The dates of the progression of your approval have to be in the order the MOE dictates. Although the previous MOE administration was indifferent, now they are strict. The dossier and child's documents have to enter court AFTER the date the MOE approves your dossier. Most interesting is this... today's news is that the MOE will stay in charge of adoption. That about knocked me off my chair. Apparently some higher-up did not like the idea of the Ministry of Physical Culture/Dept of Social Protection taking over adoption and refused to sign off on a transition. So we and your files are all staying put in the MOE. This kind of suggests that my suspicion of a power struggle going on behind the scenes between the depts was true. T thinks this is what Ms S really wants. Who knows.

Short weekend

2009-01-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

We didnt get any new news today, probably wont hear anything til Monday. J sent out her weekly update with roughly the same info she sent us earlier this week. (See the previous post here). I did decide to take the advice of some of the other waiting families and give myself a break this weekend. I had taken two books on my trip to Kyrgyz , The Host by Stephenie Meyer (of Twilight) and The Treasure by Iris Johansen. I finished The Host, really good by the way in an 'invasion of the body snatchers' sort of way, on the flight home. So with my free time this weekend I decided I wouldnt read anything 'productive' or anything that would 'teach' me anything, just a book for its entertainment value. I read The Treasure. It was pretty good. I have read lots and lots of her books but they started to read the same so I stopped for a while. Dont get me wrong, I like her books especially those that have Eve Duncan (a forensic sculptor). Anyway, I havent read her for a while and it turned out to be a pretty good book. It was a love story, with a little sex thrown in and of course a conflict of some sort before the happy ending. All in all, a good book. I have to go to Wisconsin tomorrow.. brrr to teach a class so my weekend is pretty short. I like keeping busy. I may need to get another book at the airport. Hmmm

Obsessed--and a nugget of news

2009-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

I know I am not the target audience for this series of books (have you heard the term 'tween'?). Anyway I have read all of them and they are really pretty good.. ok really good. So good that I have seen the movie twice and am not opposed at all to seeing it again.. I have the 'twilight' soundtrack on my Ipod and am constantly going to stepheniemeyer.com to find out the latest on the next movie (New Moon--starts filming in March 09). It seems I have a second obsession, B is my first of course, but I need some distraction. The books are 1-Twilight 2- New Moon 3-Eclipse 4- Breaking Dawn. It is of course a bit of a love story (between a 17 y/o girl and a vampire) with a bit of suspense and drama intertwined. There are parts of the books that just grab you and you cant put the darn things down.. I was up til 1 or 2 in the morning STILL reading. They are big books but a pretty easy read. Put it to you this way, I travel for my work, so I am on a plane almost every Monday and Friday and have 2 or 3 hrs of downtime those days and some evenings to read. I finished all four books in 2 weeks. I had to buy one in Wisconsin and got the others at the airport as soon as I fished one. They were suggested by a friend of mine (who also travels--and is not a 'tween' either) and I have gotten at least 1 of my friends hooked. He went through all of them in a WEEK! He is also the one that has seen the movie with me twice, hehe.

On another note... got news today that some people were fired in Kyrgz (the Minister and Vice Minister of the MOE ) these were the people (rumored) contributing to the delays we have been seeing. I dont know if its true or not but they were rumored to be against IA. We dont know what this means yet or if more will be fired but are told that the adoption files are being transferred to the Committee for social Protection by the end of Feb. I dont know what this means either. We are hoping for some more info on that, either this weekend or next week. The next thing is that the Krygz Ambassador (to the US) is heading to Kyrtz now and has IA adoption on her agenda, so we should hear in a few more days what she finds out.

This must be said..Our agency and coordinators (both here in the US and in Kyrgz) are awesome. They have been working tirelessly for us and I know the frustration (I am living it too). Its a great feeling when you shoot them an email and can say .. 'I'm not happy but thank you for continuing to try, I appreciate it' and really mean it.

Always Hopeful--

No news

2009-01-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

No news yet. J has started sending us waiting families updates alot more often we got one yesterday and today. T talked with someone at the Prime Ministers office and to J at the MOE. The woman at the Prime Minister's office told her that she didnt know J wasnt signing letters and to call her back tomorrow. J said that they are also considering becoming a Hague country, so she suggestd T call her back next week. T was going to make some calls to Senators and the woman at the Prime Minister's office to see what the latest is. J also suggested T talk to the MOE who, rumor has it.. and only rumor, that the MOE isnt very keen on adoption. She will try to talk to them. I have every confidence in T, she turned a Senator around with her explanation and advocacy for the children, I hope she can advocate for the children again with the head of the MOE.
Do you ever think...... I'm gonna look back on this and Laugh about it-someday? Well thats I'm thinking.. soon, I will be playing with my son laughing at something funny he does and I will think--Last January I was so frustrated waiting but here he is...... home.

2nd post of the night

2009-01-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I just came from Lori's blog and I must say if you havent visted it before its in my list of faves and is one you cant miss. My dear Lori you are soooo funny. I just watched the Principals office and kept on backtracking the posts I missed while I was in Kyrgz visiting Porkchop. The dog thing was hilarious and I must say that I think I have heard the cat 'situation' in my neighborhood with the stray cats. Thank you so much for laugh.

Work update

2009-01-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have come along with me throughout this LONG journey know that my current job consists of alot of travel in the US. As everyone knows, alot of travel and a baby at home is not the desired scenario for parenthood. My company has been working through some changes (the economy of course) and we were told at the end of 2008 that we would be losing 3000 jobs this year. Dont worry, I am not part of the 3000. We had an announcement today that makes me feel a little better. A new realignment puts all of us that work on the same product together. Yay. The division is going to grow too. We are anticipating adding and hopefully there will be something that will be less travel. I have traveled for almost 5 years with this job and I love it but my life is about to change for the better and I dont want to travel anymore.

Home safe and sound

2009-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

I am home finally. This trip was a bit longer. I dont know if having a night's layover is good or bad. On the way there.. I was happy to have a night to rest and meet up with T. Traveling together is definitely benificial. We got to know each other and compare stories and knowledge. The orphanage was the same, very warm. I didnt notice that any of the babies were sick, no coughing or sneezing or anything. I didnt really get to see anyone other than Porkchop but stole glances and got pics of some of the babies for families with my agency. I wish I could have taken a picture of every baby there and sorted them out when I got back but I couldnt. I know there are those of you who are waiting for news and I wish I could have gotten more for you.

Back in London

2009-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

The internet didnt work the entire time I was in Kyrgyz. T is still there til Sunday but I am in London getting ready to get on my plane to Houston. I am exhausted this trip. The only good thing is that I got to see B for 4 glorious days. He was much more active this trip (he was just turning 3 mos when I went before) we laughed and laughed. He likes it when I shake my hair at him.. hes also ticklish and has this wide open laugh that is soooo cute. He is still little (only 12 lbs, 26 inches long) but the orphanage director said they were just starting him on porridge so he would be gaining fast. The clothes I brought him were HUGE on him (6 months) so he will have to grow into them. I wish I'd had his weight before I left for this trip. For those of you who out there who are considering an interim trip, If you can afford it.. go, absolutely go. Its hard to leave of course but I think I had myself all worked up, I didnt have a good cry til I was on the plane coming to London. Anyhoo, my incountry coordinator said there were 2 more boys (1 month old and 1 year old) that were just surrendered and he was going to ask J to find them parents. He is very optimistic and told T and I that it will get back to normal just may take another month or so. I hope he is right. He said to look at March for going back to bring B home. At this point though, I am not counting on anything til I have a letter and a court date.

We are here in Bishkek --Travel lesson learned

2009-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

After a nap 16hrs lol. We are up for the day in Bishkek. Its 2am here and neither of us can go back to sleep ... we are watching bowling and let me tell you its riveting.. just kidding. We have all our baby stuff divided and ready to go.
We had an unpleasant situation in the airport during this trip. Both of us booked the flights separately through British airways (or in my case Continental) to London and then BMI to Bishkek. We had to get our bags when we arrived in London then recheck them on BMI. Here the very hard (and expensive) lesson we learned. BMI will only allow 20kg of baggage per person. We each had an extra bag so ended up having a total of 45-47kg of baggage. Its 15 pounds per kg that you are over 20. This turned out to be about $500 each for the extra 27kg we each had. We saved money on the ticket but they still got us anyway with baggage charges. Lesson learned: Book the whole trip together and check the bags all the way through on your airline when you leave the US. We both took the blankets on the plane, hehe, and those $500 blankets are going to the orphanage too.