And Now the Waiting Begins...

Well, that's it! All my paperwork (for now!) is done and off in the mail. My dossier is in the agencies hands and Friday I received my paperwork to complete my package that goes off to the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Needless to say, it also went OUT on Friday as well! So now the fun begins.

So what to do while waiting? Hmmm... as you've seen, I am NOT patient ;) Time to start the Russian presents, room preparation, baby arrival prep and studying up on attachment techniques. More on that in a minute.

Did she say Russian presents??? Yup -- it's customary to bring presents for the workers in Russia. Or essentially anyone who touches you and your child along the way. This is just like shopping for party favors! A challenge! Let's find the nicest gifts at the most bargain prices possible! Suggestions from previous/current traveling families include purses, cosmetics, wallets, gloves, perfumes, coffee, and chocolates.

The jinx factor... I have really been hesitant to get started on his room because I don't want to "jinx" anything! Unfortunately, if I am not careful -- I could be left with child coming home, no time to do anything and no room prepared! So it really is time to start this phase. And there is lots to do...

So in the vain of the two above mentioned items... my friends Carrie and Rhonda and I went to the magic place on Saturday... IKEA! The little guy received two white 6 drawer dressers (1 tall, 1 long), a rug for the center of his room and a lamp that dims with NO clicking noises. Thanks to Carrie for the no clicking noises tip!! I also made a pit stop on the way home and bought some clearance purses at TJMaxx (two Lauren, 1 Clariborne and 1 Tommy), clearance cosmetic gift sets at Ulta (5), and 4th of July clearance clothes @ Old Navy - too add to his patriotic collection. Clothes are a struggle as I really don't know how old he'll be or what size. While I have requested under 24 months, that is a big range, and babies coming from an orphanage tend to be much smaller. I have also eBayed some nice cashmere lined gloves - so my present collection is growing!!

Finally on to Attachment tips. With the background they've had, you may have heard that some adopted children struggle with attachment to their new families. For some, there is a feeling that this new mom will leave them too... I came across a great site today and wanted to post one of the articles I read - as it may impact my family and friends.

The site (and may others) recommend that you limit "others" holding your newly adopted child for at least 6 weeks (some say 3 months). This helps with the attachment bonding between new parent and child. The reason I want to post this is so people understand the whys and don't think that new parents are just being overly cautious or scared... here's the clip:

Another adoptive mom shares her story:
I am hoping not to offend anyone -- just wanting to share our experiences with no holding. We have three children adopted from Korea. With our first two, we did very little reading about attachment and thought we would just love our children to pieces and all would be well. Our first two arrived at 4 1/2 months of age. My husband is from a large family; they love to pass the baby and believe the child should be content and snuggle with each one. This is what our two sons experienced soon after their arrival - - one struggled and cried and the other seemed indifferent. I felt sad and sick after each visit.
With our third adoption, our daughter was 6 1/2 months at arrival. Before her arrival, we read about and researched attachment. I asked our social worker about no holding for six weeks. She said she had seen wonderful transitions with those who had done this. With the loss and uncertainty our children have experienced before coming to us, not allowing others to hold our child made sense. Before our daughter's arrival, we informed family and friends that we would be the only ones to hold our daughter for six weeks. Because we had allowed our first two to be held, we explained that our daughter was older and we felt we needed to do this to help with her adjustment and attachment. We knew some might not be accepting, yet it wasn't about what other people needed; this was what our child needed. Our daughter's adjustment has been remarkable in comparison to our sons'. We can't know if this was due to no holding initially, personality, or the other attachment methods we have implemented. Our daughter was never anxious and upset when others visited during those first weeks. Our sons were. My seventy-year-old father was so struck by the difference in adjustment with our third child, he remarked that maybe we shouldn't be so anxious to let others hold our daughter after six weeks! (a. 4.5mo, 4.5mo, 6.5mo, FC)

If anyone has any other "Attachment" tips -- I am always open to reading/listening!! Feel free to pass them along!!

Pete & Repeat sit on a fence. Pete falls off -- who is left?

Repeat!!!

OK so a couple weeks ago it was birth certificate palozza, now it's dossier palozza! I reported earlier this week that I had mailed my Vladivostok documents off to my agency on Monday before leaving for a work trip to Chicago. Now typically when I drop something in the mail to her (she's just in Ann Arbor, 2 hours away), she gets it the VERY next day. A long mail time is two days.

Being the type A personality that I am, I emailed my agency Tuesday night from my hotel room just checking in to make sure that my documents had arrived. Response was -- not Tuesday, should be Wednesday. OK, no problem. USPS goes a bit slower on 80 degree days perhaps. So Wednesday mid-day I get another email... NOPE! No mail. OK, no big deal, it will be there Thursday. Again with the type A, as soon as I landed in Detroit on Thursday, I called and guess what. NO MAIL again on Thursday. By now I am hyperventilating. Not only is it my documents but there are also 3 checks inside... YIPES.

Silly me. I debated and debated on Monday before sending it off. Do I need to send it Overnight with the tracking #? Nah, I send things through USPS ALL the time for work and NEVER do I have a problem. So after hearing no mail on Thursday, I drove like a mad woman home, re-printed EVERYTHING, signed EVERYTHING and rushed off to Staples (back down to Pt Huron). After waiting for what seemed like forever (I have the patience of a nat, and they were slower than molasses), the man at Staples got my package finished JUST AS UPS was arriving to do the last pick up of the day. $25 later -- my package arrived safely this morning at my agency. Whew! Plenty of time to still get apostilled today.

So if you are following along with the Murphy's Law philosophy, guess what arrived via USPS this afternoon? Yup, my original package!! Of course! The overnight was just my "insurance". But at least I know the checks are safe. Hysterical. Gotta have some fun along this crazy ride!!

A Big News Day @ Lighthouse

Big news at for Lighthouse Adoption families today -- two different families got the official call today that they are off to Moscow! And they are headed out this weekend! Good luck to all those traveling.

In other news, my dossier package has officially left my possession. Before leaving for Chicago this AM, I sent everything off to the agency yesterday afternoon. From here, it will join a couple other documents from my agency and then it's off to Vladivostok! (Technically the Primorskiy Kray region) My i600a form should potentially go out in the mail this week as well. As soon as I have my copy of the home study (which is complete!!) - that document will leave my possession as well.

After that - it's all in someone else's hands and I enter the list of the "waiting"!!

Thanks for all your thoughts -- it helps make this anxious time better!

Wow -- what a weekend! I just got back from my 20th class reunion. Needless to say, it was a BLAST!! First, I have a really great group of friends from the class that I STILL keep in touch with. Second, it was very cool to hook up with people I haven't seen in years and meet some of their spouses that were equally as cool.

Plus I always get nostalgic when back in the old Mountain town. Say what you want, but Mt. Pleasant rocks!

So, my agency contact is also back from vacation, and this week will be a big week! My i600a will go in to the BCIS AND my dossier will go over to Vladivostok! Wish me luck -- I am going to officially enter the list of the "waiting!!"

Princess and the Pea

Anyone need a queen size mattress and box spring? Heck, I'll even throw in the frame (no headboard, though, sorry!) As I get ready to start contemplating a baby's room - I need to find a home for the guest room bed. It's not exactly new -- however, it's pretty much been guest room material since it's arrival (translation, hasn't been slept on much!)

Let me know!

My Home Study is.... SOUP

Since today is Father's Day, I thought I'd use on of my father's favorite sayings to honor my home study! If something is "done" it's "SOUP". So... my home study is SOUP!!

Kassie, my social worker, came up today for my 2nd visit. That combined with the phone interview we've done - it's all set and waiting to be notarized! My fingerprints should be finalized early this week and it's history!

From here, we get a bunch of notarized copies and send them off with a) i-600a form to the govt. and b) Vladivostok with my first dossier to Russia! I spent the early part of the weekend gathering and signing all the needed documents for the Vladivostok (or Vladi as Rhonda now refers to it). Everything is printed and ready to go including the picture files they require. They want to see pictures of the family (or in this case - me!), the car, my house: inside/outside front and back, including the babies future room, even if it's not ready. Which, needless to say, mine is NOT.

That's the other kicker -- I am trying not to get TOO far ahead of myself. It's the old jinx fear factor. Call me crazy (it won't be the first time), I know - but it's my weird fear. And I am not the only one. Lorien at Lighthouse told me when she adopted her daughter, she finally broke down one weekend and painted the bedroom - and wham, the next day she found out she had a 3 month delay! SEE....

So that's the news of the day. Happy Father's Day to all you father's out there (including mine!).

Birth Certificate Palozza

Anyone one want to buy a genuine, duplicate, Amy Repp birth certificate? I now have an overrun of certified, official birth certificates!!

When I first got started with this process, in all the reading I had done, I knew you needed 3 certified copies (officially stamped) copies of your birth certificate (and FYI - also your wedding and or divorce certificates if applicable) for the process. Being the proactive doobie (how's that for a Romper Room term!) that I am, I was pro-active and starting looking at my options. I knew I'd be in Mt. Pleasant for the big 20th class reunion on 6/20, so I had that as a back-up plan. Online people suggested using vitalcheck.com. So I checked them out as a quicker option. $47 a piece. Yipes. Lorien from my agency suggested that I go to a State of Michigan website and you can order additional certificates there. Great site - very easy and I was off with my $26 original order (much better) and 2 additionals @ $12 each. A grand total of $50 for 3 instead of $150 was a winner to me!

So this week as I am nearing the completion of my home study, guess what I am still waiting for? You got it... the birth certificates. After joining the ranks of the 21st century and going to online banking, I KNEW the state had cashed my check two weeks ago - so I knew I was in progress. But no certificates.

Wednesday of this week (wow, that was just yesterday). I was scheduled for a meeting at work in Stanwood, Michigan. My trusty-rusty Garmin route took me straight through Mt. Pleasant! So I figured, what the heck and on the way home I stopped by the Isabella County Courthouse and within 5 minutes walked out with 3 certified copies of my birth certificate for the winning price of $16. What a bargain! $10 for the original and $3 each additional copy. Feeling so proud of myself, I sent the copy off to Lighthouse, knowing all MY end of the paperwork was done and they didn't have to wait on me.

Murphy's Law - guess what arrived in the mail today :). You got it -- 3 more copies of my birth certificate! So, I am now swimming in birth certificates and still have spent LESS than I would have at vitalcheck.com. I'll never be able to say -- "I don't know if I have a copy of my birth certificate..." I am debating selling two on eBay... you never know they could be worth something some day!