Meetings, anxiety, a new orphanage, and more fingerprints!

I met in person today with our agency director, and spoke in depth about where we are with the referral process, etc...he said we are at number 8. He explained there are 2 families in front of us who want 2 children, a couple that want boy or girl, girl only, boy only, etc...so the actual number is a bit confusing to most...but as he and I agree...there is no need to get caught up in a number, it's God's Hands on this..not the agency director, or the orphanage director in Ethiopia, or mine or John's or anyone else's but God's, very capable, hands.
I just know God sits up there and looks down and me and laughs, (probably a good ole belly laugh) when he sees me down here "planning" and having anxiety with thoughts of "will it be a boy or a girl", "can I even handle a girl?", "can I really handle 4 kids? FOUR! My life is over forever and ever", "when I do get a referral, how long will it be to we get to see him/her?" and "then when we have to leave the baby to come home, I won't be able to function", and "should I stay there?" "how long will it be until I get to go back? 6 weeks or 4 months?" "will the baby be ok to move to yet another home at the transition home before coming home to us?" "what if when we are home, the baby doesn't attach to me like I have read about so much online?"."what if my own kids have a hard time with all of this change"..and it goes on and on and on....I know He just shakes his head and thinks, "Oh my child, ye of little faith! Pray to me! You are not in control..but just wait, I am teaching you... but it is funny to Me that you THINK you have any of this handled without Me".

I know it sounds goofy to have a dialogue going on in my head between God and I, but in the past few months I have honestly thought about if God were here, what would he say to me? He would tell me to turn to Him for help. Not my husband, family, or friends...they are helpful of course, but He is the one who brings peace. That's always my answer. But I do tend to forget...a little too often.

On a very positive note, the director also said they officially have a verbal agreement (so not 100% until it's on paper) that our agency will start receiving referrals from a little orphanage about 30 minutes outside of the capital of Ethiopia. It's a town called "Nazrete", which some refer to as ""Adam". The names of the orphanage is "Selam".  It is a pretty large orphanage and in comparison to Ethiopia is a nice facility. They are also expanding in the near future to accommodate growth. So, what does that mean for us? Another orphanage sending referrals means more children referred to parents like us waiting:)

Lastly, John and I had our infamous i600a Biometrics appt. yesterday at 3:00 over near the airport. It was quick, to the point, and we were in and out in 15 minutes. We had a good time in there with those workers...the lady told John to relax, when electronically taking his fingerprints. I told him, "John she's not going to bite you, loosen up!" to which John replies..."Oh that is what I am hoping for, that she will bite me"...to which they die laughing and I reply, "Ok now this is just getting weird". We get in the car, and I said, "ok how did that go from a Biometrics appt. to you wanting an officer to bite you? " That man, he's not a chatterbox, but sometimes what comes out, just leaves me puzzled. It gave me a good laugh though. So that was it...our FINAL step, (now we just wait for a couple of weeks for our approval for that form) and WE ARE DONE WITH THE PAPERCHASE! Yah! Such a great Christmas present.  :)

Update on donations..

Spoke with our agency director via email today and he just got home from Ethiopia. He said as of this past week things are getting VERY sticky in Ethiopia customs...as in they will not let you through and make every single item going through (diapers, etc) tough. (ie: One person had 200 pairs of shoes for an organization, and they had to pay $500!!!!) That being said, if you are planning on a tangible donation, it will be in the best interest of all involved if we do monetary donations only. If you want to give specific items to the children, I can buy what you specifically would like for your money to go to once I am there. I have decided that is what I will do..go to Ethiopia, talk to the nannys and see exactly what they need and go buy it myself. This way I know EXACTLY where our donations go! If you want a tax deductible donation you must make the check out to "Small World" rather than myself, as I am not an official "charity".  And as always, thank you , thank you, thank you to all who have so graciously donated thus far!

More about the charity, we spoke with our accountant, and he suggested starting a charity, but then once we really looked into all involved, it will be thousands of dollars that we need to put towards the adoption at this time. But I do pray in the future to do this. It was so exciting to think about it, but I know with the changes of the new baby in the family and everything, running a full blown charity is just not in my immediate future..as much as I want it to be..I know my limits:) 

Another big event, this Thursday we will do our biometrics appt. and this marks a very important end to our "paper chase" as they call it in the adoption world. And, our director said we are #8 on the list. It's a small agency, so #8 would be oh so exciting for a big agency, but for us, it still means quite a bit more waiting. (Many large agencies at our phase of the game we would be #80 or more because they do such large amounts of referrals so #8 with them would mean in a month or 2:)I still pray for a 2013 referral, but open to whatever is supposed to be.  

Update and thank yous:)

I am in bed with a yucky sickness:( No new news on our front with the adoption..just waiting until the 29th (in 6 days) to do our biometrics appt. and we are DONE.  I will be so happy to have that done.  Then, we just wait...and wait..and wait.  In a way it is good because we have lots of time to prepare..and get caught up on things I have been putting off around the house. I will post again when I feel better:) I just wanted to update what was going on, which isn't a lot! Happy late Thanksgiving to everyone!! xo

Video of newborn baby found in street..happens every..single..day..

Thankful

November is Orphan Awareness Month and I have been trying to spread the word!

 Thank you so much to all who have donated, supported, and prayed for not only our child, but for all the children who we also want to benefit from our donations. Big things ahead:) 2 different companies have offered to collect donations for us and also Gray's preschool teacher agreed to let us put a box with needed supplies outside of the classroom...
Here is a flyer I made for collecting (very quickly so it's not too fancy:)

Donations coming in and an Ethiopia Orphanage Video..

Our first donation came last night in tangible form from our sweet lil neighbor , Skylar. She brought over formula for the orphanage! Another sweet neighbor gave money, and a few different friends made donations via my blog! And..several people told me in person they are giving money as well! So nice of everyone to contribute when I know money is  tight for many and Christmas is the time of year when it really is! 

I got the name of one of the orphanages that my agency uses right now. I found this orphanage has many needs and they are opening another "branch" so to speak in a nearby town. They need so many things it is unreal...bunk beds, soap, cups, you name it. I am collecting the money and will see where it needs to be used the most and will let everyone know what that is of course! There are so many needs, it is truly hard to even pick which ones take priority. I emailed the director and asked him to give me what the top needs will be in the coming months. I can't wait to bless this place.. which many children will call "home", and for some it is home forever:(

The following is a excerpt from a blog from a girl who visited the Miskaye orphanage and posted about it:

"All the babies were clearly fed and well loved. But they were all soaked. Soaked through. Amy and I picked each baby up to hug and kiss them and each one was just as wet as the last. I couldn't understand this -- the babies at Wide Horizons had never been wet. But later I learned that Miskaye is still struggling to make monthly ends meet and they cannot afford disposable diapers which are quite costly in Ethiopia. They don't have enough parents coming in bringing diapers, etc,. so they have to use cloth diapers and even these are ripped & threadbare now from so many washings. Poor babies. Poor nannies too. Washing cloth diapers is not a job I relish! "

Breaks. My. Heart. Can you imagine YOUR child laying in their crib in urine all day?

Thankfully God keeps providing for our own adoption costs! We kind of just pay in increments along the way as things get approved, etc. so that is good. Any money I raise for through tshirts etc. I will still put towards the orphanage fund. I truly think we can make such a difference in this place! 

Below is a video of an orphanage in Ethiopia...remember you are making a difference-just because we don't see it , doesn't mean it's not there unfortunately.:(

Skip to 1:22 in the video to see all those babies in cribs! Unbelievable!

Donate this Christmas...:)

UPDATE on this post:: Monetary donations are preferred as customs in Ethiopia is very strict! However, if you had rather put together a care package or buy individual items I will pack them all up and ship them no problem!! Thank you again so very much!

I am going to start very early collecting as much as possible for the orphanage and transition home in Ethiopia. This Christmas season if you feel inclined to donate monetarily you can do so on my blog via paypal and I will announce where every last cent goes later in the process when I find what the most need is. I can guarantee you it will be used to buy things for children in this orphanage that we buy every week for our own children and don't think twice. If you would like to donate items instead...this is a list of items I will be collecting, but they would like anything, they are kids! It doesn't have to be pricey, if you see something adorable on the Target discount rack for 75% off , grab it, as long as it is NEW, I can send it to Ethiopia. It doesn't have to be "namebrand"--generic is fine! Best of all, I am pretty sure I will have many pictures of them in clothes, diapers, playing with toys, etc...donated by YOU!
If you don't think you have any extra money to give, here are just a few ways to possibly make it happen:

1. Don't drink Starbucks for a few days
2. Skip eating out one meal and eat at home  
3. Save your spare change in a giving jar (let your kids get in on it)
4. Forgo expensive drinks one weekend and drink water instead, considering one glass of wine is average $12 that's a good return:)
5. Instead of taking a date night that requires a lot of money like a dinner and a movie, go for a run/walk..sit and talk (in peace) over coffee
6. Ask people you work/friends with to donate $1! Yes, even $1 adds up really quick over a period of time..and I could find some fun toys at Dollar Tree for the kids!
7. Sell old books on ebay or amazon
8. Sell old clothes on ebay or online or in local thrift stores (I saw on the Today Show where girls were making BIG money doing this!
9. Sell an old piece of furniture on Craiglist
10. Clean out your garage and you can always find something that someone on Craigslist will buy

Below is a list of items currently needed::

Toys- baby teethers, pacifiers, etc. as well 

Baby powder

Hand sanitizer

Baby wipes (unscented)

Cloth Diapers

Disposable Diapers

Infant Tylenol and Advil (Childrens as well)

Multi Vitamins syrup & tablets for different age groups

Iron drops for infants

Anti fungal ointment

Diaper rash cream 

Lice Treatment shampoo

Coloring Books and Crayons

Baby bottles

Baby t-shirts

Baby sweaters

Hats for the babies

Baby Lotion

Band-Aids/Neosporin

Towels for the babies

Blankets for the babies

Children’s Books

Toothpaste and toothbrushes

Pedialyte

Shoes (especially Crocs for toddlers/big kids/and caretakers)

Clothes

Items for caretakers such as Bibles, perfume, clothing, etc.

If you write a letter or have your child draw them a letter I will have it translated for you:)

You can mail to me at :

4225 Carrolton Drive Franklin, TN 37064 OR if you are local you can drop off anytime to me OR I can meet you OR I can come to you!! I have a big storage room that my goal is to PACK FULL of things for these children!

Thank you for your support!!

Amy

Fingerprint Dates! (and some pics)

Addis, Ababa (capital of Ethiopia)

Our letter arrived from immigration today stating our biometrics (fingerprinting) appointment for Nov. 29! I have heard you could go early and to show up, but then a "friend" (an online fellow adoptive TN mama who I love and have never met!) told me that's a no go. She said she could the first time she went (and it expired so she had to go again), but that the Nashville office changed it and she couldn't the second time...so she had to wait. Please pray for Ashley and her husband as they are headed to Ethiopia to pick up her daughter who they have named Elsa (who is almost 3 years old), it will be her first child and I am so excited for her!  She has waited 2 very long years for this child and I am so blessed to have met her via Etsy and she is also the one who designed our tshirt logo and adoption logo (coming soon). They have already been once  to court about 12 weeks ago and still have no second court date, so they are just headed over and taking custody and waiting until they get the court date to come home. Africa time so I hear is MUCH MUCH slower than US time. Everything takes sooo long over there because their culture is just different like that.
I sent my agency director an email with a few questions while I wait for the next step, which is a whole lot more waiting..:)
One of which was the names of the orphanages that they are currently using for referrals. It's cool because I can actually see where they are living...even though I don't know exactly where and they are currently trying to contract to get more agencies to partner with. I was so happy to see these next pics...because no matter what orphanage the child is from...if a court date is assigned, this place (transition home) is where he/she will live until we can get there and scoop him/her up! And it was just renovated this past summer!!

These are actual kids at the transition home where our baby will be! Look how sweet--oh those faces!

They are so happy in the transition home. It is a much higher quality of care than where the orphanage they were at before being referred to a family. There is a pediatritian on staff as well as a nutritionist and 24 hour care by nannys all supported by funds of the adoption process and mostly very giving people who invest in the lives of these precious little people out of the kindness of their hearts! And best of all, for many it's the first time they are taught about God! They even learn English there...arts and crafts, clean clothes (unheard of, but they have a washer/dryer!), and love from their caregivers. If you were their caregiver would you just squeeze and kiss their little cheeks all day? I know I would want to! :) And another reason they are smiling? If they are in this transition home, it means they have been referred and are all going home to a mommy and daddy!

Sister rather than brother?? Hmmm...

So the last few days have been filled with the boys giving us all the reasons why they need a baby sister rather than a baby brother. Here are a few:

Tyler: "We only have 2 girls in our family"..Me: "2?" ..Tyler: "Yes, you and Darla"
Gray: "We need a sister because we would be sweet to her and let her play with pink toys"
Gray: "We already have brothers...we don't want another brother"
Gray at the ENT: Told the Dr. he needed 2 stickers for Ty and Eli and 2 stickers for his brother AND sister (this was about a month ago)
Gray yesterday to his preschool teacher: Told her all about his new baby sister and where she will sleep..
Tyler: "She will need someone to take care of her and rock her to sleep. What if she gets adopted by a family who dosen't have brothers to help take care of her?"

Ok, that last one kind of got me! To be honest...I KNOW boys, girls..not so much...I know I would love a girl or a boy but a girl is really out of my comfort zone. And John is a whole other story...in the beginning he was adamently AGAINST a girl...the thought of raising a girl scares him to death! So, we are now just praying that God will just pick for us...which one is supposed to be in our family!  Only time will tell!!!

Dossier is DONE!

We are officially done with the dossier as of today! What does this mean? We have ONE more thing to do before receiving a referral and that is a last set of fingerprints for immigration. We have to do that before we can send the dossier to Ethiopia. The approval will come after the fingerprints are done which takes a few weeks....It will have to be  authenticated, etc. by the agency which takes a few weeks and then translated, etc.. which takes a few weeks, etc....SO our goal is to hopefully be on the official waiting list for a referral by Christmas! Then, the wait could be 6-12 months from there until we receive a referral.  I am thinking realistically and hoping to have a referral by NEXT Christmas but we could very well be in Ethiopia by then too!  Most of the time if you hear someone waited a few months, it is from the official wait list month, not the beginning of the process....all of the process just takes time and a lot of patience...and no 2 people are alike, much like pregnancies...one person's experience horrible and then other's is relatively easy. Please continue to pray for us and our child. And thank you to anyone who has put me in contact with other Ethiopian adoptive parents and your sweet emails and encouraging words here and there. Means so much!