Why this woman should be a grandmother

Bear has quite a family waiting to welcome him home. Let me tell you about one of his adoptive grandmas.

There are some people who know their calling without question. My mom is one of those people. She had two callings in life. One to be a wife and mother, and one to be a nurse. Because she followed her calling, countless people benefitted. My father, sister and I probably most of all. Now retired with daughters grown up, all that love, skill, and nurturing is still there, just waiting to be showered on a GRANDBABY.

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Here are some examples I think show why this woman is qualified for the grandmother position.

She is the woman who always had lemon drops in the glove box for long car rides.

She is the woman who administered CPR with a suringe to my dying hamster.

She is the nurse who kissed the baby boys in the newborn nursery after they were circumcized, comforting them and telling them it's alright. Really!

She is the woman who managed all the details of our busy growing up lives.

This is the woman who signs notes with a heart in place of the O in MOM.

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This is the woman who is always thinking about her family and remembers the special details.

This is the woman who sent care packages in college. And then care packages when I moved 2,000 miles away for my first job. And then care packages when Dodd and I got married. Who still sends notes and care packages.

Look what she sent in the mail the week of Bear's referral. A baby shower in a box. This box contained at least 30 presents for Bear. Each individually wrapped and tied with a bow. One of those presents is a blanket she started knitting when we first started the adoption paperwork last winter. So much thoughtfulness.

She's waited a long time for this. If you asked her, she might say it's happening a little differently than she thought it would. Adoption is new to my family. Watching me walk down the aisle she probably didn't think her first grandbaby would one day come from half a world away. Yet she's been open and learning, and she is terribly excited. She follows the blogs. I love when she calls and wants to talk about Lucy Lane or Hannah's Hope or other blog news. She watches adoption shows on cable TV. She sends articles she finds. She shares what she learns and listens to what I am learning. And she and Dad are even planning to travel to Wisconsin in the WINTER to finally meet their grandson.

Mom I miss you. I wish we weren't so far away. Your example is largely why I trust my maternal instinct, even if it's yet untested. I know I'm going to need your help a lot coming up. I hope I can be as good a mother to Bear as you were and are to us. I can't wait for you to be his GRANDMA.

I am pretty sure I am in trouble now. She's going to kill me for posting about her!

How much love can you fit in a one gallon Ziploc?

That was a question Jana posed two summers ago when she and Rob sent a care package off to sweet Elias who was at Hannah's Hope. I remember her post well. We were thinking about adoption, and I wondered if one day we would send a baggie full o love to Ethiopia.

That day has arrived. We get one chance to send Bear a care package, the contents of which must fit in a one gallon Ziploc bag.

I slept with this bear and this blanket the past couple nights so they smell like us. Good or bad. Not too sure.

The smelly comfy things are going with a photo album:

Somewhere along the line I decided Bear must also hear our voices when he first sees our pictures. The butterfly came through. In its wings are pictures of Bear, mommy, daddy, Merl the cat, Simone the cat, and the house. The coolest part, as each page turns, our voices narrate, the cats meow, and we tell Bear we are coming soon.


This bear smushed into a Ziploc will go before us to Ethiopia. His job is to give love and comfort until we get there. Then we will have the pleasure of bringing two bears home.

This week was a little rough as the reality of our court delay sunk in. I have a new appreciation for this old post of Jana's. Preparing the care package helped keep our heads screwed on straight. :) We also know four families in Ethiopia TODAY about to meet their kids TOMORROW! We have the privilege of following along with them through the gift of The Blog. This will be a joyful week. This is what it's all about.

Hensley

East

McBride

Sinclair

Shower Safari Surprise

My coworkers surprised me with a shower after work this past week. They transformed our little factory into the African Savannah complete with mosquito nets, lions, giraffes, and lots of good food and wine. They even managed to get Dodd there. I was so surprised and overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness. I work with great people.

Waiting to Exhale

We received some disappointing news today. We did NOT pass court on 11/2. The Ministry of Women's Affairs did not finish their report in time for our court date. So we have been rescheduled for a 12/1 court date. This has never happened before that AGCI is aware of.

There are some things I'm taking heart in. Bear's birthfamily DID make it to court on 11/2 and testified. Since this is the least certain part of the process, it is reassuring to know that this is no longer pending in our case. Which makes the hearing on 12/1 mostly procedural. As long as the MOWA report is complete by 12/1, we will pass. It just means delay. It will be at least another month before we can bring our boy home, likely some time in January.

Ok, deep breath. Hold on a little longer.

The Way to Bear

It's sinking in. A 3-1/2 month old baby boy in Ethiopia just got a new last name, which just happens to be our last name. Which means, he's finally, legally, ours.

Before we can fly over and swoop him up, a bit more process must run its course. The Ethiopian court is issuing a decree stating we have custody. The Ethiopian government is re-issuing his birth certificate with his new last name. And the US Embassy is issuing his visa. Once these are complete, and Bear has one last medical exam, we will be given an embassy date. AGCI will coordinate our travel around this date.

The two tentative embassy dates for December are the 14th and the 28th.

No more holding back. It's time to...reserve plane tickets, make packing lists, prepare donations for Hannah's Hope, finish up our immunizations, get a crib, a carseat, a stroller, paint the room, FIGURE OUT HOW TO CHANGE A DIAPER, and so on. Oh my.

The Pratts are in our prayers tonight. Their case is probably in court in Ethiopia right now!

Three Beautiful Words

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He is ours!

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No News

I'm sorry to report there is no news to report. Hoping for something by the end of the week. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement!

Praying for The Pell family going to court tonight!

Court Non-Update

Still no news from Ethiopia. Julie hasn't heard anything either.

Stay hopeful for tomorrow!

Night Court - Court Tonight

Lots of news to celebrate this past week.

Baby Zek, Naomi, and the Andersen twins are all out of the hospital and back at Hannah's Hope!

Several families received court dates including the Boyces and the Andersens!

Five families went to court this past week, and five families passed! The Hensley, McBride, Sinclair, and Gothro families all legally grew by one this week. And the Allens legally grew by THREE. We have not met the Allens but hope to some day. They are adopting the 3 kids I wrote about last March. Dodd and I have been all smiles knowing the kids now legally belong in the family that will love and provide for them all the days of their lives. As they say in the adoption world, they have their "Forever Family." We can't wait for ALL of these families to be united VERY SOON!

We are praying there is good news this coming week for the families waiting for court dates and referrals. Also for the Pell family who goes to court Thursday.

We are going to court tonight. Ethiopia is 8 hours ahead of Central time. So about the time Midwesterners are deep in sleep, court will be in session and our case will be heard. We are hopeful that everything will come together, but are also trying to prepare ourselves in the event it doesn't. We might not know for several days if we passed. Waiting for the answer could almost be worse than not passing. We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

Much to be thankful for. Much to be hopeful for. Crazy, amazing journey.