7/21/09 Heard about Charlie for the first time
7/22/09 We commit to adopting Xiaohu aka 'Paul'- to become Charles William. Agency assures us it is OK to wait to start homestudy as CA/N clearances are taking about 3 months. We schedule early Oct. as this was the earliest the SW could do it. We questioned this at the time, noting our previous 2 adooptions had taken about a month for clearances.
7/29/09 Ordered copies of all of the vital docs
7/30/09- Hague info sent to us
8/7/09- Conferred with Dr. Lynn Batten on Charlie's pacemaker. Excellent local pediatric cardiologist who also referred us to Dr. Lau, electrophysiologist.
8/11/09 Submitted LOI packet.
8/12/09- Completed Michigan CA/N clearance request
8/12/09 Charlie was hospitalized with edema. Local Cardiologist thinks it's kidney related.
8/24/09 Provided the scanned dossier to the agency and social worker
9/3/09 Emailed copies of the Texas background checks to agency and social worker
9/3/09 Agency sent out notification that all pending LOIs should be submitted this week as CCAA would be reclaiming the agency specific children's files. We sent our docs again this day. Agency had been trying to wait to ensure we could meet the 90 day DTC date since LOI starts that clock.
9/14/09- Agency working to resolve how to handle marriage license issue
9/21/09 I asked about the CA/N clearances and was told there was 'no word yet' Also asked about our reference letters.
9/28/09 China rep was waiting to hear how to proceed with our marriage license issue and has not submitted LOI
10/4-6/09 Homestudy appointments
10/23/09 Meet with Lifeline in B'ham
Early October: Baby's file returned to CCAA as LOI papers not filed in time. File had to be retrieved- took another week. LOI filed and awaiting on PA
10/30/09 Discovered the CA/N clearances were complete back on 8/23/09, and homestudy is still incomplete and social worker still asking questions that were already answered. We're really not pleased with the situation, and are concerned that we have lost 2 months on the timeline
11/2/09 Homestudy revised and approved
11/6/09 Homestudy to DHR and agency advised we file I-800. PA still outstanding. When I asked for a hard copy, they said we would need to wait for the USCIS paperwork to come through before they would release it
11/9/09- Thinking about Charlie's upcoming third birthday next week.
11/17/09- PA issued
11/19/09- Sent I-800
12/10/09- Heard the homestudy had been sent to NBC
12/18/09- Received invitation for fingerprinting on 1/6/10
1/6/10- Went to New Orleans for printing
2/16/10- Got news the AL DHR will approve the homestudy addendum to adopt another child.
2/17/10- Per PA, we must be LID by this date, but agency has confirmed we will be given an extension.
3/1/10- Initial I-800 approved for both children.
3/2/10- I-800 being authenticated.
3/17/10- DTC on Chance's birthday!
LOI 10/30/09 estimated
PA 11/17/09
DTC 3/17/10
Projections vs. Actual
LID 2/1/10 3/28/10
LOA 4/30/10 6/15/10
I-800 6/7/10
Cabled/NVC 6/15/10
Article 5 18 days due 7/6
TA 7/1/10 5 days due 7/11
Travel dates 7/15/10 or 7/30
CA 8/11/10
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer Vacation 2009
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Staying at Rendy’s Hidaway in Gulf Shores for a while to get rested up- as much as possible with 4 small kids! Jenny, Jill, Corey and Cole have stayed with us all week, with Matt, Ben, Lacey, and Lindsay joining us periodically. The kids have had a great time so far in spite of being sick with colds. The sunscreen is working wonderfully too- I’m the only one burned to date (forgot to get my back done in the scramble to get everyone ready for the beach).
We met a family with 6 kids on the beach, one of which was from China, and saw another family with adopted kids. Seems like families with adoptive kids from China are every where, or maybe we are just so much more aware of them these days. It is nice for the boys to see other families like ours.
We rode into Orange Beach last night and ogled Publix- just love that store and it was nice to get out in the evening a bit. The produce section just makes you want to eat it- such a sensory overload. Of course, the bakery was really cool too- they had the onion bagels Matt has been asking for. We also stopped at a souvenir shop and picked up some flip-flops for the girls and a hermit crab for the kiddos to torture. Jill was so funny, she kept insisting his hand was broken. It took a lot of reassuring and a physical exam to convince her that her nurse-Mimi was credible and the crab was fine.
The kids have built sand castles galore, and Jenny made ‘snow’ angels too. The boys floated stick ‘boats’ in a shallow pool that had formed on the beach. Jill stopped every few steps on our surf side walk to pick up even more seashells, and found a rusty nickel that she hopes to spend. The girls kept drawing an ‘X’ in the sand to mark the spot to dig- they are generally entertaining to watch while they search for treasure. The kids have all had a wonderful time gathering up small clams in their buckets of brine and watching the bi-valves siphons extend. They spent hours gathering the clams and walking the beach for seashells.
We happened on a sand 'jacuzzi' someone had crafted so the waves would fill it up sporadically, and were shocked when a massive wave overfilled it and tumbled Cole kit over caboodle. The surprised faces would have been a great picture according to a nearby beachcomber.
We did make it back out to the state park in Orange Beach a couple of times since we stayed at the beach house where the pics in this slideshow were taken. Every time we take a longer drive Corey asks if we're going to the beach, and if we'll be going into the tunnel that takes us that way. The pavilion there is great and there is a shallow sandbar that is perfect to swim with the kids on. The boys were so content they all fell asleep while we were holding them in the surf- might have something to do with the ocean waves disc they've been listening to every night for ages.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Isabell turns 3!
The boys had a blast recently at Isabel's pool party, where the little princess reigned over her Dora cake and amazed us with her advanced swimming skills. The music is from Cole's favorite show 'It's a Big Big World'. What a neat family to share their celebration with us too!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Corey and Cole age 3 Photoshoot Summer 2009
The pictures don't tell the whole story.... captions added for interpretive purposes. Warning- has sound! Use the 'pause' button on the play list to turn off the competing music.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Favorite Books
All I can say is Amazon is getting rich off of my Kindle downloads. Everything written by Clive Cussler, Stuart Woods, Dan Brown, Patricia Cromwell, Ken Follett, JK Rowling. Starting on Jack du Brul/Clive Cussler.
DDs are into the whole Goth thing and Twilight has their attention.
DH says I should note his favorite book here- refering to the fact that he only reads a book or two per year.
DSs like Paddle to the Sea, Where the Wild Things Are, and anything on planes, trains, or automobiles. Corey loves the gong gong sha 'bus' and din-ing dine 'aeroplane'. Cole likes the birthday cakes. Jenny and Jill think the Angelina Ballerina series is cool, but love storytime at the library. Ben is into Elmo bigtime.
DDs are into the whole Goth thing and Twilight has their attention.
DH says I should note his favorite book here- refering to the fact that he only reads a book or two per year.
DSs like Paddle to the Sea, Where the Wild Things Are, and anything on planes, trains, or automobiles. Corey loves the gong gong sha 'bus' and din-ing dine 'aeroplane'. Cole likes the birthday cakes. Jenny and Jill think the Angelina Ballerina series is cool, but love storytime at the library. Ben is into Elmo bigtime.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
New Spot for a New Era
There have been a lot of monumental changes this year. We have a charismatic president, and the spirit of hope seems to bouy us along. Whether you feel like flotsam or the QE2, we have an empowered spirit here in the US. With our adoptions complete, we are relocating to a new blogspot to change the focus to the whole family, and to limit access to our family and friends.
This past year has brought a lot of changes to our home as well. The biggest is the addition of our two sons, which has been quite a ride so far. Our daughter and her family have returned to work on their education, so we get to enjoy our grandkids a lot more. Five of us are in college, three of us work from home, and five of us are under five. Makes for a insanely busy schedule- the house is only quiet between 1-6:30 AM, but somehow everyone pulls together and we keep plugging along.
Working from home has it's benefits and detriments. You can hear everything that is happening in the kids' day and know exactly how their day has gone. The bad news is that you can hear everything that is happening. Ultimately, the kids get the cool aspect of having at least one parent available all of the time and we have been there to really be immersed in their world and plugged in parents. We're about to let the boys stretch a bit- they're going to K-3 in the fall when the grandaughters head off to K-5.
Cast call-
Three year old DS Corey is just plain ready to go and asks us everyday when he can go to school. He really relates to the five year old twins, Jenny and Jill, and thinks he is Joe Cool at age 20. Way laid back kid (Buddist influence?), smart, wants to please. I worry that because he is not so demanding, he doesn't get as much attention and try to seek him out. He loves to tease and laugh. Favorite thing at the moment- calling everyone whatever they are eating: meathead, oatmeal head (read Engligh language skill development here). His baby brother (by a whole 2 months) DS Cole is so much a Velcro baby that he needs the school time on his own to learn independence. His clinginess seems to be a rebound effect from the sensory issues related to being in an orphange for those precious first 16 months of his life. We have just gotten past the point where we have had him longer than he lived in China. When he first arrived homein 6-9 month sized clothes, he did not eat, sleep well, or want to be touched or held- weird for a 16 month old baby. Now he eats everything, in adult quantities- he has grown a lot in a short period of time. And he insists on being cuddled whether dinner is getting cooked or not. He is starting to speak in sentences, and I am delighted to say after 18 months of endless screaming with frustration, he is talking to us. His last early development session will be next month.
These kids are amazing in their personalities are so much bigger than they are. DGD Jenny is able to totally tune everything out and does her own thing- very independent. She reminds me of a little pixie- definitely favors her dad's side of the family, simply beautiful. DGD Jill is my 'mini-me'- in looks and personality-total control freak, always trying to orchestrate what everyone else is doing, bossy, and full of tenacity. They are both doing ballet and tap at the moment- and have a recital coming up soon. Their little brother DGS Ben is almost 2 and still at the wild-man stage- pre-verbal and full throttle, which belies his blue-eyed blond angelic appearance. Poppy has started calling him 'Lightning Ben'- a take off on Lightning McQueen from the Cars movie shirt Ben loves. If you look away for even a second, Ben is gone and into something. Latest adventure seems to be the laundry room- he thinks he should hang out in the clothes dryer. We are sooo in trouble with this one.
DD Lindsay is 20 and still working at a car rental company from home and on nursing school. We have high hopes for her bright future. Not quite a teenager, and not totally an adult either.
DD Lauren is 23 and almost out of school as a computer analyst. Her best time of day is the Starbuck's drive thru on her cell phone. She doesn't even have to place an order anymore- the barista's just know what to do. Another caffeine junkie is born. She only thinks I don't know what she is up to at any given moment since she lives in Huntsville.
DD Lacey is 24 and is doing very well on her dental assistant program. Her spouse Matt is 22 is learning computer systems.
DH Nick and I both work from home on opposite shifts and are on the downside of MBAs. Since the boys are still small, our idea of a vacation this year involves redoing the downstairs flooring and painting the kitchen. We recently laid hands on a tent and are thinking about going camping too.
Add the spastic Pomerainian Mona to the mix and the male beta named after Elmo's fish Dorothy, and the tribe is complete.
This past year has brought a lot of changes to our home as well. The biggest is the addition of our two sons, which has been quite a ride so far. Our daughter and her family have returned to work on their education, so we get to enjoy our grandkids a lot more. Five of us are in college, three of us work from home, and five of us are under five. Makes for a insanely busy schedule- the house is only quiet between 1-6:30 AM, but somehow everyone pulls together and we keep plugging along.
Working from home has it's benefits and detriments. You can hear everything that is happening in the kids' day and know exactly how their day has gone. The bad news is that you can hear everything that is happening. Ultimately, the kids get the cool aspect of having at least one parent available all of the time and we have been there to really be immersed in their world and plugged in parents. We're about to let the boys stretch a bit- they're going to K-3 in the fall when the grandaughters head off to K-5.
Cast call-
Three year old DS Corey is just plain ready to go and asks us everyday when he can go to school. He really relates to the five year old twins, Jenny and Jill, and thinks he is Joe Cool at age 20. Way laid back kid (Buddist influence?), smart, wants to please. I worry that because he is not so demanding, he doesn't get as much attention and try to seek him out. He loves to tease and laugh. Favorite thing at the moment- calling everyone whatever they are eating: meathead, oatmeal head (read Engligh language skill development here). His baby brother (by a whole 2 months) DS Cole is so much a Velcro baby that he needs the school time on his own to learn independence. His clinginess seems to be a rebound effect from the sensory issues related to being in an orphange for those precious first 16 months of his life. We have just gotten past the point where we have had him longer than he lived in China. When he first arrived homein 6-9 month sized clothes, he did not eat, sleep well, or want to be touched or held- weird for a 16 month old baby. Now he eats everything, in adult quantities- he has grown a lot in a short period of time. And he insists on being cuddled whether dinner is getting cooked or not. He is starting to speak in sentences, and I am delighted to say after 18 months of endless screaming with frustration, he is talking to us. His last early development session will be next month.
These kids are amazing in their personalities are so much bigger than they are. DGD Jenny is able to totally tune everything out and does her own thing- very independent. She reminds me of a little pixie- definitely favors her dad's side of the family, simply beautiful. DGD Jill is my 'mini-me'- in looks and personality-total control freak, always trying to orchestrate what everyone else is doing, bossy, and full of tenacity. They are both doing ballet and tap at the moment- and have a recital coming up soon. Their little brother DGS Ben is almost 2 and still at the wild-man stage- pre-verbal and full throttle, which belies his blue-eyed blond angelic appearance. Poppy has started calling him 'Lightning Ben'- a take off on Lightning McQueen from the Cars movie shirt Ben loves. If you look away for even a second, Ben is gone and into something. Latest adventure seems to be the laundry room- he thinks he should hang out in the clothes dryer. We are sooo in trouble with this one.
DD Lindsay is 20 and still working at a car rental company from home and on nursing school. We have high hopes for her bright future. Not quite a teenager, and not totally an adult either.
DD Lauren is 23 and almost out of school as a computer analyst. Her best time of day is the Starbuck's drive thru on her cell phone. She doesn't even have to place an order anymore- the barista's just know what to do. Another caffeine junkie is born. She only thinks I don't know what she is up to at any given moment since she lives in Huntsville.
DD Lacey is 24 and is doing very well on her dental assistant program. Her spouse Matt is 22 is learning computer systems.
DH Nick and I both work from home on opposite shifts and are on the downside of MBAs. Since the boys are still small, our idea of a vacation this year involves redoing the downstairs flooring and painting the kitchen. We recently laid hands on a tent and are thinking about going camping too.
Add the spastic Pomerainian Mona to the mix and the male beta named after Elmo's fish Dorothy, and the tribe is complete.
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