All Creechers Great and Small

Where did Feb. go???

2007-03-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Wow! I know we spent the first 10 days in Russia and then had a birthday party on the 18th (I still intend to get at least one cake on the face picture uploaded) and the rest is just a blur!!

I realized how long it had been since I posted when I put the pink sweater outfit that Creecher wore on the plane on her this morning and the waist band was snug! Yes, she's gained over 2 pounds since she was weighed in Moscow. Good girl! She's a good eater and we've kept her on formula in addition to other older baby / toddler foods to pour in the nutrition.

Only problem is, she's sleeping less and less during the day. In fact, there she is now...awake again. More later...hopefully with pictures!

A couple of quick things...

2007-02-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

First, THANK YOU Secret Pal for the Gruffalo book. It's not one I'd heard of but I LOVE it!

Secondly, I apologize for being SO, so slack about blogging while we were in country but, our access was sporadic and emailing Grandparents took priority.

Finally, we ARE home with Creecher (aka Lalia Elisabeth) and she's just amazing. Her ability to cope with all of the changes has been absolutely miraculous. We're still trying to settle into a routine of our own and she's still adjusting to the time change (it's 10 hours different from her region) but I'll try to post more about our trip later. For now, here's a quick peek at our girl.

More pics to come...I hope. If only nap time would outlast chore time! And now I hear her stirring again. Maybe she's dreaming of her own pet Gruffalo?

What's that weight limit?

2007-01-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

The good news is that we're almost packed. The bad news is that our bags seem to be taking on a life of their own. I'm sure one of them just swallowed the couch! We got an umbrella stroller bag for a shower present. Really nice and really handy except we discovered there was all kinds of extra room around the stroller. No need to waste it right? It's not wasted now! Actually, we have that bag (with the stroller, gifts and some baby things in it), a bag each for me and my husband and a small carry on and "purse" each. I think we're okay.

It's hard to believe that it's finally happening. Soon we'll be home with our daughter. It doesn't seem like long at all when I look back at when we started and what all we've been through. Then I look at the TV Guide and WOW! what we're missing - hours of American Idol, 2 weeks of Grey's Anatomy, the return of Lost, Survivor and ER, not to mention Studio 60, Beauty and the Geek and the Apprentice which I've given up on this season anyway. We'll never catch up! Oh well - I guess I'll be learning all the words to Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You instead. That sounds like a fair trade to me. Wonder if I've packed those? Better go check.

The countdown is starting

2007-01-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

We got the last documents apostilled today and just to put an exclamation point on that, our visas came. This is SO much better than week before last when every day brought another thing that WASN'T done. I think that the main thing we have to do now is pack...and clean house for the company that will be here when we get back...and buy our daughter some food (do you think it would impress the officials if we had absolutely nothing for her to eat?). Never mind, I won't be brought down - with our passports, visas, tickets and paperwork, WE CAN GO GET OUR DAUGHTER. Anything else we can get there if we have to.

Yesterday, my co-workers gave us a shower. It was overwhelming. The clothes, toys, a jogging stroller, several handmade gifts (the good heirloom kind), books...I think we are set (except for that food thing...oh yeah and bottles...how could I have forgotten to ever buy bottles??). The only questionable gift we got was a Di*per G*nie. I've heard pretty mixed reviews on whether they're useful or worth it so we hadn't put it on our registry but now we have one...with a gift receipt. What do you guys think??? Do you have one?...use it?...recommend it?

Oh yeah - if by chance we get home and realize that she's lacking anything, her birthday's only a week away. Tell me this - when we've just given her a new home, new family, new country, new name, new room, all new toys and clothes and even a puppy...WHAT DO YOU GET HER FOR A BIRTHDAY PRESENT???

Fiddle-dee-dee, I'll worry about that tomorrow. For now, I've gotta go pack something or check a list!

Breathing again

2007-01-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Our CIS fingerprints are taken care of. I found an email address, they responded quickly that they were very overloaded but (I assume because we had a specific date) said we'd have our updated I 171H within 5 days and we got it in 2.

We got our fingerprints and money order to the SBI along with a picture and a note asking (begging) to please do whatever they can to rush the process so we'll have time to get it and have it apostilled before we are supposed to travel. My mom asked what happens if it's not done in time and I told her that it just has to be.

Next quandary is the car seat that we ordered is on back order until after we leave. We have 2 options:

1. We've found a store here that has it in stock but it costs about $40 more than ordering it online.
2. A friend's mother has an extra car seat that we could use until we can order ours.

The debate is whether it's worth $40 (which is really a drop in the bucket in the whole process, right?) to have her very own car seat from the beginning. Or is it worth standing on principle to not pay extra when you KNOW it's available cheaper, just not right now. I may let my husband decide that one. He feels like he gets to make so few decisions right now (what will she wear for her homecoming outfit, how many pairs of tights she needs, are the C*rters socks warm enough or do we need others, etc.). But then, isn't that the way it is with pregnancies too?

For the time being we're breathing a little easier. We're assuming our visas will come in time, we'll have a car seat one way or the other and the state police clearances will be here by...Wed.? Please?!

Aaaaccck!!!

2007-01-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

I feel like Charlie Brown. Just when you can see the finish line, you trip over you own shoe strings.

We were notified yesterday that our state police clearance forms (which we asked for on the phone when we were trying to figure out how to get them and then wrote on the cover letter that we had to send in order to have them sent to us) are actually county level clearances which will not do. The good news is that we can hand carry the new forms with us rather than having to postpone our court date until we can get them and send them. When my husband (Mr. Paperwork Extraordinaire), called the office that he talked to before and explained the problem, the response was "oh yeah, we don't do those, you have to go through the SBI". Okay - would have been nice to know that when he asked the first time, but whatever. So, he contacts the SBI...no problem, just go get fingerprints, mail them to the SBI office (the campus is secure, you CAN NOT drive there and hand deliver them, not even if you offer to take the nice lady to lunch and slip them to her under the table), they will run the check and send the needed forms back to us. Shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 weeks. What?! We're on a plane to Russia in 2 weeks and those forms have to be apostilled, scanned, emailed to Russia and in my bag with me. She did say that if we included a letter reminding her of who we are and why we need this, she would do whatever she could to expedite the matter. I think this might be when we also slip in a picture of Creecher?

Prayers please!!!

Here we come!

2007-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Here we come blustery, snowy, freezing cold birth city of my daughter...here we come little Creecher...WE HAVE OUR COURT DATE!!!!

On Feb. 6, we'll become the parents of our very own little Creecher! I can't even believe it. I don't think I realized how nervous I was until I felt such huge relief when our case manager told us our court date. In the back of my mind I think I was painfully aware that any level of Russian government could decide to delay the process or stop it indefinitely. There's no question that we would wait a good long time for this little girl that we are already so in love with, but I can't help but think about how quickly children change at this age. Their hair is growing, their teeth are coming in, they're picking things up more quickly, holding themselves up better, the awareness in their eyes seems to make them look a little more grown up every time you see them.

I just wonder how much she's changed? In almost exactly 2 months, how much weight has she gained, has she learned to crawl, does she have top teeth to match the bottom ones, does she have more hair?

I can't wait to find out all of these things and more! I'm off soon to order visas, book flights, FINALLY wash those new little outfits that WILL still fit her when we bring her home.

Somewhere along the way, when I didn't even realize it, I switched from being excited about being a mom to feeling so lucky and blessed to be able to share a part of our lives with this precious little Creecher!

So...now's the time - unleash all of your trip 2 helpful hints!!!

Travel tips?

2007-01-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

Amid all the shopping, washing, organizing drawers and closets I keep avoiding the thought that we actually have to go through the process of bringing Creecher home. I know there are a lot of forever families out there already. I'm interested to hear what arrangements you made for your return trip. Did you get the bulk head seats with the airline bassinet? Did you buy a one way ticket for your child? How do 2 first class tickets compare to the price and space of three coach tickets? What kind of snacks did you have with you on the plane? Did you use any medication (for your child) to help her sleep or to help with her ears? What kinds of toys provided good entertainment without annoying other travelers?

Other than those specific things - what did you do that worked well? What would you do differently?

All thoughts, suggestions and advice are more than welcome.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

We SO need to have a child so we'll have an excuse for being total homebodies on New Year's Eve. Yesterday was cold and rainy so after church, we ate a snack and packed up Christmas decorations. (My family holds to the tradition that it's bad luck to have your tree up on New Year's Day - I don't really believe in superstitions but it IS a good excuse to make sure our tree isn't still up in June!). I paused a moment at 2 to wish Creecher a Happy New Year in her town and wish that she could know how much I hope that 2007 is the year that she will come home! At midnight, we popped a cork (on sparkling grape juice) and rang in the New Year with Dick Clark one more time.

I hope that 2007 holds all good things for both the recent and the soon-to-be forever families. Happy New Year!

And we're back...

2006-12-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas was great - full of all the regular traditions and lots of "next year blah, blah, blah". Our family does Christmas in a big way with extended family meals for both Christmas Eve dinner (Dad's family) and Christmas Day lunch (Mom's family), tons of food, tons of presents, our immediate family either Christmas morning or Christmas Eve morning depending on my brother's rotation. Realistically, I know it would have been totally overwhelming for a baby who's not really used to a lot of stimulation (it was exhausting for ME and I've done it just about my whole life!) but she was definitely with us in spirit. A thousand times a day I'd wonder what she was doing (uh...sleeping, you dork, she's 10 hours ahead of us!) and wonder what I'd be doing if she were with us. Hopefully we'll bring her home in the next few weeks and be able to introduce her to our world a little more gradually.

I tried to keep up with a lot of you - I was in the land of dial up so comments were a luxury there was just no time for but I DID read. I loved reading the posts from so many that are celebrating their first Christmas with their children.

The day after Christmas, Mama and I went shopping - for what else?...baby clothes! I know that we shouldn't go overboard because several groups have mentioned that they want to give us a shower in between trips but it's so fun to be able to buy her some things now that I KNOW her. Also, I don't have anything small enough for her to wear very soon. And if we get a court date before we have time for a shower, I want to be ready! Twice, Mama and I picked out a big assortment saying we'd just grab things we liked and then pick from those. I think the way it worked was that I looked at the assortment and picked my favorites and then she grabbed the rest. We should be in pretty good shape except for her feet. I don't think she'll be walking so I'm not terribly worried about walking shoes, but I worry about her feet being warm enough if we're out. Any suggestions?

Signed, sealed, delivered

2006-12-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

We picked up our apostilled paperwork, dashed off to make copies and get the originals and a copy in the mail to our agency. We got confirmation that it was delivered and then an email from our case manager saying she had mailed it to our coordinator in the region. We're on our way! Next step court date! What a great Christmas present. I'm taking a poll - how long did you have to wait for your court date after you sent your final paperwork in?

I'm on vacation!

2006-12-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

I'm officially on Christmas vacation. Yeah for me! What will we do with this time off? Make a mad 3-hours-one-way dash to pick up our apostilled paperwork, make copies for our agency and get them in overnight mail to our agency. Ho! Ho! Ho! We've really been trying to beat the holiday deadlines - our agency is closed next week and our in-country officials are off Jan. 1 - 10th so we really wanted to get the paperwork to our agency before they close so that they can get it to the in-country coordinators before THEY close. All of that so that we might get our Christmas wish of going to Siberia in the dead of winter. Huh? When did my life start to sound like a Lifetime Christmas movie??

On the topic of Christmas, we're in good shape. We made major progress over the weekend. We're not quite as decorated and don't have quite as many goodies but there's plenty of both. For goodies, we have fudge, sausage balls, ginger crinkle cookies, mini-mounds and my husband's family recipe for fruitcake (which HE loves so we make it). We had our annual "debate" over whether fudge is better with or without nuts (me without, him with) but he did the making so nuts it is. What do you guys think?...nuts or no nuts? What goodies can you just not have Christmas without?

You let me know - I'm going for a snack!

Is there a slow motion button some where?

2006-12-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming way too fast! I think we finished our shopping today and cards are ready to mail. My wonderful husband has been making Christmas goodies. Tomorrow, I have to make the Ginger Crinkle cookies that my dad loves and wrap presents. I think we'll make it.

We got our paperwork in the mail to be apostilled yesterday. They should get it Monday. We'll pick it up Wed. and get it right in the mail to our agency. If all goes well, they'll get it out of their hands before they close for Christmas. If not, by the time they DO get it out, we'll be into the Russian holiday season which I think is the first 2 weeks of Jan. That's a 3 week delay which makes me crazy!! I just have to trust that she's in God's hands. She has been since she was born and she will be after she comes home so I just have to remember that he's had this whole thing under control from the beginning.

Amid all the craziness, I want to thank Ginger for being a great Secret Pal. Your comments on my blog have been so sweet and supportive. Your gifts have been thoughtful. I'm extra happy that I participated in this because I feel like I've made a friend that I wouldn't have crossed paths with otherwise. Thank you again.

Now it's off to bed - tomorrow will be the first day at church WITH PICTURES! Then, a full afternoon of wrapping presents, watching football and who knows what else!?

Medicals

2006-12-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

First, I can't believe that I forgot to thank my secret pal for the adorable sleeper that was waiting for us when we got back. It's so precious with its pink flowers and bows. I love it! The Christmas ornament is on a tiny tree that we put in her room - perfect. And, I'm not talking about the other thing because then I might have to share it!

Now, who has done the 8 doctor medical form at the American clinic in Moscow?? They say that if we take the results of a couple of blood tests and a chest X-ray, then it's $100 less and only takes 1 day instead of 2. Anybody done that? It's a little nerve wracking to think that we could leave for our court date without that being done. But, waiting until it's done here seems like it would seriously delay things.

At some point, I've got to get back to getting ready for Christmas. Do you know that it's in 11 days! Aaaack!!

Remember me??

2006-12-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a whirlwind! Why didn't anybody tell me how amazing it is to meet your child for the first time?! Why didn't you tell me that it was possible to fall totally and completely in love with a little girl in just 9 1/2 hours? Why didn't you tell me how she would fill that little place in my heart that I didn't even know was empty? And, why, oh why didn't anybody tell me how it would feel to have to leave her there after such a short time? Okay, okay, all of you that have been through it have told it, but I just thought you were a bunch of drama queens :). I didn't think it would be like that for ME!

Our little girl is just precious. All the things we were warned about - not liking men, not wanting to be held, not interacting the way you would expect - didn't happen. She did take a good long look at my husband but quickly decided he was OK in her book. She smiled and laughed when we talked to her. She was really content just sitting in our laps reading books, playing patty cake or just snuggling. She fell asleep in our arms at the end of each visit. If I could have placed an order, I wouldn't have dared to ask for so much.

We were impressed with the baby home and the caregivers. The first 2 days we were in a reception area outside of the rooms where they spend most of their time but we could hear the happy chatter and singing. When we asked if we could leave a blanket,a lovey and a disposable camera they asked if we wanted to leave the photo album too.

We had secondary goals of sightseeing, buying souvenirs and absorbing Russian culture and we failed pretty miserably at those. Maybe we'll do better next time. But, if we come home with our Creecher, I think we'll count our trips as success if we never see another matryoska doll or eat a bowl of borscht.

By the way - I apologize for the delay in reporting in but we've had a steady stream of company since we got back and the computer's in the guest room AND I've been swamped at work trying to dig out from being gone for a week. UGH!

And NOW...I'm scrambling to get the last bit of paperwork done so we can file for a court date. Can you even believe that they've waited until NOW to decide that we have to do the 8 doctor medical form? UGH again! But, if that's what they say do, then that's what we'll do. In between, I've just GOT to catch up on what all of YOU have been up to!

We're coming, Creecher!

2006-12-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

We keep talking about flights, layovers, meeting facilitators, and then finally, we'll go to the orphanage and they'll bring her to us. We might as well be talking about space men or the big bad wolf or a moon made out of cheese. When does it feel real?

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and meet this little girl that we already love. I just can't quite believe that in a few days, we'll be holding a warm, breathing little body that will become our very own. I already want so much for her. I hope we can give her all she needs. I hope she'll be happy and know that she's loved by so many already. I wish she could understand that there's a home here waiting for her. Please, please let everything go smoothly on this trip so we can start on the last leg of this crazy journey.

The countdown has started!

2006-11-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

After the initial flurry of activity (NOT panic), we settled down and had a really good Thanksgiving with my parents. We had 10 at their house for lunch which is actually a small group for us. We did a little shopping and lots of dreaming. Now it's time to get back to the flurry (not panic).

My biggest "need" is to go get a warm coat. I have what I call a winter coat, but I really don't think it's what I need for a place where the high in the foreseeable future is 4. I think that the cold will make the whole trip that much more memorable. That, and the fact that we'll meet Creecher on my mother's birthday. What are the odds of that?

It seems like we get to spend a pretty good amount of time at the orphanage - morning and afternoon visits for 3 days (subject to the director's schedule, of course). We thought we might take a little Baby's 1st Christmas outfit and a small present or two so we can take some pictures of her first Christmas. We also hope we'll get a chance to pick up a couple of ornaments or something for her while we're there.

For now, I think I need to get back to my lists - things to buy, things to do, things to be sure to pack, things to be sure to do while we're there,...UGH!

Breathe, don't freak out, breathe...

2006-11-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

We got our travel date - we are to be in the region on Dec. 3 and will meet Creecher on the 4th. That's less than 2 weeks AND there's a long holiday weekend in there. But, I'm not panic-ing. I've applied for our visas and the agency is checking on tickets. Our coordinators will help us with hotels and in-country travel. I've got a box of "Trip 1" stuff that I've collected as we ran across it. I've got a suitcase packed with donations for the orphanage. My husband has coordinated with the bank to get the obligatory "new" money. AND...my Anna Language Littles doll arrived in the mail today! I've been getting ready for this for a year - I should be ready. We'll be fine, right? RIGHT?!

Ya Tibya Lublu Too!

2006-11-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

After a whirlwind day of errands and chores, I came home to find a PRESENT...for ME...from my Secret Pal. I love the cookbook (Ya Tibya Lublu), the t-shirt and the pro-adoption bracelet and key ring. What thoughtful gifts! Thank you so much!

We still don't have a travel date. Our case manager feels sure we will know next week. Until we know that, we can't apply for visas or book our flights. In the mean time, we're trying to update as much paperwork as we can. Our agency has really cautioned us against divulging too much info. and especially against posting pictures before the adoption is final. So, I'll share what I can but definitely no pictures for a while.

What we do know is that it will be COLD! I'm a little worried about having enough warm stuff, but we'll manage. It seems like we'll get to spend a good amount of time with our girl - morning and afternoon visits for 3 - 4 days. What were your favorite things to do while visiting?

I've read so many blogs and lists, but now while the iron's hot - give me your best "first trip" advice. What should we be sure to take that we might not think of? What things should we be sure to do on this first meeting with our little girl?

Creecher has a face!!

2006-11-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Yep! We got our referral! It's still sinking in but I've seen the pictures and read her medicals a thousand times so it must be true. Our case manager sent the information on Monday afternoon. We looked it over and sent it right on to our IA doctor. We spent 45 minutes on the phone with him Monday night (he's awesome, by the way) and accepted her on Tuesday. She's 9 months old and has a halo of light brown fuzz on her head. We're still waiting on a date to travel but our case manager said that it's typically within 2 - 3 weeks. That puts it right between Thanksgiving and Christmas which is just fine with us. With a little luck (okay probably a lot of luck) we could have her home for her 1st birthday.

I can't believe that after all this time it's finally happening! I've got to go update some paperwork or check on flights or pack something!!!

Progress and Caution

2006-11-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Dance going on here. We got the word from our agency that the statute has been signed authorizing the MOE to start the re-accreditation process! Yippee! I'm not sure why it feels good to just be waiting for a different thing, but it does. Any progress is a step in the right direction.

On a less happy note, our agency cautioned us against divulging too much info in blogs. Negative information can be used against any or all of us. Even well-meaning comments can be misinterpreted or taken out of context and used to interfere with the adoption process. While I don't have any negative comments about the country we're adopting from or the officials or orphanages there, I'll try to say as little as possible about them so that I lessen the risk of saying anything that might possibly offend anyone.

Having said that, I feel like I have friends in this bloggy world so I'll try to keep up my blog to share our story without crossing any lines. And I'll DEFINITELY be keeping a check on all of you!

What's in a Name?

2006-11-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

First, I want to say how fun it is to see familiar names commenting on my blog. I feel a lot less like a stalker when I'm opening myself up a little too! Thanks for visiting!!!

Lately, my thoughts keep coming back to what we will name Creecher when the time comes to put her legal name on paper. Creecher's all well and good for now, but I doubt that a judge who has to approve her adoption will find that very humorous. My general thoughts are:

1. My mom and I are "Betty" and "Betsy" and I always thought I'd carry on that idea. Or if not that idea, at least some sort of family heritage or significance.

2. Since we're adopting, I like the idea of either her first or middle name reflecting her heritage.

3. Finally, in all things, I like the unique and unusual (but not just plain weird - there's a fine line you know).

So, my questions for you guys are - How did you pick your children's names (even if you don't have your children yet)? Who were they named after? If your children were adopted, did you change their name?...or keep part of it? What other girls names (especially unique ones) can you think of that start with B?

Happy Belated Birthday

2006-10-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

...to me!

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a great day. After my extra hour of sleep (WHAT a great present!) and church, we had my birthday lunch prepared entirely by my husband! He even made a cake with home-made chocolate frosting which sort of melted since he hid it in our sunroom and it got up to 70 degrees on Sat., but it was DELICIOUS! We went light on presents this year because we did some other things that we justified by calling them our birthday presents but he did really good - warm socks (for sightseeing if we happen to be someplace cold this winter), a great bag (could be a carry on/purse/diaper bag), some beautiful candleholders (that have nothing to do with our adoption other than the fact that they'll have to go up very high) and finally a Tom Clark gnome "Oopsey Daisy" which has a turtle on it. The beach that we go to is home to a large sea turtle hospital so we like turtles. Whew! That much of the day was great, couldn't ask for better.

Then, for our last activity, we had tickets to the Carolina / Dallas football game. I don't think I want to go any further into it than that. I'll just say that Coach Fox was quoted in the paper today as apologizing to every Panther fan that bought a ticket to the game. Ugh!

Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween tomorrow. Let's see pictures of those trick-or-treaters!!

Schatzie

2006-10-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

I promised Schatzie her own post so here it is...She's an almost 4 year old, 14 pound black and tan Australian terrier. She's our first adopted daughter.

We researched different breeds, found an Aussie breeder nearby, went to visit to make sure that was what we wanted (she actually interviewed us while we were there to make sure we were acceptable) and got on her list. Several weeks later, we got a letter saying our puppy was born and made an appointment for 8 weeks later to go pick her up. We also made an appt. with the vet for the following Monday to have her checked out because we had a limited amount of time to take her back if there were any medical issues.

On a Sat. March 1, 2003 we drove back to the breeder and she handed us a little furball and a box of stuff (chew toys, her best friend "Pig", a comb, other things a puppy needs to get by in the world). She could hardly eat without falling over, she sat in the kitchen floor and trembled, then fell asleep in my arms. I was up with her a couple of times during the night but she was really pretty good.

Monday, my husband took her to the vet and learned that on a scale of 1 to 6, she has a 4/5 grade heart murmur. He had already talked to the breeder and we had the option of taking her back and either getting a refund or another puppy, or getting 1/2 of our money back and the promise of another puppy if this one died from heart related issues. Not much hope for MY heart which was broken. Of course, taking her back was not an option for me. The question was - what should we do for her. Long story short, I ended up at the NCSU vet school in Raleigh having a last round of tests hoping they could perform a procedure to correct her problem. But, the problem wasn't what they thought it was and there was nothing they could do so I sat in the car and cried and then drove my groggy baby 3 1/2 hours back home.

Today, she takes heart medicine to slow her heart rate to try to keep it from wearing out too quickly. She pants a lot, doesn't play fetch quite as long as she used to, sleeps a lot after her very exciting walks but she can do a long list of tricks (for treats, of course) still jumps like a jumping bean when I come home in the evenings and is quick to chase off anything that makes a noise too close to the house. She's my baby and I can't imagine loving a human child more...but I'm hoping to give it a shot!! Until then, here we are...

Rookie error

2006-10-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...I think that in some of my blogger training (translate: pointing, clicking, seeing what happens), I disallowed comments. Not good for a new blogger who still bursts into a grin when she actually gets a comment. I hope I've fixed that now so comment away!!

I actually have a much more eloquent post almost ready - that is IF I can figure out how to include a picture or two without managing to wipe out the whole thing.

Stay tuned...

Paperwork, paperwork

2006-10-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

While every adoption follows its own path, I believe that every one has its overfill of paperwork. In my quest to keep doing SOMETHING to feel like I'm working toward making this adoption happen, I've been re-doing paperwork that has expired which at this point is everything except our I-171H. I've got the letter to renew our fingerprints ready to mail - do they really think our fingerprints have changed? Ditto our marriage certificate, passports, family photos. I could go on but I suppose if you're reading this, I'm "preaching to the choir". Anyway, my nagging thought as I've been doing this is that the first time through, it was kind of fun...in a very anticipatory, road untraveled, geeky sort of way. I imagine that if you're doing it in order to submit it so that you can get your court date, it's a very exciting if not frantic feeling. At this point, it's really not very fun or exciting. BUT, it will be as close to done as I can get it (without creating more dates that will expire) so when the time comes, I'll be able to spend more time shopping for cute, little Creecher clothes and toys, right?? Now THAT'S fun!

Sun Fun Weekend

2006-10-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

We're just in from a beautiful weekend at the beach. You gotta love NC in October! We went down Friday morning, walked on the beach (our furry daughter's favorite thing next to Pupperoni and peanut butter - but more about her later...she deserves her own dedicated post), went to the fall street festival (local bands, local crafts, lots of junk food) and talked about how different it will be next summer if Creecher's here. Tomorrow it's back to work. Maybe this will be the week we get our referral.

What's a Creecher?

2006-10-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

No, it's not just that I can't spell! And it has nothing to do with Ernest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith Show. It has to do with our last name which is Creech. When we started the adoption process, we talked about "our little girl" and "the baby" because we didn't want to rush into picking a name. We hope to incorporate some part of her birth name so we really haven't decided yet. My sister-in-law said she needed a name that we could use in the mean time and suggested "Baby Rousse". My brother (in typical big-brother fashion) said "Creech-er!" And it stuck. So, before I ever caught on to the concept of blog names, our little girl became Creecher. The bonus is that now, when I hear the word, spoken or in song, I think of her and say a little prayer that she's warm and safe and that we can get her home SOON. Maybe now, you will too?

Thanks Secret Pal!!

2006-10-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

Chocolate, bubbles, candles, picture frames - these are a few of my favorite things...and all in a package that I got from my secret pal today! Thank you so much! I'm off to eat a candy bar, in the tub, by candlelight!...right after The Bachelor...and Studio 60...well, soon. Thanks again!

I did it!

2006-10-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

After first lurking and then finally "coming out" to comment on other adoption blogs, I decided to start my own! I suppose this will also help fill the time while we're waiting...and waiting...for our referral. To catch everyone up, we submitted our dossier in Oct. 2005. We've had a couple of referrals, but after consulting with our IA doctor, we felt we had to decline them. There's been no news since March. Our agency's accreditation expired on May 17 (a very popular day for that, I understand). They got their NGO registration in August but no word on accreditation. So now, we're counting the days and watching our paperwork expire and wondering if there's still the slightest chance that we can have our little girl home before Christmas. More to come so check back!