Apostille

Making Progress
Here is an Apostille! This one is attached to our FBI background checks. An Apostille is basically an international notary. Practically every document that goes into our dossier has to be Apostilled - so far we have gotten this one, Scott's birth certificate and our adoption agency's license. Paperwork - exciting stuff! This last week I requested letters from our employer and mortgage company. Almost everything else is in process. We have to finish our medical tests and request a letter from our bank. So, we are still moving and are (hopefully!) on target.

MARCH?!
I spoke with our adoption coordinator on Friday. I told her that we haven't bought any clothes for "Saskia" yet and she could not believe that I have been able to control myself. She said that we could expect to travel in March/April, so I could buy something for the summer. Now, I am getting butterflies! March/April - that is not that far away. The process has really flown by so far. I am sure waiting for our travel dates and letter of invitation from the Kazakhstan government slows time down quite a bit.

Peace
I have also gotten a bit reflective about adoption - about having the 2nd child that we have longed for for the past 3 years. We have experienced multiple losses - neonatal death and subsequent miscarriages - and it is hard to believe that this difficult road is coming to an end. And, at the end of the road is a living child. I have started to feel a great sense of anticipation and relief that the family we have envisioned for ourselves is actually going to be a reality. That has been a difficult thing for me to believe after so much heartache and loss. So, as all this is coming together I am actually feeling a sense of peace that has eluded me since we lost Hope, Meret and Annalisa more than 2 years ago.

Another dossier?
It is hard to believe that a family could be working on more than one dossier in the same month, let alone a lifetime, but we have been! It seems like we should be working for the CIA. Scott submitted his dossier for tenure to his department on Friday! He has worked so very hard and I am so proud of all he has done. It is amazing to flip through the dossier and see all that he has accomplished! So, send good thoughts our way for tenure approval AND adoption.

Throwing problems in the trash can
So, I cannot help posting the exchange Scott just had with Luca. Luca loves toy cars about as much as he loves planets. He plays with them everyday . . . and everyday there is some tension surrounding him putting all the cars away at night. Luca asked to get his cars out and Scott said maybe he shouldn't today because he has problems putting them away at night. He protested and whined and then walked over to the trash can, opened it and said "I am throwing away my problem putting my cars away, so now I don't have it. Now I will get my cars out." How can you even begin to argue with THAT? I am inspired to literally throw my problems in the trash. It probably feels pretty good.

Until next week . . .