Drum Roll Please!

Dossier #2 is DONE! I just returned from a jaunt to lovely Springfield, Illinois (I waved "hello" for you, Barb!) - home of our State Capitol and, more importantly, the Secretary of State's Index Office. Exciting stuff, I know! It was kind of a nail biter because you just never know if a document will be rejected for some random reason that only makes sense in the world of notaries and the state government.

BUT, alas, all 7 documents were Great Sealed without incident. I counted the staple sounds from the cubicle just so I wouldn't be surprised. While I was waiting I was reading Pema Chodron's The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. She was instructing me to accept what is . . . to accept that the universe is constantly in flux . . . the only constant is change. . . to anticipate things is pointless. And, yet there I was trying to anticipate what was coming next by counting staple clicks. The irony. I have a lot to learn :).

While I was waiting, a young woman came in . . . breathless and confused. "Is this where I get something Apostilled (she pronounced it "A - post - eled")?" She explained it was for Thailand or South Korea. She wasn't sure yet. I wondered if she is at the beginning of her international adoption journey. I also wondered if I should correct her pronunciation of Apostille :). I felt like such a veteran . . . the symbolism of her at the beginning and us nearing the end was not lost on me.

On the drive home I got all choked up when I realized that we will meet the child who will hopefully be our daughter NEXT WEEK. I guess now that we have the papers, diaper rash cream, microfiber towels, Clif bars, syringes, melatonin, and all that other stuff, I am beginning to realize that this is really real (the multiple use of real is intentional).

Don't forget to let me know if you are still out there (see below). I don't mean to sound harsh with the "deleting" and all. I was just looking through my permissions list and wasn't sure who some people are and if they are still checking in.

Safe travels Darlene & Dennis and Regina & Milo!

Roll Call

We are approaching our 100 person quota so I need to purge if possible. If you are still reading, could you let me know by leaving a comment? This way I know that you are still around (thank you for sticking with us - it has been a long haul). I won't delete you if I hear from you.

Thanks!

Reflecting on Kazakhstan Adoption

I have read list serves and stalked Kazakhstan adoption blogs for a while - more than a year now. I have seen a lot of families come home with their kids. I have also seen a lot of families withdraw from the Kazakhstan program and a few come home without children. When I first subscribed to the Kazakhstan_Adoption list, the DeLorenzos were in-country and going through what looked to be living hell. After losing a referral from AIP before they even traveled, they began bonding with a child and his mother returned. They started bonding with another child and he became unavailable for some reason. They returned without a child. There were more families who came home without children after them.

There has also been this spectre of pending legislation that would limit adoptions for parents who are over 50 and singles. And, there was the suspension in March . . . and, now the requirement of Hague compliance for agencies before September 15.

Commonwealth has closed its doors leaving so many families devastated. And, it looks like several Children's Hope International clients have been informed that their dossiers have been returned from the MFA because they requested a particular gender in their application. Is this limited to this agency? Is it because the agency submitted too many applications? Now, more families are struggling with what to do next.

I know some choose adoption before going the biological route. Lots of families also look to adoption after they have had problems conceiving or gone through loss. To have to go through additional loss - an agency closing its doors or coming home without a child - is heartbreaking. It is unfair. Do governments see this? Do they see individual families and their struggles? Do they see the children whose futures hinge on having a family who will love and take care of them?

The last couple of days I have been thinking about the families that didn't make it or are struggling with the process and I am sorry. I just want to tell you that - I am so sorry. I hope you find your way to your child soon and that the joy you experience then erases the pain you are feeling now.

It's All About the Technology

Being certain that we can communicate while in Kazakhstan has become a bit of an obsession with us. If Luca was going with us, I doubt it would be such a priority. We want to make sure we can communicate with him once (or twice!) a day. That is going to be a trick in and of itself because of the time difference and his military-like schedule :).

The abundance of communication devices & accessories makes my head spin. So, here is what we are taking/doing:

• Computer loaded with Skype: From what I can gather, where we are staying has wireless capability, so all we have to take is our laptop. I have heard about Skype from other PAPs for months. We finally had all the equipment we needed to use it and downloaded it a few days ago. IT IS AMAZING! It is basically chat that can also include video. We can buy a phone number and call landlines (people that don't have a Skype account). I chatted with Tricia in Kostanai yesterday morning. It worked so well. I also received messages from Susan yesterday afternoon when I was offline. Luca and I have chatted with Scott while he is in his office. The video capability is the best. This is how we will communicate with Luca and my mom and others. Scott has tried using a couple of headsets to no avail - we may just use the speaker in the computer.
• Cell phone: We are renting a cell phone in Kazakhstan. We will be able to receive calls from the U.S., however, we won't be able to make them. We will only be able to call out in Kazakhstan. This phone will be used if my mom needs to get a hold of us at times outside of out Skype "dates". It also may be used to communicate with the in-country team.

Can that be it? After all this talk and thinking we are just taking a cell phone and computer! Of course there are also the extra batteries, headsets (?), cords, etc. We also have our digital camera and a video camera.

Other Stuff

Visas arrived just now! I did not know what to expect. I assumed that a visa is a separate piece of paper. Isn't everything in international adoption a separate piece of paper? My heart sank when I opened the FedEx envelope only to find our passports. Then, I started flipping through and buried on pages 21 & 24 were our visas!

Tickets are purchased.

Travel insurance has been purchased. Scott took care of this yesterday - he found out that the people who run the company have adopted themselves - once from Kazakhstan.

Scott also placed a big order with Amazon a couple of days ago - things like microfiber travel towels, extra battery for the computer, power strip, money belts, passport lanyard, etc. He also ordered a Magellan Eurosurge protector.

We have almost all of our paperwork - just missing my notarized medical form. My doctor's office does not have a notary. I used a traveling notary last time, but she is recovering from surgery and is unable to drive until next week. I am trying to get my doctor to meet me at our credit union . . . to no avail yet. I am calling her again today.

I started working on a detailed schedule for Luca and the house - details, details. Pretty amazing how many details make-up our everyday lives! I am now started to understand why I am exhausted at the end of the day.

I think things are coming together.

UPDATE: My doctor's office called and they have located a notary to use. The last piece of paperwork will be notarized on Friday! What a relief! Now I can go to Springfield for Apostilles on Monday. Last night, I felt like I hit a wall . . . today I feel like the clouds are parting. Almost there!

(L)ots (O)f (I)nspiration

. . . to get the rest of trip things done. YES . . . we have it . . . the last piece of the puzzle.

WE HAVE OUR LOI*!

*LOI=Letter of Invitation from the Kazakhstan government inviting us to Kazakhstan. We can now apply for our travel visas which are required for entry into the country.

(Almost) Fabulous Five

We still have a few more weeks until Luca is officially 5. Here are some photos from a celebration we had at my parents' cottage.

Luca is ready to be a big brother. He said he will help feed her, but certainly can't cook! He also wants to know if babies can meet and love each other because we have new friends who have a 1 year-old daughter. He seems to think "Saskia" and Piper will hit it off. I think so too.

A Gifting We Will Go

After thoroughly experiencing my feelings of frustration, I decided it was time to go shopping.

I ordered a scarf for one of the higher end gifts. I also ordered 10 spa sets for the caregivers. I will add some tenge (or dollars?) to the spa sets that way I feel like I have all bases covered (thanks Amy & Karen for letting me know that this is okay). I need a couple more $20 gifts, something for the driver, interpreter, and the judge.

These storage cups seem like they would be good for the driver. Do you think we should wait and buy him something there?

I may just order a bracelet and necklace from etsy for the other $20 gifts.

I know people say not to spend too much time on this, but it is hard not to!

No visits from FedEx today. I am a little frustrated with them because they changed their system and tracking is a pain in the butt!

Later: Okay - so I think I have ordered almost all the gifts. We may wait to buy a couple there (driver & some chocolates to add on to an existing gift). I ordered 3 bracelets and a pen/pencil set for the judge from www.etsy.com. Making some progress . . .