Down to the Wire

Christmas has Come and Gone.

Cinnamon rolls have been consumed.


Grandsons snuggled and spoiled.



And...
Less than 48 hours from now,
we will be soaring through the skies toward Ethiopia.

and That is Crazy.

We are getting together all our documents and such.
We are pretty much packed. Isaac is packed.


All the donations for the orphanage are packed.
Our Christmas party stuff is packed.

(I should have taken a picture before I packed it all up,
but now that it's all squeezed in there and zip-able,
I think I'm going to leave it there.)

We are about as ready as we're going to be.

Isaac Tamirat, here we come!
We can't wait to meet you!

Merry Christmas

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Dear Santa,

Stanley says this is that he wants for Christmas.
teehee.

T minus 14 days and Counting.

14 days. Then this little munchkin will be in my arms!

And now he has a place to sleep when we get back.


And since we'll be in Ethiopia over their Christmas (January 7) we get to go to the Christmas Extravaganza at the HOH! It will be super awesome to celebrate Christmas with Isaac Tamirat in Ethiopia!
Woohoo!

Settle

Ok. Things are getting organized bit by bit, and my brain is de-chaotizing itself. (Yes, I hereby declare that "de-chaotizing" is a word.)

1. We have plane tickets.
2. We have a place to stay.
3. John found an appropriate replacement bolt (long story) and is finishing building the crib right this minute.
4. There is a travel conference call tomorrow, and I will be oh-so-informed after that.

See? A very productive day, even by my generally unrealistic standards.

Also, I have given up worrying and stressing out. You know, for Advent. Or whatever. Yessirree Bob, just consider me Coolie the Cucumber.

So anyhoozle. Christmas presents to wrap, and I don't think Stanley is going to do it for me.

Arf.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

We were approved for the January 5 visa date!
So we will be leaving January 1!

Yes, I had previously said the visa date that week would be the 7th, but it turns out that is the Ethiopian Christmas, so visa appointments that week are the Tuesday instead of Thursday.

Methinks January 1 is rapidly approaching, and I am sort of in a panic. This has all suddenly become very real, and it sort of dawned on me that I have no idea what I am doing. Also, I have no idea what to pack. And we have to find flights, and this being Christmas week in Ethiopia, they are very expensive. Ack! It is all attacking my brains at once, and my brains don't like that.

But... I get to get my boy! Hooray!

The Fairy Tale of the Birth Date and the Measurements

Once upon a time, we accepted a referral of a beautiful and perfect little boy with a birthday of April 11. He had measurements from age 16.5 months(ish) as follows:
Height: 74cm / 29.1 inches (less than 3rd %ile, as in, not quite on the chart.)
Weight: 10.21 kg / 22.46 pounds (15th %ile)

Now that we passed court, and a few months have passed, we get new measurements. They are as follows:
Height: 80 cm / 31.5 inches
Weight: 15 kg / 33 pounds

Which means: he gained 10.5 pounds (roughly 50% of his body weight) in less than 4 months. Is that normal? I have no parenting experience, but in my professional medical opinion, that answer is no.

Furthermore, now they are saying his birth date was calculated wrong. You might be wondering what sort of calculation is involved in the birthing process, but let me remind you that the Ethiopian calendar is not like ours. They are on the Ge'ez calendar, and it is currently somewhere around the third month of 2002 where my (big) little man lives. So, this date translation, you see, it takes a bit of calculation. And apparently, it was calculated wrong. (Which is sort of funny, because his birth date is made up anyway.)

So now, they say his birthday is not April 11, it is February 21. Which makes him 2 months older. Which makes his original percentiles even lower. Which makes it even more surprising that his new percentiles are about the 5th%ile for height and the (whopping) 95th for weight!

So basically, because I think these measurements could be just a wee bit exaggerated, he could wear anywhere from 18 months to 4T. Great. I'll just pack that then. No problem... This whole adoption thing. It's nothing if not adventurous, eh? :)

But hey, if I'm packing (which I'm not quite yet- although it would be very like me to pack weeks in advance), that means I'm going to get him! And regardless of his measurements or age, he is MINE, and I want him to be HERE! You know, like on the same continent, for starters. Is that so much to ask?!

And we lived happily ever after.
The end.

Prepare Yourself for Being Overwhelmed with Cuteness!

Because I have a new picture!
And new (and somewhat questionable) measurements.
And... a new birth date.
(more on these later)

That's right. He's practically a whole new boy.

But still SO cute it's almost deadly.

Be overwhelmed.

Still waiting on travel dates.
We should find out on Monday.
Have a great weekend. :)

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

We passed Court!!!!!!!
And so, it is with much Joy and Pride that I introduce to you:

Isaac Matthew Tamirat!

His Royal Cuteness


My little man doesn't like flower pants!

As for the updated pics and measurements, they are apparently forthcoming.
For now, I revel in the knowledge that he is officially my son!

Tamirat is his Ethiopian Name. It is Amharic for "Amazing."

ETA-US soil: January sometime.
Visa Dates pending

Have a great weekend!

Well Kids, This is It!

So tonight as I am snoozing snugly in my bed, courts will be deciding the fate of my li'l boy and the status of my parenthood. Hopefully we will hear first thing tomorrow the stellar news that we passed! So, be sure to say an extra prayer tonight that all goes well. (In which event, there shall be pictures posted tomorrow!)

Midweek Report

So far this week at CHI: 3 more referrals. 3 more court dates (all for Dec 21). That is the good news.

And then there's the less good news. The family who was going to take pictures for us... forgot us. They were taking pictures for 18 (!) different families aside from the whole getting a baby thing, and somewhere along the line, we were overlooked. (I think she had her spreadsheet done before our paper got there, which was not until the day before they left, unfortunately.) I was kind of bummed about this, but I still had to giggle, because the whole spreadsheet thing is SO something I would do. (I mean, just the making a spreadsheet part. Hopefully not the forgetting people.) We adoption families are all alike, eh? But anyhoozle... we remain pictureless, and we can ask one of the next families, but they don't travel til the week of Christmas, so it's going to be a bit yet. :(

On the bright side: We should get new pictures and height/weight information when we pass court. Which will hopefully be... in 2 days!

Sweet Snowy Colorado

Over Thanksgiving, we went to visit John's sister et al. in the Denver area (along with the rest of La Familia de Juan), and here are the picture highlights:

They made me stand outside without my parka.


But I got pretty pictures of mountainous structures.
(once I had my coat back on)


And some with more trees and shrubberies.


The Aforementioned Familia de Juan

Yes, there were babies present. John has a lovely little niece. But alas, I didn't get any good pictures of her. So you'll just have to gaze from afar until such time as I have a decent picture lest I be forced to undermine your faith in my impeccable photography skills by posting the less than compositionally stunning ones I have.

Happy Thanksgiving

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:13

More of the Waiting Game. And Shots. And Ideas.

So there we were... still just chillin' and waitin' for court. Only 2 more weeks! Then we get to wait again, but I think with the holidays coming up that we'll be busy enough that it'll go fast. At least I hope so.

Anyway, so we are looking to get some shots here pretty soon.
Here's the recommended List:
Tdap or Td (tetanus and diptheria with or without pertussis)
MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Yellow Fever
Polio
Typhoid
Meningogoccus
Rabies
Flu

We've already had MMR boosters, and I think we are skipping the Yellow Fever one and the Rabies, and we'll do oral on the Typhoid if we can find it, since it gives you immunity for 5 years instead of 2. That gives me more leeway to go back for more babies before I need a booster! I actually have had most of those, so I only need a few. John's a little more immunization-naive, however. Bummer for him. He just loooves needles too. hehe.

Now, wasn't that just so interesting?!

In other news...Just to get you started thinking:

When we travel, if you would like to make donations for the orphanages (CHI's House of Hope Orphanage and Isaac's "home" orphanage) you can do so. I think we can each take two 50-lb bags on our flights, so we'll have some room. (I could be wrong, but this is consistent with what other families have said also.) Here is a list of things they recommend:
-Medical Supplies: vitamins, neosporin ointment, band aids, tylenol, thermometers, skin creams, toothbrushes, toothpaste, baby soaps or lotions, etc.
-Formula and Cloth Diapers (they recommend donating money for these things to be bought in-country as they are readily available and heavy/bulky to travel)
-Developmental Toys: books/puzzles, rattles, teething rings, blocks, picture or board games, mobiles, coloring books and large crayons, jump ropes, trucks, basically any toys
-Clothing: (new or gently used) esp. coats, pajamas, sweatshirts, jackets, and underwear for toddlers and older kids
-Shoes
-Baby Care Items: diaper pins, nipples, bottles, wipes, diaper rash cream etc.

Shackle Me Baby, I'm Going to Court.

We got our court date! Woohoo!
And the chosen date is............

December 4!

Apparently these, as with all things in international adoption, have been known to change at the last minute for unclear reasons. But for now this is the day. And I think it's a good one, so hopefully they won't change it, and all will go smoothly, and we will pass with flying colors.

So what does this date mean exactly?
Well, this means that our case will be heard in front of the judge that day in Ethiopia, and we will be represented by a CHI representative who lives there in Addis. If, no- when! we pass court, then Isaac will be officially and irrevocably our SON in the eyes of the Ethiopian government. (At which time I can post and distribute his handsome little picture to my heart's content.) And then we get to wait one more time... for a visa appointment. That is when we swim to Ethiopia and bring him home!

When is your visa appointment?
Visa dates have not been released yet for the new year, so dates are up in the air, but probably somewhere around early to mid January.

And then we live happily ever after. (Apparently this involves some paperwork on the American side as well, but to date, I am a bit fuzzy on the details.)

So yay!

Moonshine and My Poetic Poetry

The Moon was shining spookily, casting an eerie glow.
For 'twas Halloween.
The Day Before Yesterday.
The end.

One and Counting

One fine day, as I was deeply contemplating life and all its intricacies, and I decided that one of the things I am Thankful for this season is that I am not (noticeably) delusional. I do believe that would make my days just a bit unnecessarily cumbersome.

In Which there is No More News. Currently.

No big news today. Except that the Flu season has arrived, and we have seen plenty of it. I think, since schools are shutting down to let it die out a little bit (the flu bugs I mean, not the students) that maybe we should shut down the clinic too, because that's how germs are spread, you know. And we could be infesting people who are already sick and weak. So yeah. No more going to the doctor when you are sick. We are closed because of the flu!

Week 4B

4 more court dates arrived today! We are movin' on up! This leaves us somewhere around number 5ish. I don't know precisely, and really it doesn't matter that much. They aren't necessarily assigned in precise order, but it has something to do with where in the country they are originally referred from and how long it takes those particular people to get the papers together. But still, I am very happy for those families. And CHI had a family pass court today, which is great for them, and nice for us, since we can ask them to take updated pictures for us! :) (Actually, they offered on the yahoo group already.) So we'll be working on that paper, and hopefully in a few weeks (when they get back up from picking up their baby girl) we'll have some new pictures! How exciting would that be?! And hopefully we'll have our own court date soon enough. Happy weekend!

In Which Loyal Bloggies are Coming out of the Woodwork

I might just be up to 6 loyal Bloggies now! (Good thing I have a big family!) Now, if you guys could all just refresh this page several times every day, I might just be able to brag about how I get 20 hits a day at my super amazing blog! Let me assure you, that would do wonders for my ego!

Also, and more importantly, news has just arrived in my mailbox about how we were again approved for bringing orphans into the country... Our new and improved I-171H! This time with provisions for special needs. (So that John can get back into the country. Ok, Ok, Just kidding.) Woohoo again! We are officially ready for our court date now. :) So come on, court date! (No more news today, tho, regarding more referrals or court dates.)

Monday Sweet Monday: An Oxymoron Come True

3... count 'em: three! families got court dates today. Super fast ones, too... Oct 23 (This friday!) and Oct 29 (next week!) and I don't know when the third one is (!). There was also another referral today, and a new child added to the waiting list! Looks like things are finally getting going again in Ethiopia, so that is super-awesome! That means we are 3 spots closer for court dates, which is also super-awesome!

I think those families actually got their referrals in July already, tho, just in time for courts to close and therefore wait painfully and excruciatingly long for a court date. In which case, it could be a bit yet on our court date since our referral was just a few weeks ago. I can't speak for agencies everywhere, but our agency at least got very few referrals between July and October, tho, so maybe not that long after all. You know what would be super-awesome times one million and seven?! If Isaac was home in time for Christmas. But let's not get our hopes up for that lest we set ourselves up for disappointment. Clearly I don't have any insight into anything, and I am just rambling. That said, I am happy for the court-dated families, and I am happy that we are getting closer to scooping up Isaac, and happy that courts are opening up again. Not bad for a Monday, eh?

Also, the tallies are in, I may in fact have expanded significantly to have now THREE loyal bloggies! Success, dear friends, success.

Hope Springs Anew, and a Wee Bit of FAQ

It has come to my attention that what was formerly a slightly funny albeit predominantly boring blog, has now lapsed into pure unadulterated boringness. This is obviously totally unacceptable. That's where the hope part comes in. I hereby hope to make this blog less boring, and a bit more lively. As in, no more narcolepsy-inducing posts. Or, no, wait. Something attainable would be better. (Ahem.) I hereby hope that once in a while, my post will not induce narcolepsy in all two of my faithful readers. (Hi Mom and Dad!) Better.

And now for my FAQ. Count 'em: ONE FAQ.

(And don't even pretend you haven't wondered.)

Why would one name one's blog "Deep Fried Goodness?"
There are many possible explanations for this very perplexing question. And only one... No, two... Oh wait, maybe three... people know what the correct answer is.

Perhaps I find a variety of fried foods to be especially delectable? Maybe I wanted to blog about frying varieties of food in a particularly delicious manner? Possibly I like to photograph bits of food that have been fried?
No, no, and no. You could not be wronger.

The answer is...(gasp) There is no reason. It went something like this: Once upon a time in a far away land, I was thinking about starting a blog, and there was some discussion with one older younger shorter taller brother-person about possibilities for names of said blog and in this conversation came up the phrase "Deep Fried Goodness of Assorted Varieties" although I cannot be certain that this was actually in reference to the prospective blog in question or quite possibly just that he was hungry. I can assure you, however, that it was in fact a subject of at least some light discussion. Also, in this same conversation, there was some moderate-to-intense discussion of leprechauns, although one also cannot be certain as to the influence of said leprechauns in the process of commencing or maintaining the aforementioned blog. Sadly, however, I can assure you that thus far no gold coins have been uncovered.

In Which There Were Fun-tivities involving Florida and Nephews

We saw Shamu. Now I Believe.


I think he liked the show.


Here Andrew is informing me how this roller coaster "goes craaazy fast!"


He looks very keen on himself, don't you think?


John would be proud for you to know that he took this one
while I was busy holding baby nephews.


Blurry, I know. That's stalker-vision for ya.
But I did wonder what was the purpose of these... socks??


2 little waterbabies. (Love them!)

Florida. Very hot. Very fun.
A great time was had by all.

A New Sort of Waiting

This has been an exciting week!

First we signed some papers.

Then we called a lot of people and celebrated...

bought, painted, and hung up some letters...

We registered for baby gifts, in case anyone cares to buy one. Then we went home and read the reviews online, and took half of it back off...

I frequently stare at his picture and dream about him.

My son.

How weird does that sound? I've never had one of those before.

We have our social worker finishing up our home study addendum, and we have to send it to USCIS and then wait for a new I-171H, but from what I can tell, this is not a hold up for us being assigned a court date, so my best estimate is still late January.

In other news, courts in Ethiopia are open again after that rainy season. (They typically close between late August and early October.) CHI's update said they were technically open, but some of the staff are still not back working yet. Within the next couple weeks things will be getting back up and going as usual. Hopefully we'll get a court date one of these days! (Usually I think families wait a month or so for these. So we'll see.)

Hope your week was as exciting! (But I sincerely doubt it.)

From Your Deepest Sorrow, My Greatest Joy

As all 2 of my loyal bloggies may have noticed, there was no weekly count this past Friday. This is for a couple of reasons. First of all, we were on vacation in Florida with my brother and his family. We had a great time, thanks for asking. (Pics to come.)

Secondly, and more importantly,

WE HAVE A REFERRAL!!!

Yes, that is right. We accepted a referral for a delicious little 17 month old boy off the waiting list. We are super excited! We have decided to name him Isaac. And we will keep his Ethiopian name as his middle name. Or one of his middle names (we are still debating just how many names he shall have... the more, the merrier, no?!). :) We'll see.



But while we are counting our blessings and celebrating, we are humbled by the thought that somewhere in Ethiopia, a mommy is without her baby tonight. And while we are thanking God for this amazing blessing that is about to come into our lives, we'll be sure to say a special prayer for her tonight too, and we ask you to do the same.



So what is next from here, you ask? Well, let me tell you. First, we wait for a court date. Once we pass court, he is officially and irrevocably ours in the eyes of the Ethiopian government. (We expect this to be some time around late January.) Also note, we cannot post or distribute pictures of him until that time. Then we will travel to Ethiopia, and scoop him up, and take him home. Then we will live happily ever after. This also will require re-adopting him in the US, so he is ours officially in the eyes of the US government, lest we be forced to live out our days happily ever after in Ethiopia.

So now the REAL waiting begins. The waiting where I know precisely for whom I am waiting. And he gets older every day without me. And I can only pray and trust that he's being well fed and cared for. For now, I have no choice but to trust that he is. The alternative would make me insane(r).

I have a baby boy!

Meklam Adis Amet!

Week 28
MELKAM ADIS AMET
Happy Ethiopian New Year!

September 11^th Ethiopia welcomes in the New Year 2002!!

In case you forgot...

Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and a 13^th month of 5 days and 6 days in the leap year.

The Ethiopian calendar is 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar from January to September and 7 years behind between September 11 and January 8. Enkutatash means the “gift of jewels”. When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with inku or jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since this early time, and as the rains come to their abrupt end dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the green countryside; but Enkutatash is not exclusively a religious holiday. Today’s Enkutatash is also the season for exchanging formal New Year greetings and cards among the urban sophisticated - in lieu of traditional bouquets of flowers. It is a time to express hopes and dreams for the future. Meskerem (September) is seen as a month of transition from the old year to the new.

And Happy 2002!

In Which the Lighthouses are Unearthed

These are some of our findings, from the latest Lighthouse Extravaganza.






This one has a bald eagle in it.



We saw this one on a wee boat tour we went on.







The end.

Week 25

Week 25: Court Closure

The Ethiopia courts are closed effective yesterday, Aug 21, 2009 until the end of September, for the rainy season. There had been conflicting information over the past few weeks from various sources as to whether the courts were going to close or not this year. For families waiting on court dates, those dates will be scheduled after the courts reopen. Referrals should continue while court is out, however many things do slow down in Ethiopia when the courts are closed; therefore no court dates can be given for those families who would receive a referral, until it reopens. Families whose adoptions have been finalized in the court before court closed will still be able to travel to pick up their children even though the courts are closed. The courts remained open longer this year as generally they close at the beginning of August, however with so many abandonment cases that were held up over the past several months, they remained open longer to process those children.

PS Due to my recurrent negligence, the last couple "Fun Fact Fridays" have actually been "Fun Fact Saturdays." Turns out probably no one notices, but still, it sort of makes the name less accurate. Better luck next time. Happy Saturday.

Encounters of the Sweetest Kind

The nephews stopped in for a visit, on their way between Hither and Yon. It was so fun to see them!


"Yogi"


Andrew

As highlights, we went out to lunch, played on the swings, and made homemade ice cream.

Come on back anytime, boys! (Oh, and feel free to bring your parents.) :)

Week 24

Week 24: Adoption Process

1. Apply to Agency
2. Home Study
3. Gather Remaining Dossier Pages
These include:
a) Letter stating reason adopting from Ethiopia
b) Photos of applicants and home
c) Employment Letters
d) Medical Letters
e) Financial Statement
f) Birth Certificates
g) Marriage Certificate
h) Police Letters
i) Three signed references
j) Letter of Obligation for Post-adoption
k) Passort ID Pages
l) Qualification for Naturalization
m) Passport Photos
4. USCIS (Immigration) approval to bring an orphan into the country (this includes fingerprinting and such.
5. Parenting and Adoption Education (this can be done simultaneously with aforementioned document-gathering)
6. State Certification (Once you have all of the above documents, they must be certified in their state of origin)
7. National Certification
8. Certification at Ethiopian Embassy
9. On the Waiting List (currently wait times have been around 11-12 months.)
10. Get a referral.
11. Pass Court (usually about 3 months after referral)
12. Travel for visa appointment and pick up the baby! (A few weeks after court)
13. Come home and Live Happily Ever After.

The *Revised and Now Officially* Official Unveiling of the Kitchen.

I am so pleased to introduce to you... The New and Improved Kitchen! (Now without dead fruit!)

(Click on a picture to see it bigger.)

Before:


And After:


Before:


And After:


Also note the unbelievable cuteness of my curtains!

(The others across the room are the same, but with yellow as the under-color. You can see them each in their original habitat in the above pictures if you look closely.)

And my favorite (and currently only) piece of decor!


As seen here on the otherwise naked walls: