Nothing-------In The Mail

I think maybe I will come up with a different word that means nothing and post it for each day that passes until we get our I600.


I did hear from Primary Children's cardiology today. Nothing exciting to post now, just that one of their doctors is responding to our request for a paper consult. We faxed them the records last Monday. Hopefully this is not going to be a letter stating that they can't consult on patients that aren't theirs??? We contacted them on advice from a friend/cardiologist that I know. I really hope that they will give some suggestions as to what needs to happen from here. The girl said the letter will go out in the mail tomorrow. She could not email it or give me any details contained in it, so I guess I get to look forward to getting the mail maybe on Thursday! Stay tuned...

(Jackson saw me posting this heart picture and said, "Is that her heart? It's broken they need to fix it." He is four years old and we told him Isabella has a broken heart because he constantly asks about her.)

Completely In Love And Totally Dedicated-You Are Our Baby

"At one glance I love you with a thousand hearts."
Mihri Hatu

Our baby, Isabella Eun Jin Lee has a broken heart. Medical diagnosis is Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). On Friday, June 5th AAC called to give us updated medical information on Isabella Eun Jin. They told me that she had ASD. I know a little about this after working in hospitals most of my life. I wasn't really freaked out by this because I know that it is somewhat common and can be treated in most cases. I started to ask what our plan of action would be. Watching the heart for closure, surgery, if surgery when, can I go to Korea to be with her if she hasn't had surgery already as the medical records were dated June 2nd and we didn't know if the ASD was found in an emergency or a well baby check. Recovery time? Travel delayed? You know, all the questions you would ask about your baby if you were the mom...The person from AAC could not answer any of my questions, her main reason for calling, I found out, is to find out if we wanted to "give her back" and go back on the girl list. I was absolutely DEVESTATED at this point. Isabella Eun Jin is a part of our lives already. We are so in love with this particular little girl, not just any little girl. She is ours. We have fully immersed her into our daily lives. Not a day goes by that we do not talk about her and when we will get to bring her home. We have had our referral for over two months and still I show her picture to everyone that I can. Even the girls at Starbucks are excited to meet her. We have named this little girl, we have sent her care packages in which the items are carefully and lovingly picked out for her. When we signed the adoption paperwork, we commited to be her parents. We did not take that lightly. We know that for the rest of our lives and our childrens lives, (all three of them) that things are going to come up. We are not going to abandon our children when they need us the most. I would not be any more concerned if this had been our local pediatrician calling about either of our other two children. After several phone calls to AAC, we were able to find out that this was found during a routine well baby check. The doctor could hear a heart murmur and sent her for an echocardiogram. We have been told that the foster mother was besides herself with grief when finding out the diagnosis because she was afraid that the "family" would no longer want her. We are currently in the process of preparing another care package for Isabella Eun Jin so that her foster mother can be assured of our love and excitement at bringing her into our lives.
Isabella Eun Jin pack your bags because we are coming to get you as soon as all the Immigration paperwork is done. We cannot wait to hold you. We are so excited to be a part of your life and can't wait to watch you grow up and experience life.
Isabella is going to be seen for a second opinion at a bigger hospital. When the echocardiogram is available AAC will call us and let us know how to proceed, and yes we are STILL waiting for our I600 approval. I hope it will be this week...





Four of the things for Isabella Eun Jin's next care package. This blankie is sooo soft. The brand is BareFoot Dreams. I had them for my son when he was little and was so excited that I got to buy a girl color. I got her the lilac colored one with the buttefly in the center. I hope it will bring comfort to Isabella when she is sad. This cute little bunny is just the right size for little hands. It is from Bunnies By The Bay. Their motto is- Bunnies are our best friends indeed, they do delight and give glad dreams. I hope Isabella will have good dreams while waiting for us. I wanted to get this toy for her before but didn't because I had so much to send before...Why not send it this time! This baby is the Berenguer baby girl that I had wanted. My dear friend Lynda from work bought it for us! When it arrives we are going to add it to this care package. We are getting the one dressed in pink but I cannot find a picture of the pink one online.

An ASD is an opening or hole (defect) in the wall (septum) between the heart’s two upper chambers (atria).
Every child is born with an opening between the upper heart chambers. It’s a normal fetal opening that allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth. After birth, the opening is no longer needed and usually closes or becomes very small within several weeks or months.
Sometimes the opening is larger than normal and doesn’t close after birth. In most children the cause isn’t known.
Normally, the left side of the heart only pumps blood to the body, and the right side of the heart only pumps blood to the lungs. In a child with ASD, blood can travel across the hole from the left upper heart chamber (left atrium) to the right upper chamber (right atrium) and out into the lung arteries.
Children with an ASD often have no symptoms. If the opening is small, it won’t cause symptoms because the heart and lungs don’t have to work harder. If the opening is large, the only abnormal finding may be a murmur (noise heard with a stethoscope) and other abnormal heart sounds. In children with a large ASD, the main risk is to the blood vessels in the lungs because more blood than normal is being pumped there. Over time, usually many years, this may cause permanent damage to the lung blood vessels.
If the opening is small, it doesn’t make the heart and lungs work harder. Surgery and other treatments may not be needed. Small ASDs that are discovered in infants often close or narrow on their own. There isn’t any medicine that will make the ASD get smaller or close any faster than it might do naturally.
If the ASD is large, it can be closed with open-heart surgery, or by cardiac catheterization using a device inserted into the opening to plug it. Sometimes, if the ASD is an unusual position within the heart, or if there are other heart defects such as abnormal connections of the veins bringing blood from the lungs back to the heart (pulmonary veins), the ASD can’t be closed with the catheter technique. Then surgery is needed.
Closing a large ASD by open-heart surgery usually is done in early childhood, even in patients with few symptoms, to prevent complications later.
(Taken from the American Heart Association Website)

The Cute Baby Asian Doll From Previous Post

The doll can be found at the following website. Look part way down at the boy and girl "baby bottoms" The are anatomically correct, but don't worry, it is done tastefully. They are very soft. Perfect for a baby to hold.

http://asianethnicdollstoys.homestead.com/


My next purchase will be the La Newborn Asian Specialty 9.5"


I also have the Calin Yang doll, she is very cute.
(Both of these photos are from the site)

Yes, I Am A Maniac! Packing For Korea

So, I know this is months early but I want to make sure I pack everything that I want to take. If I do it now rather than in a rush I have plenty of time to make sure I got everything.
This is stuff for Isabella that we are taking to Korea with us. For clothing I am taking a couple pair of Gymboree Pajamas because they are cute and I think they will be comfortable, especially for the long flight home.

A Blanket From Grandma

My mom made this for Isabella Eun Jin. We are going to take it to Korea with us.

My Baby Bird-Isabella Eun Jin

Mommy's Little Bird
I found this at the gift shop at work. It is perfect! In the photo with Isabella and her foster mom, Isabella reminds me of a little bird perched on her foster mom's lap. I found a cute pink scrap book for her that also has little mommy and baby birds on it. She is my baby bird. I can't wait to hold her.

Jackson With Isabella's Photo And Gift

Brother And Sisters!

Finally Able To Get Blogger To Post Video! Isabella!!!

Joelee's Gift For Isabella

Jackson's Gift For Isabella

Like Clockwork??? And Are You Kidding Me?

A few phrases I feel like saying at times. So I called AAC today to get verification of the legals/I600 being submitted. After being shuffled around and explaining a few times the situation, I was told that Joni misspoke when she told me that they had submitted our I600 form. It was really only submitted two days ago. TWO DAYS...Really, thats nice. NO wonder I haven't received the approval yet. So new time line suggests that I600 submitted WITH baby's legals on May 19, 2009.

Baby's Legals

Today we received copies of our baby's legals from AAC. Included is a birth certificate and some paper work about Kim, Jin Sook being the guardian for our baby and that he approves the process for looking for adoptive parents for Eun Jin.
Does this mean we are getting somewhere? I do not know...

A Life's Work-The Retirement of Dr. Kim Duk Whang

Dr. Kim Duk Whang and Eastern Social Welfare Society
-Upon Dr. Kim’s Retirement

Kim Hye Kyung(Director of Sponsorship and Post-adoption Department)

“Take care of orphanages and single mothers”

Dr. Kim Duk Whang kept this phrase deep inside his mind when he founded Eastern Social Welfare Society in early 1970. At that time, there were only few people out there to take care of the orphans and unwed mothers. Most of the Koreans were interested in how they could be better off in the industrializing society and did not care about abandoned babies. It was Dr. Kim Duk Whang who took action for those children in need. In an interview with EBS, he recalled, “In those days, people abandoned babies in plastic bags, in the streets, etc. Thus I decided to do something for these babies.” He believed every life was given by God, thus everyone is so precious.

“I love to help others. After I retired from Ministry of Health and Welfare, I started to help orphans and churches,” said Dr. Kim asked about the reason he started welfare organization. Dr. Kim was almost sixty years old when he started ESWS. In the age when most people get retired, he started something, something very precious.

He first tried domestic adoption, however, he had to meet a lot of obstacles. In the early 70s, adopting a baby was regarded as shameful in Korea. Koreans had no rooms in their hearts for children without a family. In 1970s, many people believed that those children deserve orphanage. Simply put, just feeding and providing accommodation was enough for orphans.

“Some people from orphanages may have a good life. However, it is better to grow up in a family. They will have more opportunities and more education. If they stayed in an orphanage in Korea, who would educate them in college and graduate school?” recalled Dr. Kim.

I presume, at first, he started adoption from the caring heart for the little babies. When he first started adoption, he had a dream that someday these little angels grew up to be loved in a family, live safely, reach their potential and be a contributing member in this world. And after thirty years, his all wishes and dreams for those children became real. Before he retired from ESWS, it was one of his biggest joys to meet and talk with adult adoptees who grew up wonderfully. His prayers were answered.

Moreover, God gave him much more than he prayed

Among the babies who came to the care of ESWS, some had disability. Sometimes, it is too severe to find parents to adopt them. For these children, Dr. Kim founded an institution, special school and other facilities and extended service area. Under Dr. Kim’s strong leadership, ESWS came to reach out hands for all levels people in need from babies to senior citizens. Now, ESWS plays a significant role in the improvement of Korea’s social welfare.

However, it was not always easy to do such things. In early 1980s, when they decided to build Eastern Child Welfare Center in Pyongtaek, they had to face severe opposition by neighbors. The residents did not want the neighbors with disabilities. They asserted that living with them will threaten their safety. They demonstrated against building the Center almost every day.

Nevertheless, deep inside his heart, Dr. Kim had a faith that children, though they have disabilities, should live in better circumstances and be given education. Persuading native residents and Pyongtaek city officials, at last, in 1985, Eastern Child Welfare Center was established.

Now it serves as the main social welfare center in the community. Thanks to the center, a lot of disabled children of the community can get a quality education, and children from disrupted families can live in a shelter and a lot of members of the community get the benefit from the Center. In about 25 years, it turned out his decision not only changed the lives of clients, but also upgraded the level of welfare in Pyongtaek city.

Besides that, he did so many things that change the lives of the needy people and, ultimately, the history of social welfare in Korea.

He was a very strong and faithful person, but for children, he was just a warm-hearted grandfather. He did not pass by a baby who was waiting for his or her turn at the Love the Children clinic without holding it. And he didn’t forget to express gratitude to the foster mothers of the baby. The mothers were consoled for their hard work by his encouragement. Whenever he visited Pyongtaek, he would be surrounded by children there, because he was always all smiles on his face. He was just a grandfather to all the children at ESWS.

Every staff at ESWS knows how Dr. Kim always prayed for each baby who was adopted. Until his health allowed, he would go to the mountain every dawn to pray for the well being of the babies and adoptees. He felt really sorry that people in Korea could not take all of them and had to send them overseas. And he prayed that each baby could be happy and healthy.

Many people will remember him as an enthusiastic social welfare professional. However, he was an influential historian as well, who specializes Korean history of northern territory. He wrote a lot of books on history and religion like “Manchurian dictionary”, “History of Manchuria”, “Our nation, our history”, “History of Korean religion”, “History of Korean philosophy”, “Research on Ethics of Ancient Korea”, “” etc. He was so sad that we lost Manchurian area where our ancestors lived for a long time. He wrote these series of books wishing that many Korean people should not forget the love and interest on that area.

His passion, love and energy enabled him to work for people in need and to study history in depth. We all thank God for allowing him with health so that he could do those things such wonderfully. We see “God” in every decision he made, and in every action he took. In an interview with a TV show about ESWS, Dr. Kim said, ”It has been God’s choice, surely, God’s choice. There were several crucial moments in my life when I was almost dead. However, he spared my life all the time. Now I think it was because he wanted to use me for people in need.”

Until now the history of ESWS has been equivalent to Dr. Kim’s life. Though he is retired now, his vision, passion and faith will be deeply inscribed in the soul of each staff. And we pray God will use us as a passage of blessings as He did to Dr. Kim.

***These photos and article come from this site*** http://www.eastern.or.kr/

Checking In

Well, I emailed the Immigration people this morning. Hopefully they will respond and let us know if they are working our I600. I had the impression that it would be less than two weeks since we did the I600A and already we are over two weeks...Gotta love the paper chase.

She's Not A Doll

Information for friends and family.
Isabella Eun Jin is adorable.
She has lots of cute clothes, tons of pretty hair bows and a bunch of fun toys.
This said she is not a doll.
When we bring her home we will not be passing her around.
She will most likely be grieving the loss of the life she has known since birth.
In order for her to bond with us we will have to spend alot of time holding, comforting and loving her.
She needs to learn that we will be there to take care of her and love her.
For the first few months we will only be allowing immediate family to hold her.
That includes, me-the mom, my husband-the dad, Joelee-the big sister and Jackson-the big brother.
I know that everyone is excited to see her and hold her but we must do what is best for her.
Isabella's safety is a great concern.
We do not want her to be comfortable going to just anyone.
If we do not set the proper attachment boundaries early on she will not learn healty appropriate relationships.
It is for our daughter's safety that we request that you respect our wishes.
When she has been home for awhile and has adjusted to her new life we will begin to "share" her.

A Different Perspective
Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties

Imagine for a moment…

You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiancée. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by "soul mate," for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the world…the person who will be with you for the rest of your life.

The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face.

But IT'S NOT HIM! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man? Where is your beloved?

You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back,...even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay.

But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him?

Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact.

Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it.

More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried.

The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you.

You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy.

The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to "get along." You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair.

Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black.

You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to asleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness.

Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.

--Written by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp, analogy courtesy of Dr. Kali Miller

My Husband's New Car Seat

I bought my husband a new car seat today for Isabella. I'm sure he will be thrilled!

Car Seat

I found a cute, good car seat online today so I bought it. I figure I gotta have one, might as well get it now.

A Little Step Forward! Hooray!

Today we got our approval letter for our I600A, the approval form is the I-171H. Now they will process our I600. Hopefully that goes fast without a hitch.

I600A/I600 Mess Still Waiting

You would think that with as many adoptions are done that this process would be easy and clear...Not so. Today I received an email stating that my "file" will be reviewed tomorrow-if nothing comes up...What? And also talked with AAC who said they mailed the I600 on April 20th. They received confirmation that it was signed for, but I thought it was supposed to be submitted after I600A approval...Guess I will wait for tomorrow and hope that nothing comes up that would keep my file from being reviewed.
Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here.
Also the package we sent to AAC for Isabella Eun Jin is still there at the office...Maybe it will go this week? I guess AAC is going again on either the 17 or 19 of May so that is the latest that it will go...
I need to get Isabella Eun Jin's Build A Bear packaged up and sent so that she will get that as well.

Jackson With Isabella's Bear

The Bear We Got For Isabella Eun Jin

This is a photo from the Build A Bear website of the bear I chose for Isabella Eun Jin. I will try and upload a video of it later. My other blogs I can do this easily on, this one I have problems with for some reason. The video is very cute though, Jackson is loving the bear before we send it to AAC.

So Excited

I am working on some things for our Foster Mother...I can't wait to post the finished project. It will be a few weeks, but you all have tons of patience, just like me! Ha...

Waiting For A Little Girl To Come Home

AAC said that if we wanted to send a Build A Bear Animal with them in May when they go to Korea again, we could.
I got online and found a really cute pink bear that we were able to record a message to Isabella on.
I am so glad that they are willing to let us do things like this for our sweet baby.

Fed Ex Delivers To AAC

AAC received our signed acceptance papers today as well as our care package for our Baby I and foster mom!

Updated Pictures Already!!!

We are so lucky that some of the people from AAC were in Korea last week. While they were there they got pictures and possibly video of our sweet girl.
We got the pictures today when our acceptance papers arrived. What a thrill.
Thank you AAC!
(We are only posting these picture as the others have the foster mom and others in them)

Isabella Eun Jin Lee

This post is bittersweet. First of all we are so LUCKY to be adopting this adorable little girl. We will forver be thankful to her birth mother, and all involved with her care before we are able to travel to bring her home to our family.
Thankfully I have never had to consider giving one of my children up for adoption. The thought is unthinkable to me and it brings me great sadness and grief to even think about how I would feel. Unfortunately there are situations where mothers and fathers do have to give up their children for others to care for. I am sure in most situations this is not an easy decision for them and they will wonder for the rest of their lives if there was any way they could have kept them and how they will grow up.
I have great respect for our daughter's birth mother. She was a loving mother, and thoughtful enough to place her daughter for adoption after realizing she could not care for her. In another time or place, with a different life situation I am sure she would have kept her beautiful baby and raised her herself. I hope that someday our daughter will have the opportunity to travel to Korea to meet and spend some time with her birth mother. I know that if I were adopted I would want to meet the person that gave birth to me.
We are also lucky enough to have Isabella's foster mother described as an affectionate, loving person who is also a hard worker. Her foster mother enjoys comforting her when she frets before nap time.
Our baby is named after her birth mother's family. The intake worker named her after the family hoping that she would grow up to be a gentle and faithful person. We love this about her name and have chosen to keep her full Korean name as her middle name-although some of the family has already decided to call her by her Korean name.
Isabella Eun Jin has been described as a cute and loveable baby girl. She also babbles well and giggles when in a good mood. She likes to bathe and recognizes her foster mother with a smile.
Isabella was 2.02 kilograms at birth. She had a low birth weight and was hospitalized for a few days because of this. She has steadily gained weight and is a healthy girl.
We are so excited that we get to travel to meet this special girl. We can't wait to bring her home. We are going to love, comfort and support her for the rest of our lives.

Our Referral Packet-Fed Ex Delivers!

I met this guy at the door!

Look what the Easter Bunny brought us.....

We are so excited to introduce you to our baby girl. Her Korean name is Eun Jin Lee. She was born on October 31, 2008. I got the call this morning from Kristy. I was so excited, I even had my sister who works at a hospital paged on the hospital wide intercom system so I could tell her the news! I didn't publish my post earlier because I wanted to personally tell my immediate family our wonderful news! We don't know how we are going to be able to wait the 3 to 5 months before we will be able to hold and kiss her. My sister just called me and said she has looked at the photo at least a billion times today. Joelee and Jackson are both very excited. When I asked Jackson if he wanted to see the picture of his baby sister he said "Oh me gosh!" Joelee was excited because all 3 kids were born on holidays. We are on our way out of town for a full filled Easter weekend, when I get back I will put up a detailed post about the actual call and any other detail I can think of. Thanks to everyone for your love and support. Amber

What Will You Celebrate

What will you Celebrate is the theme for this year at the Disney Resorts...We are going in December 2009 to celebrate the adoption of our baby girl. It will be so exciting. We think with how referrals are going that we will bring her home in late summer/early fall. We have booked to go to Disney World in December, hopefully this will give her some good bonding time with family before experiencing the crowds and craziness of Disney! We think it will be a perfect Christmas, we have never been to Disney in the Winter...

DHL Will Deliver

I called Morgan today. I have been planning on making this call for some time. We do not live in Colorado so have not had any planning/preparation meetings with AAC. Morgan told me that referrals can come in any day Monday-Friday. He said that DHL delivers the referrals from Seoul to AAC. The delivery usually happens before 12:30. He seems like a very happy genuine man. He answered a few other questions for me about what happens when you get a referral, such as overnight the acceptance documents, final fees and the like. Come on referrals, bring us a BIG batch of girls!

Updated Care Package

Well, it looks like it will be late summer before we bring our baby girl home so I updated her care package with spring/summer outfits. My husband packed it for me because I could not get everything in the bag.

Anxiously Awaiting Wednesday

We are scheduled to get our fingerprints taken on Wednesday morning. It is nice to be making progress in this adventure.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

Anyone want to guess when we will get a referral? It was about 30 days between the last one, so what do ya think...Quicker, slower?

We Have Moved Up To Number 2

I called AAC today after a few emails from fellow adoption friends and yes it is true a little baby girl was referred and accepted! Hooray! That makes me so happy and it also moves us up to number 2! We are so close. Right now the family at number 1 is on hold. That lets us "sit" at number 1 until they decide to come off hold. Maybe soon my friends!
Other news to report...I received a confirmation from the Department Of Homeland Security that I did fill out the I600A form correctly and the have gotten it. They have scheduled our biometrics appointment for April 8. One more step of the process done.
I think soon I will start breathing again!

Oh another thing, I ordered the cutest hair clips from briarclaire.etsy.com I am including pictures of what I have gotten so far and I have to say that I have a few more sitting in my shopping cart right now...
AND I know this post is getting long but today I am going to go through outfits and redo our care package because it looks like it will be summer before we travel.

As Of Wednesday 03/25/2009

No Baby Girls. So that makes it how many days since a girl? Well about 27 now as there have been no baby girls in March...My husband was kind enough to call on Wednesday because I was at work and could not call for my weekly update.

Beco Baby Carrier

These pictures are from this site www.becobabycarrier.com I am so excited to get to use this carrier. It is so cute and looks like it would be comfortable. I received mine in the mail not to long ago. It comes with an instructional dvd to help you figure out how to use it.

I600A Drama

Ok, I finally filled the I600A form out correctly after several attempts over the last few months. It is not an easy form. It consists of 2 pages to fill out with about 6 pages of instructions. Now that we are getting so close I figured it was time to get serious about this form last month. I mailed it to AAC so they could include our homestudy and they mailed it to the Department of Homeland Security around the 24th of February. I was in such a hurry to get this sent out that I forgot to include our birth certificates and marriage certificate so the kind Department of Homeland Security returned it to me last week...Not so great. Well my husband re-mailed it for me yesterday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it all processes easily from this point.
Hopefully a baby girl or two comes in this week. I am soooo ready for a referral.

10 Months

of waiting...................

As Of Friday March 13th

No New Babes To Be Referred.

No More Girls This Week

Called AAC, they did not have anymore baby girls come in this week. Maybe next week.

Hats

Little Girl Clothes Are Wonderful

Theres No Place Like Home

Aren't these the cutest sparkly red shoes? I absolutely love them. They make me think of The Wizard Of Oz. I can't wait until we get our baby home...

Dear Baby

Dear Baby Girl,
I love you dearly and can't wait to bring you home. It is so hard waiting to get to hold you. I know that you will grieve the loss of the life you know. I hope that we will be able to comfort you and show you the love that you need to endure until you are able to understand the events that have passed. I also hope that you will embrace your birth country, South Korea, and understand your birth mother's reasons for placing your for adoption. I also hope that you will have the desire to go to Korea again and experience the country in a positive light.
Love,
Amber-AKA-Mom, Mother, Mamma, My Sweet Mother

Number 3-Thanks For Telling Me Karen!!!

We are number 3, and one family is still on hold. I called AAC today and talked to Morgan, he confirmed that we are sitting in the number 3 spot. It is getting sooooo close, I can't believe it! Soon people, soon we will have a referral!

Looking For A Good Photo Adoption Announcement

Hopefully very soon we should be getting a referral. I would like to find a cute adoption announcement to send out to family and friends. That is what I am doing right now at 2:00 AM. I can't sleep and this has been on my mind so I figured what the heck...I have found a few cute ones online and I like this saying:
Some babies are delivered by storks-Some by miracles-And some are delivered by love. After a long journey, we have finally welcomed *insert baby name here* home!

Number 4

I called AAC today to see if they got our family photos and I600A form. They had and they also confirmed we are number 4. There is a family on hold in front of us but they don't know how long they will stay on hold. No baby girls out for review right now.

Just Waiting

I finally got motivated and sent my family photos and I600A to AAC this past Friday. Tonight I ordered our house photos and will send them off tomorrow. Now I just wait. All paperwork, photos, social work stuff is done on my side...

Info About The I600 Paperwork

This is posted on the following blog http://home.comcast.net/~wielandad/site/?/blog/
I am sure at some point soon in our journey this info will come in handy!
Thanks for posting it Andrea and Kevin

Here is the process of the I-600 approval (that is what the finger prints are for).

Once your I600 approval is done, they send it on to the National Visa Center (in New Hampshire), where you'll be logged in and then logged out. This usually takes about 1-2 weeks from I600 approval to get logged in/out. I'd start calling NVC to see if you're logged in after about 6 days from I600 approval. The number you call to find out if you're in/out is: (603)334-0700; press 1, then 5. They will ask you for your case number. Tell them you don't have one and you want to find out if you're I600 approval has been logged in yet. They'll ask for DH's name, birthday, and maybe his SS#. If they tell you you're logged in (or out!), ask for the SEO#. That is your case #. You'll want that handy for all the remaining phone calls you make!!! .

Then...after you are logged OUT of the NVC, they will send your file on to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul by air-mail. This usually takes about a week or a little more to get there. Once your file arrives at the embassy, the embassy will send out the Packet 3 to your Korean agency. To find out when the embassy has sent out your P3, you call this number: (202)663-1225; press 1 then 0. Tell them you want to find out if your Packet 3 has been sent out yet. They will ask for that magical SEO# and hopefully tell you that your P3 has been sent to the agency on such and such a day.

Meanwhile, your child will be getting EP sometime after referral acceptance is sent. Anyways...IF your child has EP AND your Packet 3 has been sent to your Korean agency from the embassy, your Korean agency will return your entire file to the embassy. Once the embassy gets that P3 back from Eastern, they can schedule the visa interview. You will call that (202) number to find out if VI is scheduled. It generally seems to take about 2 weeks to get a VI scheduled after the Packet 3 is out (If your child has EP....if not, then it will obviously take longer).

If you call that (202) number and they say your visa interview has been scheduled, you know 100% for sure that your child has EP. Your travel call should be very quick after VI is scheduled.

I Admit, I Have No Self Control

We are OFFICIALLY number 5! I called AAC and talked to Morgan today. I love talking to him. He is so happy and exicted. He even wished me good luck. He did say they have one baby girl out for review right now, so if someone accepts her then we will be number 4. Hooray two babies referred really close in time!

Priorities And Life Lessons

February 18, 2009

Associated Press

The coach never considered any other option.
It didn't matter that his DeKalb, Ill., High School basketball team had ridden a bus two and a half hours to get to Milwaukee, then waited another hour past game time to play. Didn't matter that the game was close, or that this was a chance to beat a big city team.

Johntel Franklin scored 10 points in the game following the loss of his mother.
Something else was on Dave Rohlman's mind when he asked for a volunteer to shoot two free throws awarded his team on a technical foul in the second quarter. His senior captain raised his hand, ready to go to the line as he had many times before.

Only this time it was different.

"You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said.

Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood what had to be done.

It was a Saturday night in February, and the Barbs were playing a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states.

The teams planned to get together after the game and share some pizzas and soda. But the game itself almost never took place.

Hours earlier, the mother of Milwaukee Madison senior captain Johntel Franklin died at a local hospital. Carlitha Franklin had been in remission after a five-year fight with cervical cancer, but she began to hemorrhage that morning while Johntel was taking his college ACT exam.

Her son and several of his teammates were at the hospital late that afternoon when the decision was made to turn off the life-support system. Carlitha Franklin was just 39.

"She was young and they were real close," said Milwaukee coach Aaron Womack Jr., who was at the hospital. "He was very distraught and it happened so suddenly he didn't have time to grieve."

Womack was going to cancel the game, but Franklin told him he wanted the team to play. And play they did, even though the game started late and Milwaukee Madison dressed only eight players.

Early in the second quarter, Womack saw someone out of the corner of his eye. It was Franklin, who came there directly from the hospital to root his teammates on.

The Knights had possession, so Womack called a time out. His players went over and hugged their grieving teammate. Fans came out of the stands to do the same.

"We got back to playing the game and I asked if he wanted to come and sit on the bench," Womack said during a telephone interview.

"No," Franklin replied. "I want to play."

There was just one problem. Since Franklin wasn't on the pre-game roster, putting him in meant drawing a technical foul that would give DeKalb two free throws.

Though it was a tight game, Womack was willing to give up the two points. It was more important to help his senior guard and co-captain deal with his grief by playing.

Over on the other bench, though, Rohlman wasn't so willing to take them. He told the referees to forget the technical and just let Franklin play.

"I could hear them arguing for five to seven minutes, saying, `We're not taking it, we're not taking it," Womack said. "The refs told them, no, that's the rule. You have to take them."

That's when Rohlman asked for volunteers, and McNeal's hand went up.

He went alone to the free throw line, dribbled the ball a couple of times, and looked at the rim.

His first attempt went about two feet, bouncing a couple of times as it rolled toward the end line. The second barely left his hand.

It didn't take long for the Milwaukee players to figure out what was going on.

They stood and turned toward the DeKalb bench and started applauding the gesture of sportsmanship. Soon, so did everybody in the stands.

"I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It was the right thing to do."

Franklin would go on to score 10 points, and Milwaukee Madison broke open the game in the second half to win 62-47. Afterward, the teams went out for pizza, two players from each team sharing each pie.
Franklin stopped by briefly, thankful that his team was there for him.

"I got kind of emotional but it helped a lot just to play," he said. "I felt like I had a lot of support out there."

Carlitha Franklin's funeral was last Friday, and the school turned out for her and her son. Cheerleaders came in uniform, and everyone from the principal and teachers to Johntel's classmates were there.

"Even the cooks from school showed up," Womack said. "It lets you know what kind of kid he is."

Basketball is a second sport for the 18-year-old Franklin, who says he has had some scholarship nibbles and plans to play football in college. He just has a few games left for the Knights, who are 6-11 and got beat 71-36 Tuesday night by Milwaukee Hamilton.

It hasn't been the greatest season for the team, but they have stuck together through a lot of adversity.

"We maybe don't have the best basketball players in the world but they go to class and take care of business," Womack said. "We have a losing record but there's life lessons going on, good ones."

None so good, though, as the moment a team and a player decided there were more important things than winning and having good stats.

Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget.

"This is something our kids will hold for a lifetime," Rohlman said. "They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night."

Rumors Of A Move On The List

A few blog friends have posted that there was a baby girl for referral the end of last week. I called on the 11th and there was no news...Hopefully one really did come in and that would again take us to number 5. I am going to wait to call for a week or two because I don't like to call and hear that we have not moved. I really hope that things start to move. I know I am inpatient but it is really emotional knowing that your baby is on the other side of the world living with a foster family that is loving her and how emotional it will be to take her away from them. We are ready as a family to bring her home and start living the life as a family of 5. At number 5 it could be very soon!

Nine Months

Nine months of official waiting. How much longer can it take? My new speculation is referral at eleven months.

No Girls Again...And State Approval Clarification

I called AAC today. I found out about the state approval and because we live in Utah we do not need it. The state approval is seperate from the I600A and has to be filed when submitting the I600A in states that it is required.
And once again there are no girls out for referral.
Bummer...
I am getting my hair colored today, my nails done and my eyebrows waxed, all just for fun so that is exciting. I haven't done any of the above for a long time. I decided that even though I am busy I need to take some time just for me.
Hooray!!!

No Girls So Far This Week And Some New Confusion

Well I called AAC today. No girls yet this week...I sure wish things would speed up, as I have said many times before.
I600A-Does anyone know how to file this? Our social worker does not provide us with a copy of our homestudy. AAC says they do not usually help with this form, they also said we need to find out if Utah requires an approval??? What? Why don't they know this info?
I emailed our social worker to see if she knows anything about state approval, hopefully she has an idea.
Let there be girls some time soon.