Adoption Update Numero Dos

Okay the home study social worker finally called me today and she will be coming over Thursday morning to meet with me. Then after our vacation she will meet with Steve and then we will have a final meeting together. She will also be touring the house. I hope we can keep it clean. I just spent this evening cleaning out old school papers from Paige and cleaning out her closet. I ended up with a full trash bag.

Anyway, our home improvements will be to install track lighting in the family room. Each kid has broken at least one lamp by knocking it over. We also plan to add a bedroom in the large bonus room. There's going to be quite a large distance in ages from Paige to our newly adopted child so we think it's best to let Paige have her own room. When she's older she'll probably move down to the basement bedroom. Right now Paige and Aaron are sleeping in the same room but Aaron's clothes are in Zane's room. We plan on moving Aaron back to the "boys" room this summer. Paige is going to all day 1st grade next year and since Aaron was born in June, I'm waiting a year before he goes to preschool. So it makes sense for Aaron to move in with Zane.

I hope my ramblings weren't too painful.

03/30/09

Adoption Update

Well we've almost gotten all of our paperwork done. My local background check is done and I went to pick it up at the Hamilton County jail. After looking at it, I noticed the notary's commission expired in April. Well, for China the notary's commission can't expire less than one year from the date on the document. So they have to redo them, but no biggie.

The main thing we are waiting on is the home study. The social worker was supposed to call us last week. Then her mother apparently passed away suddenly last weekend. I found out about this when I finally called because someone was supposed to be in touch with us last week. Then I got a call from my contact telling me the same social worker was supposed to do our home study and we were to hear from her this past week. Well the week has gone and still no phone call. Needless to say I am getting very frustrated and hope they assign us a different social worker.

Oh and Zane took his first steps today ! Yay!!!

03/27/09

My New "Do"

So I went today to Bushwackers, yes that's the name, to get my hair cut from Lori. I love the new cut and hope I can duplicate it tomorrow. I needed something new as I have been pulling it back in a ponytail for the last couple of weeks. Here is a picture, now keep in mind it is the end of the day and my face is rather shiny:

On the adoption front we are currently doing online training and have 8 weeks to complete it. We've almost got all of our paperwork done surprisingly. Just a few more little stuff. I've had my physical and I am normal and healthy. And Zane is feeling back to normal again. That was a long 5 days.

3/14/09

My 4 HOURS in the ER with Zane

Well, Zane had not had any wet diapers for the last couple days and he threw up again this afternoon so I had decided to take him to MedCheck. They have call ahead service so I called at about 1:30 and they said they were running 2 hours behind so I put his name on the list and arrived there about 3:15. I had written on the sheet that I was worried about dehydration. Well apparently at the MedCheck, they don't deal with dehydrated babies so they sent me over to the ER. I went to the MedCheck right by the hospital so it wasn't very far.
Anyway, there was no waiting at the ER. I was shocked. I got right in to the room about 4:15 where I waited, and waited.. Finally a doctor or a doctor-like person comes in and checks him out. Turns out he has an ear infection, but the doctor wasn't too worried about the dehydration. We had decided to give him fluids anyway and then through the same IV we could give a 24 hr antibiotic. Sounds good right. Ugh! Well a set of nurses comes in and they can't find a vein. More waiting. They go get a pediatric nurse. She can barely find a vein either but she tries. Twice in Zane's foot. No luck and Zane's foot is bleeding a lot. Apparently they have this try 2 times and you're done rule so they bring in a second pediatric nurse who gets a line in but it's very sensitive about the positioning of the IV. Zane's arm was wrapped so tight that fluid began building in his arm. Zane was so upset and kept fighting me so I had to strap him in the stroller. Little did I know his arm hurt so bad. A nurse came in and realized his arm was puffing up so she ended up taking out the IV. They had to get the doctor again. More waiting.

So the doctor comes in and tells me that someone from the neonatal ICU can come down and put a line in at 7:00 or we can just give Zane 2 shots of antibiotic and be on our way this is about 6:40. So I decide Zane had enough poking for one day so let's just do the shots. So I wait. At about 7:30 yes that's right 7:30 the nurses finally come in to give Zane his two shots. At this time I was watching the Women's Big Ten BB tournament but I don't know how it ends. Then after one last round of taking Zane's vitals and a prescription for his ear we left by 8:00 ish.

Did you know that pharmacists don't work on Sunday evening? I couldn't find an open pharmacy within a 20 mile radius. Well I'm glad that it is a 24 hr shot. But it's back our regular doctor tomorrow.

3/8/09

Is the Paperwork Done?

Just a quick note to anyone who reads this that our paperwork is amost done. We still need to get a social worker who will do our home study but we should be getting one soon. Today I sat down and listed the things we needed to do. Surprisingly, okay not surprisingly they were mostly things Steve had to do. Today he went and got passport photos taken for his new passport. He got two. He hasn't been studying the paperwork that I have been. We have to send two extra passport photos to China - don't know why we just do. Here are our passport photos:

Okay according the the passport website it's okay to smile. But I look extremely pale (they had to lighten the picture) so I'm not sure they are going to accept my picture. Only time will tell.

3/7/09

Our Friends are Adopting Too

One of Steve's friends from high school is adopting as well. Here is a blurb from her story:

The second family, Matt and Laura will be adopting a sibling group from Asia. Matt and I are adopting a sibling group from Southeast Asia. "Adoption is our first choice for starting our family. Orphan care has always been a passion of mine and God began to change Matt's heart towards adoption shortly after we began volunteering with our church youth group. Through that experience we both realized that God had given us hearts that overflowed with love for other people's children. Adoption, for us, is not rooted in pity or charity but in equity and justice and love." They are also trying to raise funds by selling hats Laura knits herself. The hats are absolutely ADORABLE. Check out the link at http://www.uproar.etsy.com/

These are some of her hats. Aren't they cute?

3/7/09