The end of the week is coming quickly

It is the beginning of a new week.  I am seriously scrambling now to get paperwork finished.  We have until the end of this week to mail anything that needs to be paper instead of electronic based.  Last week was very productive, but we aren't there yet.  I'd appreciate prayers this week that things would run smoothly, we'd find the answers we need, be able to focus, and ultimately for favor with the agency, social worker and the powers that be in the Chinese government.

Today we got some more required photos for China.   

This one cracks me up.  It looks like we were photoshopped in.  We were walking out of the woods in our back yard.  Too funny!  We may need to keep trying...

Ella is featured in newsletter

Sometimes I don't get it.  We THOUGHT we were waiting to hear if the other agency would release Ella's file so we could adopt her.  We talked to someone face to face and asked them.  They know we are serious.

I just now got an e-mailed newsletter from said agency, and guess who they are featuring in a big "Help Ella find a family" article?  As if no one has shown any interest in her at all!  I'm guessing that is our answer as to whether they will release her file.  I am very sad for us, but praying that Ella finds a good home soon.  That is what really matters.

Dr. Staat is wonderful!

I heard from Dr. Staat, the director of the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  She was so caring and encouraging.  We learned quite a few things about what is going to be available to help with whatever situation we find ourselves facing once Abigail comes home.

The bottom line with the diagnosis?  Yes, the CT shows an area of brain damage.  It seems to be caused from a trauma of some sort, she thought likely in utero.  It seems to be in the area of the brain where the communication center is located.  This could mean a couple of things.

1. Abigail doesn't talk because she can't.  She simply cannot perform the physical act of speech.  It could mean that learning sign language will be more important than learning some Chinese!

OR

2.  Her intelligence is affected, and thus speech is delayed.  If this is the case, we really have no way of knowing at this time how much it will affect her learning or IQ. 

Otherwise she looks healthy, like she is receiving adequate nutrition, and has a good growth rate -even though she is a little on the small side.  All of our kids have been!

Dr. Staat was impressed in the video with how sweet Abigail is and what a good disposition she has.  We likewise think  she is a doll!  If God will grant us favor with the caseworkers and with China, we will happily and joyfully bring her home.

On a totally different vein of thought... Dr. Staat's office sent five pages of precautionary information and a vaccine list for tourists of China.  There were stories of diseases we don't have here (just from eating the food???) and rabid monkeys on the streets.  (insert the image of me shrieking and running!)  In the course of the conversation, I told Dr. Staat that I was quite surprised at the travel information they sent me because it sounded as if we would die the minute we stepped off the plane.  "How bad is it REALLY in China??"  She said that we need to be sure our routine vaccinations are up to date, then it was the Hepatitis A and Typhoid that we really needed to get vaccinated against.  She added that we should not be "too adventurous" with what we ate.  I replied, "Oh and we shouldn't play with the monkeys."  Her reply?  "Its never a good idea to play with monkeys, no matter where they are."

Maybe its the endless typing of this "Parenting Resource Plan" that has gotten to me, but I've been giggling about this advice off and on for hours!

Check, check, check, check, and check!

Yesterday was one in which I got to check off a few things on my "to do" for the China pre-approval.  We are down to 7 business days to accomplish this rather large list of things.

I drove to downtown Cincinnati to drop off a video to the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Check.
 
The IAC is one of only twelve such centers in the country.  Wow!  And I questioned the move to Cincinnati...The IAC will use the video, along with medical records, photos, and images from a CT scan that I sent prior, to give us a better picture of Abigail's health needs.  I am totally sitting here waiting for the doctor to call me with the details this morning. Those of you who know me well, know that I often leave my cell phone in some random place around the house, and often can't get to it in time to answer when it rings.  This morning the cell phone, a pen, and a notebook are accompanying me EVERYWHERE.   Besides giving us valuable information that we can use to prepare for Abigail's homecoming, this call will give us the information needed to proceed with some required information on these forms for China AND the "Parenting Resource Plan".  I really, really, REALLY want to be done with that particular document.  My brain is tired!

The initial paperwork for the homestudy was sent via certified mail.  Check. 

We got our passport photos taken AGAIN.  Turns out that we need additional ones for visas and also for various files with the agency and with China.  We wish we had known to get the extras the first time we had them taken!  In any case, its done.  Check.

We went to Sarah's house so she could take a photo of everyone who lives here.  Check.

Ethan got the form notarized and sent overnight express to Washington, D.C. in order to get a certified copy of his birth certificate.  Check.

Now if the phone would just ring...

They were right!

One thing we've been told over and over is to not worry about the money - it will be there when we have to have it.  This was proven today.  We had two things that HAD to be done since we're working with a very tight deadline to get our pre-approval from China.  Both of these things were VERY important and both cost several hundred dollars each.  We were $80 short.

As I was talking with the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital about a mandatory consultation (to the tune of $805) they told me that they are going to waive one of the fees (it was $230!)  So, instead of being short the $80, we actually have something left in our account!!  We are thankful.

What has today looked like?  I got up at 5AM, and have worked on our papers for about 9 hours so far.  Much of the day was spent on the "Parenting Resource Plan" document.  This beast  (so far) is 32 pages of research on things such as medical conditions, attachment disorders, behavior issues, etc.etc. A new email/telephone friend put it like this, "It is so hard to find all the local resources you might, hypothetically, could need.  Sometimes I think WACAP makes you fill that out just to test your perseverance."  Yeah, she summed it up perfectly!

I spent an hour and a half on the phone with the International Adoption Center at Children's Hospital.  Wow!  If their review of the records are half as informative as what I was told so far, we will get a LOT from this review.

When Ethan gets home he has to notarize the request for his out of country birth certificate then hope it gets here before the usual several month waiting period.  Did you know that China requires the birth certificate to be issued no more than six months before the dossier is sent?  So much for thinking we were on top of things by having two of the hard-to-get certified documents in hand!  A trip to the post office is scheduled next, then MORE professional passport photos.  We wish we had known to request several photo copies the first time we had them done.  They are needed for numerous other things in addition to the passports.  As I type this, there is a huge thunderstorm raging outside.  I'm thankful for the rain, but thinking there might be a better time to go have photos taken!

 July 17:  Successfully applied for passports for Ethan, Randi and Tikvah.

Faxed our application papers to WACAP and we are official now.  They say things look good and we're on track -- right before they send us an email with a whole list of things that we have ten business days to complete/obtain and send back so they can get pre-approval from China.

July 16: We receive the application from WACAP - primary facilitator of adoption.  We receive the application from Adoption Star - secondary agency who will do the homestudy.  Still typing, answering questions, researching...

July 14:  We spend FIVE HOURS trying to get our documents and photos in order to apply for passports.  Fail.  They closed at noon and we weren't ready until 12:10.

July 13 - 15:  Answering questions, researching, answering questions, researching, answering questions...

July 13:  We tell WACAP that we want to go ahead with "Abigail's" adoption, keeping the way open to add "Ellla" if the other agency will allow.

I receive a phone call from another WACAP client who adopted two unrelated special needs children (about six months ago) at the same time.  Super sweet mom (who is actually one year OLDER than me!) who was very encouraging.  She gave a realistic view of what to expect.  I am so thankful that God has sent so many folks along to encourage us.

July 12:  We receive answers to the additional health questions and an unexpected bonus.  Abigail's caseworker is able to obtain the actual CT images and we have a copy!!   We will be scheduling a pre-adoption consultation with the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  Such a consultation is required by our agency and by China.

We attend an informational seminar at the local agency that told us "No way."  We ask them if they will consider transferring "Ella's" file so the other agency can facilitate both adoptions.  We're told they will check into it.

July 11: One agency says, "No way can you adopt two at the same time."  The other agency says, "Yes, it can be done, but it adds an extra layer of complication to the process."

The second agency sends us a "Parenting Resource Plan".  Wow!  What a lot of questions to answer!

July 8:  We get medical advice concerning Abigail's files. More questions asked.

July 6-7: Said files narrowed down to 50.  I read medical and background files and then read some more. Abigail will not leave my head or my heart.   Ok, scratch that.  There are two, "Abigail" and "Ella"  I simply cannot think of leaving either one of them in China without a family.  Big complication.   Both are "Special Focus" children each assigned to one specific DIFFERENT agency to facilitate their adoption.  Now what?

July 5:  Another agency sends us info on 1797 children.  I cry.

Among others, we receive "Abigail's" file.

July 3: Among others, we receive "Ella's" file.

July 2: Search begins in earnest.  So many needy children.  Can we really have only one?


June 29 and 30: Inform our adult kids who basically say,  "You're going to do WHAT?"

June 26:  Yes!  We've talked about this for literally years.  We are going to do it at last!  Where to start?  The Shepherd's Crook, Rainbowkids, All God's Children, Journeys of the Heart, etc. etc. etc.