Homestudy

Tomorrow is our first homestudy and my house is a MESS! ugh! I hate that and will need to clean clean clean tonight!

Today my sister came over and sat down with all my paperwork and told me what to do! She's great at organizing (and being bossy) and I sooooo appreciate all she's doing to help me out. I think we have it all figured out and will be able to get our dossier in order pretty easily. It's so nice to have the extra eyes and hands to get it all straightened out.

Today on my to do list was make our doctors appointments (done) get fingerprinted for the Adam Walsh thingy (done) and get Steve to sign some forms (done done and done). It's a great feeling to see some progress and I have to do another huge thank you to Sue!! love you sister!!!

Now...off to clean so we won't be rejected right away!

later
Liz

He's off the list!

Just a quick update....we found out that Qing Qing is off the shared list and is being specifically held for us! We now need to get going as quickly as we can on his paperwork so it can get to China to be processed and get him home!

This will be a VERY trying period as I'm starting school (graduated 25 years ago!!!), working (at least only part time), being a parent (full time!!!) and completing all the adopting requirements and paperwork! My sister is going to help me sort through the adoption paperwork and basically be telling me what to do....I'll need that.

For now I be really thankful he's been pulled off the shared list and available to only us! It's pretty surreal right now. I can't believe this is happening as we were not planning on adopting again. I always thought about it but Steve was a NO WAY! He's come around and I know he gets nervous about the money aspect but once he's home and in our family I really believe he'll be a perfect fit just like Zoe was.

Anyway...off to bed, it is a school night ya know!

love,
Liz

Where we're at

Well we've been in touch with our new adoption agency called WACAP and they are out of Seattle, Washington so....needless to say we do lots by email and phone! We had to get a differant agency that is local to do our homestudy though as we need to be able to meet with the social worker and have them in our state. We did find a place in Edina so that isn't so bad and they sound very nice.

We have a HUGE HUGE pile of papers so that is way fun! (hear the sarcasm?!?!). We also have been in touch with the local LPA (little people of America) and it sounds like a great organization. I'm feeling a bit more closer even though we have a long way to go.

So...where is our son located? He's in Kaifeng in the Henen provence. I figured we'd travel around June and guess what??!?! great news.....that's the rainiest month there!!! yippee! sounds fun. I put a map up so you all can just see for yourself where it's at! Rain or no rain I just want to get there and get him and bring him on home!

As far as I can tell from his paperwork I believe he's in foster care. He has not been to school but has a small group of kids that get tutored together so he's getting some type of education. He will be turning 9 years old in February and I just don't know what "age" he'll be like when we get him. He's got a great smile and it says he is wonderful with other kids and when someone enters the room he's in he talks NON-STOP! It will be fun to see him in a family setting and learning to rely on a mom and dad and have siblings that dote on him and yes....fight with him!!!

Anyway....off to do more paperwork!

Still waiting.......

I have no clue when we'll hear but keep checking e-mail to see if there is any word. I'm truly feeling he will be ours but need that confirmation as really....anything can happen! So I sit here trying to figure out stupid student loans that I thought were all set and waiting to hear if we have another son and just wondering.....WHERE IS MY PATIENCE?!?!!?!?!!? UGGHHH! I'm not so good at this waiting stuff and really need to get better at it. The thing is if we are told we are approved then the fun begins and we start ALL the paperwork and start the paying for it all. But I'll love it knowing it's working towards getting our son home!

So....I"m off to book club tonight and will worry about the wait at bedtime!!! LOL

Feeling anxious....

as we are waiting for our PA (pre-approval). This process is all so new to me but we sent in our financial and medical info and then it went to China. They look it over and make a decision if we can adopt this little boy or not. It sounds so scary doesn't it? I mean...if they don't like what they see...buh-bye. I'm so wanting to be his mother but know that if we get turned down it just means that God has other plans and it's not having him added to our family. I just want to make that official announcement and get the excitement out there!! I'm sure many will think we're nuts but also happy for us.

This past weekend we went to Tennessee for a reunion with the families we traveled with to China to get Zoe. It was an amazing time and I did share with them our news of adoption and all were excited and said they saw his post and how darn cute he is!! I agree of course! We had 9 families vacationing together (43 of us in all!!) and 2 of them already added again to their families with adopting. One family added a 13 year old girl from Ethiopia and she is absolutely gorgeous! and then another just got home a few weeks ago with the most adorable little 2 1/2 year old boy from China! There are 3 of us that are starting the process to adopt from China again. It's fun to talk to the others about this as we all "get it". We will be relying on them through the very long paper stage and the waiting for all our stuff to be approved and then finally travel! I just want him sooooooo bad!!!!

Anyway...off to a date with my dear hubby!

Time will tell

We finished our financial forms and family forms and the WACAP (World association for children and parents) will be sending them next week to China to see if they will approve us to adopt him. ARRGGGGGG....can I tell you I'm glad I'll be on vacation next week as I'm a nervous wreck over this. I know the possibility that we may not be approved but it's sooo hard when you want it so bad.

So for now....I wait and pray that OUR new son is safe and happy and will be receptive to being adopted!

Next post could be announcing our new son to you all!!!!!!

Our son made the "star" of the week

Our boy made the "child of the week" in promoting him for adoption! It's wonderful as if we are not meant to be his family....hopefully someone will see this and become his. However, I WANT HIM IN OUR FAMILY!!!! Anyway...here's the article on the LWB site..................Oh, and apparanlty they call him Aiden on this sight! Not really super fond of that name.
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Aiden from Kaifeng, Henan Province, just turned eight. While he is a little shy, you wouldn’t guess it from his grin! He’s currently a student in LWB’s Kaifeng Education program where he receives tutoring. Every day before class, he helps the teacher move the table and carry the chairs. He also likes to help his fellow students. He helps pick up books off the ground, helps other children move their chairs and loves to help his fellow student, Grace, learn her numbers.

He can recite about five pieces of poetry such as “Early Spring” and “The Goose”. Aiden’s recent big accomplishment is to start reading the time on the clock. He likes to draw and can count from 1 to 100, as well as doing single digit addition and subtraction.

Aiden knows the four directions correctly. He is respectful to his teacher and always eager to learn new things. We look forward to getting his reports each month since we always get a big, sweet smile in his photos.
Doesn’t he look proud of his accomplishments? All he needs now is a family to share in his pride! Aiden is currently living in our Kaifeng foster care program and is on the shared list in China’s Waiting Child program with a special need of Dwarfism. Please contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com for more information!
Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

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Wish I could put his cute pictures on here....soon soon soon I'm hoping!!!