Journey To Magical Moments

Where did January go?

2009-02-16T08:44:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. Going back to work and figuring out how to fit everything in has been challenging, but it's getting better. Bryson is doing well and growing so fast. Bryson is such a happy baby! He smiles a lot and loves to talk to us. He’s making more noises when he talks to us, and is able to recognize our voices. When in groups of people and he hears our voice, he will look around for us. His smile and voice is so sweet! He even has a dimple. He started daycare on the 5th. The first day he was so tired when he came home. As the week went on he slept better during the day. He did really well and our daycare provider said that he is such a good baby! Bryson had his two month appointment at the beginning of January. At that time the Dr. said that he looked very healthy and is doing well. He weighed 14 pounds and 5 ounces and was 24 inches long! He was at the 95th percentile for weight and 85th for length. He is a big boy! The doctor said that we may consider starting cereal before his 4 month visit! Bryson is very laid back and we are getting to see more of his personality as the time goes on. Some of the things that he likes to do are lie on the floor and kick and play, sit in his bouncy seat, be held by mom and dad, chew on his fist, and play with his rattle. He is becoming more coordinated and can put the rattle in his mouth when he is holding it. He has noticed the TV when its on and he likes to watch the bright lights and movement. When he is lying on the floor he will turn his head so that he can see the TV. He is getting closer to rolling on his side. When getting his diaper changed he likes to look at himself in the mirror and will play at bat at the toys around him. He has started to giggle and likes to blow bubbles. Bryson also got his first round of shots this month. He did so well! The nurse even commented that he was the best baby there that day. He smiled between the shots. That third shot really made him cry, but only for a short time. After a very short time he was back to being his happy self. He is such a joy to be around and we love every minute that we have with him!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2008-12-31T21:04:00.003-06:00

Wow - this year has been full of ups and downs - but it does end on one spectacular note!!! This past month we have been very busy, getting ready for our first Christmas, first New Years, and celebrating many other firsts too. A year ago, who knew - even three months ago this wasn't even a glimmer in our imagination. However, we never really lost hope - the kind that comes from God. There were moments of feeling sadness and wondering, helplessness, but deep down we did know that it would happen - and look, He provided!!! We couldn't ask for a greater blessing than Bryson! He is the cutest little guy (sorry to tease you, we can't post pictures yet), he's easy going, a good eater, a good sleeper (during the night - he doesn't like to take good naps on a regular basis right now), good burper, makes plenty of dirty diapers, smiley after he wakes up, very alert, and the apple of his mom and dad's eyes. Bryson is starting to interact with us more by cooing, and smiling lots in return to us appearing in his line of vision. We can't get enough of those smiles - he even has a dimple. His voice is the sweetest little voice, and when I hear it, it makes me think that an angel spoke (ok, moms are supposed to gush over their children right :0)I don't think that I have ever been more full of joy than right now. He is the greatest blessing that we could have ever imagined and we are very happy that he is ours!!

We don't know what 2009 has to offer, but we are looking forward to seeing what it happens to bring. You just never know what God has in store for you!!!

Happy New Year and many blessings in 2009!

So Much to be Thankful For!!!

2008-11-26T16:49:00.003-06:00

Wow! What a difference a year makes, or how about a month!! We have so much to be thankful for, especially this year. We have wonderful family and friends who have given us so much support through this last year. I don't know what we would do without you!!! We are so looking forward to spending our first Thanksgiving with family and our new son, Bryson!!! We are truly thankful for the gift we have been given and feel truly blessed!! We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and is able to spend it with family and friends!!

He's Such A Sweetie

2008-11-18T15:21:00.001-06:00

We'll we've been home for about two weeks now and life couldn't be better!! We are truly enjoying our little guy - he is such a good baby! (knock on wood...) He sleeps, eats and does the things that new little babies do. He doesn't cry very often - until he is hungry. He sleeps for about three hours at a time and Brian and I share the feedings in the middle of the night. We are so anxious to see how he grows and what the future has to hold. We truly feel blessed!

We're Home with Baby!

2008-11-06T13:29:00.003-06:00

Bryson Cade was born on November 3, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces at birth and was 20 inches long. We got the call that we could go to the hospital around 5:45 on Monday night. It was a 40 minute drive and we were very anxious to get there! We got to meet Bryson a little bit before 7:00 p.m. He has lots of dark brown hair, perfect eyes, nose and mouth and a beautiful complextion!! He is a very sweet baby! We were able to stay at the hospital with him for the next 48 hours and take care of him. The hospital was great and Bryson was 1 of two babies on the floor - so we had a lot of great attention! We are now at home, and have had our first night at home, and our first Dr. visit today! We can't wait to celebrate all of our other firsts too!!

Tomorrow?

2008-11-02T15:35:00.003-06:00

So, tomorrow is supposed to be the day - the day that we could potentially become parents. The birth mother is supposed to be induced at 7:30 a.m.. Her pregnancy counselor is going to be at the hospital between 8:30 and 9:00. After she delivers we will get a call from our case worker to tell us what we are supposed to do and where we are supposed to go.

I guess that I'm wondering how we're supposed to feel, the day before... the day before our life could potentially change forever. This is the day that we've been waiting for, waiting for a long time. We are hoping that everything will turn out... but no matter what we know that it will turn out the way it's supposed to. The birth mother has to wait 72 hours before she can surrender her rights. Those 72 hours will be hard, but we'll be waiting.

So this last day we are waiting for the baby to be born. Most everything that can be done has been done, and we are prepared as we are going to get. I did some shopping and Brian is watching a Cowboys footall game. Those are pretty normal things that we do on Sundays... We are waiting to know what a new normal is and are excited to see what next Sunday will bring.

Getting Prepared

2008-10-29T17:40:00.003-05:00

We have spent the last couple of weeks getting as prepared as we can for our new little one! It still seems so surreal. We have spent the time getting caught up at work so that we can take some time off, and Brian has been getting caught up on homework, although it doesn't seem as though that is ever done!! We have the bare essentials (formula, diapers, some clothes, a pack and play, and a car seat) and are waiting on a call. We'll get the other stuff we need later. We were told that the baby could happen at any time. The birthmother has an appointment with her Dr. on Thurs. the 30th, and if she hasn't had the baby by then, they have said that they will induce her. I'm pretty excited since my birthday is on the 30th! It is such a fun time of year to have a birthday!! Every time the phone rings I wonder who it is and if it's time. The birth mother wants us to be at the hospital as soon as possible after the baby is born. We are so thankful for that. At this point, we are as prepared as we are going to get, and hopefully we'll have some news soon!!

We got THE CALL!!!!!!

2008-10-20T18:15:00.003-05:00

Oh my - it's been exciting around here! Brian received a call from our adoption agency on Ocotber 7 saying that they were interested in talking to us about a birth parent profile. Brian received the fax late Friday afternoon and brought it home for us to look over. We had until Monday to say whether or not we wanted them to show our profile. We decided that it would be ok for them to show it. We really thought that there wouldn't be a chance that we would be picked. They were going to show the profiles to the birth mother on that Tues. October 11th. We were waiting all day to get a call telling us one way or another if she had chosen us - or someone else. I was getting more discouraged as the day went on and didn't hear anything. Later in the day the phone rang. It was our agency saying that we had been CHOSEN!!! OH MY!!! I don't think that I really took it all in, I listened and took notes about what we were supposed to do. It really seemed like a dream. I called Brian and told him the news - and I think that we were both really shocked for the next day or so.

Brian and I went to St. Louis over the weekend and on the way down there, I turned to him and asked - "you don't think that I made that whole conversation up, do you?" It just really seemed like a dream and so surreal, it still does.

We are so looking forward to see how our lives will change and to be able to share it with a child!

We are also so thankful for all of the family and friends that have supported us through our journey. We definately couldn't have done it without everyone's support!

Not Much New

2008-09-26T17:33:00.002-05:00

So as the title says, there isn't too much new going on in our adoption world right now. So far our dossier has not been returned to the agency and they are all still sitting at the DIA in Vietnam. Brian and I are trying to make a decision as to whether we should drop out of the Vietnam program or not. If/When Vietnam would open again, and should we decide to pursue it, we would have to start from the beginning, but that may be easier than trying piecing together old and new paperwork.

On the domestic infant adoption front, there isn't much going on right now either. I talked with our caseworker this week and there isn't too much activity right now. So while we're waiting we're going on with our lives and activities. We are keeping really busy and are looking forward to fall and the holidays. We will definitely let you know if anything comes up!!

It's THE Day...

2008-09-01T09:07:00.002-05:00

Well, today is Sept. 1, the dreaded day that the MOU expires between the U.S. and Vietnam. There isn't any new news about grandfathering in of the dossiers, or negotiations for a new MOU. Vietnam has not appointed someone to negotiate a new MOU with the US at this point. Right now Vietnam officials have been doing investigations and making arrests of individuals who have been falsifying documents or involved in unethical child trafficking activities. That is a good positive step. We have decided to remain on the list at the agency at this point - although nothing will happen until a new MOU is reached. It still has not been made public if our dossiers will be returned to our agency at this point either.

Although this day symbolizes a delay of our desire to adopt a child from Vietnam, we have started another journey through domestic adoption. Our profile was submitted to our agency in June and we are hopeful. It is a totally different process! Each day is filled with hope and faith!

Sept.1

2008-08-06T14:31:00.003-05:00

From the information that we have been given, we have been told that the program will close to those who don't have an official referral on Sept. 1st. So that means that we'll get our dossier returned to us. We have talked to the staff at CHI and have told them that at this time we aren't interested in changing international programs. It does seem to appear that referrals of special needs children will continue after Sept. 1, however there isn't a protocol in place yet for this to occur. CHI will maintain a list of people who are interested in resuming an adoption from Vietnam should it become an option in the future. We have decided that we will stay on the list for right now. Should something change for us in the future we can always decide to be taken off the list. We officially got to #31 on the list.

We are hopeful for the future and are looking forward to what is in store for us. As a result of the closing of Vietnam we have decided to pursue an infant adoption through our local home study agency. We are faithful that something will happen when it is supposed to. We'll be sure to keep everyone up to date on our situation. Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers!!!

Great Response!!

2008-07-09T11:39:00.005-05:00

The JCICS web site indicates that there were 149 Members of Congress and Senators who signed the letter that was sent to Sec. Of State Condolezza Rice encouraging her to negotiate a new Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam so that adoptions can continue. Senator Durbin and Senator Obama both from Illinois signed the letter along with many others. To see the signatures on the letter click here

Thanks so much for your support!! This will definitely make a difference!!

130 Signatures!!

2008-06-24T13:43:00.003-05:00

It's been posted on one of the web boards that as a result of all of the calls to our legislatures, there are at least 130 signatures on the letter that will go to the Department of State urging them to continue to work with Vietnam on getting an agreement put into place. That is great news!! Thanks so much to all of you who have made calls and sent e-mails - they definitely made a difference!! We'll have to see what happens as a result!!

One more Time?!!

2008-06-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

Joint Council's Child's Right Campaign has been well received, and the letter to
Secretary Rice, advocating for a new MOU for Vietnam, is now circulating to all
of the congressional offices.

Joint Council is asking families to call their elected officials on Thursday,
June 19th and Friday, June 20th, in support of the campaign. Joint Council has
previously asked for your support, but the next two days will be crucial in
obtaining the support of Congress for this important bill. Joint Council has received
overwhelming support for this campaign, and we appreciate your phone calls and
e-mails on such short notice.

You can see the information on the JCICS website.

Thank You!

2008-06-16T17:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all of you who called our government leaders on behalf of families adopting from Vietnam. We haven't heard anything about the results of all of the calls, but it has to have done something - because a lot of you called!! We are hopeful that something good will come out of it. We had heard that some leaders were in support of families who were in process being able to continue, but not sure about what "in process" means. Does that mean only families who have referrals or does that mean for all families who have dossiers in country? We are hoping that they will grandfather those of us who have dossiers in country so that we will be able to continue. We'll just have to wait and see what happens now.

Last week we did get an update that our agency received three referrals for special needs children and one referral for a 3 1/2 year old boy. That was good news!! They aren't expecting any referrals this week.

Thanks again to all of you who have helped us along the way - we really appreciate it!!

I hope that all of the fathers out there had a wonderful Father's Day!

Today is the Day

2008-06-02T09:34:00.005-05:00

So, today is the day that they JCICS campaign begins. If you would like to help out by calling and/or emailing your Senators and Representatives, you can find the information that you need here . Our goal is to ask our government to help to ensure that ethical adoptions continue with Vietnam and not to close the door for children who need loving homes.

Here is a copy of the e-mail that we sent to our Senators and Congressmen.

Dear ,

Our family has made the loving decision to pursue an adoption of a child from Vietnam. We have been in this process for the past two years and have dedicated our time, emotions and finances to this journey. We have begun to love a child whom we do not yet know. Due to some irregularities that were found in Vietnam with some adoption service providers, the USCIS has put into place protective precautions to ensure that each child who is receives a Visa from the US, is legitimately an orphan. Our family is supportive of these measures and want to make sure that all adoptions are completed ethically. However, due to the deceptive practices of SOME adoption service providers, many children will be without loving homes as the Memorandum of Agreement between Vietnam and the United States expires September 1, 2008. A new agreement has not been reached at this point. Our hope is that negotiations can/will continue and a positive outcome can occur.

We urge the Senator/Congressman to join the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Co-Chairs and sign their letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice in support of the recommendations found in Joint Council’s A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam.

If you have not heard about the Campaign, please contact the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute at 202-544-8500 or Joint Council on International Children’s Services at 703-535-8045.

Thank you for your time. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,

Brian and Delyn

We truly appreciate every one's support! We wouldn't be where we are today with out it! Thank You!

JCICS Campaign Information

2008-05-21T19:40:00.009-05:00

Today we received an update from our agency stating that JCICS has released the details of the Campaign to our legislators. You can find the information here . Hopefully if everyone can make a call and encourage our legislators to put pressure on the Sec. of State to continue to talk Vietnam and come to a new MOU, adoptions have a chance of continuing. The JCICS website explains everything in detail and gives the dates of June 2, 3, and 4th to make the calls. The more people that can make these calls during a short period of time, the greater the impact.

If adoptions are closed to the US in Vietnam, it not only affects the children who need families. Agencies that work in Vietnam provide social and human services to people who are in need. Brian and I sponsor a little girl in Vietnam and help to provide her an education, clothing and food. She lives in a poor section of Vietnam with her mother and brother, and her mother does not make enough money for the whole family to live on. If adoptions cease and agencies are removed from that county these services will not be available any longer.

As an adoption community, we want ALL adoptions to be completed ethically and to be able to legitimately provide homes to children who need them. We have some hope that will continue, but need every one's support. Anyone can call, it doesn't have to be just a prospective adoptive parent, and we would appreciate every one's support.

There May Be A Little Hope!!

2008-05-16T07:58:00.002-05:00

We just recieved our latest update from the agency. They are waiting to get all of the information from JSCIS for the campaign to contact legislators. They still have some hope that Vietnam will continue to process dossiers - but we'll just have to see how it will all play out. They said that there is still time for changes to be made and that their sources have said that the DIA in Vietnam hasn't made a decision on the cut off date to process dossiers and match children with families. Vietnam is reported to be getting a lot of pressure from the US to stop adoptions. We'll just have to see what happens...

There was one referral this week for a little girl. The family previously had a referral that was lost. So this is a bitter sweet time for them. A lost referral could be that the birth parents decided to parent their child, the child could have gotten sick and died, or other reasons. When you are matched with a child, there is the potential for these things to happen. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers!

No Information Yet

2008-05-15T19:07:00.001-05:00

I just didn't want you all to think that I forgot to post the informaiton for contacting legistlators. We just haven't gotten any information yet, that I'm aware of. I'll certainly let you know when we do.

New Campaign

2008-05-10T08:14:00.003-05:00

Our agency along with many other agencies are going to begin a campaign on Monday to try to pressure our government to begin talking with the Vietnamese government once again. Our agency will be giving us information on Monday about how to proceed. Once I get that info. I'll post it here. You are more than welcome to help out. We need all of the people that we can to become involved to try to make a difference.

Whatever happens, Brian and I know that there is a plan for us, we just need to be open to follow whatever lies ahead. We have continued to research and get information about other options and are looking forward to whatever comes our way.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mothers out there! We hope that your day is special!!

Still Processing the News...

2008-04-28T19:24:00.004-05:00

Well it certainly isn't getting any better in the world of Vietnam adoptions. Have you seen the article from the Associated Press? It appears that the Vietnamese government was very offended by the accusations of corruption that were made by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. It's not clear, but it the Government of Vietnam may be halting adoptions with the U.S. as early as July 1, 2008. Those families without referrals or a match by then will have their dossier sent back to them. Brian and I realize that adopting from Vietnam will not happen for us and are preparing for whatever is next.

Edited: The July 1, 2008 is when the Government of Vietnam will stop taking dossiers. Sept. 1st is the cutoff date for referrals.

Faith

2008-04-26T07:26:00.005-05:00

If you haven't read the previous post, please read it first.

In light of yesterday's news, we want to say that we haven't lost our hope and faith. We are saddened and our hearts are heavy, but there were many indications that this was what was coming. We really try to keep up on information, not bury our heads in the sand and don't want to deny the facts. Since there were indications of this happening, I did at times feel like maybe I wasn't being faithful enough in thinking "the worst" and preparing for what may happen. As I look back, maybe, it wasn't that I was not having faith, but that we were being led in another direction. We had been praying for an answer as to what would be happening to adoptions in Vietnam and yesterday we got our answer. We are relieved to finally have an answer so that we can begin (continue)to plan for what is next for us.

There were many reports of corruption in Vietnam that the USCIS just released in their statement yesterday. We are thankful that we don't have to wonder how our child came to us. "The worst" that could happen, in our opinion, is that a child was taken from their parents who were lied to and coerced in giving up their child. We definitely don't want to have to live with that and then someday try to explain this to our child... No Way... It's not about us, it is about giving a child a home whose parents were informed about making one of the biggest decisions that they will ever have to make - to make a plan for their child.

So even though we are saddened by the recent news, we will be making some decisions about what our options are and where we go from here. We have done some preliminary research on other options and are considering them. A couple of the questions that we will have to answer is whether we will wait for a referral from Veitnam until our dossier is sent back? or Do we withdraw now and move on from here?

I do have to say on a personal level, that the last two years have provided me many opportunities to learn more about myself and has strengthened my faith and relationship with God. For that I am thankful.

Not. Good. News.

2008-04-25T19:13:00.003-05:00

Today there was a warning posted by the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. Here is what it said:

On April 25, the Government of Vietnam announced that it will allow adoption to be completed in cases where prospective adoptive parents have been matched with a child and received an official referral prior to September 1, 2008. It further stated that in accordance with Vietnamese law, the DIA will suspend the acceptance of new dossiers on July 1, 2008. On September 1, 2008 any dossier that has not received a referral will be closed and returned to the Adoption Service Provider. In view of the processing time required in Vietnam from placement to the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, an adoption process begun now cannot be completed before the current Agreement expires.

To read the entire post click here.

So where does this put us? Right now we are approximately 30 on the overall list, but not sure where that puts us on the list for boys. With the rate of referrals that we have been getting,I'm not sure that we will be able to get a referral by Sept. 1st. So, we will be preparing for another plan and trying to figure out what to do if this isn't an option.

New Article

2008-04-24T17:40:00.001-05:00

Check out this article. It explains what is going on in the world of Vietnam Adoptions.

Nothing New

2008-04-21T20:17:00.002-05:00

Well, the last update from the agency didn't have much of anything new to add. There were no new referrals last week, and there isn't much new information about the MOU or how things will be handled after September 1. Hopefully there will be some good news this week.

2 More Referrals This Week!

2008-04-12T20:16:00.003-05:00

Well, as the title said - there were two more referrals this week. One for a little girl who was 13 months and an 8 1/2 year old boy. Congrats to those families! The update also mentioned that future referrals will probably be fewer and farther between due to the investigations and requirements that are needed to obtain permission (a Visa) to for the child to come to the United States. We'll just have to see what happens. There is no new news on the MOU between the US and Vietnam. No one really knows if they are even working on it at this point. The questions that still remain to be answered are 1.) Will adoptions from Vietnam cease after September 1, 2008? 2.) What will happen with families that are in process and have dossiers submitted in Hanoi? and Will their adoptions be able to continue? Those are big questions and many people are waiting on pins and needles to hear the answers.

17 Months

2008-04-10T14:58:00.001-05:00

Today makes 17 months that we've been on the waiting list. We know that we have some more time to wait, but hope that our number comes up soon!!!!

We've Been Registered

2008-04-07T11:55:00.006-05:00

We received news today that our dossier has been translated and that it was registered at the DIA in Hanoi on March 24, 2008!! Hurray!! In our dossier, one of our documents notarization expired April 11th - so we beat the deadline. The funny thing was that the document that had the April 11th expiration date had been redone as the previous notary date would have been March 23rd. It's a good thing that we had it redone, or else one of our documents would have been expired ONE DAY before it was registered (then we would have had to re-do that paper again!) One more example of having faith that it will all work out!!!

CHI Update

2008-04-04T14:58:00.002-05:00

Well, this week our agency received two referrals for little boys 7 months and 11 months. That is some good news!!

We're Still Here!

2008-04-04T14:21:00.004-05:00

We haven't forgotten about keeping everyone updated. There has been a lot going on, and not so much going on in the world of Vietnam adoptions. Does that make sense?...

Well, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Vietnam expires September 1, 2008 since March 31st, 2008 has come and gone, and the MOU wasn't renegotiated. The word out there is saying that Vietnam may be continuing to accept dossiers until September 1, meaning that even after September 1, Vietnam will continue to match dossiers with children. This will all continue as long as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to issue Visa's to these children. As of right now, they (USCIS) have stated that as long as Vietnam continues to match families with children, they will give Visa's to those children (however Visa's are only given after an investigation determines that the adoption was handled ethically and DNA tests are done on birth parents and the child). So that is good news - at least there still is a chance for us to complete our adoption. Now, none of this has been officially stated by either government at this point, but that is the info. that is out there right now.

The new information this week is that the USCIS began implementing a new rule. This rule is that children who are relinquished by their parents and the parents themselves will have to submit to DNA testing to make for sure that the people that signed the papers to relinquish the child, are truly their parents. These birth parents will have to travel to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to have these tests completed. Keep in mind that some of the birth parents will live many hours away from Hanoi and HCMC. Expenses for these tests will be paid for by the petitioner's (us, the Potential Adoptive Parents). I'm still not sure how the US can require a citizen of another country to comply with the rules and regulations of the US - when the other citizen is not on our soil.

This rule began being implemented on April 1, 2008. There was no formal announcement by the USCIS that this was going to be required or implemented. The way that many agencies and Potential Adoptive Parents(PAPs) found out about this was through a memo that was leaked to the owners of the Bring Our Children Home website. Many agencies were just as shocked to find out about this new requirement as well. As far as I'm aware, there still hasn't been a formal announcement from USCIS or how this will be implemented. However, some families have received notice from USCIS that their investigation cannot be completed because the DNA tests haven't been conducted. I guess that we'll just have to sit tight and wait and see what happens and how this will affect adoptions in Vietnam...

A Ray of Hope!

2008-03-20T19:54:00.004-05:00

The update from CHI this week stated that there was one referral for a little boy 16 months of age. There are also several children who are getting medical check ups done at this time. CHI is hoping that those referrals will come at the beginning of April. It's so good to have some good news, just when you need it!

Keeping the Faith

2008-03-19T19:49:00.003-05:00

Boy, it sure seems like every update that we have gotten recently has been full of grim news. There haven't been any new referrals for a while. There is some question as to the reason for the slow down. There is a lot of uncertainty about the continuation of adoptions from Vietnam after September 1, 2008. Several sources have stated that the Vietnamese government will accept dossiers until September 1, although there are other sources who question if the cut off date will be sooner. There is a lot of speculation with every release of information - and the temptation to let the uncertainty take over. There have not been any official statements about what is going to happen and until then, we'll hold steadfast. With all of the turmoil, now more than ever, our faith has to lead us through each day.

Like the New Look?

2008-03-16T18:24:00.003-05:00

So what do you think? I was wanting a change and found this one. I got the Free template from Cutest Blog on the Block. Check them out!

2nd Weekly Update

2008-03-15T08:48:00.003-05:00

We did get an update from our agency for the second time this week. There were no new referrals, but some families are traveling this week to get their children - and that is exciting!!

There is a lot going on in the world of Vietnam adoptions, and there are many people that are worried about their opportunities to adopt a child from Vietnam. If you are interested in reading about some of the issues you can get an idea from Voices for Vietnam Adoption Integrity and Bringing Our Children Home.

We are thankful that our dossier should be in Vietnam by now!! During this time of uneasiness, Brian and I know that there is a plan for us that is more than we can even imagine!!

March 10 Update

2008-03-10T20:47:00.003-05:00

We received another update today from our agency. There were no new referrals and things have seemed to have slowed down quite a bit.

There isn't any new information about the MOU between the US and Vietnam. The agency stated that they are still uncertain if the MOU will be signed in September or not. If there is not written exchange between the two governments by the end of March stating that each side will sign the MOU, then it will not be signed in September. Written exchange between the two governments is required 6 months prior to the signing.

What does that mean for us... not real sure at this point. We are holding steadfast that Vietnam will continue to allow people who have their dossiers in country to continue with the process but know that may not be a possibility. There are groups who are advocating that if the MOU is not signed, those who have referrals as of Sept. 1st should be allowed to continue their adoptions to completion. We'll just have to see how it all works out. Please say some prayers!!

8767

2008-03-05T20:13:00.003-06:00

That's the number of miles that our dossier will travel to Vietnam when it is sent on FRIDAY!!!! It's finally going over and all of our documents are ready to go. What a relief that is! The dossier will take about 4-5 days to arrive to the office in Ho Chi Minh City where several notarized copies will be made before it is sent to be translated. After it has been translated the staff will submit it to the adoption center. It generally takes about 3-4 weeks from this point to be submitted to the adoption center. So 3-4 weeks will be about the end of March or beginning of April. Not much time before one of the notaries on one of our documents expires April 11th - there is little time to spare. Once it is registered at the adoption center the time line stops and we don't have to worry about the dates of the notaries. I think that we need to celebrate this accomplishment this weekend!!

Whew!! and It's A Small World

2008-03-03T18:06:00.005-06:00

We were leaving for Florida on Thurs. right after work. When I got home, Brian told me that there was a message from the Vietnamese Embassy. I wasn't sure what to think at first, and the message was a little hard to understand. I was hoping that the message stated that he said that he would fix the paper and get it back ASAP. Luckily that is what he must have said because our document is back from the Embassy. They fixed it and returned it the same day. So, now it's on its way to St. Louis. Hopefully everything will be alright and our dossier will be on its way to Vietnam this week. I know that we're so thankful that it came back so quickly.

This past weekend we were in Florida at ESPN The Weekend at Disney. It was GREAT weather - and a fun time. While we were at Disney Hollywood Studios I was watching people go past while waiting for Brian. There was a family that past us that looked familiar, then it registered - it was a family who adopted through CHI, and I followed their blog about their trip to Vietnam to pick up their son. Brian met me and we were able to talk to them for a bit. It was so nice meeting them and seeing them in "real life". It is a Small World after all!!

You've Got To Be Kidding!!!

2008-02-27T14:43:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was expecting to get a couple of packages in the mail for printer ink. I wasn't expecting to get our FED EX package from the Vietnamese Embassy!!! I was so happy to see that envelope. I had just contacted our coordinator in St. Louis and commented that it was taking a long time to get it back and I was getting a little bit nervous. I opened the envelope and got our document out. It had the stamp on the back of the certification paper and the nice red stamp on all of the other documents - but then I noticed that a page was missing!!!! I couldn't believe it. I checked with our coordinator in St. Louis just to make sure that we needed that page (I knew we would, but I was hoping that maybe we could get by...) and yep we need that page. So, now it's back to FED EX and the Embassy. We have some documents whose notaries expire April 11th so we need to get our dossier sent to Vietnam ASAP!!!! Please say a little extra prayer that they will expedite this letter and get it back to us soon!!!

Child Trafficking in Vietnam - News Story...

2008-02-20T19:47:00.006-06:00

Here, here and here are stories about baby trafficking in Vietnam. They are all about the same group of baby traffickers.

37 - 3= 34?

2008-02-20T17:39:00.004-06:00

The last time that I checked with our coordinator, we were #37 on the list for both boys and girls and all ages. I'm not sure where we are at on the list in regards to the "boy list". All I know is that she did say that we had time to get our dossier in before we would get a referral soooo... that tells me we have a little bit to wait... Last week our agency received three referrals two for girls and one for a boy - they were all for children 4 1/2 to 6 months. So, it could mean that we are now at 34 on "the list". Although there are always changes that can take place so it isn't necessarily a firm 34, we'll just have to wait and see.

No news on getting our document authenticated at the embassy. They reopened on Feb. 12th after celebrating their New Year, so it may take a little while for them to catch up and get our document back to us. I hope that it gets here soon!!!

Third Times a Charm

2008-02-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

We received Brian's medical letter this week and had it notarized and certified. It is now on it's way to Washington DC to be authenticated. It was shipped overnight yesterday and should arrive today. However, since this is Tet, I don't think that the Vietnam Embassy will be open today. Hopefully it will be authenticated next week and returned to us shortly after that.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

2008-02-06T18:58:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Tet begins tomorrow February 7th. Tet is the most celebrated holiday in Vietnam. Many family members travel back to see their families and most everything slows down for the couple weeks around Tet. For more information on Tet you can click here . 2008 is the year of the Rat. On the websight that I listed, there is a list of years and the zodiac sign that represents that year. I was born in the year of the Dog and Brian was born in the year of the Rooster. What is your sign?

Atachment

2008-02-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

Laurie at Pho for Four has a great post on Attachment. There is a lot of information there and sums up some thoughts that I have had. I'm hoping to be doing a post on attachment and how it will affect how we parent. Stay tuned...

I've Been Tagged!!

2008-02-02T14:00:00.001-06:00

by Kristi at Lessen Family.

The rules are:

1. Link the person who sent this and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself.
4. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and link their blog.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

It's going to be pretty hard to come up with 7 things that people don't know about me, but here it goes.

1. I usually sleep with my feet outside of the covers and can't stand wearing socks to bed.
2. I just started training for the Indianapolis 1/2 marathon in May... I haven't said much about this before - but now I guess I'm committed! ;0> In high school I didn't go out for the track team because the coach was going to make me run long distances... (edit - I'm not running the whole thing but doing a run/walk)
3. I was on the swim team in high school.
4. One of my favorite veggies is pickled beets.
5. I love to collect books to read. I usually have at least 5 on my night stand that I am in the middle of reading.
6. Office supplies - especially pens. I could spend a lot of time and money in Office Depot!
7. I like to watch true crime shows like the First 48, and Cold Cases. I think that I should have been a detective!

I really don't have anyone to tag - so if anyone out there reading wants to take on this challenge, consider yourself tagged!

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

2008-02-01T19:15:00.000-06:00

In a previous post I talked about how there have been concerns about how adoptions are being/have been completed in Vietnam. There have continued to be some concerns and the US Government has made some changes in their policies for families adopting, such as making sure that there is an investigation completed prior to traveling to Vietnam to pick up thier child(ren).

In order for adoptions to be allowed between Vietnam and the United States a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in June of 2005 and went into effect in Sept. 2005. The MOU is good for three years, which means that it would expire Sept. 1, 2008. The Department of State (DoS) and Vietnam have been in talks regarding re-signing the MOU. Both countries are reported to want adoptions to continue. The MOU is not a requirement of the United States, but it is a requirement for Vietnam. Due to the possiblity of the MOU not being signed the Department of State has issued a warning to individuals interested in adopting from Vietnam. You can see the DoS warning here. The DoS has also posted some concerns that they have and you can read them here.

There is a possiblity that agencies who have dossiers submitted in country before Sept. 1, 2008 could continue to do adoptions if Vietnam will allow it. The DIA (authority in charge of adoptions in Vietnam) has told several agencies that they will continue to allow adoptions to families who are in process and have dossiers submitted in Vietnam. However, there has not been an official statement to that effect as of now.

Hopefully the MOU will be re-signed and there will be no reason for concern. I am really wanting to get our dossier completed and submitted as soon as possible.

Trivia Question Answer

2008-02-01T19:08:00.000-06:00

Last week I asked how many miles our dossier would travel from our house to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. There were several guesses and Tyler went all out on his answer. Too bad I was asking for the simple answer - you could have saved some brain power!! :0)

The answer is 8767 miles from our home to Ho Chi Minh City. The winner was Ryan, with the help of technology!! Too bad there are no real prizes - except for beating out Tyler!!:0) Thanks for playing!!

A Bump in the Road...

2008-01-30T20:22:00.000-06:00

Well, we received a call from our agency saying that they had reviewed our dossier and there was only one thing that needed to be redone... Boy did that put a damper on my day, to say the least... Guess what document? The dreaded medical letter from Brian's doctor. The one that we have had to redo before... I guess the third letter is the charm, right, please!! So Brian made the call to get another letter which will need to be notarized, certified and authenticated. I'm really hoping to get this all done within the next couple of weeks. Needless to say, our dossier won't be going to Vietnam this week.

Almost there!

2008-01-25T17:53:00.000-06:00

Brian and I received a pleasant surprise yesterday from the Fed Ex man - our dossier was returned from Washington D.C.. I wasn't expecting it until next week, so I was really happy to see it on Thurs. I made copies of all of the paperwork for us and our regional office last night and then sent it overnight to our coordinator at CHI today. They should have it by Monday. They will check through it to make sure that there aren't any mistakes and if there aren't it will be sent to Vietnam next Friday. We are really hoping that everything is ok and looks good, because I can't take getting anything else that needs to be notarized, certified and authenticated!! :0)

Trivia Question - How many miles will our dossier travel from our house to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam? Take a guess and put it in the comment section. I'll post the answer next week.

Last week's matches!

2008-01-17T16:37:00.001-06:00

Last week CHI received referrals for twin little girls who are about 3 1/2 months old. I'm sure that family is overjoyed!! It's not too common to receive a match for twins. There was also a match for a set of sibling boys 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. It was a good week. There isn't too much new going on right now and things have slowed down quite a bit although there are a couple of families in country right now and it is hoped that more families will get the approval to travel soon.

Vietnam is gearing up for their big holiday of the year - Tet. It is the Lunar New Year and Tet on February 7Th this year. 2008 will be the year of the rat. 2007 was the year of the pig. Since this is their big holiday most places begin to slow down and everything is closed for about two weeks around the holiday. We are hoping that things will pick up a lot after Tet.

Recent Updates

2008-01-09T19:38:00.001-06:00

In our last update we were told that CHI received a referral for a little girl 3 1/2 months old and sibling boys, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. In 2007 CHI received 73 referrals and completed 85 adoptions!! What a blessing to know that those children now have families that they were able to celebrate the holiday with!! The Vietnam program has been very busy and seems to keep growing. The Associated Press reported in a recent article that "Last year, 826 American families adopted babies in Vietnam, including Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, up from 766 in 2002, the last full year of adoptions before the suspension. Americans accounted for roughly two-thirds of the foreign adoptions in Vietnam last year."

In looking at the numbers it appears that CHI completed about 10% of the American adoptions in Vietnam last year.

Documents Certified and Sent for Authentication!!

2008-01-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

Well, all of the rest of our documents were certified on Monday. We did get a new letter from Brian's physician and I also ended up getting a new employment letter. The commission on the individual who notarized my employment letter expired March 23, 2008. So that would mean that we would have to have everything in and registered in Vietnam by that time - which may be cutting it close since once the documents are authenticated, they have to be sent to Vietnam and then translated, which can take 3-4 weeks. Plus the Lunar New Year is Feb. 7Th and everything closes down for the two weeks around that date. So anyway, our office manager was nice enough to do a new employment letter for me and take her lunch time to go with me to sign it in front of a notary at my bank. I owe her one for that!! So we got it notarized and this guy's commission expires April 11, 2008 - so really that only bought us 2 more weeks!! :0) Oh well, I have faith that it will be done by then.

Today I sent our all of our dossier documents to a courier who will take it to the embassy for authentication. It was hard to let all of those documents go out of my hands. We've worked hard to get them all together and painfully made sure that they were as perfect as we could make them be. I Fed Ex'd them overnight and will be continuously checking the tracking number to make sure that it got there safely!! I'll be glad to have all of the dossier in my hands and authenticated. Some day maybe I'll be able to look back on this a laugh - what an experience!!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-06T20:03:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a wonderful New Year and is looking forward to a new year filled with many blessings.

Brian and I started off the New Year by going on a little trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. We had never been there and thought that it sounded like a place that would be relaxing. We had a good time, and did some fun things such as going on a dolphin cruise. We were able to see some dolphins, even with it being about 45 degrees and extremely windy! So much for going someplace warmer than home!! :0)

Documents Certified ... Well Almost Anyway...

2007-12-29T14:03:00.000-06:00

Friday was the day, the day to go to the Secretary of State to get our documents certified. We had them checked over by our agency and most of the documents were given the green light to be certified. I was waiting for one last call from the agency to see what we should do as our home study notary's commission expired in November. So I received the call while in Springfield and was told that I should make a copy of the home study, do an attestation that this was a true and accurate copy of the original home study received by us, and get the attestation notarized... So, I was off to find a place to get it copied and went to Office Depot, then had to get it notarized. Luckily CEFCU has a member center in Springfield not too far from Office Depot. I got the attestation notarized and was off to the Secretary of State's office to get all of the documents certified. As soon as I entered the office, I was told that no one would be available to certify the documents until 1:30. No problem for me, it was already 1:00. The supervisor came out and looked over my documents and the notaries. The only error they found was the one that I just had notarized.... The notary forgot to sign the paper, along with her stamp.... UUUGGGHHHHHH....... Luckily the lady there notarized another copy for me. The supervisor took my documents to her office to spread out and make sure everything was ready to go for the certification. I paid my $$ and was told to return around 2:00. I went and had some lunch and came back at 2:00 to get all of my certified documents - YEAHHH!!! I was on my way out of Springfield, just about out of town and something made me check the documents that they gave back to me. Our police clearance letters were missing. I was sure that I had them with the rest of the documents. SIGH.... So I went back to the Sec. of State's office and the supervisor had found the documents and certified them at no charge!! Thanks goodness I checked them before I got home!!!! So I was thrilled to have them certified and they were ready to be sent to the courier so they could be taken to the Vietnamese Embassy - yeah!!!! What a relief... I called our agency to tell them that I had completed it and as I was talking to her I mentioned that Brian's dad had notarized his medical letter, and had made a special trip to us to do this - Thanks Charlie!! The worker said "Uh oh... I'm glad you mentioned that, because we can't allow family members with the same last names to notarize your documents. They would not be considered an objective witness" Inside my head I'm saying "WHAT!!!" (This rule is a recent development with our agency). So I have to say that I was and am a little disappointed. Brian will need to get another medical letter and then do an attestation and have the attestation notarized. Hopefully we'll get the letter next week while we're gone and Brian can get it notarized on Sat. I'll take some time off and visit my friends at the Sec. of State early next week to get that document certified and then we'll be able to send it off to the courier. Then my friends, we'll be able to check that off our list!!! What a day it was!!

What's on our Christmas Tree?

2007-12-22T19:05:00.000-06:00

These are several of the ornaments that are on our tree. Without faith, I know that I wouldn't be experiencing the peace, hope and joy that I have now!! We're wishing you much peace, joy and hope as we celebrate Christmas this year!!

Making Progress!

2007-12-22T07:48:00.001-06:00

We are making progress on getting our dossier complete. We now have all the documents that we need and are getting the last of them notarized today. We'll fax the documents to our CHI office to make sure that they are correct and to get the final ok. So, next week after Christmas we'll go down the the Secretary of State's Office to get the documents certified. That is basically saying that all of the notaries are correct. When that is done we'll then send them off to The Vietnamese Embassy in Washington D.C. for Authentication. There is a service that we can use called the "Assistant Stork" for the authentication process. This person will deliver our dossier to the Embassy and monitor it's progress, making sure that there aren't any mistakes and that it's moving along. We'll need to call next week to set this up. Once all of our documents are authenticated at the Embassy then they will send them back to us and we'll get them, make copies and send them to our agency so that they can be sent to Vietnam!! Once they get to Vietnam, they will need to be translated and then will be registered. I'm hopeful that all of this can be done by the end of January.... We'll see!!!

"All I Really Want for Christmas" by Steven Curtis Chapman

2007-12-18T17:28:00.000-06:00

I heard this song and it reminded me of all the children in the world who don't have families. Say an extra prayer for them - and that they get their Christmas wish!

Updated Information from Previous Post

2007-12-03T09:10:00.001-06:00

Last week the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) held a meeting with agencies licensed to work in Vietnam and the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. At that meeting many issues were discussed and information was shared with the agencies. It was also stated that the US Sec. of State's office is currently working with Vietnam to resign the Memorandum of Understanding. This is great news and hopefully the agreement will be signed so that there are little to no disruptions to the Vietnam adoption process. We'll keep you updated as we get information...

The Roller Coaster of International Adoption

2007-12-02T19:58:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted, partly because there isn't much going on in the way of referrals for our agency. The other reason is that even though there aren't a lot of referrals, there is a lot going in in the world of Vietnam Adoptions. I was trying to process it all myself before I could write about it. To take you back to the beginning, Vietnam closed it's international adoption program several years ago due to irregularities and unethical behavior in regards to the adoption process. The moratorium was put into place so that Vietnam could have some time to create a process that is more transparent and where corruption and unethical behaviors would be more regulated. Vietnam made some changes to their system and a memorandum of understanding was signed by the US and Vietnam to resume international adoptions in the summer of 2005. This agreement is good for three years, which means that it will need to be renewed by the summer of 2008.

When a person from the United States adopts a child from another country they must receive approval from the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The potential adoptive families send in an application along with birth certificates, marriage license, home study and fingerprint results from the FBI. The USCIS will then give a preliminary authorization for a family to bring an orphan to the US. The parents then get their referral and travel, formally adopt the child in Vietnam and then have to go to the USCIS in Hanoi to finalize the trip and get a Visa so that your child can enter into the US. Once the child enters the US they are considered a US Citizen, but until that point are still a citizen of Vietnam - which is why a Visa is needed. When the family goes to get the Visa they are interviewed by the USCIS employees who are making sure that the adoption was ethical, and the child can be truly classified as an orphan and that there are no discrepancies in the paperwork.

In October and November there were several families that were issued Notice of Intent to Deny Visa's (NOIDS) due to their cases having paperwork discrepancies, or that the USCIS felt that there were suspicions about their child's orphan status. The children had been legally adopted, so in the eyes of the Vietnamese government the parents were legally responsible for the children, however, they could not travel home to the US with their children because their child wasn't issued a visa. Many families had extended stays while USCIS continued investigations regarding these adoptions and some still continue. Some members of the families have returned to the US while others members stayed in Vietnam with their children. Others have chosen to put their children in foster care and return to the US until they can bring their child home. In light of all of the NOIDs that were issued (anywhere between 15-25) there was concern regarding a couple of provinces in Northern Vietnam, along with the agencies that worked with the orphanages there. These agencies were getting very young babies, girl babies, and families were issued referrals very fast. Most agencies are not experiencing fast referrals and there is suspicion about how these few orphanages/agencies were getting so many referrals. These suspicions included thoughts of unethical behavior by facilitators or individuals who "find babies". This could result in baby buying and/or first families who thought that their children were going to be taken care of and educated, but would return back to them. Here is a story that was aired on CNN and you can click here to see it.

As a result of all of the NOIDs that were issued the USCIS wants to make sure that this does not happen in the future. A new regulation was implemented that the USCIS has to complete their investigation and give the parents clearance to travel before they can go to Vietnam to pick up their child. While this may extend the time between referral and travel, it will prevent families having to stay in Vietnam with their child for an extended time. I do think that this is a good thing.

Due to the irregularities in a couple provinces, the Vietnam DIA (the agency in charge of adoptions in Vietnam) has decided that they would not accept dossiers of children in these provinces, hoping to curb some of the unethical behaviors. Some of the agencies that have worked in these orphanages and provinces, have closed their Vietnam programs, as they are in jeopardy. Due to these difficulties, there is some fear that adoptions in Vietnam may cease. However, our agency, who by the way was NOT involved in any of these issues, has said that Vietnam is not wanting to cease international adoptions and that there is no evidence that this is going to happen as of right now.

One of the most important things to Brian and I throughout this adoption is that it is done in the most ethical manner possible and that the rights of all involved are respected. I do not want a first mother in Vietnam to have been coerced to give consent for her child to be adopted, just so that she can put food on the table for other members of her family. I want to make sure the best that I can that everyone's rights are preserved. The best way to make sure that happens is to chose and ethical agnecy. CHI has proven to be ethical and are well regarded in Vietnam and the US. So, even though we will not be getting a "fast referral" and have had to wait, we will gladly do that to make sure that our child comes to us in the most ethical way possible.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-20T19:13:00.000-06:00

How can Thanksgiving go by without thinking about what you are thankful for? So it has been on my mind a lot this week and I would like to share. First, our families are extremely important to us, and I know that both Brian and I are thankful for them - their support, guidance, advice and those fun family times. We are also very thankful for our friends who have been there with us and have been a tremendous support and have helped us through this journey. Without all of you I know that the journey that we have been on would not be as "easy" as it has been for us. I am also thankful for the opportunities that I have been given and the life experiences that I have had. Each of them have helped me to grow as a person. We are very lucky and I am reminded of that everyday. As I learn about Vietnam I realize how lucky that we are to be born in such a prosperous country such as the USA, and to have all of the opportunities that we have. I pray for our child, knowing that he will be born in a place where he may not have had all of the advantages. I pray for his birth mother, who is faced with one of the hardest decisions that I can ever imagine making and I hope and pray that she will know that he will be loved and cared for and I pray that she will find peace with her decision. This journey has not always been "easy", but I am so thankful for the opportunity and for all of the love, and support that we have been given. Happy Thanksgiving!!

One Year Down!!

2007-11-10T16:19:00.000-06:00

Today is our one year anniversary of when we were put on the list. I cannot believe how fast this last year has gone! Time sure flies, when your having fun or not... To celebrate that we were given permission to begin our dossier, and to commemorate one year of being on "the list", Brian and I went to the Vietnamese restaurant in Peoria. It is in a nondescript building near the Bradley campus, but the restaurant was full of people enjoying their afternoon. The trip to eat there was pretty adventurous for us, as we pretty much stick to the traditional American foods. In a way I felt pretty awkward, not really knowing what to order, and how to eat it. I just try to remember that that is going to be only a little bit of what our child will feel like when he meets us and eventually ends up in this strange world of the United States. He is going to have much more of an adjustment trying to fit into a world that is so foreign to him, the food, smells, sounds, and language are all going to be so different for him.

This week our agency received two referrals one for a 3 1/2 month old boy and a 2 year old boy, both from Ho Chi Minh City.

We are hoping that we'll be home with our little one a year from now!!

National Adoption Month

2007-11-07T19:51:00.001-06:00

November is National Adoption Month. To celebrate this the Hallmark Channel is airing a series on adoption. They follow families who are adopting from foster care, domestically and internationally. On their web sight you can watch the episodes that have aired. There is an episode that features an adoption from Vietnam. Click here and you will be directed to the page. Then find the episode of Vietnam Adoption Journey and it will be downloaded to your computer so you can watch the segment. The adoption appears to occur in Ho Chi Minh City and Tam Binh orphanage, although I'm not sure when the episode was filmed, it seems as though it may have been filmed several years ago. It is interesting to watch and will give you some perspective on how things work.

Great News!!!!

2007-11-06T16:30:00.000-06:00

Brian and I received a call last Friday telling us to begin our dossier paperwork. This is exciting news as it is the next step before getting a referral. You can read about the preparation for the dossier here. We have begun to get our paperwork together which includes obtaining employment letters, doctor letters, local police clearances, passport copies, our home study and addendum's, marriage certificates and some other incidental items. My goal is to have the dossier paperwork completed and certified at the Secretary of State before Thanksgiving, and sent to the Vietnam Embassy for authentication soon after that time. Although many of the things that we need to gather for the dossier, mean that we have to wait on others to get done. So, the actual timing of getting all of these things done could be different than my expectations though... It would be great to have it all done by Christmas! Once the dossier is sent to Vietnam is takes a while for it to get to Vietnam and then for it to be translated. We still have some time to wait, but the holidays are approaching and we have a lot to keep us busy and occupied.

Changes....

2007-11-06T16:16:00.000-06:00

As the wait has gone on, Brian and I knew that a majority of the people adopting request that the child be as young as possible at the time of referral. Brian and I wanted that same thing at first and requested that as well. However, as the wait has progressed, the thought of all of the other children who are just a little bit older than that, want and need families too, found its way into our hearts. So Brian and I have decided to increase our age range, from 0-12 months at referral to 0-18 months are referral. We are excited about this change and looking forward to when we get to meet our child. Depending upon the age of the child at the referral, we could be bringing home a child between the ages of 16- 24 months. It will be challenging but we know that we will have lots of support. Nothing like being first time parents to a child who will be entering into the terrible two's... :0) However, I have heard from several of my friends that sometimes the two's are good but to watch out for the three's!!

Weekly Update

2007-10-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

This week there were two more referrals for little girls 3 1/2 weeks and 6 weeks old. They are little ones!! Congratulations to those families!

Keeping Busy

2007-10-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a week full of traveling, learning, relaxing and being with great friends!! I was able to go to a conference in Chicago this week and learn some new and exciting things that I can use at work. Being in Chicago is always a lot of fun and we were able to slip in a little shopping too! :0) I left the conference on Friday and headed to Wisconsin for a weekend with my girlfriends from college. We try to get together once a year and it is always a great time. I so enjoy my visits with them and the time to relax and reconnect!! We went to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was so pretty on the lake with trees sharing their fall colors.

On the adoption front not much new to report. There were no new referrals this week. Although some families are traveling soon. Hopefully some families will be getting news about travel dates soon too.

Weekly Update

2007-10-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

Our newest update from the agency stated that they had received two referrals for healthy infant boys, one 4 1/2 months old and one 2 1/2 months old. They also received two referrals for children who have special needs. One boy and one girl. Overall that is great news!!

They also reported that they have begun working with another orphanage Phy My (Man Nom 6). This orphanage serves a lot of children with special needs and a small number of healthy children. There are other agencies working in this orphanage as well. CHI is establishing relationships with other orphanages and hopes to begin working with them in the future.

Orphanges

2007-10-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what an orphanage in Vietnam might look like? There is an organization called Journey for Children and they have visited Vietnam and some of the orphanages giving dental exams and performing health care for children with cleft lip/cleft palate. They took pictures while they were visiting Tam Binh 1 and Tam Binh 2 in 2006 and 2007. These are two orphanages that CHI performs adoptions from in Ho Chi Minh City. They also traveled to Vinh Long, where CHI works in another orphanage. The people who traveled took pictures and posted them on their web sight Journey for Children . To see the pictures click on JFC Mission to Vietnam 2006 and JFC Mission to Vietnam 2007. It will take you to another site where the photos are put in different albums, categorized by orphanges or places. As a warning, some of the pictures are difficult to look at, as there are many children with disabilities and health issues. But this will give you an idea of what an orphanage in Vietnam looks like. There are no pictures of the orphanage in Vinh Long, but there are pictures of the city and what life is like there.

People who have traveled to receive their children have remarked at how clean the orphanages are and how the caregivers really appear to love the children. You can see in the pictures that the children are loved and taken care of as well as possible. But nothing can compare to the care, love and nurturing of a forever family!

Weekly Update

2007-10-06T18:08:00.001-05:00

No referrals this week! Officials from Vietnam as well as the Vietnam coordinator, Thuy, were in St. Louis this week for a visit to the CHI office. The officials were Le Thanh Tam, the Director of DELISA (Vietnam's department over social affairs); Justice Official Trinh Thi Bich, who presides over the Giving and Receiving ceremonies in Vietnam; Ho Thi Kim Thoa, Assistant Director of Tam Binh #1 & #2 orphanages; and Children's Hope Director in Vietnam Thuy Nguyen with both her mother and sister.

While they were there, they also had a celebration where families brought the children that they have adopted to CHI and to meet the officials. The officials were very happy to see the children and how well they are taken care of as well as how much they are loved. Several of the children were adopted from Tam Binh 1 & 2, so the assistant director was able to see how well the children were doing.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Children's Hope provides a lot of humanitarian aid. Le Thanh Tran said that CHI is the agency with the best relationship with the government and adoption administration.

Weekly Update

2007-09-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

We received the newest update on Friday this week. There were two referrals for little girls one 4 months old and one 5 weeks old. Two more forever families have been made!! No referrals for boys this week. The updates are great to get, especially on a weekly basis and I always look forward to them. As of Sept. of this year, CHI has placed 67 children and has 33 families waiting to travel. Last year they placed 60 children total. It will be exciting to see how many children are placed this year.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

2007-09-23T19:56:00.000-05:00

It is about time for the next holiday in Vietnam which is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. I can't wait to celebrate this holiday with our little one!! Learn more about the festival below.

All About Tet Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
By Erin Henderson, http://www.adoptvietnam.org

History and celebration of Tet Trung Thu, the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.

Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival as we refer to it in America, is a wonderful, ancient festival that revolves around children.

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tet Trung Thu) dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. This year, the date of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is September 2, the same day as the full moon. The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is one of the two most popular festivals in Vietnam, and has been important to families in Vietnam for many years.

It is said that originally, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival came about as a way for parents to make up for lost time with their children after harvest season. The harvest was done by September, (August in the Lunar calendar) and the parents were anxious to spend time with their children and do something special with them, as well as celebrate the harvest, after spending much time working hard and away from the family. It was held under the full moon, which represents fullness and prosperity of life.

Tet Trung Thu is very much like a combination of our Halloween and Thanksgiving. Children parade on the streets, while singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes. Some of the popular shapes include fishes, stars, butterflies and a lantern that spins when a candle is inserted, representing the earth circling the sun.

Dances are also traditional, and include the dragon dance and the flower dance.

It is customary to give Banh Trung Thu, boxes of moon cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon.

Today, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, as well as encouraging affection for children, promotes education, poetry, dance and arts and crafts.

Many Vietnamese communities in the USA hold Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals, including Washington DC and San Jose. For families that don't live in an area with an organized Tet Trung Thu Festival, have your own! It is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn about your child's culture, and a great opportunity for family fun too!

To help children get ready for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, parents can help children make their lanterns and costumes for the lantern procession and discuss the history and culture of Vietnam.

Showing our love for our children and teaching of Vietnam's love for their children is a wonderful reason to celebrate!

While we are waiting...

2007-09-23T18:27:00.000-05:00

While Brian and I are waiting to become parents, we have several things that are taking up our time. Brian is going to school to get his Masters Degree in School Counseling at Eastern. I have a second job where I do contract work, and I do some volunteering at the food pantry at church, and get together with friends. All of these opportunities have us keeping busy. The weeks are going by so fast - I can't believe that it is the last full week of September already!!

I think that the greatest gift that I have been given through this wait is that I am learning that it is not on MY time and I am not in control of much. I have definitely grown in faith and continue to learn what it is like to be patient and content in the wait. Believe me some days I do better than others, but my goal is to be content with the present. I don't want to wish this time away, but be grateful for it. It has given us the opportunity to learn a lot of about adoption, Vietnam and what we should do as parents to help promote our bonding and attachment to our child and most important of all what it is to have faith. I came across this poem and thought it fit our situation perfectly.

The Wait Poem
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
and the Master so gently said,"Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!"
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate
hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
when darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love
when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
the faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
but oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".

Weekly Update

2007-09-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Good news! This week CHI received 5 referrals! There were three healthy children and two children that have special needs. Several of the healthy and special needs referrals were girls too. Congratulations to the new parents and their children!! I'm not sure where this puts us on the overall list. I've lost track, but at least we're always moving forward!!

Another Update

2007-09-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

First the news everyone is waiting to hear, there were no new referrals this week, but they received several travel dates for people to go and pick up their new sons and daughters!! CHI is expecting more referrals soon, and those children are getting medical check ups first before they are matched with families. I can't wait to hear about new boys and girls being matched with their forever families.

Last week's update (which I posted earlier this week) included an increase in wait times for families. A lot of people were upset about this and I can understand why. However, no one has a way of knowing how long it will take for a particular family to receive a referral. The waiting and the unknown can be difficult. Although Brian and I would really like to receive a referral and travel for our child quickly, we also know that there is a mother on the other side of the world having to make a difficult decision about what is in the best interest of her child. I cannot even imagine how she comes to make that decision. What an indescribable loss for her and her child.

Previously, Vietnam closed adoptions with the US due to unethical behavior by some agency personnel. Staff would go to poorer regions and talk mothers into giving their babies to them for financial gains or persuade them to travel to other regions to abandon their children, amongst other unethical acts. We know that CHI is an ethical agency and would not participate in this kind of behavior. We will gladly wait for our child no matter how long it takes. When our child gets older, we don't want him to have any doubts about how he came to us. We are learning about patience and we know that when our time comes, we will be overwhelmingly greatful for the gift that is given to us!!

Weekly Update

2007-09-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

We received the most recent update from our coordinator today. There were no new referrals last week however there are several families who are traveling and who received travel dates. I have been following some of blogs of those who are traveling and it seems that things are going well for them!

There was also new news on the estimate for wait times from the point you're put on the wait list until you may get a referral. For those currently on the list, it is estimated that it will be 15-18 months until a referral is received for those who requested a boy. For those who are not currently on the list, but doing their home study or waiting for CIS approval the time rises to 24 months. Right now we are at 10 months, so that could be 5-8 more months to wait. However, our dossier isn't in Vietnam yet, so we hope that we are given the go ahead to work on it soon!

Newest Update Info.

2007-09-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

We didn't receive an update this week, but other people have and mentioned that there was one referral for an infant boy who was 4 months of age. That is good news in that we are moving up the list...

What part of Vietnam will he be from?

2007-09-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

Children's Hope currently works in orphanages in southern Vietnam. They work with several orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) including Tam Binh 1, Tam Binh 2, Picasso, and Go Vap. If you recall the spring entertainment news, Tam Binh 1 is the orphanage from which Angelina Jolie adopted her son Pax. Some of the families from CHI actually met her and Brad Pitt last fall when they were visiting the orphanage! OK back to the original post - The other orphanages that CHI works with are Kien Giang and Vinh Long. Both of these cities are outside of HCMC and it takes several hours of travel to get there. Since we will be staying in the southern part of the country, we will get to take in the sights of HCMC, go on a day trip to the MeKong Delta (picture on the bottom) and possibly to the beach and dip our feet into the sea. To finalize our adoption, we will take a short flight to Hanoi in the northern region. Even though the two cities aren't all that far from each other, others who have been there have commented on how different they are. Both are beautiful in their own ways, however HCMC is more "westernized" than Hanoi. People who have had to stay in Hanoi a little longer due to not being able to get a flight home, have taken a day trip to Ha Long Bay(picture on thetop and right), a beautiful place to relax before the long flight home. I'm hoping that we'll be able to take that trip, even if it means an extra day in the country. I really want to soak up as much of the experience as possible!!

What's Next?

2007-08-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

What is the next step?? Brian and I are currently waiting for the call to prepare our dossier. What is a dossier? A dossier is numerous documents such as our home study, birth certificates, marriage certificates, doctor letters, financial paperwork, passports, employment letters, our Citizenship and Immigration Approval and police clearances that have been notarized and then Certified by the Secretary of State. Certification means that the Sec. of State acknowledges/verifies that the person doing the notarization in a true notary. They will add a sheet with the state seal to our original paper. Once our documents have been certified they must then be sent to Washington D.C. to the Vietnamese Consulate so that the documents can then be authenticated. The process of getting your dossier together and then getting them authenticated can take 1-3 months. Luckily there is a person in Washington DC that you can use as a courier to make sure that your paperwork is done correctly and checks on the progress of your dossier. You don't have to use her service, however many people say that it is worth it! Once our dossier is authenticated it is ready to be sent to Vietnam. Once it Vietnam it will be translated and then presented to the adoption center in Hanoi. Then Eventually we will be matched with a child.

This process is different than other countries. Often in other countries the family will work on their dossier once their home study is completed. In Vietnam, each agency is only allowed a certain number of dossiers on file in Vietnam so they developed a wait list. As you can see from the time ticker at the top of the page, we have been on the wait list for 9 months and two weeks. We are hoping that we'll get the call soon to start working on our dossier - which would mean we are getting closer to our turn.

This Week's Update

2007-08-24T17:53:00.000-05:00

The agency did not receive any new referrals this week. Although one family did get the call and they can prepare for travel at the beginning of Sept. There will be several families traveling to Vietnam next week to get their little ones. I hope that they have blogs of their trip because I love to follow along!

Newest Update

2007-08-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

This week the agency sent out an update indicating that they had one referral of a boy who was 9 months of age. So, we are slowly moving up the list.

Why the long wait time???

2007-08-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

First of all, any time you have governments involved, it takes a while, not to mention that we are working with two governments. It is a good thing that international adoption is regulated and everyone involved is working on behalf of the children's best interest and making sure that procedures are followed and the adoption is handled ethically. At this time there are at least 43 adoption agencies from the United States licensed to work in Vietnam and perform international adoptions. There are also agencies from Europe that work in Vietnam and perform international adoptions. There are currently a total of 80 orphanages in which these agencies are able to work. There is more than one agency working in each orphanage, sometimes two or three or more. Each agency is only able to work in the orphanages and provinces that they have been given permission. The referrals are divided among the agencies working in that orphanage. The International Adoption program for Vietnam has grown tremendously since it re-opened due to the popularity of the program and requirement changes that other countries have made such as China. Vietnam does not have a lot of requirements at this time, so it makes it more desirable for those that don't meet the requirements from the other countries. Another reason it can take a while to adopt from Vietnam is that it is relatively a small country compared to other countries with International Adoption programs such as Russia and China. In comparison, China and Russia have done approximately 3,000 adoptions from each country per year in years past. When Vietnam was open prior to the shut down, they would do approximately 600 per year.

So as you can see, there are a lot of variables of why it takes so long. However, there is a chance that our agency may be able to begin working in another province which may increase the number of referrals that they receive. But establishing a relationship with a new province and providing humanitarian aide to them, takes time. Also, the DIA (authority governing international adoptions in Vietnam) has said that they may be looking into opening up more orphanages for international adoptions. Currently only 80 of 300 are available. Some of the 300 are private orphanages and not run by the government. Neither of these are quick fixes and both will take time to implement. It is also important to note that it is not just the country of Vietnam that are taking longer, almost all countries are taking longer to complete adoptions.

The most important part to Brian and I is that we want to make sure that it is about the children. We would definitely be ecstatic if we were called about a child tomorrow, but we also know that we want to make sure that everything is done ethically and in the best interests of the children. With that being said, there are days that it is difficult to wait and not have a definite answer to when... but, we have a lot to keep us busy and are enjoying the time that we have now, because we know that we won't have this time for much longer!

What are we doing while we wait?

2007-08-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

We are trying to keep ourselves occupied while we wait for our referral. We have been taking the opportunity to go on short trips, vacation in Florida, and this weekend we have took a trip to St. Louis. We took in a few ball games watching the Cardinals vs. Dodgers and visited the St. Louis Zoo. It's been hot!!!! This weather is helping to prepare us for our trip to Vietnam. One of the things that I have been trying to do is to read all the books that I can on the attachment process, parenting, and adoption parenting. There is so much information out there and I love books!! So right now, I'm reading three different informational books and trying to get through Harry Potter!!

Agency Update

2007-08-11T18:31:00.000-05:00

Brian and I received an update from our agency and they have received more referrals this week. 1 boy and 2 waiting children were referred to their forever families. This means that Brian and I have moved up one spot on the list!!

Wait Time

2007-08-10T08:46:00.000-05:00

When we first were put on the waiting list we were told that we would possibly receive a referral within 12-15 months. We were put on the wait list on November 10, 2006. So that would mean that we could possibly receive a referral between November of 2007 and February of 2008. However, there are no guarantees that this could happen. The last time that we checked we were number 35 on the list for a boy, and have probably moved a couple of spots. Our guestimate is that we are maybe lower 30's upper 20's on the list. At this point we have not sent our dossier to Vietnam and are waiting for CHI to tell us when to begin working on getting the documents together.

Why Vietnam?

2007-08-09T08:58:00.001-05:00

This is a question that we often receive when telling people about our adoption so I thought that we would explain. When we decided to pursue International Adoption we knew that we wanted to work with Children's Hope and at that time they had 5 programs including Vietnam. We knew that Children's Hope was just licensed in Vietnam and it was a new program. We were drawn to that country and felt that is where our heart was. Since we have started this process I have learned a lot about the country and have fallen in love with it's people and the beauty of the country. Growing up, when Vietnam was talked about I immediately thought about the Vietnam War, however since learning more about the country that isn't what comes to mind. I think about the beautiful land, the warm and inviting people, the rich culture and the birth place of our future son.

Our First Entry

2007-08-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

B and I wanted to start a blog so that we can keep all of our family and friends updated on our journey to adopt our son. Hopefully we'll be able to keep this up to date, so everyone will know the current status. We greatly appreciate all of your support and interest!! Stop by often!!