Wow! (I feel like I say that a ton lately!) We first found out about the girls 5 weeks ago today and have lots to do before that travel call comes. Since our blog is public, we're going to refer to their Ethiopian names as A and B until we pass court. Sure that may seem a little generics, but they actually are their first initials! Their Ethiopian names are simple and easy to pronounce, and we'll be using them as part of their legal name. We decided to add a first name to each of their names, as well. In Ethiopia, we'll have someone explain this in their native language and call them by both names or whichever they prefer and are most comfortable, knowing this may change over time.
The name discussion is always an interesting one in the Melton house, as Jim and I don't always have the exact same (in the same solar system) opinion. And names for 2 girls?? Forget about it. Tessa, in her almost age 5 wisdom, suggested Alexa and Liana. These names just happen to be the main characters in a recent animated Barbie movie, so we chuckled a little and moved back to our discussion/civilized debate. We kept coming back to those names, and one evening, as Jim was insulating and drywalling the rest of the garage, we decided those names were perfect. Jim liked that they were Barbie names and his mom's name is Barb :) I looked up the name meanings, and Alexa means "defender"; I looked up Liana and found the meaning, "God has spoken"- yikes! Aside from the great message of Barbie and friends and those meanings (Alexa A would mean "star defender"...soccer player, if you ask me!), we had some additional connections. Jim's grandma was Lee, and his mom, sister and I (and probably one third of females worldwide) all have the middle name Ann. The name Alexa and versions of such symbolize a family, particularly a mom and a daughter, that have shown strength and perseverance through very dark times in a way that has really inspired me. I know our girls have traveled a very tough road to get to us, and we want to honor their history as well as the joy of them being part of our family; I think these names will do both quite well!
In other adoption news, we finished the photo albums to send to the girls! We're still awaiting our updated USCIS (immigration) clearance, as our home study was updated to reflect the new year. Our passports and Visa applications will get sent to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. this week, and the dreaded travel immunizations will get scheduled. I'm still doing a little research on those to determine which ones we'll need. While we wouldn't need many for Addis Ababa, our birth family visit will take us to a more remote, rural setting. I still feel like the time is passing quickly, and hope to see some of the families ahead of us get travel news this week; we're still anticipating summer travel.
Alexa A and Liana B, we can't wait to meet you!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Congratulations and compassion
So Trivial Thursday might turn into Frivolous Friday...we shall see :)
What I do know is this...Kim, Steve, Cady and Jake officially have two more members in their family! I was so excited to hear that they passed court and are now waiting to solidify their travel date. Visit them at http://hanson6@blogspot.com to read about their adventures. While we've corresponded with some new families via the internet, Kim and her family actually live in the neighboring town and we have known each other since before these specific journeys to Ethiopia "officially" began. I feel really blessed to be able to share this with her, whether it is managing the wait and the challenges, celebrating the milestones such as this or contemplating an Old Navy mix-and-match travel ensemble.
Tonight I showed the Hanson kids picture to Mark and Tessa and they asked to see their sisters again. We prayed for them and I asked them if there was anything that they wished their sisters knew about them. Tessa very seriously said that she wanted her sisters to know that she would be nice to them. She later added that she wanted them to know she would be the best sister ever. Mark, who is generally pretty insightful, wanted them to know that he did not, in fact, have a real light saber so they did not need to be scared about coming to our home :) He also wanted them to know that there are not monsters here, and that we would have enough food for them. Jim and I are so grateful for the children and the compassion they have for others and their eagerness to welcome sisters into our family!
NOTE: I'm writing down all the nice things they say now so I can recite them when the turf wars start over Barbie dolls and action figures!
What I do know is this...Kim, Steve, Cady and Jake officially have two more members in their family! I was so excited to hear that they passed court and are now waiting to solidify their travel date. Visit them at http://hanson6@blogspot.com to read about their adventures. While we've corresponded with some new families via the internet, Kim and her family actually live in the neighboring town and we have known each other since before these specific journeys to Ethiopia "officially" began. I feel really blessed to be able to share this with her, whether it is managing the wait and the challenges, celebrating the milestones such as this or contemplating an Old Navy mix-and-match travel ensemble.
Tonight I showed the Hanson kids picture to Mark and Tessa and they asked to see their sisters again. We prayed for them and I asked them if there was anything that they wished their sisters knew about them. Tessa very seriously said that she wanted her sisters to know that she would be nice to them. She later added that she wanted them to know she would be the best sister ever. Mark, who is generally pretty insightful, wanted them to know that he did not, in fact, have a real light saber so they did not need to be scared about coming to our home :) He also wanted them to know that there are not monsters here, and that we would have enough food for them. Jim and I are so grateful for the children and the compassion they have for others and their eagerness to welcome sisters into our family!
NOTE: I'm writing down all the nice things they say now so I can recite them when the turf wars start over Barbie dolls and action figures!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Makin' some lists...
I'm not really sure where to start! The time really seems to be passing quickly as we prepare to travel to Ethiopia, have a family of six and navigate all that the last quarter of the school year entails for our children, Mark and Tessa, and for me as a school administrator. We received our referral three weeks ago today, and accepted a little over two weeks ago. Relatively recently we received the first travel preparation packet from our agency. WOW! It is very detailed and easy to understand, and it guides us through the next steps we need to take while waiting to pass court. Among those steps are travel immunizations, getting Ethiopian visas (not the credit card...the passport stamp ;) ) and making a photo album to send to our girls. Tonight I tracked down the information for the Kendall County Health Department Travel Clinic, and plan to check in with the family doc tomorrow to figure out the course of action with those. We really should get them all in the next two weeks. Jim has done some third world travelling more recently than I, so he may be off the hook for some of them that I will have to get.
I also completed the visa applications tonight, with the exception of a couple lines that I need to verify with our case manager. My efforts were also slightly thwarted when, upon going to the "Important Papers" file, I found Jim's passport, a few other legit important papers....and birth/adoption certificates for Webkinz, Cabbage Patch kids and Build-A-Bears galore, but NOT my passport. I just renewed it recently, so here's hoping I find it in my office tomorrow!
We also have to send a small photo album introducing ourselves to the girls. I've gone into our digital photos, and created a folder for which ones may be good to include. Next Jim will upload the Easter photos so I can add a new family photo as well. Then we'll be able to print, label and send the photographs to our agency in Massachusetts so that they can ship them to Ethiopia. We'll also include the pictures of the girls themselves, as the children enjoy seeing pictures of themselves, but don't typically have the opportunity to do so. We'll also start work on a photo album and a letter to present to the birth family that we'll bring to Ethiopia when we travel.
Then there's those lists that don't always make the travel packet... I might start a weekly post called Trivial Thursdays (A.K.A. Things that are important to me because they are a little more in my control than the rest of this process, but not really in my control and might seem silly compared to the depth and importance of some of this adoption "stuff", but, hey, I'm thinking about 'em anyway so might as well share...) where I dispense my ramblings on room decorations, what to wear in Ethiopia, how to successfully execute Mark and Tessa birthday parties before we travel, names to add to their Ethiopian names and the like. We'll see how tomorrow goes!! Until then, please keep our friends, the Hanson family, in your thoughts this evening, as their court date for their adoption will take place tonight while we are all sleeping. Well, all of us but the Hanson fam, probably!
I also completed the visa applications tonight, with the exception of a couple lines that I need to verify with our case manager. My efforts were also slightly thwarted when, upon going to the "Important Papers" file, I found Jim's passport, a few other legit important papers....and birth/adoption certificates for Webkinz, Cabbage Patch kids and Build-A-Bears galore, but NOT my passport. I just renewed it recently, so here's hoping I find it in my office tomorrow!
We also have to send a small photo album introducing ourselves to the girls. I've gone into our digital photos, and created a folder for which ones may be good to include. Next Jim will upload the Easter photos so I can add a new family photo as well. Then we'll be able to print, label and send the photographs to our agency in Massachusetts so that they can ship them to Ethiopia. We'll also include the pictures of the girls themselves, as the children enjoy seeing pictures of themselves, but don't typically have the opportunity to do so. We'll also start work on a photo album and a letter to present to the birth family that we'll bring to Ethiopia when we travel.
Then there's those lists that don't always make the travel packet... I might start a weekly post called Trivial Thursdays (A.K.A. Things that are important to me because they are a little more in my control than the rest of this process, but not really in my control and might seem silly compared to the depth and importance of some of this adoption "stuff", but, hey, I'm thinking about 'em anyway so might as well share...) where I dispense my ramblings on room decorations, what to wear in Ethiopia, how to successfully execute Mark and Tessa birthday parties before we travel, names to add to their Ethiopian names and the like. We'll see how tomorrow goes!! Until then, please keep our friends, the Hanson family, in your thoughts this evening, as their court date for their adoption will take place tonight while we are all sleeping. Well, all of us but the Hanson fam, probably!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Yikes! Now what?
Now that our agency has processed our acceptance paperwork, it will make its way through Ethiopian government offices and the court system. Once we pass court, we will be assigned an embassy appointment and travel dates. We do not attend court, but we do go to the embassy to get the girls' visas. The process from referral to travel typically takes two to five months...typically... There is a possibility of us traveling as early as June, but any point over the summer is realistic. Jim and I will go for a week, and Mark and Tessa will stay here. Tessa firmly reminded me that I would need to get them a babysitter if Daddy and I were going to Africa for a week.
When we do go to Ethiopia, we will go to the embassy and also to a birth family visit, in all likelihood. The birth family visit will take us out of Addis Ababa, the capital city, south into the Sidama region. This is said to be a phenomenal experience, and I am already researching motion sickness medication to ensure I make it :) While in Addis Ababa, we'll stay at the guest house adjacent to Horizon House, our agency's care center. The girls will have been moved to Horizon House from a private regional orphanage when we passed court. Typically, there is a two to three week window between passing court and travel. While we wait for travel, we have lots to keep us occupied from immunizations to preparing rooms to updating paperwork to creating photo albums to a whole bunch of other things that make me wonder what we've been doing during this wait!! And, of course, getting a babysitter for Mark and Tessa.
When we do go to Ethiopia, we will go to the embassy and also to a birth family visit, in all likelihood. The birth family visit will take us out of Addis Ababa, the capital city, south into the Sidama region. This is said to be a phenomenal experience, and I am already researching motion sickness medication to ensure I make it :) While in Addis Ababa, we'll stay at the guest house adjacent to Horizon House, our agency's care center. The girls will have been moved to Horizon House from a private regional orphanage when we passed court. Typically, there is a two to three week window between passing court and travel. While we wait for travel, we have lots to keep us occupied from immunizations to preparing rooms to updating paperwork to creating photo albums to a whole bunch of other things that make me wonder what we've been doing during this wait!! And, of course, getting a babysitter for Mark and Tessa.
More Melton GIRLS!!!
We are so excited to have accepted a referral for two girls (age 3 1/2 and age 2)! Here's how the call went down:
So the Tuesday of Spring Break (March 24), the kids and I started out our day by taking Mark to the dentist, a quick Jamba Juice "way to be good at the dentist, buddy" post-appointment briber and a venture into Super Target for a birthday gift. We got home and had a little time to hang out with Jim and play before Tessa's ballet class. At some point, Jim ended up on his cell phone with his sister and Mark and Tessa were playing together. So our home phone starts ringing, and I, the adoption phone stalker of well over a year, walked up the stairs, away from the ringing phone, without a second thought. You see, Jim adjusted our home phone plan because we don't use it terribly often, and we no longer have caller ID. I figured it was Johnny Refinance or the Fraternal Order of Somebody and really never thought that would be "it". Didn't even enter my mind...
So I happen to hear Jim say, "Hi, Erica." Now I do have Erica friends, but when I heard this I practically slid down the railing to get back downstairs to see if it was "Erica- Wide Horizons Case Manager" and it WAS her. Jim is kind of shaking his head, and I'm all in his face asking if it is "Erica Erica" and if it is kids. The head shaking continues and he informs her that his wife is two inches from his face and will continue to interrupt and ask questions every time either one of them makes a sound, so he is going to give her the phone. Who me??? Of course, me! So I say hello to Erica and she tells me to get a piece of paper and a pencil because she has good news. I've read that line in a jillion other people's referral blog posts and was stunned that it was now our turn to spaz out in an attempt to locate one piece of stinkin' paper in this whole house....but we found it, she told us about our new daughters and let us know that we should check our e-mail as soon as we got off the phone.
We are so fortunate to have received several pictures of them, but are not able to post those pictures here until we pass court. We also received medical reports and social histories which we sent on to our doctor. After our phone conference with him on Monday morning, we accepted the referral formally and told Mark and Tessa about their new sisters!!
Thanks so much to those of you that have supported us during this portion of the wait!! We are so excited to share this good news!!
So the Tuesday of Spring Break (March 24), the kids and I started out our day by taking Mark to the dentist, a quick Jamba Juice "way to be good at the dentist, buddy" post-appointment briber and a venture into Super Target for a birthday gift. We got home and had a little time to hang out with Jim and play before Tessa's ballet class. At some point, Jim ended up on his cell phone with his sister and Mark and Tessa were playing together. So our home phone starts ringing, and I, the adoption phone stalker of well over a year, walked up the stairs, away from the ringing phone, without a second thought. You see, Jim adjusted our home phone plan because we don't use it terribly often, and we no longer have caller ID. I figured it was Johnny Refinance or the Fraternal Order of Somebody and really never thought that would be "it". Didn't even enter my mind...
So I happen to hear Jim say, "Hi, Erica." Now I do have Erica friends, but when I heard this I practically slid down the railing to get back downstairs to see if it was "Erica- Wide Horizons Case Manager" and it WAS her. Jim is kind of shaking his head, and I'm all in his face asking if it is "Erica Erica" and if it is kids. The head shaking continues and he informs her that his wife is two inches from his face and will continue to interrupt and ask questions every time either one of them makes a sound, so he is going to give her the phone. Who me??? Of course, me! So I say hello to Erica and she tells me to get a piece of paper and a pencil because she has good news. I've read that line in a jillion other people's referral blog posts and was stunned that it was now our turn to spaz out in an attempt to locate one piece of stinkin' paper in this whole house....but we found it, she told us about our new daughters and let us know that we should check our e-mail as soon as we got off the phone.
We are so fortunate to have received several pictures of them, but are not able to post those pictures here until we pass court. We also received medical reports and social histories which we sent on to our doctor. After our phone conference with him on Monday morning, we accepted the referral formally and told Mark and Tessa about their new sisters!!
Thanks so much to those of you that have supported us during this portion of the wait!! We are so excited to share this good news!!
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