October in Massachusetts: Hiking

Frances hiking with Mom (me) in Her Ergo baby carrier through the Flume.

Happy girl with Papa...

Towards the end of the Hike she insisted she walk. She was still only walking if we had both her hands, it was slow going.

She was not hunting, only hiking.

PS

Lucy, see this really great pumpkin hat? It is headed your way soon, don't worry!

We had a great day hiking "The Flume" in the White Mountains. The last time we were in Massachusetts the leaves were amazing shades of yellow, orange, and red... still not bad green. Frances really likes being outdoors and she had a great day.

October Apple picking

Don't look at my apple

Delaney

Danielle

1 apple, 6 teeth, no problem.

Oh my, I am behind in my blogging. Let me try and catch up.


This October we spent two great weeks visiting Frank's family. Frances had so much fun. I have never seen her so happy- she LOVES being around other kids and she loved her cousins. Delaney and Danielle loved her right back and were excited to help her pick her very first apple.

Cock-a-doodle-doo

And Happy Halloween to you!

The very scary McPherson's: Jessy, Aidan, Devon, and Austin.

Notice the wild look in my eye? This is my naughty face where I am about to do somthing CRAZY, and I am really excited about it.

This Halloween we camped out on our lovely porch for an early dinner while we waited for little trick-or-treaters. As you can see Frances was a proud rooster. It was a very nice evening with our good McPherson friends stopping by.

Frances is doing great. At 14 months she is learning and growing fast. She says: Momma, Papa, Kenya (our bird), Nana, Night, Dog and Hello. Mind you we understand her when she says all this, you may only understand the first four! She also points to the correct animal in her "My Little Animal Book" (Thank you Julie!) when we ask her to find the:bird, cat, and dog. She recognizes many of her toys when called by name and loves her stuffed animals. She hugs, kisses and feeds them. (also bites their little noses...)

Oh yeah, and she has been walking! She took her first steps the end of September and started walking on our recent trip to Massachusetts! By the time we returned home, mid October, she was a walker.

We have been a very busy family and will blog more soon.

Beautiful Embroidery Art from Vietnam

A few of my favorite things from VietNam

Here is one of my favorite embroidery pictures. I gave this to Julie who helped us at the very last minuet translating letters into Vietnamese. It was purchased at Tan My, the oldest embroidery shop in Hanoi.

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1006/4566267/0/brt0_art

I have been enjoying reading Scott's blog, http://www.scottlan.blogspot.com/
and seeing VietNam in his posts and pictures. He is currently in VietNam traveling and exploring this beautiful country with his very adventurous Mom. (Look on his blog for a picture of her on a motor scooter!) He is anxiously waiting for an invitation to his Giving and Receiving ceremony to finally meet his son Henry.

There is so much to love about VietNam; I love that: Frances was born there, the people were very friendly and that they love children, the combinations of French and Asian architecture, the good food, the amazing coffee and pastries, all the green, the warm rain, and the beautiful art. I had a very hard time adjusting, but still, I can't wait to go back. And we barely ventured past our hotels. It will be an amazing family journey when we return together when Frances is older.

August Update in Photo's

Frances with Julie, playing with the wrappings instead of the very nice books she received for her first Birthday. She also enjoyed the tissue paper from other gifts.

This month the birthday girl decided to reach as many milestones as possible before she turned one! She progressed through belly crawling, crawling, pulling self up, walking with dad, walking along couch in the short span of a few weeks! Now she can pull ALL the toys out of her toy basket.

It was not all fun, Frances also got her first shots- four of them. She was able to charm the nurse out of two toys. The ball she held on to for the rest of the morning and finally let go sometime in the middle of her first nap.

The three of us were able to hang out together on her birthday. We took Frances swimming, which we had not done since the hotels in VN. She still loves it and kicked and splashed. Here she is looking cute with Papa in her favorite hat.

Happy Birthday Frances

Please check out http://www.dlindley.typepad.com/ for some beautiful birthday photo's

Water Baby

As you can see, she loves bath time! (July 12, 2007)

Frances, Mom, & Kenya too

Getting ready for another bath in her tiny 1960's sink

August 4th 2007

Letter to Frances

Dear Frances,
I am not sure when it happened but I recently realized that I no longer feel like an imposture. I feel like your Mom. When you reach out, you reach for me. When you cry, you cry for me. It is amazing to have your love and for you to receive mine. It is a beautiful gift. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Your photos we received were treasured. But knowing you and loving you is tenfold. It is like we opened a little box and so much… goodness is spilling out that it fills up everything. I was told your Vietnamese name means “Scent of Heaven”, but surely you were heaven sent.

In no particular order here are some things that amaze and entertain me:

• I did not know you had a bottom lip! I know now that you tuck it in when you are sleepy.



• I love that you are still my “Velcro baby” and are happiest when stuck to me.



• Your perfect little baby body sprawled out when you sleep.



• That you say Ma, Mom, or Mom-mom-mom when you are sad- And that you are talking to me!



• Oh, and that you say na-na-na with your scrunched up angry face that you make when you are mad



• Your funny faces that you make with me and at me like when you scrunch up your nose.



• When I “meow” like a cat you copy me…and your meow is more of a “mew” and the face you create when doing it is so not pretty, it cracks me up!


• The sweet way that you will lay your head on my shoulder and pet my arm or pat my face.



• That you feed me cheerios and sometimes pretend you are going to feed me a cheerio, but than snatch it away.



• That you laugh all the time, especially when Papa and I pretend to laugh.



• That you wave hello and goodbye sometimes with both hands instead of one.

You are learning and growing so fast. Everyday you show me a new funny face, make a new sound and crawl faster. I don’t want to blink.

Love Mom

For Karen who asked, "Why am I not blogging like Grouch's Family?"

Now that we are home, I have been on hiatus.
Frances is doing great. We are great.
I am not sure if we I will continue the blog or not? I do know that I would like to post more information about our trip for other families that will travel soon. So I will be working on that "report" first. And then I will have to see how it goes.
I can tell you that I still have to pinch myself sometimes. It is wonderful and she is amazing. And cute too!

At PDX Monday July 2nd 8:15pm

WELCOME HOME!

Feel free to call if you are awake, Tuesday morning 12:55AM, Because we are Home!

We're Home!
It is 12:36 AM and Frances is WIDE awake...
but that's okay, so are we!

What is the first thing we did?
1. Said Hello to Julie and her mom Sue at the airline gate!
2. Picked up most of our bags...minus one. A very small one with nothing but purses inside. Seriously. A suitcase full of purses.
3. Were picked up by a very gracious person!
4. Drove 1.5 hrs home...
and on the way stopped to order a large pizza with no surprises. (No fish or yoghurt cream sauce)
5.Popped on over to a grocery store for: bread, milk, pop, and last but not least, FORMULA
...because we being the very new parents did a very bad thing. Ran out of formula the morning we left Hanoi! We had to buy another brand in the HongKong airport.
Her tummy is handling the three brands okay...for now.
6.Now all our tummies are full and we are all very happy to be home. Frances is rocking out on a borrowed exersaucer from Danica. She loves it, and lets out a random happy scream.
7.So what to do next? I would love to call everyone right now, but I guess I will wait until the morning
...

Don't lists usually end in 10? I have got to go, because I am feeling dizzy. 20+hrs on a plane have given me air legs? Does that exist?
Wow, I have lost my mind. Sorry about the pointless ramble.
Yeah, We are home!

Visa in Hand

As of Thursday afternoon at 4pm (Hanoi Time) we officially have permission to bring Frances home! We have her Vietnamese passport with her official US Visa. Now we just have to get home. We have decided to go with the flight that has us leaving Hanoi, Vietnam at 11:05am on Monday July 2nd and arriving in Portland Oregon on Monday evening at 8:22! Now we can just enjoy our last weekend here and see some more of this mad city.

Stuck in Hanoi

The final challenge to our trip will be to find our way home. We were originally scheduled to fly out of Hanoi on Thursday morning. But since the Visa wont be ready til afternoon that aint gonna happen. Its not easy making last minute changes to get from Asia to Oregon. But we have travel agent extraordinaire on the case and at least now we have options. It is not only proving difficult to find room on the Hanoi to Hong Kong to LA flight but the final connection to Portland is tough. Seems a lot of folks are flying that way this weekend. But after a long night of email communications (gotta love the technology) at least now we have several options. Do we hold tight here for couple of days and wait for the smooth connections or do we get out of this country as fast as we can but have to make new connections with overnight layovers with a ten month old baby (and pay to switch airlines to get to Portland). Which will we choose and what will work best? As soon as the decision is made and the flight is booked we will let you know!

Hanoi Beginnings

So Wednesday evening we arrive in Hanoi and of course we are now on our own (with the other family but no agency help). There had been no vacancy at the agency’s preferred hotel so they had booked an alternate. When we arrived we all agreed that we would spend just one night there. It was not in a good area and it was not very nice. The important thing was to get to the US Consulate in the morning and then find better digs.

There was a small hotel restaurant. Crystal did not trust it enough to eat the food. The rest of us took the chance and made it out ok.

Wednesday morning we made it to the US Consulate to get the Visa process started. It was a little frustrating at first. The forms were not filled out properly and the baby’s pictures we were given by our agency coordinator were not the right size or format. They should have been done as regular passport photos but were not. We almost had to leave to go get new photos taken before our applications would be accepted. The consulate worker took pity on us when she realized we were on our own. She was able to make the photos work and instructed us to come back at 2 pm for the final interview.

After some running around we were finally checked into the Melia Hotel, just outside the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Very nice! Crystal and I sprung for a suite on the 19^th floor and the views of the city are fantastic. It is a good thing we are comfortable because we don’t know when we will be leaving!

The final interview was very easy. The woman at the consulate was very friendly. It was really just a matter of paying the fee and signing some final documents as all of our paper work was already examined and found to be in order. There is still a 24 hour waiting period as some final background checks are performed. Apparently the photos of the babies get transmitted to a US office in Kentucky and checked against some database. We have been told we can pick the Visa up on Thursday afternoon at 4. The only problem we may run into is if the computers go down – which is not unusual to happen around here. And the we can head home! Of course we have all missed our return flights and don’t know when that will be!

INS Appointment and Off to Hanoi

On Monday morning we finally had the big INS appointment (with US Dept of Homeland Security). The purpose of this interview is for US approval of our adoption – to ensure that it has been done legally and ethically according to US regulations. This approval is needed before adoptive parents can apply for a Visa which allows the child to enter the US and become a US citizen. The interview went easier than we expected. The woman was very professional and understanding. We appreciate her efforts to make sure that adoptions are done ethically. On Monday afternoon our coordinator from the adoption agency’s Ho Chi Minh City office retrieved our approval in a sealed envelope.

We were not able to obtain a flight to Hanoi for the Visa application interview until Tuesday afternoon. The other family and we moved into the same hotel for our last night in Ho Chi Minh where we were also able to spend time with our Groucho’s family and there new daughter. Crystal also had the opportunity for one more Ho Chi Minh shopping spree. When we arrived at the counter to check in for our flight to Hanoi we discovered that we had not purchased tickets for the babies (at ten percent of a full fare). We were sent to the “Excess Baggage” counter to purchase them! We finally made it to the gate about 15 minutes before the flight. This 2 hour trip was to be a test flight before our twenty plus hour trip home. We all did pretty well.

The Groucho's are in town!

I remember how nervous I felt landing at the HCMC airport, looking for a man holding a sign that read our last name. It was so much fun for our family of three to show up at the airport to greet our friends over at Groucho's family! We three stood in the crowd and held up their sign.
Welcome to Vietnam, we can't wait to see our girls together!
We have been so lucky to form friendships with "Groucho's family" and "Love from Vietnam" because they are really nice people, and they live so close!
Congratulations M&M on your lovely new daughter! ...mind if we pop by for a visit and let the girls get acquainted?

-As always, I will be holding my breath for Julie (Love from Vietnam) who is eagerly awaiting referral. Come on baby, show yourself; you already have two little friends!

HCMC update:
It is Sunday here, and we are nervously waiting for our Monday INS appointment. But today we have fun... once Frances wakes up we will visit her new little friend.
Baby update:
She is amazing. She lets her poppa carry her around and loves it when he tosses her in the air. And she likes it when her momma feeds her carrots with chopsticks!

Still in Ho Chi Minh

Well Friday came and went and we are still here in Ho Chi Minh City. We were told that our I-600 was not filled out completely and we had write out another one. It didnt make much difference though as Frances' Vietnamese passport was not ready. We were told that the passport would for sure be picked up on Friday evening and we could expect our INS interview on Monday morning at 11:45. Then it will be off to Hanoi on Monday afternoon and maybe the Visa appointment at the US Embassy on Tuesday. So we are still on track to fly out on the 28th. On the plus side Groucho's family is flying in today so we can spend some time together in Ho Chi Minh with both girls. We are looking forward to a good weekend.

Loves the Water

After our trip to the zoo we all headed back to the hotel to play in the pool. We took Frances into the water and she absolutely loved it. She smiled and laughed more than ever. I think it was the best time here so far.

Asleep at the Zoo

Wednesday was a free day. After breakfast we took a trip to the zoo with the other family. Frances really keeps to her schedule, and since it was the middle of her nap time she slept through most of the visit. The zoo here is not the most modern of facilities and was not the happiest of places to see.

medical check

On Tuesday morning we were taken to the International Medical Center for Frances' medical check. We walked through a courtyard and into the main hospital. So different from what I am used to in an American hospital. The hospital staff are all very professional and serious, it is the facilities that could use some modernization. We were taken into a small conference/examination room where we met with a doctor and a nurse. Frances was weighed and measured. The doctor performed a short physical exam and read through her medical chart. It all went well and we are now one step closer to obtaining her Visa. We are just waiting for the Vietnamese passport to be issued and we can go for the INS interview. Hopefully that will be Friday. After the exam we went for lunch with the other family that is here adopting through the same agency. Frances really enjoys being out and about. While at the restaurant the power went out for a short while - a not uncommon occurrence here. I cant believe the tangle of electrical wires that string along the utility poles, I don't know how anyone could ever figure out what leads where. Later that I afternoon I went in search of someplace to buy baby formula. There are lots of shops in this area but I had yet to see a place that sold basic groceries. Finally I hit the jackpot at the TAX department store, a small grocery market on the second floor. It can be fairly difficult navigating through the streets but I am starting to get the hang of it. Most intersections have no stop signs or lights and the streets are full of scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and cars all just maneuvering around each other and constantly honking horns to signal where they are. To cross the street you just walk out into it. No one stops - you just become part of the traffic flow and make your way to the other side. It can actually be entertaining to watch. Sort of a controlled chaos.

Second Day

Tuesday Morning

Baby Frances’ second day was more difficult than the first. She cried a lot more and at times was inconsolable. This is to be expected as she is in a state of shock or bereavement after leaving her caregivers. She has latched onto Crystal as her primary caregiver so Crystal constantly holds her and takes care of the feeding and cleaning. I am in more of a supporting role. If I have to hold her for a bit she won’t stop crying unless Crystal is in her view. She sleeps on the bed with us and will continue to do so at home for a time as we ease her transition. She seems to be most receptive to me in the morning just after she wakes up and likes to have her back and tummy rubbed. But when its time for that bottle it is Crystal who she wants. Though we do let her watch me make it up so I am part of it too. I think her previous home was more open air, she really likes to be taken outside. She especially seems to enjoy the hotel courtyard where the pool is. We have to remember that not only are we strangers to her and she cant know we mean to love and care for her but we also smell and sound differently. She is used to the sound of theVietnamese language, English must sound foreign to her. This will be even more pronounced when we return to the States. So we will be making it a very quiet homecoming and follow the experts’ advice which include limiting her contact with others in the beginning and slowly bringing her around.

Giving and Receiving

Monday June 18th 2007
Today the Giving and Receiving ceremony was held at the Binh Duong Provincial Department of Justice. It was presided over by two ladies from the People's Committee. Also present were the Orphanage Director and the Catholic priest who run the orphanage. It wasn't very ceremonial. Essentially we signed the documents finalizing the Vietnamese adoption. We are now the legal parents in the eyes of the Vietnamese government. This is the first step in getting Frances home. Now we must meet the requirements of the US government and obtain a Visa which essentially gives her permission to travel to the USA. In order for a US Visa to be issued Frances will require a Vietnamese passport and a satisfactory medical checkup. Crystal and I must then interview with an INS official here in Ho Chi Minh City. If the INS approves our petition it will be off to Hanoi for a visit to the US Embassy where the Visa will be issued. The purpose of the INS interview is to ensure that there was legal and ethical in keeping with US Immigration Law. If all goes smoothly this week we will be in Hanoi on Monday.
There is another family from the same agency here this week. It is nice to have someone here we can share this experience with. I think it is making it easier on all of us. We plan on spending time together seeing the city and maybe some areas outside the city as we wait for the process to unfold.
We will continue to update as things happen and time permits.
Bye for now
The LeGallos

Happy Father's day to Frank

It is Sunday the 17th here in VN.
We arrived midday on Saturday the 16th and forced ourselves to stay awake.
So today we are not feeling all that jet lagged.
Thank goodness because today we are parents! We brought Frances home this morning and have been laying low in our hotel room getting to know our daughter.
I am so happy and sad all at the same time. She was definitely attached to her caregivers from the orphanage. Though she has stopped crying, (napping right now) she still takes these great big upset breaths. I hate that this is causing her pain and grief.

She is beautiful. She is amazing. You should see these big eyes in person! I will treasure this time here in Vietnam, but look forward to the time when she is securely attached to our family and trusts that she is loved and will be well taken care of.

Our hotel is old and beautiful. I love 1920's architecture. The Majestic was built in 1925 and has loads of charm, full of art deco moldings and fixtures. I have never been in such a beautiful hotel. I am glad we splurged on this part of the trip. I have been feeling much culture shock and I need to be comfortable in our room. We have enjoyed eating at the outdoor restaurant on the fifth floor. It is really a great view where you can watch the traffic flow below.

-Wow, If you could see the traffic. Everyone rides scooters and man can these folks drive. You should see the intersections were two streets cross. No lights, they all just...merge at once. It looks orchestrated! Instead of blinkers, they beep horns. I wish I could explain it. Just imagine the busiest intersection in your city. Now take away the traffic lights. The only rule is that you yield to anyone bigger than you. Okay, got that? Now take away the cars, trucks and buses. Instead place these drivers and passengers on ONE scooter. Family of 4 you say? Yes, a family of four and more fits on ONE scooter. Okay, got that? Now let's say that you and your family need to cross this medley... guess what you do? Just start slowly and methodically walking out into the street together in a line. Crazy stuff.


Tomorrow is the Giving and Receiving ceremony. We will keep you all updated.
Thank you all for your well wishes and support, it helps! My stomach is in knots from all the stress and worry. I will ask Frank to post a picture.

At The Airport

We are on our way!

It has been a crazy week. I still cannot believe I am here…In the LAX airport, with a 7.5 hour layover. We are settled at an empty gate in the international terminal. And thanks to good good friends I am typing on a laptop, after which I will settle back and practice my Vietnamese (I am hoping to expand my five words to ten in the next 20 hours.) and then perhaps when I need to relax I will listen to the Nano! A very thoughtful gift, One of the best I have ever received, here I am with 20 hours of travel ahead of me, and now I have a Nano loaded with music and books to help ease the long, long flight. I will treasure it. Wow, I feel like a hip young person hanging out in a terminal with cool technologies. The loud overhead messages in other languages help set the mood.

Sigh, I can’t believe I am here, and almost there. I have been sad, scared, excited and nervous all week. But I woke up this morning happy, happy, happy.

Oregon gave us an amazing sendoff this morning. The sky was clear, the air was warm, and the mountains were majestic! I can’t wait to come home soon with our family of three.

-An amazing sendoff, you bet!

We also got a call from our good friends over at “Groucho’s Family”. Guess who is going next? They are! I am so excited and happy for them. We have been through this long wait with them side by side and it was bittersweet to be leaving without them.

-No wifi,

6/14 2244

3 more hours until takeoff!

Have G&R date, will travel!

Wow, it has been a whirlwind few days! Let me catch you all up.

MONDAY: We were not expecting to receive our official dispatch (3rd letter) from the Department of International Adoptions (DIA) in Hanoi for at least a few weeks. So on Monday you could have knocked us over with a feather when we did. So we held our breath…not for very long because on

FRIDAY we received our travel dates! And you are not going to believe this but we will be in HCMC next weekend! Frank and I will meet our daughter for the first time on Fathers day. We are so happy. We are also very busy. This is not much time to prepare and we needed visas and airline tickets ASAP. We sent off our visa application on Friday and had better get our visas and passports back by Wednesday morning because the very next day we fly!

We will keep you all posted as we finish what we started over a year ago! I can’t believe we are almost there…
It is all feeling a little less surreal now. And a little more scary!

June update

Oh and guess what else? An update! It feels like we have just weathered a long drought and finally it rains! Purposeful metaphor, you should check out the weather in Vietnam. It is the rainy season. It is hot and it is muggy and I can’t wait.

Baby Frances,
What will you think of us? We already love you and can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to see you smile and watch you crawl. No walking okay? I want to be there for that first step!
We did not know why we had to wait, until we saw you. We are blessed that you will grace our lives. Please stay happy and healthy and know that we are counting every minuet until we are united as a family.
Love,
me, who wants to be Mom

Possibly, hopfully, could it be true? Travel THIS June?

The Last steps: Our Adoption Decree

1) Certification from the PDJ (Provincial Department of Justice, from the province Frances is from). I do not know what exactly is being certified…but I know we need it!

2) Formal adoption approval: Our paperwork travels back to the other end of Viet Nam to Hanoi where we wait for the DIA (Vietnam’s Department of International Adoption) to officially approve our adoption. Our agency calls this the 3rd letter. The PDJ now has 7 days to prepare and sign the Adoption Decree.

3) Last but not least, TRAVEL DATES!!!

Our heads are spinning
On Friday June 1st (though we like to say May 32nd) we received news that our Adoption Decree had been certified. Step One Hundred and ONE, done!
We were happy, one step down a few more to go. But we were not too excited as a few families from our agency have had their decrees certified for three weeks now. We were starting to accept a possible summer with out our daughter.

We were then shocked to learn that today June 4th we received the 3rd letter! We could actually have travel dates this week or next! We are guardedly excited, but it is looking like we will meet Frances THIS month. Step One Hundred and TWO, done!
We will be holding our breath for the next week until we have that travel date. Please cross your fingers for us and for the other families still waiting for good news. It is a long journey and we could use any luck you might spare to bring us through to the end!

Curry heals broken heart

Last week was very hard for me, one of the toughest so far. Tuesday May 22nd passed and so did Frances’s eighth month. The 22nd of every month is always sad for us, but still I held onto some hope that Friday would bring us good news. We are waiting for our adoption decree to be signed, certified and couriered to Hanoi. This is the final process that would end in a travel date. I was griping onto hope that Friday would bring us closer to bringing home Frances. I was then crushed when two other families were signed… but not ours. It broke my heart. I was very angry and sad.


It has been 8 months since we received our referral, 8 MONTHS!
I cried for every month that I have missed and will never know the joy of. It felt like the whole 8 months was weighing down on me, and I felt the loss very deeply.

We had made plans to have Thai dinner with our Portland friends, whom are also adopting through the same agency. I was so close to canceling. But I didn’t. I am so glad because we had a great time. One very strong tropical Mojito drink later, and I began to unwind. We then had some of the best Thai food I have ever experienced. Perhaps there is some restorative property of curry? Most likely it was the company! Towards the end of dinner we were all talking about an interesting place to visit, and someone said, “We will take the girls!” We all smiled. How can I convey to you how much that simple phrase meant to me? Instead of mourning all that we have lost it made me think of the very real and not to distant future in which we will hold our daughter in our arms. We have so much to look forward to.

It is amazing how the heart heals and protects itself. I am filled with optimism and hope once more. Soon she will be home and we will watch her grow, and I could pick up the phone and call M or Julie…and we could “take the girls” anywhere!

...more delays and I'm Okay

We are waiting for the provincial government to sign important paperwork. First it was going to be signed on Tuesday... then today... now maybe Monday! There were 9 families waiting for this step, now only 7. I am disappointed that they did not sign all 9.
But I am feeling strangely calm about everything. I keep thinking that I will be Frances Mom by next month. I feel that it is going to happen very soon. My gut tells me we will be in Vietnam NEXT month and have a travel date THIS month.
Basically I need to not worry about it anymore. My worry won't make her come home any faster. I am going to try and relax...
I am going to concentrate on... baby care books, our house projects, who is going to win 'Survivor', and what is going on with 'Lost'...
Man I love those two shows. Survivor started out ho hum, but has really kicked it into gear. And what is not to love about Lost? Tropical beach, paranormal intrigue and mystery- I love it.
My 'gut' better not break my heart!

On May 1st 2007 She Smiles!

Are hearts are full as we see new pictures of Frances. Finally we get to see a little smile! Now we just need to hear her giggle. Hopefully it won't be too far off. Our agency has their first family in Vietnam as we speak completing their adoption. Things do seem to be finally moving along and we should be one of the next families to go. We will keep you updated. But until then, She Stands! She smiles!

Our Adoption Time Line

In the adoption world it is ALL about timelines. When so much is unknown all you can do is research those who have gone before you… and hope that your process is much quicker!

January- March Began researching Adoption
Saturday April 1st, 2006 Went to open House at Agency
April 3rd, 2006 Filled out application and returned to agency!
April-May Gathered all the documents needed for Dossier
May 29th, 2006 Home study Completed
May 30th, 2006 Home study sent to BCIS
June 23rd, 2006 BCIS Appointment for fingerprints
July 13th, 2006 I-171H Approved
September 12th, 2006 Re-did employment verification and State Police letters
September 25th, 2006 Received Referral!!!!
October 15th, 2006 Sent care package to Baby Frances
January 11th, 2007 Received updated photos of Frances!
March 3rd, 2007 Received Letter of Referral Acceptance
March 27th, 2007 Another update with photos!
? ? ? ? ? ? Soon baby will make three and complete our family!

NO NEWS YET.
Yes, it is taking a long time.
Thanks for pointing that out.

(If you are starting the adoption process I seriously advise you to put this on a mug or T-shirt. Better yet, both. You can thank me later.)

The Beginning

It has been just over one year since Frank and I began our adoption journey.
On a Saturday morning, April 1st 2006, we walked into our agencies door for the first time to attend an 'informal information session'. We were unsure and cranky. Being a parent was becoming a fleeting dream and not something I could take for granted.
I will never forget the feeling as we walked out of our agencies door! We did not have to say anything. We both new this was IT by the way we were holding hands, swinging them together and when we looked at each other we knew we felt the same. All Shinny eyed and smiles. One of us said, "This is it! This is what we are supposed to do!" and the other said, "Lets come right back on Monday and turn in our application!".
It has been a long journey and I do hope we are near the end. Even with its ups downs and all arounds she is more than worth the wait. I can not wait to be her mama. I am madly in love with this child that I have never held. Her eyes stare back at me from a photo, they are full of intelligence, wisdom and grace. I can't wait to meet her. Will she be silly? Will she be serious,as her photo's hint? Or will she be shy?