BD's Baby Adventure

World's cutest bumble bee

2011-11-04T14:22:00.002-05:00

Halloween 2011... Semira was the cutest bumble bee in town. Possibly in the whole world. Ashley and Heidi trick-or-treated with us too. Dangerous crowd...

Semira's acting debut

2011-08-30T09:22:00.003-05:00

We were asked (with Semira) to participate in a beginning-of-the-year ceremony at the university. It consisted of us sitting onstage, reading a book to Semira, and taking her off stage. As you can see from some of the photos, she was an active participant in the reading.

Getting ready for the show to start

"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll!

Enjoying the applause following her performance.

Easter

2011-04-20T10:34:00.002-05:00

Semira participated in the city Easter egg hunt last evening. At the time of the egg hunt, it was 100 degrees and there were hundreds of kids and their parents on 3 different fields to join in the fun. She made a decent haul and we all had fun.

New words

2011-03-30T15:06:00.004-05:00

The scene in our house the other night... Semira is dancing around like a crazy person when she's supposed to be getting ready for her bath. Gilbert: "Semira, what are you doing?" Semira: "I'm shakin' my booty!" I couldn't resist getting out the video camera the next day.

Paw Ball

2011-03-30T14:39:00.003-05:00

Photo by Amanda Kimble. Semira is seen petting a puppy at the Paw Ball benefitting our local humane society. We attended because her daddy is part of the group that organized the ball. This photo made it into our local paper... no doubt because of the gorgeous little girl with such interest in the puppy. By the way, the puppy did find a new home that evening with one of our town's many animal lovers.

Cute shoes

2011-03-09T18:26:00.002-06:00

It was picture day today at Semira's school. She's wearing her new outfit, complete with her new purple shoes. I don't know what brand they are, but they sure look like crocs to me!

Family of 3

2011-02-26T03:32:00.003-06:00

It looks like for right now we'll remain a family of 3... at our routine doctor visit yesterday, we found out the baby has no heart beat. We were blindsided by the news and are working through our sadness.

Semira's big news

2011-02-22T20:46:00.004-06:00

Semira has news for everyone...

Yes, that says she's going to be a big sister!!!

The newest member of the family is due to arrive in early September.

At long last...

2011-02-08T15:48:00.002-06:00

New photos! Taken by Merritt's former roommate Emily in Austin just after Christmas.

Peace out!

2010-12-01T11:49:00.004-06:00

Out of the blue, over the weekend when family was sitting around the table talking, Semira exclaimed "Peace out!" I suspect it's something she learned at school, but it became her theme for the remainder of the weekend. Her aunt Merritt dressed her up in her shades and new panda hat and posed her on Daddy's lap for this photo. Priceless.

Fairy princess

2010-10-31T21:08:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween! We had a successful evening with the fairy princess. She scored a decent amount of candy and dazzled all who opened their doors to her.

Purple

2010-10-28T16:22:00.003-05:00

Semira accompanied me and her daddy to a university celebration during Homecoming week. I LOVE this photo. My whole world is right here in this picture. Many, many thanks to Karole Schroeder for taking and posting this photo.

Semira's October so far

2010-10-14T15:04:00.002-05:00

Ready for a swim or opening a very dangerous banana

On the bouncy ball with foggy goggles and a half-eaten banana. Makes it difficult to bounce but she doesn't care. She's a daredevil!

My little Frankenstein after dance class.

"I sit Mommy!" at the state fair

Ever seen a happier kid? She talked about riding the crocodile for days.

Sitting on Daddy's shoulders listening to the Texas state song, played by the Marine band.

Daddy, Semira, and Big Tex at the state fair.

Rah Rah Rah!!!!

2010-09-03T20:14:00.002-05:00

I know, I know... this is totally against everything her mommy stands for. But isn't she cute? What can I say? I couldn't resist. We were specially invited to the first football game of the season and Mommy went a little overboard in getting Semira ready for it. Go team!

Denver trip part 2

2010-08-12T16:06:00.003-05:00

The world's cutest, youngest geologist at Garden of the Gods

Semira with Backpack and The Map

"I ride train!"

at Belleview Park

Semira with The Amazing Allison-- our contact at the adoption agency-- at the picnic.

Backpack, Backpack...

2010-08-12T11:34:00.003-05:00

Hi Daddy! I'm buckled in but I can still squirm!

My budding geologist clutching a rock.

Backpack, backpack... on the bus!

Yummy birthday dinner for mommy at Fogo de Chao. Mmmmmm.

We had a wonderful time at IAN's annual family picnic in Denver. Semira was fascinated with the various forms of transportation we took. She enjoyed flying through clouds on the airplane. Then she loved the train in the Denver airport. And best of all was the shuttle bus to the rental car place. She loved buses so much that she pointed out every single one she saw.

We also decided that for those times when she wasn't exactly in the mood to hold someone's hand, she probably needed a special backpack with a tether. I was very pleasantly surprised when she was thrilled to have her very own backpack, just like Dora the Explorer. She sang Dora's backpack song all weekend.

Happy Birthday Semira!

2010-08-01T18:14:00.003-05:00

Semira with her Dora cake

Once she opened the gift with the ball in it, it couldn't lose contact with her hand.

"Gamma" and Semira

"Gamma Gappa," Daddy, and Semira

The baby girl turned 2 today. Happy birthday, my baby girl.

The Potty

2010-07-19T14:56:00.004-05:00

We've officially begun potty training at our house. After a few weeks of the shiny new potty chair being scary, Semira gladly sat down on it yesterday and used it for the first time! Yay Semira!!! Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for a repeat later in the day. But I'm counting this as a major victory!

I know every kid goes through this phase, but she'd also decided now that she likes to be naked. I don't mind the clothes coming off so much. It's the diaper/pull-ups that are the problem. I spent a ridiculous amount of time last night asking her to put her pants back on. I tried to ask her to go sit on the potty if she really wanted to pull her pants down. But she happily told me no, ignored me, or went into the other room where I couldn't see her take them off. It was a very fun game. For her. Thankfully no accidents on the floor that I noticed. The same can't be said for Grandma's house this weekend...

Any seasoned parents out there have tips for potty-training a little girl?

Diva

2010-07-13T19:06:00.002-05:00

Posing at the mall with her new 'Hollywood Baby' sunglasses.
"Mom, you should have dressed me in pants today!"

The cutest little girl in the cutest clothes ever.

"Gamma Gappa" and Fossil Rim

2010-07-06T20:44:00.008-05:00

Semira's new grandma and grandpa came to visit for a week at the end of June. We had a very nice time, and Semira really enjoyed having them around. She couldn't stop talking about "Gamma Gappa." In the photo above she's helping her dad escort "Gamma" to the car.

We spent the early morning of July 4 at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center doing their Crack o Dawn Tour. Semira thought the animals were really neat. Except the ostrich... she was scary. We got to feed European red deer and giraffes by hand, and the ostriches took food we put on the side of the bus. If you've never been there, consider a trip!

Mommy and Semira feeding a giraffe!!!

" Giraffe? Giraffe? Giraffe? Giraffe? Giraffe? Giraffe?..."

Feeding the European red deer.

Dad and Semira watching the white rhinos.

Mom and Semira in front of our tour bus.

More cute Semira photos

2010-07-02T09:16:00.005-05:00

Semira in the pool with upside down goggles. And Aunt Merritt.
Not entirely sure the water is warm enough.

Doing her nails.

Blowing on her nails.

Semira and mommy.

More photos from wedding weekend... I love this little girl! So does the rest of the family.

Wedding!!!

2010-06-15T11:46:00.002-05:00

Semira being seated with her aunt Merritt and uncle Jeremy.

After dancing to Copacabana with her daddy

The happy couple with Semira and family

Semira thoroughly enjoyed the wedding. She got to have her photo taken a zillion times, be the center of attention for family and friends, and dance with her daddy.

Weekend in Houston

2010-05-02T21:54:00.003-05:00

Semira enjoyed her weekend. She spent Saturday at her Aunt Pauline's graduation and after-party. She also acquired her first black eye while running through Aunt Pauline's house. She tripped and landed face first on a stair. It doesn't seem to be bothering her, but I had to document this first for posterity.

She spent today firmly entrenched in her terrible twos, as you can see from the doggie door photo. But I did manage to catch her practicing naming body parts... shoulders, hips, and toes!

Cow

2010-04-29T19:53:00.002-05:00

Semira switched day care facilities (schools) at the beginning of the month. I'm very happy with the new school, and she seems to love it. They do lots of really cool stuff with the kids. These pictures are from the on-site field trip they had today. They brought in a petting zoo for the kids. Semira's favorite must have been the cow standing next to her. She kept saying 'cow' until bedtime.

A week of Easter

2010-04-01T21:08:00.002-05:00

Semira has now had two Easter egg hunts. And it's not even the weekend yet! These are photos from her first hunt on Tuesday at the city park.

Grandma visit

2010-03-29T15:06:00.003-05:00

Semira and I went to Austin to visit Grandma for part of the weekend. She looks like an angel, doesn't she? Maybe. Thanks to our experience this weekend, I like to think of her as a little demon. With insomnia. She refused to sleep until after midnight on Saturday night, then was up at 4am Sunday morning. I'm still recovering.

Semira with her new hair bow from cousin Erin.

Showing Merritt her teeth.

Discovering the joys of an Easter basket, delivered by Erin the Easter Bunny

Erin reading Semira the book about bunnies she got her. It must be a good book because everyone's smiling, even Barkley.

Ok, ok, ok... new pictures!

2010-03-19T21:31:00.011-05:00

Sorry to have taken so long to post new Semira photos. Blame it on a new job, new camera, wedding planning, Semira's octopus act while I'm on the computer... Anyway, here are the long-awaited Semira updates.

Semira is talking up a storm these days. Words of the month are NO, alright(!), excellent, bath, walk, up, down, Ashley, Heidi, dog, cat, meow, cow, moo, grapes, and spaghettios. Her dad is also teaching her to respond to his question "Why do we go to school?" with "To stamp out ignorance!" She's got the "stamp out!" down. With hand motions. And enthusiasm.

Semira on Christmas looking pretty in her dress.

Semira in her tutu on New Year's Eve. I promise she hadn't had anything to drink!

Looking cute in her overalls.

Semira showing off her new purse and her new teeth on Valentine's Day. Grandma bought her the purse when she came to Semira-sit. I understand she carried it with her all weekend.

All scrubbed and clean after her bath.

She missed her dad one day, so she pulled his jacket off the hanger and put it on.

Semira loves Ashley. She covers her with washcloths on laundry day, snuggles next to her and uses her as a lounge chair others, and here... well, ride 'em cowgirl. Ashley is a really good sport.

Semira and Gilbert hangin' on the back patio on a gorgeous March 19. She's so proud she can get up in a big-girl chair all by herself now. See Heidi's back half hanging out of the doggie door? Semira also learned how to use the doggie door this week. She was upset the other evening because I wouldn't let her go outside in her pajamas. So she waited until I had my back turned and crawled out the doggie door. Ugh. She didn't like it when she got out there so she came right back in. Through the doggie door. Crazy kid.

Merry White Christmas!

2009-12-25T20:05:00.006-06:00

Misty and Heidi playing in the snow on Christmas morning.

Semira with her new doll

The fun new picnic table with her other new toys on top.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your day was as wonderful as ours. Santa brought Semira a new picnic table just her size, some pink fuzzy slippers, a soft doll, a recorder, and several other small musical instruments. So what's that she's playing with as she sits at her new table with the doll and instruments behind her? Ground mustard from the spice drawer. But she traded it for a different toy later... Garlic salt.

She was kind of funny with her recorder this morning. We demonstrated how to use the recorder, then gave it to her. She put it up to her mouth but she kept blowing through her nose instead of her mouth. Around 3:30 this afternoon she figured out how to make it play. Every time she did it, she giggled. Toot! Giggle. Toot! Giggle. So fun.

Cozy

2009-12-24T18:29:00.003-06:00

Semira, Ashley, and Misty investigating the back yard snow

Dad and Semira in front of the house.

Mom and Semira in the back yard

I can't believe this day... I woke up this morning and thought I saw some very big rain drops falling past the bathroom window as I was getting ready. As I opened the blinds in the living room, I saw huge snowflakes! The snow fell and the wind blew hard all day. So here in Texas we have the improbable... a white Christmas! We're snuggled in at home with hot chocolate in our tummies and chili on the stove. Semira will be going to bed in another hour or so, and we'll have our first chance to play Santa. Many more photos will be taken tomorrow. Until then, have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Tis the season!

2009-12-15T20:23:00.005-06:00

What a month of adventures for Semira! Last weekend, we got a Christmas tree and decorated it. We also put up our Christmas Village. She isn't as dazzled by the lights on the tree or around the village as I thought she would be, but she loves those pretty glass balls on that tree.

We've had some cool weather, but had a couple of really nice, warm days this past weekend. Semira enjoyed some time on the patio with Dad Sunday morning. She loves to be outside.

Tonight Semira's day care center had a Christmas open house, and Santa made an appearance. We were unsure as to whether she'd greet Santa with a "Hi!" and blow him kisses like she does people in the grocery store or if she'd be terrified of him like most kids her age. We were kept in suspense for the first few minutes. She was 4th in line. Semira thought he was pretty neat while he was talking to the other kids. But when Gilbert put her on Santa's lap, she burst into tears. Every kid has to have a picture like this, right? I have the picture now... I won't be traumatizing her again... this year.

Dad and Semira at the Open House at "school."

Semira's first visit with Santa

Family

2009-11-27T08:46:00.003-06:00

Semira had a wonderful first Thanksgiving. She helped cook a traditional feast that we shared with Gilbert and his family. Gilbert's sister and her family came to visit from Houston. Semira was the life of the party. What a wonderful, loving, happy family. They made me feel so welcome as a new member of the family.

The reindeer hat was a present from her uncle Jeremy.

Overdue update

2009-11-08T18:48:00.004-06:00

We've had an incredibly busy few weeks, so I've been negligent in posting Halloween photos and others pictures of the baby girl. So here are highlights from the last few weeks of photos.

Semira the elephant and Gilbert getting ready to trick-or-treat.

Grilled cheese makes her tired.

Ever seen a cuter skeleton?

Semira and Gilbert at the university's homecoming parade. She loved having a chair her own size. Thank you, Barths!

Halloween Preview

2009-10-23T13:25:00.002-05:00

Semira picked out her first-ever Halloween costume this week. We were in the store, and I stopped next to the toddler costumes. She reached out for this one. When I handed her the package she started kissing the photo on the front. I don't think she could have told me any more clearly that she liked this costume. I'll state the obvious... Oh my gosh! She is so cute!

Not tired!

2009-10-19T21:01:00.003-05:00

Semira made an appearance at her grandma's house over the weekend. Semira was the center of attention all day long. She had lots of visitors. She was so entertained (and entertaining) that she refused to take a nap. Doesn't look tired at all, does she?

Gilbert was brave and agreed to come along so he could meet my family. We toured the state capitol building while Grandma babysat. We also headed to Zilker Park for a walk and some ice cream. It was a nice visit.

Hat

2009-10-11T21:30:00.003-05:00

Semira got a new hat and socks from her Aunt Merritt. She looks so cute!

We had a nice weekend. Yesterday we took Semira to the park where she tried out the swing and slide for the first time. What a little daredevil! She loved them both.

Semira also started taking steps today! Yay for walking! She doesn't realize yet that she can walk anywhere she wants. She's only walking to me or Gilbert. I don't expect that to last long. Then we're really in trouble.

In wedding news... today Gilbert and I nailed down our wedding and reception venue. We've decided on an outdoor wedding (as long as the weather is good). And the reception will be on the same property. Feels good to have that decision finalized. Now we get to move on to the next big decision... food. Semira definitely approves of the wedding location. They have horses and a swingset and a huge open space for her to play in. What more could a girl want? She loves Willemina the owner, too. Semira would have stayed with her today if I'd let her.

Good

2009-10-09T07:48:00.004-05:00

Semira is modeling her first winter outfit of the year. Overnight it went from about 85 degrees to 48 degrees, so we had to put the shorts away for today. Her friend Marcy gave her this little sweater at her Welcome Home shower in May. This is the first chance she's had to wear it. Fall is my favorite season, so I'm happy the cool weather is finally here.

The second photo is of Semira and Gilbert at the first college rodeo of the year. Gilbert is an administrator at the university, and the rodeo team (yes, we actually have a rodeo team - and it's good!) reports to him now. So we went with him to the rodeo in early September. I took this photo as Semira and Gilbert were watching the students ride their horses around in a pasture, warming up. Semira is really fascinated but a bit scared by horses. If allowed, she'll pet a horse's nose with one finger, which she quickly pulls back as she grins. She enjoyed watching people ride horses, and petting them. She didn't like the bull riding at all. She cried any time a bull started bucking, and it got worse if someone was bucked off. My little sensitive baby girl. We had to leave the arena and go back outside to where the horses were before she calmed down.

Semira thinks Gilbert is pretty great, and I know he adores her. That's a good thing, since Gilbert and I are planning to be married in May! I give Semira credit for bringing us together. I'd known him for years, but he was intrigued when he found out I was adopting a little girl from Africa (he's Kenyan) as a single mom. He said he wanted to find out more about me when he heard that. So that's how it began... We're incredibly happy and are looking forward to our future as a family.

Beach Baby

2009-09-07T22:36:00.004-05:00

We had a great Labor Day weekend at the beach. Semira LOVES the beach. She was fearless. (That's my girl!) She crawled through the surf. She sat in the sand and faced the waves coming toward her. She rolled around in the sand. She walked in the water with her best buddy Gilbert. She is truly a water-loving little girl.

State Fair

2009-08-24T17:06:00.003-05:00

A very hot Semira with the famous Iowa State Fair butter cow

A stroll through the state fair sprinklers sure felt good!

Dancing with her great aunt Glennys

Semira and Mom at the wedding

Semira and I recently took a trip to Iowa to attend our cousin Gina's wedding and introduce Semira to the extended family. She was inundated with relatives, and she charmed every single one of them. She had lots of neat experiences while she was there. She attended the famous Iowa State Fair one day, where she had her first tastes of tenderloin and funnel cake and saw the butter cow. She had her first taste of fresh-picked corn on the cob. She got to dance with her great aunts at Gina's wedding reception. She entertained a whole row (maybe 2) of cousins during the wedding ceremony by playing peekaboo with them over the back of our pew. We had a nice time but it was really good to get back home.

Semira started day care last Thursday. Like most new moms, I was apprehensive about dropping her off that first day. I was sure we'd both be sobbing before I left. But she saw the other children and gladly went to her teacher so she could start playing. She loves "school," and starts squeaking every morning when she realizes that's where we're headed. School really takes it out of her. She slept 14 hrs that first night after coming home. She was back to her usual 12 hrs the next night. She's already looking tired this evening and it's only 5:30. I think it'll be an early dinner and bedtime for the baby girl.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

2009-08-03T22:23:00.005-05:00

Semira celebrated her first birthday over the weekend. She discovered that birthdays are fun. People sing and clap, Mom gives you a special new food called cake, and you get to rip paper without being told NO. She got beautiful clothes and new sippy cups from my friends.

I made Semira a Winnie the Pooh cake and discovered something for myself. Decorating cakes is nowhere near as easy as the people on TV make it look. I don't think it turned out too horrible for my first attempt at cake decorating, but he was kind of a neon orange Pooh. In any case, all but the red shirt part tasted good. I need to throw out my red food coloring and try the no-taste red when I do this cake again. I don't understand how such a small amount of food coloring can turn frosting, which is mostly sugar, into a bitter atrocity.

Semira's Aunt Merritt has told me multiple times that she needs a tiara (and baby nail polish and pierced ears...). I have a very different view of what she needs at this age. But her grandma and I gave in on the least intrusive of these "needs" and found her a Birthday Girl tiara by accident one day when we were out shopping. She left it on long enough (while distracted with a big strawberry) for a couple of photos.

Posing in her new Princess Pajamas, a birthday gift from her buddy Carol.

She's standing so well now. It takes her no time at all to pull herself up to standing. Here, she's watching her doggie sisters play in the back yard during her party. It's so neat to watch her learn new things every day. Who knew a little girl could be so fascinating? Her newfound mobility is making time in the kitchen much more challenging though. She either scoots around in her walker running over my feet or tripping me, or she pulls herself up by hanging onto the back of my pants so I can't move and I can't reach her to pick her up.

The birthday girl is working on her bigger teeth now so she's been a bit cranky and clingy. I can feel bumps on her gums all the way back to where her molars are, so it's likely to be a few weeks before those pesky gums stop hurting her. It appears that after waiting until she was 11 months old to start teething, she's going to continue non-stop until all of her teeth are in. Poor kid. I think I need to buy stock in Infant Tylenol and Baby Orajel.

Equestrian

2009-07-24T21:11:00.003-05:00

Semira had quite a week. She's pulling up to things all over the place and dances in place while she's holding on to the table, couch, chair, etc. She sprouted another couple of teeth as well, so now she has 4 teeth that have broken through. That last one was rough on her, but it appears that the worst (for that tooth anyway) is over.

She's enjoying her new horsey, as you can see. Grandma had to help her stay on, but I don't think it'll take her long to figure out how to ride him all by herself.

It's now one week and one day until Semira's first birthday. I'm planning what I intended to be a small party of close friends and family. But as I started making the invitation list I realized we have lots of close friends who love Semira and are looking forward to celebrating with her. So we'll have a big houseful of company next weekend. Semira loves a crowd, so we'll just plan on having a huge cake and lots of fun.

Horsey!

2009-07-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

I received a fantastic treat today... my good friend Mr. Tom Rice came by for a visit. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years, so it was great to catch up with him. He brought this gorgeous rocking horse he made for Semira. I can just see her playing racehorse jockey! Mr. Rice is a wonderful, wonderful man. I'm so honored that he thought enough of us to make this beautiful horse for Semira and drive all the way here to give it to us.

He also brought her a beautiful homemade stepstool. So when Semira starts walking, she'll be able to reach the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth, and she'll also be able to see the counter and help me in the kitchen. Thank you, Mr. Rice!!! I hope you know how much these gifts mean to me.

Two new firsts!

2009-07-07T20:49:00.004-05:00

Semira had two big firsts today. I noticed when she got up this morning that her first tooth has cut through her gums. She now has a brand spanking new sparkly white left upper front tooth. The right one is a few days behind. Yay teeth! Once again, I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. She didn't show any signs of teething agony over the last few days. She's sleeping through the night like a champ, "dancing" anytime music is on, and enjoying eating as much as ever. This is just the first one... hopefully the others will be this easy on her.

She also figured out this afternoon how to crawl on her hands and knees. Not the commando crawl on her elbows and belly that she's been doing for a few weeks, but a real crawl. It was so cute-- she was lifting her hands and knees a few inches off the floor, like she was march-crawling. This is the only shot I got of Miss Droopy Diaper while she was on the move. I'll be sure to save this photo for an appropriately embarrassing moment when she's a teenager. :-)

Pretty

2009-07-05T18:14:00.005-05:00

Semira recently received a gift of a beautiful little pearl and gold bracelet from Marta in Puerto Rico. Semira's buddy Peter holds her as she models it. Thank you, Marta! It's beautiful!

Semira's first Independence Day was celebrated at home. But Friday night we had a dinner to attend with some friends, and she got dressed up in honor of the holiday. I love her in this dress.

Ashley

2009-07-02T16:30:00.004-05:00

Ashley seems to be the dog that enjoys hanging out with Semira most. She's so easy-going--almost maternal. Semira can "read" to her, show off her toys, or pet her and climb on her and Ashley's happy. What a sweet pup.

My little engineer

2009-07-01T13:53:00.005-05:00

Semira and I spent much of last week helping with Engineering Camp for high school girls taught by my friend Denise. Semira had a good time interacting with the high school girls, and Denise's daughter Sierrah kept her company much of the rest of the time. Semira's favorite part was the freedom I gave her to empty the complete contents of her diaper bag.

A friend I've known since junior high came to visit for the weekend. We had a really nice visit, and Semira loved her. We went out to dinner Saturday evening, and Semira got dressed up in her cute little pink sparkly tennis shoes her Auntie CP gave her for Christmas, months before she even arrived. They finally fit! It was Semira's first outing wearing shoes.

Hi Mama

2009-06-22T12:54:00.003-05:00

Semira had a big week last week. She very clearly said "Bye bye" while waving when my friends left Sunday evening. Then Tuesday morning she said "Hi Mama" while she waved at me when I put her in her high chair for breakfast! That was SOOOOO cool. In the photo, she's playing in her nest of toys wearing the pretty pink dress Agnes got her.

New old friends

2009-06-15T22:35:00.003-05:00

Semira got to meet some of her mom's best friends from her college days this weekend. John, Melinda, and their daughter Abbie came to visit for a couple of days. Abbie thought Semira was a fun playmate. On Sunday, they played a game in which Abbie tried to fill Semira's high chair tray with all her soft blocks before Semira threw any off. My camera was on the wrong setting for the photo with Abbie, but here are the results. Abbie won! Yay Abbie!

Uuuuup!!!

2009-06-07T20:17:00.004-05:00

It took her a few tries and several minutes, but Semira sat up all by herself today!! Yay!!!

Supervised playtime

2009-06-05T21:43:00.004-05:00

The dogs love Semira. They help me tuck her in at night and run in front of me in the morning, tails wagging, when I go to her room to get her out of bed. During the day they supervise playtime. In this photo, Ashley (right) and Misty (foreground) are listening intently to a concert on the alligator xylophone.

I'm feeding myself...

2009-06-04T21:26:00.007-05:00

... and some of the food actually makes it into my mouth!

Miss Semira has finally decided that it's ok to feed herself. The trade-off is that I am no longer allowed to feed her anything with a spoon. The aftermath of an attempted feeding is found on her high chair tray and face. And clothes too. So I've been looking for different foods that she can feed herself without interference from me and a spoon. Her lack of teeth makes it a little bit more challenging, but we went to the store today and got some Gerber puffs, frozen veggies we can steam and cut up, frozen fruit (which I thawed and gave her and she immediately spit out), bananas, crackers that get mushy in her mouth, teething biscuits, vanilla wafers, and some mild cheese. I think she's set for now.

We spent the weekend at Semira's grandma's house in Austin. Her grandma and Aunt Merritt threw a fantastic Welcome Home Semira party. I was once again overwhelmed by people's generosity. Her gifts filled the back of our car. She got some beautiful clothes, a few toys, lots of dishes and utensils, and lots of pool accessories including a pink life jacket, sunscreen, some cool shades, and a chair for the patio.

It was fantastic to see everyone who attended, including a few representatives from the Iowa part of the family. Semira loves a party. She entertained everyone. Since I was busy juggling Semira and a drink and gifts, my sister and aunt took photos. I'll post some when I'm able.

The photos below are of Semira and her Aunt Merritt, and with her Uncle Jeremy the morning after her party. She's wearing the dress Jeremy's girlfriend CP gave her, and the headband her grandma made her.

Pool season

2009-05-26T18:18:00.005-05:00

I made a welcome discovery yesterday... Semira loves the water! Good thing! I love the water and would hate to think that she wouldn't enjoy some of my favorite activities. We have a pool in the back yard that's begging to be used.

We spent our Memorial Day in a friend's pool, and since Semira seemed to enjoy it so much I decided to take her for a spin in our own pool. The water is still a little chilly so there was a bit of a protest when we first got in, but as you can see she clearly enjoyed herself once she got used to the cool water. That's her doggie sister Heidi checking on her in the upper photo.

Now that we're in from the pool, she's all dry and warm and 'reading' my new Scientific American magazine. Do I have an athletic scientist on my hands? I hope so!

Look Mom! I'm sitting up!

2009-05-21T21:17:00.004-05:00

Semira started sitting unsupported today!! She may have her hands on the floor in this picture, but just before I took it, she was playing with that purple block with both hands! And she didn't fall over! She looks a little unsure about my excitement, doesn't she? The poor kid is still battling that nasty virus and her nose is so chapped. But she's getting better.

Rescue

2009-05-20T13:25:00.004-05:00

My friends invited me out into the adult world for lunch today. I felt like I was being rescued! Semira has been sick and understandably cranky this week, so we've been staying home except for our doctor visit and related errands. She's finally starting to feel better, so we took them up on their offer. Semira played with a couple of un-sauced spaghetti noodles and decorated her hair with them. When I picked one out of her hair, she put it right back where it was. So she stayed decorated with spaghetti until it was time to leave.

No photos of Miss Spaghetti Hair from lunch today, but this is one I took on the plane ride home. When I was a kid, almost every photo my mom took had her finger in it. Evidently the act of bringing Semira home has transformed me into the mother who sticks her finger in her photos. Yes, I've already gotten harrassed about that by Semira's grandmother.

Finally some new pictures!

2009-05-16T21:54:00.005-05:00

I finally managed to get my photos extracted from my camera today... you wouldn't think that would be such a hard task when all it needed was batteries. I've discovered that even rechargables have a life span, but it took me a few days to figure that out. I swear I'm going brain dead.

Hanna the orphanage director just before the hand-off.

An unsure Semira with her jet-lagged, travel-weary but elated new mommy.

Semira visiting the orphanage to tell her nannies goodbye with Lelena, who works for the adoption agency.

Our first attempt at rice cereal.

We're home!!

2009-05-14T21:04:00.002-05:00

We made it!! What a crazy couple of weeks we've had...

The trip to Ethiopia was very smooth. As soon as we got to Addis Ababa we were able to go to Sele Enat and get Semira. So I've had my little girl with me since May 3!

We got back to Texas on May 9, and her uncle Jeremy, aunt CP, and lots of their friends met her that evening. Her aunt Merritt met her the next morning.

We got back home Sunday. Unfortunately, I arrived home with a little sinus infection that turned into a raging sinus infection very quickly. So Semira and I had a bit of a rough start to the week. But I'm doing better now and we're having much more fun.

My camera is acting up and I've misplaced my memory card reader so there will be a bit of a delay in getting pictures from the trip and afterward posted. But this is the last photo I received of her before I went to get her. It's so nice to finally be able to post it!

Semira has been adjusting very well to her new home. She likes her new doggie "sisters," and they love her. Especially at mealtime. She's sleeping really well in her own bed in her own room, she's trying all kinds of yummy fruits and veggies, and she's meeting lots of new friends. She loves story time and riding in her ultra-cool Jeep stroller. This evening she attended her first Guinness Night, and charmed all of the waitresses, several customers, and the restaurant owner's daughter. Tomorrow she'll make her Game Night debut. She's almost crawling. She learned to wave this week. She's also switched from saying "da da da da da" to "ma ma ma ma." And we're slowly but surely figuring out a routine.

One week to go-time

2009-04-24T10:33:00.002-05:00

Only one more week to travel time!! I'm getting so excited... it's hard to concentrate on work. Maybe the students don't notice. They're ready to get out for the summer, so many of their brains are elsewhere too. But most of them know what's going on so they're very kind and ask how everything is going with the adoption.

I've been doing a little work every day on the house, trying to make sure I pace myself but get everything done. I spent yesterday evening cleaning my stuff out of Semira's closet and making room for her toys and clothes. This weekend I'm planning to finish the last of the baby-proofing, wash all of her new clothes and bedding, and finish those little things I never got around to after I moved in-- hanging pictures on the wall and unpacking the last few boxes of stuff I still have lying around. All of those low shelves need to be purged of stuff too. I'm not sure if she's crawling or pulling up on things yet, but I'll make sure the house is ready just in case she is.

I've also got appointments for a hair cut, dental work, carpet cleaning, etc. And Semira's grandma is going to come up and help with some stuff next week as well. I'm sure she'll see and think of things I'd miss.

7 days and counting!!!

In writing...

2009-04-09T22:57:00.002-05:00

I was emailed a copy of Semira's new birth certificate yesterday... Seeing my name on her birth certificate as "adoptive mother" was really neat.

Embassy date

2009-03-28T11:54:00.002-05:00

I found out yesterday that we've been scheduled for the embassy on May 6. So my mother and I will be leaving on May 1, meet Semira on the 4th, and start our journey home on the 8th. I was really hoping for an embassy date of April 22, but it just didn't work out that way. I think the delay with court made it difficult for them to get all of the paperwork done to get us ready for the embassy appointment by then. So I'll be waiting an extra 2 weeks to bring little Semira home.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!!

2009-03-26T13:18:00.001-05:00

I got a call from Allison at 9am today... I passed court!!! I'm now officially Semira's mommy!!! I'm hoping to leave in about 3 weeks to go and get her, but I haven't heard the official word on that yet.

YIPPPPEEEEE!!!

Waiting...

2009-03-25T14:49:00.002-05:00

Still nothing. This is an abridged version of an email from Allison today.

...been trying to call the staff in Ethiopia via telephone, and that hasn't been successful, but we are still in daily email contact with them. They have not heard from MOWA about rescheduling the dates - at this point they really aren't giving us any information about when they plan to reschedule. I promise that we are asking the Ethiopian staff every day about the rescheduled court appointments, and that they are doing everything they can to get answers for us. ...this is NOT something on the back burner for any of us.

So I'm waiting. I think I used up all of my patience and calmness before Monday. I'm a little antsy.

No word

2009-03-24T22:15:00.002-05:00

Allison said today that they were unable to get in touch with their staff in Ethiopia, so we're still waiting.

I had my first baby shower today. It was organized by my geology majors. They had one of our lab rooms decorated with balloons and pink and green table cloths, and they'd made all of the great food for the event. I think there were about 15 people there. One of the neatest gifts Semira got was an inflatable tub (that you put in the big tub) shaped like a duck. He even quacks when you squeeze his bill. Aside from that, she got a couple of swimsuits, toys for the pool, a Diaper Genie II, lots of cute clothes, and even a tiny little pair of Crocs. Again, I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of people.

Argghhh!

2009-03-23T12:38:00.003-05:00

I got a call from Allison about an hour ago. There was evidently a power failure in Addis Abeba this morning, so "decisions" on our cases couldn't be forwarded to the court from the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA). So there was no court today. For anyone. It's now evening there, so nothing more today. But the adoption agency's facilitator was told that they will get these cases heard as soon as possible. I don't know if that means tomorrow, later this week, next week, or next month.

Not much sleep tonight

2009-03-22T23:21:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day... our court date! I'm up late not necessarily because I want to be. I'm having a hard time settling down to go to sleep. If all goes well, in a few hours I will legally be Semira's mommy. This is one of those big days that changes your life forever. You don't have many of those in your life. Not ones that you recognize at the time anyway. Thinking back on those life-changing days, I can really only count a few. The awful Christmas Eve my dad was diagnosed with cancer. The night he died. The day I decided to put my needs first and buy my first house, which corresponded with the day I decided to end a long-term relationship I finally realized was going nowhere. The day I turned in the final draft of my dissertation. Waking up on my PhD graduation day in Hawaii anticipating a gorgeous day of diving with my boyfriend at the time (way more fun than another graduation ceremony). The day of my unconventional interview for my teaching job. The phone call notifying me I was chosen to be an intern at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

This will definitely be another one of those life-changing days. Semira's Grandpa Ron would be so happy. He's been gone for almost 10 years but some days you feel the loss more than others. This is one of those days.

My phone is plugged in and charging in anticipation of a call in the morning. I'll post news as soon as I get it. I'm off to bed with my girls (the dogs).

One more week...

2009-03-16T16:08:00.002-05:00

Our court date is one week from today! Hopefully by this time next Monday I'll have heard the results and can start planning my trip to bring Semira home.

Another few weeks closer

2009-02-27T21:19:00.002-06:00

Sorry, no news to report about Semira. I'm hoping for a new photo of her soon. A great family that just traveled to pick up their baby girl took photos and the adoption agency is working to sort them and get them to the correct parents. Hopefully soon!

I asked if I would get any new information about her-- whether she's eating solid food or not, if she's sitting up-- all of those developmental milestones I hope she's making. But I was informed that no news is generally good news, and prospective parents generally don't get that type of information. So it'll be a surprise when I see her. I know the nannies are taking good care of her, but I'm really excited about getting her home with me.

The good news I did get recently is that they're starting to tell people the time span between passing court and an embassy [and travel] date is 4-6 weeks, instead of the 6-8 weeks I was told earlier. I think the court situation is getting worked out, and in fact heard this week about a few families with various agencies that actually got through their court dates up to 2 weeks early! Too much to hope for right now, but the really good part is that some of those people passed court on the first try. Fantastic!

I had a great time last weekend. There was a great sale called Divine Consign in the Fort Worth area. I was able to get a First Time Moms pass and shop before the general public. I got Semira 18 little outfits, a swimsuit, some books and toys, a play yard, and even a little backpack that looks like a cheetah mom and cub. I had fun shopping for her and spending time with my friends Tim and Lisa who initially alerted me to the sale. For any of you in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I highly recommend Divine Consign! I guess they do this sale twice a year in both Grapevine and Plano. This weekend is the Plano sale.

I told one of my students about Semira early this month, and I understand that about half an hour later all of my female students knew and had started planning a baby shower for me. We're waiting until late March, after we hopefully pass court. I thought that was so kind of them. I've been overwhelmed by the support of my friends, family, colleagues, and students. It's very humbling but so appreciated. I don't know how to tell them how much that means to me. I hope I figure that out.

Favorite baby gear?

2009-02-01T19:37:00.003-06:00

No real news since getting Semira's court date. I did get some beautiful new photos of her a couple of weeks ago. Another family working with my adoption agency went to pick up their new son and took photos of my little Semira for me. She looks happy and healthy, and her hair is growing. I found a little curl in her photos!

This wait is difficult, but it appears that she's being well taken care of so I'm doing my best to be patient. It's tough knowing that the earliest I could actually have her home with me is May. But we'll make it.

In the meantime, I've got a gazillion freshmen to teach (maybe not a gazillion, but it feels like it sometimes), a grant to apply for, a book to write, and a house to baby-proof. I have a feeling Miss Semira will be fairly mobile by the time she gets home. If not then, I bet she will be within a very busy month or two. Keeping busy keeps the wait a bit more tolerable.

So while I'm waiting I'd like to start asking for advice on any baby gear you parents have discovered that makes your life easier, that your child enjoys, or is a good idea on general principle. Post a comment or send me an email. geobethy@yahoo.com

Court date!

2009-01-15T11:48:00.002-06:00

Semira and I were assigned our court date today-- March 23! Unfortunately, it sounds like nobody passes court on the first try these days. But we'll hope they have all the kinks worked out of the system by then and we're the exception to the rule. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Video

2008-12-30T09:50:00.002-06:00

It's been a wild couple of weeks, trying to wrap my brain around the idea of being a mom. It's all very exciting. The latest round of paperwork should be on its way to Ethiopia within a few days. Once it's there, the in-country representative of my adoption agency will work to get me a court date. My understanding from the timeline shared by other families is that the court date should be between 2 and 3 months from now. The purpose of the court date is to declare me her legal guardian. After that happens, she'll legally be my daughter and I can post her photo.

I got a video of Semira in the mail yesterday. It's only 2 minutes and 10 seconds long, but it's wonderful! So much more satisfying than the single photo I had of her. I got to hear her little voice, see her smile and yawn, and grab someone's finger. She looks so healthy, and her smile is so cute. I think I've watched it about 50 times since this time yesterday.

Semira has received her first baby gifts. The very first came from my friends Tim and Lisa-- a stuffed Winnie the Pooh. Semira's grandma found an adorable quilt in the shape of a teddy bear at a craft fair. She also has a soft blanket from her Uncle Jeremy and a pair of pink sparkly shoes from her Aunt CP. If CP has anything to do with her wardrobe she'll have fabulous shoes for the rest of her life. It's good that she'll have someone to help guide her fashion sense since I have so little of it myself.

What a great Christmas it's been, knowing what my daughter's name is, what she looks like, and approximately when I'll have her home with me. I think 2009 is going to be a great year.

SEMIRA!

2008-12-13T16:06:00.002-06:00

I received the news I'd been waiting to hear yesterday... I have a daughter! Well, I almost have a daughter. I received information about a beautiful little girl named Semira. She's 4 months old and all of her medical tests indicate that she's very healthy. I wish I could post her picture, but I'm not allowed to do that because she's not legally my child yet.

The next step for me is to complete paperwork, then our files are forwarded together to the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Addis Abeba. After that, we're assigned a court date where she'll legally become my daughter. Presuming all goes well with court, the last difficult wait is for an embassy date in Ethiopia. The embassy date is what determines when I travel to get her. I expect these next steps to take between 3 and 5 months.

Exciting!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T15:44:00.002-06:00

A little bit of news to report. A referral for a baby girl went to a couple about a week ago. They have 2 weeks to make a decision as to whether she is the right child for them. If and when that happens, I'll move up to #1 on the baby girl waiting list. No word yet though.

The Ethiopian government is making a few changes to the adoption process. They're requiring new paperwork for children who have been relinquished. It's meant to safeguard the children and their families, so I think it's good. They're also starting to limit the number of single women who can adopt from Ethiopia each year. The agency I'm with heard rumors of this a few months ago, so they haven't accepted any single women since the end of the summer. I've been given every assurance that those of us in the program now will make it through fine. There are 9 of us and they're allowing 10 single women per year to adopt from my agency. I'm not sure if it's a percentage of their total adoptions, or if each agency gets a specific limit of 10.

I had a really nice visit this week with some friends from Philadelphia. They brought their 6 month old daughter with them, and she tried out my crib and changing table for me.

I'm enjoying my weekend now. We only have 4 more class days left, then a week of finals. Not long now until the end of the semester. Yippee!

Corner

2008-11-10T13:32:00.002-06:00

I'm back, after a few weeks' silence. I just didn't have much to say. I've been swamped at work, I've been struggling with some big personal decisions, and I was starting to feel impatient with the wait. But today I feel like I've turned a corner in this mommy-in-waiting period so I've got a few things to say.

I made a very difficult decision over the last month or so to end my relationship with a wonderful man. As great as he is, and as much fun as we've had together, things definitely changed when I told him I was ready to start my family. He's already had the experience of raising a child, and doesn't think he's got it in him to start over with a baby again. To his credit, he's never been anything but honest with me. So I knew what I was doing when I made this decision to adopt a daughter-- I knew we'd eventually go our separate ways. I still think the world of him, but it wasn't the relationship I wanted for my future or that of my daughter. We had our talk on Friday, so I didn't have a terribly festive weekend. But I know I did the right thing for all three of us.

Saturday night I had my first dream where I held my daughter. I felt so good when I woke up and remembered how it felt to have her here with me. The wait has been longer than I expected, but I can wait a while longer. Every time I start to get a bit impatient I remember that family making a difficult decision to plan for their daughter to be adopted. I certainly want them to feel it's the right decision for them and their daughter, so I can be patient. She'll be here when she's supposed to be here.

It's been an emotional week, but I'm hanging in there as best I can.

No adoption news

2008-10-19T16:45:00.002-05:00

I really hoped by now I'd have some good news. But nothing yet.

Happily, some other families have been connected with their new kids. At least three families with my adoption agency received and accepted referrals for their children this week. It's been exciting to hear from them. I was getting very excited last week hearing from all of these families. On Friday, I couldn't take it anymore and called Courtney for an update. There has been no movement on the baby girl waiting list.

A little news

2008-10-02T15:52:00.003-05:00

After running wild all week, I've finally got a few minutes this afternoon to sit down and give you an update.

First, the adoption-related news. I had an email exchange with Courtney earlier this week. I asked about the agency director's visit to Ethiopia last week. IAN is now officially affiliated with a 3rd orphanage. Yeah! For the kids, this means more opportunities to find a permanent home. For me, this may mean a shorter wait time for my little girl. Not that I'm impatient or anything... Ha! Courtney has promised a more thorough update soon.

The speaker I mentioned in the last post was great. I had no idea what to expect when we scheduled him, but he gave a great presentation. The students really seemed to enjoy it, and so did I. The guy goes by the name of MC Frontalot, and he describes himself as a Nerdcore hip-hop artist. What a funny guy. The next speaker for the year will be in late October. He's from the banking industry and will be talking about current topics of economic interest. That should be quite interesting, given the issues our economy is facing these days.

I had a 2-hr conversation this morning with the book publisher. We went over the reviews of the first chapter and book proposal. Reviews were mixed, as I expected. It's not a big deal-- I'm used to mixed reviews from the student evaluations we have to do every semester. Kids in the same class completely contradict each other. You sort through the opinions, decide what's a reasonable suggestion, and move on. Everyone's got a different philosophy when it comes to teaching this class. The bottom line is that the project is a go! The next phase is a better, more detailed outline of topics to cover in each chapter and an estimate of how many photos, diagrams, and graphs I'd like to include. From there we go to a contract. Neato!

No news yet

2008-09-25T19:28:00.002-05:00

I still don't have any adoption news, but thought I'd update the blog with a new post anyway. Sorry if it turns into babble.

Thanks to those of you who have left comments. It's nice to know there are others out there who are going through the same thing or have in the past. Something about comfort in company.

And welcome family members! I finally decided I'd waited long enough to tell my extended family about the adoption. I wanted to do a big "TA-DA!" announcement when I had my referral and photos of my little girl. But I caved in to my own excitement and let everyone know about this new little member of the family today. I probably should have done that a month or two ago, but I think I was waiting until it felt a bit more real to me. Not that I have any reason to doubt that I'll have a little girl home in my arms in a few months... but it just still feels so far away and unreal at this point. Maybe having more support and excitement from the family will help me feel more like a waiting mom and less like this is an abstract exercise.

Meanwhile, life goes on. We're about a third of the way through our semester. I'm getting ready for my 2nd round of tests in the freshman classes. We're about 2 weeks away from Midterms. I get to start talking about volcanoes in my Natural Disasters class next week. My favorite part of the semester. I schedule an unusually long time for that subject, as those of you who know me will understand. I get to sneak in a few of my own photos from Hawaii, Iceland, Ecuador, and Mt. St. Helens, which is fun. Well, it's fun for me anyway.

I'm chair of the Speaker Symposium [Lecture Series] committee at work. Our first speaker is scheduled for Monday, so I'm in 'what did I forget?' mode. I've got the theater reserved, dinner plans and hotel reservations made, a reception planned, a person to pick him up at the airport, and have organized as much publicity as I can handle. It'll be fine, it's just in my nature to get nervous before major events I'm in charge of. Thankfully I've got a great group of hard-working people on the committee so even if I did forget something we'll pull it together just fine.

The acquisitions editor of the book company contacted me today and said she wants to talk to me about the reviews of my prospectus and first chapter. I'm nervous about reading the reviews. I've done those types of reviews for other books and have been a bit hard on some of the authors. Especially when I review first editions. I expect no different from the reviewers of my book. I get to find out how thick my skin is one week from today.

So, that's my life right now. Work, more work, and anxiously awaiting my baby girl!

Welfare call

2008-09-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

I got a call from Courtney yesterday. I was hoping it was THE call when I saw the Colorado number pop up on my caller ID. But no such luck. She said she just wanted to check in with me and see how I was handling the wait. IAN isn't used to having a waiting list (and I'm not used to being on one!) so I really appreciate her concern. And being kept in the loop...

Courtney said that IAN's director is traveling to Ethiopia soon. The goal of the trip is to try and affiliate with a third orphanage so they can start placing more children. She said they're hoping that will reduce or eliminate the wait time for referrals, but that nothing is finalized yet.

Movin' up

2008-09-02T16:39:00.000-05:00

We have waiting list movement! The #1 family on the waiting list has officially accepted the referral of their baby, so I've moved up from #3 to #2 on the list. I have no idea how long the wait will be from here, but at least there's tangible progress.

In the meantime, I caved in and started to purchase baby equipment. My practical reason for starting on the purchases is to space out my expenditures a bit. Of course, it's exciting and fun to start getting things ready too.

I now have a beautiful crib purchased on eBay. It converts to a toddler bed. I also have a brand spankin' new car seat. I went for one with "infinity slide" shoulder straps that can be used facing forward or back, for 5lb to 50lb kids.

I figured those are things I'll need whether the baby is 1.5 months or 1.5 years old. (At this point, anywhere in that age spectrum is a possibility.) Once we find out the age of this little tyke, I'll start asking those of you with small kids lots of questions about what I should be purchasing for that age and beyond. My buddy Matt has already made me aware of the importance of diaper pails and baby washcloths. Message received.

It's been a busy few weeks since I checked in last time. I've been sick for nearly 3 weeks now. I think the original bronchitis is finally starting to go away, but now my allergies have flared up with a vengeance. I can't catch a break! School started last week, so I'm busy getting used to my fall teaching schedule. We started labs with the freshmen this week, so we're officially now in full swing.

I'm also working with Pearson/Prentice Hall [publishers] and am writing a freshman-level historical geology textbook for them. The acquisitions editor said she really liked my first chapter and is looking forward to reading more. The prospectus, table of contents, and first chapter go out to about 50 reviewers next week if all goes well.

Visa Cable 37

2008-08-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Another small step forward... We (the adoption agency and I) received confirmation today that the US Embassy in Addis Ababa has received my paperwork. Evidently it's sent in a document called a Visa cable 37. The importance of this step is that my paperwork stating that I am allowed to bring one orphaned child, aged 0-18 months, of either gender, out of Ethiopia and into the United States is in place. I can't travel to pick up my child without it being received at the embassy. Another crucial step successfully taken. Yippee!

Still #3

2008-08-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

I received this information in an email from Courtney today:

"Yes, you are still #3 on the wait list. However, we expect movement in the next 3-4 weeks. We received a referral of a baby girl and are waiting on her medical. Once we have that we can make a referral to #1 on the list. They have two weeks to officially accept the referral. After that there would be official movement."

Dossier arrives

2008-08-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

Got confirmation today that my dossier has arrived in Ethiopia. No word on any movement on the waiting list.

Touched base in Germany

2008-08-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

Another update today from IAN. Courtney is so fantastic. She let me know that my dossier has now left Germany. I guess that was on the route to Ethiopia. Most excellent! It's all progress...

Documents away!

2008-07-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

Another piece of good news today... my dossier returned to the agency following authentication in Washington DC and was sent to Ethiopia today!

Approved!

2008-07-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

I got a big shock in the mail today. My I-171H form! For those of you who aren't familiar with the I-171H, it's approval from our government for me to bring an orphan into the country. It's one of the essential documents I need to complete the adoption and bring my child home. I was really shocked to see it because they estimated the processing time between 2 and 3 months. From application to approval was 33 days. Yippee for the Dallas CIS office!

Once again, I'm completely shocked by how quickly and smoothly everything has gone thus far.

Little News

2008-07-28T14:35:00.001-05:00

I don't have a lot of news, just didn't want people to think I'd abandoned this little project.

I got email on Friday telling me that my dossier has been sent to Washington DC for authentication, and they're hoping it will be back this week. Immediately after it returns from Washington, it'll be rerouted to Ethiopia. There, it'll be translated and forwarded to the Ministry for Women's Affairs, which handles adoptions and child welfare in the country.

I'm told those two events will take about 3 weeks so we're definitely missing the deadline for court closure. I'm not sure, but I think that happens next week. I'm frankly quite amazed that everything has gone as quickly as it has, so I don't feel awful about having to wait for the courts. I'm hoping that I'll be close to the top of the pile when courts open back up again in October though.

Dossier update

2008-07-16T16:54:00.000-05:00

I just got a call from Courtney at IAN. I overlooked the fact that they spelled my name wrong on one of my documents. Ugh! Hopefully it'll be a quick process to get that document replaced.

She also had really good news for me. Since that was the only problem with my dossier, I've secured my spot on the waiting list! I'm currently #3! She had no idea how long it'll take to get my referral for my child, but I can't imagine it'll take very long. So exciting!

Of course the excitement of the referral will be tempered by frustration that I won't be able to pick up my baby in Africa until late in the year. The courts in Ethiopia will be closed soon, certainly before my paperwork makes its way through Authentication in Washington DC and translation in country. And they don't open again until October 1.

Meanwhile, I'm working on other preparations. I've been in communication with a doctor who specializes in international adoptees. He said he'll be available to look over the baby's medical information when it comes in. From that, he'll give me an assessment as to whether the baby is at low, medium, or high risk for major problems.

I also got some shots yesterday. I never imagined how many vaccines would be recommended by the travel clinic. Since I hate hospitals and hate being sick I decided to go for the whole recommended suite. No bad effects at all other than sore arms.

I also made my first visit to Babies R Us yesterday. Wow, that's an overwhelming place. Lots of choices for all major equipment though, which is nice. I looked at all of the typical baby must-haves... cribs, high chairs, car seats, bedding, etc. I got a little antsy to buy some stuff, but decided to hold off until I know more about my baby.

Paperwork done!

2008-07-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

I reached another milestone yesterday. I completed the last of my paperwork! I gathered the final document on Thursday evening, then went to Austin to have the documents certified at the Texas Secretary of State's office. That was an incredibly smooth process, which was a wonderful surprise. I sent off all of the paperwork to the adoption agency, and hopefully they'll have it Monday.

So... now the wait begins. Fortunately, IAN (International Adoption Net), as a small agency, doesn't have a huge waiting list. I hope to know who my child is by the end of this month!

I have to thank all of the people who have helped me so far. Steve, Carol, Tim, Lisa, Kate, Denise, John, and Melinda have all played an important part in helping me get to this point. Thank you!

The adventure begins

2008-07-01T18:38:00.000-05:00

I'M ADOPTING A BABY!!! Wow. The power of that statement is overwhelming. I'm excited, scared, and somewhat anxious. Being a parent is an awesome responsibility and I hope I'll be good at it.

Paper pregnancy. The paper chase. Home study. Prospective Adoptive Parent. Dossier. I-600A. I-171H. All words and phrases I was unfamiliar with several months ago. Now they're part of my mental vocabulary every day.

After considering adoption for about 3 years, I made the big decision earlier this year to start the journey to motherhood. I'm single. That certainly complicates things a bit. But I'm also intelligent, resourceful, adventurous, financially stable, and surrounded by supportive friends. And I had great parents as role models. It feels like the right time to do this.

I'm adopting through International Adoption Net, a small agency based in Colorado. I've decided to adopt an infant (between 0 and 12 months old) from Ethiopia. I've left the gender up to the agency. That somehow makes it even more exciting.

At this stage, I'm working on putting my dossier together. The dossier is a set of legal documents that represents me with the Ethiopian government. It consists of my completed home study (all about me), financial statements, insurance coverage information, health statements, and a criminal background check... all notarized and certified, then sent to Ethiopia for translation. This is definitely not the most exciting stage of the adoption. But it makes me feel like I'm in control of some part of the process, and I'm proceeding pretty quickly through my dossier checklist from the adoption agency.

I've also got paperwork filed with the US Government. My I-600A (application to bring an orphan into the country) was filed almost 2 weeks ago, and tomorrow I get to go have my fingerprints taken at the Fort Worth office of the Dept of Homeland Security. Every appointment like this brings me one step closer to mommyhood!

I'm new to this blogging thing, but I'll do my best to keep you all updated on the process.