Detail oriented person that I am not, I just noticed that the dates on my last two posts don't correspond with the content of the posts. Election day was Tuesday. The name post appeared on Monday. Our seven month wait list anniversary was yesterday, though the post header reads "April 7th, 2007," 2 days before. Apparently, Blogger.com uses the date of the post when the entry is first drafted, not the date when one hits the "publish" button. Who'dve thunk?
Since "yesterday's" post, I found out that we are not #3 on the male infant waiting list. We are actually #4. There is another family that submitted their homestudy draft a few days before we did, thus securing their spot on the List. I don't know for certain, but they may be eligible to adopt from both Chung Yi and St. Lucy's, so we might just have to wait a little longer.
While the wait must seem interminable for families who have been on their agency's list for close to two years (some families adopting from the Cathwel orphanage are in this boat), our wait is still relatively short when compared to those who have just signed on to adopt from Taiwan. Within months after we got on FFC's waiting list, the projected wait for a healthy male infant skyrocketed to about 18 months and about 24 months for girls - and that's just the time to receive a referral. Those figures don't include the 4-6 months court processing time prior to picking up one's child.
At the end of the day, we're confident that God has the perfect child picked out for our family and that this waiting process is one way in which he will bring that baby to us. As challenging as Andrew was to raise during his earlier years, we couldn't imagine our family with a different child. (Case in point: as I type, Andrew is on the potty looking at a book and singing "Deep and Wide" in a falsetto voice.) I know that one day, we'll look back upon our time with our second child and feel the same way.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Big 7
Today marks our 7 month anniversary of being on the FFC waiting list. In commemoration of the day, I had Andrew draw the number seven in Chinese. He got a little wild and crazy during the photo shoot and refused to hold the paper upright. You might remember that our wait was originally projected to be 3-6 months to receive a referral. We're now one month past, but, shhh, I won't tell if you won't.
As far as I know, we are #3 on our agency's list for a boy. If I understand correctly, families #1 and #2 plan to adopt from Chung Yi, one of the two orphanages with which FFC works. Since we are open to adopting from either, there is a chance that we might receive the next healthy male infant that arises should he hail from St. Lucy's.
I have no clue where we stand on the female infant waiting list. Based on Laura's comments in a previous conversation, I'd guess we are somewhere toward the top 5. Given the unpredictibility of referrals and their cyclical tendencies (i.e., a string of all male referrals, followed by female-only) it will be interesting to see which gender we get. To date, this has been the most nail-biting and intriguing part of the wait.
In the meantime, I remain disappointed that no one has voted for Second Corinthians or Methusaleh-Roy. Come on, people!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Name That Child
Since Election Day is today, I thought it'd be fun to post a poll of our own, a name poll.
Unlike some adoptive parents who already have their child's name chosen and ready to go, we're on track to take the approach we did when Andrew was born: generate a shortlist of names, then look at each other in panic when the nurse asks us what we've decided to name the baby. We'll then do a frantic scan of the baby (in this case, via pictures and any video), carefully take in his/her features and personality, then nervously proclaim, "His/her name is X."
Right now, our plan is to give our child a Western name for either his or her first or middle name. We'll most likely keep his/her Chinese name, especially if it's one that the birthmother has given. (This is not always the case; I'm told the orphanage will assign one if not already given.) Finally, we'll append our last name. Those of you who know us personally know what that name is. For those who don't and for the sake of online privacy, I'll give you a hint: it's a standard 3 syllable Polish name beginning with "K." Think along the lines of that Unibomber guy.
Finally, what fun would would the poll be without a little suspense? Sneaky people that we are, we won't tell you which name we've chosen until we've accepted the referral, hee hee..
So, without further ado, I present you with our ever-changing shortlist of names. Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the polls on your left.
Unlike some adoptive parents who already have their child's name chosen and ready to go, we're on track to take the approach we did when Andrew was born: generate a shortlist of names, then look at each other in panic when the nurse asks us what we've decided to name the baby. We'll then do a frantic scan of the baby (in this case, via pictures and any video), carefully take in his/her features and personality, then nervously proclaim, "His/her name is X."
Right now, our plan is to give our child a Western name for either his or her first or middle name. We'll most likely keep his/her Chinese name, especially if it's one that the birthmother has given. (This is not always the case; I'm told the orphanage will assign one if not already given.) Finally, we'll append our last name. Those of you who know us personally know what that name is. For those who don't and for the sake of online privacy, I'll give you a hint: it's a standard 3 syllable Polish name beginning with "K." Think along the lines of that Unibomber guy.
Finally, what fun would would the poll be without a little suspense? Sneaky people that we are, we won't tell you which name we've chosen until we've accepted the referral, hee hee..
So, without further ado, I present you with our ever-changing shortlist of names. Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the polls on your left.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
A Change Is Gonna Come
Nothing momentous has happened over the last two weeks. We continue to await a referral - and to be quite honest, this is fine by us. Inasmuch as we're quite eager to find out who our new child will be, we also realize that life will change dramatically once #2 comes along. We're trying to savor the status quo while it lasts.
Right now, I can take Andrew to his gym class and chat leisurely with the other moms. I don't have to chase down a crawling baby in between sentences. When Andrew pops out of bed at night to talk about Superman's laser vision, I can bellow "Superman says to go back to bed!" from where I sit downstairs. I don't have to worry about waking his sleeping sibling in the room next to his. The more I contemplate the changes that will come, the more I'm realizing what a luxury it is to grocery shop with only one fussing child in tow. (It's true that whatever concerns I have are all selfishly motivated.)
Needless to say, amazing changes will also come. Working in the church nursery this past Sunday reminded me of how sweet it is to cuddle with a baby. I look forward to the day when Andrew and his brother or sister can play together; my friends with multiple kids all tell me there is nothing better than watching your children enjoy each others' company. And of course, there is the joy of witnessing your child grow, learn, and discover. You just can't beat that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On the adoption newsfront, we're finally ready to mail out our Child Referral Request form. Craig got a call back from FFC with the answers to our questions, including one about a few baby girls up for referral soon. (We had learned of their existence from another family waiting to adopt through FFC.) Instantly, we began to wonder if hair ribbons and Mary Janes were in our future. However, according to James at FFC, there are 3 or 4 families who have requested only a girl and who have been on the waiting list longer than we. The girls would go directly to them, assuming they matched their criteria. Of course this doesn't preclude the possibility of our seeing pink down the road, but for now, I don't have an excuse to start shopping for miniature dresses.
Right now, I can take Andrew to his gym class and chat leisurely with the other moms. I don't have to chase down a crawling baby in between sentences. When Andrew pops out of bed at night to talk about Superman's laser vision, I can bellow "Superman says to go back to bed!" from where I sit downstairs. I don't have to worry about waking his sleeping sibling in the room next to his. The more I contemplate the changes that will come, the more I'm realizing what a luxury it is to grocery shop with only one fussing child in tow. (It's true that whatever concerns I have are all selfishly motivated.)
Needless to say, amazing changes will also come. Working in the church nursery this past Sunday reminded me of how sweet it is to cuddle with a baby. I look forward to the day when Andrew and his brother or sister can play together; my friends with multiple kids all tell me there is nothing better than watching your children enjoy each others' company. And of course, there is the joy of witnessing your child grow, learn, and discover. You just can't beat that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On the adoption newsfront, we're finally ready to mail out our Child Referral Request form. Craig got a call back from FFC with the answers to our questions, including one about a few baby girls up for referral soon. (We had learned of their existence from another family waiting to adopt through FFC.) Instantly, we began to wonder if hair ribbons and Mary Janes were in our future. However, according to James at FFC, there are 3 or 4 families who have requested only a girl and who have been on the waiting list longer than we. The girls would go directly to them, assuming they matched their criteria. Of course this doesn't preclude the possibility of our seeing pink down the road, but for now, I don't have an excuse to start shopping for miniature dresses.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Merry Christmas, Chung Yi!
A few months ago, Ahma Penny, the grandmother of two children adopted from Taiwan, decided to organize a Christmas project with her daughter, Nicole. The goal was to fill a shoebox with Christmas gifts for each child at the Chung Yi orphanage.
Andrew and I decided to take up the challenge. We hit up Target to shop for 6 children in all age ranges, newborns to older teenagers, boys and girls. We crammed 6 large Ziploc bags with inflatable globe balls, a train set, pink pouffy hair accessories, a soccer ball (apologies to FFC's Laura Trinnaman and the other volunteers who will be transporting our items when they go there in November for a work project - more on this to come), t-shirts, pajamas, character toothbruses, journals, pens, deodorant, a puzzle, Christmas cards, die-cast cars, a beading kit, mints in a pretty jeweled box, toothpaste, a soft baby book, and assorted other sundries.
I enlisted Andrew to help me paste into the Christmas cards a typed message to each child; my handwriting is far too frightening for anyone to make sense of.
We packed everything up and took it to the local post office this afternoon. Goodbye, box! Here's hoping the children will enjoy the gifts. More importantly, here's hoping that they will feel loved in what can be a lonely and harsh world for orphans.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We continue to await news of a referral. This weekend, Craig and I spoke at length with Dr. Abigail Farber, head of the International Adoption Health Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). We've contracted with them to review our referral once we receive it and to perform the physical evaluation of our child once s/he's home. Dr. Farber walked us through all of the medical conditions listed on the Child Referral Request form and helped us to consider more thoroughly the ramifications of each. We are awaiting FFC's answers to some questions that arose when filling out the form before sending it back to them.
Andrew and I decided to take up the challenge. We hit up Target to shop for 6 children in all age ranges, newborns to older teenagers, boys and girls. We crammed 6 large Ziploc bags with inflatable globe balls, a train set, pink pouffy hair accessories, a soccer ball (apologies to FFC's Laura Trinnaman and the other volunteers who will be transporting our items when they go there in November for a work project - more on this to come), t-shirts, pajamas, character toothbruses, journals, pens, deodorant, a puzzle, Christmas cards, die-cast cars, a beading kit, mints in a pretty jeweled box, toothpaste, a soft baby book, and assorted other sundries.
I enlisted Andrew to help me paste into the Christmas cards a typed message to each child; my handwriting is far too frightening for anyone to make sense of.
We packed everything up and took it to the local post office this afternoon. Goodbye, box! Here's hoping the children will enjoy the gifts. More importantly, here's hoping that they will feel loved in what can be a lonely and harsh world for orphans.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We continue to await news of a referral. This weekend, Craig and I spoke at length with Dr. Abigail Farber, head of the International Adoption Health Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). We've contracted with them to review our referral once we receive it and to perform the physical evaluation of our child once s/he's home. Dr. Farber walked us through all of the medical conditions listed on the Child Referral Request form and helped us to consider more thoroughly the ramifications of each. We are awaiting FFC's answers to some questions that arose when filling out the form before sending it back to them.
Friday, October 12, 2007
More and More
Let me depart from the usual adoption-related chat and rave about the round silver thingydo currently spinning in my CD player.
Rachel Passante, the worship leader at our former church, Grace Redeemer Church in Teaneck, NJ, has teamed up with her sister, Sarah Mininger to put out a wonderful CD entitled More and More. Collectively, they are known by their maiden name, Biscaye. The album features nine spiritually honest and uplifting songs powered by earthy, tight harmonies. My personal favorite is the title track and the very catchy #7, "Your Children," featuring backup vocals by our friend, John, who with his wife, Jackie, filled out one of our four adoption reference checks (Ha! I have succeeed in making this post adoption-related.)
I received my copy in the mail yesterday and drove home listening to it. I sat there for a long time in my driveway as it played, staring out at the forest in our backyard, wet leaves everywhere. The album was the perfect soundtrack to an idyllic October afternoon.
You can check out samples of the songs and puchase the CD yourselves at http://cdbaby.com/cd/biscaye or at iTunes.com
Saturday, October 6, 2007
And the Winner Is...
What's Wrong with Mud? by Gillian Colley. Congratulations to Ms. Colley!
Congratulations also to my sister, Jenny. Meiling's Dumplings came in 2nd place in the ABC Children's Picture Book Competition. I just received the news today. There were 25,585 votes cast this year (significantly down from last year), with the winner clearly in the lead. A slim margin divided the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers.
I want to extend an enormous "thank you" to all of you who took the time to cast your votes on behalf of Jenny's entry. You guys are awesome! While she didn't win the coveted book contract, this is not the end of Meiling's Dumplings. She still plans to pursue other means of publications and I, for one, am glad for that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, we continue to wait for news of a referral. We didn't receive the Child Referral Request form that was supposed to come this week. I'll follow up with that on Monday.
This blog is starting to look too "texty." Realizing I've gone three posts without a picture, I'm throwing in some random pictures taken earlier today of big-brother-to-be Andrew rolling around in leaves.
Congratulations also to my sister, Jenny. Meiling's Dumplings came in 2nd place in the ABC Children's Picture Book Competition. I just received the news today. There were 25,585 votes cast this year (significantly down from last year), with the winner clearly in the lead. A slim margin divided the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers.
I want to extend an enormous "thank you" to all of you who took the time to cast your votes on behalf of Jenny's entry. You guys are awesome! While she didn't win the coveted book contract, this is not the end of Meiling's Dumplings. She still plans to pursue other means of publications and I, for one, am glad for that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, we continue to wait for news of a referral. We didn't receive the Child Referral Request form that was supposed to come this week. I'll follow up with that on Monday.
This blog is starting to look too "texty." Realizing I've gone three posts without a picture, I'm throwing in some random pictures taken earlier today of big-brother-to-be Andrew rolling around in leaves.
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