Our Boys

Walking

Blog Break

... blog break ...

Update

This afternoon I had a crystal-clear phone connection via Skype with LaWanna in Haiti.

I am thankful for this bright spot in what was otherwise a very disappointing day for our Haitian adoption.

We spoke for half an hour, about the latest news around the orphanage and the latest antics of the seven babies (ages 19 months and under) that she currently has in her care.

I learned who would be caring for my boys and the other babies in LaWanna's absence, two trustworthy Haitian ladies and possibly a visiting American volunteer, in whom she has complete confidence (thus, so do I.)

She told me that she is "ready" to turn my boys over to me because of their increasing antics ... she says they "fight like brothers" especially when she sits them side by side in their high chairs and they are competing over a toy. But on the other hand, she says they are both very cute. :) Apparently Alec has an ongoing battle with Charlene now that their cribs are side by side. If they both are standing up, she is easily offended by his near proximity and lets the whole world know it. (What can I say, he has a way with the ladies, ha!) Ian is the ringleader and has a bad habit of trying to wake up all the other babies each morning by grunting, "Eh! Eh! Eh!" at the top of his lungs. In fact, she says all the other kids imitate him and make the same sound now. Should be a fun way to wake up when he gets home!

Tomorrow, LaWanna and all seven babies leave on a four-day (three-night) adventure. They've been invited to join a group of LaWanna's friends from Indiana at another orphanage, with the promise of many willing and eager hands to help with the babies (a youth group from the States will also be there.) They are even going to take all the babies to the beach! I am excited for my boys because I know they will get spoiled rotten and I'm sure they will love this total change of routine for a few days. I only wish I could be there to share it with them.

I am thankful to the Lord for those He sends to love on our babies while we are apart.

Official Word

Official word from Haiti tonight: No News.

Hoping in HIM

I know that many people have been praying for us today and we are so grateful!

As of the writing of this post, we are still wondering and waiting if today's efforts were successful (or if they even took place.) I was gently warned in a phone conversation to Haiti today not to get my hopes up too high, as our lawyer has promised so many times and failed to follow through.

But sometimes hope is all we have left.

Hoping in HIM,
Stephanie

Tomorrow ... please PRAY!!!

Tomorrow is the day that the director of IBESR is supposed to give our lawyer his signed dossiers. (This is per a letter he provided requesting that she do so and signed by the President of Haiti.)

Please, please, please pray that this happens as it should and that tomorrow our boys' files will finally be approved and signed out of this office so we can proceed with the following steps.

Please pray that once we are released, we will fly through the next steps.

Please pray that our boys' files will not become separated as other families have recently experienced. (Please pray for them, too!)

Please pray that the FACE Act of 2009 would be quickly approved so as to eliminate weeks and potentially months of waiting ahead.

Please, please, please pray that our boys would come home miraculously soon.

Important Legislation - PLEASE SIGN

Please take a moment to read this and sign the petition. Please ask your spouses and friends to do the same.

"The intercountry adoption process is a long, tedious process for American citizens seeking to adopt a foreign born child. Paperwork includes home studies, finger printing and criminal checks. The process can take up to three years to complete.

At the completion of the adoption, the child must be approved for a U.S. immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. and gain citizenship. The immigrant visa is required despite the fact that the "immigrant" is the child of a U.S. citizen.

The U.S. is one of the few developed countries in the world that requires internationally adopted children of citizens to immigrate in order to join their new families.Most countries recognize internationally adopted children as citizens upon the finalization of their adoption. The Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (FACE Act) would recognize that internationally adopted children deserve to be treated as children of American citizens and accorded the same citizenship process as children born aboard to American citizens.

Under the FACE Act, Adoptive parents would apply for a U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth instead of a visa. These documents provide adoptive parents with immediate proof of citizenship for their adopted child and provide immediate proof of U.S. citizenship. "

- McLane Layton Equality for Adopted Children (EACH)

Please follow the link to sign the petition.
http://www.gopetiti on.com/petitions /face-act- of-2009.html

To learn more about Equality for Adopted Children (E.A.C.H),
visit http://www.equality foradoptedchildr en.org/

Thanks!

Ian

A fellow adoptive mom sent me this picture on Facebook today. Love my little boy!!

Hope

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

An e-mail from our adoption coordinator last night stated that the director of IBESR returned yesterday and that our lawyer has a signed letter from the President requesting that she deliver his signed dossiers on Tuesday. Please pray!

i really, really, really miss them

Two Adoption Prayer Requests

(copied from our family blog)

Although I mostly keep our Haitian adoption news separate from this blog, there are times when I feel the need to merge the two in order to ask for your prayers. This is one of those times.

Friends, we are in a desperate spot right now. For reasons unknown to us, our lawyer in Haiti is being stonewalled as he attempts to have his dossiers signed out of the country's social services offices (IBESR.) We entered this office in July of 2008; one year later our files remained unmoved with nothing but broken promises to show for all the time we have lost.

We recently received word that our lawyer even had a meeting at the presidential office, presumably face to face with President Preval. So far there has been no visible result from that meeting.

In the meantime, our sons are growing up beyond our reach and our paperwork is reaching various stages of expiration. Next week, we fly to Santiago solely for the purpose of redoing our fingerprints at the US Embassy because they expire at the end of this month. We also face the need of redoing our homestudy which means finding a US-licensed social worker willing to fly to Chile to do so (which of course we must finance as well.)

Please, would you pray with us for a miraculous release of our boys' files this week?

And then secondly, would you pray for miraculous provision for my sister's adoption this week?

She and her husband are now dossier-ready to begin their adoption from Taiwan, and all that holds them back to initiate this next step is $2000. There will be other costs in the future, but this is their immediate need and they are trusting God to provide. If you would like to know more about their story and adoption needs, you can visit their adoption website at:

http://oursilkroad.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for praying.

They Say It All

These posts (from two adoptive moms waiting for their children from Haiti) say it all:

http://dreamingbigdreams.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/emotions-are-running-my-life/

http://theboysadoption.blogspot.com/2009/07/waiting.html

Broken Promises

Latest word from Haiti on our boys' file:

All we are getting are promises from the lawyer who keeps telling us: "I am getting the file on ____ date". but then the date passes and no word,,.just another promise.

A Little Sugar

Sugar and spice and everything nice,

That's what little girls are made of ...

Since I don't have any new pictures of my boys to share yet (and no pictures makes for a dull blog) I thought I would share one of my absolute favorites from my Haiti trip.

This beautiful baby girl is Sophonise, and she is one of four baby girls who currently live in the apartment with LaWanna and our boys. At the time of my visit she was only a few months old but she definitely had personality! I took this photo in hopes of being able to share it with her future family, although at the time they had not yet been identified. Isn't she just gorgeous??

P.S. Okay, yes, I'll admit that I did try to convince Pedro that maybe *we* should be her future family ... to no avail ... :) :)

I Love These Updates!

Astrid is a visiting adoptive mom from Germany and she sent another update on the boys today. I appreciate them so much! I can just imagine the two of them the way she describes:

Stephanie, I should send you regards from everyone!!! Alec got angry today when I was cuddling with Ian, so I did today the change after [bathtime] Bainje ( in the bathroom sitting in big cup full of water...) for Alec....He is so funny! But Ian is the first ( he thinks!) . He already tries to talk....Asking him if he wants to eat, he said: okidoki.....

Hugs,

Astrid

Another Little Update

This latest update made me laugh ... Sounds like we'll have our work cut out for us when these two come home!

Alec and Ian are really funny! Joking all the time.....Dear Mom of the two: I do not want to change with you! You know what wondeful work is waiting for you!! Hope you get them soon out!

Please Pray

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
-Proverbs 21:1

To the best of our knowledge, the IBESR director is supposed to return tomorrow. Our lawyer has apparently met face-to-face with the president to plead his case, and we can only pray that upon the director's return we will finally receive the signature we have been waiting for all this time.

Thank you for praying.

Every Little Bit Counts

I received this tidbit of an update today ... every little bit counts when it comes to our sweet boys!

The kids up at Lawanna are all fine! Alec is laughing and smiling all day long, Ian is happy with classic music from Mozart ...

Only Half Joking

I was only half joking on this post when I said I would gladly go watch the babies while LaWanna's gone. If that is what it takes to make sure my boys stay healthy and happy and together I really would do it - even if I melt, yikes! - but I don't think I could do it alone. I still don't know if we could swing it or not with our finances and schedules but theoretically speaking ... IF we could ... is there anyone who might seriously be willing to join me for the adventure??

Believing

I think God required something else from us. He wanted a testimony of faithfulness through the trial. Not of our faithfulness, but His. I’ve heard a friend say before that faith is not believing in God to do what you want, but believing in God even when we don't get what you want.

from another adoptive family's testimony at

http://agiftworththewait.blogspot.com/2008/06/first-thing-i-want-you-to-understand-is.html

Forever Family Fundraiser

We are not the only ones in our family currently in the throes of adoption paperwork. (I really wanted to write "in the throes of adoption woes" because it's so rhyme-y but thought that might sound too negative - even if it's sometimes true, ha!)

My oldest sister Terri and her husband Dave, proud parents to four handsome boys, are working towards bringing home a little girl from Taiwan. She will be named Sophia, and we are all very anxious to meet her!

I say "working" because when you are in the fundraising phase of an adoption, that is very much what it is. Work. And sometimes, it gets discouraging.

That said, I pose the question ... Would you consider helping them to bring Sophia home?

Terri has created a beautiful cookbook (pictured above) which sells for $15 plus $5 S/H. This cookbook, entitled Forever Family, contains 350 favorite family recipes from family and friends around the world. Many of the recipes relate to the ethnic heritage of the person who submitted them, and where appropriate, that heritage has been noted below the recipe title. The cookbook has several "extras" such as a hard cover, a contributor's index, and an 8-page section of helpful cooking and entertaining hints. The book is very attractive and well-done and makes for a great gift - for yourself or someone else!

For instructions on how to order and pay for the cookbook, please visit the link below. Sophia's auntie thanks you in advance for playing a special part in bringing Sophia home! :)

http://oursilkroad.blogspot.com/2009/04/cookbooks-are-here.html

Happy Day

It is a HAPPY day when I get news from Haiti. Today it was a letter from LaWanna! Of course, I have to share it because it's too good to keep to myself. :)

Hi Stephanie,

I have a few minutes, so I thought I would write a quick note.

The boys are fine. They are teething and getting bigger. Ian eats well, but does not gain much weight. Ian is the boss around the house. Yesterday, Ian got excited over something that Sophonie was doing and he really told me about it. He shook his finger at her and danced around the floor jabbering something. He really got excited. He acted as though I could understand what he was saying. He is such a joy, but his terrible two temper is showing. Alec is all over the place, never still. He is not walking, but that does not slow him down. Sometime he makes Ian's life miserable. If he want something Ian has, he will take the item or get a hold of Ian's clothing and jerk him over really hard. Ian will cry. Alec tries so hard to be gentle with Sophonie and Charlene. He will be good for a few minutes and play with them, until he wants what the have in their hands. He will not hit those two girls, but Ian and Sarah have to watch out for him. He is also teething again.

Sarah is doing great. She has gained weight again and really is eating well. Sophonie is getting so big. She doesn't seem to over eat, but her food goes to fat. Charlene is doing great. Sophonie and Charlene are all over the floor crawling and scooting around. They are very inquisitive and search for things to get into. They like to get under the bed in the living room. We have a lot of little rug rats on the floor now.

We have another little girl, l month old. She has been with us for about 5 days and loves to stay awake all night.

Susan, a 63 yr old lady from CA is with me now. She loves the kids. She will be here until July 20.

Here are my plans at this time. To go home about July 23, for my family reunion and Indiana Haitian reunion, and return about Aug 3. Barb will have someone here to take care of the kids upstairs. I plan to stay in Haiti after I return in August until Nov. 4. Everything with me is subject to change!!!!! I was going to stay through until Nov. 4, but Barb thinks I should attend the reunions. I probably need a break and see family.

Can you imagine? It is not very easy to get volunteers for 7 kids upstairs. We will find someone!

I must go for now.

Love, LaWanna

PS - I would gladly volunteer to go watch the babies while LaWanna's gone if it means I can see my boys ... Anyone want to go with me?? I know, I'm dreaming. If only!! Just a little issue with $$$ and a hubby who might not want to see me go ...

Medika Mamba ... Saving Lives in Haiti

What is it?

"Medika Mamba" is an energy dense peanut butter, significantly fortified with protein and nutritional supplements. The name Medika Mamba means “peanut butter medicine” in Creole. It is produced by an organization called Meds & Food For Kids (www.medsanfoodforkids.org.)

This product is culturally accepted, very effective, and truly amazing. The Medika Mamba is also locally produced, which helps Haiti even more by providing many jobs in production and bolsters the economy and encourages agricultural development.

You can watch a YouTube video on Medika Mamba here.

Who is it for?

Initially Medika Mamba will be provided for malnourished children at the rescue center in the village of Cazale through the efforts of World Wide Village and Troy & Tara Livesay, missionaries to Haiti. Already the rescue center has seen several children "graduate" from the Medika Mamba program and the results are wonderful and unbelievable!

Licia wrote about one of their recent graduates today. You can read her story here.

How can you help?

Tara Livesay will be running the Twin Cities Marathan on October 4th to raise money through sponsorships for this program. They hope to expand the capacity and number of locations very soon. There are two other clinics currently being considered for Medika Mamba locations as soon as funds are available.

You can read about Tara's marathon and sponsorship opportunities here.

I'm Not Crazy

I received an e-mail today confirming - at least in my mind - that I'm not crazy.

I know you are all relieved. :)

It isn't normal for our file to be held up for nearly 12 months when we basically fit all the criteria for families adopting from Haiti.

Here is what the e-mail said (bold mine):

Your lawyer had a meeting at the presidential office yesterday to figure out why your file has not been signed out yet ... it makes no sense. So hopefully something is going to start moving!

Please ... may that last part prove true ...

How Two Boys Became Brothers

I don't think I've ever shared on here the story of how our two boys became brothers.

As you might know, we started this adoption intending to adopt one little boy. Then, the opportunity arose to adopt boy/girl twins - seemingly a specific answer to our daughter Eva's prayers for over two years. When sadly that referral fell through, we were confronted with the decision: Would we still adopt two?

Pedro's answer was no. The Lord had obviously closed the door to the twins because He only wanted us to adopt a single child, was his reasoning. My reasoning was more along the lines of, God used the twins to open and prepare our hearts to be ready to adopt two rather than one ... Obviously we were at an impasse. We agreed to pray about it and shortly thereafter Pedro surprised me by agreeing to two children as long as both were boys. Since we had always heard that more families requested girls than boys and that boys were often in greater need of homes, it wasn't hard for me to agree. After all, Owen would have a ball with two brothers!

What was hard was being faced with the reality of choosing our children. How do you choose a child? This was something we had never faced in our adoption experiences before. We were presented with a list of children currently in our agency's care and waiting for families. Ironically, the majority of them were girls! I was immediately drawn to a 4-month old baby boy who had arrived on the brink of starvation, weighing merely 6.5 lbs at that age. We knew that the adoption process might take awhile (little did we know how long!) so we preferred to start the process with a younger child/ren. Soon we received an unusual suggestion.

Lori, our adoption coordinator stateside who had been helping us wade through the adoption paperwork via e-mail and phone calls between Chile and Indiana, was herself an adoptive mom to three beautiful Haitian girls. Her best friend Angela, also in Indiana, had adopted three Haitian children as well. It turned out that the little 4-month old boy was a biological sibling to Angela's youngest daughter, and that Lori's youngest daughter had a biological sister in Haiti with a baby about to be born. Both Lori and Angela desired to be able to adopt these new babies but being unable to do so themselves, had the idea of our adopting them both and raising them together! The only catch was that the newborn was expected to be a little girl, not a boy.

Like I said, an unusual suggestion. We agreed to consider it as we talked and prayed about the list we'd be given. On April 8, the day before Pedro's birthday, the new baby was born. Guess what? "She" was a little boy! Our answer had been provided. We committed to adopt the newest arrival as well as the 4-month old, forever binding our hearts to two precious little people and also binding them to one another ... two boys who became brothers, our Ian and our Alec.