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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
More from LegoLand
I realized that most of these videos are action shots and that you can't hear her cute little voice, so in this clip you can hear Maya and Sean talking about the Maiasaurus mommy and babies at LegoLand.
It's Called A....
One of the many things she experienced on her first trip to the Mall Of America last weekend. This was at LegoLand.
Birthday Dance Party
Now that you've seen her Turbo moves I think you're ready to see her freestyle. This was at her birthday a few weeks ago when Adam and Amanda set up a toddler style dance club. Maya'a dream come true.
Friday, November 6, 2009
TurboBaby
After 4 months without officially exercising (I did a whole lot of carrying a 40 lb cutie around though!) I decided to get back in the saddle again and pulled out my TurboJam videos this morning. Knowing Maya loves dancing more than anything I thought this could be a good family activity and was really disappointed when she was not into it at all. I finished it up, turned the tv off, and five minutes later she was requesting "the dancing movie". I turned it back on and this is what happened next.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Happy Birthday Maya!
For the last two years, October 18 was a day I dreaded, knowing that it would mark another significant milestone in Maya's life that we were missing. For her first birthday Sean and I made a little cake and I bought her the little elephant that you saw her carry around in the Haiti pictures. The second year I think we pretended it wasn't actually that day. So you can only imagine how wonderful it was to have her HERE WITH US on her third birthday last Sunday! It brought back all of the initial feelings of disbelief that she is actually here, actually ours.
We celebrated by going to her Uncle Adam and Aunt Amanda's house. They had created a dance party in their spare room, complete with streamers, twinkling lights, and rhythm instruments. She had a blast dancing the night away.
And, of course, we had cake.
at
We celebrated by going to her Uncle Adam and Aunt Amanda's house. They had created a dance party in their spare room, complete with streamers, twinkling lights, and rhythm instruments. She had a blast dancing the night away.
And, of course, we had cake.
at
Friday, October 16, 2009
SNOW!
Last weekend my mom came to town and the four of us went up north to our cottage on Lake Superior (want to rent it? check out lakesuperiorgetaway.blogspot.com!). We were thrilled to wake up Saturday morning to the first snow of the season. We bunded Maya up the best we could and sent her out. She has quite the vocabulary these days, but could only say, "Cold, Cold, Cold". After she came in, she had hot chocolate for the first time and clutched that mug like her little frozen hands depended on it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Maya Updates
Maya is finishing up her third week in child care and is loving it there! She's in a family child care setting and she loves that there are little babies as well as kids her age to play with. It's been tough to be away from her for so many hours each week but I've adjusted my work schedule to be home every Friday, so we still get some great Mommy/Maya time. She's also getting more quality Daddy time since he's the morning guy who gets her out the door and drives her to child care each morning. It's pretty adorable watching her walk out the door with her backpack on, holding her Daddy's hand. Yesterday I caught her blowing a kiss to our cat, Izzy, who was on the porch watching them leave.
She's getting more grown up every day and this week has made us very happy by dressing herself each morning! She's totally obsessed with the piano and plays it at least once each day (not always with the sunglasses seen in the latest video). She's trying to figure out to how to navigate a scooter that a very generous neighbor at the park gave her and still loves cruising around the block on her tricycle. She actually loves any kind of transportation and spends most of our car rides explaining to us that she doesn't like the car anymore, she wants to ride in a bus or a truck. We're trying to work a bus or Lightrail ride into her upcoming birthday plans!
We continue to be so grateful that she's actually here with us AND that she's such a delightful little buddy. Life is good! :)
She's getting more grown up every day and this week has made us very happy by dressing herself each morning! She's totally obsessed with the piano and plays it at least once each day (not always with the sunglasses seen in the latest video). She's trying to figure out to how to navigate a scooter that a very generous neighbor at the park gave her and still loves cruising around the block on her tricycle. She actually loves any kind of transportation and spends most of our car rides explaining to us that she doesn't like the car anymore, she wants to ride in a bus or a truck. We're trying to work a bus or Lightrail ride into her upcoming birthday plans!
We continue to be so grateful that she's actually here with us AND that she's such a delightful little buddy. Life is good! :)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Before, After, and Way After
At the top of our blog we've had our Before and After pictures from our backyard transformation, thanks to HGTV's "Landscape Smart". Thanks to the arrival of a certain adorable and very active child, our backyard has been transformed once again. Not sure how the HGTV designers would feel, but Maya thinks it's great!
Our very own "Ace of Cakes"!
There's a cable show called "Ace of Cakes" where people can request cakes in interesting shapes for special occasions. Well, now on Marshall Street in St. Paul is a shop called "The Little Cake Studio" and Sean's board president enlisted their help for a special cake in honor of Sean, which was enjoyed at their last board meeting. The image just about sums it up: Sean loves to sleep almost as much as Maya avoids it!
Thanks, Sue, for the fantastic cake! If any of you are local, give this new local business a call.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Another musical experience with Maya
In this clip you'll see Maya go through the stages with opera that many of us have experienced: first attempt, sadness and feigned disinterest when it becomes obvious that it's not as easy as it sounds, second attempt, more disinterest and then outright whining. I apologize that I'm not savvy enough to edit the video so please ignore/forgive the blonde in the video!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Budding Musician
You saw Maya playing the organ in the Baptism pictures, but did you know she can also play the beaters?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Homecoming Video
I'm just now starting to be able to sort through pictures and videos to post things, so to your left you'll see a few Baptism shots (more to come) and here's the Homecoming video from the airport. We were thrilled to have Sean's brother and sister-in-law pick us up AND videotape our arrival. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Life With Maya
Hi friends!
We're on week three of life in Minnesota with Maya and things are going well! We just had her Baptism last Sunday and had 14 relatives and friends travel from all over to be here. It was a really wonderful weekend full of loving Maya. She had a beautiful white and pink dress for Sunday, which she kept showing off to the cat, and matching beads in her hair. The Baptism was beautiful with Sean's brother and sister-in-law singing, and my dad both at the organ and doing the Baptism. The Pastor from our church said something like, "Aside from waiting for our Lord, no other wait has been so anticipated or so long as the wait for this little girl!"
Aside from the Baptism my favorite moments of the weekend were when all of the adults ranging in age from 25-94 joined in singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle" because those are Maya and her cousin Owen's favorite songs. It was also so fun to watch Maya and Owen interact. Once she got over the not wanting to share all of her new toys with him, they were good buddies.
Maya continues to adjust well and we're more convinced each day that she's smarter than the average tot (not that we're biased!). Her English is remarkable and she blows us away each day with new phrases that she's picked up like, "big muscles!" She's got all of the body parts, animals, and colors down as well as many kinds of transportation and food. She's even putting sentences together like, "This is a yellow book." She seems to crave new words and spends lots of time asking what things are. My favorite was the night when she sat with the answering machine pushing buttons over and over again and repeating in a very American sounding voice, "Answer On. Answer off."
She's handling the crowds pretty well. Our house has been full of visitors from the moment we arrived home and on the few occasions that it's just us, she often looks at the door and says, "Friends?"
The one struggle we've had has been sleeping as we've been slowly moving to our own bedroom and having her sleep in her bedroom by herself. We're trying to channel SuperNanny as we put her to bed each night and get up with her multiple times. You never realize how important sleep is to your daily functioning until you don't have it! Things in this area are improving though and she's learning to put herself to sleep slowly but surely.
Aside from adjusting well and being oh so smart, Maya also has a personality that's larger than life. She has a wonderful sense of humor and loves to play tricks, sneak up on people, and make crazy faces.
I've had requests for more pictures and am working on it. Our laptop is in the shop so I haven't been able to download pics or videos since we got home. Billions of pics were taken this weekend and when I get some from the fam I'll post some new ones.
We continue to be in shock about this adorable little blessing that has joined our lives. She is more than we could have ever asked for and we are so grateful for each moment with her. We are also grateful for the enormous outpouring of love from all of you. Thank you!
We're on week three of life in Minnesota with Maya and things are going well! We just had her Baptism last Sunday and had 14 relatives and friends travel from all over to be here. It was a really wonderful weekend full of loving Maya. She had a beautiful white and pink dress for Sunday, which she kept showing off to the cat, and matching beads in her hair. The Baptism was beautiful with Sean's brother and sister-in-law singing, and my dad both at the organ and doing the Baptism. The Pastor from our church said something like, "Aside from waiting for our Lord, no other wait has been so anticipated or so long as the wait for this little girl!"
Aside from the Baptism my favorite moments of the weekend were when all of the adults ranging in age from 25-94 joined in singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle" because those are Maya and her cousin Owen's favorite songs. It was also so fun to watch Maya and Owen interact. Once she got over the not wanting to share all of her new toys with him, they were good buddies.
Maya continues to adjust well and we're more convinced each day that she's smarter than the average tot (not that we're biased!). Her English is remarkable and she blows us away each day with new phrases that she's picked up like, "big muscles!" She's got all of the body parts, animals, and colors down as well as many kinds of transportation and food. She's even putting sentences together like, "This is a yellow book." She seems to crave new words and spends lots of time asking what things are. My favorite was the night when she sat with the answering machine pushing buttons over and over again and repeating in a very American sounding voice, "Answer On. Answer off."
She's handling the crowds pretty well. Our house has been full of visitors from the moment we arrived home and on the few occasions that it's just us, she often looks at the door and says, "Friends?"
The one struggle we've had has been sleeping as we've been slowly moving to our own bedroom and having her sleep in her bedroom by herself. We're trying to channel SuperNanny as we put her to bed each night and get up with her multiple times. You never realize how important sleep is to your daily functioning until you don't have it! Things in this area are improving though and she's learning to put herself to sleep slowly but surely.
Aside from adjusting well and being oh so smart, Maya also has a personality that's larger than life. She has a wonderful sense of humor and loves to play tricks, sneak up on people, and make crazy faces.
I've had requests for more pictures and am working on it. Our laptop is in the shop so I haven't been able to download pics or videos since we got home. Billions of pics were taken this weekend and when I get some from the fam I'll post some new ones.
We continue to be in shock about this adorable little blessing that has joined our lives. She is more than we could have ever asked for and we are so grateful for each moment with her. We are also grateful for the enormous outpouring of love from all of you. Thank you!
Friday, July 17, 2009
WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!
"Hello!" from Minnesota!
We arrived home late Wednesday night and Maya is now a US citizen! I apologize for the delay in posting-we're sleep deprived and overwhelmed and struggling to compose sentences, but oh-so-happy!
Getting out of Haiti was difficult (shocker). We got the visa easily that day, rushed to the airport to be there 2 hours before our 455 flight. At around 6 they told us to head out to the tarmac. Thrilled, we got the bottom of the steps of the plane and were then told to go back to the gate. At 8 they cancelled the flight all together. We were put up in a hotel and tried not to cry. Fortunately we got pushed to the front of many lines due to the cute 37 lbs we were lugging with us.
On Wednesday we went back to the airport for our 10 am rescheduled flight. At 930 they announced that the crew had just left the hotel and we'd board in 1 hour. We boarded at around 11 I think (there are no clocks or screens in the unairconditioned airport). We were then told that we had no fuel. There was also no AC on the plane. When the fuel truck finally arrived it ran out of gas. We dripped with sweat as we waited for a new truck. I think we took off at around 1. Maya, used to the crazy heat, handled things very well, enjoying the view of airplanes out the window. When we finally took off, she clapped her hands and said, "bon travay!" (good work!) unprompted by us.
We went through immigration very quickly in Miami, at which point she became a citizen, and flew home on the 745 pm flight. At that point shock and delight set in and I could hardly contain my glee as we flew towards MN.
Sean's bro and sis in law, Adam and Amanda, were waiting to pick us up (photos and videos from them to come) and Maya woke up and was excited to see the people we'd been showing her pics of for the last month. She loved riding in her own car and was even more excited when we arrived home. Our house was bursting with love from so many friends I can't even comprehend it. Our sidewalk and steps were chalked with decorations and welcomes, there were flowers in a pot outside, a cooler of food on the steps. In the house the fridge was fully stocked, there were presents galore, all of our laundry had been washed and folded, a closet bar had been added to Maya's closet full of new outfits, artwork with her name hung on her wall, and my favorite thing: the bathtub had been recaulked! A team of friends and family, led by my wonderful friend Jenna, had made our home a wonderful place to return to. We don't even know who to thank because so much was done, so if you did something-THANK YOU!
Her first days here have been good. She's adjusting well and her favorite thing is that she has her own car that we can go in anytime. She also loves her little red trike and has made numerous laps around the block. We've gotten so many adorable outfits and everytime she sees a new one she takes off her current clothes and puts on new ones.
Poor Sean had to return to work today. I'm not sure how he's able to complete sentences as I know I'm not making much sense. Glad tomorrow's Saturday! I'm off for 8 more weeks. :)
We're having Maya baptized on August 2 and are thrilled about the family that will be descending upon us at that point.
I'll add pictures as time and energy allow. Thanks to all of you for your support through this process. We could NOT have done it without you!!!!! :)
We arrived home late Wednesday night and Maya is now a US citizen! I apologize for the delay in posting-we're sleep deprived and overwhelmed and struggling to compose sentences, but oh-so-happy!
Getting out of Haiti was difficult (shocker). We got the visa easily that day, rushed to the airport to be there 2 hours before our 455 flight. At around 6 they told us to head out to the tarmac. Thrilled, we got the bottom of the steps of the plane and were then told to go back to the gate. At 8 they cancelled the flight all together. We were put up in a hotel and tried not to cry. Fortunately we got pushed to the front of many lines due to the cute 37 lbs we were lugging with us.
On Wednesday we went back to the airport for our 10 am rescheduled flight. At 930 they announced that the crew had just left the hotel and we'd board in 1 hour. We boarded at around 11 I think (there are no clocks or screens in the unairconditioned airport). We were then told that we had no fuel. There was also no AC on the plane. When the fuel truck finally arrived it ran out of gas. We dripped with sweat as we waited for a new truck. I think we took off at around 1. Maya, used to the crazy heat, handled things very well, enjoying the view of airplanes out the window. When we finally took off, she clapped her hands and said, "bon travay!" (good work!) unprompted by us.
We went through immigration very quickly in Miami, at which point she became a citizen, and flew home on the 745 pm flight. At that point shock and delight set in and I could hardly contain my glee as we flew towards MN.
Sean's bro and sis in law, Adam and Amanda, were waiting to pick us up (photos and videos from them to come) and Maya woke up and was excited to see the people we'd been showing her pics of for the last month. She loved riding in her own car and was even more excited when we arrived home. Our house was bursting with love from so many friends I can't even comprehend it. Our sidewalk and steps were chalked with decorations and welcomes, there were flowers in a pot outside, a cooler of food on the steps. In the house the fridge was fully stocked, there were presents galore, all of our laundry had been washed and folded, a closet bar had been added to Maya's closet full of new outfits, artwork with her name hung on her wall, and my favorite thing: the bathtub had been recaulked! A team of friends and family, led by my wonderful friend Jenna, had made our home a wonderful place to return to. We don't even know who to thank because so much was done, so if you did something-THANK YOU!
Her first days here have been good. She's adjusting well and her favorite thing is that she has her own car that we can go in anytime. She also loves her little red trike and has made numerous laps around the block. We've gotten so many adorable outfits and everytime she sees a new one she takes off her current clothes and puts on new ones.
Poor Sean had to return to work today. I'm not sure how he's able to complete sentences as I know I'm not making much sense. Glad tomorrow's Saturday! I'm off for 8 more weeks. :)
We're having Maya baptized on August 2 and are thrilled about the family that will be descending upon us at that point.
I'll add pictures as time and energy allow. Thanks to all of you for your support through this process. We could NOT have done it without you!!!!! :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Not Today, But Tomorrow...we think
Hey friends,
We had high hopes of leaving Haiti tonight, but no amount of begging and tears convinced the Embassy to give us the visa today instead of tomorrow. (They typically say next business day, but our consulate buddy had said at one point that she could get it for us in one day). So, we'll get it tomorrow at 230 and then be on the 455 flight to Miami. If all goes well, we will be in St Paul by Wed afternoon.
It was a little sad that this moment that we've been waiting for was hampered by the disappointment of it being tomorrow instead of today, but after having some pancakes at the hotel, we're reminding ourselves that this is it! Tomorrow we'll have the visa and that's the final step!
Maya has been a trooper and gets more hilarious each day. Last night she was wearing Sean's t-shirt and baseball hat, giggling at herself in the mirror. While she was sleeping the other night she said, "you're welcome!" in her sleep (one of her favorite English phrases).
Although this has been a long, frustrating, and mosquito and sweat ridden experience, we can't help but see how blessed we have been. At every moment there's been a handful of people here in Haiti who are watching out for us, taking us to the store, ordering pizza for us (a special treat!), taking us to church, leaving us with their extra snacks and toiletries, and just letting us know that we're supported. We are so grateful for how well she's handling everything and that she has transitioned SO well.
When we went to church last week, we understood very little, but at one point I could recognize that they were all reading from the Bible together. I asked our friend who had an English Bible with him if I could read along with him and when he handed the Bible to me the verse they were on was from Psalm 113 and was something close to "the Lord blesses the childless woman by bringing children to her home". Yes He does!
Speaking of children, I should help poor Sean who is sitting in the restaurant, trying to get Maya to put her pants back on after a trip to the bathroom. :)
See you soon!
We had high hopes of leaving Haiti tonight, but no amount of begging and tears convinced the Embassy to give us the visa today instead of tomorrow. (They typically say next business day, but our consulate buddy had said at one point that she could get it for us in one day). So, we'll get it tomorrow at 230 and then be on the 455 flight to Miami. If all goes well, we will be in St Paul by Wed afternoon.
It was a little sad that this moment that we've been waiting for was hampered by the disappointment of it being tomorrow instead of today, but after having some pancakes at the hotel, we're reminding ourselves that this is it! Tomorrow we'll have the visa and that's the final step!
Maya has been a trooper and gets more hilarious each day. Last night she was wearing Sean's t-shirt and baseball hat, giggling at herself in the mirror. While she was sleeping the other night she said, "you're welcome!" in her sleep (one of her favorite English phrases).
Although this has been a long, frustrating, and mosquito and sweat ridden experience, we can't help but see how blessed we have been. At every moment there's been a handful of people here in Haiti who are watching out for us, taking us to the store, ordering pizza for us (a special treat!), taking us to church, leaving us with their extra snacks and toiletries, and just letting us know that we're supported. We are so grateful for how well she's handling everything and that she has transitioned SO well.
When we went to church last week, we understood very little, but at one point I could recognize that they were all reading from the Bible together. I asked our friend who had an English Bible with him if I could read along with him and when he handed the Bible to me the verse they were on was from Psalm 113 and was something close to "the Lord blesses the childless woman by bringing children to her home". Yes He does!
Speaking of children, I should help poor Sean who is sitting in the restaurant, trying to get Maya to put her pants back on after a trip to the bathroom. :)
See you soon!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Finally Some Good News!
At the last minute on Friday we got an email from the Embassy saying we can come in on Monday with our Visa payment! We're planning on being there bright and early Monday and are praying that they'll issue it during the magical designated time of 230-3pm that very day. We're checking out flight options (with the wonderful help of my parents who are doing the research so we don't have to search the web with the mosquitos) and if we get the visa on Monday we hope to fly to Miami Monday evening and be home in Minnesota by Tuesday. This bit of news has given us the strength and optimism we needed to get through another weekend here. We're dreaming of being home and can't wait for you to meet her!
Speaking of, I'm being summoned as we speak. Keep checking and hopefully I'll be posting from MN SOON!!!! :)
Speaking of, I'm being summoned as we speak. Keep checking and hopefully I'll be posting from MN SOON!!!! :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Still in Haiti
Hey friends,
I've tried to post a few things, but between an internet connection that often doesn't post the things I just spent a while writing and a toddler that is very attached to me, the posts have been few and far between.
We're still in Haiti and feeling desperate about it. As I'm sure I've mentioned, the only thing the Embassy still needs is the DNA results, which we found out today that the results have been sent to the EMbassy. So we wait. We wait for the phone call or email from the Embassy, which we hope will be each day. This afternoon I packed one suitcase, which felt good. We're so hoping and praying to be home by the weekend and are crushed to miss a good friend's wedding tomorrow night.
Maya's hanging in there. Learning tons of English and making friends with everyone. We feel very blessed to have this time with her without the distractions of home. We just dream of the comforts of home and of the time we get to introduce her to you in person.
Please continue to pray that the visa will be in our hands this week and that we'll be on our way home to MN soon!!!
I've tried to post a few things, but between an internet connection that often doesn't post the things I just spent a while writing and a toddler that is very attached to me, the posts have been few and far between.
We're still in Haiti and feeling desperate about it. As I'm sure I've mentioned, the only thing the Embassy still needs is the DNA results, which we found out today that the results have been sent to the EMbassy. So we wait. We wait for the phone call or email from the Embassy, which we hope will be each day. This afternoon I packed one suitcase, which felt good. We're so hoping and praying to be home by the weekend and are crushed to miss a good friend's wedding tomorrow night.
Maya's hanging in there. Learning tons of English and making friends with everyone. We feel very blessed to have this time with her without the distractions of home. We just dream of the comforts of home and of the time we get to introduce her to you in person.
Please continue to pray that the visa will be in our hands this week and that we'll be on our way home to MN soon!!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
And Her Name Is...
To cheer us up since we think we're probably stuck here for many more days, we thought we'd let our daughter reveal her new name to you. In the video at the top left of this blog page, you'll hear me say, "Hello! Como relle?" (meaning, "What is your name?") And you'll hear her reply, "Baby. Baby ______" Just in case you can't understand her with our dazzling technology, I'll post her written name in the comments section of this posting. Enjoy!
prayers for a visa please!
Hey friends!
We're down to the wire with this visa thing. We're praying non stop that we get a call to come get it today. If we don't hear today we're stuck here for the long weekend and our next chance to get it would be Monday. We're running out of patience and it's getting harder and harder to entertain a toddler in a hotel room. Please pray that we'll be home sooner rather than later!
On the bright side, we're still having a blast with our sweet girl. She shows no fear in the swimming pool, eats non stop, and is acquiring more English every moment.
See you soon, we hope!
We're down to the wire with this visa thing. We're praying non stop that we get a call to come get it today. If we don't hear today we're stuck here for the long weekend and our next chance to get it would be Monday. We're running out of patience and it's getting harder and harder to entertain a toddler in a hotel room. Please pray that we'll be home sooner rather than later!
On the bright side, we're still having a blast with our sweet girl. She shows no fear in the swimming pool, eats non stop, and is acquiring more English every moment.
See you soon, we hope!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
God is Good!
Hey friends!
Sorry for the lack of posts. The internet here is spotty and the computer is in a spot swarming with mosquitoes. Needless to say, I'm going to make this quick!
Last Thurs was a day of miracles. After a million things went wrong and it seemed that we were going to have to go another week without the DNA test, at the very last minute everything fell into place and the DNA test was performed. It is truly a miracle that this happened and we credit it to the fact that the chauffeur, birth mother, Dr., sean, and I were all praying with all our might-not to mention all of you.
So the DNA was sent off to the US to be tested and we paid extra for it to be expedited. We've completed all of the other steps and as soon as the EMbassy gets the results she'll issue the visa and we can come home! We're praying hard that we get it T, W, or TH, as the Embassy is closed F for the 4th and I don't think we can handle many more days here.
Baby girl is doing well, but the boredom of being in a hotel room is getting to all of us. The restaurant here can take up to an hour, which has made life difficult. We're all starting to lose patience and are very ready to be home surrounded by nutrituous food that's easy to access.
Thanks for your continued prayers and I hope to be writing from MN SOON!
love you all!
Sorry for the lack of posts. The internet here is spotty and the computer is in a spot swarming with mosquitoes. Needless to say, I'm going to make this quick!
Last Thurs was a day of miracles. After a million things went wrong and it seemed that we were going to have to go another week without the DNA test, at the very last minute everything fell into place and the DNA test was performed. It is truly a miracle that this happened and we credit it to the fact that the chauffeur, birth mother, Dr., sean, and I were all praying with all our might-not to mention all of you.
So the DNA was sent off to the US to be tested and we paid extra for it to be expedited. We've completed all of the other steps and as soon as the EMbassy gets the results she'll issue the visa and we can come home! We're praying hard that we get it T, W, or TH, as the Embassy is closed F for the 4th and I don't think we can handle many more days here.
Baby girl is doing well, but the boredom of being in a hotel room is getting to all of us. The restaurant here can take up to an hour, which has made life difficult. We're all starting to lose patience and are very ready to be home surrounded by nutrituous food that's easy to access.
Thanks for your continued prayers and I hope to be writing from MN SOON!
love you all!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Together At Last!
I wanted to give you an update on our lives this week, as it's been a huge one. We are now the proud parents of the sassiest, cutest, funniest, smartest toddler you've ever encountered!
Her birth mother was interviewed by the embassy on Wed and left Port au Prince on Thursday afternoon. Since then we've been thrown into parenthood and are trying our best to always have snacks, water, wet wipes, and toys on hand. The first night we could not believe it when we got to sleep with that sweet thing in between the two of us. We were even more shocked when, in the middle of reading, she said, "Dormi" (sleep), closed her eyes and went to sleep.
She eats as quickly and ferociously as I do and snores like me. She likes the same foods as Sean (Coffee, french fries, cheetos) and loves to sleep a lot like her dad. She had her first trip in the swimming pool today and LOVED IT. She's very self reliant and feeds, bathes, and clothes herself!
Because we're so in love and because things here have gone very well, we're not coming home without her. We will not be home as planned on June 25 and are not exactly sure when we will be back, but think it will be around the first of July. It's frustrating to have to stay here, especially because our money is quickly running out,after paying for hotel rooms, food, taxis, fees for adoption stuff, etc. , but we feel safe and are well taken care of.
The steps that still need to be taken before we go home is that the birth mother needs to find her own birth certificate, which will be ready by Tuesday, with that she and Bedeline will get a DNA test on Thursday, then we wait for the results, which e're having expedited (amazing what you can get done if you beg and say you'll pay more). As soon as the embassy gets the results (a week or less) we get our interview for the visa and then the visa is issued either that day or the next business day.
Since our arrival we have encountered so many angels and have experienced countless miracles. Everything from the Priest that works with Sean's organization being on our plane from Miami and therefore able to help us with a number of things, to the Embassy granting us the interview even though we had a ton of reasons why they shouldn't have (including that we just showed up w/o an appt) to a canadian dr at the DNA clinic making phone calls on our behalf. Even the fact that our hotel room ceiling started dripping last night, meaning we had to change rooms at 4am (B never went back to sleep after that) we think will work out as Sean's trying to use it to get us some free rooms. We have just been overwhelmed by the amazing amazing things that have happened so far. The time has not been w'/o frustration, but for the most part it's been wonderful.
Bedeline has adjusted SO beautifully. She is completely comfortable with us and is already callng us Mommy and Daddy. My creole gets stronger each day and we've started to teach her some words as well. It's an amazing joy to be able to walk around the hotel with her and answer "yes" when people ask if she's my daughter.
Love to you all! Keep your prayers, both of thanksgiving for this amazin beautiful child, and for speed of the process, coming. We cannot wait to introduce her to each of you. As for the original plan that everything would be overwhelming for her at first and we wouldn't be able to see people for awhile-this girl is happiest when she's in the car/eating/doing something new and she's won over the hearts of the hotel guests (she even got us invited to a wedding reception at the hotel tonight!) so you'll all get to see her when we return.
I'm not sure when Sean will let me announce her name, but she already responds to it and the people who have met her say it's a beautiful name. love you all and enjoy the pics!:)
Her birth mother was interviewed by the embassy on Wed and left Port au Prince on Thursday afternoon. Since then we've been thrown into parenthood and are trying our best to always have snacks, water, wet wipes, and toys on hand. The first night we could not believe it when we got to sleep with that sweet thing in between the two of us. We were even more shocked when, in the middle of reading, she said, "Dormi" (sleep), closed her eyes and went to sleep.
She eats as quickly and ferociously as I do and snores like me. She likes the same foods as Sean (Coffee, french fries, cheetos) and loves to sleep a lot like her dad. She had her first trip in the swimming pool today and LOVED IT. She's very self reliant and feeds, bathes, and clothes herself!
Because we're so in love and because things here have gone very well, we're not coming home without her. We will not be home as planned on June 25 and are not exactly sure when we will be back, but think it will be around the first of July. It's frustrating to have to stay here, especially because our money is quickly running out,after paying for hotel rooms, food, taxis, fees for adoption stuff, etc. , but we feel safe and are well taken care of.
The steps that still need to be taken before we go home is that the birth mother needs to find her own birth certificate, which will be ready by Tuesday, with that she and Bedeline will get a DNA test on Thursday, then we wait for the results, which e're having expedited (amazing what you can get done if you beg and say you'll pay more). As soon as the embassy gets the results (a week or less) we get our interview for the visa and then the visa is issued either that day or the next business day.
Since our arrival we have encountered so many angels and have experienced countless miracles. Everything from the Priest that works with Sean's organization being on our plane from Miami and therefore able to help us with a number of things, to the Embassy granting us the interview even though we had a ton of reasons why they shouldn't have (including that we just showed up w/o an appt) to a canadian dr at the DNA clinic making phone calls on our behalf. Even the fact that our hotel room ceiling started dripping last night, meaning we had to change rooms at 4am (B never went back to sleep after that) we think will work out as Sean's trying to use it to get us some free rooms. We have just been overwhelmed by the amazing amazing things that have happened so far. The time has not been w'/o frustration, but for the most part it's been wonderful.
Bedeline has adjusted SO beautifully. She is completely comfortable with us and is already callng us Mommy and Daddy. My creole gets stronger each day and we've started to teach her some words as well. It's an amazing joy to be able to walk around the hotel with her and answer "yes" when people ask if she's my daughter.
Love to you all! Keep your prayers, both of thanksgiving for this amazin beautiful child, and for speed of the process, coming. We cannot wait to introduce her to each of you. As for the original plan that everything would be overwhelming for her at first and we wouldn't be able to see people for awhile-this girl is happiest when she's in the car/eating/doing something new and she's won over the hearts of the hotel guests (she even got us invited to a wedding reception at the hotel tonight!) so you'll all get to see her when we return.
I'm not sure when Sean will let me announce her name, but she already responds to it and the people who have met her say it's a beautiful name. love you all and enjoy the pics!:)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Trip to Haiti
Hey friends,
After reports that Bedeline has recently been ill, Sean and I have decided to fly to Haiti to make sure she's getting good medical care. While there, we will do our best to move things along with the adoption process, but are not planning on bringing her home on this trip. We will be gone from June 16-25.
Now more than ever we need your prayers and support for our safety, her health, and that this situation turns out however it is meant to be. We are so grateful and overwhelmed by the love that is continuously poured on us by all of you and know that you'll be with us on our trip.
We're not sure what the communication will be like and if we'll be able to update, but if nothing else we'll write when we return next week.
We are also celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary today (june 15th). It's been full of adventure and we're grateful for each other each day.
Love you all!
After reports that Bedeline has recently been ill, Sean and I have decided to fly to Haiti to make sure she's getting good medical care. While there, we will do our best to move things along with the adoption process, but are not planning on bringing her home on this trip. We will be gone from June 16-25.
Now more than ever we need your prayers and support for our safety, her health, and that this situation turns out however it is meant to be. We are so grateful and overwhelmed by the love that is continuously poured on us by all of you and know that you'll be with us on our trip.
We're not sure what the communication will be like and if we'll be able to update, but if nothing else we'll write when we return next week.
We are also celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary today (june 15th). It's been full of adventure and we're grateful for each other each day.
Love you all!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Hangin' In
Hey friends,
I know that lots of you have been wondering what's going on, as there haven't been posts in the last few days. We've had a few - not setbacks, but certainly not "moveforwards" either - lately, including the fact that our lawyer's brother died, leaving her distressed and needing to take a trip to the states for a funeral.
As you can imagine, all of this has taken its toll on us, but we're plugging along and have some connections that are trying to help. We'll let you know when something big happens. Until then, please continue to pray that we will be able to bring our sweet girl home soon and that we'll have the strength and patience to wait for that exciting day. It's so reassuring to know that we have so many friends out there who are sending their love and prayers to us. We couldn't be doing this without you!
I know that lots of you have been wondering what's going on, as there haven't been posts in the last few days. We've had a few - not setbacks, but certainly not "moveforwards" either - lately, including the fact that our lawyer's brother died, leaving her distressed and needing to take a trip to the states for a funeral.
As you can imagine, all of this has taken its toll on us, but we're plugging along and have some connections that are trying to help. We'll let you know when something big happens. Until then, please continue to pray that we will be able to bring our sweet girl home soon and that we'll have the strength and patience to wait for that exciting day. It's so reassuring to know that we have so many friends out there who are sending their love and prayers to us. We couldn't be doing this without you!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Prayers, please!
Tomorrow's a huge day for our adoption process. Please pray that all goes smoothly so that we can go pick our cutie pie up SOON! Thanks.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Movement
Hello friends!
After being at the Embassy just a few days our file already has its first step appointment this Wednesday. This is a crucial step, so please send prayers that it goes smoothly. It's great news that they've already looked at our paperwork there and if this step goes smoothly, we hope to move onto the medical exam and then final visa interview quickly.
My sweet co-workers threw a surprise shower for me this week, so Bedeline is now the owner of a shiny red tricycle, complete with streamers, a bell, and a basket. :)
We spent last weekend making over Sean's brother's room (he recently got married and moved out) and now have a lovely family room/play room complete with the play kitchen set from my childhood and an easel from IKEA. All we need now is the little girl to play with all this great stuff!
Have a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day weekend, think of us on Wednesday, and keep watching for updates.
After being at the Embassy just a few days our file already has its first step appointment this Wednesday. This is a crucial step, so please send prayers that it goes smoothly. It's great news that they've already looked at our paperwork there and if this step goes smoothly, we hope to move onto the medical exam and then final visa interview quickly.
My sweet co-workers threw a surprise shower for me this week, so Bedeline is now the owner of a shiny red tricycle, complete with streamers, a bell, and a basket. :)
We spent last weekend making over Sean's brother's room (he recently got married and moved out) and now have a lovely family room/play room complete with the play kitchen set from my childhood and an easel from IKEA. All we need now is the little girl to play with all this great stuff!
Have a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day weekend, think of us on Wednesday, and keep watching for updates.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
PASSPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bedeline was issued a Passport today! "What does this mean?" is the question most often asked next. What it means is that we're finished with the Haitian side of things (sigh of relief).
The steps that follow are:
1) The paperwork goes to the US Embassy in Haiti, where our approval through USCIS (immigration) has been sitting for over a year.
2) When they've looked over the paperwork, they will call the lawyer and tell her it's time to get the baby to a clinic for a medical exam.
3) I believe that shortly after the exam Bedeline will be interviewed at the Embassy (wouldn't I love to be a fly on the wall for that?!?).
4) A day or two after the interview the visa is issued.
5) When the visa is issued, she's free to come to Minnesota!!!!
So, the step here that could take a little while is the Embassy looking over the paperwork or it could happen very fast. It's my understanding that after the lawyer is contacted to get Bedeline examined, the rest will happen quickly.
I hate to give out timelines because they've failed me so often in the past, so I'll just say that we're hoping and praying that this will happen SOON!
We'll keep you posted!! :)
The steps that follow are:
1) The paperwork goes to the US Embassy in Haiti, where our approval through USCIS (immigration) has been sitting for over a year.
2) When they've looked over the paperwork, they will call the lawyer and tell her it's time to get the baby to a clinic for a medical exam.
3) I believe that shortly after the exam Bedeline will be interviewed at the Embassy (wouldn't I love to be a fly on the wall for that?!?).
4) A day or two after the interview the visa is issued.
5) When the visa is issued, she's free to come to Minnesota!!!!
So, the step here that could take a little while is the Embassy looking over the paperwork or it could happen very fast. It's my understanding that after the lawyer is contacted to get Bedeline examined, the rest will happen quickly.
I hate to give out timelines because they've failed me so often in the past, so I'll just say that we're hoping and praying that this will happen SOON!
We'll keep you posted!! :)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
New pictures!
Hey friends,
Just got these new pictures of Bedeline. Sean has named them "The Cheeto Series" and I like to call them "Eating Cheetos in a White Dress". We're hoping for news that her passport has been obtained in the next few weeks, but we'll see. It was two years ago today that we first heard about Bedeline and we certainly hope to be picking her up sometime soon. Thanks for your continued prayers both for her health and safety and for our patience.
In the meantime, we're keeping more than busy. Sean was in Nicaragua for work for eight days and when he got home I left for Phoenix where I presented at the International Reading Association conference. Last weekend my parents came to town and we got to spend a few days with them on Lake Superior. We're heading on a cruise of the Western Caribbean in a few weeks, something we got at a Friends of the Orphans gala last year and are excited to enjoy. Sean's brother is getting married in April, which has also been keeping us busy.
We hope you're all well and pray that we'll be posting good news sometime soon!
Just got these new pictures of Bedeline. Sean has named them "The Cheeto Series" and I like to call them "Eating Cheetos in a White Dress". We're hoping for news that her passport has been obtained in the next few weeks, but we'll see. It was two years ago today that we first heard about Bedeline and we certainly hope to be picking her up sometime soon. Thanks for your continued prayers both for her health and safety and for our patience.
In the meantime, we're keeping more than busy. Sean was in Nicaragua for work for eight days and when he got home I left for Phoenix where I presented at the International Reading Association conference. Last weekend my parents came to town and we got to spend a few days with them on Lake Superior. We're heading on a cruise of the Western Caribbean in a few weeks, something we got at a Friends of the Orphans gala last year and are excited to enjoy. Sean's brother is getting married in April, which has also been keeping us busy.
We hope you're all well and pray that we'll be posting good news sometime soon!
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