redwheelbarrow

Beautiful Words

I found something online that I believe completely and accurately sums up how we feel about our pending adoption:

"Adoption: Not a second choice, a fallback option or because you can't have 'your own,' but wholly believing you are seeking to bring home the very child God created with you and your home in mind, fully equipping you to be the very parent He created you to be." - author unknown

Beautiful words.

The Home Visit.

During the adoption home study process, we have completed lots of paperwork, written autobiographies, answered discussion questions, been FBI-fingerprinted, been cleared with the Child Abuse & Neglect center, provided countless documents (marriage certificate, birth certificates, pet vaccination records, college diplomas, tax records, etc) as well as a complete financial statement. We were subjected to a comprehensive physical by our Doctor, resulting in bookoos of blood tests, TB tests, and urine tests. We had to get local criminal checks run, get our co-workers and family to write recommendation letters, and had to get about 10 different things notarized.

We compiled a reading list of some of the most useful adoption books and began reading: Attachment in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, What to Expect the First Year, The Legal Process of Adoption, the Adoption book for family and friends, etc. We are reading books, blogs, articles, forums - - you name it, we are getting informed.

We arranged our finances to prepare for the upcoming/ongoing expenses of infant adoption.

We have had a couple of really good meetings with our social worker, Tyler. He, too is a adoptive parent and is very understanding of what we are going through. He is very knowlegable and kind and always makes us feel like we can ask him anything. He understands the steps, the transitions, the process and giving unconditional love to a child not born to you. He gets it.

We have now officially completed all of the required meetings with our social worker for our home study approval. There is only one step left: the home visit.

Now here is where I get nervous... I see the dust on my ceiling fans, the clutter in my closet, the 25 Rubbermaid containers full of unknown stuff stacked in the spare room. I see the cat hair and the dirty wood floors. I see the unpainted hallway and the clothes stacked on the dryer. I can't imagine my living space being "ready" for an inspection in just 2 weeks. 

But, I have read some blogs and articles on the home visit. Apparently, it is not a "white glove" inspection. Social workers are understanding of the realities of life (packed closets, clutter, dust). They are really looking for safety concerns, adequate living space for the child, and a clean/healthy environment. I'm sure the folks at DHR have seen it all! But it still makes me feel anxious. I wish I had a huge house that was organized, clutter-free and perfect. Although I don't know if that exists anywhere.

Since Tyler is an adoptive dad himself, I am hoping he sees the potential in our living space. I hope he overlooks the crooked light fixtures, the broken closet rod, the mismatched wood flooring, and the dusty baseboards. Instead, I hope he sees the positives: a paid-for home; a new, clean ready-to-move-in nursery with a new smoke detector; the coziness of a living room full off photos of family and friends; the tidy kitchen with a basket full of healthy fruits and veggies; the baby locks on the cabinets with chemicals; the newly-mounted fire extinguisher by the door... And most of all, two of the most eager soon-to-be parents he will EVER meet.

Our First Baby Gift!

Today my Mom and Dad bought us our first baby gift: the Baby Brezza.

They are totally on-board with this adoption, can you tell???

It's like a Keurig for baby formula and a must-have for someone, like us, who will only be bottle-feeding.

There is a formula "tank" on top and a water tank on the side, so you can use any formula (organic for us). The machine dispenses the exact amount of formula and mixes it with water heated to body temperature. Instantly.

3 AM bottle feedings will be MUCH easier. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Exciting!

 

- jennifer

IAD-DTW-BHM

We have been staying in Silver Spring, MD, right outside of Washington, DC. Our flights were cancelled yesterday because of the snow/ice. Luckily we were able to get our rental car and hotel room for an extra day. Delta kindly re-routed us through DTW (Detroit Metro Airport), instead of Atlanta, since right now Georgia is an ice block and all flights are grounded.

We drove to IAD (Washington Dulles International Airport) once the roads were plowed. After we checked in, it was shockingly empty. Many flights had been cancelled the day before and only the flights headed from IAD internationally (Dubai, Dublin, Amsterdam, etc) were running. All of the flights headed anywhere in the north- or southeast U.S. were cancelled. Those terminals were empty, except the lucky 40 people (like us) that were able to get re-booked on the Detroit flight. The airport itself feels so 1960s, but a recent interior renovation of terminal B felt very modern. A three-story high atrium had stainless steel escalators darting through the space with large metallic sculptures hanging overhead. The terminal/baggage claim train platform with its modern glass backlit with bright white light looked like it, too was in motion. The large turnbuckles above holding up the undulating facade were also impressive. They had to be at least 6ft long each. Overall, the airport was a visual delight, with every architectural element working together to create a kinetic feel in both materiality and design.

- jennifer

Frozen. That is All.

Silver Spring, MD. Headed to Whole Foods across the street for provisions for the pending snow storm. Its' FREEZING!

Transitions

Today we finally move from the snow laden landscape of New Jersey to a snow free (but still cold) Washington DC. It's been a while since we have been here. The last time was during the Cherry Blossom festival last year. There was also an Oriental Heritage festival going on. There was a wishing tree where we made a wish for a child. It feels more real now than ever. We've been saving you seat.

Hope to see you soon.

 

Washington Monument Today

The Wishing Tree at the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC 2013

Feb 4, 2014 no more snow for me

After last week I didn't want to deal with any more snow but our trip to New Jersey has certainly not cooperated.

Princeton, NJ

Birmingham, AL

Back to Work. BHM-LGA

We flew to New York City yesterday. It was brisk but beautiful and we rode around downtown, upper east side and midtown. We drove near the Empire State Building, the famous Macy's department store and saw other sites along the way.

I love looking at the towering buildings and watching people: some walking dogs, a lady carrying golf clubs, a couple carrying yoga mats, people rushing around other people trying to rush around, small children can barely walk in all the layers. We didn't have time to stop and walk around the City on this trip, but its always great to see the City and feel the City vibe.

As the Super Bowl traffic started to build, we headed to our hotel in New Jersey. The roads were clear, the sky was blue, the sun was shining.

 

 

Then, night fall. And we woke up to this:

Wow. The snow was coming down and getting bigger and bigger. The wind had picked up and was blowing it everywhere. Within a couple of hours, cars would have to be dug out of snow drifts. Snow plows and sand/salt trucks were deployed and went to work. But, the snow had accumulated so quickly businesses started to close and kids were let out of school. By 10 am there was a foot of snow on the ground.

What started out as a gorgeous winter wonderland was a disaster for anyone trying to work.

We worked as quickly as we could. Thad got help from two guys to dig out our rental car. Luckily, we were in a Tahoe and had the power to get out of a 4-foot snow drift.

No snow day here... Back to work...

- jennifer