medical update : as of 10/15/07 : 17 pounds, 65 cm long, healthy, active, coos, holds her head up, follow objects, last immunizations received
case update : out of family court (FINALLY!), still waiting on PA from the US Embassy (est 60 days from 10/9/07)
Stella is almost exactly the same length as our English Bulldog, Meg :) that makes me smile :) I, of course, have a photo of Stella as my background on my computer and I stare and smile at her everyday. i try to imagine holding her and having her here with us . . . it's impossible for me to imagine what it will be like??? i have no idea . . . but i can't wait!!!
30 October 2007
26 October 2007
The Room. (so far)
ok. so my list wasn't COMPLETELY realistic. i DID however get a few things accomplished! i framed and hung her artwork (see on the left), i painted and hung circles (see on the right), and i made and hung tissue paper poofs on the ceiling. not too shabby! the poofs glow when the ceiling light is on. i LOVE the poofs. my husband was making fun of me because i was getting so excited when we were hanging them. ignore the hodge podge of furniture. that will all be gone. the crib will go kinda in front of the artwork on the left, but a little away from the wall. a chair will go on the right side of the window. this weekend i am painting a little side table to go beside the chair. THEN, roomwise, that's it except for the crib! i do have to organize all her clothes and diapers and things. right now our clothes are in her dressers because michael is building us a new built-in dresser. there are 2 blank walls that i'm going to leave open for photographs of her and of guatemala once we get back. i suppose it's still a work in progress, but i'm happy with it so far!
19 October 2007
TO-DO:
this weekend i have a rather ambitious to-do list . . .
OPERATION STELLA'S ROOM
plus clean house
plus give dogs bath
plus complete new flooring in guest bath
plus hang pictures/paintings in house
plus start painting moulding in living & dining room
plus sew & hang new curtains
ummm, probably NOT going to all happen
but wouldn't it be lovely to be Super-Woman (or bewitched!)
OPERATION STELLA'S ROOM
plus clean house
plus give dogs bath
plus complete new flooring in guest bath
plus hang pictures/paintings in house
plus start painting moulding in living & dining room
plus sew & hang new curtains
ummm, probably NOT going to all happen
but wouldn't it be lovely to be Super-Woman (or bewitched!)
16 October 2007
dna results
we got a pkg in the mail yesterday. it was the certificate for stella's dna and some other paperwork explaining how to read it. the most exciting part though was a photograph of stella with her birth mother. i'm so happy to have this for her. i know she will cherish it one day.
i SO need to start her book. i'm such a procrastinator! anyone have any suggestions on how to get started? i think that's my problem . . . i just don't know where to start! that's wierd considering i'm a designer . . . but i'm stumped. it just seems so much more important than anything i've ever done before!
AND, i want some comments people. today is MY delurking day. so, if anyone is out there reading, please leave a comment.
i SO need to start her book. i'm such a procrastinator! anyone have any suggestions on how to get started? i think that's my problem . . . i just don't know where to start! that's wierd considering i'm a designer . . . but i'm stumped. it just seems so much more important than anything i've ever done before!
AND, i want some comments people. today is MY delurking day. so, if anyone is out there reading, please leave a comment.
15 October 2007
feeling good . . .
so, friday : first thing that morning i received my daily inspiration email and the quote was this :
Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~Oprah Winfrey
after that email, i received the news i posted on Friday. Friday was a good day people.
Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~Oprah Winfrey
after that email, i received the news i posted on Friday. Friday was a good day people.
12 October 2007
DNA : FINALLY.
we received our DNA results this morning . . . . . .
99.999%!!!!!!!
it freaking took long enough.
so, now you may be wondering what's next :
we are waiting on visa pre-approval from the US Embassy (results were sent there on 10/9) and for the court to issue their social report. the US Embassy is currently taking about 60 days. good news is that these 2 steps can be happening simultaneously. then, after these all all done, we will enter the dreaded pgn. i say dreaded because it is usually the longest and most unpredictable part. i have to say that after our long initial phases, i'm kinda looking forward to entering pgn. i'm sure i'll be flipping out about it later. but it finally feels like things are moving along. i'm trying not to get too excited. there is still a long road ahead of us, especially with all the other issues going on down there. (which i'm choosing to pretend aren't happening - for my own sanity.) i'm excited. and i just can't hide it. at least for today. i'll let myself be excited today. i need it.
we love you stella and are thinking about you every second of every day!
99.999%!!!!!!!
it freaking took long enough.
so, now you may be wondering what's next :
we are waiting on visa pre-approval from the US Embassy (results were sent there on 10/9) and for the court to issue their social report. the US Embassy is currently taking about 60 days. good news is that these 2 steps can be happening simultaneously. then, after these all all done, we will enter the dreaded pgn. i say dreaded because it is usually the longest and most unpredictable part. i have to say that after our long initial phases, i'm kinda looking forward to entering pgn. i'm sure i'll be flipping out about it later. but it finally feels like things are moving along. i'm trying not to get too excited. there is still a long road ahead of us, especially with all the other issues going on down there. (which i'm choosing to pretend aren't happening - for my own sanity.) i'm excited. and i just can't hide it. at least for today. i'll let myself be excited today. i need it.
we love you stella and are thinking about you every second of every day!
11 October 2007
nothingness . . .
it's been over a week since i last posted. i have no news and nothing really blog worthy to post. our lives have been utter chaos in the last week. well, actually in the last 2 years, but that's another story for another time. back to the chaos at hand :
we moved our entire office to a new location - in a week, on very short notice. it was a quick decision, but one that will be better for us in more ways than one. i am now back working from home. i have to say, this time around (i used to work from home before.) is MUCH better. i am so NOT a stay at home kind of person. i'm open to that thought changing when we bring stella home . . . but right now, it's just not me. this time though, my office is in the basement which is completely separate from the house. it's easier for me to separate home from work because work is downstairs and home is upstairs. lucky for me, our basement is not scary! it's unfinished, but actually quite nice :) i think once we get everything organized and in its place i will LOVE it! i've come to terms with the fact that i am slightly OCD. so, the transition part is a little overwhelming. there is stuff EVERYWHERE. it's coming along though. the bad thing about all this is that i haven't been able to work on stella's room AT ALL. we did get glass ordered for some pictures i'm going to hand in her room, i'm picking that up today AND i'm going to call & get prices for mats. so, i just keep telling myself ONE THING AT A TIME. easier said than done though since i want it all done NOW. for those of you wondering . . . crib building is on hold and i'm keeping my mouth SHUT. till later i'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes :
for a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time stsill to be served, a debt to be paid. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. this perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. happiness is the way. so treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. happiness is a journey, not a destination. ~souza
we moved our entire office to a new location - in a week, on very short notice. it was a quick decision, but one that will be better for us in more ways than one. i am now back working from home. i have to say, this time around (i used to work from home before.) is MUCH better. i am so NOT a stay at home kind of person. i'm open to that thought changing when we bring stella home . . . but right now, it's just not me. this time though, my office is in the basement which is completely separate from the house. it's easier for me to separate home from work because work is downstairs and home is upstairs. lucky for me, our basement is not scary! it's unfinished, but actually quite nice :) i think once we get everything organized and in its place i will LOVE it! i've come to terms with the fact that i am slightly OCD. so, the transition part is a little overwhelming. there is stuff EVERYWHERE. it's coming along though. the bad thing about all this is that i haven't been able to work on stella's room AT ALL. we did get glass ordered for some pictures i'm going to hand in her room, i'm picking that up today AND i'm going to call & get prices for mats. so, i just keep telling myself ONE THING AT A TIME. easier said than done though since i want it all done NOW. for those of you wondering . . . crib building is on hold and i'm keeping my mouth SHUT. till later i'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes :
for a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time stsill to be served, a debt to be paid. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. this perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. happiness is the way. so treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. happiness is a journey, not a destination. ~souza
03 October 2007
updated photo
this morning i had updated photos in my email. it was a very nice surprise and gave me a little pick-me-up for the day!
02 October 2007
explanation for the fam (and friends):
The US Department of State issued a very serious warning yesterday about Guatemalan adoptions. The warning, found HERE, indicates that when the Hague Regulations are implemented on January 1st, adoption cases in-process (pending) WILL NOT BE GRANDFATHERED IN under current law and MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE COMPLETED.
This means that if cases are NOT approved by PGN before January 1st, it is likely that families will not be able to complete current adoptions.
You can read more on the threat here : DOS THREAT
We need your help! We can not allow things to get to this point! The good news is that the U.S. DOS has only reported the plan. So far, they have taken no steps to protect us families with cases already in process. You can help us change that! You can do this, you can get YOUR friends and family to do this. EVERYONE can do this! Please help us bring our children home!
*Call the DOS Guatemalan Adoption Desk at 202-736-9090 or 202-647-4000
DOS email -- AskCI@state.gov
*Call, email or write your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Congress person, You can find their contact information here.
*Call, email, or write the President of the United States
Email: comments@whitehouse.gov
mailto:resident@whitehouse.gov
vice_president@whitehouse.gov.
Comments Line: 202-456-1111
General Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Mailing address: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
White house fax for mail from kids: (202) 456-7705 [Have your kids write, too!]
*Sign the online petition :
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/foafoa1/
*more contact information :
The US Embassy in Guatemala email -- AMCitsGuatemala@state.gov
The US Embassy in Guatemala fax --(502) 2326-4654
DHS email -- Guatemala.Adoptions@dhs.gov
Please take the time to be involved. We want to introduce our daughter to all of our family and friends! Please help us make that possible!
This means that if cases are NOT approved by PGN before January 1st, it is likely that families will not be able to complete current adoptions.
You can read more on the threat here : DOS THREAT
We need your help! We can not allow things to get to this point! The good news is that the U.S. DOS has only reported the plan. So far, they have taken no steps to protect us families with cases already in process. You can help us change that! You can do this, you can get YOUR friends and family to do this. EVERYONE can do this! Please help us bring our children home!
*Call the DOS Guatemalan Adoption Desk at 202-736-9090 or 202-647-4000
DOS email -- AskCI@state.gov
*Call, email or write your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Congress person, You can find their contact information here.
*Call, email, or write the President of the United States
Email: comments@whitehouse.gov
mailto:resident@whitehouse.gov
vice_president@whitehouse.gov.
Comments Line: 202-456-1111
General Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Mailing address: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
White house fax for mail from kids: (202) 456-7705 [Have your kids write, too!]
*Sign the online petition :
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/foafoa1/
*more contact information :
The US Embassy in Guatemala email -- AMCitsGuatemala@state.gov
The US Embassy in Guatemala fax --(502) 2326-4654
DHS email -- Guatemala.Adoptions@dhs.gov
Please take the time to be involved. We want to introduce our daughter to all of our family and friends! Please help us make that possible!
01 October 2007
happy half year birthday Stella!
Today, our daughter is 6 months old. Happy day baby girl!
The adoption is completely up in the air right now. I am completely devastated. I can't explain right now. Will post more later so you all understand what is going on.
I'm just so tired of it all.
The adoption is completely up in the air right now. I am completely devastated. I can't explain right now. Will post more later so you all understand what is going on.
I'm just so tired of it all.
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