Things to remember to teach my child

I just found a link to another blog and loved the idea! I often think about things that I want to remember to teach my Little One, and I am afraid that I will forget about them once I am in the thick of it all...so here's a reminder...to myself...re-read this post...and make one of your own...to remember to teach your Little One.

Here's the link http://motleymoms.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-to-remember.html

...I copied it below...for quick reference...hmmm...now to write one for us and our Little One!

Jesus loves you.
Smile. Everyone is more lovely when they smile.
If you don't know the words to a song, just sing the word "watermelon" over and over. It will make your mouth look right. (Trust me.)
Don't feel you have to change or be different to be acceptable. You are just right.
If there are no paper towels to dry your hands on, just fix your hair a bit. It works every time.
Learn the secret whistle and use it to find me when you can't see me. (Note to self: teach children to whistle.)
Put off plucking your eyebrows, shaving your legs, and coloring your hair for as long as possible. Once you start, you can never stop.
Choose your attitude when you wake up every morning. Fake it if you have to.
Always carry 2 hankies, one for show and one for blow.
Hold hands.
Learn how to make a "specialty dish." Something complicated that you can cook perfectly. (Trust me on this one, you'll use it more than you think.)
Knowing how to make a cup out of a piece of paper is a life skill.You always have time to tell someone that you love them.
Tell stories.
Cut a pie in 7 pieces, thus creating the perfect-sized slice of pie.
If a member of the opposite sex is getting fresh and they don't understand the meaning of "no" then stick your finger down your throat and throw up on them. (This has never failed.)
Nothing you ever do will make me not love you.
Have people over, even if your house is messy and especially if it is dusty.
Sing songs. Silly, serious, off-tune. Sing loud. (And not only in the shower.)
Keep cut and serve cookies in your freezer for unexpected guests. (Plus, it makes it seem like you were just baking when they stopped by!)
It's always worth it to tell the truth. It's not always easy

14 Months

Merry Christmas...and Happy 14 months to us!

This past month was an exciting and busy one for both of us, which was great because the month passed pretty quickly! Eric had to travel for work; first to Belfast, Ireland and then (only 36 hours after getting home) he travelled to Wichita, Kansas. I was very thankful that we were able to "chat" a little every day. On Christmas Eve, we hosted a small party for some of our family and friends. On Christmas day we went to my brother's in the morning and then we came home and had a small Christmas dinner with my mom, and Eric's parents and his brother. It was a small quiet family celebration.

House Update:
We sold our house! And we'll be moving in a little more than a month! This next month will probably also fly by...seeing as we'll be packing and planning our move and once we get the new place we'll be painting and settling in. We're really happy about the move. While we love our current home, it is a little small. The new place will have more living space and Gram-Gram will be living just downstairs! We're nostalgic about leaving this house...it is afterall the house where we planned on starting our family. We have already painted the Little One's room...we're a little sad to know that our Little One won't see it.

Christmas is just around the corner

Our Christmas preparations are in full swing; the tree is up (an extra special thank you to Gram-Gram...Thanks Mom!), there are lights in the window and the shopping is almost done. All that's left to do now is the rest of the baking...oh and the wrapping!

I love Christmas...spending time with family and friends...relaxing and celebrating!

Over the years, the Christmas season has at times been both joyful and depressing, fun-filled and stressful. There were some Christmases where we felt like we spent the day in the car for all of the visits we did; there were others where I was so sad I felt as though I wouldn't be able to make it through the day; and then there were others that were joy-filled and magical.

This year is special it may be our last as a couple...we have waited for so long to be parents...now I wonder if I will miss the relative calmness of our Christmases...and wonder how we will adjust to the relative craziness that is Christmas with children...whatever happens...we're looking forward to it!

13 Months

This past month has passed so slowly...I think the realization that we could get "THE CALL" soon has made everything feel more real...and it now seems that time is standing still.

This past weekend, we celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary by taking a trip with some friends to New Hampshire. We all got a jump start on our Christmas shopping...which is great!

House update:
As for the house...another area of our lives that's in limbo! Have I mentioned that I'm not very good at waiting and being patient? So far we have not been able to sell..the market in our area was very slow in September and October, and has been picking up since November, but so far, we haven't had any luck. We are somewhat discouraged about it; we would love to be able to move to a new home that would have more space for us, and where my mom would be close too, but so far it doesn't look like it will be happening anytime soon. We have begun to make plans to finish the basement in our current home, this will give us some additional living space, which will enable us to stay in this house a little while longer...we should know more in the new year...

Hero of the year

CNN announced the 2009 Hero of the Year...Efren Peñaflorida, from Manila, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. Click here to read the entire article.

Efren Peñaflorida is the founder of the Dynamic Teen Company. His story is truly inspiring!

I'm looking forward to watching the show on Thursday (I've already set the timer!).

Special Edition - side track

Eric here... So I've got a side topic from the adoption for you all in blogland.
On Nov 6th me and Tam were married for ten years... 10 years! So what does that mean? We got through the seven year itch... managed to keep the puppy alive for nearly three years now... went through a battery of psych tests and profiling all of which concluded we were mostly harmless and "normal".
But ten years sounds significant in and of itself - no? Each year we've been married has held it's share of highlights (and lowlights) and this tenth year will certainly have it's share. I guess the point is that I've learned this marriage I have is what I make of it and the circumstances of our life together do not define the relationship we have; merely give it its colour.
Alright cheese-ball blog entry over - as you were.

10 Years

If you would have asked me on my wedding day when I would be having children, my response would have been..."A.S.A.P!" I always wanted to have children at a young age. I never thought that we'd be married for 10 years before having children, but then again, you never know what life is going to throw your way. In retrospect, I think it may be a good thing. We have had a chance to face some of life's greater challenges and we have come through them together and stronger and now as we look towards parenthood, I am confident that we'll be able to handle the challenges parenthood will bring.

We plan on celebrating our anniversary sometime soon in the Philippines...I'm off to daydream a little of a white sandy beach by the crystal clear ocean...

One Year Later...

31,556,926 seconds... 525,600 minutes... 8,760 hours... 365 days... 52 weeks... 1 year... waiting for our Little One!

We're not too sure how we feel about it...earlier tonight we were talking to Rachelle (through the wonder's of Skype! - she's working for Doctor's without Borders in the Philippines) she said she feels like celebrating...and at the same time, she feels sad that it's only been a year. Ummm, yeah... that pretty much sums up how we've been feeling too!

We've been told to expect to wait for anywhere between 18 and 24 months...so we've basically completed at least half of our wait (we hope!). We do feel that the year has passed quickly though and so we'll keep doing what we're doing.

The adoption process can seem pretty surreal. We know that things are happening behind the scenes as we're waiting to be matched with our Little One, but on the surface nothing seems to be happening. And one day we're going to get the call that will change our lives forever! In many ways, it seems like that day will never come and yet when that day does come it's likely that we'll feel like we won't be ready!

We're hoping and praying that our file is going to be matched very soon, but we know that God is in control and his timing is perfect and so we know that when the time is right...we'll be getting that elusive phone call! In Quebec, there haven't been any proposal's since July so we're hoping that very soon there will be a bunch of proposal's. We're sure that the recent typhoon's have not helped at all, we have heard terrible stories and seen horrrible pictures about the devastation caused by the flooding. I had been thinking about the water damage, the humidity, and the mold...and Rachelle reminded us about the filth, garbage, the illnesses and the "disgusting" feet (from being immersed in the water for so long!). We have also heard that there has been damage at some of the orphanages and so we are praying that they would get the supplies and the help that they need and that all of the caregivers, their families and the Little Ones would be safe and secure.

Little One, we love you already and we cannot wait to meet you. Keep growing, be healthy and safe and mostly...know that you are loved! We pray for you, your parents, and your caregivers regularly. It will be very soon that your Mommy and Daddy will be coming to get you!

A quick update about our house... We haven't sold our house yet, but we have found a house that we would like to buy. If we sell this house before February then we'll be moving, and if we don't, well, we'll be doing some renovations to give our current home a little more living space and we'll be staying put. We'll be happy with either outcome...we just don't like all the waiting (doesn't that sound familiar?!)

image from comicvine.com

Out of the blue...it hit me!

Earlier this evening, I was talking to my love and while he told me a cute story about himself as a little boy and as he was talked I thought to myself... I can't wait until our Little One does these kinds of cute things... then I the thought... wait, our Little One may not do these things...because they won't be just like either of us and just like that, I went from laughing to crying... out of the blue... a moment of mourning... in a sea of excitement and anticipation while we wait for our Little One...

Eleven Months

I was just thinking about the past year; one year ago, we were in a rush to complete our adoption dossier. We were stressed about appointments with the social worker and the psychologist (who isn't?). We just wanted to have our file sent off to the Philippines; due to some unique circumstances, it took us nearly 8 months to put our dossier together; we just wanted our file to be sent.
I never would have thought that "the wait" would have been so easy! Now don't get me wrong... I want to have my child with me now... I have been waiting a long time to become a mom. However, I have to say that one of the most surprising things for me about the wait has been the patience that I have regarding the whole situation. There was a time when I was almost certain that we would never adopt... that we would never have a child. I suppose the knowledge that we will become parents soon helps to make the wait easier. I still have days and moments where I think too much about our Little One and how they're not with us yet... I think about where they are and hope and pray for them that they are safe and most especially that they are loved. However, I can't dwell on the fact that our Little One is not with us, because that will only make me sad and I can't do anything about it, so I have determined that I will do what I can to get ready to be a good mom, and be as ready as possible for our Little One to come home to us.
Eric here: Summer is done and what a crazy one it was. Now I'm thinking the summer might have been tame with how the fall is shaping up...

The news just came in about tropical storm Ondoy... crazy times in Manila I hope that people can pull together and get themselves back on their feet fast.
Toodles for now
Rico

10 months

Another month has passed...we're one month closer to our Little One...knowing this makes us so happy...we just wish we knew how many more months there are to wait.

So this past month we've been having "fun" trying to sell our house and looking for a new one... We found a new one but selling our house has been a challenge. We'll try for a little longer - but if we don't get another serious offer soon we'll put our plan on hiatus (we don't really feel like moving in January).

For the past little bit, we've been helping some friends build a deck, well...actually the girls are building the deck and the guys are shopping and preparing the meals! Talk about learning experiences!

Nine Months

Nine months already...our baby should be here any day...WAIT...we're not ready...the room isn't finished, we don't have all the supplies...what are we going to do?! Just kidding! We're adopting...and that means that we probably have at least another nine months to wait...but that's ok, because if the second nine months passes as quickly as the first nine months, our Little One will be here before we know it.

We have been very busy this month...we had a mini "stay-cation". Eric had some time off of work and we decided that since we'll have an amazing vacation to the Philippines sometime in the next year or so, that we would stay close to home this year. We did enjoy a spa day in Mont-Tremblant, took care of some things at home, had dinner with some new friends and then drove to Burlington for a day trip. We have been contemplating a move. Its a big one...we're thinking of buying a new house that would give us more room and would have an apartment in it for my mom. Our house is for sale and we're playing the waiting game...while trying to remain patient. Have I mentioned before that I don't have much patience when it comes to waiting? So we're keeping busy cleaning the house and showing the house...and cleaning the house and showing the house...

We also spent an extra special week with our nephew and our niece. Since I'm not working for the moment, I was lucky enough to have a whole week with them. We went to Parc Safari, a children's museum, and a farm and we spent two days at home swimming in their pool. It was the first time we've been able to spend so much time with them and it was so fun...exhausting...but fun!

Eight Months

Already eight months...hard to believe that it has passed so quickly and harder yet to think that we have another 10 or more to go!

This month we met some of our bloggy friends for coffee...they don't live in our area. It was so nice to meet them in person. It was interesting to talk about the various phases of adoption, and see how similar or different our experiences have been. I am looking forward to seeing them again soon. And I have been thinking of how great it will be when we can introduce our Little Ones to each other!

Eric's sister Rachelle who just came back home after a year of working with MSF in Africa, was offered a six month position in the Philippines again with MSF. She accepted and is leaving for the Philippines this weekend. We are proud of her and the work that she is doing to help people. The situation however brings with it, mixed emotions for me, while I am happy for her that she is doing something that she loves and is good for the world, I am sad too because I want to be getting on that plane to go to the Philippines. I was surprised by my reaction, and after some contemplation, I realized that going the Philippines means much more than getting on a plane, it has become symbolic - kind of like when a woman goes into labour, she is not just going to the hospital, she knows that this is it, she is going to see her baby very soon. Rachelle and I have talked about it, and she was very understanding, and now that we've talked about it, I am feeling better about it. I will miss her terribly... I always do... but we'll manage stay in touch... thank God for e-mail!

I started to work on the Little One's quilt this month. I have chosen the fabrics, blues, greens, yellows and brown. I have the top of the quilt finished and now have to think of the pattern I'll use for the back of the quilt.

That is all the news for this month...we're enjoying the beginning of our summer holidays and looking forward to spending time with family and friends from near and far this summer.

Shared Joy...

Tonight (or rather, this morning!) I am thankful for friends!

I had a get-together tonight with two special friends and it was so fun to talk a little about our adoption and to have them share our joy!

Thanks for your support and encouragement!! It means a lot...it is fun to dream of the day we'll pick up our Little One! It is also fun to hear others talk of their excitement about our adoption! I feel so blessed to know that our Little One is loved and highly anticipated, by our families and friends!

We can't wait to meet you, Little One!

Seven Months

We've been waiting for seven months! Time seems to be flying by! Well, at least it is for us right now anyway.

As far as our adoption process, not much has happened this past month. We have not done any more work on the Little One's room. I did sleep in there one night though...and it is a really pleasant room to wake up in! We haven't done much reading, just some articles and blogs on the internet.

We were pretty busy getting ready and participating in our friend's wedding. Jen is a great girl - honestly one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and Marty is a great guy too! The wedding was beautiful even though it poured rain all day! Imagine the puddles! Jen had a great attitude and kept saying...it doesn't matter if it rains...I'm getting married today...and it's "shower's of blessing"...the wedding was fun...how could it not be with six kids...that's right, I said six kids (under 8) in the bridal party! I wish them both a happy marriage (with lots of little ones!).

My sister-in-law (Eric's sister, Rachelle) came home! She is a nurse and took a one year sabbatical from work to join Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontiers - MSF). She went to Africa where she worked on three different projects, one in Ethiopia, Central African Republic and Burundi. We are so proud of her and the work that she has done. She is an amazing person with a huge heart! The projects that she was working on were all nutrition oriented, the people didn't have enough food and MSF was there to make sure that the children were not dying of starvation. It is really difficult to hear her talk about the malnurished children.When she showed us her photos, I was reminded again that we have enough, even too much...and we sometimes take our food, clean water, home and health for granted. I'm glad that she is home safe and sound...because the areas that she was working in were not the safest.

My mom decided to get her driver's licence...she took the test to get her learner's permit and passed with 99%! Way to go mom! I am so proud of you...soon you'll be driving all over town and you'll wonder what took you so long!


So that is our little update for this month...looking forward to holding our Little One in our arms soon!

Dreaming of our turn...

This morning while reading some e-mails from our Agency's Adoption Forum, I came across a video about a couple who adopted from the Philippines. The report was done by TQS, on a show called 90 minutes de bonheur (90 minutes of happiness - what a great name for a tv show!).

A husband and his mom wrote in to the tv show saying that they would like to surprise the wife/daughter-in-law by painting and decorating the baby's nursery. The couple had been waiting for their referral for some time, and they were feeling discouraged. The tv reporter and crew then surprised the unsuspecting wife with many surprises! It's a tear-jerker! Get your kleenex ready and click on the link below.

(for those of you who don't speak french...I post a translation in the comments...I don't want to ruin the surprises for those who want to watch the video - it's worth it to watch it)

http://ft1.tqs.ca/videos/90-minutes-de-bonheur/2007/11/adoption-international-19733.php

...after watching the video...we are dreaming of our turn...when will we get the call...where will we be...what will our reactions be...how will we announce it to our families...so many happy things to think of today!

Happy Mother's Day

I had a wonderful surprise today when my mom gave me flowers to celebrate that I am "expecting"... I cried, of course. Thanks Mom...

Today I have been thinking a lot of our Little One's mother. I know that she has had (or will have) to make difficult decisions, decisions that will affect her life and mine for the rest of our days. I will always be grateful for, what I can only imagine is, a huge sacrifice made for our child...

I am truly blessed to have a great mom... and I hope to be as good a mom to our children.

Blurb

I've just heard about this great website...and I can't wait to write my own book!

All you have to do is download their free software...choose a background...add your photos and text...and away you go...I can think of so many ideas for books...I have a friend who's getting married...a sister-in-law who's spent the past year in Africa working with Medecins Sans Frontieres...a neice and a nephew who love books...some favorite recipes that I'd love to make into a personalized cookbook...or...an adoption journey book...our journey to you, Little one!

Six Months

So I'm told it's been six months since ICAB retained our candidacy to adopt. Notice that I'm somewhat oblivious to the specific passage in time. I've found it particularly interesting how the timing seems to be such a concern - I remember my wife pointing out nutters on the posting boards getting up in arms over comparing the timing of adoptions.
Now before you chuck your pro-biotic yoghurt/muslix at the screen... just hold on.
I get that in a nearly real sense this is like a gestation period for women and that this is ultimately the fulfilment of many years of a difficult emotional voyage. bon-bon c'est correcte... However I'm just saying that for me, time is zipping by - work is nuts - theres a growing list of stuff thats needs to happen around the house.
I've had a long standing sense that as far as taking care of a kid emotionally, spiritually and academically I'll be fine. The whole health thing is more of an issue to refer to mom/sister/wife who are either nurses of better informed... as long as food goes down and comes out the other way all systems are go to my mind. But the logistics are just enough to drown in... yikes.
So yeah I think that the time we have pre-kid is valuable and needs to be spent wisely - we need to talk about discipline - household management - is fixing the roof or getting a fenced in yard the bigger priority... all stuff that will become significantly more dificult to chat about when there's +1 in our mix.
So six months gone who knows how many more to go. Insha Allah, as they say.
Uncle Rikki signs off -a.k.a. Dad

Six months have passed and we're doing ok! The wait so far has not been as bad as I had expected it to be. We're keeping busy and I can now see that before we know it we'll be holding our Little One in our arms. I was sure that this wait would be excruciating, but so far, I'm doing ok and for that I am glad (as he stated above, my hubby knew he would be fine).
I picked up my Tagalog book again today...and ironically, I am starting to feel a little stressed that there won't be enough time for me to learn some Tagalog before we go!
As mentioned in previous posts, we have been doing a lot of reading and it seems like the more we learn, the more there is to learn, it can be overwhelming, but we'll just try to keep reading and learning as much as we can.
This blog has encouraged me through this part of our journey, it has been somewhat therapeutic to write about what is going on and where we're at in our journey, and it has the added benefit that family and friends (both old and new!) are both supportive and encouraging.
Tammy - a.k.a. Mom

The Little One's Room...in progress...part 2

I felt inspired today to do some work on the Little One's room, so I dug out my paint and paint brushes and headed upstairs...

I worked on the deciduous trees first, and then on the grass and flowers at the bottom of all the trees, I still have some work to do on the evergreens. The main project I worked on today was to paint the Hobbit Hole. Eric had drawn an outline on the wall, but I needed some inspiration, so I looked through his copy of The Hobbit and there were some great illustrations, that was all the inspiration I needed!

Here are the pictures of some of the trees and the Hobbit hole.

A little reviewing...

After my last post, I received a couple of questions that got me thinking about the books that I was reading, so I've written a little blurb about each one - just my thoughts...

Attaching in Adoption
One of the main concerns I have about our adoption is about attaching with our little one. My husband read Deborah Gray's Attaching in Adoption before I did, and since he knows me so well, he recommended that I only read certain chapters that are more relevant to our current situation, so that I don't stress myself out needlessly. Attaching in Adoption is an important resource book for every adoptive family, and it will stay in our Adoption Library.

Conquering Infertility
I must admit that when our social worker first recommended a book about conquering your infertility, I was a little confused. We'll be married for ten years this year and after undergoing infertility treatments; being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome; and taking time to grieve the loss of the biological child we will not have; I can honestly say that at the point in time when the social worker recommeded this book, I felt that I had dealt with my infertility. I got the book anyway and began reading it anyway, and it helped me to see that, I had dealt with the main issues related to my infertility, which was reassuring since we're now on a different path. It also helped me to understand why I had behaved and/or reacted in certain ways in certain instances/situations. Although I wish I had read this book while I was first dealing with infertility, I am glad to have read it and to know for sure that we are in the right place and on the right path now.

Secret thoughts of an adoptive mother
This is one of my favorite books! I admire Jana Wolff's humour, candor, and honesty! Reading her book is a little like reading a friend's diary, in it, she openly shares her thoughts and fears regarding her adoption. Although the paths to our children are different (she chose open domestic adoption), her concerns about being an adoptive parent really resonated with me. While reading this book, I slowly began to feel that the feelings, and thoughts I have/am having are "normal", and for that I am grateful.

Becoming a family
This book had great information about healthy attachments. The chapter "bringing your baby home" has lots of great information that I plan to use to help us educate our family and friends about what to expect when our little one comes home. The author shares important information about the need for your child to be physically attached to you for the first while to help to promote healthy attachment.

The whole life adoption book
I'm only halfway through this book, but what I like is that it is full of practical ideas to help you through different situations with your child. It has some suggestions for educating family, friends, educators, and important people in your child's life. There is a summary at the end of each chapter as well as a list of questions for small groups (it would be nice to have a small group wouldn't it?!).

Labor of the heart
This book is another one - for the journey to adoption, It was one of my favorite books about working through the decisions to adopt and preparing to be a parent. At the end of each chapter, there is a section called "Adoptive Parents' Workbook" that encourages the parents to evaluate themselves based on the topic of the chapter.

So...there you have it...my two cents...what are your favorite adoption related books?

A little reading...

Books we're reading:
Attaching in Adoption - Deborah D. Gray
Conquering Infertility - Mind/body guide to enhancing fertility and coping with infertility - Alice D. Domar, Ph.D (this book was a suggestion by our social worker)
The whole life adoption book - Jayne E. Schooler & Thomas C. Atwood


Books we've read:
Becoming a Family - promoting healthy attachments with your adopted child - Lark Eshleman, Ph.D
Secret thoughts of an adoptive mother - Jana Wolff
Labor of the Heart - a parents guide to the decisions and emotions in adoption - Kathleen L. Whitten, Ph.D
Twenty things adopted kids wish their adoptive parents knew - Sherrie Eldridge

The Perfect Stroller?

We've begun our search for "The Perfect Stroller" however, I must admit that I wonder if it exists?

Eric is 6'2" while I am only 5'2"...usually if the stroller is comfortable for me to push...then Eric has to practically bend in two to push it, and if the stroller is comfortable for Eric then I feel like a little kid trying to push a shopping cart!

So far our favorite has been the Chicco Cortina Stroller. Our favorite feature is the adjustable handle! Can you believe it an a-d-j-u-s-t-a-b-l-e handle?! (watch the video here...yes...the website has videos on its website that show you how to operate the stroller!) We think the Chicco designers are geniuses! The price tag is a little too steep for us right now (we're trying to be thrifty)...so we've been doing a little "window" shopping...online...ebay...craig's list...US stores...sales...even the Chicco store in Manila! I am learning to be pretty patient when it comes to hunting for a good bargain - and since we won't really need the stroller for another year or so - we have some time! We'll keep researching and hopefully find a GREAT deal!

What's your idea of the perfect stroller?

Five Months

Eric's belated bits... so five months since acceptance; 14 months since "officially" starting the proccess and like umpteen years since we decided together to go for kids...

And so here we are today: mortgage, backyard, dog and other overtly "western family" trappings... But I am realizing more and more that those things are not what will make our family a good family or succsessful by any sense of the word... The measure of our family greatness must clearly be - - - my superpowers...
- What you have superpowers ?? - Indeed I do, and the application of those to our family dynamics - dog walking, mowing the lawn and kid raising and wife caring will create an atmosphere of awesomeness unparalled in all modern suburbia.

Otherwise stuffs good
'till the next chicane
Eric

Another month closer to our little one!
Thankfully, time seems to be passing more quickly as the months go by. Looking back and realizing that it's been 14 months since we started the process makes me think that we'll have our little one in our arms before we know it!

The Little One's Room..in progress...Part 1

We have begun working on our Little One's room. Eric and I have had many discussions about how to decorate it. He wanted to paint a mural on all the walls in the room but I wanted a mural on only one wall (He's usually right about these things - he HAS chosen every paint color in our home!). He had tons of ideas and since I am a more visual person and was having a hard time envisioning his ideas, one night I had him draw on the walls with chalk and after living with the chalk drawings for months, we decided to bite the bullet and try to paint the mural on two walls in the room to see how we felt. After the trial paint job...the next morning, I began painting the first coat of the mural...on all the walls of the room! It took a couple of coats of paint on the bottom of the mural (that was the easy part). We had decided that the sky should have some "texture" and we chose to use two colors of blue paint and through trial and error; using many techniques; we finally have a beautiful blue sky. The next step is to paint the decorative elements...the clouds...the trees...the animals...the moose...and the hobbit hole...yes...I did say hobbit hole...Eric is a huge Lord of the Rings fan...so there will be a hobbit hole...


Here are some pictures of the room "in progress"...

Four Months

We're four months closer to our Little One!
The waiting is not easy, but we are finding ways to get through it. We are continuing to read about attachment and about the Philippines. I just finished reading "Becoming a family" by Lark Eshleman, Ph.D. It has some great info about bringing our Little One home, it gives some great pointers about what attachment should look and feel like as well as some information about our homecoming/attachment time that we'll be passing along to our families.

I have already begun making lists for our trip (things to bring, things to buy when we're there, and thanks to Rachel a list of questions to ask...). I have a journal that I have been keeping since August 2008. I have been writing letters to our Little One every now and again, this is also the same book where we have started to keep our lists of things not to forget...I love lists!

If it is possible to do so, we would like to vacation in the Philippines just before we adopt, so we are doing some research. We will have to be pretty organized to be able to pull it off, because we won't have much notice to travel, but it is something that we both want to do very much. So far we have talked to our resource person from our agency and she doesn't think there will be a problem, other than being willing to travel without much notice. We'll have to investigate this a little further once we actually receive our referral, but so far it doesn't seem impossible...so we're hopeful!

Encouraged!

I just finished reading about this family's adoption journey. I am so encouraged. I love the honesty, and the raw emotions that were shared. Even though I don't know this family, I found myself laughing and crying and sighing with joy and frustration at the process. Thanks so much for sharing your blog. I am so glad that I stumbled upon it! I especially love your "Tips for adoption travels".

There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about our adoption and about our little one coming home to us! I try not to think in terms of time frames, because I think that will make me crazy (some might say crazier :) ). Lately I have been focusing on decorating the little one's room; painting the mural and finding the right fabric for the bedding. It helps me deal with the wait when I have a project that I am actively working on.

Three Months

So we've passed the three month mark...the wait has gotten somewhat easier since the holidays have passed. We are able to see that the end of our adoption journey is near.

This month, we finished painting the stairway to the basement - What a difference some paint and lighting makes! We still have some work to do on the little one's room, but we cannot agree on the paint scheme. Eric wants us to paint a mural on all the walls, where I want to paint a mural on only one wall. I think we are going to try painting two walls and see how it feels. We have quite a bit of work to do in that room, so we'll have to start working on it soon.

This month, we have been talking a lot about names for our little one. We are not going to be sharing our choice until after we receive our proposal, and maybe not until we meet our little one. It is interesting to hear our family member's suggestions and to play around with different names. Eric has a bunch of boy names that he would like, but I'm not yet convinced. In the event that we are proposed a girl, we have chosen a girl name that we agree on.

Two months

This Christmas season was somewhat difficult; its been two months of officially waiting to adopt, and all Christmas events and happenings are seen through that filter. And there were two family members who were missing this year, one who passed away and one who is working halfway around the world with MSF.
Our house is in need of some renovations before the little one arrives. We began doing some of the reno work this month. We sanded, and primed the stairway leading to our unfinished basement. We had not painted the stairway when we moved into the house (three years ago) so who knows how long it has been since that stairway was painted... The walls are now ready to be painted, what a difference some plaster and primer makes! During our wait we are planning to tackle as much of the basement as we can.
We also have some work to do in the little one's room which we will be getting to...the "Moose themed" room has just about all the moose items that it will need (or can fit), so next we will be working on painting/decorating the walls.



Tammy has realized that once we adopt, when Eric comes home from work the ordinarily calm house will turn into a mad house with Eric, Hobbes and the little one running, jumping and wrestling until, during and after supper until she has had enough and she cries "that's enough, you need to calm down!" That is what happens now so we can only imagine what adding a little one into the mix will do.