Bring Home Lulu and Beyond

I wonder when they talk about the adoption rollercoaster they are talking about the gut wrenching feeling you get when you owe tens of thousands of dollars… or the same feeling you get when you write such checks.

We do not have a nursery theme. We have sage green walls, white trim, black furniture, and pink “stuff.” Pink and green overall.

I did however commission this painting a few months ago. If you’d like one of your pets, respond and I shall forward your information to the artist. I love this painting. She did such a great job! This is a painting of Peanut our Chihuahua and Monkey our Brussels Griffon. It is a three piece. Too adorable!

One of my online girlfriends went to VN 10 weeks after DTV. We are at week 1.
It’s time to start getting ready. We ordered our changing table… it was discontinued, I think, so I ordered it on eBay - cheaper than it was on BabiesRus.com.

Well, it is time for us to get started on the Nursery. The floor is scheduled to be put in on August 9th.
I will see about getting you before and after photos.

Our dossier went to Vietnam last Friday. We are now officially waiting to find out who our baby is!

What does this mean?

A dossier is ,”a collection or file of documents on the same subject, esp. a complete file containing detailed information about a person or topic.” according to the dictionary.

This is where I talk about the dossier.

This means our wait is anticipated at 2- 3 months for a referral. A referral is where we find out who are baby is!

I am so happy for my gf L!!!! What wonderful showers!!!

I think I love that everyone gave her gifts for the orphanage…

Now we are waiting for next Tuesday before we know something.

We do not know if we are DTV. We have left messages and hope to know SOMETHING tomorrow.

Vaccines.We had an appointment with a travel specialist regarding the vaccines we will need before we leave for Vietnam.

I will write more details later

We are signed up for Infant and Child CPR. We have to, but it’s a good thing to do!

Infant/Child CPR
Designed for childcare providers, teachers, parents and others who care for children, this course teaches participants how to recognize and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies in infants and children up to 12 years old. Useful take-home course materials help you retain skills and serve as an excellent refresher and reference tool after training is complete. Updated with the latest science for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care.

You can sign up at: http://www.redcross.org/

I have been feeling very selfish as of late. My best friends baby shower was today. It just makes me wonder when mine will be..

She got her crib from dad, changing table from her MIL, and glider from BIL (and soon to be SIL.) That right there are the items I am most worried about. I feel guilty, but I was so jealous of every present my friend opened. I want to be in the chair of honor!

My girlfriend, L, has already had two, and is expecting more at the end of the month. There are so many roller coasters here in the “Adoption World” that one needs any splinter of happiness and fun to keep them occupied and distracted from said roller coaster!

I feel selfish for wanting a baby shower. Is this not part of our society’s rituals right before motherhood, why do I feel selfish, then?

Here is an article from ADOPTIVE FAMILIES magazine(for which I just got a subscription to…)

We are hoping for baby showers after our DTV, but before referral. This way we can set up “shop” (aka nursery) early, and not be panicked that the crib is not purchased, or is not put together. After referral, I want our only worry to be preparing for travel.

If everything goes as smoothly for us as it has for L, Lulu will be ours in November. Why do I feel like the nursery needs to be ready NOW!

Well,we heard that we might hear something by next Wednesday. That’s as good as it gets.
{insert whine -I WANTTO BE DTV!!!!!}

L got her referal AND her travel date. And is having TWO SHOWERS!!!! (can I say two MORE because she already HAD two. She must be VERY VERY loved!!!!!)

I think I am AdoptionMomZilla-as opposed to BrideZilla.

Welcome into the world little baby, Steven!

We are proud to be named Aunt and Uncle for the fifth time!

Congrats to the proud parents!! We love you!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cafc8MnixwY]

I talked about this book before…

Well, it came in the mail today. This is one of the best baby purchases one could ever make! We read this book cover to cover and feel it is a fantastically wonderful book one should NOT live without if they are adopted from Vietnam.

All of our dossier is complete and into the adoption agency, but of course there was a hiccup and hopefully we will be DTV soon. This is extremely annoying and doesn’t make for a happy me. It’s something to work on the dossier, complete it, and NOT have it sent to Vietnam. I sure hope nothing ages out….

I have purchased hair bows in every color. Yes, that is what I was doing while trying to get the dossier out the door. Lulu NEVER needs another bow - well, until we start losing them
Here are some of her bows:

Our copy of Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents by Deborah Gray came (by recommendation of C.) But, Jen just posted on this topic…and I really liked this article Top Ten Tips for the First Year of Placement also by Deborah Gray.

I think many of these tips would work well for biological children, too. It seems as though this is common sense. I like this article. “Do not leave your child for overnight trips for this first year.” I would have never thought of this, but it makes so much sense.

I am now looking forward to the arrival of Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents by Deborah Gray more than ever!

For you adoptive (or prospective) parents… here is another fundraiser Just wanted to share with all you trying to gather the money for adopting a child!

His Kids, Too!