tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72165553179212136232024-03-05T05:56:03.124-05:00Adoption PilgrimageBethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-70309872728455020952023-12-20T06:22:00.003-05:002023-12-20T06:22:52.038-05:00Home Study Update #4: Done with Visits now, too<p> As Christmas approaches fast in five days, one "present" we're happy about this year is that we were able to complete all three of our social worker visits before we traveled for the holidays!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3XNbjXyygXfBefLptPxmXJm7C9N7nex-FoUIvDVA_XXaIcIVBa3PBvd9ChGfDr5oZruBmf5uT9Tnnn0r5TAAvV08yBNX98n3A6tLni0dYROIaL3B8wkMND4I-C-LRyztsqptKrhm7ognorLN2H93kXAiTftfmVJ79Kv3QpZHcIRKIqcawWwbR4joKa9rE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2039" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3XNbjXyygXfBefLptPxmXJm7C9N7nex-FoUIvDVA_XXaIcIVBa3PBvd9ChGfDr5oZruBmf5uT9Tnnn0r5TAAvV08yBNX98n3A6tLni0dYROIaL3B8wkMND4I-C-LRyztsqptKrhm7ognorLN2H93kXAiTftfmVJ79Kv3QpZHcIRKIqcawWwbR4joKa9rE" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just a fun Christmasy photo, this one with Santa Cow :)</i></div><p></p><p>All three visits are in our home, with our social worker Sandy who has been with us since we started the adoption process for Zelie.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Visit 1: November 27 (Bethany's birthday :)) - joint visit, discussed any major changes since we last met four years ago, talked about our openness to various adoption scenarios, then Sandy did her less-than-a-minute walk-through our our house</li><li>Visit 2: December 4 - individual interviews, where Sandy talked to Dan and me separately about any personal changes or challenges since our last home study, our feelings about the next adoption, etc.</li><li>Visit 3: December 11 - joint visit, and with our kids, too, talking more about parenting (the blessings and the challenges), our approach to discipline, our plans for adjusting to baby #3, etc.</li></ul><div>Zelie had some questions for Sandy, along the lines of: "what's 100 plus 1,000?" and "do you like legos?" Sandy was a good sport about them! Zelie also made Sandy a picture and gave her a baggie of cookies to take with her; Grace eagerly showed Sandy her current favorite toy. ha!</div><div><br /></div><div>After Visit #3, Sandy also went to have a chat with our in-person references (our dear friends the McClains, also Grace's godparents), part of the requirement.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that got wrapped up really well and we thought very quickly! It was a bit of a challenge to squeeze this in during a busy season already, but we're grateful that we could and keep this train moving. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next steps are:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sandy writes up the actual home study (n.b. the official "home study" is an actual document that details our readiness to adopt, the kind of situations we're open to, and more, which is shared with whatever agency we're working with)</li><li>Two people from Barker review the home study</li><li>We get a chance to review it and offer any suggestions or (more likely) correct anything factually inaccurate</li></ul><div>After those three things are done, our home study for baby #3 is officially approved, woo hoo!! At that point we're technically in the waiting pool because we could legally adopt with an active home study.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Then (#nosurprise) we have other things to do, too:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Chat with someone at Barker about what out-of-state agencies would be good to consider joining; the numbers of babies adopted in our area are fairly low, and while we may be able to be considered for some possibilities locally (that's how Grace joined us!) we'll also be looking to enter another waiting pool, too. So we need to (re-)consider which out-of-state agency is the best fit in terms of location (how easy is it to get there? do we know people nearby?), cost, services, etc. Barker vets the agencies in terms of doing adoption ethically. </li><li>Once we choose an out-of-state agency to sign up with, they'll have their own requirements, typically we'll do an application and maybe talk with someone on their staff; they get a copy of our home study to review as well.</li><li>Then we'll update our profile book with current pictures of our family, and maybe create a video too (that was something that was just becoming common before we adopted Grace); we're waiting on this to see what agency #2 expects to see, as they're all a bit different.</li></ul><div>Then we wait! For only God knows how long! </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for your prayers!</div><p></p>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-83755548540356025452023-11-25T19:50:00.001-05:002023-11-25T19:50:15.910-05:00Home Study Update #3: done with paperwork!<p> We've finished the paperwork part of the home study and are now scheduling visits with our social worker, hooray! We're very grateful that we'll be working with the same social worker (Sandy) who helped with both Zelie's and Grace's adoption, which is so cool. She answered so many questions we had as we went through the home study process for the first time, and she met Zelie when Zelie was only a few weeks old and we had just returned from California (Zelie's birth state). And Sandy was one of the first people who found out about Grace (shortly after we found out) and met Grace shortly after we brought her home from the NICU. So she's played a special role in both our girls' lives, and we're so glad she's still working with the agency and able to meet with us again!</p><p>This portion of the home study includes three visits, in our house:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joint visit #1, with social worker plus us (parents and kids)</li><li>Joint visit #2, with social worker plus parents</li><li>Individual visits, where she meets separately with me and Dan</li></ul><div>(So I guess that's technically four visits? But three times at our house.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Note that one of the joint visits is also with our kids, and Sandy will ask them a few questions about the upcoming adoption. You never know exactly what our kids will say, so that should be fun! :) Zelie in particular brings up "our new baby" quite a bit. Like when she was going through a Christmas toy catalog and circling baby items "for the new baby." Or when we were voting on which movie to go see, and she said it would be great to have a third kid as a tie-breaker, ha! So it's on her mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have our first visit scheduled for November 27 (Bethany's birthday, btw) and at that meeting we'll schedule the other two. It could be possible to get them done before Christmas, we'll see. And then Sandy takes all the information - the paperwork and the visits - and writes up the official home study document that approves us to adopt again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Getting closer and closer!</div><div><br /></div><div>As one last recap, here's what we've done so far (the paperwork portion):</div><div><br /></div><p></p><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Uploaded proof of medical, life, and car insurance, 1040 tax form from 2022, and Grace's birth certificate </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pet license and vaccine records for Mr. Bailey </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fire inspection</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fire safety survey + family emergency plan</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Autobiography updates</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Guardianship forms</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Employer / salary verification</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Certified driving records from the state </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Medical paperwork for the kids</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Medical self-assessments for adults plus physicals</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Four references</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Background checks (CPS and child support) </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Live virtual class about transracial adoption </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Five online classes </li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">All financial information</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Two online classes</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fingerprints</li></ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Really glad to have that behind us! Onward!</span></span></div></div>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-91968082717758009022023-10-15T19:58:00.002-04:002023-10-15T19:58:34.001-04:00Home Study: 2 month(ish) update<p>Now we're a little more than<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> two months (+ a few days) into the home study for adoption #3, and here's where we're at:</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><u><b>Done</b></u></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Uploaded proof of medical, life, and car insurance, 1040 tax form from 2022, and Grace's birth certificate </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pet license and vaccine records for Mr. Bailey (the easiest government-issued thing so far!)</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fire inspection</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fire safety survey + family emergency plan</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Autobiography updates</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Guardianship forms</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Employer / salary verification</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Certified driving records from the state <b>- new</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Medical paperwork for the kids <b>- new</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Medical self-assessments for adults plus physicals*** <b>- new</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Four references <b>- new</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Background checks (CPS and child support) <b>- new</b> </li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Live virtual class about transracial adoption <b>- new</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Three online classes <b>- new</b></li></ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">*** "Fun" story for this month's update, regarding my (Bethany's) physical ... I did it at the Patient First down the road, and went in at 8 a.m., having fasted since the previous evening for some blood work. I was feeling a bit hungry but generally fine (not there because I was sick, obviously). Well, when I was getting my blood drawn I started to feel WOOZY. Like edges of vision closing in, hard to form my words, but was able to say "I feel a little.....lightheaded" and hear the nurse's concern before BOOM, passed out. (!!) It was only for a bit, it seems, because I came to and the same nurse saying with concern, "Are you ok?" She had me lay down on the bed and someone else got me some ginger ale. Still feeling not superb but I just want to get home and eat something --- but when I was standing in the hallway to check out, all the sudden that ginger ale, ahem, comes up.... make that a first of throwing up in public, UGH! Back to the room again, someone found a bag of pretzels this time, and made extra extra sure I was okay to leave. Lots of concerned looks like, "you're sure you weren't sick when you came in here?" Oh boy - what a way to start a day!! Ah the adoption memories.....</span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><u><b>Not done</b></u></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Some remaining financial information (stuff to upload that we missed initially, it's SO much information....!)</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Two online classes</li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fingerprints (they only take about 48 hours to be processed, and then have a "shelf life" of one year before we have to redo them, so we're waiting until closer to the end) -- planning on October 28th at a walk-in center</li></ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Working goal adjusted a bit: now we're hoping that getting the fingerprints done will be the LAST thing that is pending, so hopefully that will happen at the very end of October, allowing us to schedule our home study interviews in November / December - fingers crossed!</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><b>And one fun thing from this time period: </b>we went to the annual adoption picnic hosted by our agency, which was really sweet! It's very kid-centric so there were lots of games for the kids to play, plus face painting, a playground, a cheerleading show (!), and a yummy grilled meats + potluck lunch. It was really nice! And so enjoyable to be around other adoptive families, since we don't have that many in our network, and barely any with young kids. It was great to have a place where Zelie and Grace weren't the only adopted kids but almost all the kids there were - to give some solidarity that other kids have a similar background to them. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRIkEYcLsYaM0T71-PglfDZAZWtoqNNRmPeZil5amJ1OLnagfyvJZeH2Y--KVS0OiYpCG6lITdT9BE9wl-cU36SQBb3AHHX-tnoxTq6VpyIX5LxhLbf3CyK79fWETjXUtem4wfQ-XYYBSP3qrPORcV8yeZVZA8e9gX0tR5HDN36FCYR01fGh4xhu6k4IrY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRIkEYcLsYaM0T71-PglfDZAZWtoqNNRmPeZil5amJ1OLnagfyvJZeH2Y--KVS0OiYpCG6lITdT9BE9wl-cU36SQBb3AHHX-tnoxTq6VpyIX5LxhLbf3CyK79fWETjXUtem4wfQ-XYYBSP3qrPORcV8yeZVZA8e9gX0tR5HDN36FCYR01fGh4xhu6k4IrY" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Zelie getting her face painted</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwxF0xllsITKERtlPpoBmBozPPBvzuIRBsyZ9K2WbccS6OdYQ253XVwVYvtLkXqWo7JYv_jC9lR3ZINAdow9pC0FDLAO18ZPHd4_d5dZnvxHzMWLfXCAdKiAxbMWlWJ9iH0peEEQO99oohWS6hmLEnFQG2qCMwxSYMnX3Y8-JDaN4J-wJkpHw07YiiNCvg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwxF0xllsITKERtlPpoBmBozPPBvzuIRBsyZ9K2WbccS6OdYQ253XVwVYvtLkXqWo7JYv_jC9lR3ZINAdow9pC0FDLAO18ZPHd4_d5dZnvxHzMWLfXCAdKiAxbMWlWJ9iH0peEEQO99oohWS6hmLEnFQG2qCMwxSYMnX3Y8-JDaN4J-wJkpHw07YiiNCvg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grace as Wonder Woman</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje_5MoAG11QOCQXnXuJzomw408WEd6U_DLK0R6JMYwmy8RGvmS8R30JI65272x4UXYYHKZ22XZnbNNOoCS_0CFDNLBJ5cvZf8wKz3MwNEGB6ftJIS4phiXXj41F6Jy1MfbSdB6eKfJ9nzwC2Y6oKvS45iuSf30bwqz-zo0rwcwhGno0DUIRC-IXIX83r9F" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje_5MoAG11QOCQXnXuJzomw408WEd6U_DLK0R6JMYwmy8RGvmS8R30JI65272x4UXYYHKZ22XZnbNNOoCS_0CFDNLBJ5cvZf8wKz3MwNEGB6ftJIS4phiXXj41F6Jy1MfbSdB6eKfJ9nzwC2Y6oKvS45iuSf30bwqz-zo0rwcwhGno0DUIRC-IXIX83r9F" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hula Hooping</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As always, thank you for your prayers!! Onward!!</div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></span></span></div>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-55064158165666330042023-09-07T18:26:00.004-04:002023-09-07T18:26:49.929-04:00Home Study: 1 Month(ish) Update<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY8XXdTfauexRk6CAD4bXt116BbmZcQoaMLNKaBdMb0WOMucYkv1PaygLxqp5YSNYJFWKYKdf2yzzlni6OrYWDteXI3-efuUULextCDbjKMya9wwi__QEClVIEs4tD7gy_VEJ2aNhYaEeN9e0oS2oZ8II27jXdFaJegmYTo-BV6rB-DT-yo8PS-hzBiwpa" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY8XXdTfauexRk6CAD4bXt116BbmZcQoaMLNKaBdMb0WOMucYkv1PaygLxqp5YSNYJFWKYKdf2yzzlni6OrYWDteXI3-efuUULextCDbjKMya9wwi__QEClVIEs4tD7gy_VEJ2aNhYaEeN9e0oS2oZ8II27jXdFaJegmYTo-BV6rB-DT-yo8PS-hzBiwpa" width="135" /></a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbDhJb4R3qwgv3Uuq3IFU1v-8s5JKnvmd5Fg73mYPFq04C27fqvBUCl9RhJwgZZbJo2oRhHAniKWztRPy5cc6M4guN3UR37IEvmK6fzzn5y-5Qb5HSkesZBHouKGMhcSUFq3qqvhO6fjw3Mi5E1Cth7MOC5momZ2YG7rN93Uc0nUfwGI1160proi1As3Bc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbDhJb4R3qwgv3Uuq3IFU1v-8s5JKnvmd5Fg73mYPFq04C27fqvBUCl9RhJwgZZbJo2oRhHAniKWztRPy5cc6M4guN3UR37IEvmK6fzzn5y-5Qb5HSkesZBHouKGMhcSUFq3qqvhO6fjw3Mi5E1Cth7MOC5momZ2YG7rN93Uc0nUfwGI1160proi1As3Bc" width="180" /></a></div><br /></div><i>Pictures: top, from a work trip to Wichita this month; bottom, the girls at Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster PA where they stayed with my parents while we were away :)</i><br /> <p></p><p><b>We're one month (+ a few days) into the home study for adoption #3, and here's where we're at:</b></p><p><u>Done</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Uploaded proof of medical, life, and car insurance, 1040 tax form from 2022, and Grace's birth certificate </li><li>Pet license and vaccine records for Mr. Bailey (the easiest government-issued thing so far!)</li><li>Fire inspection*</li><li>Fire safety survey + family emergency plan</li><li>Autobiography updates</li><li>Guardianship forms</li><li>Employer / salary verification</li></ul><div>*It cracks us up how different each of the three fire inspections we've had <u>at the same house</u> (!) This time, the curveball was that we needed to have smoke alarms IN the sleeping area for the baby - meaning, attached the ceiling in the master bedroom, even though there's one already a few feet away in the hallway.... thankfully, Dan had thought ahead and had an extra alarm, and dashed up the stairs to install it. The inspector noted that he clearly "was doing it" and let us pass without waiting for it to be fully installed ;) You just never know!</div><p></p><p><u>In process</u></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Certified driving records (requested from the state)</li><li>Medical paperwork for the kids (will get done at Grace's 4 year check-up later in September)</li><li>Medical self-assessments (working on it)</li><li>Four references</li><li>Background checks (CPS and child support) - submitted to state via Barker, haven't received results yet</li></ul><p></p><p><u>Not done</u></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Upload proof of finances + fill out financial form</li><li>Physicals for Dan and Bethany</li><li>10.5 hours of online training (but did purchase the classes)</li><li>Live virtual class about transracial adoption (will happen September 16)</li><li>Fingerprints (they only take about 48 hours to be processed, and then have a "shelf life" of one year before we have to redo them, so we're waiting until closer to the end)</li></ul><div>Overall it's going really well! It feels like a peaceful pace but we're making progress, which is nice to see. Our working goal is to get everything done by early October, so we can schedule our home study interviews in October / November and *hopefully* have our home study complete by early 2024.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, please keep praying for us and for whatever future child we may be welcoming into our home!</div><p></p>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-84062397689537497982023-08-04T10:19:00.005-04:002023-08-04T10:19:46.912-04:00And we're back again :) Adoption three officially underway!<p>Please pray for us as we embark on a 3rd adoption pilgrimage, to - God willing - welcome another precious child into our family!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYleSLAF76nuUQ7GUTAP_nOLY2Q_QEGRCybQpt3HXdBjJlG8edHK8FEErKHNZrJkvfowtEEsrf_vkMm4NPb7W5WzQgsZEq6ZdK8Zv-i-PqdI7a6sswaJZDiIPmPjjlVeXSlSUPbS_ZZJLBlC-L2c5uZ-EtA2Mv2CfMEctdFCIwh_7X5qSgpFxDmQ77s1M/s3441/announcement%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3441" data-original-width="2726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYleSLAF76nuUQ7GUTAP_nOLY2Q_QEGRCybQpt3HXdBjJlG8edHK8FEErKHNZrJkvfowtEEsrf_vkMm4NPb7W5WzQgsZEq6ZdK8Zv-i-PqdI7a6sswaJZDiIPmPjjlVeXSlSUPbS_ZZJLBlC-L2c5uZ-EtA2Mv2CfMEctdFCIwh_7X5qSgpFxDmQ77s1M/s320/announcement%20pic.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><p><i>Backstory:</i></p><p>We have long wanted to adopt again - as it still seems as though babies are not coming any other way - but this time around, it took us WAY longer to get to the starting block again! (For comparison, we <a href="https://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/2018/08/adoption-pilgrimage-round-two.html">started adoption #2 </a>when Zelie was just over a year old; Grace is almost four.)</p><p>A few reasons for that:</p><p>First, Grace was born in September 2019, <a href="https://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/2019/10/grace-theadora-rose-our-second-adoption.html">which we recount here</a>, and while we were still in the early months of sleep-deprived newborn-parent life, the world shut down with the covid pandemic in March 2020. We - like most of the world - were in shocked survival mode for months and months, and starting another adoption did not seem feasible as the world was so crazily altered.</p><p>Second, we discerned a major career move around the time Grace was born. Dan had completed his PhD studies in January 2019 and through prayer, dreaming, and the encouragement of some key mentors, we decided to leap into the unknown and start a non-profit with the mission of helping adult children of divorce (like Dan) find healing: <a href="https://www.lifegivingwounds.org/">Life-Giving Wounds</a>.</p><p>If you've ever started something brand new, especially a start-up from-scratch business, you know the work and effort that goes into it!! It's been such an amazing experience but a huge learning curve as well. We started out simply in a volunteer capacity, but thankfully the ministry has grown such that Dan has worked full-time for Life-Giving Wounds as the President since February 2023. (That whole journey would be another post by itself!)</p><p>Suffice it to say that we wanted to see where this new venture would lead, and make sure it was stable enough, before embarking on another adoption process.</p><p>We started talking in earnest this past Spring about adopting again, and decided that July was a good (enough!) time to do it!</p><p><i>Differences with adopting this time around:</i></p><p>The *biggest* difference, of course, is that we now have TWO children who - because they are older than Zelie was when we adopted Grace - will be participants in many ways in the ride we're about to take as a family! The girls are VERY excited. (Grace says she wants a baby "right NOW" ha, and Zelie is full of ideas for names, such as: Zelie, Sprinkles, and Rainbow....it's a work in progress ;))</p><p>We're hoping that this adoption can also lead to conversations with them about their own adoptions, and an opportunity - especially for Zelie at age 6 - to "see" what the process is like that she only experienced as a newborn. Zelie will be interviewed by our social worker as part of the home study - kid-appropriate questions like what she likes about being a big sister, etc. </p><p>And now that we have a cat (#pandemicpet), Mr. Bailey has a role too - we have to submit his rabies vaccination records and get him a pet license.</p><p>The last big difference so far is that since we adopted Grace, our home study agency has gone totally virtual / electronic with the paperwork. So far this has worked out nicely, with far less things needing to be printed, signed, scanned, or mailed. And everything is kept nicely together in our "portal."</p><p><i>What's coming next:</i></p><p>For the most part, though, the home study will be more or less identical to the process we went through when adopting Zelie and Grace.</p><p>Ready for the paperwork list?? ha! Stuff we have to do includes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>provide 4 references (this time including someone who has spent a lot of time with our girls)</li><li>get background checked by the state and the FBI - three separate processes, two that are notarized forms, and one with fingerprints</li><li>provide medical information from our doctors and our girls' pediatrician</li><li>sign a bunch of agreements with the agency</li><li>update our autobiographies</li><li>have our house inspected by the fire department (let's see if they want us to <a href="https://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/search/label/Fire%20Inspection">remove a window</a> entirely this time!)</li><li>do some adoption classes - one for parents adopting again, and one about transracial adoption</li><li>give them alllllll of our financial info and then some</li><li>provide proof of all our insurance policies and our driving records</li></ul><div>and more :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we'll have to have a few meetings with our social worker, update our profile book (and maybe do a video about our family?), and decide which out-of-state agency we want to work with this time. (Our home study agency always recommends that, in order to increase the possibilities.)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, we're chipping away bit by bit! Of course there will be frustrations and delays - for example, so far all three of my phone calls to the fire marshal's office has been greeted with the recorded message "the fire marshal is not answering and the mailbox is full" (okayyyy) - but we know we'll get through it since we've done it twice before!</div><div><br /></div><div>As we start on this "pilgrimage" again, we're both excited but also nervous and - as both other times - a wee bit overwhelmed by the quantity of tasks to do. So, please pray for us! And especially for whatever child may join our family. For peace in all our hearts and a docile openness to God's will.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for reading!</div><p></p>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-23414538108861828262019-10-22T08:23:00.000-04:002019-10-22T16:44:41.498-04:00Grace Theadora Rose: our second adoption! (the details)So BIG NEWS - we adopted again!!! Our little girl turned one month old yesterday and we adults are sleep-deprived so this will be a bit of a brain dump to record on our blog how Gracie came into our lives!<br />
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<b>Fri-Sat Sept 27-29</b><br />
Dan and I had planned a long weekend away for a while. His mom was visiting so we took the opportunity to head down to Virginia (by the bay) for a getaway. We stayed in a house that belongs to one of Dan's former coworkers. It was <i>gorgeous</i> - dated back to the 1800's, super classy, felt like getting to sleep in a historic home, steps away from a peaceful inlet of water. So perfect. We had such a nice relaxing weekend the two of us, enjoying some leisurely meals, walks by the bay, antique shopping (only I cared!), etc. Just what we needed. (Even more than we realized at the time!)<br />
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Ironically, we spent some time talking/complaining about how long it was taking to adopt again. Little did we know that on....<br />
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<b>Mon Sept 30</b><br />
We would get an email in the afternoon from our home study agency saying that there was a baby girl in the hospital who they thought we'd be a great fit for. (!!!) We got some basic info and had a three-way call with the social worker handling the case, to ask more questions and such. It was definitely head-spinning, processing all this info on the fly, and apart until Dan got home from work. By that point we had already decided to say yes, and then around 6 the social worker called to say she had spoken with the baby's mom who agreed to move forward with us. (!!!)<br />
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So we went downstairs, sat down to dinner, and calmly informed Dan's mom and Zelie that we are adopting again! Cue tears! Amazing, Dan's mom had been set to leave the very next day but was able to extend her visit, which was so helpful because on...<br />
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<b>Tues Oct 1</b><br />
We drove an hour to the hospital (in Virginia) in the afternoon to meet with the social worker and then with the baby. FYI: Grace's birthmother has opted for a closed adoption after counseling, meaning that we don't know who she is, we didn't meet her, and we're not in contact. That may change over time - we are hoping it will, because we know how valuable it is for children to have information about their family of origin and for both birthparents and children to have some kind of ongoing contact. But who knows what will happen.<br />
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Anyway - we got debriefed by Sami the social worker, then went in the NICU, scrubbed our hands for three minutes (a ritual we got used to soon), and met Grace!<br />
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Sidenote: we chose her name between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon! We had some names in general we liked, but nothing "picked out" in the absence of a specific child. We basically typed up a two-page list of name possibilities and combinations, then went through circling or striking out ones we liked or didn't. Literally on the way to the hospital we settled on her full name.<br />
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Grace Theadora Rose<br />
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<b>Grace</b>: we loved how that sounding, and the meaning of grace, gift and favor<br />
<b>Theadora</b>: she was born on the feast of St. Matthew (Sept 21), whose name in Hebrew means "gift of God" - Theadora also means "gift of God" in Greek; it's also a connection with <a href="https://www.fspa.org/content/about/sister-thea-bowman">Sr. Thea Bowman</a>, an African-American Catholic leader who is in the canonization process<br />
<b>Rose</b>: we met Grace on the feast of St. Therese (Oct 1), and her "sign" is roses; this is also a connection with Zelie, who has Rose in her middle name too<br />
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Back to the hospital...Grace was resting in her clear plastic baby bed in a private room, dim behind a curtain. "Surreal" doesn't begin to describe the moment - yesterday we hadn't even known about her existence, and here we were with this new little baby. And she was SO cute and tiny and cuddly!! We stayed for the rest of that evening before driving home.<br />
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FYI: At 5 p.m. that evening Grace's birthmother's consent became irrevocable. It had been signed right after Grace was born (before we even knew about her).<br />
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<b>Weds Oct 2</b><br />
Zelie got to meet her baby sister today! As soon as she walked in the room, she asked to hold the baby. #heartmelt So we got her positioned with the boppy on her lap and she held Grace for a while, trying really hard to get the pacifier in her mouth. It was so precious, seeing our TWO girls together and interacting for the first time. Then Zelie got bored of holding the baby and wanted to put her in the bouncer (mamaroo) that was in the room. Then she wanted to touch all the wires and push the rolling bassinet and rock on the rocking chair really hard annnnnnd it was time to go ;)<br />
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We also signed all of the placement paperwork with Sami, there at the hospital, so we'd be able to leave with Grace when she got discharged. And Sami started the ICPC paperwork that would allow us to take Grace home to Maryland.<br />
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Dan's mom stayed with Grace so Dan and I could take Zelie out to eat (a yummy burger place) and to play. There was this pretty swanky shopping center a few minutes away from the hospital that had one of those water fountain play areas for kids. It was HOT today - 90's - so Zelie had a blast running around in the water and getting totally soaked.<br />
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<b>Thurs Oct 3 - Weds Oct 9</b><br />
Grace's time in the NICU. Honestly, it wasn't all that bad!<br />
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Pros: very little to do other than rock Grace, so lots and lots of time for bonding and holding and being together. The nurses were AMAZING and helped so much with Grace, and helped us get comfortable caring for a much tinier baby than we had before with Zelie (5 lbs vs. 7 lbs), navigating all the wires and beeps, etc. The drive to the NICU wasn't awful, about an hour one way. And hospital itself was pretty quiet and calm.<br />
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Cons: The worst part was not being together as a whole family. We decided not to get a hotel room because a) cost, and b) we thought Zelie would be more comfortable staying at home. Thanks to LOTS of grandparent support, Dan and I were able to take turns being with Grace. But that meant we only saw each other for the "hand off" so to speak, as most nights one of us stayed at the hospital. We could tell Zelie was getting tired of not seeing mommy or daddy all day, as she needed more cuddles and attention, understandably. Plus we were eager to get Grace out into the fresh air and away from the small little space she was literally connected to!<br />
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But overall, the NICU time went smoothly. We tried to focus on a day at a time, making a plan for that day, getting as much rest as possible, meeting Zelie's needs too. We also benefited a lot from the advice of friends who had had NICU stays with their kids.<br />
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So finally, after about a week and a half, on...<br />
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<b>Weds Oct 9</b><br />
Gracie was ready to get discharged!! Hooray! At this point we didn't know whether our ICPC paperwork would be cleared and we could drive Gracie into Maryland. If not, we'd have to stay (she'd have to stay - obviously with at least one of us) in Virginia until we could leave. Dan had scoped out a hotel option and I had packed enough stuff for all four of us for a few nights, just in case. Not ideal, to stay at a hotel with a newborn, but we had done it with Zelie for 3 weeks (1 week at a friend's parents' house) so at least this wasn't brand new.<br />
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BUT right before Grace was officially discharged, Sami texted to say ICPC cleared! So we could leave the hospital and drive straight home! That was definitely a relief and cut down on the complexity of the next few days.<br />
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We did a required mini-CPR class for infants (complete with an inflatable mini baby that we got to take home) and took the required discharge training from the nurse with some basic care info. Then Grace was ready to become wireless and go home! Oh, and the night before she had passed the "carseat challenge" - buckled into her carseat for an hour and a half without exhibiting distress. Awesome job, Grace.<br />
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Procedure was that we put her in the carseat, which was then placed on a rolling crib, sides raised, and a NICU nurse wheeled her to the hospital entrance for us. Kinda funny! A dramatic exit. We said goodbye and thank you to the nurses there, who again were SO amazing the whole time. We promised to send them our Christmas card! And we wheeled through the postpartum unit, where the nurses all clapped. #moretears<br />
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Then Dan got our car, we put Gracie in, and homeward bound! She had her first trip of many on 1-95 and the Beltway, plus a lovely view of downtown DC from the bridge over the Potomac (not that she noticed) and finally into Maryland! And finally home! Whew!<br />
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Not ten minutes after we arrived, a friend stopped by to give us several loaves of bread! Which was awesome because we had managed to place an order for pizza at the wrong pizza location so my mom was engaged in going to the other location for our dinner...oops.<br />
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It was so wonderful to finally be together all four of us, in our own home.<br />
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<b>What's Next</b><br />
Life! Hopefully some more sleeping from our hungry girl! But glad that she's eating so well!<br />
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Grace had a pediatrician appointment two days after discharge, and she was over 6 lbs, awesome!! And overall is doing really, really well. Poor Zelie got a flu shot at the same appointment. Of course we needed some Chickfila after that morning.<br />
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In terms of postplacement stuff, it's the same as with Zelie. We'll meet with our social worker three times in our home. One of those meetings already happened, the Monday after discharge. Each meeting is an hour long and we just talk about how things are going, how are we adjusting, attachment, questions, concerns. We've worked with our social worker Sandy now since before adopting Zelie, so she feels like an old friend at this point!<br />
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Grace's adoption will be finalized in Virginia, so it's likely that we'll actually go to the courtroom this time (instead of calling in like we did for Zelie's) - that should be pretty cool! It will happen a little more than six months from now because of the required postplacement visits and other paperwork (naturally).<br />
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So that's the story! We are a family of four now, thank you God! We don't take that for granted for a single <u>second</u> after years of praying to become parents, and now having the amazing blessing of each of our children having a sibling. So, so happy.<br />
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Thanks for reading this novel!!Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-24399930568162503932019-08-20T10:00:00.001-04:002019-08-20T10:00:42.752-04:00While We Wait, Round 2: Summer 2019It's been a while since we posted, so an end-of-summer "catch up" post seemed in order!<br />
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<b>In adoption news</b> - really nothing to report. We wrote back in June about a <a href="http://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/2019/06/saying-yes-hearing-no.html">roller-coaster situation</a> that ended up not going anywhere. Nothing like that has happened since then, for better (those scenarios are pretty nerve-wracking and all-consuming!) or worse (at least there's something *happening* and not just radio silence).<br />
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We are coming up to some of the annual things we have to do to keep our home study current, in this case for Dan and me to get our annual physicals. It's kind of a nice reminder for something we ought to do anyway - but generally these "landmarks" make us realize how much time has passed since we started the process (home study was <a href="http://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/2018/08/adoption-pilgrimage-round-two.html">started last summer</a> for baby #2), which can feel discouraging.<br />
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Our home study agency recently partnered with an organization called <a href="https://www.parentfinder.com/">Parentfinder</a>, which assists hopeful adoptive parents in creating high-quality online profiles ("flip books" you read online, plus hard copies), videos, and other materials that are then shared broadly both through their own platform and a few other sites that target folks considering adoption. We attended a webinar on what Parentfinder has to offer and decided to sign up. It costs more money (naturally) and will take some time, but we think that it could make us more "visible" to expectant parents considering adoption, and help us present ourselves in a more three-dimensional way - as realistic as you can get in a digital format, anyway! So that's something we're going to be working on in the Fall.<br />
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Other than that, one neat thing that has happened recently is that we've been able to share our knowledge of adoption with some folks as part of a ministry starting at a local parish. This included talking for over an hour one night with a couple just starting their adoption journey, and also sharing resources that have helped us along the way (books, information, etc.). It always feels great to give back, on a topic we care about so much!<br />
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<b>In regular life news</b> - here are some snapshots of the fun we've been having this summer! Dan has had some time off here and there so we've been able to travel a bit and explore. And now Zelie is old enough to do a few more things and also really enjoy summer play, especially involving water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/64327310_10157424450393750_9068650869423079424_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_oc=AQkaCKChrXeJxHH2UFudb2V-a6xB2PME5UczRNO9evAtQFUtprN6Q2rKTRqTY_IPM54&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=f09c074cd92e18f38b58bfa62c9b6344&oe=5DDA0BC5" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Father's Day with homemade cinnamon buns and bacon YUM</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people standing, sky, ocean, child, outdoor, water and nature" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67834878_10157565814503750_203434312840773632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQnOGdKh2knN4yqpO-JHm36zzZ_CazpL5UB1spCPWGJl_gAZ-iTuMX1CyoCH5fw2UFM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=3e8805a3cb01dc51fc938fd8c013efac&oe=5DC81858" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="399" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day trip to the countryside/water in MD, after a yummy seafood dinner, on the Susquehanna river</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68261038_10157549194233750_3008367266472394752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQlZLDV1n0G5gayQo5VkixAnD0SW28SdWV2IJ4uJMrqpHkLmXAKzZSXBmoQ63GPl2Zw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=4c1bef8175d6c1d37a1a1492c039d3f0&oe=5DE08B86" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">throwing rocks in water - a fav pastime this summer; here in Charlottesville VA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/66861121_10157501501063750_6684129372221210624_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_oc=AQnQUuq7x1Q2Ckc72mMG4YPY6G61Y4vltvjxiZiXpo9k4uFaHMAWE5kBfjq3b8U_WO8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=7c33f509fc4bbaa92a39c284f86588f3&oe=5E104D7C" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="222" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two day trip to NYC; with Lady Liberty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: plant, tree, flower, outdoor and nature" height="300" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/66639190_10157501499603750_307043393765113856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQmMdB2kv5gHYtBCg11slpcHrKXX1rgkoupvY_qA3BW5Js6PS3xh2VkaiCAEBqEN7pk&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=033873766e06065f44969d00026d2d12&oe=5DD73FD4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our garden! We're growing tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, squash and more</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, shoes" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/66355644_10157487026048750_6975838203731247104_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_oc=AQnSqlA7mw-7U-dt3_g6BOFWc5MIp6dPZCJPG7jqq17oEgamj8MjzDeDE3BF-F_23XA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=bb9199f400644cb5302a6c6f266ed858&oe=5DD4AEF0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie went to a three-day nature camp, where among other things she made a cotton ball polar bear</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/65054397_10157441822513750_5665980964950507520_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_oc=AQkm0H5J5D5q155NKhAjOSZlRVJKp0A51DS73V0gfVqZ-yoZsFUiU8PCUbI8kJ2LYTw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=f42ae3a85142bdaedb7dbfb64e6728e0&oe=5DCCF8C4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie's first trip to an amusement park - Dutch Wonderland - looks like she likes it ;) </td></tr>
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<br /><br />Thanks for reading, and please keep praying for us!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<br />Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-65559947915292923172019-06-14T09:06:00.002-04:002019-06-14T09:09:26.167-04:00Saying Yes, Hearing NoA week ago today, an email came through on Friday afternoon from our home study agency with the word URGENT in the subject line. Nothing like that to make your heart skip a beat and your knees go weak!<br />
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Skimming it, then reading it several times more slowly, it became clear that there was a fast-moving adoption situation they were seeking families for. More specifically, our home study agency had been contacted by another agency (in Florida) that was looking for possible adoptive families for a child who had already been born. And our agency had in turn contacted the home study-approved families who may be interested and were open to the unusual circumstances surrounding this case.<br />
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There were therefore some unique aspects to the situation that merited further discussion, including some medical diagnoses and tragic, family dynamics stuff. Dan and I spoke on the phone soon and emailed back and forth with our agency's director to gather more information. We had until Sunday at 5 p.m. to decide whether we wanted our profile book to be considered. And the working plan was that the baby's mom would look at books on Monday, sign papers on Tuesday, and place the baby on Wednesday. (Whew!)<br />
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It's hard to think about anything else when something like this comes up. It's hard not to constantly wonder "is this <i>it</i>? is this our child?" It's hard not to obsess over every detail that we were given, hash out and rehash every last "what if?" It's hard just to take a deep breath and act normally.<br />
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In short, it made for a really intense weekend. Thankfully we had few plans on Saturday so we both had plenty of time to discuss and pray together and also had nothing that would be short-changed by our extremely short attention span.<br />
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Long story short, after we were finally able to get through to the placing adoption agency to answer a few questions, we decided Sunday afternoon that we would show our book, so we began that time we know well by now of waiting for that phone call or email that could change our family's trajectory forever.<br />
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Ultimately it came on Tuesday afternoon, in the form of an email saying that the mom had chosen a different family. While we weren't shocked, we were definitely disappointed. It's pretty impossible not to get your hopes up. And that takes a while to get out of your system, to let go of the multiple thought experiments you didn't even realize you've done - imagining flying to Florida, meeting the baby, coming home as a family of four, starting this new adventure with the baby, etc. What events over the next three weeks would need to be canceled or rearranged? But nope, not happening. You get to Wednesday and instead of welcoming another child into your family and home, you're doing whatever usual thing you do on Wednesdays.<br />
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This is definitely one of the harder aspects of adoption, enduring this kind of emotional roller-coaster that can come out of nowhere. And just to clarify: our matching agency in Georgia doesn't tell us when our book is being shown, so long as at least on paper we seem to be a good match for the situation. So at least things there happen in the background, so to speak. But sometimes a situation will be more "gray" in the sense of right up against the edges of our comfort zone or some unpredictable situation that isn't definable in advance to say 'yes' to, which is when we're told in advance, by either our GA or MD agencies and situations like this one from the last weekend occurs. With those cases, it's good to have that time to discern - given that adoption is a lifelong decision for everyone and you want to discern whether you are the best for this particular child - but it's just so <i>intense</i>.<br />
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Also, no matter the outcome, you really do open a welcoming space in your heart, home, and prayer life for this precious child. Our hearts were certainly expanded and then broke when weren't chosen. Despite the sadness, we marvel at our how amazing it is that a child just by <i>existing </i>can open the hearts of complete strangers thousands of miles away? He will never meet us, but he expanded our hearts just by existing. What a gift all life is no matter the tragic circumstances and believe us when we tell you that this was a very tragic circumstance to the point that many people would consider it a life not worth living - so sad, they know not what they say!<br />
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And going through these experiences makes us feel our infertility more keenly, how difficult it's been (comparatively speaking) to grow our family. <i>Thank you God </i>for the gift of our precious Zelie to lift our spirits (and keep us busy) but the questions of "Why us? Why do we have to go through this?" inevitably surfaces. We're asked again to accept this cross we didn't choose, and to try to do so joyfully, knowing that these are opportunities to become the saints we're meant to be (as much as we stumble on that path) and to offer up this suffering for the sake of others, especially other infertile couples or couples who have had a recent miscarriage (like some of our friends).<br />
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One last thing that struck us about this experience was that despite this little one having several pretty serious "issues" in terms of health and background, <i>multiple</i> families said "yes" to adopting him. Hence us not getting chosen. The Florida agency said they received an "overwhelming response" - all over the span of a few days. Even in difficult circumstances, this child was loved and wanted. Pretty amazing and encouraging.<br />
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So we carry on, a bit sad and slightly bruised at not being chosen, but contemplative about the hidden graces and mystery within this situation. Please pray for us, and kudos to you if you read this far!Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-57947287856116008602019-06-05T13:41:00.003-04:002019-06-05T13:41:37.870-04:00While We Wait, Round 2: May 2019 (Month #4)<b>Adoption news: </b>Nothing this month either. It can be disappointing, not hearing about any situations and not being matched yet. We have to remind ourselves, it's still quite early in the process (statistically speaking)! But every day we pray for God to bless us with another child. And at the same time we are thankful every single day for Zelie - in a profound sense, she is and always will be *enough* for us as her beautiful unrepeatable self - and at the same time we pray for our family's love to keep overflowing to more children! God's will be done!<br />
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<b>In Other News: </b>May was a big month for us! Probably the biggest thing that happened was Dan graduating with his PhD - amazing! We had a cookout celebration the Saturday before, attended the school's graduation ball the night before, and went out to eat after the ceremony. So a lot of celebrating was done, and he deserved every minute of it! For those not aware, Dan worked for this PhD for 10 years - the entirety of our marriage and then some. He sacrificed so much free time, endured setbacks and numerous "hurdles" (exams, languages, etc.) and worked SO hard to accomplish this.<br />
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All dressed up at the graduation ball. The highlight for Zelie was the chocolate fountain.</div>
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Silly faces with Dr. Daddy!</div>
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May was also Mother's Day. Since it was the Sunday immediately before Dan's graduation, we had both of our Moms in town, so it was lovely to celebrate with them. On Mother's Day, I felt (as I do pretty much every day) what an amazing thing it is to be Zelie's mommy - and I said some extra prayers for her birthmother and all birthmothers.<br />
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On May 28 we celebrated our 8th anniversary. Thanks to Grandma (Dan's mom), we were able to spend the long Memorial Day weekend away in Williamsburg. It was HOT but super fun. We went to Busch Gardens, Yorktown, and Jamestowne, and had a nice colonial-style dinner in the historic part of Williamsburg. </div>
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In "Germany" at Busch Gardens.</div>
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While we were away, Grandma helped our little artist create some really lovely paintings as an anniversary gift - swoon!<br />
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In May, Zelie started swimming lessons. She's been having a blast! Due to Dan's work schedule, he was able to go to the first three with her, which was really special. She's not too keen on putting her face in the water but loves kicking and jumping in from the side. She's getting ready to enjoy the pool at Grandma and Grandpa's house (my parents) this summer!</div>
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To close: one quintessential SUMMER pictures: icy pop....flip flops....green backyard....SUMMER.</div>
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<br />Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-25575044156415235752019-05-07T06:14:00.000-04:002019-05-07T06:14:12.327-04:00While We Wait, Round 2: April 2019 (Month #3)<b>Adoption News:</b> *crickets, crickets*<br />
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Has it only been three months?!? Oh boy. Sometimes it already feels like this is taking forever... ;) We are so eager to welcome another little one into our home, and for Zelie to be a big sister. And she is so ready! She points out babies to us all the time, especially if they are crying. And she's developing such a sweet, caring heart. There's one book we read where a baby has dropped his pacifier and is crying, and usually we get "stuck" on that page as we talk about baby's feelings and how probably his mommy will get his pacifier for him. She is going to make such a great big sister!<br />
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But all in God's timing! Just as when we waited for Zelie, we have to trust that God knows our hearts and if there is another child out there meant for our family, he/she will find us - hopefully soon!<br />
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<b>In Other News:</b><br />
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April is now a super-special month for our family because of our sweet girl's birthday! We had a blast celebrating her SECOND birthday. We had a small baby-shark themed party, which she seemed to really enjoy. We watched "the" video all together, and the kids went for a "shark hunt" in the backyard, finding little sea creatures that Dan had meticulously hidden. The big treat was cupcakes - and Zelie also loved the gummy sharks! Amazing that our baby is now TWO!<br />
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April was also Easter this year, and we had a wonderful time visiting Bethany's parents in Pennsylvania. Dan's mom was with us too, which was great. On Holy Saturday we all went to Longwood Gardens, which is gorgeous this time of year. They had this magical children's garden section with lots of water features, which Zelie obviously loved:<br />
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She is a fan of flowers in general!</div>
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And Easter Sunday itself was beautiful. He is risen, Alleluia!<br />
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Anything else....our garden is coming up nicely (peas, beets, lettuce, etc.), and the weather in general was just beautiful. Zelie has been enjoying the new swingset that Dan (and friends) built for her! </div>
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That's about it - until next month! Pray for us!</div>
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- Dan, Bethany, and Zelie</div>
<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-10570315058212621002019-03-31T21:09:00.000-04:002019-03-31T21:09:42.466-04:00While We Wait, Round 2: March 2019 (Month #2)<b>Adoption News: </b>Nothing to report this month either. But it's still early, only month 2! Lent has given us lots of opportunities to draw close to God and ask for His will in sending another child to our family.<br />
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<b>In Other News:</b><br />
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Zelie started gymnastics! She loves to jump, climb, and spin, so we thought we'd try out a gymnastics class for toddlers (18 mo-3 years). It's a weekly class for six weeks, forty-five minutes long. And it's quite a workout! Zelie's coach leads the class through basically an obstacle course: climbing over things, jumping down a trampoline, walking a balance beam (!), etc. Zelie is tired out after the class, so that's saying something!<br />
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National pancake day! Three free pancakes at IHOP - can't go wrong with that!</div>
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Yard improvement: with the Spring warmer weather, we got our garden ready for the Spring, made a Mary grotto, AND Dan and some friends built Zelie a new swingset! (The old one was here when we moved in, and was falling down.)</div>
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Finally - we enjoyed the most beautiful time of the year in DC, cherry blossom season. Two of the best places in Spring: the National Arboretum and downtown on the National Mall. </div>
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Until next month!</div>
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- Dan, Bethany and Zelie</div>
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-12566906858735418972019-02-28T13:17:00.000-05:002019-02-28T13:23:16.627-05:00While We Wait, Round 2: February 2019 (Month #1)As we waited to adopt Zelie, we enjoyed writing up little monthly "happenings". It helped to pass the time and keep us focused on the good things in our lives without getting too anxious about when we would be matched with a child.<br />
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So we're going to do the same thing as we are now officially waiting for baby #2! We were approved very late in January, so February was our first full month as a waiting family.<br />
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<b>Adoption news: </b>Really nothing to report. No calls or situations. Just waiting! And also being happy to be DONE with paperwork for the foreseeable future. One neat thing is that we've been able to connect with a few people in our lives who are interested in adoption or have started the process, to give them some of our insight and experience. We are far from knowing everything about adoption, but we do know a little! And we are always happy to share.<br />
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<b>Other stuff we did:</b><br />
<b><br /></b> Dan kept busy! He ran two weekend-long <b>retreats </b>for adult children of divorce, one in Florida and one here in DC, and one day-long family retreat day here in DC. He loves being able to minister to people in this way, but it is tiring, too.<br />
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During one of the weekends when Dan was working, I (Bethany) met up with my parents in Baltimore to attend a <b>children's concert</b> at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, called Music Box. It was really fun! Zelie may have paid attention at a smattering of moments....but hopefully the lovely music (wind quintet) still touched her soul in some way. Then we had a delicious lunch of crepes and a fun walk through the city where Zelie wanted to touch everything, wave to every bus, and climb up and down every possible set of stairs. #toddlerlife<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 4 people, including Jane Eileen Wolverton Musser, people smiling, people sitting and indoor" height="300" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/53278922_10157154221053750_2503458620620931072_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=6b3118eca61fae5c720e9ca233fe5cb8&oe=5CE8E217" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-concert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I started a <b>quilt </b>for baby #2! (Finally - I got the fabric a few months ago, but toddler + sharp cutting tool + lots of tiny pieces of fabric is not a great combination.) I'm really excited about this quilt. It has the same color scheme as Zelie's quilt (royal blue, gold, and white - a.k.a. our wedding colors) but is a different design. I'm using the old pattern of "Log Cabin," arranged in a way that the finished quilt will look like a series of crosses. (Non-quilters will just have to trust that this will actually happen.)<br />
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***We got matched with Zelie DAYS after I finished her quilt, so I better get a move on with this one! (haha)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No photo description available." height="300" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/52843651_10157145768238750_5116355550564581376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=4fb64a7f80af062269afc30e2b1f9c80&oe=5CE7B3D7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For <b>Valentine's Day</b>, we had a low-key evening at home with a yummy meal, movie and drinks. Earlier in the day Zelie and I attended our parish's kids Valentine's party, which was a riot (figuratively and at times literally). Each kid brought valentines to pass out, and they made bags to collect them in. Zelie was pretty tickled at the valentines she got, especially the ones with dogs on them. Oh, and she loved the candy too. It was fun, and an example of our wonderful community here!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, child, tree, outdoor and nature" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/51943279_10157132093683750_708090431795101696_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=507c85d2fe3329b27653a1fc9b785b76&oe=5CDB4BBC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="297" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is squirming and wants to go back to the playground :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For a date, Dan and I went to the <b>National Museum of African American History and Culture</b>, which is on the National Mall. It was an amazing, moving, and very sobering experience. Lots of things to pray about (and weep about) but also to celebrate from this rich culture that brings so much to America. We definitely recommend it for locals and tourists!<br />
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That's about it - thanks for reading! And please keep praying for us and for expectant moms and dads considering making an adoption plan.</div>
Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-84013357469918399632019-01-30T13:36:00.001-05:002019-01-30T13:36:36.716-05:00In the Waiting Pool & "Live"!We last checked in in mid-October, when we were making good progress on our home study. Since that time, we're happy to say that we completed the home study and are now officially in the waiting pool once more!<br />
<br />
After we turned in all our paperwork in October, we met with our social worker two times in November and once in December, all at our house. As happened before, one of the meetings was us split up talking with her, and the other two were us together (and Zelie, too). As expected, all the meetings went really well. We really like our social worker and it was exciting to update her on the changes in our family since adopting Zelie, and to look ahead at our hopeful second adoption.<br />
<br />
After those meetings were done, we had to wait for our social worker to write up her official report. We received a copy shortly after Christmas, had just one minor factual edit, and then it was approved by Barker on January 4, 2019 (Bethany's confirmation saint day - Elizabeth Ann Seton). At that point we were officially approved to adopt, whenever a situation comes together and a match happens!<br />
<br />
But we had a few more things to do to officially get into the waiting pool with Open Door down in Georgia. They had already contacted all six of their required references. Our home study and supporting documentation had to be sent from Barker to Open Door, we had to sign some commitment forms with them, and we had to fill out a form about what parameters (age, race, medical background and so on) we were open to - similar to what we did as part of our home study. We mailed all of our forms off in mid-January, and received word on January 23rd that Open Door had everything they needed from us, so we were officially in the waiting pool.<br />
<br />
We will be setting up an online profile on Open Door's websites, and whenever they are working with an expectant mom who is looking for a family like ours, our book will be shown. We won't be notified about that unless there are some "gray area" situations that we wanted to have more information about prior to showing our book.<br />
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We are so excited to be at this stage!! We pray every day for our future son or daughter, and for the men and women who are in difficult situations and figuring out what to do. We trust that this is all in God's hands! Please pray for us!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-15422044706694296902018-10-14T13:55:00.002-04:002018-10-14T13:55:50.100-04:00Midterm Status ReportIt's about that time of year - heading further into Fall - that schools have midterms and (more interesting to us these days) the college football season is about halfway over. <i>Go Irish! 7-0, yeah!*</i> So we thought it would be good to give a status report of where we are. The home study is so much about behind-the-scenes stuff, but it can be nice to review how far we've come so far - because we're making great progress!<br />
<br />
<u>DONE</u><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- monthly expenses sheet</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- overall financial information with documentation (bank account, retirement, etc.)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- evacuation plan & floor map of our house </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- fire safety survey & fire inspection </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- our autobiographies </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- guardianship agreement</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- employer letter for Dan</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- certified driving records</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- physicals for adults</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- Dr. letter for Zelie and overall health history</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- copies of: birth certificates, marriage certificate, adoption decree, latest taxes, auto insurance, and life insurance</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- several "sign and date" forms, such as the fee schedule and service agreement with our agency</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- 4 reference letters plus 1 reference who meets in-person with our social worker (don't think the in-person meeting has happened yet, but all references are in</span><br /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><u>STILL NEED TO DO</u></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- fingerprints </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- child protective services background check - out for processing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- child support background check - out for processing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">- meetings with our social worker - will happen once the above 3 items are completed</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b>So we are well over halfway done!!!</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Which is great news because our other big project - Dan completing his PhD - is also moving full speed ahead. The day after Columbus Day, he handed in seven copies of his printed and bound 300+ page dissertation (!!!) What a relief! Now he is awaiting a date for his defense, and of course will be preparing for that throughout the Fall.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: one or more people and hat" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43386672_10156819787218750_6752257483500158976_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&oh=c3759f1bacc55d07a269d947fc6a88b4&oe=5C57454A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I wrote ALL of this?!?!?"</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">*Speaking of football (can you tell we're a bit obsessed? ;)) - we had the amazing opportunity to attend a Notre Dame game at Notre Dame, thanks to one of Bethany's former coworkers passing on tickets that she won but couldn't use. It. Was. AMAZING!! We were at the ND-Stanford game, which was incredible. Such an energizing atmosphere, and a great getaway weekend for us in the midst of a busy Fall. (Zelie had just as good a time at home with Bethany's parents.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, including Bethany Meola, people smiling, people standing" height="300" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42826179_10156796124108750_2412809500433055744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&oh=70416fde20d5b54826f96ee1325bce88&oe=5C14D897" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">life motto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42933441_10156795070828750_616408779994431488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&oh=79cf9b203115510493b2649f7b4a1a9b&oe=5C4F3358" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="297" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to say that Zelie can recognize the golden dome ;) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, including Bethany Meola, people smiling, crowd, sky, stadium, outdoor and closeup" height="195" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42902787_10156796128188750_4936049473404010496_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=9b9db25bfb4acccf77cecc7c978aa279&oe=5C569BEA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goooooo Irish!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />And afterwards, someone was very happy to welcome Daddy home :)<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, people sitting and indoor" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42982613_10156801012203750_3444512412173074432_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&oh=1d7e66eaa31c4a6b005888a7bc6f106f&oe=5C587C54" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="297" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Thank you for your continued prayers for us!!<br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
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Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-71937784257798106092018-08-22T11:27:00.001-04:002018-08-22T11:27:46.121-04:00Adoption Pilgrimage, Round Two!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-E8e9nR3CgvxRw-09e0Wf4xOKbwyCSzhZwn06e8uh1C18QJnZXTW-1gAowPQpT65s2dQLWlCblEebuZb3gS7_d4nZS5xWSQ1qwrTBWC1fN9pDqUYOOpMPFYGbdeeHG6QDqMn0gbuESI/s1600/Zelie+big+sister+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-E8e9nR3CgvxRw-09e0Wf4xOKbwyCSzhZwn06e8uh1C18QJnZXTW-1gAowPQpT65s2dQLWlCblEebuZb3gS7_d4nZS5xWSQ1qwrTBWC1fN9pDqUYOOpMPFYGbdeeHG6QDqMn0gbuESI/s640/Zelie+big+sister+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
That's right - we have officially started the process to adopt a second baby who will be Zelie's little brother or sister :) We had been talking about taking this step for a while - we would love to have a few kids, God willing! - and decided late summer would be the best time to start: Zelie is over a year old now, so we have some parenting practice under our belts; we're coming up to the end of Dan's PhD work this Fall (hooray x1000); and we feel emotionally & financially ready (or as ready as you can be!) to jump back in to the world of paperwork and the waiting pool and all the ups and downs of trying to adopt.<br />
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Please pray for us!!!<br />
<br />
This time around, we'll still be doing our home study with <a href="http://www.barkeradoptionfoundation.org/">Barker </a>in Bethesda, MD who we LOVE and have learned so much from over the years. Sadly the wonderful staff person who guided us through our last home study has moved on to other exciting ventures - but we're looking forward to getting to know the new staff there since our last go-round in 2015; they've all been great. We've met with Barker once so far to talk through the second adoption and to get the expected big, big stack of paperwork to complete.<br />
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For placement, we'll be working with <a href="http://www.opendooradoption.org/">An Open Door</a> agency in Georgia, who we had actually been fully signed up with in 2017 for a few months before we ended up adopting Zelie through different channels. But we had a great experience with An Open Door for the time we interacted with them and we think they'll be a good fit for us this time around.<br />
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In case you're wondering (as we were), yes, we have to do pretty much an entire home study once again. The reason for this is 1) certain forms we've already done have expired, for example background checks; and 2) our family now looks different than when we were trying to adopt the first time around, namely we are 3 persons! So our agency wants to examine our current family and talk through the dynamics that are different.<br />
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There are some things that will be simpler/easier for this home study. For those who are curious, here is what we have to do this time around (with notes about whether/how the second home study is different):<br />
<br />
- monthly expenses sheet<br />
- overall financial information with documentation (bank account, retirement, etc.)<br />
- evacuation plan & floor map of our house (already done)<br />
- fire safety survey & fire inspection (have to do it again)<br />
- our autobiographies (just need to update them)<br />
- guardianship agreement<br />
- employer letter for Dan<br />
- certified driving records<br />
- fingerprints (these expire after 1 year)<br />
- child protective services background check (also expire after 1 year)<br />
- child support background check<br />
- physicals for adults<br />
- Dr. letter for Zelie and overall health history<br />
- copies of: birth certificates, marriage certificate, adoption decree, latest taxes, auto insurance, and life insurance<br />
- several "sign and date" forms, such as the fee schedule and service agreement with our agency<br />
- 4 reference letters plus 1 reference who meets in-person with our social worker<br />
<br />
And after all this: several in-person meetings with our social worker, who writes the official home study report<br />
<br />
Writing it out, honestly it doesn't seem like as much this time (which it literally isn't). Of course it will be work and take time (and cost money), but doing this again feels a lot less daunting than the first time around! And we know some tips and tricks, like: the fire inspection will probably require whoever is here to completely remove a first floor window...the physicals require fasting the night before for the TB test...don't mail originals of stuff b/c they might get lost...and so on. We're basically pros now ;)<br />
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Concurrently with this work, we'll be consulting with An Open Door about when to start their application process, which will necessitate much of this same information and some different things as well. And we'll be updating our profile book to include our beautiful daughter!<br />
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Our working goal is that we're "LIVE" in the waiting pool just after Dan defends his dissertation in the Fall - since that's one of verrrrry few life events that he can't not show up for, even for a baby that needs us to come right now and pick him/her up! So that means that at the very latest, by the end of the calendar year we'll be ready to consider possible adoption situations (God willing).<br />
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<i>Pray for us!</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>- Dan, Bethany, and Zelie</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wlNpBAzOZ53QSnWT5sSh-Pb_j6SgO0nWA9NJHxDR4lbUPX8oIMxfgavU06sRTvrKv5iUaaK-UTLTxOCgLJ8U2J3KJVhc4QWjd47qBuFJk0CzZEzQyqakbFSI1h9dbA0sLX8DjyJHTgE/s1600/Zelie+big+sister+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wlNpBAzOZ53QSnWT5sSh-Pb_j6SgO0nWA9NJHxDR4lbUPX8oIMxfgavU06sRTvrKv5iUaaK-UTLTxOCgLJ8U2J3KJVhc4QWjd47qBuFJk0CzZEzQyqakbFSI1h9dbA0sLX8DjyJHTgE/s640/Zelie+big+sister+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-48299662254294414572018-07-17T21:52:00.002-04:002018-07-17T21:52:58.930-04:00Traveling Internationally with a ToddlerAnd now for something not quite adoption related....but Zelie related :) We had the opportunity to spend 12 days on pilgrimage in Poland this summer, visiting sites important to three powerhouse saints: St. John Paul II, St. Faustina, and St. Maximilian Kolbe. It was an <u>amazing</u> time! I thought it would be fun (and possibly useful for others, or for us in the future!) to share what we learned about traveling with a toddler overseas.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kpUVb2RLoSaZ6jjqXkUsXLs_RjACjFlIsTdL7tqYAoDy618fjFhfVO1w4R4UOLXfPaW48sOBq63tYXZiy7bwLgoNlrtwDYN3mbWxZNz8QftJLpeJX6kWgQ-Q26jfFHyhyphenhyphenRfFy0aFt8I/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180615_154002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kpUVb2RLoSaZ6jjqXkUsXLs_RjACjFlIsTdL7tqYAoDy618fjFhfVO1w4R4UOLXfPaW48sOBq63tYXZiy7bwLgoNlrtwDYN3mbWxZNz8QftJLpeJX6kWgQ-Q26jfFHyhyphenhyphenRfFy0aFt8I/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180615_154002.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my fav pictures....I love her energy and joy! With the mermaid patroness of Warsaw in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Cliff notes: The good moments on our trip were made <i>extra </i>good by having Zelie with us, seeing her excitement and wonder and experiencing Poland as a family - and the challenging times were...a bit more challenging (or a lot), having a little person to care for in foreign country, away from lots of our usual "tools" for parenting. It was definitely worth it to be together as a family, but took a good amount of extra thought and preparation, and extra flexibility while there, much different than trips we've done just as a couple.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TSYvsug517nnDPweZjsxImBH1A2D3KbbLu01G2e6v32zuwGyxk_fQ2AD12Oi3asL6EAyCE0PcsitL67sNZasNDJ6xqx8whio5LsKAjXyYnWKOt5UP7-z0Jmoj1DTM7StAVqfCrOadN8/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_134704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TSYvsug517nnDPweZjsxImBH1A2D3KbbLu01G2e6v32zuwGyxk_fQ2AD12Oi3asL6EAyCE0PcsitL67sNZasNDJ6xqx8whio5LsKAjXyYnWKOt5UP7-z0Jmoj1DTM7StAVqfCrOadN8/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_134704.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">happy traveler, in a traditional Polish outfit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Below, some gear and tips we found useful on our trip:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Traveling - Plane</b></u><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<i>Goal</i>: arrive safely to destination with toddler! without losing our minds!<br />
<br />
<i>Tips:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>If possible, fly overnight so the toddler feels ready to sleep during the flight; we had an overnight flight to Paris on the way there, and she fell asleep easily - we put her in pajamas before boarding and then snuggled her with her bunny and a bottle, as close to home as possible</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEO_D0wcmBUrLNIEa3nHUIn9dZ-HCRd2rFrNpr1cXIse7PbnsoSwYE1tJcoVt7k3ksv-NytpJJeXRmbf6pr2uEvPmbKA8hiEoVhwv9LCvYthcKaVwgdfO103B26T-LKdCKXI0xXhwFDYo/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180614_055521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEO_D0wcmBUrLNIEa3nHUIn9dZ-HCRd2rFrNpr1cXIse7PbnsoSwYE1tJcoVt7k3ksv-NytpJJeXRmbf6pr2uEvPmbKA8hiEoVhwv9LCvYthcKaVwgdfO103B26T-LKdCKXI0xXhwFDYo/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180614_055521.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sleeping peacefully somewhere over the Atlantic - note the "baby seatbelt"; it attaches to the adult seatbelt and at least for Air France / KLM is required on take off and landing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>As a gesture of good will to nearby passengers, we brought along earplugs and candy to hand out (laffy taffy - haha) and proactively apologized for Zelie's potential noise! Only a few people wanted the plugs or candy, but everyone smiled and I think it did help when Zelie cried</li>
<li>At least for Zelie's age (15 mo's) toys were overrated - we did all this research, bought several new toys, and she was mainly interested in pressing the TV buttons, throwing stuff on the floor, and walking up and down the aisles with us; hey, whatever works! The only toy that kept her interest for a while were suction cups (see below)</li>
<li>Lots of airports have play areas for kids - Dulles and Warsaw both did, and we made sure to give Zelie time in there before the flight to burn off some energy; and we definitely cleaned her hands very thoroughly after she was done! #germs</li>
<li>Absolutely use the family boarding! I don't know why you wouldn't, but it is pretty sweet to get to board almost-first, get out the gear, etc.</li>
<li>Realize there's only so much to do when the toddler gets cranky! We did our best just to stay calm, have a sense of humor, take turns / take breaks, and remember that the flight wouldn't last forever and we would never see the people around us again....<br /></li>
<li><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXbbEp2HEUP12lMwe5poOotR9jARV31MqqYc1AEC9ij1NqjOLH76QnxmvPnTyajmmClkqqHEclufbcUwDy4Rxzm7IScz2y80otAHEKzESxxrZw33MQUlPK71o1VbPrsF83VJ8yMwJwpo/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180614_030851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" class="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXbbEp2HEUP12lMwe5poOotR9jARV31MqqYc1AEC9ij1NqjOLH76QnxmvPnTyajmmClkqqHEclufbcUwDy4Rxzm7IScz2y80otAHEKzESxxrZw33MQUlPK71o1VbPrsF83VJ8yMwJwpo/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180614_030851.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What we look like at 6:30 a.m. Paris time / 12:30 a.m. DC time - aka our 5 minutes in Paris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<i>Gear: </i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Two small travel pillows that "puff up" when you unzip them and then squish down to pack; we put these on our laps so Zelie could lay on them and it minimized the heat from our bodies (she is a HOT little girl!) - and they were more comfy than the thin pillows provided by the airline.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Therm-a-Rest Compressible Travel Pillow for Camping, Backpacking, Airplanes and Road Trips, Amethyst, Small: 12â x 16â" height="300" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61bnBkaPswL._SX522_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thermarest compressible travel pillow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Several changes of clothes - our worst nightmare was running out! which we didn't</li>
<li>Comfort animal - Zelie's is a stuffed bunny</li>
<li>Suction cup toy - we brought three along. These are neat because they stick to almost anything - the window, tray table, etc. They kept her interested in unsticking them, stacking them, and of course throwing them on the floor (which told us the game was over! haha).</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vp2xhaY1L._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fat Brain Toys Suction Cupz" (yes, with a Z)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Lysol wipes to wipe down the tray table (germiest part of the plane), back of the seats, arm rests, etc.</li>
<li>Powdered milk to drink (mix with water) since we couldn't count on keeping real milk cold the whole flight; we did get real milk from the stewardess once or twice</li>
<li>Overnight diapers to extend the time she could wear them - honestly this didn't seem to make a big difference, but it was worth a shot</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u>Traveling - During Trip</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<i>Goal: </i>get happily from one place to the next<br />
<br />
Our pilgrimage was fairly intense, with lots of walking, visiting churches, doing stuff, etc. So we put thought into how to make these full days good for Zelie, and us.<br />
<br />
<i>Tips:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Realize traveling with a toddler will mean some adjustment; Zelie needed time each day to run around and explore, which didn't also fit with our group's schedule. One of us would "hang back" from the group during a tour, for example, to give her wiggle time, and there were two days that Bethany and Zelie stayed behind completely as the group traveled - but it was definitely worth it to go even if we couldn't participate in everything</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQT0tzBI2IqKVuZhrjfAK0Agr021QSSyLCe8KnMpMGx81bnKx34dZuAPoP-yhbHuaTFmBiKp4Zb1mNH_NlOyY79OXdqHpHib4XUT2dwN9m7t1EJOyuofRCPgzYb3zuw-0X1sqHwJKCrU/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180615_135829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQT0tzBI2IqKVuZhrjfAK0Agr021QSSyLCe8KnMpMGx81bnKx34dZuAPoP-yhbHuaTFmBiKp4Zb1mNH_NlOyY79OXdqHpHib4XUT2dwN9m7t1EJOyuofRCPgzYb3zuw-0X1sqHwJKCrU/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180615_135829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happily stretching her legs at the WWII memorial in Warsaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<ul>
<li>In the same vein, transitions (from place to place, vehicle to place or whatever) may or may not fit with Zelie's nap schedule, food schedule, etc. We just did what we could to give her time every day to rest, run around, explore, etc. - and she turned out to be pretty flexible and could adjust as needed.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<i>Gear:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Rain cover for stroller - we only ended up using this once, but were glad we had it; Poland was supposed to be more rainy than it was, so better to be prepared!</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3uTRGeWcCVnlDuk2sgNbZy082LDE-cLZAvx40e88UMRM05Wne_vax1aU0-QBW3N8aGpKhgBVLkRxBRz3LJSXAzlnuibK_f2Cfmob4Il7Kvcgb04_pFUabvzYM4CiClAuMcI6iBoT2D0/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_113908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3uTRGeWcCVnlDuk2sgNbZy082LDE-cLZAvx40e88UMRM05Wne_vax1aU0-QBW3N8aGpKhgBVLkRxBRz3LJSXAzlnuibK_f2Cfmob4Il7Kvcgb04_pFUabvzYM4CiClAuMcI6iBoT2D0/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_113908.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rain cover is folded back but ready to use - it didn't add much weight to the stroller and was nice for quick showers (Jeep brand)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Light blanket plus clips - the clips let us attach the blanket to the stroller top when Zelie fell asleep, so she could sleep longer while we were out</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu89WDr1mVDJnRjqLzGN6n1ST_GAvyf7sDR8JNMXSB0DCxB5lBiQob5tWyrrVyU_r_2jAdzKTm73Wy5-oyG8yMAAqM0huSY1U9V9ZrIaXN163CTlYiRkPQksxsfRVLK_KkNpHTGiMJWRs/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180619_095345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu89WDr1mVDJnRjqLzGN6n1ST_GAvyf7sDR8JNMXSB0DCxB5lBiQob5tWyrrVyU_r_2jAdzKTm73Wy5-oyG8yMAAqM0huSY1U9V9ZrIaXN163CTlYiRkPQksxsfRVLK_KkNpHTGiMJWRs/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180619_095345.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napping - stroller reclined, light blanket clipped on. Also cooler hanging off the back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Stroller - obviously the most important piece of the puzzle; ours is a Chicco Capri bought from Craigslist. Pluses are that it is VERY light, which was great for all the stairs we had to carry it up; it folded up super easy; was comfy for Zelie; and reclined somewhat. Cons are that the shocks didn't seem that great, so cobblestone streets got really bumpy; and the under-stroller storage was teeny-tiny. If we did it again, I would probably look for more storage and maybe slightly bigger / more sturdy, although I hesitate to go heavier...it's a trade-off.</li>
<li>Sun hat is important since weather can be unpredictable</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxUwE17dniH01ZziWTRv04_N8oknUd04lDRz5VR7R32Vsq4fNhjlGwIIdwSWX_IQZdkZZP_BcZd1FXC4ohdQq1kb12gyFi83ZYYptpFyGJmMf4GdzC6-2WS3qzQKGyF4kqb3mHYzsc9M/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180621_131917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxUwE17dniH01ZziWTRv04_N8oknUd04lDRz5VR7R32Vsq4fNhjlGwIIdwSWX_IQZdkZZP_BcZd1FXC4ohdQq1kb12gyFi83ZYYptpFyGJmMf4GdzC6-2WS3qzQKGyF4kqb3mHYzsc9M/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180621_131917.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sun hat coming in handy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Same goes for a rain jacket for toddler & parents</li>
<li>Portable hand sanitizer - this was used every day multiple times; we clipped it right onto the outside of the diaper bag so instantly accessible </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="PURELL 3909-09-ECSC Advanced Hand Sanitizer Portable Bottles - 1 oz. Variety Pack Travel Sized Jelly Wrap Bottles (Case of 8)" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81BoOgBkZuL._SX425_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clutch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Baby carrier - we used our Tula every day, both when it seemed Zelie needed some extra cuddles/a nap and for places where the stroller couldn't go (Krakow's ancient Wawel castle/cathedral being an example) We used it in back carry mode when she was awake, and front carry when it was her nap time. It's a bit bulky so mainly we stuffed it under the stroller (where it took up all the space).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa2VWC30CYp2ocuKYxLyKi4p2jgSdW8SJeZZSKo-Yt_hHHEZCix0N8wXVymripwg9KYM2W0c_HMTKp7WBDNnG6sKCvFG2kEyPYohQ_lLMa6opf2wt19XDNi1Mn5uebp6LMIZTy50xoh0/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_094550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa2VWC30CYp2ocuKYxLyKi4p2jgSdW8SJeZZSKo-Yt_hHHEZCix0N8wXVymripwg9KYM2W0c_HMTKp7WBDNnG6sKCvFG2kEyPYohQ_lLMa6opf2wt19XDNi1Mn5uebp6LMIZTy50xoh0/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_094550.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nap time at the Archbishop's Residence in Krakow - she would sleep for up to 2 hours like this, which was perfect if we were at a place for that long</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><u>Eating</u></b><br />
<br />
<i>Goal: </i>getting toddler enough food!<br />
<br />
We are fortunate that Zelie is a good eater who will try just about anything, and likes most things. Right now she still has bottles of milk or juice for nap/bed/comfort, and other than that eats solid foods. We did bring some food along (see below) but mostly just gave her stuff off our plates when we ate, plus had plenty of juice or milk at the ready.<br />
<br />
<i>Gear: </i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>disposable travel placements we could stick to the table so Zelie could grab food - this was great for places that had a high chair but no tray table</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="EXTRA STICKY Disposable Placemats Baby - Perfected Design! Ultimate Mom Hack - Tidy Tyke - Table Mat Stays in Place! BPA Free Plastic, Stick on Placemat - Keeps Toddlers Neat & Safe at Restaurants!" height="213" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61P35YXlEoL._SX425_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">worth it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>a silicone wipe-able bib that catches food and was full coverage - great for all meals, especially when we were holding her (no high chair)</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_dHn00ssbaIO2T-gtMtUKg-fJ5q6z-zvisdyhUnge6UGQbUj16tTyg7qR6fJ4ZwBHxUNNAKaOWCI25kOopRTEgnvFZT4Z4OcoDzZ73XYctGujH6PA5nS_4dD8Q-4M9LNTbXB6YtZg5s/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180622_115712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_dHn00ssbaIO2T-gtMtUKg-fJ5q6z-zvisdyhUnge6UGQbUj16tTyg7qR6fJ4ZwBHxUNNAKaOWCI25kOopRTEgnvFZT4Z4OcoDzZ73XYctGujH6PA5nS_4dD8Q-4M9LNTbXB6YtZg5s/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180622_115712.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Pope John Paul II's favorite dessert, a super sugary cream cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>lots and lots of squeezy pouches for times when other food wasn't accessible - these were great because they didn't require refrigeration and were familiar to Zelie; I bought 40 before leaving home - a plus was that as we went through them, we then had space for souvenirs</li>
<li>squeezy pouch lids, so she can't make a huge mess (we use these at home too)</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ChooMee SoftSip Food Pouch Top | 100% Silicone | Prevent spills and Cushion mouth | 2CT - Orange Aqua" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ug7AscTZL._SX425_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so useful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>a medium cooler to keep bottles, pouches, snacks, and an ice pack - this hung off the back of the stroller so it wasn't an extra thing to carry</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="MIER 9 Can Insulated Lunch Bag for Women Leakproof Soft Cooler Tote, Orange" height="314" 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" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9-cup size, Mier brand - this worked well, a good size with straps that fit on the stroller handles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>powdered milk, especially for plane travel and also for nighttime feedings so we didn't have to walk a distance to the kitchen</li>
<li>Hand & face wipes were perfect for cleaning up after meals in the absence of washcloths</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Johnson's Hand & Face Portable Wipes 25 count Alcohol Free (pack of 4)" height="170" src="data:image/webp;base64,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" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we used so many of these</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>Tips: </i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>you can take ice packs through security BUT only if they are <i>frozen</i>...which became an issue for us on our Paris layover on the way there; we had to go through security again (not sure why) and because the ice pack was melted, it was now "forbidden" according to the security officer....and tossed. Good thing we had a second (unfrozen) one in our checked luggage!</li>
<li>For us, we always made sure to have at least 2 bottles - for Zelie, bottles are her "relax" time that I think helped on the long days; we would use fruit juice (available almost everywhere) or milk when we could get it, and pack it in the cooler with an ice pack</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I25ijhj2U_-GdmChsTz4eCznFHbu6uO17s05-qLUV_9lsWvkoPVOFsyPmJ8Nrl2ZfO7T8Utws-yhZSjlOxpWMZWKX2TXQFe-YsithkwyG6aDn6lSW6me5EDVN1cdetbP2PpF-belyw4/s1600/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_161308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I25ijhj2U_-GdmChsTz4eCznFHbu6uO17s05-qLUV_9lsWvkoPVOFsyPmJ8Nrl2ZfO7T8Utws-yhZSjlOxpWMZWKX2TXQFe-YsithkwyG6aDn6lSW6me5EDVN1cdetbP2PpF-belyw4/s320/file__storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20180618_161308.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">enjoying a bottle in the bell tower of Wawel Castle.....only a giant bell from the 1300's, no big deal, keep drinking...</td></tr>
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<div>
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<ul>
<li>Whatever you do....do NOT pack an OPENED tin of powdered milk in your husband's luggage....even if you think the lid is on good and tight, you just might open his suitcase in Warsaw, after traveling all day and just wanting to sleep, and discover that the tin has opened and a fine dust of powered milk is all over ALL of his clothes......and so you have to do laundry with the tiny little washing machine and no dryer when you can barely keep your eyes open....not that that happened to us or anything ;)</li>
<li>Seriously, squeezy pouches are the BEST; they filled in so many gaps for us so easily, were fairly light to bring on our trip, and gave us peace of mind that we'd have something healthy and yummy for her during the days</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u><br /></u> <b><u>Sleeping</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<i>Goal: </i>everyone get at least *some* sleep!<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<i>Gear:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sound machine so she had familiar sounds as at home</li>
<li>Adapter plugs for wherever you're going (listed here b/c the sound machine is so important)</li>
<li>Batteries for sound machine (we did plug ours in, so this was "just in case")</li>
<li>Place for baby to sleep - we were able to borrow a pack & play from our guide's sister in county, so we used that</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Tips:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>We tried to replicate our routine at home as much as possible: clean diaper, pajamas, bunny, bottle, snuggling, bedtime; most nights it did work fairly well - of course she was up some nights, or needed to come into bed with us, but we were fortunate that she still slept fairly well while on our trip</li>
<li>Jet lag! Is hard on toddlers! For whatever reason, the 6-hour time zone difference didn't seem to faze her much traveling east to Europe - maybe because she had a fairly normal night sleep during our overnight flight? But coming back home - ouch. It took about 5 nights for her to sleep until at least 6 a.m.....the first night home, she was up at midnight, ready to go! That was rough. The most we could do was try to convince her it was still nighttime: darkness, quiet, bottle, rocking. And basically just waiting for her internal body clock to get re-set.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Bathing</u>: we gave her a full body water bath twice (once in a tub without a shower, once in a shower without a tub, go figure) but the other days we used the Johnson & Johnson head to toe wipes, which were perfect for freshening her up without a full bath.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Final thought:</u> </b>Traveling with a toddler overseas is more work, takes more thought and more adjustment, but is definitley doable and worth it!! </div>
<div>
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<div>
Happy to hear any thoughts from folks who have also traveled with their toddlers!</div>
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Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-66477002375363211902018-01-23T15:15:00.001-05:002018-01-23T15:15:59.640-05:00Zelie's Adoption is Finalized! We are happy to share that Zelie's adoption has been officially finalized and she is now a Meola!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWqT0CJJqYcVevlcLA9_4xZK_N7wFYfF89swY02-RVZtuUeBROsJp9ThFCu6uBsjgMMbyeOzRHNP65TfPfPX2KsfZXuoGv4xtvQqdLHYJZrnFhyphenhyphenWrS5zQgL1AchXy0wPlidceZLRiCiY/s1600/20180105_132712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWqT0CJJqYcVevlcLA9_4xZK_N7wFYfF89swY02-RVZtuUeBROsJp9ThFCu6uBsjgMMbyeOzRHNP65TfPfPX2KsfZXuoGv4xtvQqdLHYJZrnFhyphenhyphenWrS5zQgL1AchXy0wPlidceZLRiCiY/s400/20180105_132712.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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How it all happened:</div>
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We met with our Maryland social worker for the third and final time in September 2017, after which she sent in her final report to our California social worker. Then in late November, we had to send some notarized forms to our lawyer's office, official court forms stating that yes, we intend to adopt Zelie. Once those were received, our lawyer requested a court date for Zelie's finalization hearing. Since it was the end of the calendar year and coming close to Christmas, we didn't get a date until January 2018. January 5th, to be exact.</div>
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So that Friday, Dan took off work and we made ourselves available all afternoon. Our lawyer and one of his coworkers would be present at the court on our behalf, and at some point the judge would call us to be part of the process too. We knew it could be any time that afternoon (morning in California) and we were both surprised to be kind of nervous! Even though the finalization hearing is pretty much bureaucratic (all the big "pieces" are done and approved), it still felt like a big deal to be talking to a judge!</div>
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Finally the judge called and we were sworn in, had to promise that yes, we would tell the truth, and yes, we were Dan and Bethany. From there, the whole conversation took less than five minutes! The judge asked us to reconfirm that yes, we knew that by adopting Zelie we would be responsible for her as her parents, that she would inherit our estate (that one kinda made us chuckle....all our ancestral lands tee hee ;)), and basically yes, we do want to adopt her. All softball questions! </div>
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At the end of this short exchange, the judge said very officially that "I now pronounce you Zelie-Louise Layla Rose Meola." (!!!!) It reminded us a lot of a wedding! Pronouncing a new name, a new place in a family. Wow! We both were more moved than we thought we would be, and some happy tears were shed.</div>
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Zelie did beautifully, too! She enjoyed a yummy bottle very peacefully the whole time :) All in all, it was a beautiful moment for our family and reminded us very much of the amazing gift it is to be Zelie's parents.</div>
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<b>What's next:</b></div>
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We received the official adoption order in the mail about a week later, and we will use that for all kinds of things: getting Zelie a social security number, applying for her passport, filing our taxes as a family of three this year, and officially changing her name on insurance cards and such. So (surprise!) there is still more paperwork to do :) But functionally, our adoption of Zelie is DONE. Period, full stop, closed parenthesis. For the first time in over two years, we're not "in the adoption process" - it feels a little strange!</div>
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So this blog has chronicled our adoption journey from beginning to end.....and God willing we will chronicle adoption #2 here as well whenever we start on that journey! For now, we are just so filled with gratitude at this amazing little girl who is almost 10 months old, and we thank God every day for her courageous birth parents and all the people who love her so very much.</div>
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<br />Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-86540413230610505482017-11-11T08:20:00.000-05:002017-11-11T08:20:14.347-05:00"From Zero to Zelie"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlL7E4GshOoQ1x4TO4BTh1DO0I83hmbPsJ6H_cy5ZQWCEg_Z10VrhTuzh6FiypvbTIeJSjKHQzJMtqHZXi81xDHsm99g2JXwa_qpzOYDMo78ANr3DtZCDP4zQOzhDbXFbvBbWQqegkEac/s1600/SAM_2334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlL7E4GshOoQ1x4TO4BTh1DO0I83hmbPsJ6H_cy5ZQWCEg_Z10VrhTuzh6FiypvbTIeJSjKHQzJMtqHZXi81xDHsm99g2JXwa_qpzOYDMo78ANr3DtZCDP4zQOzhDbXFbvBbWQqegkEac/s320/SAM_2334.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Happy National Adoption Month! :)<br />
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A friend asked us to write an article about our adoption journey and what we've learned, and we were thrilled to do it!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Adoption is very near and dear to our hearts. After six years of marriage, and many prayers for a child, earlier this year we welcomed our daughter Zelie-Louise Layla Rose into our family through adoption. This experience has been a profound journey of faith for us—a pilgrimage—and God has taught us so much through it, and through the people we’ve encountered along the way."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Full article:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.frcblog.com/2017/11/zero-zelie-our-adoption-journey-and-what-weve-learned/">http://www.frcblog.com/2017/11/zero-zelie-our-adoption-journey-and-what-weve-learned/ </a></span></span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-19821126733781504172017-10-18T17:11:00.000-04:002017-11-10T11:18:44.110-05:00Catch-all Life UpdateIt's about time for a new post! During the time of waiting for an adoption match, and specifically preparing to welcome home our daughter, we posted fairly regularly because it felt like so much was happening that we wanted to remember and share. Now that Zelie has been with us over six months (!!) we've settled into a nice day-to-day routine and haven't felt as inclined to write in this space. But it would be nice to catch up the story since where we left off, which was <a href="http://adoptionpilgrimage.blogspot.com/2017/04/our-time-in-california-part-i.html">"Our Time in California Part 1"</a>.<br />
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<b>Coming Home</b><br />
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Skipping to the main point: we made it home, all three of us :)<br />
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More specifically, we flew back from California earrrrrrly on April 24th. (Early as in, get up at 2:30 a.m. to get to the airport for our cross-country flight.) Zelie did so, so well on the plane! She slept, then ate, then slept some more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO0atZRD__SA24wcPO2yeEmQ5AvPFRX-M3ri4zRa5wjaw94jffbOc-JvpeBML-ForEM4meYmz7C-vg31PY24lSJr-dcOCTzbcsD80xytJ1Rab0PEeK4xb8QBn4wpzW25qdUjfVRLmWzh5/s1600/WP_20170424_09_35_21_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO0atZRD__SA24wcPO2yeEmQ5AvPFRX-M3ri4zRa5wjaw94jffbOc-JvpeBML-ForEM4meYmz7C-vg31PY24lSJr-dcOCTzbcsD80xytJ1Rab0PEeK4xb8QBn4wpzW25qdUjfVRLmWzh5/s320/WP_20170424_09_35_21_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxed on the tray table</td></tr>
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Oh my, was it a JOY to see our home state appear below us after descending through the clouds! We showed Zelie - this is Maryland! And it was oh so GREEN! California is beautiful, for sure, but we hadn't realized how much we missed the green, verdant, hydrated landscapes of our east coast home.<br />
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At the airport, both of our moms were there to greet us and to meet Zelie for the first time. We were all fairly jet-lagged and exhausted (Zelie the least since she had slept so well on the trip) but those moments were so precious, having Zelie's two grandmas meet this much prayed-for and hoped-for baby.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWc5f649_gxKr3CRPJAnXwJM0XW_c4luODM7aCUkUV8frDmjjEiEi4ZriteAwaNo6-C3gDRR88T7B5q5_iiziQRAfTBH_tHyEuhPpg_hvELs3G_q2hY5xT6YgPcNq71m9ZtdwFuF17deM/s1600/WP_20170424_15_38_41_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWc5f649_gxKr3CRPJAnXwJM0XW_c4luODM7aCUkUV8frDmjjEiEi4ZriteAwaNo6-C3gDRR88T7B5q5_iiziQRAfTBH_tHyEuhPpg_hvELs3G_q2hY5xT6YgPcNq71m9ZtdwFuF17deM/s400/WP_20170424_15_38_41_Pro.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Much cuddling was done!</div>
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Upon arriving home, Zelie greeted us with to-date her BIGGEST diaper blow-out ever.....while we are scrambling to get more diapers, and wipes, and clean clothes, all on basically no sleep and a screaming baby! Definitely a memory. And thanks, baby, for saving that until we were off the plane!</div>
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<b>Adoption news since coming home</b></div>
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The time after bringing a baby home (really, after parental revocation papers are signed) is called the post-placement period and (surprise!) there's quite a bit of paperwork, haha. Since we are finalizing in Zelie's birth state of California, we received a quite sizable packet of forms from the social worker who will be handling our case. We hunkered down and filled out all of those - quite a few that were similar to what we did in our home study, but they just needed their own copies. </div>
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We also had to have three post-placement visits with our local Maryland social worker, the same one who did all of our home study visits. She came for the first time the week we got home, again about two months later, and for the third and probably final time in September, when Zelie was 5 months old. ["Probably final" because there's a chance that California will ask for one more - that is pending.] Those visits were really special! Our social worker has known us from the beginning of our adoption journey, did one yearly update with us, and now got to meet our daughter. Pretty cool. She has been throughout such a wealth of knowledge about adoption and now about child development too, so it was great to be able to ask her questions and get her input on situations that we weren't sure how to deal with. </div>
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Another thing is that when Zelie had her pediatrician appointments, we had to fill out extra forms to send both to California and Maryland - just another check that the baby is doing well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gratuitous adorable picture</td></tr>
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The whole post-placement period, before finalization happens, is all about making sure that the baby and parents are adjusting well to their new family structure, and of course (worst case scenario) to make sure there is no abuse or neglect going on. Sad to say, I'm sure it does happen and of course the baby shouldn't be in that environment. But there's not a question of whether Zelie will stay with us or not. The revocation of parental rights has happened already, and barring fraud, the adoption proceeds toward finalization. At finalization Zelie will be issued a new birth certificate with our last name on it, plus a social security number.</div>
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Per California rules, Zelie has to be with us for six months before the social worker writes her report. So now that that's happened, we are waiting for a copy of the report, which will also be sent to the CA courts. We're not entirely sure when it will all be finalized, but it would be really special if it happened before or around Christmas!</div>
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<b>Non-adoption happenings</b></div>
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The other big thing in our lives lately is that Bethany is now a full-time stay-at-home mom. She ended her job of 7+ years on September 1st. It was a fairly emotional time, saying goodbye to wonderful coworkers and stopping a job that she enjoyed and put a lot of heart and effort into. But of course this has been our dream for so long, and it has been such a blessing to have her at home taking care of Zelie day in and day out! During the week she takes care of a friend's baby too, so the days are still full but in many different ways.</div>
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We did a bit of traveling over the summer with Zelie: to Orlando for a work trip, where Zelie went to the pool for the first time: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stylish!</td></tr>
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And we spent a wonderful week vacation with two close families, here at our house, a night at the beach, and in Virginia. So Zelie got to see the Atlantic Ocean! Not many 5 month olds can say they've been to both coasts already :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEqSQIlg25YhmPZtMo7yOdfNbK0YmXyYOzvQMvOW9A_Me_L7bkXtZ6tejU52xHeGgv4PneM6uVdNjwGr4e_cTjEM2mTGmAMeDJyAg5y8wTs5SrhDP4nXxJQd8JmkDyjdbFxuEDJFg7a8-/s1600/SAM_2233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEqSQIlg25YhmPZtMo7yOdfNbK0YmXyYOzvQMvOW9A_Me_L7bkXtZ6tejU52xHeGgv4PneM6uVdNjwGr4e_cTjEM2mTGmAMeDJyAg5y8wTs5SrhDP4nXxJQd8JmkDyjdbFxuEDJFg7a8-/s320/SAM_2233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other than that, Dan is proceeding with his dissertation. He finished his third chapter in September and has started work on his fourth and final chapter, so if all goes well he will graduate in the Spring, about a month after Zelie turns one!<br />
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It has been a complete joy to be Zelie's parents and we are grateful for every little moment. It has also been so beautiful to see how our friends, family, church and community have welcomed her with open arms. We detect some budding friendships already between Zelie and babies her age.... :) And it has felt really healing to get to experience so many firsts with Zelie, from first time grabbing a toy to first time rolling over to first time eating food and everything in between. Thank you, God!<br />
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We'll plan to note here on the blog when Zelie's adoption is finalized and other happenings!<br />
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Until then, a final adorable shot of our priceless little girl:<br />
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Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-54807275335081852942017-05-14T14:43:00.002-04:002017-05-14T14:43:29.425-04:00Becoming a Mother Through AdoptionSoon after we found out that we were matched with Zelie, Bethany was asked to write a column for the organization <a href="http://www.fathersforgood.org/en/index.html">Fathers for Good</a>, run by the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic men's organization, and also Dan's employer). We worked on it together, and it was published in the May issue of <i>Columbia</i> magazine (p. 23).<br />
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Here is an excerpt, followed by a link to the full article. What a blessing it was to write this!<br />
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<b>Called to Adopt</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: OpenSans, Arial; font-size: 15px;">Four years after our wedding, my husband, Dan, and I were still childless despite our fervent desire to be parents. After prayer and discernment, we decided to embark on the journey of adoption — specifically, domestic infant adoption. We quickly learned that welcoming a child through adoption is a calling. It requires sacrifices of time and money, as well as the willingness to open your relationship, health, home and finances to evaluation. We call our adoption journey a pilgrimage, a walk of faith, with daily — sometimes hourly — opportunities to deepen our trust in the Lord.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: OpenSans, Arial; font-size: 15px;"><i>Full text: </i></span><a href="http://www.kofc.org/en/columbia/detail/called-to-adopt.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, Arial; font-size: 15px;">http://www.kofc.org/en/columbia/detail/called-to-adopt.html </a>Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-69532856806534884182017-04-28T20:44:00.000-04:002017-04-28T20:50:34.446-04:00Our Time in California Part IHere's a bit of a run-down about what our time in California was like. There is just so much to say, so many grace-filled moments, challenging moments, exhausting moments...we feel like we've crammed months of life into three weeks!<br />
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<b>Tuesday April 4: </b>We woke up early and Dan's mom (who house-sat for us while we were gone) drove us to the airport. The car was packed with stuff! A suitcase each for me, Dan, and baby; a pack and play; a backpack, roller bag, car seat and stroller. Getting through security was crazy - our stuff took up the whole conveyor belt! Thankfully the people around us were patient, but wondered where the baby was! We told them we were adopting and people were very kind. Once we got through the line, we had over an hour before our flight, so a chance to catch our breath, and get some coffee and breakfast. We were able to gate-check the stroller and car seat to our final stop, so it was nice to be down to only a backpack and roller bag for the flight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for our adventure!</td></tr>
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The flight to Oakland was quite long but smooth. We dozed, read a bit, and looked out the window. The descent into Oakland was really neat because we circled close to San Francisco and could even see the Golden Gate Bridge! In the airport we had about 40 minutes to hustle to our gate, buy some Chinese food for lunch, and board again.<br />
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We landed safely in Ontario (east of LA) and all our luggage arrived, yay! We were met at the airport by a friend's dad and mom, who were kindly lending us their extra mini van. (Unfortunately, we had to get a rental car a few days later because our car seat didn't work in the van...but it was really sweet of them and saved us some money!) We drove to our rental (airbnb) in Riverside, pinching ourselves that were were finally in California!<br />
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Jet lag really set in that evening...we went to a nearby grocery store and were just barely able to get some essentials before going to the apartment and crashing.<br />
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<b>Wednesday April 5: </b>We slept in (as much as you can when you're on Eastern time still...) and got bagel sandwiches at the ironically named East Coast Bagel. Then we ran some errands and drove to the hospital to check it out. It was an easy 20-minute drive and the scenery was really striking. Lots of hills in the distance (including some with snow on them), palm trees, long vistas - it seemed like something out of Jurassic Park or Lord of the Rings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the hospital</td></tr>
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At the hospital, we found the maternity ward and introduced ourselves to the head nurse. She showed us the waiting room and said to announce ourselves when we arrived tomorrow. It was surreal being in the place where the baby would be born the next day! We were happy to see that the hospital was clean, the staff seemed friendly, and it was small, not nearly as loud and overwhelming as hospitals around DC.<br />
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We went out to eat before going to bed early in anticipation of our VERY BIG DAY tomorrow.<br />
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<b>Thursday, April 6: </b>We got up super duper early to get all of our stuff together and get to the hospital. We knew that Zelie's birthmom was asked to be there at 5 a.m. but the nurse said we didn't need to get there before 7:30....we got there around 6, haha - just too much anticipation!! To our pleasant surprise, Zelie's birithmom asked us to come back to her room right away to meet her. What a special moment that was! We were able to visit for quite a while before she had to get prepped for the c-section. We also met a few members of her family, which was special.<br />
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Around 9 or so, we went to get something to eat. The hospital actually hosts a farmer's markets on Thursday so we had some delicious fresh berries, a breakfast burrito and some pastries - yum.<br />
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We went back to the waiting room, and another very pleasant surprise - Bethany was asked by Zelie's birthmom to be present for the delivery. So she suited up in the mask, head covering, robe, shoe covering, and was taken into the operating room. It's impossible to describe the incredible honor this was, both to be present to Zelie's birthmom during the c-section, and also to hear Zelie's first cries and see her in the very first minute of her life....we will be forever grateful for this memory. Bethany also got to cut Zelie's cord after she was born and hold her. Her birthmom was still on the operating table but got to give Zelie some special mama kisses.<br />
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Zelie then went to the recovery room to be weighed, measured, etc. She got to spend some special time with her birthfather there, and a bit later Dan was able to meet her and to help give her the first bath as doctors checked her out. All of these moments were so rich and happening so fast, it was impossible to take it all in - we just tried to receive each moment as a gift as it came.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first time seeing Zelie! So overwhelmed with joy! I fell in love at first sight :-) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying hello, what an adorable face!</td></tr>
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A bit later, Zelie and her birthmom were taken to a postpartum room, where we joined them. When her birthmom was able to eat again, we asked what she wanted to eat (knowing hospital food is bad!) so she requested sushi. Dan drove half way across town to get the finest sushi :-) . Later that evening, we were invited by her birthmom to stay in the hospital room overnight - what a privilege that was. So we went back to our rental to get pajamas, etc., and then returned to the hospital. It was a big double room and we each had a single pull-out bed on one half. We loved spending time bonding with Zelie and feeding and changing her. It was such a joy to spend all of these moments with Zelie and her birthmother.<br />
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<b>Friday, April 7: </b>We spent all day at the hospital with Zelie and her birthmom, other than going back to the rental to shower and going out for food. What a special time this was, and always will be for us and for Zelie. We had lots of time just to talk with Zelie's birthmom and get to know her more, and also to appreciate all the little things about Zelie. Of course nurses and doctors were in and out pretty regularly, so it wasn't completely restful, but it was a wonderful experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of her 100,000 cute faces. She is so expressive!</td></tr>
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A funny story: in the middle of the night, Dan got up to quiet Zelie and change her diaper. Knowing that she generally screams during diaper changes, he decided to push her cart into the hall so as not to wake the ladies. Well, that is a no-no....as soon as he got in the hall, a voice came over the loudspeaker: "Sir, please put the baby back in the room." Oops, the baby had an alarm on her leg which he set off!! He insisted he wasn't trying to steal the baby, just change her quietly! Lesson learned, he changed the diapers in the room from there on out.<br />
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<b>Saturday, April 8: </b>The day was similar to Friday, lots of time with Zelie and her birthmom, not a whole lot of sleep! In the morning, the doctors let us know that Zelie and her birthmom could be discharged today - yay! We were all ready to get outside, together - we'd been able to go out singly but of course someone needed to stay with Zelie, who could not leave the room (see above). Of course there was lots of paperwork to do before discharge (more so because of the adoption) so we didn't end up leaving until later in the afternoon. The birth father visited as well which was nice. But what a wonderful moment to leave the hospital! Zelie had her first elevator ride, first breath of outside air, and first car ride all in quick succession.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st car ride!</td></tr>
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We were honored to take her birthmom and birthfather to their homes, which gave us all a little more time together. We also got some photos printed on the way (Walmart) so Zelie's birthparents could have hard copies. Tonight was the first time we had Zelie on our own, which was very special. She slept like a normal baby! Up every few hours to eat, but generally easy to comfort.<br />
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<b>Holy Week: Sunday, April 9 - Saturday, April 15</b><br />
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We were able to spend some more time with Zelie's birthparents on Palm Sunday, which as always was very special.<br />
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A lot of this week was spent just getting used to having a sweet little baby in our care! Zelie had her first check-up on Monday morning and did great. She had dropped in weight a little, which is normal, and was very healthy, praise God!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggle time</td></tr>
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On Monday at 5 p.m., Zelie's placement into our family became irrevocable. Her birthmother had chosen to waive the 30 day "revocation period" in California and entrust her to us early. We happened to be in the car at 5 p.m. and said a Rosary for Zelie's birthparents, knowing that this was likely a difficult time for them, despite their conviction in choosing adoption for their daughter.<br />
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Tuesday our friend Fr. Jon visited and gave Zelie her first blessing. Dan and Fr. Jon were college roommates and good friends, and Father is a priest in Los Angeles. What a blessing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our priest friend Fr. Jon feeding Zelie!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie's first blessing by Fr. Jon!</td></tr>
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On Wednesday we ventured out to a vineyard with Bethany's brother Ben and his girlfriend Natalie, who live in Los Angeles. It was gorgeous weather! And very pleasant sitting in the shade, sipping wine and talking. A great way to pass the time. Zelie enjoyed meeting her first uncle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of us at the vineyard! So beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPOGkKGbuhVBJ4gZcnCEJ8ba1mukzT6zdqLfGZdQTJaP_wUILVcE0jaOkLrVKyukS7gzkcC7ZuvGf3UeELBPH8bYu4JwVUfQmfe5JI9PUUul5bpdEHplc26VvlsvUtOjw3OFC8cz5UqQu/s1600/20170412_125336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPOGkKGbuhVBJ4gZcnCEJ8ba1mukzT6zdqLfGZdQTJaP_wUILVcE0jaOkLrVKyukS7gzkcC7ZuvGf3UeELBPH8bYu4JwVUfQmfe5JI9PUUul5bpdEHplc26VvlsvUtOjw3OFC8cz5UqQu/s400/20170412_125336.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie's happy Uncle Ben! Check out those cute flamingo pants and sun hat! She is a model :-) </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVgpqmjS6E81Mm0pijSoMqb24FbQZVD0miwg_8ZecGnhYxKsoWeirLkqBzafe9xxy4JI3LSC5HxT55-G2lF3ctaSI2VPFHRF0HuYlKAIKlClmXSG6Ybngi3cYaOKAxjea_56USmgfEdKl/s1600/SAM_1571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVgpqmjS6E81Mm0pijSoMqb24FbQZVD0miwg_8ZecGnhYxKsoWeirLkqBzafe9xxy4JI3LSC5HxT55-G2lF3ctaSI2VPFHRF0HuYlKAIKlClmXSG6Ybngi3cYaOKAxjea_56USmgfEdKl/s400/SAM_1571.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
Enjoying the vineyard under a veranda together!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thursday was Zelie's one-week birthday! Good job, Zelie!!<br />
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On Friday we took Zelie to church for the first time, to the Good Friday liturgy. The church near our hotel, St. Martha's, turned out to be quite lovely with wonderful music. They had a full choir for the service and the church was packed! Zelie slept through the entire two-hour service.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59-MoDN2B24XSOrvzmKZW0E2-p9tKdcvdLxVbPMB_KigIw8lBMkET07xN-fYu7LKn4R0mvmbYUfy5BhhJuRAJFz_HW7QtbPsi0Bj8vomRrUTS0bELcJD6JPOGwrbJEpes6Y6d_bC1igzw/s1600/SAM_1597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59-MoDN2B24XSOrvzmKZW0E2-p9tKdcvdLxVbPMB_KigIw8lBMkET07xN-fYu7LKn4R0mvmbYUfy5BhhJuRAJFz_HW7QtbPsi0Bj8vomRrUTS0bELcJD6JPOGwrbJEpes6Y6d_bC1igzw/s400/SAM_1597.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie's first church service! Can you find Zelie?</td></tr>
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On Saturday we went back to the vineyards, this time meeting up with local friends who had also recently adopted!<br />
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<b>Easter Sunday: April 16</b><br />
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We went back to St. Martha's on Easter morning for Mass and it was even more crowded than on Good Friday. People were spilling out the back doors where we stood. After Zelie had a bottle and a diaper change, she again slept through the whole service. It was her first Mass! After church, we visited with Zelie's birthmom for the afternoon and did a fun Easter photo shoot with Zelie - bunny ears and all! Here are some cute pictures from the day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9mP5JrD09I5c7JIsxeSGr8N2d0VV16ToDnZk01xcKq7Pr47pwkzH9X1xv7IR2Bi0-j_P_8C-d8HwNE857IeT03o8ZCAEU0qxT7JcrGrHT00rl-cgxZIQgSz7m8KTYSGkqi5ufzqhss4/s1600/SAM_1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9mP5JrD09I5c7JIsxeSGr8N2d0VV16ToDnZk01xcKq7Pr47pwkzH9X1xv7IR2Bi0-j_P_8C-d8HwNE857IeT03o8ZCAEU0qxT7JcrGrHT00rl-cgxZIQgSz7m8KTYSGkqi5ufzqhss4/s320/SAM_1623.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelie after her first Mass! She enjoyed it sleeping peacefully in the Lord!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnOtb9gCJvHdDvtBmjmDcgEcXTJSLZKS5SeuaEV5xJ26v679QyhQp58UeRxVwyjlodwGz7kOpQoWZi-vhGXThhMSFFxcbLR-OLxWB9osMw8nZBu_b4rhYAlO-JN2y2ol32K2fSU2_cTI/s1600/SAM_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnOtb9gCJvHdDvtBmjmDcgEcXTJSLZKS5SeuaEV5xJ26v679QyhQp58UeRxVwyjlodwGz7kOpQoWZi-vhGXThhMSFFxcbLR-OLxWB9osMw8nZBu_b4rhYAlO-JN2y2ol32K2fSU2_cTI/s320/SAM_1654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like we said, isn't she a cute little model? So beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISj6876c4swq3VrBDw2S1ywn1p5RULXSM2bBpo3unaHZ1VX5r27rBw7uSP7Zj1MuMqNa4P5QGvvxD-JdjrqkZAz6x8JBwn5yIhSR1WxGQwc0o27DgL5ekCy-J8fWPxYUtCYPC-tqQO3Y/s1600/SAM_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISj6876c4swq3VrBDw2S1ywn1p5RULXSM2bBpo3unaHZ1VX5r27rBw7uSP7Zj1MuMqNa4P5QGvvxD-JdjrqkZAz6x8JBwn5yIhSR1WxGQwc0o27DgL5ekCy-J8fWPxYUtCYPC-tqQO3Y/s320/SAM_1648.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little family snuggle time together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are so blessed by Zelie, the joy is overwhelming! We feel very surrounded by God's grace. More to come later about our time in California and our travel back to Maryland!!<br />
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Please continue to keep us, Zelie, and her courageous birthparents in your prayers!</div>
</div>
Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-30074731736781670232017-04-15T14:17:00.006-04:002017-04-15T14:17:59.599-04:00Introducing Our Daughter Zelie!Wow, the last week has been such a whirlwind!! We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our daughter Zelie-Louise Layla Rose, who was born on April 6, and entrusted to us by her birthparents on April 10. Welcome to the outside world, Zelie, and to our family!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-yp3dUHF4-Nzxx4OiOC8yMRsTCkgC5nqQ3OmJTRrsGV2-JGqQ9IJHTpCK12QFPvY9EiTCO-NlQcA2R-Gds5kY1pKIlV0dpIVU0JNNpM4HnwfZLUJUiMxvkrDuR01b5PKkefkCMIFdas/s1600/SAM_1500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-yp3dUHF4-Nzxx4OiOC8yMRsTCkgC5nqQ3OmJTRrsGV2-JGqQ9IJHTpCK12QFPvY9EiTCO-NlQcA2R-Gds5kY1pKIlV0dpIVU0JNNpM4HnwfZLUJUiMxvkrDuR01b5PKkefkCMIFdas/s320/SAM_1500.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
There is so much to say about the last few days....and we are operating on significantly less sleep than usual, so this will probably be short-ish, with more posts later. Here are some thoughts for now:<br />
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We were able to meet Zelie's birthmother and several members of her birth family prior to birth, which was really special. We ended up staying in the hospital on Thursday and Friday night, sharing a room with Zelie and her birthmother. That was a really precious time for us, and we hope that we were supportive to Zelie's birthmom too.<br />
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About her name: Zelie is pronounced like "Kelly" but with a Z. Zelie-Louise comes from two French saints, St. Zelie and St. Louis Martin, who were canonized in 2015 (we were there in Rome for the canonization!). They were a holy married couple. Google them if they're unfamiliar. One of their daughters is more well-known: St. Therese of Lisieux. Louise is also special because of our friend Louise who passed away in March. Layla Rose is a gift to Zelie from her birthparents, who chose that name for her. Rose is a family name for us too (Dan's paternal grandma was Rosina so we were happy to name her after his Grandma as well), and as a few friends have pointed out, St. Therese is associated with roses, so it all fits together! As we have been saying: it's a long name packed with a lot of love.<br />
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About Zelie: she is a delightful baby! Praise God, she is fairly healthy. She only had to stay in the hospital until Saturday and then was discharged at the same time as her birthmom. She is eating great, sleeping like a normal baby (she prefers to sleep in our arms but does okay in her pack and play too), she makes all kinds of cute noises and faces, and is just a pure joy. We love being parents for her! They also say "sleep when the baby sleeps," but it's hard when the baby is just so cute and you want to stare in wonder at her!!<br />
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About her birth: that really is her birthmom's story so we won't go into detail. One special thing to note is that her birthmom asked Bethany to be in the delivery room, which was such an incredible honor, and Bethany was able to cut the umbilical cord. We were impressed at what a strong and nice woman her birthmom is, and we have enjoyed so much the opportunity to get to know her while we're in California.<br />
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That's about it for now - more later! We'll leave you with a few more pics of Zelie :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpCUicB5KT1gOZT7noYFtmxSr7fZvifd60oX14vkbipr4vEwHn8ddMSjc5EU5kyq7XRj_EE_q_3QU7s3u6_MBJ3s8iMNLvWv6eUvZogjQVxcgNSH2tni_svEttBRhUgvm4zCkOXGAYCE/s1600/20170406_205127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpCUicB5KT1gOZT7noYFtmxSr7fZvifd60oX14vkbipr4vEwHn8ddMSjc5EU5kyq7XRj_EE_q_3QU7s3u6_MBJ3s8iMNLvWv6eUvZogjQVxcgNSH2tni_svEttBRhUgvm4zCkOXGAYCE/s400/20170406_205127.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">baby headband!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuaBlNuge9NXQkjE565nAWpKwK_XNntXiqh0StP6yuIT4D43UABztW5tXuBHf6YVJuKkhN_R6Jo3G2RZ11cHSdVNdwwWMVQDHzOPyejTAeoMiMy0i0OwNvKP4D9IE_5U0jf7_FTKsuBI/s1600/WP_20170407_14_52_30_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuaBlNuge9NXQkjE565nAWpKwK_XNntXiqh0StP6yuIT4D43UABztW5tXuBHf6YVJuKkhN_R6Jo3G2RZ11cHSdVNdwwWMVQDHzOPyejTAeoMiMy0i0OwNvKP4D9IE_5U0jf7_FTKsuBI/s320/WP_20170407_14_52_30_Pro.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">baby burrito!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob8intlnMHKOVWS184dvmVMF21bJsCaMzc4iAQKNChErKo3KqP5rYBvvlYssozivEYjeqSLfhsvndc6qoeTvDkwqtG_W1XL5ctZtyo1r6qwpd_zjqvX4EHtiUbcn9bbxoRf7X4bNN0pA/s1600/SAM_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob8intlnMHKOVWS184dvmVMF21bJsCaMzc4iAQKNChErKo3KqP5rYBvvlYssozivEYjeqSLfhsvndc6qoeTvDkwqtG_W1XL5ctZtyo1r6qwpd_zjqvX4EHtiUbcn9bbxoRf7X4bNN0pA/s320/SAM_1565.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is listening to "ocean," like a true California baby :) </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jpetx2wFlTGjIgRwh77RkSMN8V8wv02P5GGlmQlHc-lMnlMmIOkJwjS1jRGskva-R7P0tLycNHuF4R9RdBU7FqTdUaYICbuKxw8WOd4fxADi3EXTzOAtJ3j6b7fEBmCi1KugL6a9z-s/s1600/WP_20170411_09_05_37_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jpetx2wFlTGjIgRwh77RkSMN8V8wv02P5GGlmQlHc-lMnlMmIOkJwjS1jRGskva-R7P0tLycNHuF4R9RdBU7FqTdUaYICbuKxw8WOd4fxADi3EXTzOAtJ3j6b7fEBmCi1KugL6a9z-s/s320/WP_20170411_09_05_37_Pro.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her Maryland outfit!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAydFv-0vl6ig98vB2fEekCkqT7r8GR3GfWvpLHgKKJjvgjki3GMPYRxWWRrJUmeXJ3dRGcouD_bFhIjyz7habysNZf3dLTcCFKlVMM0N6bNzSizFBMXTFAf6_BDxJ5Nehrg0ZliCpuco/s1600/20170411_122901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAydFv-0vl6ig98vB2fEekCkqT7r8GR3GfWvpLHgKKJjvgjki3GMPYRxWWRrJUmeXJ3dRGcouD_bFhIjyz7habysNZf3dLTcCFKlVMM0N6bNzSizFBMXTFAf6_BDxJ5Nehrg0ZliCpuco/s320/20170411_122901.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyes open and happy!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIgY0Qpv28pBKmQQRlZX2Rji_BqfpdLPKCbobqYw6RkLyZI-VmdU6UmRLYpzbygVFuBw47-LTSojMk2Fbe_36Al0mPIWBkFSePNzy4AC3n8WtSXLShA1tFgyV9CeLcysxNXPHvJJiE9I/s1600/20170410_175727_Burst01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIgY0Qpv28pBKmQQRlZX2Rji_BqfpdLPKCbobqYw6RkLyZI-VmdU6UmRLYpzbygVFuBw47-LTSojMk2Fbe_36Al0mPIWBkFSePNzy4AC3n8WtSXLShA1tFgyV9CeLcysxNXPHvJJiE9I/s320/20170410_175727_Burst01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some daddy and daughter cuddle time! More pics to come later...</td></tr>
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<br />Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-57203824079006310862017-04-03T17:25:00.000-04:002017-04-03T17:41:44.680-04:00Prayer List & Goals for our time in California<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/46/26/b2/4626b2621ff35bc8c3aac4ab45572c25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
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<b><br /></b><b>On the eve of our trip, in case you would like to pray very specifically for some intentions:</b><br />
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1. For baby and her health and safe delivery on Thursday morning<br />
2. For baby's mom, her health, peace, wisdom, clarity, good health, speedy recovery from c-section, and everything else she needs at this time<br />
3. For baby's father, extended family, and everyone who cares for them: for peace and good health and that they can be a support to baby's parents no matter what happens<br />
4. For our safe flights, particularly that predicted thunderstorms tomorrow morning do not materialize or affect our flights, and that none of our luggage is lost<br />
5. For all the doctors and nurses giving care to mom and baby, for wisdom, kindness, gentleness, and respect for the adoption situation<br />
6. For our lawyer, his staff, our home agency social workers, and all the adoption professionals involved in this situation, for wisdom and kindness, and in gratitude for the help they've offered us all so far<br />
7. (Not adoption related, but on our hearts) For the peaceful repose of Grandpa Meola & Louise, and for comfort for those who miss them<br />
8. If the adoption proceeds - that we can give this little one all the care, presence, love, closeness, and everything else that she needs in the first few weeks of her life<br />
9. If the adoption does not proceed - that even in our disappointment we can pray for the baby and her parents, and accept wholeheartedly that this was not meant to be our child<br />
10. That we would stay in good health and stay close to each other throughout our trip<br />
11. That we would decide on the perfect name for this baby!! :)<br />
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<b>And some of our goals for the next few weeks (also prayers that we can do this!):</b><br />
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1. Pray intently for the baby, her birthparents, and all involved in their lives and the adoption.<br />
2. In whatever way we can, show love to the baby's mother, father and anyone else from their family we get to meet.<br />
3. Receive every moment as a gift.<br />
4. Entrust the outcome of the adoption to the Lord, trusting in His perfect, providential plan for this daughter of God.<br />
5. "Roll with the punches" and be open to the unexpected - "semper Gumby" (always be flexible)<br />
6. Open our hearts to everything we will experience the next few weeks, no matter how difficult, unexpected, demanding, and so onBethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160962950203951773noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-90412736634560494252017-04-03T17:09:00.000-04:002017-04-03T17:09:50.721-04:00One Day Til Go Time, Final Prep & Another LossOn Thursday we learned that baby will be arriving by c-section on April 6, so we booked our flight to California for April 4 (!!!) aka TOMORROW Oh wow is this exciting.<br />
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The mood - "One Day More" from Les Mis...........energizing!!<br />
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If you would like to pray - we fly out of Baltimore/Washington at 8:10 a.m. We are keeping baby and her parents in our constant prayer as the day draws near. We found a place to stay for a week when we arrive, an airbnb apartment rental that has a full kitchen and is about 20 minutes away from the hospital. After that, we'll see! Hopefully we'll have a good read on the situation: where we need to be, how close to the hospital, etc.<br />
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Preparations are going well for our trip. Bethany was in charge of packing baby's suitcase, which was a challenge! Mostly difficult to decide what adorable outfit NOT to bring.....we chose a medium-sized suitcase to keep it all reasonable. Only four pairs of baby shoes.......! haha (totally necessary, right?)<br />
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Dan chose his favorite onesie to take along (says Daddy's Girl). </div>
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And here's our packing list - mostly checked off! (We are so not travelling light.....thank you Southwest baggage allowance.)</div>
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<img alt="Displaying WP_20170403_16_36_14_Pro.jpg" height="298" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=4873ce7289&view=fimg&th=15b3599d67227b7a&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_8VUn6QIc2X-pMoQmhKJadSCDowHVBp-h83m8SXBxE1t_dM55FHvZhTOXB7bsDpX9bzLU818PkgA6ReJSpanW8lZKLg88u2nDRfFy8ZyN42BD3Pd051cTyqw8&ats=1491252932078&rm=15b3599d67227b7a&zw&sz=w1366-h662" width="400" /></div>
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Dan's mom arrived on Saturday evening. She's going to house-sit for us the whole time we're gone, which puts our mind at ease. On Sunday we introduced her to many friends at our parish so they can say hello at church and maybe have her over for dinner. One friend offered to mow the lawn for us, which was really sweet. We are so thankful for our church family! We've only been in Bowie since July and already it has become such a supportive place. </div>
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Other preparations: we had a great hour-long conversation with a social worker at Barker (our home study agency) about what to expect at the hospital. Realizing that the situation will likely be fluid, emotions will be high for everyone, how to be respectful of the baby's mother, legal considerations, and so on. It was really helpful. </div>
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We got a letter from the adoption lawyer to bring to the hospital social worker when we arrive. They will send a copy directly to the hospital. Since we will most likely be arriving before the birth, we plan on going to the hospital on April 5 to get a feel for it and maybe meet the social worker.</div>
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Monday was our final day of work. What a surreal feeling, saying goodbye to coworkers for several weeks/months. </div>
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<b>In sadder news......</b>on Sunday afternoon, Dan's dad called to let us know that his grandpa had passed away early that morning. It was a bit of a shock. Even though he was 93, his health was fairly stable and he was still at home, with the help of Dan's dad, aunt, and other family members. What sad news to receive. Thankfully Dan visited him in Erie just a few weeks ago - he had debated travelling the 7 hours because of preparing for the adoption, but now is so glad he did. (Bethany had a work trip the same time, unfortunately.) Grandpa Meola was such a special person in our lives. He was an immigrant from Italy and kept a love for his native country alive, especially through food. Christmas and New Year's were <u>feasts</u> in Grandma & Grandpa's home. We've shared many a cup of espresso with him. He was a fixture in Dan's family and in our experience of visits to Erie - Sunday lunches, afternoon visits, and of course holidays. We are going to miss him so much and visits to Dan's hometown just won't be the same. (Grandma Meola passed away a few years ago.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP6bPl3iQZkqh0d7e7AWOE8H4W7cd-SVtZ4us9z1tr2ycB1MyeC8k3b9rxP7FMQc_lmg0TLeUr0NeszvJDyQwQutSgeSmkmCvJWmOGYjAxDEEfFgAsgawOPw9Ew0yjQ_xJeq4j62gpM0/s1600/14563334_10154652135993750_5837619456753618276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP6bPl3iQZkqh0d7e7AWOE8H4W7cd-SVtZ4us9z1tr2ycB1MyeC8k3b9rxP7FMQc_lmg0TLeUr0NeszvJDyQwQutSgeSmkmCvJWmOGYjAxDEEfFgAsgawOPw9Ew0yjQ_xJeq4j62gpM0/s400/14563334_10154652135993750_5837619456753618276_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Plus the sadness of not having Grandpa meet our baby....that hurts. We are now down to one grandparent (Dan's Grandma Cullen) and we for sure are going to get that baby up to Erie asap for a 4 generation picture!! And we know that Grandpa, and Louise, are still close to us and will be smiling down - can't wait to see them both again one day!</div>
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<br />Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216555317921213623.post-71503785240897595092017-03-28T21:16:00.002-04:002017-03-28T21:43:16.281-04:00Life Since MatchGoal: to record & remember what has happened since the match.<br />
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<b>Start with....the happy stuff:</b><br />
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It probably goes without saying that there has been a <u>lot </u>of joy!! No matter what happens, we are ecstatic at the chance to love this little girl from a distance, and to prepare our hearts and home for her. What an absolute privilege. So, lots of happy moments and giddy joy feelings - especially right after the match.<br />
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We were showered with love, twice! First at Bethany's work: her kind and generous coworkers arranged a lunch where we could eat together and celebrate our adoption through cake.<br />
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Funny story: before the lunch, we went to Mass (at work) and received a special blessing. The priest gave it after the homily - we stood up and he prayed over us. Well, the blessing was about parenthood, yes, but didn't mention adoption at all - so afterwards, several coworkers who didn't know about adoption congratulated us, asked "when are you due?" and had hilarious reactions when we said "April! ...Oh, we're adopting!"<br />
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Anyway, the lunch was lovely. Bethany feels so blessed to have such a supportive work environment with so many people who have become friends. #love<br />
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And, we were showered with love once more at our house! Two good friends offered to throw us a shower, which ended up being on March 19, which is usually St. Joseph's feast day, although it was moved this year because March 19 was a Sunday. Our two friends, plus their husband/fiance, plus my parents and another good friend, did all the decorations and food. We enjoyed a lunch out and then came back to a house full of lovely people and JOY!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is approximately 2/3rd of the attendees - the others are in the kitchen or backyard or out of sight</td></tr>
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We requested a coed party and said people could bring their kids, so it ended up being packed - standing room only - and so much fun! Thankfully some snowy weather in the morning cleared away so the older kids could run around outside. </div>
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Several of our guests had sent presents in advance (since we didn't know when we'd be leaving for California), so our hostesses devised this really neat present-opening system: everyone wrote what they brought on a popsicle stick, and then when we read it off, they'd give us the present. There were a lot of fun surprises! And people were so very generous!!</div>
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It felt like a tornado of love had swept through our house. Afterwards we went to bed around 8!</div>
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Overall, it has been just so exciting to think of being parents in a few weeks/days. We've talked about a name, set up the nursery, washed a bajillion baby clothes, packed our suitcases, and so much more all in preparation. </div>
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<b>The more difficult stuff: </b></div>
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Even with such a happy event on the horizon, there have been sad parts of the month too. Most especially was losing our dear friend Louise, who died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 93.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From her 93rd birthday party at our house</td></tr>
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Louise was a special part of our lives for the past five years. We first met her through mutual friends who asked us if we could take her grocery shopping. We did that for a long time, then after she got more unsteady we brought her groceries. Then she moved to assisted living and we visited her regularly. She became a really good friend - very fun to talk with, always interested in our lives. She did not have children or any family to speak of, so we and some other local friends really were her family at the end. Dan and I had the privilege of planning her funeral and helping with some of her affairs after death. It has been hard to say goodbye, and a bit challenging to deal with all the logistics on top of all the adoption preparations, but more than anything it's been a blessing to know such a special lady and get to play a special role in her life.</div>
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<b>Adoption related hard stuff</b>....wow, so many emotions. And honestly a lot of anxiety. There is the anxiety over whether the adoption will happen in the end. We trust and pray that the baby's parents will make the right decision for the baby & them, and we don't currently have reason to think that they'll decide to parent. But it's never certain until it's certain. So there's that anxiety.</div>
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There is the anxiety of the travel itself. We have all our bags packed pretty much, with the exception of toiletries and last-minute items (which are all on a list so we don't forget!!). We're waiting until we get word that either mom is in labor or a c-section is scheduled. So we don't have flights or a place to stay yet, which is a bit nerve-wracking - but it will come together, we're sure. Dan's mom is coming down from Erie to house-sit for us, which is wonderful and puts our minds at ease about our house.</div>
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There is the anxiety of baby's medical needs, which we have some indication of from what we've been told but of course don't know the extent until birth. Will we be able to meet baby's needs? What will it all be like?</div>
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And there is simply the anxiety of such a HUGE change in our lives. Very, very wanted - but still a change. We've both worked really hard the last few weeks at work to set things up so there is a smooth transition from us being there to others taking our projects for a while. It's strange now to be working on projects that we may or may not see the conclusion of. It's just strange in general to think of being away from home and all that's familiar for the next few weeks. It's hard to envision what it's all going to be like...</div>
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So that's what it's been like in a nutshell since match. A lot of different emotions! Trying to take it one day at a time! Pray for us!<br />
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Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978678819370219989noreply@blogger.com3