What kind of blog is this?

Well, considering this was supposed to be a blog covering the story of our adoption of Ahren, it sure has been lacking on adoption news. Last word we had was we were waiting on a correction in the Declaration of Facts, then it could be sent to PGN to be signed. No word since then. Not a peep, good or bad. We have a couple of other friends who are moving ahead with the decreto to try and solve their cases (well, the LAWYERS are moving ahead that way, regardless of our friend's opinions) So they may just shoot ahead and leave us in the dust, or they may get kicked out and be back in the rectification process with us. Since no one really knows which way things will work, it is anyone's guess what will happen.
I had a dream last night that I was holding Ahren. It was at the orphanage, and I was visiting. He was the sweetest, most snuggly baby. He just melted in my arms. I played with his curly hair and kissed his fat little cheeks while he slept in my arms. I remember he didn't smell real good and I thought he needed a bath. Then I woke up and laughed at myself. Some people dream in color? I dream in scent-o-vision. Stinky babies needing baths with lavender scented baby soap.
We should be getting new pictures soon. It's been about that long. I can't wait to see how he is growing. I am seriously considering visiting. I know Chris will talk me out of it, but oooooohhhh I want to!!! He is worried I won't be able to give Ahren back and it will tear me up. I worry about that, too, but I have a physical ache to hold that child. Plus, he needs a bath!!!!

Another week gone

Well, another week has passed and the adoption news is not great. The wonderful decreto that was to fix all our problems does not work for us. Instead, we will need to complete the proper rectification. Then, to add insult to injury, we found out that the Declaration of Facts that we had received, had an error in it and has to be re-issued. We are going backwards! I saw a post on the adoption forumn where a guy was all excited because they are on their way to pick up their son, who is about to turn 4 months old. I wanted to slap him. I have to admit that this whole process has not brought out the best in me. Chris is still convinced that we will have Ahren home by Christmas, but I wonder how he can possibly think that. Maybe he means Christmas in 2007? That I could believe! So, another week is gone and the roller coaster ride continues to be crazy.

Meet Jackson. He is the last male in a championship field trial line. Now, we have never trained him to do anything except the normal puppy stuff (get down, quit slobbering, etc) but he has the right bloodlines. His breeder has asked us to use him as a stud and they want to pay us a rather generous amount. Wahoo!! So Jackson has his first 'date' this afternoon. Let's just hope the big doofus knows what to do. He is the Gomer Pyle of the dog world, ya know!

Up, Down

You know that wonderful news we got last week? The news where something miraculous had taken place in Guatemala that was the answer to our birth certificate woes? Well, it may not be so good after all. We won't know for a few days, but it may not be applicable to our case and therefore we have just wasted several weeks (the attorney was holding onto our case for this to happen, instead of filing it several weeks ago) No one down there is sure exactly what the new temporary law really means. If we use it, and then find out down the road it is not applicable, we get sent back to rectification to start over again. (Do not pass Go, do not collect $200) I would just rather finish the rectification and be safe, honestly. I don't think I could handle getting all the way through and then sent back to rectification. We will trust the attorneys in Guatemala to figure this out for us and lead us down the right road. Up and down, up and down, and a long way to go.

Progress!!

WE HAVE PROGRESS!! We were notified yesterday that they have passed a short-term law in Guatemala allowing the Civil Registry offices to fix birth certificates on the spot. As you all know, we have been waiting for 7 months to get Ahren's birth certificate corrected so we can start the adoption officially. We were still a long way off from having it, but now, we may have it next week! Please pray that the rest of our case goes smoothly. If it all goes well, we may have him home by Christmas or his first birthday (Jan 7th) I can't believe how excited I was when I got the news. This is just a little bit of good news, so when we start getting bigger good news I may have to be scraped off of the ceiling! I don't think anyone who hasn't gone through this can begin to imagine what it is like. Week after week with no news, one delay after another, and no control over any of it. But, for now, we have NEWS!

My baby started High School!

My first baby started 9th grade yesterday. She also got her very first boyfriend, Michael. I think I am going to have a heart attack! Now, mind you, she has known Michael for the past year, and he is a very nice boy. But, he is older (a junior) and drives his own truck. Boyfriend = good, car dates = no way. I am actually dealing with it pretty well. Chris, on the other hand, is having problems. He just keeps muttering about what goes on in boy's minds. He is really struggling with this. I find his issues with this all the more endearing, seeing as how Katie is his step-daughter and all. He is just the sweetest, most caring man I have ever met. But the boyfriends had better look out, because he has a big gun collection! Hee!

What Mom taught me....

My mother always said, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'. But I don't want to be nice! I want to be mad and kick something. I want to lash out at all the people posting wonderful news about how their babies are coming home, and even worse I want to slap the people that complain because they have been in the process for 5 months and it's been sooo hard. I want to yell 'SHUT UP' at all of them. STOP YOUR WHINING!

I felt sad for I had no shoes,
Until I saw a man who had no feet.

That saying helps me find peace. I know people who have been waiting way longer than us. People who have never had a child before, and whose arms are entirely empty. People who have lost their babies, their referrals, their money. People who have been trying for years to have a child or adopt a child and still are slugging away at becoming parents. I should be ashamed of myself for complaining. I am made of tougher stuff than that!
So, I haul myself up by the boot straps, hug Katie, Ashley and Levi, tell Chris how much I love him, and face another day. I know there are many, many more days to face, but I can do it!

No news

Today is Friday, can I hear a big ol' whoop whoop? This has been a long week. Nothing really special about it, just long. No news on Ahren. We are supposed to have the declaration of facts in PGN, but I have no idea if that really happened or not. There is a country music song called No News that is stuck in my head. It goes something like this:

Send a letter, send a fax
write it on a post-it pad
Send a message up in smoke,
Tap it out in morse code.
I prefer a bad excuse,
to No News!

Sigh.

Dream Home Progress

Things have just taken off with the progress on our new home. We were set to close the construction loan and land loans on Aug. 31st, but the sellers wanted to move it up if possible. No problem. We already have loan committments, etc. We were willing as long as the Title company could swing it. We were figuring they might be able to move it up a week or so. I ran around some paperwork yesterday and found out that they are scheduling the close for next week. Holy Cow! I wish this Title company could do our adoption!!! I don't know how long after that we will be able to break ground. We still have to submit our plans to the architectural review committee, get permits, etc etc (Actually, we don't do any of this, the builder does) We have started a separate account that will be just for money to spend on the house when we move. Things like blinds in the windows, new rugs, decorations, landscaping, etc. That all adds up and isn't covered in the mortgage or building costs. We have a travel trailer we are selling and I am going to convince Chris (wish me luck here) to put the money into this account. We have already nixed the idea of building the pool right away. Safety is a big concern for us. Neither of us is comfortable with a pool and little ones, even with every fence, cover, alarm, etc out there. It just takes one of the older kids to leave a gate open or a cover off. Too scary to even think about! We will stick to blow up pools for a few years!

7 months old

Our little peanut turned 7 months old yesterday. We have a tiny little bit of news in that the Declaration of Facts has been issued and is in the office of rectification in PGN to be signed. Once that happens, the corrections can be made and a birth certificate issued. Then, finally, we can start the actual adoption process. So, by my calculations, if we have a new birth certificate by the beginning of September, the earliest we might have him home would be January, if everything from here on out goes perfectly. Chris says I am too pessimistic, but I don't see how we will have him for his first Christmas or first birthday. I am just being realistic.

The good news is that we will probably be just moved or in the new house when he comes home. That will be terrific because he will have enough to adjust to without us packing up and moving soon after he arrives. I think 2007 will be the best year ever!

Peachiness

Life has been just peachy lately. Peachy in the kind of way that being hit by a Mac truck would be. Katie is mad at me because I didn't go see her drill team's show-off day today. Now, she is in a cast and can't dance, so I would be watching the other girls, not her. She is furious. I didn't even know about it until this morning at 7am. I am in the middle of mid-year reviews at work, and I am having to be very tough on some people. I just hate that! My right hand guy turned in his resignation and is leaving at the end of next week. We are in a hiring freeze, so I can't replace him. Ashley has been at cheer camp every day this week, so I have been running her around, making costumes, fixing lunches (which she doesn't eat) and herding gaggles of screeching girls.
I have no idea what is happening on our house. The architect is making some last minute changes and then I think we can submit it to the architectural review committee for approval. But the final straw to my peachiness is that the director of our adoption agency is angry with me. I thought I was helping a friend get some much-needed advice, but WHAM it came around and bit me in the butt. Life is just so very peachy......

Craziness a la Jarman

This past week has been non-stop craziness. Katie has had Drill Team camp every day except Sunday. This week it goes from 7:30 am until 9 or 10 pm each day. On Saturday, she was at a camp and she called and said she had hurt her foot and the coach said she could leave early. I went to pick her up, saw what her foot looked like and we headed to the emergency room. Sure enough, it's broken. She is in a boot-style cast and they will do new x-rays in 2 weeks. If it stays together and heals, then after 4-6 weeks she will be back on her feet. If the tendon pulls the bones apart, she will need a pin placed to hold them together to heal correctly.
Ashley is in cheer camp this week, but she missed most of today's camp because we had to go back to the endocrinologist. Diagnosis: Hashimoto's disease, a type of hypothyroidism. She will need to take thyroid hormone therapy for the rest of her life, but other than that, she will be fantastic.
We have been rounding up documents for the loan on the new house/construction, finishing designing the house and having the architect complete the plans, etc etc. The builder sent the estimate of the total cost to Chris on Friday, and I think it took all weekend for his blood pressure to come down. I told the builder that he needs to warn me before he sends stuff like that to Chris so I can prepare him better. Hah! We negotiated some things and got the price down some, and now we are very happy with it. We put the pool on hold for another year or two, but still will build the barn and the dream house.
Tonight, I have to make 4 snowflake costumes for Ashley and her cheer partners for a contest at camp tomorrow. I told her to just dump water over her head and say she was a melted snowflake, but she wouldn't do it. Somehow, I got volunteered to do all the sewing. Thanks Ashley, I will remember this when you have kids someday ;-)

Dream Home

Things are really heating up since we finally found some land to build on. The architect has finished the plans, I took all of our paperwork to the lending company yesterday to secure the construction loan, and we dropped off a frighteningly large check to the builder as our down payment. The good news is Chris didn't faint writing the check. Yeah! While we were treking around there the other night, one of the locals came by to check us out (picture on top) She had absolutely no fear of us. I think my garden plans may have to include a high fence, or this neighbor is going to think I set out a salad bar just for her. I have no idea when we might break ground. The financing has to go through first, and our plans have to be approved by the subdivision's building committee. It could be as soon as 1 month, or maybe longer. The construction could take 4-6 months, depending on weather, etc. I don't care how long, I am just thrilled we are finally going to have our dream (as $$ permits) house.

New Photos of Ahren

Check out the new photo of our little man. This was the best of the set. They tend to be fuzzy, off-center and not well done, but I don't care. He would be 6 months old in these pictures. I just can't believe those eyes and eyelashes. I almost cried when I saw this. His fat baby cheeks are already slimming down. His hair is still just as curly and wild. I wish I could just reach through the picture and snatch him up.
We got some good news last night. The Civil Registry should be issuing the Declaration of Facts and sending our documents to PGN by the end of the week. For those of you who don't speak adoption slang, this means we are getting much closer to having the corrected birth certificate and being able to start the official adoption process. Maybe a few weeks is all. We have progress!!!!

Good Laugh at Myself

Recently my back has been bothering me a lot. Chris finally convinced me to see a chiropractor, so I went for the first time last Friday. I was surprised to see that he was young, muscular and pleasant looking. It was very awkward, having never done this sort of thing before, to relax while he was manipulating my back. I have to admit, though, that my back felt fantastic afterwards!
My second appointment was yesterday afternoon. He again cracked my back in all the right places. Then, while I was still lying on the table, he said, "I am going to show you something now that will make your back feel a lot better" and he began to undo his belt. I started to panic, trying to figure out how I was going to jump up off the bed and bolt out the door. I am sure my face showed my shock. He then took the belt and tied it around my knees and showed me an exercise to do to strengthen the muscles.
OK, I left there totally laughing at myself! I am obviously a total goofball. Next time, I will bring my own belt.............

Land and blood thirsty beasts

We have land! No more Crazy Divorce Lady to try and deal with (see earlier posts on the saga to buy one piece of property) We did it! Chris found the listing last Thursday, so we went and drove by. Looked good, so we had the builder look at it on Friday. He gave it two thumbs up, so we made an offer Saturday and signed the deal last night. It's 5.6 acres total, end of a cul de sac up a small hill, mostly cleared, high and dry and gorgeous! It is only 3.1 miles farther than our current home, all the same schools, shopping, friends, etc. We should close the construction loan in about 30 days, and be ready to break ground.
Now the down side to land. We went and hiked around on it yesterday evening. The grass is pretty tall, and I carried Levi off and on. On the way home, I went to scratch my chest, just under my chin, and I felt something. Something squiggly. I tried to brush it off, but it was stuck. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I began screaming at Chris to tell me if it was a tick, but he didn't have his glasses on and couldn't tell. So, I looked in the mirror. Fat, black little blood sucking bugger with little legs sticking out all over. And he was really stuck in there! I began to breathe fast. I had to make it home (a whole 3.1 miles, remember) with this vermin sucking my blood. I felt faint, dizzy, queasy. Chris tried to get me involved in conversation, but all I could focus on was this thing with it's head buried in my skin.
Once we got home I was able to remove it pretty easily once I could see it in the mirror, and so far I haven't dropped dead, so I must be OK. Chris' idea of helping? Suggesting we name the land Tick Acres. Gee, thanks hon.

Rectification:
1 : to set right : REMEDY
2 : to purify (as alcohol) especially by repeated or fractional distillation
3 : to correct by removing errors : ADJUST
4 : to make (an alternating current) unidirectional
synonym see CORRECT

This is where we are stuck. Rectification. All for something so minor. The birthmom changed the baby's name between the day he was born and the time, 2 days later, she filled out the birth certificate. We now have finally gotten all of the original documents (long story why it took 6 months to get them) and they are in the Civil Registry now. The CR writes up the report on what happened and what needs to be changed, then it goes to the Gov't office in PGN to approve it, then the changes are made and a new corrected set of documents are issued. Then, and only then, do we start the official adoption process.
So, we wait. And wait. And wait. Ahren is growing, developing, learning new things, and we are missing it all. I am struggling with being patient. Chris seems much calmer with it all. Then of course, he is almost always calm and even-tempered. I am the one who tears around like my tail is on fire. What a pair we make! Chris prays and feels at peace. He just knows that we will bring Ahren home sooner than what I think. I wish I had that kind of peace. Instead, my heart feels like it has gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxer. Sore and bruised. My brain is full of thoughts that fly around banging off of each other in a fog. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger? I want to slap the person who said that!

This is the blog 'Word Cloud' created by a website link I found. It scans your blog and then finds all the most commonly used words, generatinghtis word cloud. It's supposed to capture the essence of a blog. I don't know how much 'essence' I might have created (quit snickering, I did not say Fart!) but this is pretty cool. Of course, if I try it again in about 6 months and Ahren isn't home by then, it might be a 'blue' cloud full of bad words. I'll have to remember to try that! (Or maybe that will be the incentive I need to keep this G-rated ;-)

This photo of Ahren has become the cover photo for a Guatemalan adoption Yahoo group. It's not just us that thinks he is the cutest little bugaboo! He is now a famous baby model for Guatemalan adoptions. He will have agents lining up to sign him when he comes home!!!

Messy Monster! I can understand the chocolate frosting off of the cupcake, but who let him have the tube of lipstick??? And that was my favorite one! Does anyone else ever find cheese stuck to the floor under the couch? Dirty cups behind the TV? Chicken nuggets in the laundry basket? Not to mention the cheetohs colored handprint on the living room wall, a handprint that was exactly 28 inches off the ground and the size of, say, a 3yr old boy??? Gee I wonder who put it there? His big thing lately is to do everything himself. When you aren't looking he helps himself to whatever he wants to eat or drink, often spilling it or hiding it. I keep finding the freezer door open. I had a latch on the refrigerator/freezer doors, but the little nut peeled it off! So much for kid proof! I had one on the oven too, but he broke it 2 days after I put it on. I think I am going to have to make a Home Depot run and get some industrial latches and chains. The only question is, do I use them on the appliances or on Levi? (Just kidding, put down the phone!) You would think with this sudden interest in food, he might be gaining some weight. Well, he doesn't so much eat the food as he does decorate things with it. The couch, the floor, the stairs, himself. I think a little gets into his stomach....maybe.