Introducing...

...our son!! It is tradition in his country for children to wear wreaths woven
from some type of plant (not clear what it is, exactly) on Palm Sunday. I think I'm entitled to say that he is one handsome little dude.

One Week Down

Today is the one-week mark since Daddy and Grandma left home, and we are feeling their absence! Only 10 days now until they come home!

Today Eustace and the attorney drove to a small town where our son was born. It sounds like it was a very interesting trek. Wish I could say more. But, a new birth certificate was issued for our son listing us as the parents! So cool. Grandma stayed behind to take him to his appointment at the burn center. Looks like his foot is healing up nicely, so far, with no signs of infection. Thanks be to God.

Tomorrow is the big day when they will take him into the apartment to live with them for the first time. I guess he is really excited. The sisters are smiling through tears as his departure approaches.

Filling in the Blanks

Until last evening, it wasn't clear to me the exact reason for visiting the home in the mountains, the 'white house' my husband mentioned in his previous post. I knew it was where our son had lived the first few years of his life. I just wasn't sure the current motivation for going back. Was it so the sisters could say goodbye? But, the sisters move around a lot, so I didn't think any of them would be the same as when he had lived there... Did he have some memories and attachment to that place of his own? I just wasn't sure.

It turns out, the special needs adults who live there needed to say goodbye to him. They had known him and helped care for him as an infant and toddler. How precious. They put on a play of The Prodigal Son parable, drew pictures and had a party in his honor.

Eustace said our son was a bit overwhelmed and began to realize that he is actually leaving his home. I'm not sure I can adequately describe, or even grasp, their experience from yesterday. I know it was very moving.

I had asked many questions over the course of our adoption process about our son's godparents. Who were they? Did he have a relationship with them? I never got a clear answer, so I assumed they were out of the picture. As it turns out, his Godmother is the physical therapist who lives in that home and cares for those people. She and Eustace had a long conversation yesterday about our son's temperament, his life, and her thoughts for his future. What a lovely, unexpected encounter. She gave us pictures, and I believe we'll be able to keep in touch.

I'm finding it pretty difficult to be taking all this in second hand. I never would have been able to leave our kids for as long as this trip is requiring, but I never imagined how hard it would be to miss out on these experiences. Thank goodness my husband and mother are excellent communicators.

The Best Post This Blog Has Ever Produced

Here it is. The long-awaited guest post by my dear husband. I am changing a few words here and there to protect particulars about our son's name and location, even though I'm quite sure every single person reading knows exactly who and where he is. Anyway, from the head of this family:

Dear fans of my wife's blog,for many years i have been begging to be guest blogger. lucy got to do it, but never me. finally, i threatened to leave town and go to (a foreign country) to adopt a little boy if that's what it'd take to get my own blogspot. anne said " go for it" so thus i arrived in (the capital of this country) at my first and possibly only guest blog. this is a beautiful country with a deep religious, linguistic and (ooohlala) culinary tradition. in (the city), we have all the amenities of a western european city, without the western europeans. (the people) are friendly, sweet and fantastic cooks. dont see a ton of poverty. in this city of 1.5 million, there are roughly 100 homeless people. the true poverty is in the villages; rural communities unable to elevate themselves from poverty due to weather, technology, education...but certainly not thru lack of motivation. These are the hardest working people i've ever seen. Americans might learn a thing or two from the work ethici here.

(our son) has moved from being a two dimensional creature of photos and videos to a 3D reality. i believe we had taken to a sort of hagiography regarding him based on the stories we'd heard. st I, etc etc. however, he is incredibly sweet, incredibly generous and caring but at times.....incredibly bossy. for now, he handles gentle redirection and the word "no" very well. i am waiting to see what influence my other three angels will exert.

i am (obviously) internet enabled. i have unfortunately been able to read the news. a few comments: first of all, (people here) are terrified of barack h obama. they see him for what he is and lived under the boot of the rhetoric they are now hearing about in america. they see history repeating itself and are weeping for america. they also are surprised largely at how passive americans seem to be (in the media) to the gradual erosion of their freedom.second, i have been reading a lot of pompous, pseudointellectual, self-righteous talking heads talking about the scandal in the church and how the church must do this and that and this etc. can i just say: SHUT UP!? the time i've spent here with the Missionaries of Charity ( who, last time I checked are huge fans of the Catholic Church) has re-affirmed in my mind that there is no greater force for good in this world than the Catholic church. Problems in the Church? Sure. Do we need advice from " the world and the media" as to how to fix em? Hell no. Sound a little too triumphal? Tough. I visited a house today, the name of which translates literally White House. It is a home for disabled adults, aged 18 thru 51. they laughed about our white house in the US versus their white house. I know which one I would rather live in and whom i'd rather live among. I wish BHO would get himself over here and learn the meaning of authentic "caritas" or charity. Anyway, enough from me. If you like this post please email anne relentlessly until I am allowed to write again.

With every slovenly affection,Eustace, guest blogger

Day 4

Finally, the apartment has internet connection! So, communication between my husband and me has improved greatly over the past 24 hours. Email is better than text message. We're attempting to conserve cell phone minutes as much as possible.

There was one important bit of information that I was missing. Eustace didn't want to share it with me until he met with the doctor. Apparently, our son was accidentally burned about week before his dad and grandma arrived to meet him. It's pretty bad - third degree on his foot. Everybody is optimistic that it won't impact his ability to travel home, but we would certainly appreciate prayers for healing. It's requiring constant elevation, which is a challenge for any 7-year-old boy.

Today the plan was to travel to a town in the mountains to visit the orphanage where he lived the first few years of his life. They were planning a party. Can't wait to hear details. I've asked Daddy to write something that I can post, so hopefully the next update will be straight from him.

Have a great Saturday!

It's Official!

I woke up at 5:00AM and started praying today. The court hearing was scheduled for 1:30PM, which is 5:30AM here. At 7:00AM I got a text from Eustace saying that court went well, and we can expect the official certificate of adoption tomorrow! The only detail I have right now is that the judge was stern... Well, he judged favorably, so that's all that matters!!

Then, Mom and Eustace headed back to the orphanage to see our son and all the kids. Eustace has already dubbed him "Little Napoleon." Makes me laugh...

They also attended Mass with the Sisters and kids this morning. Eustace said (well, texted) that it was really beautiful - an interesting combination of Latin, Russian, and English.

Hopefully he will have internet access soon so he can send some pictures.

Day 1 Report

It seems the internet connection is not yet functioning in the apartment, so Eustace just called me instead. We had a nice long conversation about their first day, and I will attempt to reiterate his description here... He can correct me later, if he wants to.

Their interpreter, who apparently is a 20-something knockout, took them for lunch and a tour of the city. I wish I could say more, but we'll have to wait until everything is complete to avoid disclosing their exact location. It will be better, anyway, for Eustace to tell the story from his perspective. So, I"ll leave the details to him.

Anyway, then they went to the orphanage. They were greeted by all the sisters jumping up and down with excitement. Our little guy was a little shy and stunned at first. However, within a few minutes, he warmed up and was talking their ears off. They went for a walk outside, went to prayers with the sisters, and hung around with all the kids for a few hours.

We sent special gifts for the little girls who are like our son's sisters. I guess they really liked them. They went back to their own stash of treasures and produced gifts to send back for our children here. So sweet.

It seems our little guy is outgoing, a little bossy, and enjoys the limelight. Sounds familiar. I'll quote Eustace:"God could not have chosen a child for us who would be more like our own children." Well, very soon, he will officially be one of our own children. Court is set for about 1:30 tomorrow.

We are, of course, asking for prayers yet again.

First Phone Call

Well, the highlight of the morning was an unexpected phone call from Eustace. He was at the orphanage, and we were ALL able to speak to our newest family member!!! His sweet voice is music to this mama's ears, that's for certain. He asked to speak to each of the kids, and then to the dog, but we drew the line there. Couldn't justify the 2.89/minute for that one.

All the communication from Eustace has been spotty, so far. I'm still waiting for an email with lots of details... But, there are no words to express the joy at knowing father-son-grandmother have made an in-person connection. Can't wait for my turn.

Thanks be to God!

I just got a call from Eustace! They have arrived safe and sound, met their escort, and were driving to the apartment as we were talking. He sounded exhausted, but calm. They will sleep for a few hours and then meet our son. What an exciting day.

We are so grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support we have received from so many people. We are now praying for this little boy and his adjustment to our family, as well as for the court proceedings and continued safety during their trip.

It is a relief to know they have leaped the hurdles of navigating the airports, getting their visas, and finding the right person. I hope they will sleep.

Progress of Flights and Phlegm

Mom and hubby are in their final flight. Everything so far has run on schedule. Still praying for a smooth landing and quick progress through the visa office, baggage claim, and meeting their escort. Our agency director has assured me that adoptive parents are easy to spot when they step off their airplane. :) I think this will be especially true in our case as the description is "Indian man with silver-haired white woman." Probably not too many in that combination on this flight.

So, while we're waiting, we thought another stop at the pediatrician's office would be fun. You know, just for kicks. Haha. Actually, we all have strep throat, except Lucy, that is. We're all set with antibiotics, now, so let the healing begin.

I'll post again when I know they've arrived and are in good hands.

St. Christopher, pray for us...

And They're Off

For the past year and a half, since we officially signed on with our adoption agency and accepted our son's referral, I have lived in half-dread, half-eager anticipation of this day. I've never been fond of flying. I vividly remember begging my parents to take a train rather than fly to Florida when I was 6... So, the thought of sending my husband and mom off on a 14+ hour air trip into a country surrounded by nations not-so-keen on America has been more than a little frightening to me.

So, today was hard. Our dear friend Father Nathan stopped by to say Mass with us this morning. There's nothing more calming than that. Then, there was so much last-minute gathering and re-packing and triple-checking that before I realized, it was time to head out.

We dropped them at the curb. I hate that. It was much better when you could hang out at the gate and watch the plane take off. So, we said our tearful goodbyes (actually, the girls and I were the only ones getting weapy) and drove away.

They should be about 30 minutes into their flight to Chicago by now. From there they head to London, and then to their destination. ( I have to be a little careful about posting name and location per an agreement with our agency. It's a safety issue.)

It's about a 22-hour trip if all runs smoothly.

I will breathe easier when I hear they've made their final landing and are settled in their apartment.

Please keep those prayers coming. God bless you.

Counting Down

35 hours until my husband and mother embark on their journey to the other side of the world. As their departure approaches, little by little my anxiety is being replaced with excitement for them and our soon-to-be son. I cannot explain this rationally, only by the grace of God.

The bags are just about packed, documents gathered, global phones activated and charged. Gifts are wrapped, notes written, supplies bundled in ziplocs. The kids are thrilled about their new brother coming home, but really have no concept that Dad and Grandma will be gone for almost 3 weeks. I don't really know what that will feel like, either. I'm sure it will be long. But, I am grateful that current technology will allow for immediate contact just about any time. It's a pretty amazing thing. I wonder what it was like for families doing this 20 years ago. There was a lot less red tape then...

Anyway, my plan is to post my husband's emails in this space, so, if you're interested, you can follow along on his trip. I would love to post pictures and will do so, if possible.

Keep the prayers coming. God bless you!

Never Say Never

Today's activities included dragging everyone to the pediatrician's office for annual check-ups. (It was really just my sneaky way of cornering our doctor to ask 1001 questions regarding our soon-to-be-adopted son. Good ol' Dr. V. didn't mind one bit. )

Of course I swore up and down that nobody would need any shots.

Boy, was I ever wrong about that.

It seems as if every time I think we're done for awhile, out comes some new booster or vaccine and we're in for more sticks.

My oldest child, who has the biggest needle phobia (last year we had a party when she graduated from needing 3 to only 2 adults to restrain her during injections - I kid you not), acted tough until the nurse walked in bearing syringes... Then the tears started to flow. To her credit, she made it through with just my sitting (very) close beside her. After 8 years of hearing explanations about relaxation and how it helps with pain, I think maybe she gets it.

Kid #2 was hysterical and required the forceful hold down. I hate that.

Kid #3 conveniently fell asleep and avoided the drama because I didn't have the heart to wake her up for torture. Of course she popped right up on our way out the door.

But, my mission of information-gathering is complete, and we are now up to date on physicals. I
feel like I accmplished something. Except my children will never trust my no-shot promise again.

Planning

Tickets are now booked, packing has begun,and some new items have been purchased to make our home more user-friendly to our new son. However, we are really hoping to sell this place so we can focus on being a family rather than on keeping the house perfectly clean all the time for showings.... It has been on the market for 2 months now.

Ultimately, we'll be moving to a wheelchair-accessible house.

Could you please join us in our prayers?

We are most grateful.

We're Travelling!!

I can hardly believe I'm writing this. We received incredibly good news today which is truly miraculous.



Our adoption court date is March 25. My husband and mother will leave the US on about March 22 and return sometime around April 8. When they return, they will be bringing home our son.



Only one trip will be necessary (we have thought since the beginning that 2 would be required) because the judge waived the typical 30-day waiting period between the first court and leaving the country. Our agency director said they have never seen this happen before.



We are considering ourselves blessed, yet again. We've been entrusting this process all along to the intercession of 3 saints, in particular: Blessed Mother Theresa, John Paul II, and St. Charbel. Thank you, our heavenly friends, for your prayers on our behalf.



Three years ago, my husband's brother (who is a priest) preached a Holy Week retreat for the sisters who run the orphanage where our son currently lives. He got to know the sisters and the children and was bold enough to ask, "Do you know anyone who would consider adoption?"



So, we considered, felt called, and are now about to embark on a journey unlike anything we've ever experienced. And it begins - wouldn't you know it?! - on Holy Week. This adoption process has, in some ways, been a very long Lent. Fitting, I think, that our new life as a family should begin in the Easter Season.



Please pray for safe travel for my husband, mom, and son. My mother is grandmother-of-the-century, by the way.



Thanks for all the prayers so far, and I'll try to post daily updates during the trip (since I'll be holding down the fort at home and praying every minute while they're gone).

A Good Morning

This morning all 3 kids were snuggled peacefully under the covers in my bed while I was getting ready. It's so lovely to have more sunlight during the early hours of the day. Spring is definitely on its way.

I walked to the side of the bed and started encouraging the kids to get moving. Little Miss 2-year -old just stared at me with big, brown, sleepy eyes and said, "I'm too busy."

Almost There

We're finding the process of international adoption to be a very interesting experience. Am I using 'interesting' as a euphemism for 'excruciatingly frustrating'? Perhaps.... (joking here, sort of)

Anyway, after waiting and waiting, enduring delay after delay, we're now faced with possibly needing to scramble to get my husband over there for our first court hearing in time. We don't yet know for sure the date, but one week from today is apparently still on the table.

The type-A part of my personality is arguing that a couple of days to plan international travel is impossible. The mama bear in me says get over there and get the adoption finalized as quickly as possible no matter how crazy and disorganized it seems. The wife in me is anxious about sending my husband off on this adventure without thorough preparation. But, the situation is what it is, and we have to roll with whatever date the court system in that government sends us.

An exercise in abandonment to God's will, this is.

We've done what we can in terms of investigating flight options, cell phone coverage, etc. I guess we just wait for the call and then proceed accordingly. It certainly might turn out that we have more time than we're anticipating at the moment. So far that has been the trend: more time.

Speaking of time, I spent my morning test-driving a van that just might turn out to work for our family. It has enough seats, a wheelchair lift, and a DVD player. Perfect. I would like to be able to squeeze one more seat into the middle of the vehicle, so we're checking on that... We're graduating from 'mini' to 'full-size' van this time. Next it will be the extended version!! :)

And, speaking of growing families, we have a new nephew as of yesterday!!! Congrats Ashley and Shruti!!!

Please pray for all of us.
God bless!!!