So sad!

Yesterday I spoke with the agency that we will most likely use and I was telling them that we were in a holding pattern bc of the sale of our home and my husband's company.

She told me that it was a good idea to wait until our house sells and we are in our new home bc we will not be able to do our home study until then.

We had already decided that no matter what happened with these 2 issues - we were going to make an announcement at Christmas time and start the whole process. It looks like that will not be the case.

Good news....got my new passport yesterday!!

Please let this house sell soon!!!

Shout Out!!

I wanted to tell my 2 new blog friends a huge thank you!!

First Chantelle- wow do we have so many things in common. Not only are we originally from close to the same area :) but our thoughts are so on target with one another. I can see a budding friendship especially with our obsession with ET!!

Then there is my dear new blog friend Liz! Thank you thank you thank you - for all of your great info on ET adoption! Your openness and honesty is much appreciated. Thank you for taking time out of your day to answer all of my crazy questions!! It was a pleasure talking with you!

I wish these 2 ladies lived closer to me so we could have lunch or coffee. What terrific people are out there so ready to discuss adoption!

I am off to the dentist for 2 crowns....ouch!

Cloudy Monday

Well the obsession continues...I have found more blogs to follow/stalk.

I really don't have anything to post - still waiting to sell my house - we have reduced it again so possible that will make a difference. Our business is still in the process of being sold. Sure wish one would sell.

I do have a closing next week so that is great!!

A new scare for me on adopting.
I read on a blog or site or somewhere that there is not a way to know for sure(if a child is younger than 1 year) if the child has Hepatitis (I believe B or C)...I think A is the one you get for food. According to this specific site - it said that children under 1 will be tested for Hep B or C but that there is no way to know if they are positive for this or not.

Would love to know anyones thoughts or knowledge on this. Has anyone ever heard of a child coming home from Ethiopia with Hep b or c?

Coincidences to Adoption???? I think NOT!!

Since this has all happened to us and the AHA moments...I have had several coincidences that remind me that I am on the right path.

I would say one of the first is the story of the Lost Boys Olympic runner - Lopez Lomong. What an inspirational story that I have repeated to so many co-workers and friends over the past 4-5 months. Being a runner - my ears always perk up when hearing anything about running. He is an amazing athlete with a huge heart! That was probably the first time I really had a conscious thought of Africa that really made such an impact.

I had 2 this week from the same person - my sister in law. While working out with her and our trainer - she tells me that her sister is traveling with her husband (a gynecologist) and their 2 children to Kenya. I was like...really....wow? Trying not to sound too crazy.. I couldn't believe it. How amazing! Again remember no one knows of this adoption except for my husband and our neighbor! NOBODY! So I dove right in - asking her a thousand questions. Why are they going? When?
They are staying for a month while her husband helps to deliver babies and assist in any other way he can. Amazing.
Then after our workout was finished....she and I were in the ladies locker room and we were talking to our mother in law (yes we all work out together)...we were talking about attitude and staying positive - complaining - etc. I told them both that when

I turned 35 I told my own mother that I had decided from that day forward to only surround myself with positive people that support and love me..no more negativity or "gossipy" friends.
My sister in law then said..."oh you should visit this website that a client of mine just shared with me".....
Sure what is it?? thinkhappystuff.com
What a great idea....so simply. Just have happy thoughts!

I left the gym and of course totally forgot the about it.
A few days passed and I had to text my sister in law about something else and she sent me a response and then the website again (without me asking). I thought oh yeah - I need to look at this.

So again I forgot.

While at work yesterday - suddenly it came in my mind....so I went to the site.
While scrolling down - viewing t shirts, mugs, and the cute store....I went on the who we are page and the non-profits page. Well low and behold...there was the product developer with all of her adopted children! And links to all of the non-profits she supports!!! "African Leadership" - "Blood Water Mission" and the Steven Curtis Chapman organization to assist parents with the financial part of adopting. OK!! WOW!! Was I suppose to read this site or what?!? I immediately emailed the developer and shared with her how incredible her site is!!

What's the Hold Up????

Well - I think that even though I have all my docs in order .....I am still so nervous about actually sending in the application.

There are 2 BIG reasons that I haven't ....

1. We are trying to sell our house and I would really prefer to have this done before bringing a baby in our lives. We live about 45 minutes away from the "city" - we built a lovely home but it takes us about 45 minutes to get to work....therefore we are on the market.

2. We are also trying to sell one of my hubs businesses...and WOW is this an undertaking!

Those 2 reasons financially would make things easier as well....

And I guess the other reason is just plan nerves!! I don't make decisions easily and even though I think I am ready for this....am I really???

Rough day on the job!

Pic of my beauty Frye!!

Well my closing went great! All of my worrying for nothing - as usual. I came home early and collapsed on the couch with the babies - Bambi, Lucy and Frye....my little hairy angels. They are great sleepers.

And now for the rest of our story....and the other AHA moment!!!

I sit here watching this cursor flash back at me.....could this be silent Thursday for me? Or it is bc I slept about 3 hours thinking on my real estate closing?

Maybe I am mentally preparing myself for sleepless nights and late night feedings?
Keeping in mind that absolutely NONE of my family or friends (except for Apes) knows of any of this adoption....wow what a tough secret to keep. So I really only talk to Brad about this.

I made an appointment with our priest the sweetest most holiest man that I know - that also married Brad and I - Father Mike. I thought that perhaps he could give us some insight and possible calm a few my fears. More than fears..let's call them terrors!!

Brad and I met there at the church. Brad has never been one to really open up - I mean #1 he's a guy and #2 he just doesn't.

But when we stepped foot into Father Mike's office - Brad just started chatting up a storm. I sat back quietly listening to him. He was telling him that he had always heard that this is how it happens(the whole motherhood thing)....just one day you wake up and boom you are ready. He continued telling him that it was not the Ethiopian part - really just the parenting part that made him nervous. How we have both been so into completing ourselves and being our selfish selves for SOOOO long that he worried about this.

How we have such a strong marriage that he does not want to ruin that. How his friends that have kids complain a lot - how it changes marriage even good ones.

Just to hear him say that we have a good marriage is awesome - again he really does not talk about this sort of stuff. I know we are tight and have an awesome marriage but man it is a comforting feeling to hear that from the man you adore!!

So Father Mike began by telling us that it makes him incredible happy to know how well we are doing. He did our pre-marital counseling and those were some LONG days!!

He told us that it is such a generous gift that we are offering a child and that he thinks we would be great parents. Imagining with us the child at age 25 sitting next to us hearing this story - our story. OK that is powerful!! He also told us that it would change our marriage and that we would experience a different kind of love for each other and for the child.

I of course started to cry...telling him the "shower story" asking him if it was really GOD telling me this. He assured me that God speaks to people in many different ways and this was my way. I told him that this had never happened before. Bawling and sniffing....Brad then said - when she told me this story Father Mike - "well you just don't really question something like this"....and Father Mike said- Brad you are right - you just don't.

YEAH!!!!! The moment I had been waiting for - the AHA for my hubs!!! YEAH!!!!!!!

And so that was it - Brad knew now in his heart as well that this was not going away - not a phase that I was going through - that this was a journey that we were going to take together.

So funny - Father Mike asked about the timeline for Ethiopian and when we would really be getting our baby....Brad goes - man that makes me nervous and get goosebumps!!

I assured them both that we had most likely over a year - so plenty of time to prepare:)!!