Aidan's moving up...

This past month has been filled with excitement for Aidan! He, and some of his friends, movied up to the toddler house---which is with the big kids. They say he's doing well with his change. He walks around with a smile on his face. We knew this was on the horizon for him, so while we were there we visted it. It's a walk up the rode from the main house at GLA. He will get some class time at this house and also have english classes!! I think it will be a great step for him as there is probably more activity and learning going on........... and I'm sure he's learning leaps and bounds from the big kids. Here is a couple pictures of his new enviroment.

His update also included that he had the chicken pox.....which we had heard. They said he had one of the worst cases.......my poor little boy.......but he's doing fine now and no problems......I guess that's one less vaccine he'll have to have, right.

Alyssa's hospital adventure

Nothing serious....no broken arms like the Huizenga's........but Alyssa was sooooo brave!

She was running and slipped with her socks and hit the wall. She had a pretty descent cut right in the middle of her forehead. Paul was with the kids while I was at dog school with Bella, so they cleaned it up and put a band-aid on. By the time I got home and checked it all out.....it was past 9:30...........but.......off we went to the hospital. We thought we better get it checked out since it's such a visible area. Sure enough, they used this glue stuff that sticks the skin together. He said it gets better results than stitches. Alyssa was so glad to hear that and that stitches weren't needed. She did so good talking to the Dr. and answering questions, what a big girl!!! The first question out of her mouth once we were done was......."so mom, where are we celebrating.....is donautville open or chuckie cheese?........ Do I get to stay home from school tomorrow?....."

She's so funny. She settled for a sucker from the nurse.........and since she got out of bed at 6:45 and was dancing around saying she could stay home and watch movies all day.................I sent her to school. She was excited to go and tell her friends..........so just as well. I would have let her stay home for the morning if she was sleeping................but that will be our secret----she doesn't have to know that:)

National Adoption Month

So Nov. is adoption awareness month......it seems like we've had alot of adoption stuff going on so it's been on our mind. We welcomed home a family with their children, we attended a West Mi Haitian gathering, I attended an adoption tea time, I've been in touch with another family who picked up their son while we visited............ While racking the large number of leaves we have........I've had lots of time to think about everything. It amazes me that each day I think about it, I really think about our whole process in a totally different perspective.

I'm amazed to think that Aidan is going to be part of our family......... I'm amazed at all the tiny steps God led us to get us to this point. When I think about the VERY beginning of Aidan's story.......it actually started about 3 years ago. Actually 2 years and 9 months.........which is exactly how old he is. See I didn't really ever realize that our restlessness from God started the exact month he was born. ..................it took us 16 months to follow all God's leadings....but God had a plan the whole time.............. During that 16 months it AMAZES me how some things occured........................and just some of the obvious ways that doors were closed..........I had requested things in the mail about something I was pretty interested in..........and amazingly we never recieved it......... I went to attend a meeting on foster to adopt, and was 5 minutes late..............and the doors to the building were locked and no one was there to let me in.........interesting, huh?......The list could go on and on how God led us............I remember having such a restlessness and praying a prayer in church...................it went like this......................Dear Jesus, I encourage you to mess with me. Feel free to mess with my comfortable lifestyle, my predictable patters, my long-held convictions. Do not allow me to settle into safe, status quo Christianity. Mess with me until I think like you think, act like you act, love like you love. Persistently, patiently, powerfully- MESS WITH ME!..................
I wanted to feel God in my life. As I reflect back................I've definately felt and seen God's will being done....................God has a plan..........and I know it's different and better than any of my plans could have been.
I also think about how exciting it will be to see Alyssa and Austin interact with another sibling. Alyssa is quite an entertainer and "mom" to her cousin Kendra. I look forward to seeing that.........................I think about entering a new phase of sorting and organizing clothes to hand down to Aidan...............see---having 1 girl and 1 boy I haven't really had to organize while I sort through clothes we've grown out of. I just pack them in a box and drop off at good will or pass on to a friend..........now i"ll have to put a little thought into organizing hand me downs. For anyone who knows the true me.........I'm a messy at heart so this will be a new adventure (challenge) for me.........................I thought about how next time we're doing yard work and spring clean up----Aidan could be joining us..............which is fun....but also the amount of work getting done will be less as we will be chasing and keeping an eye on a young one again................
I've thought about our trip to Haiti and sitting at the embassy....... Sitting next to a birth mother who was there to release her child for adoption. Thinking about these birthmothers and what a difficult decision it must be...........knowing not only are their children going to be adopted........but probably leaving the country........forever. What alot of courage it takes......Was she wondering what I was doing at the embassy? Did she think about what the family was like that her son would be going to?..........................I wonder exactly what Aidan's first 2 years have been like........I know God has protected him..... completely...................Aidan patiently waited for us.......until we surrendered.......... and followed God's leading.............and eventually was joined together. He's brought us joy already...........completed more of our family circle..............I hope he is as thrilled with us--as we are with him.........................
I wonder about how Aidan got the scar on his face.........we'll never know. Was it a skin issue?....birth mark?.........was he all boy and climbed out of a crib?.......
I think about what I dread the most...............the dirty diapers!.........I've heard horror stories about the parasites and explosions on airplanes traveling back home. Going through all the medical check--ups won't exactly be fun and a piece of cake. Getting his ear checked out. His ear canal is closed off on one side............what will this all involve?...........I pray God will send us to the exact specialists we need to give us wisdom...........maybe it's no big deal........maybe it's correctable.............maybe he will just not know any different and compensate with hearing from his other ear...........I'm sure there are lots of opinions out there...........we just need a messenger from God to help us.
I thought about how i wish I could comfort him while he had the chicken pox. To give him a calming bath and read books to him......................I wonder if he'll like swimming in the summer. I can't wait to watch him play and empty buckets of water and fill them back up again........and empty them again...........he loved to play and stack the blocks that way............
I wonder how he'll react to Bella the wonder dog..........i'm sure they will scare each other at first..........but maybe they will be the best friends in the family. Alyssa can be a little too cuddly and dress up the dog...........Austin can be a little too----what's the word-----rough, while fighting Bella with his lightsaber......
I'm excited to change up Austin's bedroom and get bunk beds to make room for Aidan. It's something to do..........
I'm scared that "our way of life" will be disrupted for a while....til we get in the swing of things...........I wonder if we should be learning more creole? I know he understands stuff.........so how will we communicate at first?..........will he test us and we'll have to have a week of discipline to start with? or a month? or will he cuddle and love being held?..................I know life will have it's challenges.......but I know he is our child...............I love him..............and yet I'm looking forward to falling in love with every part of him. ...... No matter what happens............i remember God saying..............."I will equip you".....................oh little Aidan.............we look forward to being with you and wish you were home with us.............soon

Keeping things straight!

I had a funny moment the other day. We had received our favorable paperwork in the mail after being re-fingerprinted in Sept. I was filing it away and making sure we had all the documents we needed and suddenly panicked that I didn't have one document in place. As I frantically was looking through them all I realized we have this new vocabulary that we're trying to keep straight. We filed our I-600 form, only to get this ACS notice of Action which is a I-797, but then when you actually get your favorable determination it's a I-171. And these are all from the USCIS, and we also had to do this I-600 Adjudicate Orphan first and this G-28 form and blah, blah, blah.....I was so confused once I was finished looking through this all!!!!! But needless to say, what I was looking for was right in front of my eyes.

Anyways....life is going smooth. We received our Oct. update on Aidan. While we were visiting at the first of the month we actually saw them taking these pictures, so they were no surprise........but still adorable--although we may be bias. Chicken pox is going around the orphanage, can you imagine that???? I'm sure life is hard for all the nannies and volunteers, and for the kids. So far we haven't gotten news if Aidan has them or not. No news is good news with
this I figure.

Well, off I go to get ready for trick or treating!! I'm sure you'll see pictures of it in a couple days:) I'm a mom of a witch and darth vadar for tonight!!!

Whoa-Hooo!!!!

Our paperwork has moved on to another step!! It is no longer in IBESR, but is now on to Parquet. It was good to hear.....typically IBESR can also be called 'the Black hole' because it takes so long to get through. I can't complain about our timing----God is good. I know this doesn't mean much to most of you not in the process.......but each step is one more thing checked off our list. If all goes well, we're thinking around April we'll get to take Aidan home.

I have to admit since our trip a couple weeks ago I was sorting out a bunch of emotions. It was such an exciting trip and yet harder than expected in some ways. I was feeling a little frustated and down and last week Wednesday I came across Habakkuk 2:3----"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day."

It was such a great reminder that God is in control and I just need to leave it all to Him. I was feelling His peace again, and then it was a wonderful surprise to get this news on Thursday!!! So God knows just what we need and He's guiding us along the way.

Aidan and his dog!

Tickeling Aidan!

Eating cheerios with mom

Dad hanging out with Aidan!

Video of Aidan

We spent time going through our pictures with Alyssa and Austin. Our favorite was to watch a little video clip of Aidan playing with some blocks. We had taught him to say "ah--oh" when the blocks tumbled, so we captured him doing that!! Enjoy :)

Kudos to Dad!!

We're back!! It was alot harder leaving Aidan than I thought it would be--even knowing this was just a quick trip---it's still hard to leave.

As we go through our pictures, we'll keep posting them for you. I just had to write a quick update about our last day there.

After breakfast we went to get Aidan to spent our last hour with him. I walked into his room and as soon as he saw me he came running for me and wanted to come. So of course we're all smiling.

After I had finished hugging on him and having Paul take our picture, I went to get him out of my arms and realized he had a dirty diaper---in fact it was all over.

Being out of the dirty diaper stage, my thoughts we "I'll have the nanny change him" but of course since he's by me....and is my son......I thought we better change him. So i got a diaper and wipes---and a new t-shirt and was going to start changing him. I didn't last too long. In fact I barely even started, I just smelled and started gagging. I about lost it so Paul had to change him. He cleaned Aidan all up and got him all dressed again. What a good dad!!!!!! Of course Paul is walking around saying...."who's your daddy???.......I'm sure I won't live this down.

Day with Aidan (Manuel)

I was up with the roasters this morning, so thought I'd try updating. This picture was when we first met and he had just woke up from his nap.

Yesterday was a big day. Once breakfast was done we thought we'd spend a little time with Aidan before our appointment at the embassy. I started the day thinking we'd probably spend an hour with him, then go to our appointment but then he would be napping, so we probably wouldn't see too much of each other during the day. All of a sudden Stephanie told us he was coming with us!!!!! He had to make an appearance to complete his end so we were going to try and accomplish it all today. So we spent most of the day together. :)

The embassy is in PAP, so Aidan sat on my lap in the car. At first he just looked out the window but eventually fell fast asleep. We had our appointment which went very good. It was a great experience and nice help. Then we headed back to GLA--it was about an hour trip each way. When we were back, Aidan did go to nap time so we hung out for a while. I thought it would be nice to walk around with him once he was awake, but since it was rainy we played. He was cute playing--he'd empty all the toys out of a bin and then fill it back up. Or he'd put his dog on top of his head and make it fall off---then start giggling. It's so great to see him come alive instead of just having the pictures of him!!! At supper--he went back to eat with his room of kids to keep him on his schedule. When Paul left him he was crying---that was a little harder. But we were able to see him after supper too. In fact he was cleaned up and in pj's---I always love that stage. We looked at some books and snuggled--but eventually it was his bedtime.

It was a great day with him and such a wonderful surprise to spend most of it with him. What a blessing!!! I am thankful for this opportunity to meet him---it's been a special time---I love hearing his little voice and seeing his hands. As hard as it will be to leave today, we had the chance to have him enter in our hearts a little deeper. We just have to take one step at a time. I know God has a plan and in his timing we'll be together as a family. I can't wait for Alyssa and Austin to meet him:)

We'll post more pictures at home!