11 more days until we travel

11 more bubbles in the tummy filled days until we travel. Today I repacked our cases. Still can't get all of the stuff in them so I guess I'll need to wait and see if there's any room left in Eric's case. Trying to get ahead, or at least catch up, with work so it won't all of a sudden kick me in the rear end.
The doctor said Anna has a slight ear infection so we're having a relaxing evening tonight and not doing anything other than playing games.

12 days until we fly to Ethiopia

Some of you may say, 'Oh come on. Not another countdown.' I'm sorry, but counting down the days is fulfilling on my end as it helps me keep focus on what we need to get done, and how long we have to do it, as well as relish in the fact that it's only 'blank' number of days until we get to travel to meet our son.

Adoptive families go from one countdown, or wait, to the next and it feels good to have an actual number of days instead of the number of days we've been hoping for the next step of the process.

We have a dozen days left (2 more Mondays. 1 more payroll. 1 more Sunday at church) and it feels really good tonight as Luke and Anna have adjusted to their school schedule and are tucked into bed and sleeping. They are both loving their new school and teachers which makes it easier for us to travel to Ethiopia and not worry as much about if they're doing okay.

We received our 'Ethiopian Embassy Packet' from our agency and I have to say it was the most daunting packet I've seen yet. Probably because of the number of forms we need to complete and take with us. If the shear number of blanks that need to be completed doesn't scare a person, the fact that I can't even guess at some of the answers has me reeling. There's the I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, I-864A Affidavit of Support and DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Reistration. I then needed to printed off a copy of our last three year's taxes, earning statements for past three years and then copied our passports and my Naturalization Certificate showing that I am English no more and legally an American.

We're going through training with our agency director this Wednesday and will cover any questions we might have at that time. I'm guessing I'll still have a couple of blanks left that need some clarification. All of this and I used to work for a government agency. You'd think I'd be able to fill these forms out in my sleep. Anna came home with an IR-3 status because we had visited once before our trip to finalize the adoption. Joseph will be issued an IR-4 status since this trip will be our first time meeting him and I believe that might be why we have a few more governmental forms to fill out. It doesn't matter; we'll fill out as many forms as needed to get him home.

I'm done shopping

Yep, that's right. Whatever hasn't been purchased by today mustn't be necessary otherwise it would have made it's way onto the formerly 5 page list, down to the current 3 page list that got drudged along to the store today. One heaping shopping cart later I felt relieved to know that the list didn't beat me. Now we have three full suitcases and Eric's case is the only one left to be packed. We're able to take four-50 lb. bags and 2-40 lb. carry-ons total between the two of us. The weather forecast for the next week is one day hitting a high of 71 with the rest of the days in the high 60's. Lows are in the high 40's and low 50's. Every day has at least a 50% chance of rain with most having a 60% chance. Sounds as if we need to pack rubber boots, raincoat, umbrella and wool socks. Before our adoption I was under the false impression that the African continent was always hot and muggy. Wrong again! Now I understand why the children are dressed in layers, at least at least at our orphanage in Addis Ababa.

Check, check, check

Yesterday I scheduled Joseph's pediatrician and dentist appointments as well as our 3, 6 and 12 month follow-up visits with Jody, our social worker.

Today is the day that Ryan and Emily (the newlyweds) are done painting and cleaning their duplex and get to move in and live like newlyweds. This afternoon was spent rounding up all of their belongings from Emily's mom's house, our house and a storage unit. I'm a little sore tonight, but not too bad. I'm wondering how grandma will be feeling in the morning. ha Needless to say, they're starting their life together with a lot of stuff and I'm glad they're not in a tiny apartment or they wouldn't fit!

Tonight was a new member meeting at church which Eric and I attended as 'old timers' who could welcome the newbies. It was great to see everyone and I'm excited about the growth.

What's happening now?

Someone asked me what's happening in Ethiopia now that we've passed court. Well, here's what our agency lists as the steps after passing court:

• Collect the official decision within two business days of the verdict.
• Decision is legalized at the office of Foreign Affairs.
• Decision is translated by the official government translation office.
• Request the child's official birth certificate.
• Register the court decision with the government of Ethiopia.
• Request an Ethiopian passport from immigration for the child.
• Your child must have a medical examination at an assigned clinic to obtain their US visa.
• Your child must have a second exam at the US Embassy for their HIV testing.
• All documents must be sumitted to the US Embassy one week prior to your appointment. (Our appointment is Thursday, September 17th.)

So, as you can see, things are definitely happening.

First day of school

Luke and Mrs. Timmerman
Luke with Eric and Deb
Luke
Anna and Mrs. Herbst
Luke and Anna
Anna

Here are photos from the first day of school. We would have liked to have more of Anna, but they took the kindergarten kids into the school early so we were out of luck.

I know, I know, I've been slacking

My handsome dude chilling out. (You can enlarge these photos by clicking on them.)
Eric is on the bottom, right, holding the acrobat. Now we know what he can do for a living when he gets out of Domino's~~he can join the circus.
My husband is STRONG
Hey, who is that woman eye-balling my hubby???

Sir Luke of the Blue Lion
Scotty, Robin, Keely, Helen, Carly and Clay
Every time Scott and Eric play basketball someone gets hurt. No broken fingers this time. Yeah!
The girls going for a hike.
Luke threw this frisbee a couple of seconds after I took this picture and he whacked me in the side of the head with it.


Eric playing the piano with Clay watching on.
Helen, Eric and Anna. Eric is the one with the GIGANTIC lips.
Anna catching a ride with big brother

It's been a little busy around here lately and my blog posting has suffered. BUT, I'm back in the saddle and ready to catch up on what's been going on.

Last Saturday we went to Madison, WI to celebrate some friends wedding. We weren't at the park more than 5 minutes before Eric got stung on the lip by a bee. The only good thing I can say about that is I'm glad it wasn't one of the kids or our weekend could have taken a severe downward spiral. Eric thought the bee had barely stung him and his lip didn't look too bad at first. Well, the photos I'm attaching will show that his lip continued to grow during the day, overnight and was still swollen the next day. I'd hate to think what his lip would have been like if the bee had 'really' stung him.

After a great afternoon at the park we went to Scott and Robin's and hung out, had a campfire (thanks Cory) and let the kids reconnect. It was great.

Sunday took us to the Bristol Renaissance Fair. I had no idea how big the fair was going to be nor the amount of people that show up for something like this. There were people dressed in full costume ALL over the place. Eric was selected to help during the acrobat show and the kids loved the jousting. Luke took his turn on a jousting zip line and he actually lanced the ring and was knighted. He was the only child that managed this feat while we were there watching. So now Luke can officially be referred to as Sir Luke of the Blue Lion.

Monday took us to school for our orientation meetings with Luke and Anna's teachers. It was great to see and hear the excitement of the teachers and how glad they were to have the kids in their classes. Teachers can make such a huge impact on their students!!!!

Today was the first day of school. Luke is now in first grade and Anna is in kindergarten. Both kids came home from school tonight bubbling with all that happened today and reeling off new friends names.

Prayers

So many positive, but hectic, things are happening in our lives right now, but we're brought down to earth with my friend Katie's family members' health issues.

Their entire family is going through a horrible time and having to make critical decisions so I again ask for all of your prayers. Katie, and her husband have three small boys. She works days and her husband works nights so she is the primary caregiver of the boys at night as well as having to make trips to the hospital and decipher medical updates. Their family needs prayers.

Travel dates set and Anna's birthmother search

We researched and booked our flights today and are happy to have that done. We will fly out of Chicago on Friday, September 11th and return home on Sunday, September 20th. We're flying KLM and so we will change flights in Amsterdam meaning we won't have to worry about getting additional travel visas.

Just an update too on the search for Anna's birth mother. We originally were working with our attorney's son in Guatemala to see if he could connect with Anna's birth mother and if she would want to have contact with us. No connection was made so we decided to hire one of the searchers who is very well-known and reputable in Guatemala. He just emailed today and said that he will get started on our file as soon as he finishes up with a couple of other families and I'm to email him in a couple of weeks to touch base. I'm pretty confident that he's going to be diligent in his work and hoping that he will come back with information. What an exciting time this is.

Travel dates for Ethiopia

Well, Dove doesn't mess around. We will be traveling to Ethiopia to pick up Joseph on September 11, 2009. Yes, 9-11. Oh well, we've flown before on that date and it seems as if security is tighter, so we'll be fine.
Our US Embassy visit is for Thursday, September 17th.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a sudden urge to scream out, "Help us. We're not packed!!!!!!!!" But, we will be and ready to travel with bells on.

Man, I love YouTube!!!!!!!!!!!

Turn the volume up high on your computer, sit back, close your eyes, and listen to rain fall in this Perpetuum Jazzile rendition of Toto's Africa. You'll think you're in the middle of a storm on an African plain.

Congratulatory dinner

Okay, so hot wings aren't on every Ethiopian menu, but they were on this one, and we were hungry, so we enjoyed them. Notice the Ethiopian flag-colored balloons? Cool huh?
Our cake from Le Ann and Mike saying, "Congratulations on adding Joseph to your family!"
Mike and Le Ann

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful visit with our friends Le Ann and Mike at an Ethiopian restaurant. To our surprise, we arrived at the restaurant early and there was a cake and Ethiopian flag colored balloons. Mike and Le Ann had secretly arranged this in advance. The rest of the night we enjoyed food and friendship which was much needed after not seeing them for a while. Thanks for a great night guys!

Do you know who is 7,669.21 miles away from us? Our SON Joseph. We passed court!!!!!

**Sorry, I had to remove photo until we sign paperwork in Ethiopia.**
Please allow me to introduce the latest addition to the Lockhart family. This is Joseph Duane Lockhart and it's official he is now a Lockhart. That's right, we passed court and now we have to figure out all of the particulars of traveling 7,669.21 miles in order to bring our SON home. It feels so good to write the word son with the knowledge that yes, he is indeed legally our son.

We have been so very fortunate to have gotten through the adoption process in such a short amount of time. We are thankful to everyone that has helped us from the very beginning which believe it, or not, just began November 15, 2008. Family and friends provided much needed prayers, letters of reference and support along the way. Our agencies: Hillcrest Family Services, Building Arizona Families and Dove International did an excellent job of leading us through the adoption process while answering questions and offering an immense amount of support too.

We are ready to bring Joseph home and start sharing the rest of our lives with him. We are so blessed!

Today's the day!

We will get a phone call this morning (morning as in Oregon-pacific time) from our agency director letting us know what transpired at court. Last night was a very short night on sleep and a long night on wondering what the call is going to be.

Helpful hints for when Joseph comes home

We've read many, many books on what we should do when Joseph comes home to help with his bonding and attachment to us and I had read an article quite some time ago and lost it, but finally found it. Here it is:

Your baby needs your full attention now

Here are some tips for keeping happy, healthy, and focused on the new priority in your life.At last, after months of waiting, your child is home. Adoptive parents may worry that missing out on pregnancy or their infant’s first days or months will impede attachment. In fact, for both biological and adoptive families, attachment is almost always a journey, not an instant event.

It takes time to get to know your child, to develop the rhythm and confidence to parent. In these first days, it is vital that you take care of only the essentials—your partner, your current children and your baby. Avoiding other claims on your attention will enhance your ability to bond. Much as you want to show off your new baby, use the first weeks to get acquainted at your own pace.

Remember that, in these first weeks, you and your baby are in transition. You’re not yet familiar with your child’s cues or the meaning of his cries. You may feel clumsy at holding, making bottles, burping, bathing, diaper changes.

There is extraordinary joy when you first learn that, after years of longing, your baby is waiting for you. Don’t be surprised if it is impossible to sustain such joy. Disappointment is very common after attaining major milestones. Like bio parents some adoptive parents will experience a post-adoption depression as a result.

Strategies for the first few weeks:

• Limit visits. Your baby needs time to bond with you, unencumbered by distraction. Unplug the phone or leave a voice message if excited friends keep calling. Get help. Hire out the housework, lawn mowing, or cooking. Ask friends to fix meals, run errands, shop, and care for your other children. The less you have on your mind, the more attention you can pay to your baby’s well-being.
  
• Get support. Join an adoption support group, if you haven’t already. Share your feelings with others online or in a community setting. Some adoptive parents are embarrassed to complain to friends and family about baby’s crying, colic, or diaper rash. “I felt like people would say that I asked for him....” Adoption counselor professionals can be an enormous aid, too.If you are feeling unsure about caring for your baby, attend an infant care seminar hosted by a hospital or adoption agency. This is your chance to get “hands-on” experience. Many hospitals and public health agencies can arrange to have a nurse visit your home and give one-on-one instruction.
  
• Make things cozy, not fancy. Infants don’t care about an elegant nursery. All they need is to be safe and loved and warm. Be sure that your baby’s crib or bassinet (as well as her car seat) meets the highest safety standards. To reduce the risk of SIDS (crib death), always put your child to bed on her back.
  
• Take care of yourself. Even a 15-minute walk around the block or 20 minutes of yoga can help you relax and clear your mind. Try to eat well. Get some sleep! Exhaustion can make those first weeks even harder. Sleep when you can—preferably, whenever baby naps.You may decide to keep your baby in the family bed for the first weeks. If so, do not use a waterbed or soft bedding that could smother a child. If you can’t get sleep well with your baby in the bed, try a bassinet or crib that attaches to your bed.
• Hang on to your sense of humor. Raising children is serious business, but you have to laugh at yourself or you are finished. Take everybody’s advice, even mine, with a grain of salt. Sister, friend, doctor, mother-in-law—all will tell you what to do. Follow your own instincts about how to raise your child. Even as a new parent, you can trust that gut feeling about your baby.

So, if we don't answer your phone calls on the first ring or invite you over to play cards every night please don't think we're trying to be rude or hurt your feelings, we're just trying to work on our newly formed family.

1 more day until court

Today's it! This is the last day before we enter court. Our file could be reviewed as early as sometime after midnight tonight (our time). We ask for your prayers today and tomorrow.

I would like to get a ton of work accomplished today knowing tomorrow will be a 'write off' day. I will sit by the phone and by the computer waiting for the call/email.

Tomorrow night we're heading to Iowa City to celebrate with our friends Mike and LeAnn. Hopefully, it will be a celebration and not a crying party. Either way it will be awesome to be there with them.

Please keep our friend Katie and her family in your prayers. I can't say why right now, but prayers are needed.

October 7th court date

My friend Mimi, from here in Dubuque, just emailed to let me know that they received their court date and it's October 7th. So, I'd ask everyone for prayers for her and her husband, their children here and their daughter in Ethiopia so that all goes well and they pass court quickly so Mekdes and Joseph can be play buddies soon.

This is a good day!

2 days until court!!

2 more wonderful, glorious days until court. It's drizzling rain here but that can't put a damper on our day.

3 days left until court

3 days left until court so the countdown could be changed to hours (72 or less) if we knew the exact time that our file would be looked at. We don't know the exact time so I'll keep it to days, plus I don't have the time to do an hourly countdown. Finding the numbers would be the easy part, but posting them would be a little tough as I do plan to sleep.

I spent quite a few hours working on our packing list last night and honestly have no idea how we're going to get everything in the cases. My first list was 5 single-spaced pages. One person even suggested bringing our own bedding. How on earth does one do that? What end of the vacuum cleaner do I hook up to our king-sized pillows to make them sandwich bag size?

It's probably safe to say that we'll have one case full of medicine and ointments because every list I've read says to take them and be ready to treat any slight illness or injury that might occur when we're in Addis Ababa instead of trying to track down these items once there and sick.

Also needing to be squeezed into the cases are the 70+ spiral notebooks that I bought for the kids at the orphanage along with crayons, scissors, markers, glue, pens, pencils and folders. I'd like to take balloons, jump ropes, bubbles and Hot Wheels race cars too. It could be touch and go trying to get our suitcases through customs with all of these items, but we're going to try.

4 days until court!!

We're speeding along and only four more days until our file goes to court. Luke, Anna and I were talking about going to court next Wednesday and if we pass Joseph would then officially be their brother. Luke then asked, "Why wouldn't he be our brother? Can someone say he can't be our brother? What will happen if he can't be our brother?" Wow, that was a hard one. I always try to keep explanations to a minimum about the adoption with the littles, even though that's not my personality, but this one was hard. I gave my little explanation and the kids took it at face value so that was good, but I hadn't thought much about the possibility of anything possibly going wrong with Joseph's adoption other than court being rescheduled time and time again. Prayers, prayers, prayers.

Happy Birthday Gerry!!