Third Day - Merry Christmas

Heard this song today...amazing. We decide to go the China route to adopt just THIS WEEK and I was listening to a station that I can only get in Columbus right after work. Of course, I balled my eyes out while driving, but it was just a little gift from God to me. 

Next Christmas my little boy should be in my arms and with his forever family. Lord willing... Enjoy!

Roller Coaster - Picture

I always liked roller coasters.  Big ones, small ones, ones with loops...  I liked climbing that first big hill, I loved the rush of going upside down or completely on my side.  I liked that are fast.  I really liked to go fast.

However, to experience all of the fun, I had to experience that first drop.  You know the one... the "stomach-is-in-your-throat" drop.  Ugh.  And that's when it happens... the picture.  A flash of light, you're tightly holding on for dear life, trying to raise your hands, trying to keep them up, not falling out, or throwing up and splattering the person behind you..(I actually saw a picture like that once...no, it wasn't me, so I could laugh about it.)  But that picture, of when you're excited, and sick, and careful, and looking forward to the next turn....

That's me today.

We've climbed this huge hill of paperwork and dreams and excitement.  We've rushed down the hill and been sick and disappointed and needing encouragement.  Today I climb that second hill...it's not as big as the first hill, but it's close. I'm excited, and careful, and a little nauseated....but smiling.

Our story continues to amaze us.  When the coaster drops and I close my eyes the Lord laughs and says "Hold on. This is going to be good."  When Colombia looked dim, China appeared..  At first we thought we could not ride that coaster because of the medication issue.  Then we got a waiver and today I got the letter from my doctor that okay-ed my medication and that it was prescribed for my fibrormyalgia and not for depression.

Here's the catch.... when doing our first home study I was taking paxil for post-pardon depression, after having Jake.  China will not take someone who is diagnosed as depressed or on medication for such a condition.  As a matter of fact, they want you to be off of the medicine for 2 years.   I'm fine...we all know I'm fine.  I am perfectly capable of loving and raising children.  I've done it for 4 years (tomorrow, as a matter of fact).

It's like taking an anti-depressant makes you mad and unworthy to raise a kid.  I'm not crazy, I don't take out my rage out on small animals, or anything for that matter, I don't dress up like a princess and demand that my subjects bring me pie.  I'm fine.  Not that taking meds is bad...just the opposite, if you need them by all means take them...and share.  (Just kidding..sharing meds is bad..and illegal.)  Sorry, I'm getting off track here.  The point I'm trying to state is that our home study needs to be perfect..and if it is not, then we have to wait 2 years. (Remember I have a waiver. Confusing? yes...)

Anyway, that's where we sit for now.  Riding that China coaster...excited, nervous, waiting...and this coaster, my friends, is not fast...as a matter of fact, the adoption coaster is quite the opposite, though it does guarantee some interesting twists and turns and exciting drops and climbs.  But as hard as this has been...I know that there is little guy at the end of this ride and he will have been all worth it.

Open door..need a letter

Two months ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was prescribed cynbolta (which is actually an anti-depressant that is used for fibromyalgia patients.)  After doing some research my husband discovered that sometimes China will "waive" this type of medication.  We asked our contact if that was a possibility and she said she'd ask.  At 10:30 Monday night we got a call that China would waive my medication as long as I could get a letter from my doctor that stated that the medicine that I am currently on was prescribed for fibromyalgia not depression.  I called yesterday and today, but of course with the holiday I couldn't get a hold of the Dr's office.

If all goes well and my doctor writes the letter then we can switch to China.  We are elated, but I'm trying to not get too excited.  I don't want to be crushed again by disappointment.

I am so thankful for the renewed opportunity to adopt from China.  If this works out...boy, I just really hope that it does, then we could have a little boy this time next year.  Wouldn't that be amazing?

Please pray that on Monday I can talk to my doctor and get the okay for the letter.

More to come....

Longer Wait...

Well on November 1st we found out that the orphanage that had approved our paperwork and had put us on their waiting families list was shut down over $200,000 of back taxes.  This is only one of 8 Casa Privada's (orphanages) in Colombia and this type of event has not occurred before.  Los Pasingos' director was a 3rd generation director and this has devastated him and his family.  I've heard that Carlos is currently selling everything he can to get his orphanage back and help those children.  What does that mean for us?  Our paperwork was collected by the ICBF, the Colombian government in charge of adoptions and they are currently holding the paperwork for further review.  Our adoption agency has contacted 2 orphanages and begged them to take our case.  One orphanage will not accept us because we already have children.  The 2nd orphanage Ayudame stated that they would accept our file, BUT ICBF has yet to forward it to them...so we are back to NOT being on a list.  Ayudame's wait time looks like 2-3 years.  If we keep our paperwork with the ICBF then we will be placed on a list and we will have a better idea of when we will get a referral, but this will be 3-4 years.  Wait there's more...currently the Colombian government (at least the portion that works adoptions) is on strike...

Jason and I talked about it and decided that we would discuss other options with our agency...maybe we could look in to other programs like China, Panama, or Russia.  We were most interested in the program that would give us a child as soon as possible.  Jason is now old enough for the China program, we could get a child in 9 months, and it would be almost half of the cost of our current program. We were all set to switch...then our contact asked, "Oh, one last thing, neither of you have been on anti-depressants right?" "Wrong...I started Paxil after the birth of our 2nd little boy, Jake, because of post-pardon depression "  "Oh, China won't take you then...no anti-depressants... no cases of individuals that have ever had cancer (even if they were 3 at the time)...etc."  So, because I am better because of this medicine, I am broken and cannot adopt a special-needs child, or any child from China."  Oh, that goes with some other programs, as well.

We are sitting pretty with Colombia still.  The China program contact was going to talk with her leader on Monday about our situation, but we were told to not hold our breath.  Boo.  We are going to look into Bulgaria also, but we will learn more about that tomorrow (hopefully).  The other programs (we have to stay with our agency so only programs that they are involved in are our only options..) have a wait of 2-4 years so that would really be no different than where we currently sit.

We are so disappointed and frustrated at this time, so prayers for our family please.

Thank you.
Jeri

News is news...

Got a call today from our agency contact, Sara, around 3:30 today.  Los Pisingos will no longer be the holder of our family's file.... 

Why?  We are not completely sure what has transpired these last few days in Colombia, but the end result was the loss of Los Pisingos International Adoption License. 

As you know we JUST got word last week that Los Pisingos had approved our application/paperwork.  Apparently because we got the okay we will not need a re-certification of our request for our new orphanage.   

We will now be going through an orphanage called Asociación Amigos del Niño (Ayúdame) just outside of Bogota, Colombia.

We know little about this orphanage...We have no timeline.  We have no idea what is really going on....

More to come..... and I hope soon.

Sigh.