L...O...??....E

Guess what??
Megersa's case got submitted to court!!
And guess what group we're in???
Right now I am LOVING the adoption train ride!
Of course I have had my ups and downs, but I'm beyond excited to be headed to the top of the loop! We're almost there!

Here's what I know:
Dec 10...got an email saying that Megersa's case was almost ready, outside of the cover letter.
Dec 15...emailed in to find Megersa's case still hadn't been submitted.
Dec 28...called in, to find out that Megersa's case HAD been submitted, and that we are in Group V!

Here is how that conversation went on Monday:
Me:
"Hello,
This is Katie Nester, and I'm calling to find out if my little guy Megersa's case had been submitted to court yet. The last time we spoke, you mentioned that they were waiting on the cover letter to complete his file."

Her:
"Yes, I remember. When I got back into the office today I had several messages from ET...hang on while I check which one pertains to your case."
"Okay, we have here that your case has been submitted, and that you are in Group V. You should be informed of a court date within 10 days or so from court filing, and it looks good that you will have a court date by the end of January."
:)
Dec 30 (today)...we get home from PA and check the mail, to find a bill from AAI for the remaining balance we owe. It stated on the bill that this part of the ET fee was due when your case is submitted to court and must be paid in full before they can schedule an embassy date.
So, I look at the date at the top. It is marked Dec 18.
My friend Rachael got the exact same bill, so she emailed to find out she is also in Group V. Her bill is also marked Dec 18.
A conspiracy? Maybe.
Does that mean that our case was filed on Dec 18, and my stomach was in knots for 10 days for no reason!!?? Perhaps, but I know I was again, learning patience.

Fast forward to just a few minutes ago. I checked my old emails to find an email someone sent me with news of when her case had been submitted to court.
I HAD to check to see if the dates match up. Guess what?
Her case was also submitted on Dec 18!
Holy Moly!
I was told that families usually get a court date that is about 4-5 weeks after their cases had been submitted. Is it possible to think that our court date may mid January? Whoa!
Things are moving!
10 business days from the 18th of Dec would be this coming Friday, but because the office is closed tomorrow and Friday, perhaps we'll hear something early next week.
That would be awesome!
I, of course, will keep you all posted.

growing, growing, growing...

I'll start off with the things that will make you smile.
We got 2 new pictures of Megersa recently! One was of someone holding him, so we got to see what his size was in comparison to an adult. :) A very nice gift. The other was just plain adorable - good thing he's manly enough to sport the pick & green hoodie he's wearing!
We also got some new stats on his growth, and since I don't think I've ever posted his original stats, I'll just do them all:
Oct 5, 2009 - 8.9 lbs...21.7 in
Oct 13, 2009 - 9.1 lbs...22 in
Oct 19, 2009 - 9.2 lbs...22.4 in
Oct 26, 2009 - 9.4 lbs...22.4 in
Nov 9, 2009 - 9.7 lbs...23.2 in
Nov 18, 2009 - 10.3lbs...23.2 in
Dec 7, 2009 - 11.2 lbs...23.6 in
Dec 14, 2009 - 11.4 lbs...23.6 in

Observations of Megersa on 10/29/09:
He follows objects with his eyes.
He feeds well and sleeps a lot.
He is gaining weight through time.
He moves his arms and kicks his legs independently of each other.

Observations of Megersa on 12/18/09:
He can raise his head and he can hold an object in each hand.
He turns his head, moves arms, and kicks his legs independently of each other.
He smiles when you play with him.
He feeds well and sleeps a lot.

The updates are just wonderful to get, and they make me crave more! I have a friend from our small yahoo group (OAEG) who is there in Ethiopia now for the holidays, and she was able to tell me this about Megersa:
Katie - Megersa is a sweetie, and loves to cuddle. Both of my kids held him and he gave us some sweet smiles.

It was wonderful to see that he is smiling for people! I hope I can see him smile in some new pictures!

So, that is all the wonderful news I have!

Despite the beauty of all that information, I still can't shake the feeling that even in the holiday busyness (and we are SO busy here in PA visiting family)...that something is wrong. This is Megersa's first Christmas, and he's not here. :(
I SOOOOOOO long to hold him, and have him home. This journey has been very long already, and I'm ready for it to be over.
But...the wait for court filing continues. Our agency director said that there will be more cases submitted to court before the end of the month, but I haven't heard anything...and the end of the month is coming up very quickly.
I am praying for God's peace throughout the last leg of this journey...it has gotten very difficult.

Itchy

I feel "itchy" to blog again. I'm not sure why.
Maybe because I have been posting every day for the past few days. Maybe because I feel like it passes the time, or records the time for me as I wait. I have been dying for my friend to announce on her blog that she got her referral! :) When she does I can discuss our plans for our children to become best friends. You know they are most likely days apart in age?
Both were born in August '09.
I wanna know Megersa's assigned birthday!!!
You know, I made a calendar for my Dad today for Christmas.
He's one of those men who has everything they want/need.
And I find it difficult to buy something for someone who usually just gets what they want for themselves.
Usually his birthday or Christmas request is Starbucks coffee or gift cards. So, I'm trying to think outside the box and get him something "invaluable" (as pictures always are).
Hence the calendar.
So, I was uploading pictures, filling in the captions for each photo, and going through each day of the month...typing in birthdays or anniversaries, when I came to realize it that NO ONE on my Dad's side of the family (and it is a LARGE family - from my 2 grandparents came 5 children, 25 grandchildren, and 5 great-grands!)...has a birthday in August. No one even has an anniversary in that month!
Until Megersa. :)
I desperately wanted to pick a day and type in that info, but I don't want it to be wrong when we actually do find out. I'll have to settle for just 'writing' it in. Not as cool. Oh well!
I took a picture of Cale holding a picture of Megersa and used that as the pic for the month of November!! Referral month! I wish I could post it!
So anyway, this 'friend' who got a referral spoke with one of our agency directors about her baby's file and found out some good information - The next group to go to court (I think they're on group "U") will have a court date of Dec 17!
At first I thought it was possible that we might get in that group, but that's highly unlikely. We haven't been submitted yet. Even if they did their best to get his file ready by next week, I can't imagine that a court submission and court date only days apart. Either way though, things ARE moving for people. The most recent court date was Dec 8, so if the pattern is court every week and a half, that would put us in a good position to travel in early spring (which is our hope/wish/prayer).
Alright, enough with that. I dont want to get myself over excited.
Here is some fun Cale and I had today: I can't take the credit for it. I found this idea in one of my Parents magazines...but try it - fill squirt bottles with water and then put a few drops of food coloring in them and let your child go wild in the snow! Cale LOOOOOOVED this! He kept asking me, can I spray dis Mommy? Yes? Cale spray the snow? It was so funny. It took him awhile to trust that he was allowed to do it. Lots of fun.

all clear!

Megersa's case is "in the clear" (for the time being anyway). I got this email from one of our agency directors:

Hi Katie,
Here is an update from Gail:
Also he (Temesgen – AAI Legal Representative) spoke to the orphanage lady from Shashemene to finalize the paper for Megersa Nester quickly. She had forgotten about it.......... that paper is clear, only for the cover letter, and shouldn't take long either now.
So, there does not seem to be a problem with the paperwork and it is on its way to being completed.
Thanks for your patience.

The way the staff writes is often confusing to me. I'm sure they all are busy, busy, busy, so they probably don't have the time to pay special attention to punctuation and proper sentences, etc...which make it a bit confusing to read.
But even still, I could tell it was good news!
Lets keep praying for the cover letter to be complete and for our case to be submitted next week!
That would be such a lovely early Christmas present!

Less Words Wednesday

I am totally off on my days. Yesterday I thought it was Wednesday and today I think it's Thursday. But it's not...and as a result - you get to see some more pictures that I think are great!
It has been snowing off and on for 2 days. Cale and I have been having TONS of fun in the snow. Making footprints, eating snow, shoveling, Me making a snowman, Cale knocking it's head off....all the good things in life! Here is a summary of our fun:We also continued the cookie baking I had started on Monday. Today Cale was very helpful! He helped me make the dough, roll it, dump sprinkles on it, and push the cookie cutters in.
Observe:
You know what's weird though? All that tempting prep work and my kid wouldn't even eat the finished product. It's not really a surprise to me. He dislikes home-baked cookies. Actually, come to think of it, the only cookies I've seen him eat, and like, are oreos. Doesn't get that trait from Me or his Daddy! What an oddball, huh? Oh well, we had lots of fun! :)

Baby Love

We got another picture of our baby today!!
It was almost a full-body shot...up to about, his knees. He is just soooo beautiful! And I mean that...not like in a sissy way, but really, he is!
The icing on the cake was that the picture had all of the things from his welcome bag in it (minus the camera) - outfit, toy, my blanket (which he was holding!!!!), and the photo album.
To see the photo album, opened to a picture of the 3 of us (here) next to his little face made me think what our family pictures would be like.
And you wanna know what my reaction was?
"I could do this all over again...and soon!"
To think that we haven't even finished our first adoption, (especially being WAY off monetary-wise...though we are confident God will provide), and I'm talking about the next one!
Crazy, I know...but I warned you in the previous post that I'm a tad batty these days! :)
ps. It was also WAY awesome to see his name in the subject line: Megersa Nester.
Yup. :)
On anther note, with respect to Megersa's case being filed, we have yet to hear about it. I wrote to our agency director to see if she knew anything. Since several people received notification that their cases had been submitted last week, it would stand to reason we would have to wait until next week at the earliest to hear anything. (Cases are submitted every 2 weeks or so).
Here is what I asked today:
Hi,
I had a quick question for you:
Toward the end of the in-process update that just went out, you mentioned that cases were filed every 2 weeks.
Some of my friends received emails last week saying their cases had been submitted to court, but we have not yet.
Am I correct in understanding that it will most likely be until next week that we hear something? He was eligible on the 24th of November.
Anxious/excited,
Katie Nester

This is her response:
We really don’t know I am sorry to say. As soon as the contract of adoption is signed and all the paper work is ready the cases are submitted in a group, about every two weeks. We will let you know when we have news.

And while I'm copying and pasting, I'll let you know what she said about his case with respect to the situation in Shashemene:


I saw the In-process update and was happy to see about the information
you got from the Shashamene region! I did have concerns that our case
might be delayed because of the situation...
But since you didn't contact our family directly about a long delay,
can I assume that we are in the clear (for the time being?).

Her:
Katie, When our staff informs us that there is a problem with a case we
inform the family. There have been some problems in Sheshemone with some
cases, so far we haven't heard that there is a problem with yours and we
hope that there won't be. I am sorry they haven't answered as to when you
case can be filed. I'll ask again, but with many families asking questions
about their cases sometimes messages just don't get dealt with, also there
were email problems earlier this week.

Okay, so that's all the news I have to share for the time being. Perhaps next week we'll know more! :)

It's a race! It's a race!!

Not really. There is no real race, but I feel like I'm in a race sometimes...nothing too specific, just life in general. Do you think that's because we live in such a face-paced economy? Everything we want or need is usually right at our fingertips. If we need to wait on something, life is turned upside-down!
Today MID-stir, my blender/beater (whatever you call it) broke. I immediately wanted to run out and buy another one...but without a car, it was difficult. Thankfully I have a neighbor who was willing to let me borrow hers for the duration of my Christmas cookie baking, but good glory, what would I have done without that? haha! I guess I would have had to use my arms!!
Cookie making wasn't really the issue that made me think of racing, it was just annoying, so I thought I'd share! :)
What made me think I was racing was when one of my friends announced that she passed court. A day early!
This is excellent news for her, but it made me think, "Hey wait! I haven't heard that my case was submitted to court yet!"...which doesn't make any sense. She got her referral about 2 months before I got mine, of course she would pass before me.
I feel the same way when people announce their pregnant with their 3rd child.
"I haven't even had my second,"..."I'm older than you", etc etc.
What a goofy reason to think something like that, isn't it?
I'll answer my own question - "totally."
When things do happen with referrals, court cases, or travel, it makes me happy that things are moving along, but I can't help but get a little bit 'jumpy' waiting for my turn!
I think this stuff with the possibility of delays from cases that came from Shashamene really has me crazy! I think I will feel so much better when I hear that our case has been submitted. This way I know there isn't a problem.
But until then...I'll probably be a tad batty.

Scene 3, Take 1.

It's been 1 month since we got our referral. Amazing. I still have that blissful feeling when I think about that Thursday when I got "the call." I hope the next few months fly by as fast as this one did.
Megersa is now eligible for court, but our case hasn't been submitted yet. There has been some talk of delays from the area he was born in. Some government restructuring that has been causing some problems. When I found out it was Megersa's region, I have to say that it panicked me! I spent that whole day playing tug-o-war with God as I fought to try and control this problem. I decided it was best to let Him take control, because He knows what's best for my life, and I prayed, and have been praying for God's peace with whatever the situation may be.
The most recent report from our agency states:
There has been reference recently on the aaiethiopia list to cases from Sheshemone. There has been a change in the organization and staffing of the department that approves adoptions there and new officials are nervous about adoption cases, fearing that there have been cases done improperly in the past (not with AAI cases). Temesgen was in Sheshemone last week and continues to advocate and promote adoption with these folks. With cases where we believe there will likely be a long delay we have notified the families involved.
So, since I haven't heard anything about possible delays (and I gave them a chance because I called specifically to ask about it! ;)...I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we are in the clear for now? I'm still holding my breath a little for the next week or so until I find out that Megersa's case has been submitted.
Once this court stuff is over I will definitely breathe easier.
The holidays actually help a lot!
I'd love to start some family traditions that we can continue each year, but since Cale's only 2, we haven't really started any, and I'm not sure where to begin!
SUGGESTIONS?? It could be anything really.
I need something to help pass the time.
You know what else I just noticed?
Cale will be 3 in exactly 4 months.
Scary.

Home

It's good to be home!
This SHOULD be a short post...we'll see how it goes.

If you've read my previous post in it's entirety,
(yes, I know it was LONG!)
you'll see that Tim and I have moved...alot!
As a couple we've lived in 5 different places, in our 5 years of marriage, and I have to say that our "home" was wherever we were.
Yes, yes...it's also "where our heart is"...but mainly just where our stuff is, and where we feel familiar and good.
We've made each apartment and house our home, no matter how long we lived there.
I love to visit family, but I LOVE when I get home...even when the house smells stagnant and the fridge is BARE!
I think it's something about settling back into the routine of things...
I like knowing that I can let my guard down.
Do you ever get this feeling? It's nice.
We are making another big trip, to PA this time, in just a few weeks, so I'll have to give up my "home sweet home" feeling again soon.
But for now, I want to say:
I just love my family and I love to be home.
That's all.

Wow, this WAS short! :) (comparatively, anyway)

"I do!"

5 years ago today Tim and I were in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania...anxiously awaiting the 11am hour when I would walk down the aisle and we would confess our undying love for each other, while committing the rest of our lives to our marriage. It was the best decision of my life and I'll always remember this day.
On November 27, 2004 I married my best friend.
I could go on being mushy-gushy and make a few people feel awkward, but that's not really my style. :)
Instead, I'll recap the past 5 years, for all of you that may not know us that well:

YEAR 1


We lived in Cedarville, Ohio...in the married student housing. We had a dinky little apartment that was very cold, and very tiny! I can remember the pilot lite went out least 3 times and we would sit there freezing for days until a maintenance man could come and fix it. I remember that our bedroom was so small, that we had to shove our bed up against 2 walls, in order to fit our dressers in the room. Craziness.
I was taking Nursing classes in the hopes of doing something my parents approve of. Haha. Okay, I did have some interest in it too. Not 3 months after we got married, I got into a pretty bad car accident and we ended up with a pile of medical bills. I'll never forget that icy day on the road...
Tim was finishing up his Youth Ministries degree at Cedarville University while interning at Far Hills church. I worked at a Nursing Home taking care of the elderly, and Tim moonlighted as a delivery driver at our local pizza place. I'm pretty sure that first year we made a total of $13,000! YIKES! Our first year ended with us candidating at the church we are currently at.

YEAR 2


Year 2 starting with a LOT of packing. Tim officially told Faith Baptist Church "yes" and he became the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries. We moved late December to Wheaton, IL. Our first apartment in Wheaton was GIANT! A wonderful upgrade compared to our 1st place, except the kitchen was also tiny, with ugly cabinets.
Tim and I actually had a dog for 3 days in that apartment. Our first pet, a female beagle named Marley. Adorable! But we were not ready for that kind of commitment. I convinced Tim to return her to her previous owners.
But, not much later that year, we got an orange kitten named Tobey.
He was the most INSANE animal ever! I'm sure he's "on a farm" today. ;)
I started beauty school this year and Tim settled in to his new full time job. Towards the end of Year 2 I found out I was pregnant...and as our lease came to a close, we had to move, again.

YEAR 3


We traded Tobey for Cale. Cale was born just a month after I finished Cosmetology school. We moved into an apartment with 2 bedrooms, but I feel as though it wasn't the best trade off, seeing that for more than 1/2 a year we had obnoxious downstairs neighbors. We eventually got them kicked out - bet'cha didn't think we were capable of anything like that, huh?? :)
Year 3 was a crazy whirlwind of figuring out how to be parents. I was able to stay-at-home with Cale (as I do now) and I just soaked up every minute of being a Mom. Watching your child grow is the best thing in the world. We did alot of traveling that year, and to help us out, Tim purchased a new-to-us minivan which is by far the best vehicle we've owned (and we've been through 5 as a couple!). We took trips to Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania to visit family. The only other thing I can remember from that year is that we were both completely sleep-deprived. Thanks, Cale! :)
At the conclusion of Year 3, we moved again.

YEAR 4



We started off year 4 renting a house in West Chicago. It was NOT a good situation. We did enjoy not sharing walls with other people, but our Landlord made sure we wouldn't enjoy anything else. During the 9 months we lived at that house, we watched Cale grow. He got his first tooth there, he learned to crawl up in his bedroom, and took his first steps in the living room...so for those memories, I thank you Wiant house... :)
In year 4 we experienced our first scare as parents. Cale needed to have surgery and we understood the helplessness that parents COULD feel. The Lord carried us through that difficult time.
We only had a 9 month lease for our rental house, so we moved....again!
This move took us to the house we now live in, and own! It's a wonderful place. We love the location, the neighborhood and the fact that there is a huge park a block away from us. We did more traveling during this year as our families live far away. To end off year 4 we had to endure the sadness of our miscarriage. BUT...we also started researching adoption, and began to narrow down the process.

YEAR 5


Year 5, this past year, has been full of EMOTION! We sent in our application to Adoption Advocates! We plowed through the paperwork and got on the waiting list at the end of February. Then the hard part began. The wait for the referral. The first few months were not that hard (probably because I was anticipating getting a referral in that time), but as time drug on, it got harder and harder.
We had some other memorable experiences in Year 5 - Cale began talking in sentences, he started potty training and got transitioned into his big boy bed...basically experiencing life in a new way. Oh, the joys of toddlerhood!
This past year, some of our immediate family members got married; and some had babies...But the highlight of Year 5 DEFINITELY was Nov 5th. Referral day!! :)
And it was the best way to wrap up our 5th year of marriage.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US! :)

TIM AND I THROUGH THE YEARS
2004. Sadly, I have no pictures on my computer of this year.
2005. The only pic that I have on the computer is of my immediate side of the family (before we had kids):

2006:
2007:
2008:
2009:
So that ends my 5 year post. And it took me about a year to write it. I seriously have been working on it all day...but I kept getting interrupted.
That's the way it goes on vacation. :)

Less-Words Wednesday

I have seen people's blog posts entitled "Wordless Wednesdays," and I think it's cute.
They usually have 1 or 2 pics that make me go "Awe."
But, I'm the type of person who loves to read other people's captions of their own photos. See, for whatever reason I feel like the captions add so much...I like to see how people describe themselves, friends, relatives, children, surroundings, etc.
And this is what I think is lacking from 'Wordless Wednesday' posts.

SO...I'm switching it up.
I will still post pictures, but I'm going to use "less words" than I would normally add to my blog posts.

"THE CALL!" Well, it's actually a picture of the call AFTER the call. When I saw who it was the FIRST time, I almost panicked!
My plan was to take a picture of the call as it came in...I even wanted to have the call video-recorded, but none of that came to my mind when I saw who it was.
Anyway, this picture is proof. :) Nov 5, 2009 - 12:34 pm. (central time) ;)

Speaking of my boys, the above pictures embodies some of the things I love about them. Tim and Cale are so adorable when they get on the computer together. 9 times out of 10, they are watching YouTube videos...usually "Charlie bit my finger!" Yep, they watch the normal version, and the techno version.
They both think it's like the greatest video in the world.
And I think it's annoying...I hear it in my sleep! UGH!
But I do love to watch them bond. ;)

I know I've already expressed in detail how annoying it was that my camera broke, so I won't continue. My friend Patty allowed me to borrow her camera for a week so I could take some recent pictures.
The above picture is a rare family photo. Not the best quality, lighting, angle...etc...but it IS a picture of all 3 of us...all smiling nicely. :)
I seriously can't wait to see Megersa in our next family picture! (And it'll probably be until then that we have another family photo.)
Anyway, if everyone seems to like "Less-Words Wednesday" I'll try to keep it up!

Nov 24th

Today is November 24! 2 weeks and 5 days since we saw our little guy's face! 3 days until our 5 year anniversay, and I THINK the day that Megersa is eligible for court!
I have some conflicting reports on whether or not Megersa is eligible yet. When I got the referral call, our agency coordinator told me that Megersa came into care Oct 5th, and that he wouldn't be eligible until Dec 5th (with the mandatory 2 month wait). But when I called to accept his referral (only a few days later) I was told by someone else that he would be eligible for court on Nov 24th, because his first intake report was Sept 24th (which it was...I saw that on his file).
But I dont know if the report was taken in the hospital where he spent a few days before coming to AAI, or actually at AAI. Does the mandatory 2 month wait start after his first intake report, or does it start on the first day he arrived at AAI?
AHHHHH!!
I can HONESTLY tell you that this is the first thing I've begun obsessing about since I got his referral. The Lord has helped me to be SO patient...with everything actually (and we currently have alot going on right now!).
This is my first re-lapse.
And I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed. It's just a few days difference, right?
I want to say "hey, it's only 11 days." And to be honest, PART of me is feeling that, but the other part, "Impatient Katie," is thinking: "11 whole days! That's almost 2 weeks difference!"
I'm trying not to give into her, but now I'm starting to feel what others are feeling:
the wait on this side of the referral is harder (though I don't COMPLETELY agree). Maybe it's because I KNOW that we are a family of 4, but visibly we are still only a family of 3...so I need to find out this answer!
I have written to both people I talked to, to see if I could get things straightened out. I will post when/if I find out for sure!

1 year

Check out the adoption ticker on the side. It's been counting the days, weeks, months since we started our process. You will note that it has started over. Why? Because today marks 1 year since we 'officially' started the adoption process. I think adoption has always been on my heart, but exactly 1 year ago, we applied to our home study agency. 2 days later we applied to AAI.
It's been an unbelievable journey...full of emotion!
I've experienced the highest highs to the lowest lows, and truly, God has taught me ALOT!
I'd have to say the biggest lesson I've learned is PATIENCE! I know I'm not a patient person, so it makes sense that God continued to keep me in a situation that forced me to be patient. I'll have to admit, that I did not always perform beautifully, but I DO thank God for the lesson! I will never forget it, and I'm sure it will pop up again in life!
The other GIANT lesson I've learned is trust...and with that, not worrying!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)
I generally have the hardest time with the 2nd part of that verse. I usually try to figure everything out on my own, only to figure out (way past the time I should have) that what I'm doing is not the deciding factor. God has been/is/always will be in control. I cannot change my situation, but I can respond positively to the trials I face. :)
Getting back to the year marker -
1 year ago, we started this process with one beautiful boy. This year we have 2 beautiful boys, and next year at this time, both boys will be here with us!
I truly can't wait to take that first family picture!! :)
God is good.

Welcome Bag

That's Right! Today I sent out Megersa's welcome bag!
It was really fun to put together, yet so hard to think of just those FEW things that would fit. I chose to give Megersa one of Cale's outfits he barely wore. It was in good shape and it already smells like our family, so I figured, why not! :)
I also found this great toy. Like I said before, these days I feel dense as to what 2-3 month old babies are interested in. Anything that goes in their mouth, right? :) If you look at the pic, you can see the toy. The giraffe's face is smiling at you!
This giraffe is one of those Lamaze toys. Usually between $15-20, but because I found it thrown in a clearance bin with no tag, I got it for $2! It is brightly colored, and has jingly legs. It's got rings to bite and it squeaks! I hope Megersa likes it! :)
I also included a photo album with pictures of Tim, Cale and I.
Getting the photo album together was a process, let me tell you!
See, our camera broke. Yes, another camera. This time last year we had the same problem. Ooh, and this time the year before. Cameras and Katies just dont seem to want to remain together. After only a 5 month relationship, I had to break up with our Kodak Easy Share M683...because it stopped trying.
Anyway...I have pics on my computer, so I decided to order them via York photos (note: I would not recommend this site if you actually want your pictures in the amount of time they promise you.) I ordered them last Monday, and I was told via email (on Wednesday) that they were being shipped out, and should arrive Thursday.
Today is Monday, and still I have no York pictures! This was the last peice of the puzzle for the welcome bag, so...'impatient me' chose to go to Walmart today and order pictures that are most likely 6 months-1 year old. We look basically the same. My hair is shorter and I'm not sporting the blonde highlights anymore...but Tim hasn't really changed.
Cale has, but Megersa won't care, will you buddy?? :)
I just couldn't wait any longer to send his bag! So, I got the pics printed out, then labeled all of them. It was SO fun to write
"Your Mommy"
"Your Daddy"
"Your big brother Cale."
I also included a disposable camera (so that the nannies could take pictures of him) and wrote Megersa a letter (in the hopes that a volunteer or traveling family could read it to him), and that's about all.
Oh wait...the most special part (at least it was for me)!
See, even though I am 26, I have a favorite blanket.
A special blanket.
A blankie. :)
Yep. It's actually is suppose to be a duvet cover, but I use it as a sheet. For whatever reason, the idea came to me that I should cut off a peice and give it to Megersa. This may sound goofy to people, but it's like letting him know he has a peice of Mommy's heart! AWE! :)
He does though. I'd cut out a piece for Cale too if I didn't think he'd just give it right back to me (he's already attached to "purple blanket").
But yeah, it's queen sized, so there's still plenty left for me. If you look at the pics, you'll see a white thing with red scribbles. Well, the 'scribbles' are actually hearts. It looks like a child just scribbled hearts all over the blanket. I love it. Really, I sleep with it every night. I don't like sharing covers, so this way, I don't have to! I know, I know...I'm a child.
So, I cut out a square from my blanket and hand-stitched the ends. It should smell like me because I am the only one who is allowed to use it (sorry Tim), and I sprayed some of my perfume on it (so Megersa can get use to my smell).
Now my blanket has a peice missing, but I like it even more.
I wrapped it all up, and sent it out priority. Hopefully it gets there this week, and then the next traveling staff member or family can bring it to him.
End welcome bag post.

budgeting....

So Tim and I started this new "system" to try to curb our spending. Instead of using our debit card for food and household items, I've been given a bi-weekly budget, in cash. When the cash is gone, it's gone until next pay period.
This is the first 2 week period we started it, and we'll make adjustments accordingly...and we'll NEED to. :)
Continue story:
While I started out this adventure thinking that the amount allotted to me would be no problem, I quickly came to the beginning of week 2 with less than $10 in hand.
As this is the night before pay day I can state that we are currently out of:
milk, eggs, bread, juice, crackers, fruit, cereal, meat... and many other "filler items" that we don't REALLY need, like snacks and desserts. :)
Thankfully we're going to the bank tomorrow and DIRECTLY after that, the grocery store to stock up! I love love love having a full fridge and pantry!
As this experiment has been kinda fun (to see how long we could go - and I think it's long enough! :), I was struck with the weight of this whole project. Though we are out of things, and we are waiting to cash Tim's check tomorrow, it's not like we CANNOT go to the store. If we needed to, we could move money around.
I thought about that freedom.
Coincidentally, Tim asked me what I was thinking about, and I told him that I was mentally preparing a grocery list.
No big deal, right?
Well, my thoughts continued to go from there. For dinner tonight Cale had the last of the rice crispies and milk. The fact that the milk was gone, just seemed so final. (We currently only have 3 people in our house and we go through at least a gallon of milk a week, sometimes more!)
I started thinking about Megersa. I don't know his birth mother's reason for giving him up, but I'd like to think it was because she was hoping that she was doing what she thought was best for him. Perhaps she couldn't provide for him. He was estimated to be about 3 weeks old or so in his first report, and I wonder if his birth mom kept him as long as she could provide milk for him.
I mentally put myself in her situation (as best I could)...and the thought of not being able to provide food or milk for my children TORE at me. It broke me, and I crumbled. I started bawling there in the car just as we were pulling in to church. (And if you know me, you know I'm not a crier.) I had to suck it up, and frantically wipe off my face before entering.
But I was having a hard time. See, I cannot even IMAGINE the heart-wrenching ache a mother would feel in the pit of her stomach to watch her baby crying from hunger. Then making the choice to give him. The poverty that would come with such a decision is devastating.
I have to admit that normally I'm the type of person that pretends the world is full of marshmallows and rainbows. I don't really like to watch the news, and I never watch violent movies (even war movies) because I like to think that those kinds of things don't happen. (Stupid yes, I know.)
But, falling in love with Mergersa has forced me to open my eyes up WIDE to situations that I could never imagine myself in. I stare at his little picture ALL day and I love him so much already. I couldn't even fathom having to give him up.

God has truly blessed me. Not just with food and clothing, but with my husband and 2 sons. Lord, with your help, I will NOT take what I have for granted.

I can't even stand it!!

Megersa baby, you are JUST ADORABLE!!!!!!!
I have another picture and it only proves my point further!
I CANNOT EVEN STAND HOW CUTE HE IS!
I sooooo wish I could post pictures of him for all to see.
Don't worry folks, it should only be a few months longer!
Today marks 1 week of waiting for Megersa. The week has FLOWN by.
Every day I get more and more excited.
I got a new diaper bag from Freecycle.
My friend got me an Ergo baby carrier (great for bonding!) on Craigslist.
We took down Cale's crib, and moved the rocking chair into Megersa's room in preparation for his arrival. Note: Megersa's room still needs LOTS of work! :)
I've been putting together his welcome bag, and buying him warm outfits (for his impending arrival in early March, maybe??).
We got Megersa's paperwork in the mail today. We'll have to sign our name another hundred times, but this time, it's to state that we are going to be parents to Megersa Timothy Nester. It was surreal seeing his name on paper.
No, we're not giving him the middle name Timothy (Cale already has it, and we're not doing repeats). In Ethiopia, a child (boy or girl) will take the father's name as his/her 2nd name (not sure if it's considered a "last name" there. So on the file, it says that we agree to parent Megersa Timothy Nester...etc, etc. :)
It's all so very exciting! We'll send them back in the mail on Monday most likely, when we have his welcome bag ready.
On another note, I had another consultation with a different doctor to discuss Megersa's file. It was a phone interview, so it wasn't as thorough as perhaps it might be in person (but this specific consultation I was told would cost $93, which is why we chose another doc).
He seemed to be more concerned about what he saw in the file. We chatted for awhile about his concerns.
It did not sway our decision (nor was that what he was trying to do), but it IS getting me to pray HARDER for our little guy. I would covet prayers from everyone else as well! I'm not going to go into specifics, just please pray that any issues are resolved and that Megersa is 100% healthy by the time we pick him up!
It's a tall order considering where he's at in life right now, but our God is a BIG God!
Thank you to all who have been following our journey. It feels so wonderful to be able to share this experience!

WE ACCEPTED!

I feel like each day gets BETTER! I love watching my ticker count up from the days we first saw his face, because it actually is counting DOWN the days until we can get him! Tim feels like the wait on his side is harder. Hm. Not me. I'm elated!
Today I met with an International Doctor to discuss Megersa's file and well...the long and the short of it is: it's a go! As with any international adoption there are always going to be some unanswered questions, but with what we know, he looks great. And that the things we are concerned about now, will most likely not be an in issue in time. Isn't that wonderful! Please continue to pray for his health.
God is soooo good and I know He's watching over my baby!

So for those of you who really appreciate how the "process works" (for me anyway), I will let you know what happens after you accept your referral:
I called and ________ answered. I told her who I was and that we were ready to accept Megersa's file! She sounded very excited (as if I just gave birth, lol!).
Before I even had to ask, she told me what to expect in the days/weeks/months ahead.
We will be getting the placement agreement via snail mail, to sign and return to AAI. They will simultaneously notify the staff in ET that we accept!!!!!
The staff in ET will prepare to merge our file with Megersa's! YEAH!!
(Hearing this was all so beautiful to me! It's like at 1:30pm on Monday, Nov 9, Megersa and I became a family (and of course, Tim and Cale too ;).
Okay, moment over. If I continue to type about the change that has happened in this baby's life in the past month, I will cry.
SO.....moving on.
_______ told me that Megersa's intake day was Sept 24, so he won't be eligible for court filing until November 24. That might sound bad, but I was originally told he came into care Oct 5, so we had our sights set on Dec 5.
Those few days can make a difference!
After he's eligible, she mentioned it'd be another 1-2 weeks till he's filed. I don't know if that means the court letter that everyone talks about, or something different, but either way, she said it should be the 1st or 2nd week of December when his case is filed?? (I think that's what I understood.)
I'm going to try to see if I can get that clarified.
Projected timeline from now:
Nov 24, eligible.
1st-2nd week December, filed.
From filing to court date, about 2-6 weeks.
From court date to travel, now about 6 weeks.
If we pass court, we will get scheduled for an Embassy Interview.
AAI's meetings are scheduled on Wednesdays...every other Wednesday.
And we will need to be in Ethiopia that week from Monday to Friday, as is required if we decide to travel (vs escort...which we will).

What else? Oh...I was told I would get instructions on putting together a welcome bag for Megersa (which I have already started!!!)...and that I should send it back to AAI and the next traveling staff member will take it over and take some pics of Megersa in his outfit!
I CAN'T WAIT!
I've been told that one of the staff members is coming back from ET as an escort for a baby girl soon, and should return to ET before Thanksgiving....so I need to put this bag together quickly and send it out asap!

do you see what i see?

My baby boy is 2 months old.
It's been 2 years and 5 months since I had a 2 month old at home.
I kinda forget what they look like.
The pictures I have of Megersa are very 'up-close and personal'...which have been so helpful in memorizing his little face, but I really want a "body shot."
Because the pictures of him are just of his chest and face, he doesn't look that small, but yesterday I got re-aquainted with the size of 2 month old babies.
I went to a baby shower and one of the guests had a baby there...a 2 month old baby.
Then, I went to the store and the family in front of me at the checkout line had a baby boy in a stroller. I HAD to ask how old he was. I got the feeling, and I was right. "2 months old"
It's like when I was pregnant:
My eye was drawn to other pregnant ladies. I saw them EVERYWHERE!

2 months old is so tiny. 9.4 lbs is so LIGHT!
At the store I went looking through the baby clothes picking out things I thought would look cute on Megersa...then I'd look at the size...and notice it was '12 months' or '18 months'! I thought, MAN, I use to be so good at guessing!
So, I decided to deliberately look at the sizes and found something that was for an 8-12 lb baby. Sized, 0-3 months.
AWE! Sooooooooooo tiny!

Megersa, will you just stay 2 months old and 9.4lbs until Mommy can come get you? :)

((And just because I can't post a picture of my 2 month old baby boy, I'll post a picture of a 2 month old kitty! Look at his size compared to the orange! AWE!!!))

"The Call"

How did it happen? When did it happen? Where did it happen?
Those questions and more will all be answered! I'll tell you the story:

ONCE UPON A TIME...
It was a sunny, November day...Thursday the 5th to be exact, at 1pm (11am Adoption Advocates time).
I had JUST walked upstairs after putting Cale down for a nap, and sat down on my favorite chair (the barstool at our kitchen countertop) to do some internet surfing while I ate lunch. Before I could even open up the computer, my phone rang.
Now let me tell you, NORMALLY before I even answer the phone, I can guess (pretty accurately I might say), who it is judging by what time of the day it is, or what day it is. But, this one took me by surprise. I figured it was Tim...but as my eyes gazed to my phone, I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was:
Adoption Advocates!!
My eyes BULGED - you know, like in the cartoons (ahhhooooga!) - and I picked it up.
"Hello?" I said timdily.
"Hello, is this Kathryn Nester?"
"Yes."
"This is __________ from Adoption Advocates, how are you doing?"
"Good, how are you?"
"Fine, thanks. I see that you liked to be called Katie?"
"Yes."
(At this point in time, I still cannot tell you why I was so timid when I continued to answer. Perhaps because I had been dreaming about that moment for so long, my brain was in shock and not giving my voice box the shrillness I figured would accompany such an event.) anyway...moving on.
"I have a few questions for you."
"Okay?"
Then she proceeded to ask me about my I600A and if I filed for it. Which I had. She told me that she wasn't seeing a copy of it, and it's important for the child's visa when they come home.
WHAT?? My brain was screaming!
I quickly pulled out my folder of files and grabbed the 171H (the paper you get after you are approved for the I600A) and asked if they wanted me to fax it over today, as I quietly hyperventilated.
"There's no rush...we just want to make sure families have this so there is no delay in bringing children home."
"Okay."
Really, at this point, I was having doubts that this was going to be "THE CALL" but thankfully, she continued to talk.
"I want to tell you about a baby boy!!"
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...was all I could think!
She continued to tell me about my little man, where he was from and his background story, and she read his file to me. I interrupted.
"What's his name?" (again, I was so shy, it still kinda boggles my mind - as if this is an inappropriate question)
"Megersa"
:)
As she read through the rest of the file, I scribbled as much information as I could down on a scrap piece of paper lying on my countertop. She was going too fast!
I asked her to repeat some things for me.
"It's all in the file, which we will send to you, if you're interested?"
YES, YES, YES!
I had a few questions for her (but of course, now I can think of a hundred different things I want to know) and she answered.
Then she told me that she specifically remembered my baby the last time she was in Ethiopia.
"I remember standing over his crib with ____, commenting on how we hadn't heard the name Megersa in awhile."
It woke me up from my shock. He's THERE! She's seen him!
He's a REAL PERSON, and someday soon...he'll be home.
THE WEIGHT WAS LIFTED!
She told me that they would send the file asap. Then we hung up.

I called Tim at work.
Casually, to throw him off, I said "hey babe, what's up?"
"Not much, why?"
(then I got hysterical - it finally kicked in!)
WE GOT THE CALL!
Tim now, was in disbelief.
"No we didn't!"
"YES....his name is Megersa and he's 2 months old.....(etc)"
Tim still didn't believe me...but I told him to get on my Gmail account because we would be getting his file in the next few minutes.
We waited.
IT WAS TORTURE!
I think both of us hit the 'refresh' button, oh, 1000 times!
It was probably only 10 minutes, but finally, we got the file...and we saw his face!
(I TRULY wish I could his picture, but we can't until we pass court and are legally his parents!! :)
I must say, he is simply adorable!
Really...I can't stop looking at him.
I carry his picture around all day. We only have 2 pics, and that will probably have to hold us over for another month and a half, because no one seems to be traveling in November. BOO! Thankfully one of the 2 pictures was from that day.

Nov 5...referral day.

Believe me though, he's beautiful, and, to quote my friend Rachael:
"He looks like a million bucks!"
He does. He's perfect.
Anyway, we spent the REST (literally...I was on the phone all day - Cale got pretty perturbed I wasn't playing with him) of the day calling people and sharing our good news!
I couldn't stop smiling! And I was actually smiling so hard for so long, I had to take advil! haha!
I'm just so happy. Everything is better now.
People ask me how much longer till we travel and we say "probably another 4-6 months." They are usually really upset for us...but I say, NO! We've been in the process for 1 year, and it has been an uphill climb. We kept ADDING days to our wait, but now we can SUBTRACT! Counting down is SOOOOOOOOO much better than counting up (unless it's money, haha!).
THE HARDEST PART IS OVER!
I know some people dont feel that way, they think the wait is much more brutal after referral, but I disagree. The fact that I have a name, and a face, and some stats about my son is truly a gift. I can breathe deeply again.
To top it all off (as if this isn't wonderful enough)...my Cale seems enamored with "Baby Brother."
Megersa's picture is on the background of my computer and Cale gets upset when it's blocked by an email or anything.
"I wanna see baby brother!" It's just so cute.
He's totally butchering the name Megersa, but, let's face it...it IS a tough one.
Yesterday he was playing with my cell phone (which has his picture on the screen) and he told me he wants "Baby Brother on Mommy's pone."
I'm not naive to think that it wont be an adjustment for Cale, but I really think that next year, they'll be inseparable!

We have an appointment with an International Doctor on Monday to look over Megersa's file and after that we'll "officially accept"!!!
I will of course, be posting again soon!
Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for us over the past few months! I know God has been using your strength because mine was often failing. I feel renewed and I praise God for this miracle!
Please continue praying for Megersa's health...there are some issues to consider, but we are confident that it's nothing we can't handle (with God's help, of course!)

THE END.

DO WE HAVE GOOD NEWS?????
I think we might! ;)
I want to tell the story in full when we "officially" accept.

I will tell you that I am experiencing so much JOY that I think my heart might explode. The weight has been lifted!!!
Thank you Lord. You are so good to me, and I don't deserve it.

So, check back at the beginning of next week for the story!!

analogies

Want to hear some adoption analogies I came up with?
#1 - ADOPTION IS LIKE:

A snail running a race.
Seriously...could you imagine suiting up...toeing the line with nervous excitement, taking off when the whistle blows, only to realize hours later (or months ;) that you're a SNAIL! You have put forth your best effort, and have been going strong for SO LONG, but, you're not getting anywhere! (or at least it seems that way!)
Being a snail at this point in time is not ideal...but you feel the compulsion to keep going. You're hoping to eventually get there!!!!

#2 - ADOPTION IS LIKE:

A rabbit that chases after the carrot strung in his face.
Again with the running. But, Paul exhorts us to "run the race with patience, the race that is set before us..." so the racing analogies are memorable, right? :)
Someone dangled this BEAUTIFUL carrot in front of the rabbit, and he wants it!
He has his eyes on the prize! I'm sure initially he thought if he kept his gaze focused enough, the frog would stop dangling the carrot, and eventually it would be his. Maybe he's losing confidence now? Maybe not. Each day brings a new set of emotions for him:
Determination to get the carrot.
Anxiety that the carrot may NEVER be his.
Hopefulness that if he continues strongly, he will be rewarded.
Hopelessness thinking this "experiment" will never end.
Sadness for the carrot, it WANTS to be his. :)
Patience to wait out the remainder of the race...........

#3 - Adoption causes a HEAVY heart.

It's so simple, but soooooo true. I feel like my chest is weighed down most of the time. When I pray, I really MEAN to pray about other things, but usually after a few minutes, I always always come back to my pleading prayer for this child.
The weight on my heart is astronomical. I need this burden lifted, soon, Lord!!
I think about this little boy CONSTANTLY. My mind teams up as I daydream of what it will be like to get "the call" and what it will be like to hold him for the first time....to introduce him to his brother, and show him off to friends and families...to feed him, and comfort him...(and the list goes on and on).
It's an INTENSE desire.

I bet I could think of many more. But I will stop with these 3.
You get the picture, right? :)
It will happen eventually.
I must BE STILL. Be still and know He is God.
My goal for these posts really are not to complain, but to show some true emotion as I take this journey. It is therapeutic, and I'm sure others can relate.

8

Care to guess what this post is about?
Yep. I won a game of poker with this hand! Isn't that great? :)
NOT!! (by the way - I think we should bring "not" back!, haha)

We made it to the 8 month waiting mark...almost 12 months overall. It's getting very very hard. We're so close to the top (at number 2 on the list), but I can't get my hopes up, because we only moved up one spot in one month. We could get our referral in a few days, or it could be a few more months. There are no solids at this point. I dont have much else to say about it. I could tell you exactly what I found out at our check-in, but...I'm not even sure who reads this anymore. ANYWAY. Trick or treating was fun with Cale today. It was pretty chilly, so I dressed him in a long sleeved shirt and a fleece jacket underneath his spiderman costume...he looked a little bulky, though he didn't seem to mind. It reminds me though of Jerry Seinfeld's stand up rountine about Halloween though - it's hilarious! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M523VCKvCVo

7 1/2+

Believe it or not, it's been over 7 1/2 months of us just WAITING. We're coming up on our year mark in about a month or so. After we announced we were adopting we've had friends tell us they were pregnant, and have had their babies already. It's just craziness. I was really feeling hopeful that October was our month, but now that we're hitting the halfway mark, I'm starting to lose that hope.
We've been told that there are MANY many toddlers waiting, but that doesn't really affect us, since they consider "toddlers" to be 2,3, and 4 year-olds.
We're planning to visit family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I just can't face another family function without any news of our baby! It's TORTURE! I soooo want to have good news to share!
Prayerfully, we will!

Mr. Cale

Lets have some fun. Adoption aside, let's talk about Cale.
Here are some things about him you may or may not know about him:
1. He is OBSESSED with plugs. Plugs, ipods, dvd players, fans, wires, etc...anything electronic, you name it...he LOVES it. We have a gigantic playroom filled with all kinds of toys, but what do we find him doing? Carrying around an old ipod that does work, and some earphones that only have 1 functioning ear like a security blanket. It's bizarre! It may be too early to predict, but I think we have a mechanical engineer on our hands. :)
Sure, I took these pictures today, but it's indicative of the everyday occurrences.I actually took this one first but he couldn't even look up to say "cheese" because he was engrossed in the plugging of the plugs.
2. He has no problem when I drop him off at the nursery. Outside of our own church nursery, I do childcare for 2 big churches, and Cale is in a separate classroom from me; but even without knowing the kids, the teachers, or being familiar with the room, he marches right in and doesn't look back. Sometimes when I come to pick him up he tells me he's not ready to go home yet. There are good and bad points to this of course....the good: I don't have to drop off a weepy, screaming mess, and he always gets good reports from anyone who watches him. The bad: I don't think he has developed "stranger danger" yet.
3. I don't think he looks like either one of us. I mean, sure...the blonde hair and blue eyes lend people to think that he looks more like Tim, but really, I don't know. Tim's eyes are much lighter and his hair is much darker. Cale has Tim's ears...that's definitely all Tim!! His size though he gets from my side of the family. My largest uncle is over 300lbs and is 6ft 5in. The rest of the men in my family are various degrees of huge as well.
I mean, look at the stats:
Birth - 7 lbs (and 3 1/2 weeks early, at that!)
2 months - 14 lbs
5 months - 21 lbs
1 year - 27 lbs
2 years - 36 lbs, 3 ft
2 1/2 - well, i don't know yet. He just turned 2 1/2 today!! :)
I'm sure the measurements are monstrous though!
I actually did a little predictor of Cale's height (something on babycenter.com), and at age 18 he's suppose to be like 6ft 2in. CRAZY!!
Anyway, here is a family pic of us taken in June. You tell me who he looks like.

4. His hair is INEXPLICABLE!!! I mean it...and if you've seen him, you know! It doesn't lay down. It doesn't grow down, it grows OUT. I mean, it's insanity. He looks like he has been sticking his fingers in those plugs (which he hasn't...they are plugged up...I am a responsible parent). When we go out in public, that's the first thing that people comment on. "Whoa, nice hair!" chuckle, chuckle. Yeah, yeah. Why not buzz it? Well, he sported that look for the summer, but we're trying to see if it'll lay down if it had some weight to it...and it's much colder now.
Yes, he looks hilarious...I found it very amusing to draw on his face with chalk, and he let me, so why not? :)...but, note the hair:

I feel like I know what you're thinking: put some gel in it, or hairspray, ANYTHING! Well, I must tell you I've tried it all...gel, hairspray, wax, mousse, even baby oil (I AM a hairdresser people...product was the FIRST thing I thought about).
He's still cute though, right? :)

5. Lastly (and I'm choosing this to be last...I really could go on forever!...perhaps on another blog post), he is LOUD. I mean it...he has 2 volumes: off and LOUD. There is nothing in between. We've tried to teach him to whisper, but lets just say it's wasted effort.
I mean, folks, he's doing it right now. He's sitting across from me, shirtless, with an empty Airwick air freshener and he's yelling "I FOUND BIG PLUG MOMMY...MY PLUG IT IN?" He says "my" instead of "I"..."my mow the lawn," "my take a shower," "my sit there!" It goes on and on.
Ahhh....that's my guy. Well...one of them. I will soon have 3 guys and I LOVE IT!!