Well here we are almost into May

Wow another month has almost gone by...I can hardly believe May is here...and yet I can hardly believe it is May and I still am referraless! But I am trying to be patient and I know something will come probably when I am least expecting it (which will be hard because each day I think perhaps today is the day?)
This weekend we had yet another fantastic get together of families from across the Maritimes...and this time it was Fredericton. And can you believe it, Erin who was in my homeroom in highschool came with her husband and daughter....they are waiting to start their homestudy......small world.
The gathering was great...as always. Its great that people from all different parts of the maritimes can come together and have such a wonderful time. It was lots of fun having it here in Fredericton. We had a big bar-b-que with lots (well toooo much good) food.
Thanks to all who made the drive to Fredericton...can't wait to see you all in PEI this July. Lots of fun to be had...and hopefully two little girls will be home ( :) :) hint hint Lisa and Pierre).
Louise

When Love Takes You In

This is such a great song...it really helps after a long day!!!

When Love Takes You In (Steven Curtis Chapman)

I know you’ve heard the stories
But they all sound too good to be true You’ve heard about a place called home
But there doesn’t seem to be one for you
So one more night you cry yourself to sleep
And drift off to a distant dream

Where love takes you in and everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in

And somewhere while you’re sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could evercause this love to lose its hold
When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in it takes you in for good
When love takes you in

Can you believe it....I chose a name

Thanks for the help here and on facebook. Oh for anyone who hasn't gotten on facebook. It is very neat. Addictive though, but neat!
Okay so for the big reveal
Olivia Grace Reid
Nathaniel Issac Reid (he will go by Nat or Nate...can't decide which one. Our neighbour son is Nate...so not sure?? Whaddya think. I have also heard Nathaniel is a popular name in Ethiopia and they go by the nick name of Natti. I like that)

Nathaniel Issac means Gift of God and He will Laugh. Think that is very nice!!!
Olivia Grace means Peace and Grace of God I like this too. Funny story the first site I looked for meaning said both Olivia and Oliver (masc form) meant Elf Army. I almost cried...I can't name my child with a name meaning Elf Army. Luckily three other sites all said it meant Peace (of the olive tree).
Ofcourse their Ethiopian name will be in there as well. Not sure if infront or after the second name. Will see what it is !
Can't wait to name my child...come on referral....get a move on!!!

Louise

9 Months Today

Well my my my..it is 9 months today that I got the news my file (dossier) was heading over to Ethiopia. July 14th, 2006 that was a wonderful day....I was waiting to hear if my file had gotten back from the Embassy and as many of you know...you are usually the last person to know any information. Well I got the news on the 14th...which was a friday...that my file was back finished and ready to head off to Ethiopia. YEEAAHHHH!!!!

9 months is a very long time to wait..though others have waited longer, some not so long. Any part and any length of wait is very frustrating and emotional. All last week I was on the verge of tears at any time of the day. Finally I had one big boohoo in the shower...and I have to say it felt good to release that negative energy. I know that there is something coming for me soon. If that is next week or next month I don't know..but my file is being worked on and that is good. I have heard there are more referrals to come so I truly hope my referral is in that batch. Maybe it is.

I am back to work on Monday for 3-12 hour shifts and so I will be kept busy and distracted. The girls at work are so good not focusing on it and now not constantly asking if I have heard.
I am sick of this wait, I want the next part of this wait to start. I guess I will feel like I am moving forward in the wait!! I just wonder if I will be at work when I hear or if I will be home. If I am at work it should prove very interesting. We have been very quiet and so we have have the bare bones staff on. So I am not sure how it will work if I have to leave. Quite frankly I don't care how they do it. If I get that call I am out of there!!

Louise

Boys Names

I need some help...some opinions. I have had a girls name for a while. Olivia Grace...but I need some help with the boys name. If I get a boy I am in biggg trouble LOL...no name..thats awful LOL
So here are some that I like...just can't seem to lock in on one.
Owen
Nate
Issac
Kaden
Gage
Gabe
Benjamin
Parker
Mason
Peyton
Nicholas

I know thats a lot of names.....that is my problem!!!!!
Help me, I would love to hear any opinions, etc. Thanks
Louise

Check out this blogger

I just wanted everyone to check out this blog. http://forneko.blogspot.com/2007/04/you-better-recognize.html ..had a really great post today that brought a smile to my face after a tough week of waiting and a long hard day at work.
Louise

Is it April Already

Okay so I know its April. It is hard to believe we are already into the 4th month of 2007!!! In 2 weeks I will be at my 9th month of waiting. If I get a referral this month, there is a chance I will be able to travel in August which would be so great!!! I would ideally love to be home by the beginning of September. So fingers and toes crossed and prayers said.....the agency has just gotten back from a trip to Ethiopia yesterday. So maybe something this week....I certainly feel very close to getting to find out who my child is. Its that knowledge of who your child is that is so precious to me. I cannot wait to meet my son or daughter for the first time (even if it is just through a picture!!)
Louise

Time in Halifax

We had such a great time in Halifax. Hillary, Angela and Emily (who came here for 2 weeks from England) all tried Ethiopian Food for the first time. It was very good and they all seemed to like it. We also had Tim and Thelma and their boys join us for their first try of Ethiopian food. They also enjoyed it but the boys did not like the Injera. Tim and Thelma both said they would be back but would bring pita bread for the boys LOL.

Once again the owners were absolutely the best, they opened the restaurant for our guests. There were about 20 of us in total. The owners are so supportive and we all enjoy seeing them each time we are there.

Thanks Dawn and family for welcoming us into your home. The girls had such a great time going through the baby clothes. If any of them have one in the next year I am personally blaming you and your cute clothes LOL LOL LOL.

Louise

WATOTO CONCERT

The Watoto Concert...its an African Children's Choir from Uganda! It was absolutely amazing...hard to describe really how it touched me. I felt like finally I could relax in the wait because I know in the end it is all worth it. That these kids are so amazing!
The children are all orphans who parents have either passed away or have abandoned them. They were all living on the streets or in insufficient housing in Uganda. They were taken to the Watoto and live with a foster home. Siblings are kept together. They are given love, nuturing, education, medication, and hope. Hope the most important thing they could be given. They have the belief that they will grow up to be someone!!
Louise

Cleaning House

So we moved around some rooms today, did some major cleaning, etc today. Fun I know..but productive. In this productivity I was able to start organizing the playroom. I was able to get the toys in there organized. I also put together the dome tent play activity center together. See when I bought it I remember thinking oh yeah this is going to be one of those you want to kill it toy while putting it together. Well it wasn't that bad..but why does fisher price feel the need to make toys that need to be screwed together.....screws and toys..what brainless person thought this up. I don't want to assemble toys...I want to snap them together LOL LOL. I don't ever remember our toys as kids needing to be a complicated in assembly as they are today. Not to mention they are so tightly attached to the box that its like the Fort Knox of Toys.
Anyhow...1/2 hr later it was together (an improvement after my 4 hr marathon rocking chair).
Here are some pics....






Greatest buy ever...at winners yesterday I got the elephant, and the three things on the top shelf of the white tower (except the stacking squares) for only 13 dollars....awesome buy!!!

More pics

I love this frame...found it at Hallmark...It says For dreams are the voice of your wisdom with in that whispers the way on each path you begin. You can all guess what is going in that frame.

The white dresser...the bookends I got on Ebay as well...gotta love Ebay.

Nursery pics to share

I have downloaded some pics to share

two of the framed nursery rhyme prints that I got off ebay...there are 6 in total..and I just love them!

This is my very cool hideaway closet...it is waist high, and so I am gonna use it as a changing area. That is if the baby is young enough to need a changing table. I like it because I can close the doors and no one knows what is in there...and then the top of my dresser is clear for the lamp and book ends.

No comments on the diapers needed LOL HEHEHEHE..they were on sale, I got them with shoppers points...and well well well ummm I wanted to buy them. Better to buy them now when I am on full income, than when I am on the laughable 55% income. LOL HAHAHA.

My rocking chair that only took me 4 1/2 hours to put together...but ahh its so nice!

My room is so many different colours in it...white crib, white dresser with wood knobs. Wood armoir (matches handles on dresser) and cherry wood Rocker...oh well...one colour is just boring. LOL LOL

Little things that are exciting!

It is so interesting to find what things can make an adoptive parent to be excited. Today I went to the pharmacy and picked up a few things. I picked up infant tylenol, tylenol rapid release(for me :) LOL), and nystatin cream for any diaper rash issues. I know that I need to get a few more over the counter items..so I will pick those up as I continue my wait. But after I bought them...I thought...wow I am buying these for my baby..for my trip to Ethiopia! That was exciting to me. Too funny...yes I can laugh at myself over this.
Today is 8 months since my dossier left the country for Ethiopia. I remember just feeling so happy that the next thing I would be doing is getting that referral and signing those papers that would change my life forever!! Now I can hardly stand waiting anymore. I feel like I am driving in my parents car across Canada and asking "ARE WE THERE YET". This has felt like forever..but honestly the last year and a half has zoomed by and here I am on the verge of seeing my child for the first time. That can't come fast enough..but really where has the time gone. Somedays it feels like yesterday that I first contacted Roberta and had a long chat about the Ethiopia program.

So I hope Month 8 is a lucky month. Thank you to everyone who has been encouraging, excited, and await my news. It is such a blessing to be able to share this experience with others who have been there or others who are in the wait just like I am.

Louise

WOOHHOO Dawn and Gerald have a travel date!!

Wow...it is with great excitment that I can say that a very good friend has a travel date!! Dawn and Gerald in Nova Scotia will be leaving in April to go pick up their babies!!! I am so excited for them. They will be home with their daughter and son just before their Son's first birthday. YAHHH!
Congrats Dawn and Gerald, and family. Its the completion of one journey and the start of your family of 8.....wow that Burke Bus is gonna be full now! Can't wait to see you land and walk out of that arrival gate!
Louise

Packing List

I found this great packing list on another blog...think it is something that I will be using


Clothes for Parents
-t-shirts
-long light weight pants
-long-sleeved light weight shirts
-one warm jacket
-one nicer outfit
-undergarments
-socks
-pajamas/sleep clothes
-bathing suit
-flip flops for shower/pool areas
-hat
Clothes for child
-t-shirts
-long sleeved shirts
-one or two sweat shirts
-one piece outfits for younger kids and babies
-pants
-shorts
-warm jacket
-hat
-socks
-underwear
-dresses and tights (for girls)
-onesies (for babies)
-pajamas/sleepers
-bathing suit
-bibs (I love the disposable ones for traveling)
-shoes or booties
TOILETRIES
deodorants
-shampoo
-conditioner
-body wash/soap
-saline solution
-contact case and extra contacts
-lotion (it is really dry in Addis
-sunblock (the sun is really strong)
-feminine products
-face wash and face lotion
-brush and comb
-tooth brush and paste
-Kleenex packets (keep some on you)
-Purel
-razor and shaving cream
diapers or pull-ups (if needed)
-wipes (I always have wet wipes handy)
-tooth brush
-soap (I love the disposable Huggies brand washcloths)
-shampoo/conditioner
-lotion
-hair products (such as hair lotion or balm)
-Purel
-sunblock
-comb/brush
-hair accessories (for girls who aren’t bald!)
-diaper rash ointment (if adopting a baby)
Medical Stuff
-cold medicine for parents (non-drowsy)
-Immodium AD (for traveler’s problems!)
-Excedrin/Tylenol/Ibuprophen
-Tums or Pepto tablets
-travel sized first aid kit (band-aids, neosporin, gauze)
-anti-fungal cream (for ring worm and other rashes)
-Nix or other Lice treatment (can leave at orphanage if unneeded)
-Elimite for scabies (can leave at orphanage if unneeded)
-lice comb
-hydrocortisone
-child’s cold medicine
-children’s Benadryl
-children’s Tylenol/advil for pain and fever
-any prescription medicines parents take
-any prescription meds doc prescribes for parents and child for trip
-thermometer
-rubber gloves (good for handling blood if child has any infectious diseases…also smart for changing diapers since children adopted internationally often have parasites
giardia and other icky things).
-multivitamins (if you take them)
-gas drops (if adopting a baby)
-teething gel (for babies)
-bulb aspirator (for babies)
-Q-tips (for lots of things)
-insect repellant (if you will have the need)
-motion sickness meds (if needed)
-any other meds you regularly take and/or might need
tweezer
medical tape
Miscellaneous
books
-travel belt/wallet
-deck of cards or travel game
-snacks
-powdered drinks (great for adding to a bottle of water)
-power adapter/converter
-travel alarm clock
-travel DVD player and DVD’s (it was really nice on the plane and in the hotel room)
-lap top
-IPOD
-gum
-anti bacterial wipes
-dish soap for washing sippy cups, bottles
-ziplocks (countless uses when traveling)
-travel flash light
-glasses (if necessary)
-journal
-pens
-photos of family at home to show/share
-camera, battery, memory card
-video camera and accessories
-travel laundry kit
-baby sling/Snuggli/carrier
-travel book
-phrase book
-dictionary (an Amharic dictionary)
Paperwork-
-passports with visas
-photocopies of your passports and visas packed separately from originals
-tickets with itineraries
-photocopies of your tickets and itineraries packed separately from originals
-money/travelers checks
-Driver's licenses for ID
-credit card or two
-list of phone numbers for contacts in country and back at home
-copy of homestudy and dossier and any other important adoption documents
-photocopies of any essential adoption-related documents
-hotel or guest house reservation info
-list of restaurants and shops
-list of email addresses
-contact info for travel agent

One Year Ago today...

Its really neat to look back and reflect. Even though this journey at times feels like it is going in slow motion, in reality life is speeding by at an incredible pace. A year ago today I had my last homestudy visit. My social worker came to the house this day last year, oh what a stressful day. I remember cleaning and organizing...I even washed the outside of the patio doors....which let me tell you does not work that well in the middle of winter :). But once I was done, waiting for her to come I started to panic thinking oh no, its too clean HAHAHA it was too perfect...maybe I needed to make it look more lived in...aww well too late...she was in the driveway.
She came in, took a very very quick tour of the house, came and sat at the kitchen table for the next hour. Then she was done. Wow all that work, all that worry was done, over with. All I had to do was wait for her to write up the report. I remember feeling so happy that the visits were done. It was one more step closer to bringing my baby home. If you had of told me at that time that I woud still be waiting for a referral a year later...I would have scoffed at you...but ahh life makes its on way...and one has little control of destiny. My child is simply not ready yet for me to be aware who he or she is. And I will wait for that!

Louise

Take Food with Antibiotics.....trust me...do this!!!

Okay so I came down with sinus cold, chest cold, and strep throat all roled up into one. Not sure who I made mad in the grand plan of things...but really was this completely necessary. One would of been plenty, thank you very much.
Maybe its just this past year catching up with me. All the emotions, happiness, frustration, tears, excitment, anxiousness, anticipation just catching up. Its so close, and I got enough news to be settled into the rest of the wait. Enough news to know that a match will eventually be made, that I have not been forgotten about, that they have not lost my dossier :). Because I feel this, I have had time to reflect on the past year without feeling totally and utterally anxiety ridden about this wait.
This past year has given me so much joy and has challenged me beyond what I ever could have imagined. I would have never imagined when I started this journey that I would still be waiting for a referral at this point. I would never have thought that the two closest friends that I have made in this journey would still be waiting to pick up their children. There have been many unexpected bumps and road blocks along the way. But along with those came the most unexpected blessings.
These blessings are so many in number. I have met and chatted with countless people....honestly I can't even comprehend how many..that I would have never had the opportunity to connect with before this process. I feel enriched and blessed by their friendship and support. I know that even as I end the journey of the wait to adopt and move onto the journey of motherhood...we will not lose touch, we will celebrate the joys of parenthood, the joys of raising adopted children, the joys of having this connection of having Ethiopian Children, and the joy of just being able to call each other friend.
So even though I feel sick tonight, I feel so blessed by all this journey has given me. And to think 16 months ago, I thought this journey was going to give me the chance of motherhood...my goodness it has given that and sooo much more.
Luv ya all...
Louise

Check out my new additions to the page

I have added a counter and a guest map. SO show me where you are from. I would love to know where people are from that visit my blog.
In other news. We found out that in Addis Ababa...there was a conference on international adoptions. It is great that all the people involved with the process were coming together to discuss this wonderful process. They came to the same thought...they want a fair, legal and ethical process that puts the needs of the children first and foremost.
This is part of the post that our agency director posted on the Canadian International Adopt board
"There were certainly lots of topics of discussion but the main thing that continued to come out was that they want an ethical, legal process to occur. "
This is so true. I truly hope that the work these agencies are doing in Ethiopia continue for years to come. I want to adopt again and when the time comes I want to adopt again from Ethiopia. SO I am all for protecting the process in the future. And as we all know a few people can ruin it for others. SO I hope that all agencies around the world take the time to review what they are doing and make sure they are following the rules that Ethiopia has set out. As she said...We may have different ideas in North America about how we would like things to go and be processed...but it is not our place to question how things in Ethiopia go...that is their call.

Louise

Latest Purchase

Okay so Kristen asked me yesterday what was the latest thing I bought...well I really hadn't bought much last week (since I was at work LOL). Untill today. I got the GREATEST buy yet. I paid a third of the price for this dome play center by preskool. The pic above is what I got for 19.99 (reg 59.99). That is way too good of a buy to pass up and I think it is a great toy! I haven't opened the box because I really don't have the patience to put together a kids toy today (has anyone else been frustrated by incredibly difficult ready to assemble toys??) Fisher price is the worse...but I am sure playskool is no easy task to assemble LOL LOL .

Louise

Excitment

WOW it has been one exciting week. One Maritime family got their probable travel date and another maritime family got their referral for 2 girls (wow 2 little girls. Congrats Lisa and Pierre!!!)
Its so exciting to see other families hit these momentus occasions...provincial approval, dossier to Ethiopia, referrals, court dates, medicals, and travel dates. Each one is so important and exciting in the life of an adoptive family. We don't have the opportunity to see a baby grow in our tummies, appointments with doctors, increasingly larger collections of maternity clothes....but we celebrate these moments in the same way. Each one brings us closer to that ultimate moment...that moment when we are introduced to our children.
It is the strangest feeling to know that I am close to receiving a referral. The fact that it could happen in the next month or two is unreal. Its hard to believe that I am that close. For so long it has always been oh not yet, you know not for a while yet....not till next year. Well now it is not till next month or April. Its crazy....I could see the face of my child in less than 8 weeks. Its hard to believe it will really happen. I am sure it will feel like a dream till someone pinches me. I feel like it is close and I am really feeling the "nesting" urge. I want to get things in order (ofcourse some things I can't do because I need to see if it will be a boy or a girl. But I really want to get the house in order..get things ready.
I wish I would be able to travel this summer...but realistically I know I am probably going to be travelling this fall. It would be nice to have the baby home for atleast part of the summer. It would be nice to have mine, Lisa and Pierre's and Dawn and Gerald's children home for the balloon festival this August but I know that it is probably a long shot...hey but who knows right.
The three of us have been emailing since November 2005, it seems unreal that we will all be home with our kids by the end of the year. A friendship 2 years in the making, and one that will last a lifetime. It has been such a joy to meet and gather with all the families in the Maritimes. To be able to see the kids come home, settle in and grow. I can't imagine how the littlest kids that were home last year have grown since Christmas. Kids grow to fast...that is what I have decided.

Louise