I am soooo mad!

Last week, we were notified that our post-placement report was due five months after we brought our daughter home rather than six months. So, our report is due March 11. However, the agency would like it two weeks early so it has time to be translated, etc... Ok, two weeks early was the day before I received the e-mail. Now, the problem doesn't end there. Other than saying what kinds of photos I should send of Grace, it said noting about what the post placement should say, so I wrote a report about how Grace has improved since we brought her home. I e-mailed a copy of it the other day, proud of myself that I've managed to get it done before the due date, only to find out today that it was supposed to be done by the HOME STUDY AGENCY!! Would have been nice to know. So, I have to try to contact the H.S. agency to get them to write the report and all before next Wednesday. Then they lay a guilt trip on my by saying that if we don't have it submitted on time, it will delay the other couples waiting because Russia wants to investigate why the reports are late. Well, they're just going to have to wait. I can't possibly submit a report I don't have, and I'm not to blame that Russia decided to change the requirement to five months. I am soooo frustrated!

Winter Blahs

I am so done with this cold weather. I have been cooped up in this house. I'm freezing! We're trying to save money on our gas bill, so we have the thermostat set to 68. However, in the basement, which is where the television and computers are, it's about 64. Since my daughter is currently taking a nap, and I don't want to disturb her, I'm just sitting being quiet...and because I'm not active, I'm COLD! I can't wait for the warmer weather so I can get out and have fun....get some exercise, lose some weight....

I am going to print these and include them with her Elmo birthday invitations....

Our Valentine sent to family

Four Months ago Today

Four months ago today a judge in Kemerovo, Russia made us the happiest people on earth. She granted us our petition to adopt our daughter. We were so nervous as we sat in that court room. The judge asked Brian a lot of questions about his health, and also asked about our home, our yard, and our schools. She also asked questions about our families. When it was my turn, she asked me why I don't have a job with my bachelor's degree. I explained that I wanted to stay home with our child. I then asked for the 10-wait period to be waived. We left the court room for all of 30 seconds, and when we returned the prosecutor told us there was no reason for her to deny our petition, and the judge granted us custody of our daughter!

These four months have gone quickly, and Grace continues to grow and learn. We have had a few days of good weather, and I have taken the oportunity to take her to the park and to the zoo. At the zoo, she was dancing and singing, and I finally realized that she was singing "Old McDonald". She sang it for all the animals we saw, including the giraffe and bears! She loves the camera. For Valentine's Day, I made a sign and had her hold it. She would not even wait for me to take the picture, but would come running to see the picture on the screen. I finally got a shot that was good enough and e-mailed the Valentine to our families. Tomorrow I am going to the party store to get balloons for V-Day, as Grace absolutely loves balloons.

She is continuing to gain weight. She is now up to 18 pounds. That is so exciting for us.

One year ago yesterday

One year ago yesterday, we received the bad news that the little girl in Guatemala that we were in the process of adopting was no longer available. Later that day, on Feb. 4, 2008 we received a referral of a baby girl in Russia. She was 11 months old, and she was tiny. One year ago today, we contacted our adoption agency and accepted the referral. It was a very rough ride. We are so glad we accepted the referral and are now the proud parents of this beautiful little girl.

Happy New Year

We are so blessed to start this new year with our daughter. We have had so much time to get to know each other with this cold weather. There were several days that were too cold to leave the house. Right now, Grace has a cold. It's her first time sick here, and it's been interesting to see what her personality is when sick. So far, she is saying about 24 words. Well, what we can recognize as words, anyway. She is also using about 16 signs in sign language. She is growing like crazy. When we first picked her up, she was in 6-9 month clothes, and they were baggy. By November, she was wearing 12 month tops because she has a long torso. Just recently, I've had to switch to 18 month onesies and pajamas because of her length. She still needs 12 month pants because her legs are short, and long-sleeved shirts I still need 12 months. But the onesies and zippers make it too tight on one-piece outfits. I am so glad that she's getting taller and gaining weight. She is also a little ham. She loves getting her photo taken, and she loves to be the center of attention. My mother took a four-generation photo at the shower, and she is hoping to have it placed in the local paper with an article. She asked me to write the article, and I did. I don't know if it's good enough to get into the paper, though. We continue to discover who she is, and we are having a lot of fun doing so. We can't wait for our first Valentine's Day!

Christmas Blessings

Well, this Christmas we are certainly blessed. We have really enjoyed shopping for Christmas presents for our daughter. She has brought so much joy to our lives.

I just wanted to post quickly with how she's doing. She is walking very well and has gained a few pounds. She is learning very quickly. She can now say about eight words in English and use about 10 signs in sign language. She is a fast learner.

Well, I thought I could post more, but baby girl just woke up from her nap, so I'll have to stop for now. Merry Christmas!!!