Yipppeeee!!!

GREAT NEWS!!! I got my police clearance letter from the UK today for the adoption, next step- physically getting my home study =) God continues to be faithful through this journey. The letter took half the time it was suppose to take =) Thank you God =)

 Next steps- one more letter to get notarized, then get my documents state sealed, then translated, then lots of copying, then send to Bethany Christian Services International, then legalized, then to HAITI!!!!   Seems like lots of steps, but hopefully they will go fast..... 

Advice to Prospective Adoptive Parents--That's me =)

I can't imagine going through the international adoption process without supportive family and friends, lots of chocolate, a very reliable notary (if I have to ask someone else to get something notarized, I think I will have to cut off all my curly hair) and the ........... INTERNET!!!  

Most adoptive parents can relate to pursuing the WWW daily for information and encouragement to help in your travels down the crazy adoption road . In my searching I have come across some wonderful blogs that provide me with both info and encouragement. Check out my blog roll on the side of those posts.

I came across a blog of an adoptive mom from Indiana who has adopted two beautiful daughters from Haiti (notice how I might have come across it in a google search?).

She has this advice to share:  

"I have a few words of advice to prospective adoptive parents":

1. God will supply your every need.  He says it in His Word and it is true.

2.  You can trust Him to care for your children....even when you can't see them.

3.  His Word will uphold you during the darkest times (and I ASSURE you they will come)

4.  There is a brief honeymoon phase when your child(ren) come home, when it disappears--hold on and refer to #3 again.

5.  Don't forget to spend time with your loved ones while you're going through the adoption.  It can be an all-consuming process.  Let God fight for you.

6.  There is a God-ordained time that your child will be in your arms.  God knows it, you don't. Rest in that knowledge and find peace. 

Thanks, Sarah , for sharing your heart through your blog- the words you wrote really spoke to my heart as I am at one of many periods of waiting. 

I just LOVE #6...... so true and reassuring at the same time!!! 

Criminal Records (that got your attention)

Here are my two most recent FB status updates.... they sum up my adoption paperwork pregnancy pains for the week........ 

Monday, Nov. 21st "Now I have resulted to just laughing.... been waiting for my adoption home study for a LONG time and now I find out I need a criminal record check from the UK from when I studied and lived in the UK. Once that is done it will be approved.... Seriously...." 

Tuesday, Nov. 22nd "Update on the adoption giggles.....I emailed the UK last night and just need to complete some paperwork, find some British pounds (money), and pray like crazy that 40 days (time they paperwork should take to come back) will really be like 10 days...." 

Absolutely LOVE this graphic !!! 

I am planning on mailing the application to the UK tomorrow along with £10.00 note (thank you soooooo much Judith).  Please pray for extreme speed.  I keep whispering to myself, "God is in control of the timing and there is a reason for this bump in the road". 

 

 

First Canadian Adoption Completed in Haiti Post-Quake!

This weekend will be a very memorable for Sylvie and Victor, a couple from Canada that will go and pick up for their daughter and bring her home to Canada from GLA.  in Haiti. I met Sylvie online, she has been a great help to me as I move through the process.  You can read about their adventure and see pictures of their absolutely beautiful daugther by going to their blog: http://sylvic.blogspot.com/ 

They are the first Canadian Adoption Completed in Haiti Post-Quake!  The encouraging part of the story, (besides the obvious- a orphan gets to be part of a forever family), is their process from referral to child coming home only took 9 months!!!! This is VERY fast!!!  Typically, this has taken up to two years... see what I mean???  

Update for me.... no new news, still waiting for my home study... If you think of it, please pray that I get it this week. 

Baby Hats for Haiti

Part of preparing for adoptive motherhood is perusing the internet for information- any information that will help you make connections to the country your child will call their first home.   I don't know how many times I have googled, " Haiti adoption ". 

Last month I came across (and immediately added to my blogroll) the blog of the Livesay family. The parents are originally from MN.  Fun connection, I thought! 

They live in Port-au- Prince and serve the Haitian families through Heartline Ministries.  I noticed they may have a need for newborn baby hats (since they work with pregnant Haitian mothers). I have started knitting hats for the newborns of the moms.  I have finished five hats so far- hope to be able to send lots more !!

 

Afix-ing We Will Do (Hopefully)

This weekend I hung out with three amazing moms....thanks Shannon, Kelly and Pam for a fun weekend!!
During our late night rap session (I always wanted to write that) on Saturday we were talking about my adoption fears, wonderings and excitements. I was sharing with them the critical importance of attachment between mother and infant. I thought it would be a good thing to share on my blog, I found the info below to be interesting.

What is with all this "Attachment" Information?

Attachment is the result of the bonding process that occurs between a child and caregiver during the first couple years of the child's life. The first year of life is the year of needs. The infant's primary needs are touch, eye contact, movement, smiles, and nourishment. When the infant has a need, he or she expresses the need through crying. Ideally, the caretaker is able to recognize and satisfy the need. Through this interaction, which occurs hundreds of thousands of times in a year, the child learns that the world is a safe place and trust develops. In addition, emotional connection forms, the child feels empowered in his or her environment, and develops a secure base from which the child can confidently and effectively explore the world. Attachment is reciprocal, the baby and caregiver create this deep, nurturing connection together: It takes two to connect. It is imperative for optimal brain development and emotional health, and its effects are felt physiologically, emotionally, cognitively and socially. When this initial attachment is lacking, children lack the ability to form and maintain loving, intimate relationships. They grow up with an impaired ability to trust that the world is a safe place and that others will take good care of them. Without this sense of trust, children believes that they must be hypervigilant about their own safety. Children without proper care in the first few years of life have an unusually high level of stress hormones, which adversely effect the way crucial aspects of the brain and body develop. Conscience development is dependent upon brain development and follows attachment. Therefore, these children lack prosocial values and morality as well as demonstrating aggressive, disruptive and antisocial behaviors.

Attachment seems like a no brainer.... of course babies needs are always met. This doesn't always happen with children... some children who are orphans don't get the amazing opportunity to bond or attach with a caregiver.

My friend Kelly is such a FANTASTIC mom!!!! (You are Kelly!!) She is a good example of a healthy attachment relationship between mom and twins girls... every time I am around her, I am taking lots of mental notes. It's so cool to see her and the girls interact, you can tell they affixed (attached) real good =)

Thanks Kelly for letting me have a front row seat to your splendid parenting =)

Three N's (No New News) =(

In my classroom, Fridays warrants lots of silent cheers (aka, lots of fist pumps and no noise from 5 year olds). We like to celebrate being 5 and liking it!!! Anyway, back to the adoption.... I was thinking of a creative way to share that I have no new news to report on my adoption front, I am still waiting for my home study to be written. I do have two letters to get notarized and one letter from the bank, then my gathering is done =) No silent cheers at my house this Friday am- just to clarify- I am not over-ly super sad or bummed about having no new news...... I know God is all over this timing too because starting school has really be consuming my time so I think I would be super stressed if I needed to do all the dossier stuff and start my K classroom. God is smart!!! Thanks for reading....

The Story of GLA

Help us win a $50,000 grant and feed our babies for a year. Go to http://givingoflife.com/browse/gods_littlest_angels_haitian_baby_ministry/ PLEASE!!!! Go and VOTE!!!! IT is really easy and the prize money would go a very long way at the orphanage!!!

Waiting Practice

I do not rock at waiting..... it is to do with my personality... I am a sanguine and sanguines usually gets really excited about something and then lose interest just as fast.  We don't like to wait =( Don't worry, I have not lost interest in my quest to bring a child home from Haiti. It's not a sprint- it's a marathon !!! 

I will have to work more on waiting-after all, waiting could be the international adoption motto!!  I heard from my social worker this week about the progress of my home study. I was anticipating and patiently waiting for my home study to be completed by the end of September or middle of October. My adoption agency is using a new format for the home study- which means it will take longer for my home study to be written.  It will most likely be not done until November.  A finished home study is a real good thing, it gets lots of other wheels in motion.

Now as I write this, I kind of chuckle, I am actually blogging about having to wait an extra 1- 2 months.... this may be nothing compared to the wait I could go through for my child to come home.  But, this is where I am at in the chapter of the long adoption story. 

Thanks again for reading.....  Shanny O

Happy to Be Back to School

I LOVE summer!!!  Most people do, especially teachers!!!!  Summer is free of work and full of relaxation!!  

For teachers, when the dreaded workshop week (the week before school starts) begins , you continuously answer the same questions,"How was your summer and what did you do? "When first asked the question a few weeks go, I answered," not too much., worked on adoption stuff." Then after thinking about it more- I realized I did accomplish quite a bit this summer.  Besides completing my home study, which included four 2-3 hour meetings with my social worker and gathered a pile of paperwork I also took 10 graduate credits and taught a 2 week K camp in August.  Was I a crazy person? (Don't answer that =) Usually after a summer all that craziness, I would not be ready to go back to school, but this fall is different. 

People talk about "having a feeling of God's peace". I can relate, this back to school season! Earlier in the summer I was stressing out a bit about my home study and other adoption details, but not any more (at least not today)! God continues to shine through me and my adoption journey. He has given me a peace about my paperwork, my time frames and my adoption finances =)

God gave me this verse tonight- I think it is my summer 2011 verse =)

 ²⁶ May the Lord show you his favor

      and give you his peace.’

Numbers 6:26 NLT 

Thanks again for reading !!! 

Support Systems

I will soon be a single mom- this was never the plan as I practiced being a mom when I when house as a child- but God has different plans for me!

I have been pondering this new adjective that will be added to a description of me- I am very excited but have obviously been also thinking about all the unique challenges a single mom faces as I will need lots of support!!!

I am VERY fortunate to have an amazing support system of family and friends who promise (may have to get in writing) to help out when they can. Thank you, in advance!!!

Ok- time for blog participation.... what advice can you give a single mom of adoptive girl from Haiti? Please be explicit!!!

My International Blog

My blog has been viewed by people in 6 different countries.... I am going for lots more!!!

1. United States (Thank you, to everyone who lives in the US )
2. Canada (Thank you, Rebecca)
3. Taiwan (Thank you, Erin)
4. Philippines
5. Haiti
6. United Kingdom

Home Study is Fini (My Part, Anyway)

Yea!!!! Another imaginary check mark off my adoption
checklist =) Today my social worker came to my house for the final meeting of my home study. I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more.....

I thought baking homemade muffins would be a little out of character for me (those who know me would agree), so I opted for store bought muffins for my guest =)

Now to clarify, the home study does still need to be written and should be ready to send off to it's next destination in about a month- but my part is finished.

The next step in this journey is gathering paperwork for my dossier which goes to Haiti. Hopefully it will be in Haiti by November.

Thanks for checking in again =)

God Also Cries with Us

Last week I wrote about premature twin girls who were brought GLA a day after they were born. Sadly, the girls, Sandia and Edna, when to be with the Lord this weekend. You can read a more detailed account on the GLA blog.

Please pray for the girls parents and the amazing staff in the NICU at GLA who cared for the girls for their short time on earth. God is taking good care of them now =)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
Benediksyon pou moun ki nan lapenn, paske Bondye va ba yo kouraj (Creole)

Matthew 5:4

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.Jeremiah 29:11 (Message)

God Does Have a Sense of Humor

The international adoption journey is a lot like a roller coaster ride...... lots of ups and downs. I am just about to start collecting documents for my dossier- which will be an adventure in itself.

I remember riding the white roller coaster at Valleyfair when I was younger and laughing my head off. One thing I love about God is when he sprinkles humor into our lives just when we need it.....and this weekend God did something that made me laugh (not my head off laughing, but a smile nonetheless) =)

My mom and I where talking about the adoption and she mentioned (jokingly) that I should get twins. I quickly responded that I will most likely start with one.

Then on Monday morning while reading the prayer requests on the GLA blog, I read this-

"Pray for premature twin girls who were admitted to the NICU (at the GLA orphanage) this morning from the local mission hospital."
A big smile immediately came to my face... God does have a sense of humor... indeed!!!!
"This day is holy to our Lord... for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)

God's Littlest Angels Reunion

This coming weekend, Aug. 5-7, my mom and I are taking a trip... a trip to Grand Rapids, MI for the God's Littlest Angels (GLA) Reunion. This is chance for families to see old friends and make some new friends- I only hope I can make this a yearly event! We get to try Haitian food on Friday night and go to a Haitian church service on Sunday night.

I am very excited for a few reasons.....

1. I will hopefully make some connections with adoptive families who have adopted from GLA in Haiti.
2. Saturday morning there will be discussion groups around relevant adoption topics. I plan to attend the following:

• What do you do with a Haitian Girl's Hair? This one I am really looking forward to attending
• The Future of Adoptions in Haiti
• How do you know when your child's "issues" are just normal "kid" stuff and when they are something more?

3. My mom is coming with me and I am excited that she so is excited =) It's real nice to feel so supported by your mom =)

I will hopefully have a lot of good stories and knowledge when I get back to MN next Sunday, I will share then.....

God's Littlest Angels Orphanage Haiti

This is the Orphanage that Baby Cakes will come from- this is her 1st home ! P.S. Mine will be her 2nd and forever home =)
www.glahaiti.org/

"Birth" days

A very good friend of mine, Pamela K. is close to having her baby =), this has gotten birthdays on my mind the last few weeks. On Friday night at church, I began to think about the day my little girl will be born, I thought, maybe today she was be born, maybe today is her "birth"day? That would be beyond weird (and a very cool God story) if her birthday really ended being July 22nd... Birthdays bring names to my mind...

I also have been talking to friends and family about names for her... this is not a new thing, I have been picking out names with my sister for a long as I can remember. In fact, on a trip to Disney World in 1987, my sister and I spent our "line waiting time" picking out names for our further children =) So, it's like a family tradition.... skip to present day- My mom has named her, Baby Cakes", so that's what we go these days !

Last week, God gave me this verse:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine" Isaiah 43:1 Message

What an encouraging verse, I have to admit, I am afraid sometimes, afraid to get sooo close to this little Baby Cakes and then something happens in the adoption.... afraid that I am crazy to take on single motherhood and really afraid that I will mess up my adoptive child up real bad. God reassures me that I am HIS... and I am redeemed!! I can't control any of this craziness, but the Lord can!!!

As read this verse, I thought to myself, "God is saying this same thing to Baby Cakes ". She may be real afraid too. But, the amazing thing about God is HE already knows Baby Cakes (even if she's not born yet), He knows her Haitian name and her US name. and she is also HIS. God continues to amaze me !!!

Thanks for reading and until next time.....

Haitian Adoption Process

I found this wonderful explanation of the Haitian Adoption Process on a adoptive mom's blog and thought it would be good information for family and friends to read- p.s. I am on step #1

1) The Homestudy. This portion should take two to three months. It requires some paperwork, a home visit with social workers, obtaining four background checks, vital statistics, etc...
2) The Dossier (the huge file that gets sent to the Haitian government). We'll be working on a lot of this while the homestudy process is in gear. All the paperwork has to go through a number of channels before completion an it should take a few months, as well. We also have some US immigration-type things to complete.
3) The Referral. Once our paperwork is in order, our orphanage will match us with a child. We review the information they give us and prayerfully make a decision.
4) The Wait. We have zero control over this part. It's all in the hands of the somewhat unorganized and s-l-o-w departments of the Haitian government.

God's Littlest Angels (GLA)

This is Kimberlie's home for now.......  GLA - Who?

Situated in the mountains above Petion-ville, Haiti, God has blessed John and Dixie Bickel with the ability and resources to help God's Littlest Angels grow, while continuing to adapt to meet the unique and challenging needs of the children in Haiti.

NICU

God's Littlest Angels runs a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and we are able to provide life saving medical care for infants and toddlers, not readily available in many of the hospitals and clinics in our area.
God's Littlest Angels offers emergency and urgent medical care to all children in our area who need it.
God's Littlest Angels NICU has saved many lives, reunited many healed children with their birth andunited many children with their "forever families".
Our wonderful nursery staff give our children the love and attention they so need and crave, helping them to develop and grow

Orphanage

God's Littlest Angels has been finding "forever families" for children in Haiti since 1997. There are many unfortunate situations in Haiti where birth parents are unable to provide for their children.
The role of God's Littlest Angels is to stand in the gap and provide those children, newborn to 10 years old, with a healthy, loving, safe environment while we work to find the "forever family" that God has planned for them.

As of January 2013 there are 140 total children at GLA. 76 children at the Toddler House (3 yr old and up)  and 64 children at the Main House (0-2 yr old).   Kimberlie is at the Main House. 


Click HERE for more information and to see pictures!  Click HERE to see a Youtube video of the Parkers' (a missionary family at GLA) experience at GLA.  Look closely on 43 seconds, Kimberlie makes an experience =) There are many videos on Youtube if you want to explore more !

Single, Single +1, Family -- Which one am I ?

Today I had to call the Health Partners Member Services line to get, yet another form about insurance coverage for my girl, for my home study.
While I was explaining my situation to the patient lady, I heard myself saying, "I am adopting interationally...." Sometimes I have to remind myself that the adoption is really happening and that eventually there will be another person that I am going to be responsible for in this world. Another person to make appointments for, rearrange my schedule for and and get home from the mall for to take a nap!! I am really good at looking at Target for SUPER cute dresses for my girl, but will I be just as good at making important decisions for her? Hopefully so, with the Lord's leading....

About ME

About Me

 I often feel pressure, when asked to describe myself, to write something clever and witty that will make people smile and laugh...I can't work under that type of pressure !!!  My description today, is not too exciting....

  First and foremost, I am a child of God who tries my hardest to shine Jesus in whatever I do!!

I am the mom of Kimberlie!!!!!!!  . That deserves it's own line !

I teach kindergarten and St. Paul, MN.  I attend Evergreen Church in Bloomington, MN.
 When I am not checking my email for adoption updates, I enjoy traveling, hanging with family and friends, knitting, laughing (lots of laughing) and dancing!!! My single life is pretty good- but I am REALLY looking forward to being a mom soon !!!!!!

All my immediate family live close to me, my parents live in Inver Grove Heights (close to Eagan) and my sister and her family live in Eagan.  My brother and his family live in Hudson,WI. Oh, I live in Eagan.


I have 2 nephews (14 & 10) and 5 nieces (two 13's,10, 9, 7) Needlessly to say, they are very excited for Kimberlie to come as well! I am sure to have some babysitters who will want to babysit her too!

Welcome to the Grand Opening of my Adoption Blog

This is my first official post for my adoption blog!!! YEA!!!! My hope for this blog is to share my progress, joys, struggles,worries and victories during my adoption journey toward a girl from Haiti.
I am doing international adoption through Bethany Christian Services and am just about to start my home study on Monday. The home study will certainly be good material for future posts =)
Check back occasionally for new posts and new prayer requests.