BEST BEST Update SO FAR!!!!!

This month's update is simply AMAZING!!!!!   It is video of pictures of Kimberlie from the day she came to GLA (at 1 1/2 mo) through my recent trip to Haiti to meet her .  

I have watched it at least 10 times already this evening and cried elephant tears for first couple times- you can ask my niece Megan. What a gift Susie has given me today (on my Mom's 70 ish birthday)! 

Enjoy! 

Christmas 2012 - Hopefully the LAST without Kimberlie

 

This Christmas was hard to be without my little sweetie pies, Kimberlie! How I wished she was with HOME to celebrate Christmas with me, beginning family traditions with her that she very may do with her children as well.  All day long I was thinking,"I wonder what she is doing now?" My family was razzing me about it quite a bit (surprise-surprise).  I know she is being well cared for, loved and safe, but I sure do wish she was here enjoying Jesus birthday is MN and not in Haiti.  

  Above are Kimberlie's future babysittters, aka her cousins!

Here is the whole gang- all 8 of them! 

If you are wondering how the big kids at GLA celebrated Christmas, check out this blog post- titled Joyeux Noel.  It is WELLworth a read! More proof that GLA is an amazing place!

 

Meeting Kimberlie Was a MUCH Better Reason!

My trip to Haiti was for two reasons- one to meet Kimberlie and the other was for some required appointments in order to continue in the adoption process to bring my beautiful Kimberlie HOME!!! 

This is basically what happened on the day, 12-12-12, as we (Jenn, Wendy and myself) went to our appointments. Thank you Wendy for writing this on FB - I also added some details: 

 We left the guest house about 6:20 am because my US Embassy appointment was for 7:30 am. The only thing I could bring in the Embassy was my passport and other paperwork required for the appointment. No food, drink of iPhones allowed! Magaly, who works for GLA went with us (Jenn, Wendy and I) to the Embassy. We sat a waited I was called up to the window twice. I am assuming the first time was a registration or checking in of sorts. A woman asked me a few questions and then I sat down again to wait some more. The second time was more of an interview. He asked me my address and I started giving him the address of my house I grew up in =). The man had a form he completed as he asked questions about where I was at with the adoption process, if I had met my child yet, etc. He was nice. I just stood at the window and answered the questions through the glass. There was about 28 windows and the room was about 2/3 full with primarily Haitian people that were waiting for interviews as well. The Embassy took about 3 hours total for all three of us that were there for our adoptions counting waiting times, registrations and interviews.  

The next stop was the civil court. Upon arrival to the court building, Mr. Terriot (from GLA) led us to a small waiting room and gave some files to the assistant at the desk. We sat in the waiting room for about an hour or so. Then a man came and apologized that it was taking so long, and letting us know the judge was very busy. A short time later he came back and asked for our passports. About 10-15 minutes later he came back with our passports. That was it- yep, seriously, that was it!

At this point in the day we were all getting really tired but wanted to try to go to our final required appointment for the trip so we could spend whole next day with the kids. The final stop to see Judge Bob.

So, Mr. Terriot drove us to Kenscoff for the last appointment with Judge Bob. Kenscoff is town higher up in the mountains beyond GLA. When we got to Kenscoff, Mr. Terriot made a phone call and a bit later a man (not Judge Bob, but from what I could gather, it was his assistant ) came out of a house with a big book. He put the book on the hood of a vehicle and then he wrote some stuff in the book had one of us sign it and write our passport numbers in it, (each of us also wrote the date and printed our names as well as signing them just to make sure that we had all the right info in there if US Embassy ever sent someone to check out the information) then he did the same thing on the next two pages for the other two adoptive parents to sign. That was the local court appointment. 

Trip to Meet Kimberlie

I have been procrastinating writing this blog post about my trip to meet Kimberlie. I am really not sure why, it was a great trip for so many reasons!!! 

This is right when we first met- just few minutes after I first set eyes on my beautiful daughter!!!!! I absolutely LOVE this picture. I will never forgot the moment (although it's hard to describe) all long as I live- when Kimberlie is walking down the isle on her wedding day- I will remember this moment!!!  God is sooooooooo good and picked the PERFECT daughter for ME!!!!

 

 

It's hard to put into words what I was feeling and thinking... I do remember, as tears filled my eyes, thinking how blessed I am to be HER mom!  I also felt a PEACE...a peace that can only come for God!  It just felt right with her!!!!  

 I kept telling my mom throughout the whole trip, "SHE IS REALLY MINE!" 

I think one reason I really didn't want to write this post and post pictures is by writing it means it really did happen.... and I have to admit I won't see Kimberlie again until I go to Haiti to bring her HOME!!!!!  GLA is saying expect 8-9 month wait from after your have traveled.  That brings it August-September.  

I am praying like crazy for 2 things: (please pray with me )
* Kimberlie comes home before her 2nd birthday (Sept. 13, 2013)  
* I don't have to start with kids next fall for becuase I will be on my ADOPTION LEAVE !!!!  
  

Dear Kimberlie Abiageal,

11 Dec 2012 

 Dear Kimberlie- 

Today, Dec 11, 2012, was the first time we ever met- I will never, never forget that day. I bet the day you get married or have your first baby I will think about this day too. Ever since I found out who you were on Aug 9, 2012, I have thought about the first time I would met you.  It was good day- for the most part! I wanted to tell you about the day from my perspective (from what I was thinking and feeling). 

The night before Nana and I stayed in hotel and I did not get much sleep because I was so excited about meeting you. I remember landing in Haiti and thinking this is where my daughter lives =) After we landed we got our luggage and found the driver that would drive us to GLA.  The drive to GLA was very bumpy and Nana was covering her eyes for most of the time.  She was kind of scared that we would get hit by a car, but we were in a big van so I was not worried.  

I knew from other friends that I would be meeting you right when I got to GLA- as we drove up into the mountains I remember looking for the GLA sign on a gate and was hoping we would get there fast, I was getting really excited and a little nervous.  First, we stopped at the guest house where we will be staying to drop off of luggage and then we got in a truck to drive to the Main House where you live. 

I remember when we drove up to the GLA gate and I recognized the Main house from pictures. I then started getting butterflies in my stomach and  was taking deep breathes.... we walked in the gate and looked up and saw all the babies on the balcony. They were making lots of noise. We walked in and they said you were upstairs on the balcony.  When I heard this I got SUPER excited and still a little nervous.  I got the camera out because I wanted Nana to take a video of when we first met, I started running up the stairs but Nana was going slower, so really didn't get me going up the stairs.  That's ok- she tried her best =)

I hurried up the stairs and when I walked in the door onto the balcony I saw you sitting on the floor on a blue mat with your friend Lensley. At that moment I felt so peaceful- like you were my daughter my whole life.  I walked over and saw all the stuff around you from your special box.  All the gifts I had sent you so far, you were eating your 1st birthday card. Your hair looks so cute, it had barrets in it, you also had a striped dress on and pretty white sandals.  I thought to myself- " she is really mine!!!" I gave you a kiss on the forehead and sat down.  You looked so soft and sweet- it's really hard to write exactly what I was feeling, but I knew I already loved you and would love you FOREVER! I was your MAMA and you were my child!!!!!  I will always remember how soft your skin was too! 

Next, I wanted to give you a toy monkey so I got it out and I think you got kind of scared because you started crying and screaming! I didn't know what to do, I didn't want you to get even more scared, but Susie told me to pick you up.  I picked you up and you continued to scream, but then I rubbed your legs with the little blanket I gave you and you stopped.  Then I gave you many, many more kisses on your head!! As you sat on my lap it felt so right and natural, I knew then that God definitely knew what he was doing when he gave me you!!!!!  

I love you soooooooo much, Kimberlie, my little sweetie pies!!!!!  I can not wait to be with you everyday and give you kisses everyday!!!  

Love, Mama  

THIS IS GETTING REAL!!!!

GLA Main House (where Kimberlie lives)

I will meet daughter, Kimberlie, in approximately 90 hours (as of 12-7-12 @ 5:30 pm)..... I can not believe I get to meet, hug and kiss her in 90 hours!!!  This is definitely getting real!!! 

While in Haiti, I will go to three different appointments that are required for the adoption process. There are two court visits and an US Embassy visit.

One thing that continues to amaze me through my adoption process is all the support I get from family, friends, co-workers and other adoptive parents. Saying I feel blessed doesn't even seem to cover how I feel about all the support! What a amazing privileged blessing to be RIGHT in the middle of God's PERFECT plan !!! The perfect plan to begin the Haugh family! God is good! Bondye Bon!

I would appreciate any prayers for my upcoming trip- here are some specific requests:

• For safe travels for my Mom and I- that all our flights are on time and we make our connections
• That my mom and I stay healthy (we are both feeling fine now)
• That my appointments go smooth and fast- so I can spend the most time possible with Kimberlie
• For sweet times with Kimberlie-that I focus on the time I have with her and not on when I have to leave
• That Kimberlie will start walking when we are there-- that would be such a great memory!
• For my Mom, the video-grapher and photographer, that she is able to get good footage of when I first met Kimberlie 
• For when I have to say goodbye Kimberlie...... which will either be Thursday night or Friday morning. Please pray for that goodbye.... For those of you who really know me, you know this will be a major "push in my eyes" moment and there are no sombreros in Haiti =) .... I pray that I can feel a peace at that moment that only can come for GOD !

Quick rundown of trip:

• We leave Monday Dec. 10th and get to Port au Prince Tuesday morning Dec. 11th
• Wednesday is my Embassy Appt (7:30 am) and most likely one of the other court appointments
• We leave Haiti Friday morning Dec. 14th

November Update from GLA -Merry Christmas

As I have said before, each month (usually the last day of the month) I get a update from GLA updating me about Kimberlie.

Here is part of Kimberlie's November Update:

This month we took hand and foot prints of all the kids at the Main House.  I do my best to have this done about every three months so you have an extra treasure to take home with you when you come and pick up Kimberlie.   Each child reacts a differently to having their hands and feet painted and then pressed against the paper.  Most of them are intrigued by the different feel and will closely examine it while others will want to eat it.  Kimberlie was not pleased about having the paint spread in her hands at first but she was content to allow her feet to be painted and stamped. 

Developmentally Kimberlie is advancing well.  She is still not walking completely on her own but she is more steady when holding herself up on furniture and she is able to walk behind a push toy without any problem.  She is starting to take a few shaky steps on her own but she still prefers to get from place to place by crawling but we are confident that she will be walking on her own within the next month.  She just needs a little more confidence in the ability that she does have.  She still takes her time to observe what the other kids around her are doing before she will join in with whatever they are doing. 


I am praying that she will be start walking when my mom and I are there next week... We arrive at GLA on Tuesday, Dec. 11th and return home Friday, Dec. 14th.  I will write more about the trip later!