Home Study Update

Today I had a visit with DCFS for them to approve the use of my own beds for international adoption.  This is part of the process that I do not understand.  I am a licensed foster home for 2 children already.  I now have to get two different pieces of paper from DCFS that state they will increase my foster care license to cover my adopted children.  I do not understand why DCFS has any say in the children that I bring into my home. Anyway there is nothing that I can do about it so I had my visit this morning at 1000.  They have agreed that I can adopt internationally.  I just need DCFS to figure out what two pieces of paper I need, right now they are unsure of what the international agency needs.

I then had a visit at 1400 with Susan my homestudy social worker to update my homestudy.  The homestudy is a major piece of the "paper chase" process.  This is basically a very detailed biography of your life including thoughts and feeling on adoption, financial records, family life, childhood, work life, home layout, children in the home, background checks and so forth.  I already had a homestudy with Lennox 2 years ago so this is just an update.  I told her about my new foster son Adrian, my families' new jobs, and current social life which consists of playing with my children. 

I also will hand in my "first" mailer to Children of all Nations tomorrow.  This mailer will have POA to Children of all Nations notarized, drivers license copy, and second payment of $2200.  I will also start working on the list of updates for my homestudy.  Updated driver license photo, passport photo, employment verification letter, and a few other small things. 

I have to say that it feels GREAT to be starting this adoption

more later
jessica

Here we go

So I filled out my application to start my next international adoption yesterday May 15th.  I got an email this morning stating that it will take 4-10 days to process my application.  Well I heard back this afternoon that I have been officially accepted into the adoption program.  I will update with all the paperwork and appointment that the "paper chase" involves.  Here are a few updated pictures of the kids and dinner out at Ethiopian restaurant. 

 

 

 

more later

jessica

Adopt now or Adopt later that is the question

So anyone who knows me realizes that I seems to talk about adoption no matter what topic is at hand.  I love children, I love being a mom, and I LOVE adoption.  It seems like such a perfect way for me to build my family.  Maybe that is because I have seen parents of my foster children take their children for granted or I have seen the desperation and heartache of the parents and children in Ethiopia. 

I let myself get so overwhelmed by all the different counties requirements that I thought I would not adopt right now and I would focus on moving.  Moving into a larger home where my children could have their own rooms, a house that had a dining room for family dinners, a house that had a nice big backyard.  Well those are all nice thoughts but at the end of the day I see the children in Ethiopia that don't have homes, parents, food, love, or a yard.  It doesn't matter if my children share a room while they are young, we all sit around a tiny kitchen table for dinner, or have to walk to the park.  It does matter that I adopt a child to become part of my beautiful family created through adoption.

So to keep this a short post, I will hopefully be posted more regularly now.  I have sent in paperwork to update my homestudy and will be filling out the formal application to adopt with Children of All Nations (CAN).  I am super excited to start this crazy journey again.

more later
Jessica

Crazy thoughts

Well I will get straight to the point.  I have been researching starting my next adoption.  I have been looking at different countries for about 4 months now.  The research process is almost as frustrating as the "paper chase".  I really thought that I would adopt my future daughter from Ethiopia, but they recently closed to singles.  I feel like I have looked into every country over the past 4 months and I am no closer to finding my daughters country.  I have looked at DRC (dangerous), Hong Kong (doesn't like foster parents), Ethiopia (doesn't like singles), Honduras (6 weeks in country), China (youngest in home must be 6), Philippines (singles can only adopt 9 year old and up), Korea (doesn't like singles), and much much more.  So as soon as I find a country I will start to blog more, just like I did when I was going through the process to adopt Lennox.



more later
jessica

Well I would LOVE to say the Kadin and Lennox are the best of brother, but that would not be true!  I can say that Kadin and Lennox are starting to tolerate each other more and more everyday.  I do see that Lennox is picking up on Kadin bad attitude.  Lennox like to throw tantrum already.  He will look to the side and grunt when he is mad.  When I try to comfort him, he will throw himself on the ground and scream. 

As for Lennox, he is doing pretty good.  He is eating everything in site and is a growing growing boy.  He has figured out that he can run and jump.  He love to take things apart and try and put them back together.  He sat and took apart a water spray bottle and placed small toys in it and put the cap on.  He did this over and over again.  He is also starting to talk more.  He isn't saying any useful words, but he is starting to talk.  He says Momma, Hi, Bye, Bella (my sister's dog), Lobo (my mother's dog), No, and a word that sounds like thank you.  I wish he would say more, please, drink, eat, and/or bites. 

Will update more later
Jessica

Update for April

Well no real big news here.  Kadin and Lennox still don't really like each other.  Lennox is picking up on Kadin's little attitude.  Lennox isn't talking yet but he has an attitude problem.  If you do something that he doesn't like, he will look right at you and grunt really loud.  He is also starting to hit when he is upset.

So I finally got a stool sample in for Lennox (bc of a mix up at the lab) and it turns out he has Giardia.  Well Kadin started to poop just like Lennox so he has Giardia too.  The antibiotic that the doctor put them on is rare and I still do not have it.  It has been 5 days since the diagnosis, so I am hoping I get the drug soon to treat these poopy boys. 

The pictures above show Kadin in the car when he was 15 months and Lennox in the car right now being 15 months.  Lennox looks so much older than Kadin did at 15 months.   One of the pictures is of the two of them under the high chair.  They some how wedged themselves in tight that I had to lift up the high chair to get them out.  Silly boys.

Like I said nothing real big to update.
more later

Jessica

Lennox Update

Well I went back to work after 6 weeks of being off and it was horrible.  Lennox was not fond of daycare the first week so it made it hard to leave him.  I have been trying to teach him that I am his provider, his one and only caregiver.  He has had so many over the first year of his life, I didn't want him to think I was ever leaving him.  We established a great bond during those 6 weeks and then I had to leave him in the arms of strangers.  The ladies at daycare are amazing and they love him so much.  He has been going to daycare for 2 weeks now and he is doing great.  He cries when I leave him in the morning with a teacher that is not his, but as soon as his teacher gets there he is fine. 

Kadin is still being a stinker, but I have high hopes that he will get over his jealousy at some point.  A lady at work said it took her son 5 years to start liking his baby sister.  I am not sure I can handle 5 years of "He is looking out my window" "He is looking at me"  "There are to many people in the house" "He needs to go to bed now". 

The bad moment are worth it when I have little happy moments.  Kadin had to stop playing soccer last week because he needed to go off the field and give Lennox a hug and a kiss.  He is trying so hard to be a good big brother, but it is hard for him to share the world he has been the center of for 3 years. 

I took Lennox to get his picture taken last week and he didn't do very good, but out of the 60 pictures that they took I got about 8 good ones.  I will post a couple for everyone to see.  I am excited for Kadin to hopefully be a willing participant in the next photo session.

more later
Jessica