Welcome to Suckeyville

So - today was the day that I have been silently dreading for about a month now. The notification from my adoption agency that I will indeed need to start the process for renewing some of my adoption paperwork. About 60% of the stuff that I've already done once. The list includes but is not limited to: medical forms, employment forms, police clearance forms, fingerprinting (again - because, you know, fingerprints expire!), homestudy update, and a significant chunk of change to make all of the above happen.

Sigh....as if the first time around was not fun enough!

The reason? Many. One of the approval forms that is needed is called an I-171H. This is our approval from the US Govn't to adopt a foreign orphan. They put an 18 month expiration date on this. Mine will expire on 10/14/06. My agency cannot guarantee (nobody can, really) that I will be home with Maya before that date. Since it can take 3-4 months to get the NEW I-171H, they want to make sure that there are no delays in travel once referrals DO come in.

There's a bit of a domino effect. In order to get a new I-171H, I have to have state approval, which requires another form (I-600A). In order to get THAT form, I have prove that I am still a suitable adoptive parent - hence the updated homestudy. In order to get the I-600A, I have to be fingerprinted - again - because apparently they do not keep those nifty little electronic fingerprint files beyond the FBI background check. I guess. Nobody seems to be able to explain that one. Which makes me wonder if my fingerprints would miraculously re-appear should I commit some horrible crime?

There you have it - the latest drama in my mostly drama-free life!

Mother's Day - 2006

I thought today would be hard. Last year, on this day, I thought for sure that I had celebrated my last Mother's Day as a non-mom. But then I started thinking....

A few years ago, my nephew wished me a Happy Mother's Day. While the sentiment was ultra-sweet, I had wanted to cry. It made me sad because I thought that I would never be a mom. I was at that place. Hope-less. Fast forward 3 or 4 years, and here I am...full of hope and wishes and dreams. Next year --- for sure --- there will be the beautiful and amazing Maya in my life! And I will wear the title of Mom proudly.

15 years ago (or something like that) single women would not have been allowed to adopt. Period. I am SO thankful for the US and Chinese Governments that have seen the possibilities and the validity of the single-parent adoption. I may be Maya's only parent - but she will know the love of many.

While Maya may not physically feel the love of a mother right this moment..she is loved and doubly blessed. She has TWO moms who are thinking about her...and loving her from afar.

I'm looking forward to next year's Mother's Day - but will cherish this one, too - because I know the love of a mother - and I know the love of BEING a mother.

More secret pal fun!

A few weeks ago, I received another box from my secret pal. What a great suprise these boxes of goodies are each month. I LOVE getting presents for Maya - it makes this long wait a little easier, and it makes it feel more real. For April, I received the most darling dress - red gingham with some embroidered flowers, ladybugs and butterflies. I also received some more scrapbooking items. A darling scrapbook that can be personalized with Maya's name on the front and some embelishments. There was also thesoftest and cutest baby doll in the box. I can almost picture Maya in that dress - here are some pictures!!



A close-up of the embroidery - SO cute!



scrapping and the cutest baby-doll!