I'll start by saying that two of the four families have already had court, as they were scheduled for today. They each had different judges and both judges signed their adoption decrees! This is great news and I am relieved to see that half of us are through the process with positive results! Both said that court was harmless enough and if you can survive Olga, you can survive court itself! Each of them said their court cases took 45 minutes.
My court hearing is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 10:30a.m. (12:30a.m. EST on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.) Please unleash your prayers starting now. :-)
Anelya was great this morning. The naughty nurse came in during the first part of her visit and put some eye drops and then some ointment in her eyes. We've seen them doing that to a few of the other babies in the room, but not to Anelya yet. This sort of put a damper on her mood and I didn't bother taking any photos. She wanted to come right back to me though so I could save her from the perils of the endless drops and creams and sprays they come at her with everyday. Her cough is pretty bad again and I have just come to terms with the fact that she will have upper respiratory problems until I get her home. I will come armed with the boogie squeezer and meds to get her through the trip.
I am constantly on the verge of tears now, trying not to think about leaving Anelya, but the inevitable is coming and it's looming over my heart. She has grown so much in the past three weeks and now I will be away from her for twice that. Everyone does it though, so I just have to take solace in the people who have gone before me and know that I have watched endless people go through the process and bring their babies home. For now, I am busily making lists of all of the things I need to buy and this time, I get to buy the stuff that means an actual baby is coming home (diapers, formula, etc.).
We are all organized with our gifts and such, thank you letters have been written and translated, and bags are slowly being packed. This time, as I pack my bags, I am a different person. I have a new reason to wake up in the morning; new reason to stay healthy; a new reason to smile for no particular reason; a new reason to worry about unnecessary things. I have a new reason; Anelya.
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This is the story of how a single 30-something year old woman and a 6.5 month old angel from Kazakhstan found each other and became a family. A journey which started as a dream, became reality in August 2009 when two hearts found one home... together.
Anelya Porter Caesar
On September 3, 2009 at 11:22 in Semey, Kazakhstan, Elemecova Aneliya Ahatovna became Anelya Porter Caesar and I became her mother. This is our love story of how we became a family.
Semey Baby House Window Project - See How You Can Help Improve the Condition of Lily's Baby House
Anelya's Blog Followers
Posts
Blog Archive
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2009
(186)
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September
(20)
- Still No Dates
- Visas Issued!
- Stalking Fed Ex Anew!
- It's Official!
- Work in Progress
- I Know My Mama
- Anelya is 8 Months Old Today!
- Dragging
- Missing My Baby
- First Diapers and Formula
- 12,000 hits!
- Oh, You Want Me to Keep Posting?
- Back Home
- At Frankfurt Airport
- We're in Almaty
- We Are the Caesars
- She Said YES!!!
- Getting Ready to Go Into Labor
- Final Hedgehog Day
- We're in the Army Now!
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September
(20)
Adoption Timeline
- 11/06/09 (???) Anelya Becomes U.S. Citizen
- 10/31/09 Gotcha Day
- 10/28/09 Back to Kazakhstan
- 09/05/09 End of Trip 1
- 09/03/09 Court Date
- 08/10/09 "Meetcha Day"
- 08/08/09 Off to Kazakhstan
- 07/31/09 Receive Letter of Invitation (LOI)
- 1/12/09 Region Assignment
- 12/04/08 (more or less) Dossier at Ministries
- 10/13/08 Dossier at NY Consulate
- 10/03/08 (maybe earlier) Dossier Out of Translation
- 08/27/08 Home Study Received by LMI (4-6 weeks until Consulate)
- 08/26/08 Sent Revised Home Study to LMI
- 08/26/08 Got Revised Home Study Apostilled
- 08/26/08 Received New Home Study
- 08/15/08 Request to pull homestudy from translation to provide updated one with no gender preference
- 08/14/08 Dossier in Translation
- 08/05/08 Dossier sent to LMI
- 08/04/08 Apostilled docs received
- 07/31/08 NH dossier docs sent for apostilles
- 07/30/08 Dossier Approved for Apostille Process
- 07/24/08 Faxed Dossier to LMI for approval
- 07/17/08 Received Fingerprints
- 07/08/08 Sent Fingerprints to FBI
- 07/07/08 Fingerprinting
- 06/26/08 I-71H RECEIVED!!!
- 06/25/08 Applied for two grants
- 06/25/08 Sent Homestudy to USCIS
- 06/19/08 Homestudy final copy received
- 06/02/08 Homestudy draft submitted to LMI
- 05/02/08 Biometrics/Fingerprints at USCIS
- 04/25/08 Medical Exam Complete
- 04/20/08 Homestudy Begins
- 04/19/08 Received Background Check Back from CPS
- 04/18/08 Completed Adoptive Parenting Course
- 04/17/08 Received Application Received Notification from USCIS
- 04/17/08 Social Worker Contacts Me
- 04/13/08 Started Adoptive Parent Education Requirement
- 04/10/08 Filed I600A with US Citizenship and Immigration Services
- 04/09/08 Assigned a social work for home study
- 04/05/08 Contracts received by Agencies
- 04/04/08 Sent Background Check Request to CPS
- 04/02/08 Sent Agency Contracts and Home Study Request
- 2/01/08 - 04/01/08 Slacked and went to Sweden
- 1/30/08 Application ACCEPTED!!!
- 1/25/08 Notification that LMI received application
- 1/25/08 Joined International Adopt NH yahoo group
- 1/22/08 Sent application to LMI
- 1/17/08 Life insurance physical
- 1/16/08 Filled in application
- 01/06/08 Decision to use Little Miracles International (LMI)
- 01/06/08 Joined Adoption Agency Research on Yahoo Group
- 1/02/08 Joined single Kaz moms yahoo group
- 12/29/07 Joined Kazakhsan Adoption on Yahoo Groups
- 12/29/07 Started Adoption fundraising on Amazon
- 12/24/07 Started Adoption Blog
- 12/24/07 Decision to adopt from Kazakhstan
- 12/15/07 Decision to adopt
Kazakhstan Articles
FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed
Where in the World are Lily's Blog Viewers?
Appropriate Adoption Communication Cheat Sheet
- Instead of A) try using B)
- A) Do you have your own children? B)Do you have a biological child?
- A) She has an adopted daughter. B) She has a daughter.
- A) They have a Kazakh son. B) They have a son.
- A) She is a single adoptive mother. B) She is a mother. (Unless he is single, interested and decent. Then y all means, mention the single part ;-) )
- A) She is adopted. B) She was adopted. (Adoption is a one time event)
- A) His real parents B) His biological parents
- A) She was abandoned. B) She was placed for adoption.
- A) His birth mother gave him up. B) His birth mother was unable to to parent him.
- A) How much did she cost? B) How much did the adoption process cost?
Links I have found helpful
Map of Kazakhstan
I'm a Peacemaker
8 comments:
I'll be glued to the blog tomorrow, but good luck! You'll be great! Not even going to comment on you leaving her because that is making me cry! 40 days...
lots and lots of good luck hugs and kisses! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sending you many many prayers for court and for a safe trip home. Thinking about you during this bittersweet part of the journey.
Hugs to you, mom and Anelya
sandi
Ok . . now you are making ME cry!!! Hugs!!
mama - you are so cute, and your concerns are shared. don't worry, it'll go just fine. the court and the few weeks away.
teresa
Your last paragraph brought tears to my eyes as I so vividly remember those feelings. It's truly amazing how your entire perspective changes when you become a mother. And when the journey to motherhood is particularly long and arduous, how very welcome those changes are.
Wonderful reason to be happy, Andrea! Sending prayers your way, but you will be fine.
It is hard to leave your child, but know she is still where she is loved and cared for -- where she has always been. And you get to go shopping! I remember that trip to Target before I brought Brady home. Baby toiletries and diapers. I saved the receipt. :)
It is here! Tomorrow night I will be able to read that you are truly a legal mom - one from the heart for years now in process, but finally Anelya's mom! My love and prayers are with you through the final legal process, but mostly as you pack those bags and have to hug and kiss your baby good-bye for a month. Keep focusing on the rest of your lives together - not the short separation. Safe travels to you and mom.
WOW...!!! Heartwrenching! Andrea!! Don't worry you can come down here and we'll take your mind off of things.. she'll be home soon - I can't believe all of this!! Thinking of you and Anelya!! WE love you!!
LEah
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