The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 179 which was held on 04/08/11:
1) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years, female
2) Swiss dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 3 years and 3 months, male
3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 10 months, female
4) French dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 5 years and 3 months, male
5) French dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 5 years and 8 months, female
6) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 7 months, male
7) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 4 months, male, with features in health status - a genetic disease
8) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 1 year and 9 months, female, with data on family history
9) U.S. dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 1 year and 9 months, female, with data on family history
10) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years, male
11) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 1 month, male, with features in health status - lags behind the NDP and behavioral characteristics
12) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 8 years and 2 months, male, with features in health status - intellectual deficit
13) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred two children, male, aged 6 years and 8 months and 8 years and 3 months, with data on family history and intellectual deficit
14) French dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 10 years, male
[For more information about our orphanage fundraiser giveaway in progress, please click here.]
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
31556926 Seconds
One year ago today, we officially accepted our son’s referral. At the time, we expected to have him home by Christmas which, as you all know, didn’t happen. This has been such a trying, painful year for us, knowing our son and watching him grow through photos and videos, knowing where he is and how he spends his days, and knowing that he is not receiving the medical treatments, diagnostics, and therapies he needs. Every day that goes by is a day lost to him developmentally and will make it all the harder for him to catch up on his delays. And every day that goes by is a day that our family is not together.
Tears are never far when I think about our son, but they are always mixed for sadness and joy. Sadness over the time lost and the wait endured and joy for having found him, for bringing him home in a few months, and for spending the rest of our lives loving and treasuring him.
Tears are never far when I think about our son, but they are always mixed for sadness and joy. Sadness over the time lost and the wait endured and joy for having found him, for bringing him home in a few months, and for spending the rest of our lives loving and treasuring him.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Orphanage Fundraiser - Giveaway
This giveaway is our final fundraiser, our last push to collect money for our children’s orphanages, so we can take even more donations, especially diapers and toothbrushes, when we pick up our kids later this year. There are 13 items in this giveaway which I will describe in detail below. Each $1 donation earns you one entry to the drawing for these items. This fundraiser runs through May 18 and the drawing and announcement of winners will take place the following day.
We have set-up a chip-in button for your contributions (see right), but if you’re not comfortable with this method, email me privately at viviane8 @ yahoo.com and we’ll figure out a different way to get you entered for the giveaway. And just in case you are wondering why I set my hopes high and fixed the amount we’d like to raise at $440… well, if we make it, we will have raised a total of exactly $1000 for our children’s orphanages which would be simply amazing.
And now for the giveaway prizes:
We have set-up a chip-in button for your contributions (see right), but if you’re not comfortable with this method, email me privately at viviane8 @ yahoo.com and we’ll figure out a different way to get you entered for the giveaway. And just in case you are wondering why I set my hopes high and fixed the amount we’d like to raise at $440… well, if we make it, we will have raised a total of exactly $1000 for our children’s orphanages which would be simply amazing.
And now for the giveaway prizes:
1) A $15 Coldstone Creamery gift card. Who doesn’t love ice-cream?
2) A brandnew, hardcover edition of Home Made Simple: Fresh Ideas to Make Your Own by The Experts at Home Made Simple, published in September 2010, valued at $15.90.
3) A set of five handmade greeting cards from my friend and photographer Josie Virgin-Crowe, showing original photographs from her time in the Southwest valued at $15.00. If you’d like to learn more about Josie’s work, please visit http://www.croweseyephotography.com/.
4) Since we live in Cincinnati, I couldn’t resist the Sauces of Cincinnati sampler which includes Frisch’s Tartar Sauce, La Rosa’s Pizza Sauce, Skyline Chili, and Montgomery Inn Original BBQ Sauce valued at $12. All four of these restaurants were founded in Cincinnati.
5) An original, handmade glass paperweight from my friend and glassblower Yuri Okamoto valued at $40. If you’d like to learn more about Yuri’s work, please visit http://www.yuriglass.com/.
6) A $10 Graeter’s Ice-cream gift card. For anyone local, I know I need not say more, but everyone else can check out http://www.graeters.com/.
7) And because Cincinnati is the hometown and headquarters of Procter & Gamble, we have a P&G beauty sampler which includes Crest White Strips Daily Whitening and Tartar Protection (38 count pouches), a Crest SpinBrush Pro, and a Gillette Fusion Razor with two cartridges valued at $50.
8) Two brandnew adoption books that I have found very informative and insightful: The Connected Child by Karyn B. Purvis and Raising Adopted Children by Lois Ruskai Melina valued at $30.
9) An original photograph in a mat (~8in x 10in) called Where the Rocks Gather by my friend and photographer Josie Virgin-Crowe valued at $40. Her website again is http://www.croweseyephotography.com/.
10) Another P&G sampler set, this time for the home. It includes Febreze NOTICEables Alternating Scent Oil Warmer (Calypso Breeze & Hawaiian Paradise), Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (2 pack citrus and light), and a Bounce Dryer Bar - 2 Month supply (outdoor fresh scent, bar and holder included) valued at $15.
11) A set of eight handmade greeting cards from my own tiny business LitBit Greetings. Valued at $12.00.
12) A brandnew, 500 piece scrap-booking kit from Colorbok themed “Antique Woodcut.” Valued at $40.
13) Another original photograph in a mat (~8in x 10in) called Linger by my friend Josie. Valued at $40.
Remember, each $1 donation gets you one entry into the giveaway drawing. Please consider supporting this fundraiser and helping approximately 180 orphaned children in two Eastern European cities.
2) A brandnew, hardcover edition of Home Made Simple: Fresh Ideas to Make Your Own by The Experts at Home Made Simple, published in September 2010, valued at $15.90.
3) A set of five handmade greeting cards from my friend and photographer Josie Virgin-Crowe, showing original photographs from her time in the Southwest valued at $15.00. If you’d like to learn more about Josie’s work, please visit http://www.croweseyephotography.com/.
4) Since we live in Cincinnati, I couldn’t resist the Sauces of Cincinnati sampler which includes Frisch’s Tartar Sauce, La Rosa’s Pizza Sauce, Skyline Chili, and Montgomery Inn Original BBQ Sauce valued at $12. All four of these restaurants were founded in Cincinnati.
5) An original, handmade glass paperweight from my friend and glassblower Yuri Okamoto valued at $40. If you’d like to learn more about Yuri’s work, please visit http://www.yuriglass.com/.
6) A $10 Graeter’s Ice-cream gift card. For anyone local, I know I need not say more, but everyone else can check out http://www.graeters.com/.
7) And because Cincinnati is the hometown and headquarters of Procter & Gamble, we have a P&G beauty sampler which includes Crest White Strips Daily Whitening and Tartar Protection (38 count pouches), a Crest SpinBrush Pro, and a Gillette Fusion Razor with two cartridges valued at $50.
8) Two brandnew adoption books that I have found very informative and insightful: The Connected Child by Karyn B. Purvis and Raising Adopted Children by Lois Ruskai Melina valued at $30.
9) An original photograph in a mat (~8in x 10in) called Where the Rocks Gather by my friend and photographer Josie Virgin-Crowe valued at $40. Her website again is http://www.croweseyephotography.com/.
10) Another P&G sampler set, this time for the home. It includes Febreze NOTICEables Alternating Scent Oil Warmer (Calypso Breeze & Hawaiian Paradise), Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (2 pack citrus and light), and a Bounce Dryer Bar - 2 Month supply (outdoor fresh scent, bar and holder included) valued at $15.
11) A set of eight handmade greeting cards from my own tiny business LitBit Greetings. Valued at $12.00.
12) A brandnew, 500 piece scrap-booking kit from Colorbok themed “Antique Woodcut.” Valued at $40.
13) Another original photograph in a mat (~8in x 10in) called Linger by my friend Josie. Valued at $40.
Remember, each $1 donation gets you one entry into the giveaway drawing. Please consider supporting this fundraiser and helping approximately 180 orphaned children in two Eastern European cities.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Last Hurrah
Our final orphanage fundraiser will kick off tomorrow and run through May 18. This one will be a giveaway and, as always, all donations will go directly to our children’s orphanages in Eastern Europe. So, please check back tomorrow for this exciting event with prizes valued at nearly $340.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Our May Mural
This morning after breakfast, my nephews and I had some educational time where I taught them about murals. Afterward (since we couldn’t very well get creative on an actual interior or exterior wall here), we drew a pretend mural on a large piece of cardboard. This is the result:
As you can see, the mural includes all things happy from suns and moons to sky and stars, from hearts to flying fish, and from rainbows to ocean waves. There are flowers, a rocket ship, and a tree, too, and for some reason me (Bibinan) at a Kroger store. I have no idea why I was depicted at Kroger since I consistently grocery shop only once a week and never with the boys. Maybe the association was more about me and food than me and shopping, who knows? In any case, we are all very pleased with our creation and had a lot of fun working on it together.
Did you see that we drew the new cousins in the mural as well? We’re all excited for them to be here soon.
Did you see that we drew the new cousins in the mural as well? We’re all excited for them to be here soon.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
IAC 178 Results
The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 178 which was held on 03/30/11:
1) Cyprus dossier from 2007 referred a child aged 4 years and 4 months, female
2) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years and 10 months, female
3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 6 months, male
4) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred two children, twins, aged 4 years and 3 months, female
5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 5 months, female
6) French dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 6 years and 1 month, female, with data on family history, infectious disease
7) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 2 months, male
8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 8 years and 6 months, male
9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two children - a biological brother and sister, aged 8 years and 7 months, female, 7 years and 7 months, male
10) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 9 years and 3 months, female
11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1242) with a profile on the MOJ site
12) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#819) with a profile on the MOJ site
13) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1308) with a profile on the MOJ site
14) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1140) with a profile on the MOJ site
1) Cyprus dossier from 2007 referred a child aged 4 years and 4 months, female
2) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 2 years and 10 months, female
3) Italian dossier from 2008 referred a child aged 4 years and 6 months, male
4) Norwegian dossier from 2008 referred two children, twins, aged 4 years and 3 months, female
5) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 5 years and 5 months, female
6) French dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 6 years and 1 month, female, with data on family history, infectious disease
7) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 2 months, male
8) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 8 years and 6 months, male
9) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two children - a biological brother and sister, aged 8 years and 7 months, female, 7 years and 7 months, male
10) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 9 years and 3 months, female
11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1242) with a profile on the MOJ site
12) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#819) with a profile on the MOJ site
13) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1308) with a profile on the MOJ site
14) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1140) with a profile on the MOJ site
Monday, May 2, 2011
Hallelujah I-800s!
This afternoon our I-800 applications for our son and daughter both were shipped overnight to USCIS. It took over five months to make this happen for our son because even though we thought we had all his paperwork in mid-March, our agency found a mistake in one of the documents and had to wait for it to be re-issued in his birth country. For our daughter, it took about a week to put the packet together which just goes to show that you shouldn't look for any rhyme or reason in international adoption.
I am very excited that this next step to bring our children home is in progress now. It feels like we're in the home stretch. Everyone please use your mojo on our family's behalf to ensure that our paperwork is accepted and processed smoothly and quickly by NBC.
I am very excited that this next step to bring our children home is in progress now. It feels like we're in the home stretch. Everyone please use your mojo on our family's behalf to ensure that our paperwork is accepted and processed smoothly and quickly by NBC.
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