Nesting

An entire week has gone by since we were submitted. That means we're a week closer to Charlie! We could be travelling in three weeks! Also, !!!!. The families submitted the week before us got their dates yesterday. One of them got the date I really want! Maybe we'll get the same day. :) It's more likely we'll get a date later in March, my guess is between the 15th and the 26th. Those are just random guesses, really, because when it comes to Charlie's country, you just never know. We're always told it's a "moving target" and there's no real rhyme or reason to when people get their dates! I really want the 8th or 9th, and I'm praying hard for it, even though it is very unlikely! I've counted out days in many different ways, and if we get the 8th or 9th, we MIGHT have him home on or before his birthday. Again, this is HIGHLY unlikely, but it's not entirely impossible, so I am holding out hope! Either way, Charlie will never be an orphan on his birthday again. He's got a mama who think birthday boys are a very big deal!

As we get closer to Charlie, I've started nesting. Last night I was cleaning the garage at 11pm! I've got his clothes hanging in the closet, his bed set up in our room. It's really fun, because I never got to the nesting stage with Brennan, since he was so early. Well - I started to, but I was having contractions so often that I couldn't do much anyway. I've got a car seat waiting to go in the car, a double stoller, toys set aside to take with us on the trip. I even have an entire bag of donations already packed! I want to start packing my own suitcase, but I'm restraining myself! :) I'm meeting with someone tomorrow who will teach me a little of Charlie's language, and then we're almost set! It's a bit surreal to be this close. I can't wait to hold that little guy!

It's our day!

Today we were submitted! That means the countdown has begun, and we could be travelling in as little as 4 weeks! That's best case scenario, but it's what I am hoping for!

We also finally decided on a name*, so I will finally share!
It is...

Charles Gabriel! We will call him Charlie.

Also, little Masha found a family!! I am so happy!!


*Name subject to change at any given moment, and then perhaps back again, based on reason or whim.

Sorry to leave you hanging...

...but we got hit by the flu and I have been sick all week! Today is day 9 and there is no end in sight. Tomorrow Ken has to go back to work, which means that I will have Brennan all to myself! I don't know where that boy gets all of his energy from - even when he's sick, he spends most of the day running around the house yelling and destroying everything! He's lucky he's so cute, or I'd go crazy! ;) He now knows 15 signs and has a few emerging signs. There's one sign he does that we're not really sure what it means. I think it might be "cereal". It definitely means something to him, we just have no idea what! Brennan has discovered where the snack cupboard is, and I find him in there about 7 times per hour. That boy's little belly is getting rotund! :) His obsession with laundry baskets continues. In fact, it's grown to include anything he can climb into or on top of! We really need the snow to melt so we can go climb outside!

Now our adoption news...there isn't much. We should be submitted on Thursday, but there's no guarantees! Last Thursday morning I got the news that we hadn't been submitted, but I was expecting it, so I was only a little disappointed. This week *should* be our week, and we should be travelling in 5-7 weeks! I've heard legends of families travelling 3-4 weeks after submission, and I am hoping that is us! We started this process in August, so we have been waiting for quite awhile!
Another little boy in Littlekid's orphanage passed away in November, and we found out this week. He was just one year old. He had down syndrome and a heart condition, just like Littlekid. His heart wasn't fixed (like Littlekid) and he died. It makes it seem more urgent that we get to Littlekid!

I can't wait to hold my little boy!

His faithfulness in my helplessness

Background: I wrote this to the RR group, but I wanted it here too, as a reminder to myself. "Masha" is a 4 y.o. girl who is about to be transferred to a horrible institution.

I'm writing this in hopes it will minister to someone the way it did to me :).

I desperately wanted to say "yes" to Masha. You know how some kids just grab you? I knew her name in an instant. We tried. We were shot down. Our agency will not allow us to adopt two unrelated children at the same time (and I could write a whole other post about THAT). I was crushed and my helplessness overwhelmed me. Masha, Alexander, Mila, Anastasia(46) (oh my heart!), Karina (19), Shane, Chelsea... and I can't do a thing. Of course, that's not completely true. But yesterday and today the weight of my helplessness nearly did me in. I tried focusing on getting things ready for Charlie, but it didn't help. Every 7 minutes I checked to see - has a family stepped forward? I was angry. How DARE our agency think it knows what is best for my family. Do they even KNOW what an institution is? God - what are you doing??

Did you know that God has a plan? That Masha is more important to Him than she could ever be to me? Yeah. I forget sometimes. Then tonight I heard a song. I didn't catch who it was by; maybe someone here will know it. The song starts out like this:

"You magnify my helplessness
So I can see your faithfulness"

At first I thought, great, just what I need! My helplessness even more magnified!
Then, it hit me. I am helpless - God is not. God is faithful. Would I see that, do I see that, when I am "helping" myself? When I step in and say, "I've got it, God."? Sometimes, I am not even giving God a chance. I'm impatient and I want to fix it. But I can't. Only One can. In my helplessness, my inability to save the world (ha!), GOD. will. be. FAITHFUL.

This Little Light Project

I have started a new blog to advocate for orphans! I have links to orphan care and adoption resources, and I'll be advocating for specific orphans, needs, and projects. I hope to highlight different ministries and children as well. I'm excited about it - come join at http://www.thislittlelightproject.blogspot.com/ and spread the word!

~
Our dossier arrived safely on Monday. So now we wait!
The day after I sent our dossier, I found out that we needed to wire $500 along with it as a translation fee. Unfortunately, we still haven't been able to send it, because we haven't gotten the information needed to send it! They won't translate our documents until they receive the fee, so we're kind of stuck. Hopefully, we'll get the needed info soon. We could be submitted next week! In the meantime, I've been collecting donations for orphanages in Littlekid's country. I will be bringing a duffel bag stuffed with things for Littlekid's orphanage as well as some art supplies for some missionaries ministering in his country. On Monday it was my birthday, so Brennan and I went to Target and bought a bunch of shirts to send to another missionary! They were on clearance for $1.21 and $2.97, so I couldn't pass that up! Check out your local stores for clearance items that you can donate! There's a ton of winter hats at Wal-mart for .50-.75!