What to do while you're waiting...

Well, now that I am officially on the wait list (and awaiting some news from my agency re: the "singles" issue), I am already tired of waiting.

So, what am I doing?  No, not the schoolwork piling up and making me guilty.   No, not reading the pile of attachment/adoption books on my nightstand.  No, not organizing my apartment.

I am spending the majority of my time online, researching VERY important topics like "Why Are Tortilla Chips So Damn Good?"  

Seriously, though... why are they SO good?   I swear if I ever move from Chicago, I will need a weekly shipment of my fave green-bag chips.    

If I were you, I would expect this kind of random post for a while as I obsess, wait, and spend WAY too many hours online.

(Ethiopian) New Year's Resolutions

For those of you who weren't aware... we just rang in 2002 Ethiopia-style yesterday.  That's right, Sept. 11 is Ethiopian New Year and their calendar is exactly 7 years behind ours.  

As with any new year, of course I have been reflecting on the past year and the MASSIVE amounts of change that have happened.  New job, started school (AGAIN!), and of course, starting the process of adoption.   It's been a big year and the coming year is sure to be an even bigger one.  

I went out to Abyssinia for dinner last night to celebrate with R & N and some other friends, old and new-- a good time was had by all.  It IS new years after all!  One friend made a comment...  this time next year, there will probably be two babes sitting at the table with us.   Exciting and true.   

I started out my new year by trying to get on track...  started by roasting some beans straight from Ethio in honor of the holiday, hit the books early this AM, and then started cleaning the apartment.   But to be honest, it's only 2pm and I'm already tired by my ambitious start to a new year.  :)

Cheers and happy new year!

Sad news and RAD news

The sad news...

I have this piece of pottery.  It's from Ethiopia.  It's the SECOND piece of the same pottery because I broke the first one.   That's right... I've carried the SAME piece of pottery not once, but TWICE back from Ethiopia.   The first one chipped on the ride home.  When I found out that I would return to Ethiopia this Spring, I was ecstatic because I knew I could replace this beautiful piece of art.  So, again, I carried this breakable bowl wrapped up like a little baby in my carry-on bag.  It's one of my favorite things....

Last night, in my sleepy-eyed clumsiness, I knocked it off the coffee table and into lots of pieces.   So sad....

The rad news... 

Today I officially joined the WAITLIST!!!  So, the next time I go to Ethiopia, I will return with TWO pieces of precious cargo. 

I joined today at #5 for a baby boy and #12 for a baby girl.   (I have a hunch it will be a boy, don't you?!)

I feel so official now!

Home Study Approved!

Got the word today that exactly 3 weeks after submitting my homestudy, it has been approved by the Illinois DCFS international coordinator.  

Soooo...  my local case worker will now send to my international case worker (who has already seen and approved it),  and then..... WAIT LIST. 

Probably by next week??!

Amazing news!

...Not for me, but for my BFF (who is also adopting from ET).

R & N (and the relentlessly hard-working sisters at Asco) have been working tirelessly to bring little Y home. FINALLY, good news (the last good news was in JANUARY!).

Read her story here.

I have met and (already) fell in love with little Y and can't wait for her to come chill with us Chi-town style.

No news for me yet this week, but I am feeling (unnaturally for me) very zen about things right now. Another friend from the adoption world reminded me this week that after all things are said and done, you realize that you waited just the right amount of time for just the right kid to come in to your life when they should. Agreed.

Today, I am just overwhelmingly thankful for answered prayers for my friends.
Cheers!

Sooo close...

I am so close to being on the wait list, I can feel it!

I received my DCFS license this week, so I am officially a foster home.   I am STILL waiting on the international adoption coordinator for Illinois to give her stamp of approval to my home study.   It's only been two weeks, but I'm so anxious for it to be done. (My caseworker says I should allow a month, but I can't let myself believe it will take that long!)

When this is done, I will go on the wait list....and, just to give you an idea...

If I went on the wait list today, I would be #5 on the infant boy list.  And, now just to give you a frame of reference... my Chi-town blog-friend Ruthanne was #4 last week and accepted a referral!  

Now you see why I am so excited.  : )

In other news, I did not realize that when I emailed USCIS to ask about switching my fingerprinting day that I forfeited my day.  Bummer.  Luckily, I got another appointment two weeks later. 

Things are definitely moving along.    Do you ever just have that feeling that somethings going to happen really soon?  I do... right now!

Cross your fingers with me?

Photos and story of famine in Ethiopia

I saw these links on another blog I read....

These photos really capture the malnutrition problem in Ethiopia for children.   It is so concerning as last year was such a rough year for food production and donated supplies.   It seems that this year will be even more serious because there is no supply to draw from. 

You can read the story here.  

As I am beginning this journey that will forever connect me to this beautiful and troubled country, I find myself thinking about these issues a lot.  How will we make it better?