More good news!

Gladney receieved our dossier today and there are no issues! It gets sent to Taiwan tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One step and one day closer to bringing Wil home!!!!

It's a Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, it's been quite some time since my last post and as you can guess from the title... we received a referral for a 3 month old little boy on Nov 18th!!! We were contacted by our caseworker about a month prior regarding a little boy with minor medical issues. Our Dr checked out his file and gave him a glowing recommendation. We had been through the process a couple months earlier... we were considered for another child with medical needs but we were not chosen by the birth parent. It was heartbreaking. As anyone who has adopted knows, the second you see a baby's picture they immediately occupy a space in your heart. So, with this baby, we tried to keep perspective and contain our excitement but of course, we were praying every night that the sweet little boy whose picture was now burned in our hearts would be ours. I received the call from Wendy on Friday afternoon while my husband was out of the country. It is really an indescribable feeling when you hear that YOU have been chosen to parent a child. Marc came home the next day and we were able to celebrate the incredible news together... needless to say, Thanksgiving this year took on a whole new meaning!
We were able to VERY quickly turn around the paperwork required for the dossier and as of today, we are FINISHED! I mailed everything in and now we wait for our court date(s). With the stress of the paperwork behind us, we can now focus on having a wonderful holiday and beginning to prepare for William's (the name we have chosen for him) arrival.
Lots more to come on this but just wanted make sure I got these 2 very important dates recorded so Will can look back and experience the journey we took to bring him home.

Change of plans...

A couple weeks ago, we made a terribly difficult decision... we decided to change our country from Ethiopia to Taiwan. We did this because of potential enormous delays in the Ethiopian process.We held on hope for as long as we could and then decided it was time to let go and move on. Having invested nearly a year in the Ethiopian process, it was an excruciating decision to make. Our hearts ache for the waiting children and families that are being affected by this nonsense.
So... all of our preliminary paperwork is finished for Taiwan. Turns out, the paperwork required for this program is far less than Ethiopia and FAR, FAR less than the piles and piles of paper required for Russia! Some great things about the Taiwan program... 1) Only ONE trip required to bring our child home 2) Upon referral, children are placed in foster care (if not there already) which means one on one care and lots of love and good nutrition and 3) the birth parent chooses the family they want for their child - therefore, you don't pick the gender - I like the element of surprise!!!
Now we wait... and pray... and wait... and pray...

Saw this today and it made me cry... and smile...

"By adopting a child and helping them reach their potential, they help us reach ours. An adopted child is not an unwanted child; to the contrary. They are a child who was searched for, prayed for, cried for, begged for; received by arms that ached, making empty hearts full. Love is meant to be shared." - Author unknown

So we pray...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

Today is a hard day... lots happening in the world that is out of our control. Praying with all of our hearts for some divine intervention. May need to start thinking about a plan B... makes me weak in the knees to even think about it.

It's official...

As of today, we are on the waitlist!!!! YAY!!! All the stress of the paperwork is behind us and now we just wait. It took us about 6 months to get everything together but it's all finished and approved. Ahhhh... what a great feeling!

One step closer...

A great week for the Turco's!!! We had our CIS fingerprinting on 2/8 and received our official approval from Gladney on 2/11. We should have our I-171H in a matter of weeks and then we are placed on the wait list. One step closer to bringing our baby home...

Dear Slava...

Dear Slava,
Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Slava Bear!!! It's amazing to think that a year ago today... we officially became the proud parents of Samuel Yaroslav Turco. I remember the day as if it were yesterday... standing in that room in the orphanage with my heart beating through my chest and being handed our son. The day we had waited for, dreamed of and prayed for had finally arrived. I have, in my life, experienced indescribable sorrow and pain. I can only explain that day as the exact opposite... a day of joy and happiness in it's purest and truest sense. It was a feeling of calm and wholeness that I had never felt before.
This past year has been eventful... to say the least. We've experienced a world of "firsts" - some exhilarating, some frightening. We've gotten to know each other as only families do. I know each and every one of your cries... from "I'm tired" to "I'm bored" to "I have my head stuck in a cat door!" Each day with you, Slava, is an adventure and I am so thankful to be on the journey with you!
I've heard many woman, after giving birth, say you somehow "forget" the pain of labor and the stress of pregnancy once you hold your baby in your arms. Our adoption was a labor... no doubt.. but all the ups, downs, twists and turns lead us to exactly where we were meant to be. I love you, Slava, more than I ever thought possible. You are my greatest joy... you are my heart.
Soon there will be more little feet running around this house and for that, I can not wait. You will be such a wonderful brother!
Happy 1 year, family!