Disappointing News

We need your prayers. Stephanie and I just found out from another couple who are adopting from Colombia that it took them three weeks after receiving I-800 approval to navigate through the rest of the steps before they were able to travel. The I-800 approval is what we're still waiting on (but expect this week). Naturally, this is extremely disappointing to Stephanie and I as we were hoping to travel this weekend. We don't know for sure that it will take that long, but it could, and the thought of waiting that long seems almost unbearable. Plus, that would almost definitely keep us in Colombia through Christmas. Please be in prayer for both of us as we patiently work through all of this. We have a conference call with our agency tomorrow and will post an update with any news we receive during this call.

New Picture!

We had requested a new picture of Laura a few weeks ago and we just received it!! She looks a little chubby, but we are pretty sure the outfit she is wearing is too big and is making her look bigger than she is...but I always love a chubby baby!! And I love to see her so happy!!

Also, I just found out our immigration paperwork has been logged in and a case worker has been assigned to our case. These are all important steps in getting our approval! Pray things move smoothly and quickly so we are there by the end of the month!!

Update...

We received official conformation on Friday from our agency that the judicial strike is over!! Praise the Lord!! We also mailed in our immigration forms on Wednesday. We are missing the translation of one document, but our agency thought it would be better to go ahead and submit it and then send in the translation when we receive it. This way maybe the case worker can start reviewing what she has while we wait on the other document. We have been told this approval takes about a week or two...so we are still really hoping we are about 2 weeks away from going to Colombia to meet our daughter! Though, if it were at all possible, we would love to be there by next Saturday to spend her 5 month birthday with her:)

Nursery Pictures

Finally, the much awaited nursery pictures are here! Laura's crib is a really dark cherry and the letters that spell out her name are much more visible in real life:) The bedding has little bees flying around with green gingham, yellow stripes, and black checks. We have a friend that painted a great picture for over the changing table/dresser combo that will give Laura and me something to look at during diaper changes! We also have a cozy little nook with a glider, gliding ottoman, table, and lamp where we can have cuddle time, story time, and feeding time at the end of the day. She has her own bookcase (with a few of Mom's books on the bottom) that will soon be filled with books, puzzles, toys, and games. So far we have a Baby Einstein DVD, a Praise Baby DVD, and some old books from a yard sale in Kenya. We are still on the lookout for good baby books, so if you have any ideas or know of books that your kids absolutely love...please let us know! She is also starting to amass quite a few clothes. Right now Laura is sharing the closet with my extra clothes and I think we will be able to do that for a few more years...but eventually she will need the whole closet, I know! Also in the closet picture you can see a balloon from my most recent baby shower. It will not be a permanent fixture in the nursery! We are just having a great time preparing for Laura's arrival. It helps us pass the time as we wait for the time we get to meet her, hold her, and love her. And hopefully that will be sooner rather than later!!




We have an unconfirmed report that the judges strike has ended and all judges will go back to work this week. Please pray that this report is correct and we will send out an update when we have verification. Also, our immigration forms will be mailed in this week so please pray for a quick approval! It is still our desire to be in Colombia by the end of the month and it is looking more and more like this could be a reality.

Praying for travel

Just wanted to send out a quick prayer request. As most of you know, Stephanie and I have been wrapping up some of the final paperwork so that we can travel. We've also been keeping an eye on a judges strike that has been going on in Colombia. Yesterday morning, we found out that a few judges were being put in place to handle adoption cases. After we learned this, it was our understanding that we'd be able to travel as soon as our paper work was ready. Yesterday afternoon, however, we learned from our social worker that we will not be able to travel until the strike is over. A large adoption oversight organization sent out a strong recommendation that families hold off on travel until the strike is resolved. As it stands, there is no sign that the strike will end this month. Naturally, Stephanie and I were extremely disappointed to hear this news.
Specifically, we would ask that you please pray that Stephanie and I would be able to travel by the end of October. Laura is four months old, and we would love to be able to celebrate her fifth month of life with her. Thanks for your prayers.

Laura Update

The answer to the most asked question is...no, we don't have a travel date yet. The answer to the second most asked question is...the hold-up is two-fold. We are waiting on immigration approval and a resolution to the judges strike. All of the immigration rules changed in May and it is possible we are one of the first adoptive families to travel since the changes. Our agency has been working hard to understand the rule changes (that are about as clear as mud!!) to make sure everything is done properly so our approval is quick and easy. We are hoping to have all the forms turned in this week and have our provisional approval a week or two after that. Our hope is during this time the judges strike will end, but if it doesn't, we are prepared to travel anyway. This new momma and daddy really want to love on their little Laura, even if it means a longer stay in Colombia as we await the judges return!!

We also had our first baby shower last week...given by Shawn's co-workers. We had a great time and were thrilled to receive our car seat, stroller, and a large gift card to Babies R Us. We also got several cute outfits, some blankets, rattles, bottles, pacifiers, and tons of other stuff that is just so cute I don't want to put it away! I have a great time just standing in Laura's room, looking at all her little clothes, and imagining what it will be like when she is here:) The nursery should be finished in the next few days and we will post a picture or two when we are done. We are also having another shower on Tuesday (courtesy of all my girlfriends from church and Bible Study). Our friends and family have been a huge help and blessing to us these last few weeks as we prepare for Laura. We can't wait for her to meet everyone!

New Kids on the Block Concert!!

So I know everyone wants to know more about what is going on with Laura (and I promise there will be a post about that tomorrow) but I had to take a break and blog about the NKOTB concert I went to this week!! New Kids were my first band crush when I was about 10 years old and I never had a chance to go see them live. I was crazy about Jordan and had a t-shirt, big button with his picture, and all their tapes (even the Christmas one!!). When I was given the chance to go with some girlfriends to DC to see the concert this week, I just couldn't pass it up. It was crazy fun!! It was a whole stadium full of people just like my friends and me fulfilling their childhood fantasies. We all screamed for 2 hours like we were teenagers again and loved every minute. The concert was surprisingly good...they could dance and sing just like old times:) It is amazing how song lyrics come back to you when you haven't sung them in 15 years! Sometimes the audience was singing so loud you couldn't even hear the New Kids!! I felt young again until I got home at 2:30am and had to be up for work at 6:00 the next morning:) Needless to say, the next day was a looooong work day that was followed by a long nap before dinner. Even though I was mercilessly made fun of by my co-workers, I'm so glad that I went and will remember it forever:)