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:)

Preparing for Laura

Shawn and I have been very busy preparing for Laura's arrival. We have our first shower on Thursday, so we had to go make our registry on Wednesday night (and a little on Thursday night). Friday night we bought her crib and dresser/changer combo unit. Saturday we took all the furniture out of the room that is now the nursery, put together the crib, hung the curtains, and sat in the room thinking about what it will be like when Laura is in it! We also bought a glider and ottoman, put it together, and added it to the room. Today, we bought the fabric to cover the small table next to the glider and I started painting the letters spelling Laura's name that will hang on the wall above her crib. The dresser should be delivered sometime this week and then everything in the room will be done!! I had no idea a whole nursery could be finished in less than a week:)

On the paperwork front...we have started working on all the forms that need to be done before we can travel, but there are still a lot of questions. We are our agency's first family to travel since all the adoption rules changed in May, so they are working on understanding and following the new guidelines. There is also a judges strike in Colombia right now, so we are in a short holding pattern to see if that is going to resolve this week. After these things are worked out (please pray that they are worked out soon!!), we will be able to apply for our travel visas and book our tickets. So hopefully only a few more weeks until we get to give Laura a big hug and kiss from her mommy and daddy!!