Time, both swift and slow

Then

NowTime has been at a standstill for so many months it has come as a bit of shock to the system to see September fly by at the speed of light...hoping this pace continues until travel time and then S...L...O...W....S....right down again once that sweet boy is in my arms.

In the meantime it has been noticed that I have not had much to say for a couple of weeks...

It's been busy...
Here is a bit of a September recap...

Adoption Land

Referral Sept 2 for a sweet baby boy born June 3rd

Hard copy arrived by Purolator Sept 5th

Visited Doctor, Social worker, filled out paperwork

Paperwork back to Agency by the 12th

In the meantime, my travel-mate-to-be announced that she is pregnant. After we have waited for our referrals together for YEARS. There is joy at the pregnancy news mixed with adoption grief. In Ontario pregnancy means you can not complete your adoption. Adoption files must go on hold until the birth child reaches a year of age.

So, my acceptance paperwork and the paperwork of 2 fellow waiting parents is held at the agency while the 4th referral is reassigned to the next paper-ready waiting family.

All 4 referral acceptances will be forwarded to Vietnam as a group this coming week.

Then we wait. Again. This time we know exactly what, and who, we are waiting for. Wait to travel will probably be another 3 months and will very likely take me into 2009. I'm hoping for December travel but I'm trying to be realistic.

Another group of families received their Letter of Invitation to travel and they will leave to be united with their sons and daughters in another week or so at Benjaminh's orphanage. The Vietnam Program director will be traveling with them and I hope she is able to cuddle sweet Benjaminh, snap some new photos and if I'm really lucky perhaps forward updated measurements.

5 additional families have been matched to babies in Benjaminh's orphanage and they wait, on the edge of their seats, for official referrals. Perhaps these referrals will arrive back with the orphanage director in October.

Nesting and Preparing for Benjaminh

Bought diapers for travel (size 3), great sale at Price Chopper...

Crib building and gate installation next weekend....

Completed my registry last night...Babies r us

and a second registry for cloth diapers is pending at an Ottawa based distributor.

School

The year is underway.

I'm in the Library working as the Librarian.

Not into it at all.

Except the part where I buy books using the corporate credit card.

This too shall pass...in about 3 months I'm guessing.

Home and Family

My mom had back surgery on Sept. 3rd and is pain free and feeling great for the first time in 4 or 5 years.

Canadian Thanksgiving mid October...a beautiful fall weekend at the lake and dinner for 20+ extended family members.

Nephew number 2 is expected in mid-November.

Hardwood and ceramic floors are being installed at my place in November.

Cleaning and de-cluttering is being ignored...right this second.

So there you have it.

The sun is shining, better get to work on preparing the yard for winter...

or perhaps I'll read a book in the sun.

You know that time of day,

late in the summer evening,

the sun shines brightly through your sliding glass doors,

glinting brightly off the chrome and black kitchen surfaces,

reflecting brilliantly off the freshly scrubbed floors???

Yeah, me neither.

Looking forward to seeing baby prints in the dust.

Late afternoon sun

shining brightly upon a dust creator...

One adoptive parent must be a Canadian citizen in order for the adopted child to be granted citizenship...

Well my friends, I am, apparently, Canadian.

This coming from a Canadian born always lived in Canada and hasn't traveled out of North America type of girl might seem obvious to you.

Not so obvious to the immigration team working in Sydney Nova Scotia.

I rushed about on a beautiful June day getting certified true copies of 3 pieces on my Identification (passport, driver's licence, birth certificate).

Several dozens of minutes on hold, a few invigorating conversations with the Immigration call centre about time lines and 3 months later the "estimated 2 week turnaround" has turned around...

Everything is out of my hands now.
Next- Ontario reviews my adoption approval and Benjaminh's referral paperwork and issues a letter called the LONO (Letter 0f N0 0bjecti0n)
Vietnam processes my Dossier and Benjaminh's Dossier and eventually issues a LOI (Letter of Invitation)
I travel to my son's birth Country and meet my sweet Benjaminh.

For now?
I wait.
With a big sloppy grin on my face while I stare at the brand new 8x10 I had printed on the weekend.

All Done!

I took the day off yesterday to get my referral acceptance paperwork together. I felt a bit guilty for taking a full day for something that might take an hour or two but signed on a supply teacher for a full day despite my feelings of guilt.

I should have known better.

You would think that after 28+ months in the adoption race I would realize that all perceived time lines must be multiplied by an unknown value. Never, never zero, never 1 and very seldom 2 or 3.

Don't ask what took so long. Just know that I was up at 8 to drive over to see my Adoption Practitioner and my paperwork was at the purolator depot by 7pm...

and then I promptly went shopping.

For Benjaminh.

For the first time I bought a few coordinating clothing items with a baby's little face and body type tucked into the corner of my mind. I shopped for travel. Travel to Vietnam that will likely happen when it is on the colder side (for Vietnam).

3 long sleeved 6-12 month onesies in various baby/blue chocolate brown patterns and two pairs of track pants, one baby blue, one chocolate brown. All from Gymboree's newest monkey line of course.

And I learned about Gym Bucks. I got me some Gym Bucks of my very own. Gym Bucks could prove to be my newest addiction.

First Doctor Visit

Took my sweet boy to the doctor today...
in a purolator envelope.
He's perfect...
but I already knew that.

Wednesday,
Adoption Practioner.

I will accept this referral unconditionally.
He was mine the moment I saw his face...
Tuesday June 24th, 2008
8:10 a.m.

Joy and Pain

As I gaze endlessly at an 8x10 computer generated copy of sweet Benjaminh relaxing in a hammock I feel intense joy. At times over-whelming. I stare at a photo of tiny curled toes and long slender fingers. Imagine his little elfin ear hiding behing his raised arm. Dream about his baby smile and belly giggle. I know the details of this new picture. Finger tips woven through the bright green mesh. This sweet 3 month old baby boy.

I know every detail of the other 12 pictures as well. The early pictures. The little red cumberbund tied around his 19 day old middle. His little sock covered hands. Tiny cheek scratches. A red eye that worried me for days before he was ever really mine to worry about.

The stork visited me at 9am today. In the school office. The stork delived my future right into my quivering hands.

And now, today, I know a few details of Benjaminh's story. I know exactly what I was doing at the moment Benjaminh lost his first family. I've read the documents that set out a chain of events in black and white. Benjaminh's chain of life. Benjaminh's story to tell, someday, if he wants to.

While I sit here feeling intense joy I simultaneously sit here imagining the unbeliveable pain of a birth family on the other side of the world.

Joy and pain, tears of happiness and sorrow, wrapped up tight in a 4.7 kilo package.

Sweetness set to music...

I really have no idea if this youtube upload will work.
Never done it before.
If it does not work I'm sure someone will tell me and I will keep trying...

Click here