First Weekend of the "Summer"

Names...just for kicks

Brad and I think we have settled on a first name for our baby girl from Ethiopia (wouldn't you love to know what it is?). However, we are in the process of choosing a middle name. I'm going to list a few that I like and I'd love to get your feedback!

Rose (my sister's middle name)
Ruth (though we had planned on naming our China baby Lily Ruth)
Helen (Brad's mom's middle name and his grandmother's first name)
Helena
Esther
Naomi
Maeve (Brad says he's going to veto this one but I still love it!)
Belle
Mignon (min-YAHN...it's French for "pretty")
Finn (I'm only so-so on this one.)

Do you have any suggestions or are you wild about any of these?

Unless you call out, who will open the door?

We called out to God to open the door for a child to come into our family. Well, Zeke broke the door down! And now, we want to invite another child into our family and we are turning to Ethiopia. The title of this post is an Ethiopian proverb. We have started the process of opening the door by submitting our application today to America World Adoption Agency. We are so excited! We are requesting a healthy baby girl. We feel very strongly that Zeke needs a sibling. If you met him, you'll understand why I say that. He's so social and loves being around other children. I know he will be an excellent big brother! You probably have some questions about the process...here are some answers:

*How long will it take to compile your dossier? The agency advises it will take 6 months. That was the same timeline we were given for China but I got it done in about 3 months. So, we'll see. Let's split the difference and say 4 and a half months.
*Once your dossier goes to Ethiopia, how long before you are matched with a child (i.e. receive your referral)? We are requesting a healthy baby girl. Current wait time is about 12 months to be matched with a baby girl. I'm going to say 18 months just to be safe. If we get our dossier to Ethiopia by October of this year, I expect we would get a referral in the first half of 2011. I'm giving you very conservative time frames that are longer than our agency is projecting. It's better to anticipate a longer wait and then be pleasantly surprised if it's shorter.
*How long until you travel to get your child after you're matched to a baby? The wait is approximately 6 weeks. After your get your referral, you must "pass court" in Ethiopia. Court is closed at different times of the year for holidays and for other reasons. So, the 6 weeks is approximate. Still, that's WAY better than what we experienced with Vietnam so I've got no complaints.
*So, what's your timeline? Conservatively, I would expect to have our baby home in late spring/summer 2011 (Zeke would be 3.5 years old...the baby would probably be 6 months old...PERFECT!). Optimistically, I'd say late 2010/early 2011. I'll have a better idea after I see how long it takes to get our dossier to Ethiopia.

I'll close with another Ethiopian proverb: Anticipate the good so that you may enjoy it. Amen.

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day!

Mother's Day was so special! I was getting out of the shower and I heard a light knock on the bathroom door. I opened it up and there was my beloved Zeke. He was holding my mother's day card. He had colored all over it. It was perfect! I am so totally in love with this little boy and I feel blessed beyond belief to have him as my own. It's hard to imagine loving another child the way I love Zeke but I know that when we bring home baby #2 (whenever that happens!), our hearts will expand to envelop that dear child. I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, whether it was basking in the love of your children or dreaming of the day you hold your child for the first time.

Batter Up!

Shots before and during a recent Cards game.

Warmer Weather

The weather is getting warmer each week and we love it! Zeke LOVES being outside so it's been fun to be outside with him. We took him to his first baseball game a couple of weekends ago. He enjoyed the first couple of innings and I had him all decked out in his baseball gear. I will post photos soon. Hope you have a chance to enjoy the great weather!!

Weed and Court Visit--Photos

Missy's sister Weed and friend Court are in town. Here are some photos from the adventure files.

We are weaning off the plug but it's a still a "must have" in the car.

The Office trivia game was fun. (That's what she said.)

Little Bud got some love.

Missy, Court and Rachel chillin' at Mudlounge.

Auntie Weed and Zeke.