Today Tristan is 10 weeks old! I can't believe how the time has flown. He is such a joy. His little baby smile just melts my heart. And my heart breaks when I see him in pain from his reflux. I just thank God for choosing me to be his mommy.
10 weeks old has special sentiment for me because we committed to adopt the twins when they were just 10 weeks old. As I look at Tristan, I can't believe that the boys were that small when we first began their adoption. In fact, they were probably smaller since Tristan is a chunk.
10 weeks has also put a good distance between me and my horrible c-section experience. God has healed my body and continues to mend my heart. I'm not sure I'll really ever get over being in so much pain that I couldn't be excited about seeing Tristan for the first time. That still breaks my heart to think about it. Only a handful of people saw me in those first few hours and days after giving birth and they know how wrecked I was over the whole thing. In fact, our childbirth class teacher was in the hospital and saw me the day after Tristan was born. As I told her of my experience I broke down crying. I'm now taking an infant massage class with her and she has mentioned a few times what a hard time I had early on and has asked with genuine concern how I'm doing now. I rarely let my feelings show like that, so you know I was in bad shape if I was letting it all hang out like that.
The truth is that time does heal. Yes, I remember the pain, but it's not so glaring anymore. The same is true of the adoption. We had a long, harrowing, painful wait. But now that the boys are home, that pain is distant. It's still there and I pray I never forget so that I can stand alongside other adopting friends, but it is definitely a distant pain.
This blog was created to share information about bringing our boys home from Haiti. Now that they are home and we've had a baby, we share the day to day craziness that we now call life.
About Us
- Juli
- Mom to three fantastic little boys: Noah and Samuel, 6 year old twins, born in Haiti, who've been with our family since 9/08 and Tristan, our 4 year old handful! God's moved us all over the country and continues to move in our hearts.
Not a Surprise...
Chuck and I have noticed that most people make the assumption that Tristan was a surprise. You know, the idea of, "adopt a child and you'll end up pregnant." While that may be true for some, that is not the case for us. Believe it or not, Tristan was planned. At the time of his conception we were unsure our adoption would ever complete and we decided to stop putting our family on hold. God saw fit to bless us with Tristan, Noah and Samuel all at the same time! While the transition into parenthood was not easy for us, we trust that God knew what He was doing!
April 21, 2009
Brothers
Noah and Samuel, 3 years old
Samuel and Noah at 2 years old
Tristan, 5 months
Tristan, 5 weeks old
Noah and Samuel at 21 months.
Noah at 19 months.
Samuel at 19 months.
Samuel and Noah at 11 months old.
Our Timeline
May 2005 - God began speaking to us individually about adoption.
July 2005 - Decided to move forward with adopting from Haiti.
October 2005 - Applied to adopt through an orphanage.
November 8, 2005 - Approved to adopt through chosen orphanage.
January 19, 2006 - Committed to adopt the boys.
May 15, 2006 - Dossier arrived in Haiti.
July 14, 2006 - Dossier submitted to IBESR.
January 23, 2007 - Dossier exited IBESR.
September 21, 2007 - Exited Parquet.
October 2007 - Received Judgment Granted.
December 2007 - 2nd Legalization completed, which means Noah and Samuel's adoptions are complete. They are ours!!
March 2008 - Finally receive all needed documents from Archives.
March 13, 2008 - Birth parent interview completed.
Late March, 2008 - Submitted to MOI.
May 20, 2008 - Confirmed that our updated fingerprints have reached the USCIS office in Port au Prince.
May 20, 2008 - Received word that our MOI long form has been completed.
June 24, 2008 - Received MOI approval.
July 10, 2008 - Received word that Samuel's passport has been printed.
July 16, 2008 - Received word that Noah's passport has been printed.
July 25, 2008- Confirmed that our passports were presented to the USCIS office in Port au Prince and that out I-600 file has been approved.
July 26, 2008 - Emailed our request for the boys' visa appointment.
July 31, 2008 - Emailed 2nd request for boys' visa appointment.
August 4, 2008 - Spoke with the Embassy, awaiting email confirmation of visa appointment.
August 5, 2008 - Email confirmation of visa appointment received. Our appointment is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 12th.
August 12, 2008 - The visa appointment went well! Visas should be ready tomorrow.
August 13, 2008 - The visas are in hand and the boys CAN COME HOME!!
August 15, 2008 - Baby brother Tristan was born.
September 1, 2008 - Flew to Miami and spent the night.
September 2, 2008 - Woke very early only to learn that our flight to Haiti was cancelled due to Hurricane Hanna hitting Haiti. We spent the next few days visiting friends and family in Florida.
September 5, 2008 - The boys are HOME!! However, we are stuck in Miami for the night because Hurricane Hanna hit Virginia, too, and our flight home was cancelled. Hoping to get home tomorrow.
September 6, 2008 - We are FINALLY home. To God be all the glory!
July 2005 - Decided to move forward with adopting from Haiti.
October 2005 - Applied to adopt through an orphanage.
November 8, 2005 - Approved to adopt through chosen orphanage.
January 19, 2006 - Committed to adopt the boys.
May 15, 2006 - Dossier arrived in Haiti.
July 14, 2006 - Dossier submitted to IBESR.
January 23, 2007 - Dossier exited IBESR.
September 21, 2007 - Exited Parquet.
October 2007 - Received Judgment Granted.
December 2007 - 2nd Legalization completed, which means Noah and Samuel's adoptions are complete. They are ours!!
March 2008 - Finally receive all needed documents from Archives.
March 13, 2008 - Birth parent interview completed.
Late March, 2008 - Submitted to MOI.
May 20, 2008 - Confirmed that our updated fingerprints have reached the USCIS office in Port au Prince.
May 20, 2008 - Received word that our MOI long form has been completed.
June 24, 2008 - Received MOI approval.
July 10, 2008 - Received word that Samuel's passport has been printed.
July 16, 2008 - Received word that Noah's passport has been printed.
July 25, 2008- Confirmed that our passports were presented to the USCIS office in Port au Prince and that out I-600 file has been approved.
July 26, 2008 - Emailed our request for the boys' visa appointment.
July 31, 2008 - Emailed 2nd request for boys' visa appointment.
August 4, 2008 - Spoke with the Embassy, awaiting email confirmation of visa appointment.
August 5, 2008 - Email confirmation of visa appointment received. Our appointment is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 12th.
August 12, 2008 - The visa appointment went well! Visas should be ready tomorrow.
August 13, 2008 - The visas are in hand and the boys CAN COME HOME!!
August 15, 2008 - Baby brother Tristan was born.
September 1, 2008 - Flew to Miami and spent the night.
September 2, 2008 - Woke very early only to learn that our flight to Haiti was cancelled due to Hurricane Hanna hitting Haiti. We spent the next few days visiting friends and family in Florida.
September 5, 2008 - The boys are HOME!! However, we are stuck in Miami for the night because Hurricane Hanna hit Virginia, too, and our flight home was cancelled. Hoping to get home tomorrow.
September 6, 2008 - We are FINALLY home. To God be all the glory!
Labels
- Pregnancy (40)
5 comments:
thanks for sharing. i look forward to the day when the pain of this wait is a thing of the past, something i remember but no longer anguish about every day!
As limited as my knowledge of you was and is, at that moment in the hospital when you shared your delivery story, I knew exactly how bad it had to have been. I grieve your experience. I remember sharing my 26-year-old birthing experience and knowing what that means to me, even today. Yours already means as much to you and will fade into a loving sacrifice memory and something you wouldn't change for the world. I don't know how, but those things, by God's grace, get integrated into some sort of positive growth. God is Great, and I am so grateful for each of those experiences, painful or joyful, or the best - mixed!
Does it help to set T. upright for 45 minutes after he eats? Thankfully he should outgrow it in a few months but it can be hard at first. We went through it with Jasmine complicated by a cleft palate and lip. There was no lasting damage or side effect though. Hoping it passes quickly for T. and you.
Oh, how I miss Tristan, Samuel, and Noah. Each one of them is so different and so special. Can't wait for Christmas when I can see them all again. They are such a wonderful blessing for this grandma's eyes and heart.
All my love,
Mom
Time does heal.
I cannot believe he is 10 weeks!!
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