I'm still here. Blogging takes two things I don't have much of lately: time and energy.
I'm not a fast blogger. It takes me a while to type out a post, so unless I have a good stretch of time (and energy to stay awake!), I don't even try.
Facebook is much more my speed. A one line status report works better for me. So, I thought I'd share a few and maybe give a little background.
Juli doesn't think two hour naps are worth the night we had last night.
~Tristan took a marathon nap yesterday afternoon. I was thrilled. The kid usually naps for 40 minutes tops. Last night, however, was miserable. He was up repeatedly and stayed up from about 6:30 on.
Juli hates mosquitoes with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength.
~Mosquitoes LOVE me. I usually scrath a mosquito bite until it bleeds. Poor Tristan got 6 mosquito bites in 30 minutes yesterday in our backyard. It's one thing if the little devils mess with me, but when they mess with my baby, I get angry!
Juli may need to come up with a new plan for eradicating grey hairs. My current plan (rip the suckers out) just may leave me bald soon.
~Ummm enough said. It is sad.
In other news...
Noah and Samuel are doing awesome. They are getting so tall. And so loud. I think they may be out of their shells now. Thank God they sleep well! I need a break from all that constant energy. They are still taking 1 1/2 - 2 hour long naps, too. They are eating more and more foods and I would no longer call them picky. They are pretty daring and eat a variety of foods that most kids won't touch. Last night at dinner Samuel said, "I loooove green beans."
Noah is doing #2 pretty consistently on the toilet and is beginning to let us know when he is going #1. Sometimes he will ask to go #1 on the toilet. Samuel has almost no interest in going on the toilet. He's not afraid of it - he will sit there. I think what gets him on the toilet is the possibility of being rewarded for it. Currently the boys are allowed candy and a Cars pull-up with they go #2 on the potty. We don't really have a #1 reward because there's not much interest in #1. I know, I know, you didn't really want to read about potty training!
We've had a lot of "stuff" going on here, and when I can post about it I will. I've been spending a lot of time praying and trying to stay close to God through it all and I think I'm succeeding with that.
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)
6 comments:
Glad to have you back!
Hey Chuck,
Good to see you post. You have a natural knack for writing...that from an old English teacher. (This means I have read a lot of writing in my time and I enjoy reading yours.) :)
Love,
The Judemeister
PS: Am keeping you in my prayers!
Juli,
You know our situation with Noah. Please give me in put about interest in the toilet at all. Noah will be 6 in October and starting kindergarten in the fall. I can't do this anymore. I am so frustrated.
Noah just doesn't care weather he is wet or dry. Soiled or not.
Do you set a timer, and when the timer goes off just take the boys to the potty? What is your schedule?
If I wake up before Noah he wakes up dry and he goes in the potty. Otherwise he wets the bed every night and I am doing laundry all the time.
Please anyone reading this give me in put. Noah is special needs and I need help and ideas. Thanks so much.
I will keep checking back for ideas. Or you can email me at shawnandkate08@q.com
Juli, hope you don't care. I know that you probably know way more mommies than I do.
Thanks.
Woo hoo for good eating and good pottying!
Hey Kate... I really don't have any advice to offer. Our current plan of potty training with our Noah is to put him on the potty when he asks to go. He wants to do #2 on the potty. And he's really into getting rewarded for it. Samuel, on the other hand, has no interest whatsoever. He wants a Cars pull up and candy bad, but not bad enough to go on the potty. Every once in a while (usually right after Noah has been rewarded) Samuel will ask to go on the potty. But he hasn't gone #2 in the potty yet. I'm really hoping some other moms can give you some direction... The only 'good' advice I feel I've been given comes from moms of 3 or more kids and they all tell me that it is futile to 'potty train,' that kids just do it when they are ready. That's the approach I'm taking, though I do ask Samuel all the time if he wants to go on the potty. And he always says NO.
Mom, you are too funny. Chuck didn't write this post, I did!
Post a Comment