#15

There are a lot of numbers in this process...from the number of times you put finger to ink for various government agencies to the number of months you're chasing paper and then the number of weeks waiting for approvals. This is all to get on the wait list, where we are now.

Our current relevant numbers are: #1.5 (months waiting for a referral) and #15 (our place on the unofficial list).

So children...today's number is the number 15, meaning two families ahead of us received "the call" with their referrals and have now moved on to the next list (congratulations!!!), which we won't discuss yet because that is a whole new waiting game with its own batch of numbers.

We're so excited for the families who have moved on and are now waiting for court dates. That's a great place to be...having a picture and records of your new baby. It's pins & needles the rest of the way, now that you know the child matched with your family, but it's that much closer to bringing them home.

The other interesting and important thing to note for those reading who are not adopting, is the rainy season in Ethiopia. This is a difficult time in the country and one that causes most businesses to close from the end of August through the beginning of October. Unfortunately, this includes the government offices and courts - which in turn puts an abrupt halt on families waiting on a court approval in order to travel & pick up their child(ren).

When we researched the different countries that we were approved for (Nepal, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia), this little item of "closing during the rainy season" popped off the paper like you wouldn't believe! And then the more we researched Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa specifically, our response grew to of course they close for rainy season. So now we wait. We're very excited to have moved up two notches before things come to a standstill during rainy season. Hopefully our #15 will pick up its pace as we get through October/November.

Pocket-size Peppers & Family

Many months ago I posted a note that I was planting vegetables with the hopes of expanding our garden next year to include eggplant, blueberries and grapes, I believe. Well because I'm the person who always finds the silver lining, I will just say that Kai & I grow the cutest vegetables EVER. They may not be the most robust peppers in the group, but they are without a doubt, the most adorable.

I can also say that it's a good thing for Kai that we don't live in an area or time that holds the 'living off the land' platform. Poor thing would be wasting away to nothing if that was the case. I must admit though that our lunch yesterday was THE BEST pizza we've ever made. A whole lot of that had to do with the fact it included all the little guys featured above, who came straight from our balcony. And all were topped with fresh mozzarella.

As good as they were, our tomatoes will never taste as good as my grandparents'. Their garden was bigger than our entire house and backyard combined. My grandpa & I would pick fresh tomatoes and beans, bring them inside to grandma who would then slice, dice & season. All of this on the side of a fresh macaroni salad with sun-brewed ice tea from the yard. OMG - amazing!

In fact, when I told my g-ma that we were growing our own tomato plants, her first question was "Oh, so you're going to start canning?" At which point I burst into immediate laughter. I don't have the heart to show her the size of our tomatoes. I think the fact that we have to include a quarter to show relative size in our photos says it all. It's so much fun though - and the best part is that they're growing like crazy! Not bigger...just a whole slew of them all this size.

On another note, more book reviews coming soon. I finished two more, but have issues with my camera (hence, the vegetable post)

Lastly, I joined a gym and am completely rocking it out. This is the first time (and there have been MANY gyms in my past) that I'm excited when I get there and am already looking forward to the next time as I exit. A huge inspiration was our last visit to Kai's parents. My mother in law is in amazing shape and exudes the healthy glow so many strive for. I realized then that I need to get in gear. If she can fit the gym & dance classes into her schedule, ANYONE can. So...no more excuses.
I'm lovin' it!

One Month on the Wait List

Yesterday, 8/10/09, marked one month on the official Wait List. I still don't know if this term is one word or two. Maybe it's hyphenated. For the purposes of our blog today, I will list it as two with each being capitalized...and for no reason at all, I will use the italic feature.

So the stand-out moment over the past two weeks has to be (free) floor seats to AC/DC and seeing Angus' sweat, smile and talent so up close and personal that I thought my head blew off my body when the techs set off the confetti cannon. Little did I know, it was strategically positioned directly under the stage on our side and programmed loud enough to be heard in the upper deck of Giants Stadium. I think my earplugs landed three seats to my left. A good time was had by all.

Okay, back to the adoption world...my follow up appointment for travel shots was at 8:30am today. When I had my initial Hep A shot in February, I was instructed to make the follow up for sometime in August. Sometime in August?! That's six months away - two full seasons from now!!! That was one of the moments I realized what a long and winding road lies ahead.

So, it's now August. Today's travel shots included: Polio and the second/final Hep A with a prescription for Typhoid. The Typhoid prescription consists of a refrigerated medication taken every other day for 8 days. October brings round three: Yellow Fever, Meningitis and Tetanus. Because Addis Ababa is not a high risk Malaria zone, my doctor suggested having a Malaria prescription on hand but only to take if necessary. You see, if we are fortunate enough to receive any information on the baby's birth village and/or family - we most definitely plan to visit that area and/or family. It's very possible that village is in a remote area far from Addis, which may require the meds.

To note for families reading this for informational purposes for their current or upcoming adoptions...These vaccines are not crucial to do so early in the Wait List process. Some families get their vaccines much closer to their travel dates. On the advice of our doctors, we began our vaccines early. If for no other reason than to simply avoid sore arms and a pile of side effects close to our travel date, should any effects occur at all.