I think I'm back...sort of

Well. It's almost the new year and there has been way too much going on for me to wait any longer. I am starting this entry on Saturday evening for fear that I will be adding to it for the next few days. First off, an update on my mom: This abdominal abscess (as it was termed by the doctor) ended up being a mess. My mom was in the hospital for what turned into 9 days! Then once she returned home, she wasn't able to get upstairs for about a week or and even then she wasn't able to get into her own bed (she was sleeping in my g-ma's hospital bed, how thankful we are for small blessings), for another few weeks after that. But, it got worse. She went into the doctor for her 10 day checkup and the discharge nurses left a part of a sponge in from a dressing that was in her wound and her skin was healing around it, so, he (the doctor) scheduled another operation to take it out. While in there doin' his thing, he attempted to stitch up her abdominal wall, 'cause it looked a little weak and he doesn't want her to develop a hernia. This second operation took almost 2 hours and seemed to put her back to almost the beginning. She was able to walk up stairs the next day, but just recently was able to get into her own bed. This has been sheer craziness.

Adoption news: I had an interesting last couple of days. Through a friend of a friend (i.e. Yahoo group) I was introduced to the waiting child network. Now, I know such a network existed, maybe network isn't the best word for it, but I never really looked into it. (I had done random searches in the past and the children seemed to be much older than I feel I am ready for, in their teens and such, or they had severe health problems, that I feel unable and unqualified to care for.) Along with that, I was really set on adopting a 'baby' and seeing all the firsts that go along with being a first-time mommy. Buuuut, I did a statewide search and saw the most precious child listed on a site in another state and my Thursday evening and Friday morning were full of calling from the West coast to the East coast to get information. I realized my International homestudy will not qualify so I need to get a domestic one, however I need a specific agency that will work with what is called the Interstate Compact and that was not an easy combo to find. However, just when I was feeling slightly ready to cry and/or give up, I called one last agency and they do both. The Director/SW is out of the office until Wednesday, as is my whole agency, so here I wait. We really must do something about this. The adoption world is filled with far too much waiting. Over my break from blogging my good friend had a new baby girl, Addison Reese, she's too cute for words, but I only heard her say she was tired of waiting the last month or so of her pregnancy, she kept saying. 'it hasn't been too bad', or, 'it doesn't seem like it's really been that long, I've just been so busy'. Well, I think, 'I have been busy too and yet this adoption seems to be taking forever'. I know, it could be worse, but this doesn't seem like the best right now. But, on to more positive things. Here I wait until Wednesday, where I have never been more anxious for it to be Wednesday! I will call my agency first to see if they are licensed to do domestic adoptions, hopefully the answer is yes and my SW can hustle, like in 2 days or less, and complete a domestic homestudy for way less than a new one would cost. Either way, the agency that will help me domestically has said they can complete my homestudy within a week. Since my mom has been healing and I have been the on-call nurse my g-ma has been with my aunt. This will help this homestudy along, because I won't have g-ma connected with it. (Recall fingerprinting issues this summer...grrr) As long as that doesn't send up some type of red flag anywhere. It shouldn't, none of these government offices seem to communicate with each other anyway.

Okay, back to the waiting child: It's a little girl, she's under 5 years old and as cute as can stinkin' be! I have contacted the state she is located in and she is still available. The write-up on her didn't mention any health problems or disabilities, but I'll know more when my domestic homestudy is complete. My other hope/wish/prayer is that the SW will be able to communicate with the state this little girl is in and maybe explain my interest. Some of the children listed on the sites had a hold on them. I'm guessing there was a family interested and/or in the process of adopting them. I still have a lot of assumptions, since I am learning as I go. I have found that domestic adoption, especially through the foster system is thousands less than international. I'm not ready to let go of adopting from Vietnam (mainly because I don't want to mourn that loss, it hurts too much, and I fell I have gone so far, I don't want to stop short), but financially I may have to see what the future holds. In talking to my local dss, the woman I spoke with (who was a little unfriendly at times, maybe she spent too much time with her in-laws over the holidays), mentioned that there are many more babies available through the foster care system than there used to be. She said many times there are low-risk placements, that have a very low chance of the child being returned to their birth mother/family. The example she gave is of the woman who delivers baby #7 when her other 6 have already been taken away and all her family resources are exhausted. The likelihood of her cleaning up her act would be rare. This woman also explained that the state only charges $500 at the finalization as a homestudy fee. I know, I was shocked. I have been saving for Vietnam for months, yet, I think I could scramble up $500! So this will definitely be a path I take in the future.

I think I have rambled on enough, and my fingers are a little numb (too much typing), I'm super excited to see what the future holds, I should have a lot more to say by the end of this week!!!!!

One more thing: I am slowly catching up on every one's blogs and I was so tearful and excited to see all the families that have received referrals, traveled or are traveling any day now. I couldn't be happier to read such great news. I am so pro adoption, now more than ever, and I smile every time I think of the many families that are made through adoption. Happy New Year everyone! Let's make 2007 great and bring home our children this year.