One more step done!

Maybe the last one!

Well at least I thought it was. Or hope it is.

I got my homestudy update in the mail this morning and promptly mailed it off to Lincoln for apostille along with the required envelope for them to mail it to my agency in Minnesota. That's the good part!

You see, it seemed like there was nothing else that should be needed......

UNTIL......

I looked at the wording of the homestudy update.

It says, and I quote "Deana is recommended and approved to adopt a female child with Down syndrome between the ages of 36 months and 60 months" What's the big deal you ask. On April 4, 2011, Gracie turns 5 years old! 60 months! Any other time I would welcome that wonderful milestone especially when she's still in the baby house that is so good to her and not in an institution. Not this time though. Her turning 60 months old means that my homestudy has to be ammended again and most likely, so will my USCIS approval which frankly I am dreading because they usually take months to get anything done. All I can do is pray that this is all said and done by then. And that is what I'm asking you all to do with me.

When I got the first draft of my homestudy done, I never expected that it would take so long. Never expected to spend month after month waiting for word, watching international event after event happen, plane fares go up and then down and then start to go up again, and NEVER expected that my (then 3 year old) little girl would still be there at age 5.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need to celebrate that little girl's birthday at her own home.

IN NEBRASKA!

Thank you so much for any prayers you would say for Gracie and I. I appreciate it more than you know!

Hoping and praying

No news yet....Sort of

Well, I made my usual call to Silvia today. Silvia is a very nice lady who works for my agency in Minnesota. She stays in contact with the staff in Russia (mostly Moscow I think). She told me that she hasn't heard anything specific to my case. :(

What she has heard though is that the case for adoption that they've been handling went well and as of yesterday, there was one less orpan in the world. That means, if nothing else, that the judge is favorable to adoptions to Americans. I also found out that the adoption that was just granted was to a single woman. That makes it even better!

Maybe we'll hear something next week. Hoping and praying!

December 14th

December 14th

I had a dream last night. Normally, that would not be remarkable, but I very rarely remember my dreams. In fact the only times I can remember a dream vividly was when I was pregnant. Hold the presses!!!!! I have NO news like that to share although I have been known to say that I'm expecting. I am, only she's 4 1/2 and lives in Russia. I've been expecting for oh say around 15 1/2 months now. It's just a very odd coincidence I'm sure.

Anyway, back to my dream...

I got an envelope in the mail saying that my court date is set for......you guessed it,

DECEMBER 14TH

UGH!!!!!!

Please pray, pray and pray some more that December 14th holds no more significance than preparing my sweet love for her first Christmas. She can't be there that long. Simply can't!

Any DS mamas out there that have seen legs like Gracie's?

Is this common for DS or is she just a little knock kneed? It was very obvious that Gracie has low tone, but not so much that she couldn't walk fairly efficiently (although she fell several times over our 5 days). If anyone is familiar with this posture, is it something that might need treating? I do expect to take her to an orthopedist, but would like to know what I might expect.

This is from the medical report: "Sluggish posture. Valgus deformity of the tibia moderately. Flat valgus feet." I know in medical speak, it means that the top of her tibia is turned outward, but just wondering what experience anyone has had with this. Is it ignored, braced, therapied, operated on or what.......

Thanks! Oh, and if you want specifics, MARCH 14th would be great!!!!!:)