The Fat Lady Has Sung

Remember how I posted that 2 families from my agency got the go ahead to file their I600s for their referrals in Phu Tho?  Remember that the remaining 4 cases were dependant on the outcome of these cases?  Turns out that is another thing that just isn’t true.  I got the official word from my agency on Friday that our referral will not be processed.  This from an email from the Embassy:

Eric Alexander, Consular Chief, met with officials in Phu Tho this week and reached an agreement that will enable the Service to finish adjudication of the pending Phu Tho cases that have been filed with this office.  Officials of Phu Tho and Dr. Long stated that these would be the only cases completed and that the United States is still barred from adopting children in this province.  Because of the ban imposed by the government of Vietnam, this office will not accept any new petitions from Phu Tho.

I am not surprised by this news.  I said good-bye in my heart awhile ago as I have known this baby wasn’t coming home for months and months.  I hadn’t looked at her picture in a long time but pulled it out on Friday and said my final good-bye and wished her my love.  Although I was saddened to hear the news I was actually relieved that the door is officially closed.  Limbo is hell.  Now I can fully move on.  I feel quite sure this baby is already babbling in Italian or French by now.  I think she probably left the orphanage awhile ago.

So now, it’s a new road to baby!  Probably a domestic road.  Since we are still trying to sell our home (yes, 6 months later) I am not going to update our homestudy until we move.  Domestic is scary but I am looking forward to getting started.  I think I need to come up with a new blog title and look.  A fresh start.  I am open to all types of suggestions, agency recommendations, sites for cool blog templates, etc.  I plan to start my Etsy Friday’s again.  It seems that was well liked. 

Thank you to everyone who still visits my blog and has emailed me personally to check in.  You guys are awesome. 

Etsy Friday

Let’s just pretend, shall we?

This is Sanfran.  I think a few of these may end up in my new nursery.  Wonderful!

Here is a really cute flat style for $20. 

This is Absoluut.  This seller has very cool pillows for a very fair price and it also goes VERY well with tonic.

Cute bird bib, anyone?  This Bean Pickle Sprout. 

This is Little Girl Pearl.   I really like the combination of fabrics that are used in several of the dresses. 

This is Mot and Dot.  Custom Art for Kids.  Each of the prints they have are customizable!  Skin color, eye color, hair color, etc.  There are choices for a princess, super hero, cowboy, pirate, soilder, astronaut, and my favorite — wrestler!

This is Jennifer Ladd.  An AP who adopted her little girl from Phu Tho!  Hi Jennifer.  Very cute bib sets.

And what would an Etsy Friday be without end with cute shoes?  How about some cute reversible shoes?  For $2.99!  Crazy.

This is Coffee Lady.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.   Thanks for stopping by.

Etsy Friday

I love paper.  I say I am a scrapbooker so I can buy tons of it but I don’t really accomplish much.  I just love it and all the embellishments that go with it.  Today’s post is all about paper.

I am starting with my fantasy (well concerning paper, that is).  Beautiful letterpress calling cards.  For the “ladies that lunch” in all of us.  This is Invited Ink.  Lovely. 

 Next is Enfin, La Voila.  I love these whimsical note cards.  These are a couple of my favorites.  This is “Bad Hair Day”.

And this is a really cool “Save the Date” card.

Here is Jengs Shop.  I love her nature inspired designs. 

I think I may have highlighted this seller before but I am too lazy to save this post and go look.  So if I have repeated myself.  Sorry!  This is Modern Printed Matter.  And really, it is. 

Totally retro calling card.

Awesome personalized notes.

Tags?  Embellishments?  We got ‘em.

The Paper Pixie.

Creative Paper Trail.

Foxy Cropper.

This is Pacokeco.  Cute!

And for those of you who have had enough paper. 

Both by Funky Shapes.

Post finished.  Phew - I made it.  11:45 p.m.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Etsy Friday

Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments to my last post.  It is a great big world out there filled with really nice, caring people.  Thanks, again.

This is Gypsy & Twink.  Talk about cute creatures cut out of wood!

This is Bella Sera Baby.  I think these jackets are the cutest things, ever!

I really like this artist.  I seems most of the work I am attracted to lately looks like illustrations from children’s books.  This is Stephanie Fizer.  Cute and quirky!

Organic, modern, metal by Rachael Sudlow!  Check out this cute necklaces.

And what would Etsy Friday be without some cute baby shoes?  This is Joujoux Boutique.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks again for being so kind and supportive.

You People Rock!

I can’t believe anyone still checks my blog.  I haven’t posted in months and still I get daily visitors and comments from readers.  It is truly amazing.  Thank you all!

A lot has been happening in my world and a lot has NOT been happening in my world.  Let’s start with what is NOT happening (at least not yet).  The adoption.  You may or may not know that my referral is from Phu Tho.  I am probably one of the last people in the U.S. (along with a few others from my agency) that received a referral from Phu Tho.  I received my referral on November 1st and the DIA stopped referring children from Phu Tho (and Thai Nguyen) on November 5th except for the ones that were already in process.  I have to say that receiving my referral right in the middle of the turmoil that was raging was very stressful and quashed a lot of the joy.  Since that time it has only gotten worse.  Around this same time I received my referral the USCIS changed the way the I600 was filed.  Since we are now required to file for the baby’s visa before we have actually adopted said baby, the province now needs to provide a Consent to Adopt (CTA) which, along with the baby’s dossier and other paperwork has to be filed with the I600 application.  Since November, Phu Tho has refused to release this document to me or any of the other families with PT referrals.  In January, Phu Tho decided to release CTAs to 2 of the waiting families.  Why they picked these 2 referrals to “release” is a mystery, especially considering these families received their referrals after I did.  These families have filed their I600 and are now awaiting the USCIS/DoS determination.  Phu Tho informed our agency that the releasing of the remaining CTAs would be dependent on the determination of these 2 other family’s applications. 

So, here we are.  Three months later and not one step closer to adopting this child.  Do I feel like I will actually bring home this baby?  Not really but anything is possible.  I wonder if this baby is still in the orphanage.  I have been told she is.  I have asked for updated photos and to date have not received them.  I have asked again and will see what comes of it.  Do I feel like we will bring any baby home from Vietnam?  Maybe.  Will I ask any more questions in this annoying manner?  Probably.

So there it is.  The story as I know it.  Make of it what you will.  I have lots of feelings and opinions on this situation (most of which shouldn’t be and won’t be shared at this time) and after reading this, I am sure you will too.  I have put off posting this information because I know there is a very strong possibility that my situation, such as it is, will be used as fodder for a few self proclaimed Vietnam authorities out there so that they can further their own  personal agenda.  Stay tuned!  You may soon be reading about me on a Vietnam Adoption message board!  Anyway, I am taking the risk of “backlash” because I started a story here back in March of 2007 and intend to keep telling it.  Who knows where it will go at this point?  I know there is a baby out there somewhere for me and my husband.  She may not be the baby we think she is or even where we think she is but I know she’s out there.  I hope you keep checking in to see how this story turns out.

Now on to the other stuff that IS happening.  My husband, aka Schmoopie, got a great new job in “another Texas city” so that means we have to move.  Our house is currently on the market and we will move once it sells.  This is a great thing (my family lives in this “other” city) but it is a pain to have a house on the market, I miss my husband during the week and it is sad that future baby will never spend a night in the nursery I had such a good time creating.  Of course this just means I get to create it all over again and that is okay.  I love decorating and all the shopping that goes with it doesn’t suck so it isn’t too much of a hardship.  In other words, don’t cry for me, Argentina!

Thank you again for continuing to check in on me here in my little piece of the blogosphere.  I plan to start posting again on a regular basis.  Thanks for sticking with me.  I will leave you with a picture of my cute but lonely little nursery.

Let Them Eat Cake

Yesterday was my goddaughter’s 1st birthday.  There was just the right balance of kids to adults and adults to alcohol.  Not to mention the weather was divine.  I got a few good shots (I should have — I took 120 of them) and thought I would share.  Here is the sequence of events.

First, not so sure she likes this “party thing”:

 Wait, there’s cake - this might not be so bad.  In fact, I think it might be love …

 

The first tentative touch:

Seriously eating a strawberry:

Okay, now this is feeling pretty good …

And finally, pure joy.  Because really, who wouldn’t want to enjoy cake like this?  Especially while wearing a tiara.

And finally, this picture is especially for my blog friend ‘e’ over at Looking for George.  Because although you can’t really know someone from the internet (notice I didn’t capitalize the word!), I feel confident in the fact that she will enjoy this particular photo.  If my other readers don’t “get it” you need to go right on over to her blog and select the category “Blue Barb”. 

Wait for it

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

I hope everyone had a great weekend and the coming week brings a little calmness out in the adoption world.

Well, Hello Baby!

Please help me in welcoming Quinn Cai Elise currently known as Tran Hanh Nguyen:

She was born on June 26, 2007.  She had her medical on August 3 so she was about 5 weeks old and according to the L’Hopital Francais de Hanoi, she was 7 pounds and 21.5 inches long at the time of her exam.  We received her referral yesterday and I have been wandering around in a daze ever since.  I have been carrying her picture with me (even walking around the house) so we can get to know one another.  We went out to lunch and shopping today.  I figure she ought to get used to it now because that is how mommy rolls!

Notice how her shirt says “Wishful”?  You and me both, baby girl.

Etsy, Finally

Sorry I have been such a schlub about posting.  Hopefully some new and cute things will help get me back in your good graces.

First is Orange Peel Baby who makes really cute burp cloths

and cute blankets.  I like the binding.

The next seller is Gochemoche.  Beautiful silk ribbon “origami” hair pins.  Gorgeous!

Kreativlink makes really cool handmade journals.  I am thinking about getting this small size to take to Vietnam so I can be sure and capture all of my experiences (so I can put them in my blog, of course).  $15 - such a deal.

BluGrn design makes cute jewelry.  Check out this:

and this:

More cute shoes.  Check out Pedrosprout:

and these:

Have a great weekend.

Four Years Ago Today …

… my husband and I were married.  I can’t believe how fast 4 years flew by but at the same time it seems a lot longer than that.  Weird how that works. 

My husband was diagnosed with cancer 6 months after we were married.  We spent our 1st anniversary in the South Austin Cancer Center.  I was madly in love with my husband when we got married.  More than I thought possible.  But after going through that tremendous hardship with him, I am even more in love with him now than I was then.  I am grateful every day that our relationship was strengthened by adversity and not shattered by it.  He is the absolute best husband and partner and am thankful that we found each other. 

Happy 4th Anniversary, Shon.  I love you.

P.S.  In case you were wondering, my husband had squamous cell carcinoma at the base of his tongue.  And no, he never smoked.  If you are familiar at all with the treatment for this type of cancer you know how brutal the cure is.  Enduring daily radiation in your mouth (TWICE a day during the last two weeks) while at the same time your body is being ravished by chemotherapy isn’t the best of times.  The human spirit is an amazing thing.  He has been cancer free for 3 years now.  

Etsy Friday

Cute shoes anyone? Just Kidd’n Babywear makes very cute shoes and clothes for the kiddies.

All the way from Australia.  Sheeps Clothing.  She knits cute hats and scarves and uses beautiful color combinations.

 I found a great place for cute hair clips.  Pink Owl Creations makes lots of different ribbon and color combinations. 

Any coffee drinkers out there?  How about adding a pretty to those paper cups?  This is by Paper Rock Scissors.  I don’t drink coffee but may start so I can use this.  Clever, useful and cute.

 

Have a great weekend everyone.