Update

I know I am a bit behind in posting but things have been crazy. Also just to let you know I have to figure out some kinks in my blog because if a put more than one word in the title of the post it translates it into Japanese. Okay anyway Luke has been teething, he only has two bottom teeth that are not even all the way in but he started running a fever (low grade) and nothing other than being very crabby which is so unlike the happy-go-lucky baby he always is. The pediatrician said it was teething and not to worry unless his fever spiked. On top of that last Friday night Alexandra came home from Albany to pack up some stuff and on Saturday Michael and a friend and I moved her into her apartment. Jimi stayed home with the babies since Luke was not feeling happy and it was unbelievably bone chilling cold out. It took us so long to get it all done and I did not get home until almost 4 am in the morning. Ugh, glad that is done and she lives in a very historic apartment in the heart of downtown Albany that would easily pass for Brooklyn. We moved her in, then went to the mall where Michael had to get a hair cut and I bought accessories for Allie's apartment. Then we went out to eat and thought we had plenty of time to shop for essentials in Walmart but little did we know that the Walmarts in Albany are not 24 hour. So we got to this fantastic two story Walmart 15 minutes before closing and got most of what we needed and had to go to Hannerford for the rest. Alexandra tried to get me to spend the night saying it was too late, but I had to get back. There are three dogs of the owners that roam the lobby, two Westies and then I saw a black Scotty and that was my mom's favorite dog so I took it as a good sign.

On the Haitian front I have not heard much and have mailed a couple more Senators that are active in the Orphans Act. There was big news this week because a Baptist church group from the mid-west got arrested in Haiti for trying to move 33 Haitian children without documentation over to the Dominican Republic and now they are on trial for child trafficing even though they say they were not. I am so angry because that throws such a monkey wrench into everything and makes Haitian officials so skeptical of anyone trying to arrange an airlift or anything like that.

I had planned on going to Scranton tomorrow because I wanted to get props for the studio for Easter and Spring pics but we are expecting a storm tomorrow afternoon into Saturday. Ugh, we are not even expecting that much but enough to be dangerous driving. NJ is being hit harder than us for the second time this Winter. They are supposed to get 15"! Oh well, I guess it will give us some time to get some inside cleaning and projects done if we are not too lazy.

Oh well it is late and I better get into a shower and then to bed. God Bless us all!

HOPE

Another week, I cannot believe I have not updated in a week. It is funny because we are having icy rain again and Jimi is not able to get to work so he is giving it some time and will attempt it in a few hours. In the meantime I am enjoying having him here and he is enjoying that he gets to watch football as well as be with his family.

This week has flown by, I have still been following the news on Haiti and I decided to do all I can so I started by writing letters to many powerful people to help with an airlift like the one after the Vietnam War. I sent letters to the President right down to Ellen and Oprah. I hit hard and I prayed and know that it is all God's will as to whether I will be able to adopt. Well this morning I woke up to a wonderful message from a high school friend on FaceBook. Did I ever mention how I love our technology and how it works to connect people in so many wonderful ways! Anyway, she happens to live in NY and she wrote how her friend is in charge of a program at a local homeless shelter that is expecting Haitian orphans ranging in age from 10 months to 10 years. I immediately contacted her to see what there status was, and she wrote me that she thinks they are available for adoption. I am trying not to get my hopes too high because this would be incredible but then again God is incredible. I will let you all know as she is getting me more information. Until them I would love your prayers.

Ethan and I went into Scranton on Friday for a major restocking shopping. Jimi meanwhile took Luke to his 12 month check up and to run some errands. Luke did well, he got two shots, we delayed his MMR until April at least. Doc said Luke looks good. Jimi spoke to him about Luke not walking or crawling other than the army crawl and he said not to worry. Ethan and I had a good time out together and he was very well behaved for the most part. We got home around 9 pm so it was a long afternoon and Ethan only had a short nap in the car so he went to bed soon after we got home.

Well, I better go check my inbox to see if there is anymore information but I think first I will relish in the reverie of my dreams!

Sunday

Well here it is Sunday and I can hear the icy rain hitting the windows.  Jimi left for work a bit ago and I am praying he gets there and back safe as well as everyone else who has to be traveling on the roads in this weather. 

I did some more reading on the situation in Haiti last night but there is not much new to report.  There were some conflicting reports going on that the two sisters who run an orphanage there got the clearance to airlift the kids out and into Pittsburgh but that was false.  It is hard wanting to help and not being able to do much.

I have been reading some good books by Linda Dillow.  The first book of hers I read was Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide To Finding Contentment.  It was recommended by my niece on Jimi's side and I enjoyed it but it always brings up a lot of questions that I would love to discuss with someone who has read the book.  I then liked her writing style so much that I ordered another of her books, Creative Counterpart : Becoming the Woman, Wife, and Mother You Have Longed to Be.  I am about halfway through this book and last night as we lay in bed it opened some really great dialogue between Jimi and I and I even learned things about him after all this time that were new to me.  It was really great and I am so thankful for that.

I have been so conflicted lately about where I should be in my life.  I mean I was trying to explain it to Jimi last night and it was so so hard.  I am so thankful for all I have been blessed with but like I was telling Jimi how do I know that I should have not worked with the Peace Corp or been missionaries.  He told me I could not have had the kids if I had been in the Peace Corp and I did something wonderful by having them.  I agree, I totally love my kids and would not trade them for the Peace Corp.  Then I explained but while we may have not been able to have kids in the Peace Corp, what about being missionaries in other countries with our children.  The Dillows did it and they had 3 kids and adopted one.    I am probably not making a lot of sense right now and I think maybe my feelings are hormonal.  As I reach the last five or ten years of my childbearing years I guess I am thinking about my worth as a woman.  I don't think it is right for our children to have another child because my back is finally in a good place and another pregnancy or birth could cause the herniated discs to worsen and leave me not able to care for my family and in great pain.  Beyond that with my anxiousness about all the things that can go wrong and the big worry I have about somehow contracting CMV during pregnancy and harming my unborn baby it makes the pregnancy very difficult on everyone.  It does not help that I have actually heard of a friend's friend who unknowingly had the virus during pregnancy and gave birth to a baby who was affected by it.  It makes it more real to me and I know I would not be able to allow Ethan and Luke to be kids, and go and mingle with kids who go to day care or nursery school and that is just not fair to them.  So when I think of that I am pretty confident that we will not actively try for another child.  I do however have an undying passion to adopt, so I think that is the best way to add to our large family. 

I get discouraged by all the bureaucracy and red tape involved.  It seems like it takes so long and there is so much jumping through hoops to be done and time to wait.  It is sad that these children wait, when there are so many families who would welcome them.  Some just do not have the initial thousands of dollars to begin the process or cannot travel to other countries for two visits and escort services are only available in very limited countries. More frustrating is that the countries keep changing laws and policies and some even halt adoptions altogether. I keep telling myself that if it is meant to be it will be.  I have to do what I can and have faith in that.  I also am conflicted as I would like to work with either Catholic Charities to somehow assist in the adoption process of children or open my own agency.  I feel I really have a calling for this.  So now that I have truly rambled on and on here and not made a lot of sense, you may get all that is going on in my head.

I better stop writing now as I am sure if you made it this far your head may be ready to expload.  God Bless us all!

Sleepy Saturday!

Well today was a sleepy Saturday for me at least.  Jimi got up with the babies and fed and dressed them and then headed out to the post office, car wash, pharmacy and grocery shopping.  I got to sleep in really late and then have a relaxing cup of coffee.  Not a lot happening today and the babies took a nice nap.  No new news to report on the Haitian airlift today.  I did finish watching the movie, "Julia and Julia" which was pretty good.  I am longing for Spring and being able to get out in the warm sunshine.  We are expecting ice rain tomorrow night and with Jimi having to be on the roads it really gets me nervous.  January often is one of the hardest months of the Winter to get through.  The holidays are over and we kind of all get this let down feeling even if we can't put our fingers on it.  I have seen a lot of my friends suffering with these "Winter Doldrums" and I think we are all looking forward to a bit of Spring. 

Alexandra has been in Albany now for one full week.  She showed me some pics of her new studio apartment that she shared with me on Facebook.  It looks really nice and she will be moving in, in a couple of weeks. 

Well  I think I am am going to just sit back and enjoy the rest of the night with my family.  Luke is a little cranky as I think he may be working on his third tooth.  Poor little guy has a case of the crankies. 

Have a great night and God Bless.

More on Haiti

Well there is a little more information today. I did not hear from the Catholic Charities on the airlift but I am sure they are inundated with inquiries as I was reading that major newspapers were not even getting a response. I have met some wonderful people through this cause and it is amazing how the Internet can make people a very powerful force that can accomplish great things. I was reading recently how the power of the Internet has given moms a sounding board to make their voices heard and companies like never before are listening because a group of disgruntled moms can sure make a baby gear manufacturers business tank if there is enough buzz out there.

I have joined a few Facebook groups and found that there are many out there who are more than willing to help escort, foster and adopt these orphans. This is not the first time I have been down this road but it is the first time with the technology we have today. I am hoping this time I will be able to make a difference in the life of at least one child and hopeful that I can help the lives of many many others to be touched in a way that renews are faith in mankind helping one another in times of great crisis.

I will keep updating this blog as I get more information and I hope that I will have some good news to report. Watching the devastating news reports on TV is so hard. To see the citizens of Haiti suffering with no food, running water, medical help is just heartbreaking and we can just pray that the help they need will get there and the emergency hospitals can be set up to treat the injured. Godspeed to all of our emergency persons who are responding to the call. God Bless.

Haitian Orphan Airlift

As far back as I can remember I always thought about helping children far less fortunate then I was. It was in my early days as a mom that I found out how difficult the adoption process is. I thought how I would have like to have been of age in the time of the Vietnam airlifts. In my time I have seen China crack down with almost ridiculous regulations for adoption that out of their pride they would rather have children grow up in orphanages then let them be adopted.

Today amongst all the tragedy I saw on the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I read about Catholic Charities in Florida trying to schedule an airlift of Haitian orphans to South Florida. I immediately found a spark inside me that quickly burned into a great fire. Not only did I want to help these orphans and hope to adopt one or two but I longed to get my hands dirty getting this airlift off the ground. I emailed the Catholic Charity and have reached out to other groups to try to garner whatever leverage I can to help in this situation.

I pray that out of this devastating earthquake maybe a little bit of good will come out and the normally drawn out adoption process will be able to be expedited and the orphans will be able to travel to the US with humanitarian visas. Oh how I am praying this will be the case and that I truly believe as I have volunteered my time as a child advocate in many ways that maybe this is the greatest chance for me to make a difference in the lives of so many scared, lonely, hungry children. Please contact me with any help or assistance in getting on board to get this lift off the ground.

Thank you so much and God Bless us all!