We are certifiable!

This morning FedEx delivered our certified and authenticated documents to our doorstep. Woohoo!! Now all we have to do is make photo copies of everything and submit it to our agency (along with another hefty payment) and we will be ready to be put on the waiting list for a referral! We are still waiting to get out I171-H (it is a form that is issued by the US Government approving us to adopt internationally) but we can be put on the waiting list before we receive it. I am getting anxious about it though because last time around we got it very fast - about 2 weeks after everything was submitted to them. So far it has been 5 weeks. I haven't checked the mail yet today so maybe it is in there.

This morning Marcus and I went off to meet up with two other ladies and their kids for a little play group. There were 4 kids total ranging in age from 5 months to 32 months. Marcus really enjoyed watching the other kids and was fascinated by the different toys. Unfortunately we met rather close to Marcus's nap time so we couldn't stay too long.

Marcus is having some sleep issues that are spilling over to sleep issues for the whole family, but mostly me. I feel that everything is under control though and even though it might be a little rough I know that I can keep my cool and in the end it will work out for the better. I have discussed this with 3 different moms now and they are all supporting me and giving me ideas which is great.

Party!

Yesterday we went to a party. My friends threw a Meet Marcus and Max party. Max is Cara's son who is four months old. There was another baby in attendance and a toddler present as well that we all got to meet. It was a great time. It was just a bunch of girls sitting around and talking and eating. I dressed Marcus in his Christmas suit, figuring that he has very little future opportunities to wear it before he grows out of it. A party in his honor is definitely reason for a nice shirt and tie. Marcus partied until he couldn't keep his eyes open. Thanks so much Amy for hosting!

Our paperwork should be authenticated on Tuesday and then the courier will be sending it back to us. Then what will we do? Well, get on a waiting list for a referral of course! I just wish it was that easy. We still have to get one little thing done with our paperwork that should only take a few minutes. Most important we have to sign off on our loan we are approved for so we will have the money to accept the referral.

The Rumors are True

The word on the street is that our family will be expanding. I confess, the rumors are all true. I tried to keep the secret as long as I could but my excitement cannot be contained any longer.

We are adopting again from Guatemala.

Marcus is going to be a big brother!

Greg and I started talking about this months ago. We wanted to have children close in age and were concerned about the Hague Convention slowing and stopping adoptions. Instead of delaying our actions and missing the opportunity, we dove in head first. We actually started the paperwork for adoption #2 prior to finalizing Marcus's adoption... and we have been keeping it a secret all this time!

So where are we? Just how far have we gotten into adopting yet another bundle of joy? Really far.

Home study is done. All the paperwork we needed to collect is also done. Everything we needed to have notarized has been notarized. Just last week we sent everything off to a courier that will then forward it on to another courier so everything can be certified and authenticated. Yes, we really are that far. We really are just weeks away from being put on the waiting list for a referral.

The process this time has been a totally different experience than it was the last time. First of all, we know exactly what we are getting into. Second, it has been EASY. We have already done this. We knew where to get the paperwork. We knew what needed to be done with each document. We knew who to ask to notarize things and all about the couriers to get things certified and authenticated. The last time when we were gathering paperwork I emailed our case worker almost daily. I think I have only emailed her once this time! Mostly though, it has been much more emotionally easy. I am not worried or anxious this time. I am not in as big of a hurry as if my whole life depends on getting each document completed as quickly as possible.

Of course, without the worries of getting the paperwork just right this time, I have other worries. Mainly, how crazy is life going to be with two kids less than a year apart in age??

My other two pressing concerns at this time are what we are going to name this little boy. We don't have a clue. We are open to suggestions! Maybe we will be inspired by his birth name.

The other issue is coming up with the money involved in bringing our little angel home to us forever. We are hoping to do a big garage sale again this year but if there are any more ideas on fund raisers, suggest away!

Who is Marcus?

All this time I have been talking about this little boy in our lives, but really, who is he? What does he like? What doesn't he like? What kind of personality is emerging from him? Well, I am going to tell you.

I have long said that if our dog had a motto it would be "Speak softly and carry a big stick". If Marcus were to have a motto, it would surely be "The world is my drum". He loves to bang on everything. The louder the better. His favorite toys are his blocks which he uses to bang on other toys, against other blocks, on the dog, and on the furniture. We don't let him bang on the furniture which leads to him having a completely overly dramatic reaction when we stop this behavior. He HATES hearing the word No. It totally puts him over the edge. He screams like he just fell on his head.

He is a good eater. We haven't found anything he doesn't like to eat. Generally he is a good sleeper. It isn't hard to get him to go down for his naps or to put him to bed. He has his moments in the middle of the night where he decides he just isn't tired.

He is very curious. Now that he is getting mobile he is into everything. If there is one thing within his reach in the room that he hasn't explore before, he will seek it out and go right for it. Normally this is something he isn't supposed to have. He loves our dog.

He is also rather devious. He isn't allowed to play with the dog's tail. So he will take his block and use his block to swat at her tail instead of grabbing it with his hands. Or if he has been bothering the dog and we are trying to give the pooch a break, he will throw his blocks in her direction "on accident" and then he will just have to go retrieve them, of course.

He has the most infectious laugh. I just have to smile at him and he smiles back. I can exhaust him with endless tickles that erupts into his giggles. He loves to play one on one with anyone (very outgoing guy!) when he is in the mood. But often he is quite content exploring on his own, playing with his toys, and playing with things that were never intended on being toys.

Most of all, Marcus is a very loved little boy. His parents love him. His grandparents love him. His aunts and uncles and cousins love him. His parents friends love him. His foster mother loved him. And I am positive that his birthmom loved him so much that she had to make the impossible decision to let him go to a place where he could have the things that she knew she couldn't provide for him, but wanted so desperately for him to have.

Seeing Spots

It has been a crazy week in our household. Greg went back to work this week. When I first heard that he and I would be home alone with Marcus for 2 months, I wondered how if I would be able to stay sane. Now that it was time for him to go back, I wanted him to stay longer. Marcus must have wanted him to stay longer as well. The first night after Greg was back to work Marcus was up for three hours in the middle of the night - a new record! Every time I tried to hold him and comfort him, he would scream. He only wanted to be with Greg.

Another reason Marcus could have been so miserable that night was from a rash he had developed. He has had a rash on his foot that seems to get better then worse. I was putting off doing anything about it because he didn't seem the least bit bothered by it and his 9 month appointment is next week. However, when I took his clothes off for a bath on Tuesday night and he was covered from head to toe with millions of little red spots, I knew we needed to act fast. Wednesday morning he was in with the doctor. I was embarrassed by how horrible he looked. The technician had me undress him down to his diaper and when she returned to the room she was shocked. The doctor could barely get any words out as he examined my poor baby's skin. After he was done he called in another doctor to check it out as well. They weren't positive what caused the rash or what caused it to spread so suddenly so we have been treating the rash as if it could be several things. I am glad to announce that as of tonight, Friday, he is no longer red and completely spotted. He is now merely slightly spotted with some really rough, dry skin.

I just want to throw in a huge YAY for my blogger friend Jenny. They just got out of PGN a few days ago and should be bringing their little angel home soon!

I also want to remind you all that you need to wish Greg and I both a happy birthday tomorrow. Yes, if you didn't know, we have the same birthday. Just for the record, it was really cute at first but now it is not so fun to not even have my own personal special day of the year.

--Annie