Confused

Here is the million dollar question....Should I stay or should I go? Now that we are closing in on finding out our travel dates, I am struggling with the decision to make the two trips (leaving Baby N) and returning for the Embassy date, or staying in-country and taking placement after we pass court. I continue to pray every day for the answer. My heart is telling me to stay and try to work something out with my employer, however I am having an issue with leaving my other two children for that long (one is 18 and the other 12) and also my students as it will be mid-semester.

Jim will not be able to stay the entire time with me. He would fly home and fly back to pick us up. Since it is going to be close to the holiday season, I feel that it would be best to have some "alone time" with her to make sure she is feeling safe with her new Mommy (yeah!) before we expose her to the activity of the entire family. I treasured the time I had to bond with both my boys and she deserves the same. I deserve the same. Jim is very nervous about me being alone in Ethiopia and worries because he won't be there if I need anything. I want so badly to soak in the culture and the people of Ethiopia. I am hoping to present my Dean with the possibility of taking nursing students down to volunteer in the government orphanages every other summer. I would also love to visit the School of Nursing at Addis Ababa University.

See my dilemma? If anyone out there in adoption land has any advice please give me some input. If you are planning to stay I would love to connect with you soon (my email is ljfero@yahoo.com). I think Jim would feel much better about the decision if he knew there were other Moms and Dads staying as well. I am anticipating the first trip to be around Oct 19th. Thanks in advance for your input and support.

Laura

10 Weeks Old and Growing

Baby N is ten weeks old today and growing..... Unfortunately, we were not able to secure a court date before the closures but are hopeful that we will receive an "official update" soon from Gladney. We are so grateful to the Bentley Family (http://www.bentleysboundforafrica.blogspot.com/) who just returned after passing court. They took a few pictures for us while they were there. I am a little bias, but she is soooo beautiful. I thank God everyday for bringing her into our lives.

The waiting game is really hard right now. It was difficult to wait for a referral but I think it is possibly more difficult to see her face everyday and know she will not be in our arms until sometime in November (I hope). I am desperately trying not to focus on this and have plenty to keep the family busy. Our oldest moved into his own apartment and Nikolaus started 7th grade yesterday. Nikolaus is also playing travel basketball and started practicing already. Jim and I have started teaching preparations for this semester and continue to work on publications.

On a side note.....I stopped at Babies R Us today. Can I just tell you that it was a completely overwhelming experience. I almost had a mini panic attack. Are all of those gadgets necessary? I know I have not had a baby in the house for a while, but seriously..... a spa tub for an infant? Do they really need a toilet seat that talks to them or a mattress that costs over $400 (endorsed by orthopedic surgeons)? It is literally going to take a big glass of wine to recover from the experience. Oh well....I guess I better put my head in the game and prioritize.

Thank you once again to all my Gladney extended family. Your support is much appreciated and helps immensely during this waiting period - Laura

Court Update...The Wait Continues

Well, today we got a call from Natalie. We had some good news and some bad news. The good news is that our file is complete and has been submitted to the courts in Ethiopia. The bad news is that the court has closed for the rainy season and will not re-open until September 28th. So, although the paperwork is there, we will have to wait to find out when our court date and first trip will be. Natalie is anticipating sometime in mid-October or early November. I am trying to be realistic but I sure hope we have Baby N home by Thanksgiving.

Jim and I both start the semester the week of August 16th and I am hoping (almost positive) that the students and research projects will keep us busy during this "quiet" time. I guess I will start working on putting the nursery together. She will be here before we know it :)