baby faulkner

not a baby anymore!

2007-10-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

I printed out this entire baby faulkner blog to make sure I had a hard copy and it took about 150 pages...But Deacon is not a baby anymore. He is going to start walking anyday now, he has given up the bottles for sippy cups, and he loves to flirt with anyone that will look at him!

So we have made a new blog for the whole family. Check it out at Meet the Faulkners. All the fun will be happening at our new blog. This is the final post here...

So update the blogrolls, links and rss readers! Here is Deacon's Official 1st B-day Picture:

Check out more from the photo session at our new blog!

happy birthday deacon!

2007-09-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today is Deacon's Bday!!! So, this is a photopost to see how far he has come in his first year...
These are the first pics of him ever taken...they are from the orphanages and gladney care center in ethiopia.

Our trip to bring him home...

The fun we've been having...

And finally the big first birthday today!!! It was a good day. He went to Mothers Day Out and didn't cry when he was dropped off (a sure sign of maturity), we played with all of the new toys (the orange pool with balls in it, the bead maze thingy, etc.) and I tried to take a pic of Deacon with Clayton's guitar (for a photo project for myself) but that didn't work out so well. And don't worry, in the pic where he is in the high chair he is buckled in (i'm not britney).

partied like a rock star

2007-09-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

i've got about 25 minutes while deacon is in front of praisebaby. here are some more pics from his party. hopefully, clayton will make a video soon and you can see how he dug right into his little bday cake. he only ate the frosting though...and that leads us to the best story of the weekend! the party was fun, we had 30ish people over to celebrate.

when i look at this pic, the song "Ebony and Ivory" pops into my head!

now, deacon still takes 2 naps usually. one in the morning, one in the afternoon. on party day, he took his morning one. but right when he would have gone down for the afternoon one is when we had birthday cake. so, the sugar rush kept him up. which is fine. he then took a short nap around 4:30. not a big deal, he had a big day so i figured a late nap won't hurt bedtime. so around 8pm deacon is showing signs of tiredness so we begin our nighttime routine. cereal, bath, bottle and down for the night....hahahahaaaa....

deacon slept for about 30 minutes, but then woke up...clayton went in to try to put him back down...he slept for about 30 more minutes...he woke up screaming....i tried, nana tried, clayton tried again to put him down...he slept for 30 minutes...then woke up screaming again....now it is 11pm...i tried different rooms, putting him on the couch with me (inlaws were in our bed)...putting him on the floor with me in guest room....still just screaming like i'm trying to cut his leg off....not just crying....but SCREAMING at us...we tried tylenol....we turned on lights to check for broken bones or something hurting him....nothing...still screaming...

finally, i said i'm taking him to walmart to get some allergy med (deacon is super congested and watery eyes and cough). maybe his allergies are keeping him awake...all the while, i knew he was awake b/c of all the sugar he mainlined at his party...his poor little body couldn't find the off switch...his eyes were red, i knew he was tired, but his body wouldn't turn off.

i got up, walked to the garage and he stopped screaming. clayton was helping me get him in the car to go to walmart (at 11pm in our pjs!!!) and deacon smiled at him....clayton was not amused...he didn't cry again, he was totally awake the entire time i drove around (to walmart, to the atm, through mcdonalds to get a coke b/c i was falling asleep)...usually he falls asleep in the car, not tonight!

we drive home around midnight...i think the car ride calmed him enough, that i took him inside, rocked him and he fell asleep...i passed out on the couch.

i assumed deacon would sleep late after that, but no, his internal alarm clock had him up at 6:30/7ish as usual!!! but, i could tell that he was still recovering from saturday b/c he took a 2 hour morning nap and a 2 hour afternoon nap and still went to bed at 8pm sunday night...so, we are back on schedule. yay!

deacon is doing well even though he is teething (we're up to 8 teeth!) and dealing with what i assume is severe allergies...he will probably walk any day now...he is doing a lot more standing on his own....of course, he only stands for about 5 seconds before he falls back on his rear.

preview...

2007-09-23T08:15:00.001-07:00

about to go to church...no time to post...but here is a little preview of the birthday blowout!

ethiopian reunion

2007-09-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, last Friday we went to Gladney's Meet and Greet. This is where couples that are in process or are approved and waiting get to meet the staff at Gladney and here us panel-people talk about our experiences. The highlight for us was getting to meet Reece Gehman!!! We set the boys down to let them play together and it went well. I dare you to find 2 cuter babies on this planet...

Of course, during the panel discussion we are all up there with all these babies and we let them crawl around on the floor in front of us. At one point, I think Reece and Deacon were testing the boundaries of their new friendship when Reece wanted to check out Deacon's ear by grabbing at it, and Deacon wasn't down with that. I think Deacon cried and Reece fell over. It was so funny to see them interact with each other. I'm very excited that Deacon has an Ethiopian friend now!!

Today we played all morning, except for a short 1 hour nap, and then after lunch we ran around town with Daddy to get birthday party stuff for this weekend! So Deacon slept for about 30 minutes in the car this afternoon. Not a lot of nap time today. So tonight he had a big dinner and then I had to excuse myself for some private time (read: I had to use the bathroom) so I put Deacon in the exersaucer and turned on Praisebaby for him to watch. Well, I got sidetracked after the bathroom by straightening up the bedroom and about 15 minutes later I went back into the living room to see this...

Yes, he is asleep. So asleep that I skipped bathtime, fed him a bottle and changed his diaper all without him waking up. He was down for the night by 7pm. Which means he should be waking up tomorrow around 5am...This is why nap time must be respected!!! If nap time is not taken, the whole schedule is thrown off!!!

Also, we bought some de-tangler for Deacon's hair. I've started to comb out the 'fro and it helps if you use detangler...We tried to get pics of the fluffiness...

Ok, I've got to add about 100 links to the blog roll. One of my bestest friends from college (and I call her the bestest b/c she lived with me and my blaring alarm clock for 2 years!) is adopting from Ethiopia also!!! YAY for Nikki and Matthew!!!

The Next Big Deacon Movie

2007-09-15T19:20:00.001-07:00

random bits...

2007-09-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

here are some pics from my sister that i probably never posted before...some are from deacon's first night home in fort worth and some are from when we went to the astros game in h-town a couple of weeks after we got back...

also, we are going to a gladney meet and greet today to be the ethiopian family on the panel discussion...this is fun...i love being on a panel...

also, deacon is popping out teeth left and right. we are going to have to find a baby dentist.

this is his first bath back home in our kitchen sink...i can't even imagine what is going through his little baby brain at this moment...but if i had to guess, maybe something like "there are a lot of white people in this room and i'm naked in a sink..."

this was before the bath and he is trying to look at aunt monica and suck his toes at the same time...way to multitask.

in this pic, he has been in texas for about 3 hours and he is already an aggie....

go astros!!!!!!

random daddy & deacon pics

2007-09-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Ugandan Orphans Choir video

2007-09-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

empty nest...

2007-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

The house is so quiet...This past weekend we hosted some kids with the Ugandan Orphan's Choir. We had Ivan, Sunday, Isaac, and their sponsor Jamil at our home. They left about an hour ago. Also, Deacon is at his first day of Mother's Day Out (which for me will be mother's day in b/c the house is a wreck after the Ugandan invasion!!). I'm sure Deacon is having fun with all his new friends and teachers. I'm having fun cleaning! YAY!!!

Here are our Ugandan buddies having fun with photobooth!!! They were great kids!!!

Deacon and Mommy before going to school!

Driving to school and Deacon wondering, "Why am I wearing shoes???"

Deacon and Ms. Dwanna.

Random pic of his- "I don't know who made that bad smell!" -look

And we went to our friend Seth's 1st bday and Deacon hit him in the head and made Seth cry. Happy Birthday!!

pics...

2007-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

i had a throw away camera and here are some the cute pics i caught.

birthday...

2007-08-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

I'm about to print out Deacon's b-day invites. His birthday is September 27, 2006. This date is based on speculation. Deacon and his buddy were found on October 27, 2006 and the police or orphanage guessed they were one month old. So, by subtracting his age from date found, we get 9/27. We've been sticking with this and since we havn't completed the re-adotion here yet, it doesn't make a difference....We can change his birthdate on his birth certificate that we'll get in the re-adopt I beleive....

BUT, now I'm trying to get Deacon into some mother's-day-outs and they have the same rule as Texas public schools...Must be one by Sept. 1 to enroll in the 12 month old classes. Now, I'm considering bumping his birthday back to August 27...Which would be today! I've consulted with some teacher friends about what happens when Deacon goes to Kindergarten and they think that boys do better when they are older in the class....so don't worry that he'll turn 6 the first month of kindergarten.

BUT, see previous post about Deacon's apparent geniusness, and now I'm conflicted...What do I do????? I sometimes think that since he is in the bottom of the percentiles on height and weight that he may be a little older... Come on readers, give me some advice!!!!

***UPDATE: See comment section for the dialogue!!!!

all american baby

2007-08-23T09:13:00.001-07:00

I know we shouldn't have, but the other night we took dinner to Clayton at church and I got Deacon his first Happy Meal. He liked it! He sat on his food more than he put it in his mouth. He is getting his top teeth in right now! I can feel the left top tooth already!!! He is growing like a weed! I'm already buying 12-18 month stuff b/c I'd rather it be a little baggy now and last longer than it fit now and he grow out of it in 2 months! Here are some pics from the happy meal experience!

Actually, this one is just from random...I think we were heading out to church one morning. I think I look a little sinister.

Here is our McDonalds picnic...

And here he is playing with Aunt Kelly who is in the states for a short time before returning to Japan!

Harvard, Class of 2025

2007-08-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

I think Deacon may be a genius.

Tonight, while I was in our bedroom making up our new sleep number bed, Deacon showed supreme word recognition skills! Now, I believe this happened earlier, but it was iffy...Tonight's example is solid.

Earlier Example: Deacon and I were playing on the ground. Toys were everywhere. We were watching Praisebaby and an elephant came on the screen. So I say to Deacon, "Where is your elephant?" He turns around and looks right at his stuffed elephant. So, that example is shaky...but then tonight...

Tonight's Example: Clayton is playing with Deacon on the ground. His toys are around. He is sitting about 3 or 4 feet from his overturned basket of toys chewing on said elephant. Clayton says, "Where is the monkey?" Deacon looks left, he looks right, then he crawls to the basket, digs through other toys and picks out his monkey face potholder and holds it up to chew on it!!!!!!! Our baby understands language!!!! YAY!!!!

We probably say monkey about 500 times a day. He has monkeys all over his room, we saw them at the zoo, he loves his curious george doll, and I'm constatnly saying, " What sound does a monkey make? Eee-Eee-Ooo-Ooo"!

We also had fun tonight at music class at TCU. We started the Fall semester tonight and Aunt Kelly came with us. So, that was fun!

Harvard here we come! Probably with a major in Zoology!!

such a big boy!!!

2007-08-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Posting gets harder the older Deacon grows. But, he is asleep now so here is a little post. Deacon is experiencing all kinds of new things...He takes a bath without the baby bathtub. So now he can crawl over to the spout and try to drink from the bathtub faucet while getting a bath. He also tries to grab hold of the water as it pours out of the spout and looks puzzled as to why he can't grab hold of it and his hands just go through the water....Cute.

Also, we are working on phasing out the bottle and introducing the sippy cup. There are two schools of thought for this transition...Cold Turkey or Phase Out. I'm going with Phase Out. The past 2 days Deacon has only gotten his good morning bottle and his good night bottle. He has not gotten his noon or mid-afternoon bottles. Instead, we are helping him use a sippy cup. Also, tonight we order his first kids meal at dinner. He had the ham and cheese sandwich with applesauce. He almost ate the whole sandwich (w/o crust) and 1/2 of the applesauce. That is the most food I've ever seen him eat!!!

Also, his top right tooth is getting ready to poke through! We've been trying to brush his two bottom teeth everynight to get him in the habit. But then 2 nights ago, he was playing with his toothbrush and flailing it about and popped himself in the eye and hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, dropped the toothbrush, opened his eyes and started crying. His eye was a little red and he was ok. I of course googled 'baby eye first aid' and was trying to determine if we should rush him to the emergency room. But he is fine.

Here are the only pics I've managed to take recently.

This one is at Joe T. Garcia's when we met Nikki and Matt Savage (and more people) for dinner! He loves Nikki!!!

His shirt says "I'm with the band"...cute..

This one is what I came home to today. I left to go do a little solo shopping and on my return, Daddy and Deacon were passed out. It's hard work playing all day!!

3 months w/Deacon

2007-08-09T20:19:00.001-07:00

still alive

2007-08-08T14:51:00.001-07:00

it's been about 2 weeks since the last post and i have no good excuse. deacon is growing at warp speed and now he not only crawls everywhere (to the power outlets, to try and lick the power strips, to the bathroom), but now he also pulls up on everything and stands there (while trying to poke his eye out on every corner on every table we have). i'm considering wrapping our entire home in bubble wrap. i'll try to get some cute pics, but we've been just hanging out. let me see if i can post some of our picture people pics....they're blurry, but you get the idea...

Day 4 of Adventures.

2007-07-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today we rode a choo-choo train and we went to eat dinner at the Gaylord. Deacon loved the train and I think he really just loves being around all the other kids. The sweet little girl riding in front of us kept trying to give him a used wet wipe...I just kept politely refusing to take it. Then she was drinking juice from a sippy cup and faced backwards so Deacon could see and he almost swiped her cup. I had him strapped in the bjorn just to be safe. He likes to dive and try to jump out of arms now and I didn't want any of that while we are cruising at 15 mph on the tracks. He loved it though. Fell asleep on the way home and didn't even wake up when I changed his diaper and put him in his crib and then still slept for 2 hours. Also, his new best friend (besides Deneise) is George, the curious monkey. I swear Deacon is actually talking George sometimes. It sounds so funny. Then Deacon will scream at George and try to eat his face....

Then he got to go to Wal-Mart with Daddy ( I only called once to check on them and ask that they get cotton balls). I stayed at home to shower. It's amazing how fast I can shower these days.

Then we went to the Gaylord Texan which is a big resort hotel in Grapevine. It was fun to eat overpriced food and then walk around and take pictures. The pictures really tell the story...

Mommy is tired.

2007-07-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

Wow. Adventures make me tired. We didn't have any adventures today. We ran errands and napped and played on the floor and watched praisebaby videos. Don't worry, tomorrow we'll be back on schedule. We have a Doctor's appt in the morning (Hi Candi!!) and then we'll go ride the train at Trinity Park. Then tomorrow afternoon we'll go to the Gaylord and show Deacon just how big things are in Texas!!!

One thing we did do today was picked up his 9 month old pics. Wow, we've got to get this kid into modeling...check him out....our fave is the last one...he is so abercrombie in that shot...
(note--sorry if i broke copyright law by posting these professional pics and i've also cropped out his bottom for appropriate reasons...if you know me then i can show you the uncropped pics!!)

Day 2 of Adventure Week!

2007-07-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday wasn't too adventurous...SuperTarget isn't really anything new. But today was a whole new world...The Fort Worth Zoo is where we spent the morning. Wow....Deacon was having some real fun. We saw a ton of animals but the only ones I think he noticed were the big ones like Elephants, Giraffes, Rhinos and Monkeys that were playing around. I think he wanted to ride the elephants b/c when we tried to walk away he was climbing over my shoulder and screaming at them... Pretty funny stuff.

Deacon had a blast and I even went into the arachnid exhibit and the snake house....My skin is crawling just remembering what I saw in there...No me gusta snakes. My fave pic of course is the one of Deacon sleeping...It's exhausting being an adventurer. He passed out while we were walking out of the zoo and didn't even wake up when I moved him from stroller to car seat.

Then we went to music class. We love music class and I need to register for the fall semester today while I'm thinking about it. Daddy came to music class today to help take pictures and that made this class even more fun for Deacon!

Tomorrow we ride the Trinity park train and I'll try to keep him from jumping off! I should probably strap him in our bjorn for that adventure.

Thursday I think we will go to the Gaylord for dinner and to take fun pics and then Friday is NRH20...Here's praying for no rain on Friday!

Adventure Week!!!

2007-07-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have a moment while Deacon is napping...Must type quickly. This week is adventure week here at the Faulkner homestead. I had planned an adventure every day this week, but we started early yesterday. Yesterday (Sunday) after church and after a nap we headed to the east, which is Dallas. There we experienced the Kwik-E-Mart sensation that is here for the Simpsons movie. It was hilarious. There were about 60 people at least in this little gas station all waiting in line for Squishees and Buzz Cola. Super fun.

Then we went to Sprinkles. It's a ritzy cupcake place I've heard about and seen in US Weekly. It's actually right around the corner from the kwik-e-mart on loop 12 in Park Cities area....So, you know when you're dreaming of delicious cupcakes at a fancy place and they cost $3.25 each so they must be good...and then you actually eat one and it in no way is as good as your dreams...yeah, that happened to me. It was a fun experience, but a so-so cupcake. Sure they have all kinds of flavors and the atmosphere is crazy cool and I had organic skim milk, but the actual cupcake was more stylish than yummy. That may have something to do with the fact that there are no trans fats in them....Trans fats makes things yummy. But still fun.

Then we went to the biggest Half-Price Books ever! I thought Clayton was about to drive off the road when he saw it. It is huge....We only got through the religious section before Deacon decided he'd had enough bookstore fun. So, that was day one of adventure week.

Today the only adventure we've had so far has been going to a new SuperTarget. Which is plenty of fun for me. We went to the one by Montgomery Plaza. Not to busy at 9am on a Monday morning. We got some fun stuff. A new toothbrush for Deacon, because he now has 2 teeth. A giraffe decoration for his room. One of those things to cover shopping carts and high chairs so Deacon will be safe as he chews on everything. Also, we found those things you put on the restaurant tables that stick so we can put his food on the table for him. (See Monica, we found them!!!) Deacon fell asleep on the way home from this adventure...

Some things we will do this week...The Fort Worth Zoo, Train at Trinity Park, Botanical Garden, NRH20 on Friday with Daddy! Stay tuned for more fun updates from Adventure Week!!!!!

Also, Deacon is totally crawling....He does it in short spurts and still does a lot of rolling around...He can also get to sitting position from laying down and is pulling up. He's gone mobile.

We need a better schedule.

2007-07-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Baby boy Deacon woke up at 6 am this morning ready to play. This is probably b/c he went to sleep last night at 7:30ish. We have got to keep him way later so maybe he'll sleep until a decent hour. It's only 8:20 and he is already down for a nap. I think all the growing and making teeth wears him out. His second tooth (the other one on the bottom) poked through last Friday. His little teeth are sharp!

He also ate real banana last night and didn't spit it out! Yay!!! He also eats peas. He is one step away from being completely mobile. He can scoot anywhere he wants now, but he doesn't actually crawl. He will get up on his knees and hands and then kind of do a push up where he is on his hands and feet and then scream b/c he can't go anywhere and then fall down and just roll around or scoot. I'm not complaining b/c we haven't really baby-proofed the house yet. That will be on our to-do list this weekend.

Last Saturday we took 9 month pics at JC Penney's (I'm a member of the portrait club!). I knew we'd be doing naked baby pics and then I wanted one other outfit and I knew it would be his cute little jeans and something else....Clayton suggested his white button down shirt....Good call....Our baby could be a model. The pictures he took are sooooooooooooooooo cute. When we did his first pics last month he was all smiles. I loved that this time he did different looks. He has a couple of suprised looks (probably suprised that he is naked) and some serious looks. Love it.

Then on Sunday Deacon wore that same jeans/white shirt outfit to church and everyone kept saying how cute he was in it and how it looked like he should be walking down a beach...Probably b/c he never wears shoes and the sleeves were rolled up.

Today is music class! Last week while doing major tonal patterns (the teacher sings to the baby bum-bum-bum in different notes and wants the baby to repeat back) the teacher got to Deacon and after she sang bum-bum-bum, he went clap-clap-clap....Everyone was very impressed....He claps all the time so I'm pretty sure the 3 claps after the 3 bums was coincidence....Or Deacon is a baby genius.

Ok, I don't have any fun pics this post...I need to take more pictures.

Shots Stink!

2007-07-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the pediatrician today. This was Deacon's 9 month check-up and invovled getting 5 shots again just like last time. He did awesome while the nurse and doctor squished his body and measured and stuff. He is 19 lbs., 27" tall and his head got bigger since last time. I think this puts him in the 25th percentile for most things. Luckily drummers/ baseball players don't need to be tall.

The shots are not fun, but Deacon recovers quickly. He cries while being stabbed, but then when picked up after, he sticks his right pointer finger in his mouth and is calm. I think at his 1 year appt. they will take blood and run some tests and we will probably do another HIV test then. Fun things we get to start now include sippy cups and meat!!! Not together of course, that would be gross, meat in a sippy cup, yuck.

Deacon has started exploring his vocal range and decibal level. He really likes to squeal/scream. It's funny for the first 2 or 3 times and then it's a little bit crazy. I don't know if/when I should try and curb the screaming. Also, he will reach for me now when he is handed around to people. I don't want him to be clingy, but I like that he wants me instead of other people. He is also a Ladies Man. Doesn't care for much interaction with men (except Clayton of course).

We'll try to get some fun video to post soon of his new tricks. He is napping right now and then we go to music class to sing and dance and chew on the rhythym instruments.

We have teeth!!

2007-07-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

I mean we have a tooth. Deacon's bottom 2 center teeth have been trying to poke out for a couple of days now. And this evening I put my finger in there to feel around and sure enough, his left little tooth has poked through!!! He is also about to crawl any day now!

Good Times.

2007-07-06T21:27:00.001-07:00

Well, as you can see from the video below in the last post, Deacon is doing well. He is a happy baby and is actually really fun to have around. I've got some pics saved up from the past week...here we go.

Dancing with Aunt Linda on the Fourth of July!

We ate at PF Chang's and Deacon does not, I repeat, DOES NOT enjoy rice. He did enjoy looking at the giant horses outside.

Tonight we just got back from the Ethiopian Day in Garland. We felt like we were right back in Addis while walking around the stadium. We got to enjoy some music and see a bunch of Gladney friends!

These are just super cute outfits. The first is his 'MOM' shirt. The second was him dressing up for his first wedding.

This is what Deacon did during church. He passed out on Jenny's lap. Everyone thought that was very cute. I thought it was so cute I took a picture. But, since it was during church, I turned the flash off and that's why it is blurry.

On our trip to Austin we stopped at IKEA!!!! Deacon loves IKEA!!! Everyone loves IKEA!!! Just saying IKEA is fun!!!

Also on the 4th, Deacon met his Great-Grandmother. Very fun stuff!!!

new deacon video

2007-06-28T20:13:00.001-07:00

There are some great faces in this one. I may not have time to blog as much now, but I make sure I have time to play with Deacon. And occassionally make a video.

Everyone is home.

2007-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

We're back from our road trip. Deacon and I (Margo) got home Tuesday night. Then Wednesday night we went to the airport to get Clayton who returned home from Florida. So the past couple of days have been a whirlwind of laundry and projects that have been piling up. I think my house is almost back to normal.

We had a great time in Sugar Land. Deacon is definitely a ladies man. He met many pretty ladies (my sister and her friends). He also had super fun at an Astros game, the Houston Children's Museum and First Colony Mall. My mom (Deacon's Mimi) got plenty of one-on-one time with him while my sister and I went to the movies. He also met my Uncle Bill and Aunt Jan. Here are some pics of all the fun!

Big week next week. We've got music class and 9 month pictures at JC Penney's. The pictures will be super cute because we get to do naked baby pictures. YAY!!! We've also got an appointment with a pediatric surgeon next week, but due to HIPPA laws I can't go into anymore detail without a signed waiver from Deacon. And he can't write yet.

Road Trip!!

2007-06-14T22:43:00.001-07:00

It's about 12:45 am and I'm waiting for my last load of laundry to dry and then I can finish packing for our road trip to Sugar Land tomorrow! It's crazy how much stuff I have to pack just for Deacon!! I remembered I had some cute pics on my new pink camera. I had to go buy a new camera just for me (that's why it's pink) to keep with me at all times b/c you just never know when Deacon will do something adorable...Case in point...

Hard Hat Area
Scrunched Up

Also here are 2 pics from the Gladney Meet and Greet for International Adoption from a couple of weeks ago. Clayton and I got to be on the panel of adoptive parents!!!! How fun was that!!! It was awesome to be on the other side of the experience. Here is Deacon with Mary and with Tonia. They were so excited to see him and we are so grateful to them and to everyone else at Gladney.

Lepers made our comforter

2007-06-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

Today Margo made our bed with the comforter we bought in Ethiopia. It came from the A.L.E.R.T. hospital, and was hand-made by some patients who had leprosy. They say smell is the strongest sense, that it carries memories attached to them for the longest. Margo could smell Ethiopia on the comforter...I'm not sure exactly what it was she smelled. Maybe incense or something. I had trouble smelling it. I was kinda scared that it may have some kind of microscopic bed bug living in it that we carried back with us. But I think we'll be ok. We're used to a big down comforter, so we'll see how cold we get tonight.

On a famous note, the last video we posted of Deacon playing has nearly 2,500 views on YouTube. Now, it is not uncommon for a popular video to be viewed over 1 million times, so we're small potatoes compared to that. But I still think it's not bad for only being up 2 days. Half of those views are probably our parents.

deacon playing video

2007-06-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

He is so close to crawling, but not there quite yet. We went to the craniologist in Dallas today. Most orphans have a flattened part on the back of their head due to all the crib time. Deacon had this when we first got him. But over the last few weeks it has corrected itself. We went to the doctor just to make sure though. She said that functionally and medically he is fine and won't need a head band. It should round out a little more, and he'll be fine. If you think about it though, as soon as he gets a full head of hair, you'd never know he had a flat head.

I miss Ethiopia...

2007-06-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I took a screenshot (yes, I know how to do that) to explain why I miss Ethiopia...You see the weather stats??? Probably not because it's too small, but what I was trying to get at is that it says Ft. Worth- 92, Addis Ababa- 76. (If you click on the pic you can see it bigger and get the extended forcast.) Not fair. Poor little Deacon sweats b/c of the heat here and it's only just begun. Also, how cute is he in his little high chair????

He is napping right now, but when he wakes up he'll have a little squash and then it's off the mall. We need to get his diaper bag monogrammed!!!

weekend in salado

2007-06-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Deacon got to meet a lot more of the family this weekend. Everyone adored him and got to hold him. We had a great time in a house that was rented for the weekend. Here are the pics of Deacon meeting everyone:

with grand-Aunt Lady

with Nana Faulkner

with Pawpaw Faulkner

with Aunt Kelly & Uncle Boomer

with great-grand Aunt Charlie & Uncle Mert

with grand-Aunt Tricia

with grand-Aunt Cindy

big weekend

2007-05-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

We're leaving tomorrow to head down to San Marcos and Salado. In San Marcos we plan to introduce Deacon to the outlet mall and maybe find some new threads for him. We'll also show him around SWT, where mommy & daddy met...and hopefully get him some Bobcat-wear.

Then in Salado he'll meet his grandparents and aunt/uncle on the Faulkner side of the family, as well as some more extended family. A big weekend!

first Sunday at Grace

2007-05-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today was Deacon's first official Sunday at Grace. He handled all the buzz pretty well. He met a bunch of new people and got poked at and passed around a bit.

We also enrolled Deacon in TCU's summer Early Childhood Music Class. We want to give him an early start in the music world. But if he grows up and doesn't want to be a musician, that is fine with me. He can be whatever he wants to be. But I still think he'll be a musician.

Also, I'm very excited that Deacon went to sleep tonight without crying. We've been trying to keep his nightly routine consistent. He gets rice cereal, a bath, a bottle and then put in the crib. The past couple of nights he has cried when put in the crib, but tonight, he fell asleep right away. We put him down about an hour later than usual, so that may also have helped. He'll probably wake up around 2 or 3 am for a diaper change and a bottle and then he goes right back to sleep until 6 or 7. He is the best baby!!!!

deacon video

2007-05-26T17:03:00.001-07:00

Ethiopia - Day 9, coffee ceremony

2007-05-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

We met at the Gladney care center this morning for a coffee ceremony. One of the care-givers prepared some coffee for us...roasted the beans, and brewed it up.

We also got to see the music school that Deacon was found outside.

Big Day for Baby!

2007-05-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for Deacon because we went to church tonight! He met about 200 new people in about an hour. That is just the tip of the iceburg...Sunday is when he meets the other 500 people at church! He literally passed out in my arms while some of the youth girls were talking to him. He is sleeping right now and we'll see how long that lasts. He usually wakes up 2 times a night, for food or because he soaked right through his diaper. I just bought the Babywise book and The No-Cry Sleep Solution book. Hopefully I'll learn something to help the little guy sleep better.

Someone left a comment asking about what to eat in Ethiopia....I lost 10 lbs. in the 2 weeks we were gone. That's not a guess, I weighed myself the night we got back and sure enough, I am 10 lbs. lighter. The Hilton and Sheraton and restaurants have american food, the problem is that it taste different. I'd say we ordered a lot of spaghetti and rice dishes, but only ate a few bites. I suggest you bring plenty of snacks. So, there is stuff to eat, it just taste a little wierd. Do not miss the brunch at the Hilton on Sunday!!! That was the one meal I couldn't get enough of. It's on Sunday down in the gazebo by the pool. They have an amazing buffet. For some reason, everything there is amazingly delicious. And of course, as Belay says, eat whatever you want because you'll probably get sick anyways. Bring the biggest bottle of pepto you can find. Drink lots of bottled water. Bring crackers to eat when your tummy gets upset. Hope this helps!

Also, here is a cute pic I forgot I took when we were camped out in the DC airport terminal waiting on our last flight home...So cute!!!!

Also, the doctor visit went well. Deacon got 5 shots, but recovered quickly from the trauma. We got referrals for a head doctor to look at his kinda flat skull and a pediatric surgeon to do his circumcision...Ouch.

Ethiopia - Day 8, conclusion

2007-05-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

We finished our day at an authentic Ethiopian restaurant [Fasika] with live Ethiopian music and dancing. You can also see some of the entertainment. I would describe traditional Ethiopian dancing as trying to unhinge every joint in your body simultaneously. And the food. I think this was what messed me up the most during our time there. Yes, I know what it looks like. You grab a piece of the bread [injera], and scoop up some of the meat/sauce/veggie stuff and eat it. Not the most tasty stuff, but we tried it. This led to the consumption of pepto later.

Tidbits...

2007-05-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I think Clayton will still blog about the last couple of days in Ethiopia, but right now baby and husband are napping, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to jot some stuff down before I forget it.

The funniest thing said on our trip was when we were all at breakfast one morning early on (bottomlys, faulkners, browns, and rosemary)...Amy in all innocence asked me out loud, "How are you washing your nipples?". She of course was referring to the baby bottles and not having a dishwasher, but it sounded really funnyyyyy. Just so you know, I brought a small thing of dish detergent and used hot water from the tap in the bathroom.

The one time I wish I had my camera was at the embassy for our visa appointments. When you take the diaper bag into the embassy you have to taste any bottled water or already made formula. So, I tasted the bottled water we had that we use to make Deacon's bottles. Then Josh had to taste the bottled water they had AND the bottle of formula they had already made for Silas. And the reason it was such a kodak moment is because instead of unscrewing the top off the bottle and sipping it, Josh just popped the cap off the bottle and sucked it from the nipple. This made everyone in the room laugh.

And about our flight home....I think I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than do that again. Don't want to be a bummer for those of you who will make the journey in the future, but it was horrible!!!!!!! Some tips to make it better....

Pay whatever your hotel wants so that you get a late check out. The Hilton charges 50% of the nightly rate and I think you can stay until 7pm, instead of the normal check out at noon. We checked out at noon and our flight didn't leave until 10:35 and this made the day seem to drag on forever...

Also, reconfirm your flight home at least 2-3 times while in Addis. Everytime you reconfirm, ask about the bassinet seat if you've got a little one coming home. Check in EARLY at the airport and make sure to get a bassinet seat.

Keep your baby up in the afternoon so that they will sleep the first part of the flight, and you can sleeep also.

Make sure you have a long layover between DC and wherever you are going. We thought 4 hours was enough and it wasn't. Get a longer layover.

Ok, that's all I've got right now...We need to get ready to go to Deacon's first pediatrician visit (well, first in America). I don't think he will enjoy it because I'm pretty sure he'll get shots today. I'd better take pictures with the pediatrician before the shots!!!

home sweet home

2007-05-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

We're home!!! we'll update the blog about the last few days of travel, but right now we have to go to babies r us for everything we still need. But we already introduced Deacon to the mac. Here are some pics we took.

Thanks for all the comments and support while we were gone!

Ethiopia - headed home

2007-05-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging from the business center at the Hilton in Addis Ababa. This is just a quick post to say we'll be on our way home soon. Our flight leaves at 10:30 pm tonight [Thursday] and we'll be back in DFW around 6 pm Friday.

I'll be sure to post some pics from the last couple of days events. We have had a great time, and appreciate each of your comments and participation in the blog. Having this blog has made the whole adoption experience even richer, and connected us with many people who are/have gone down the same road.

Ethiopia - Day 8, entoto

2007-05-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe our trip is almost over. It has really flown by. Tomorrow we head to the U.S. Embassy for the last time to do our final interview. And Thursday we will be leaving.

This morning we traveled up Entoto mountain, all 10,000 feet of it. It was a little chilly up there, but the view of all Addis Ababa was incredible. Here is a pic of the family at the top.

This evening we are going to a traditional Ethiopian dinner that includes some dancing.

Ethiopia - Day 7, lucy & alert hospital

2007-05-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the National Museum of Ethiopia that contains "Lucy" and many other important archeological/anthropological finds. The museum also has Ethiopian art on display. It was a great way to learn more about the culture which Deacon is from.

In the afternoon we traveled to the Alert Hospital. This is the only hospital/center in Africa for the treatment of leprosy. If caught early enough, the doctors have a very successful way of treating it. The lepers work full time creating hand-made goods, which we are taking home as souvenirs. One of the things we got is a bed spread that they made. We actually got to observe them working at the looms.

As usual, Deacon is a hit wherever he goes. All the local people love to wave and talk to him. Even people in the cars passing by wave at him. Everyone likes to kiss his hands and make him smile. And he has no problem with all the attention.

Ethiopia - Day 6, church & crater lake

2007-05-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today Deacon experienced his very first church service! It was very cool that it got to be in Addis Ababa. We went to a small Ethiopian Church of Christ service. The singing was lively and the preaching was good. Everything was said/sung in both Amharic & English. This is a pic of Deacon with the preacher. We were welcomed very warmly and we could tell everyone enjoyed having us there.

It was also Mother's Day [Margo's first]. So we took some Mother's Day pics for Margo:

This evening we went to the restaurant Dream Land at Crater Lake. It is a lake created by a volcano explosion a long time ago. It was very beautiful:

There really is no need to explain this last picture:

Ethiopia - Day 5, shopping

2007-05-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today we hit all the major tourist spots to buy souvenirs. We spent a good deal of money and got some really neat stuff to take home. One of the things we did was buy some extra toys for Deacon that we will save and give to him on future birthdays. So for the next few years, he'll get a present from his homeland.

Tomorrow we plan to attend an Ethiopian church service. Here are some more pics of Deacon:

Ethiopia - Day 4, orphanages

2007-05-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Deacon slept much better the 2nd night. We fed him more during the day, and wore him out keeping him busy. He only woke up once at around 4 am to be fed. It turns out the Gladney home had already been feeding Deacon some rice cereal. But all we brought was formula, so his stomach probably feels a little emptier than usual.

Today was mostly spent visiting 3 different orphanages in Addis Ababa. According to Ryan there are 18 U.S. adoption agencies working in Ethiopia, and 40 total [including other countries]. There were a lot of kids at the first orphanage, and one of the Gladney families was picking up there son there today. He was about 7 years old, and was excited about joining a family in the U.S. All the kids went crazy when the digital cameras came out.

The second one we visited was where Silas Bottomly lived for a short time. There were fewer kids at this one. They were all very well behaved and enjoyed having us as visitors.

After lunch we went to the orphanage where Deacon stayed from about 1 month to 6 months of age. There were a lot of kids at this one, and some older kids as well. Deacon was quite the ladies man when he was there, and all of them remembered him. One young lady picked him up and carried him around the whole time we were there.

For dinner we ate at a neat art gallery called "Kamush." By far, the highlight of the day occured there. Margo had dressed Deacon in a shirt that said "Automatic Sprinkler." That shirt came true at dinner. Margo was changing him at the table before the food came [which is cool in Ethiopia], and sure enough, he sprung a leak on her leg. It's her own fault for putting him in that shirt.

48 hours with Deacon

2007-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

After a little over 48 hours living with Deacon, here is what we have learned about him so far:

he is a laid-back, happy baby

he giggles more for Margo than me

he likes to put EVERYTHING in his mouth [place mats, our fingers, his hands, his feet, his toys, etc.]

he likes to kick his feet when he is having a good time

he likes to talk/make noise, but only cries when he wants to be held/fed/changed

he likes to be in the baby bjorn

UPDATED

the poor little guy was sick the previous week and had been to the doctor and was taking some medicine. He actually has no problem drinking his medicine from the little cup [no dropper needed!]

Ethiopia - Day 3, top view

2007-05-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

The first night with Deacon was not too bad. We put him down at 8 pm. He woke up at midnight and we fed him. He woke up again at 4 am and I put him back to sleep. I think he was a little scared the first night. And we think we didn't feed him enough. He was up again at 6:30 ish for another bottle.

So after a restless night, we weren't in the best frame of mind to start the day. Today started with going to the clinic for Deacon's last check up. The doc gave him a look and said everything looked good.

Next we went to the US Embassy to turn in some final paperwork and get a blood sample drawn for Deacon [one last HIV test I think?]. The poor guy. They stuck him real good, and he could be heard throughout the building screaming. He got over it after a bottle though.

Once all that was done we went to Top View Restaurant for lunch. It is on the side of a mountain, hence the name, and you can get a great view of the whole city from there. Here are a few of the pics:

meeting deacon video

2007-05-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia - Day 2, meeting Deacon

2007-05-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

We were on our way to the orphanage to meet Deacon at 9:00 am this morning. Here was our first encounter:

After that we had lunch with the Bottomlys and the Browns [our first dining with child experience] and now we're back at the Hilton resting.

Deacon is a very relaxed and chilled out baby. He has done a minimal amount of fussing and already had a bottle and a nap. I think he's going to be a very good fit for us.

Ethiopia, Day 1 - Travel

2007-05-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

We're here! We made it, finally. It is currently about 10:30 pm in Addis Ababa, and we are getting ready to turn in. Tomorrow we meet our son! We'll be leaving to meet him at about 9:00 am.

This was a long day. We left DFW around 11:30 am. Got to DC about 3 hours later. Then we killed some time while we waited for our flight to leave at 8:00 pm.

Then we were on a plane. Forever. That has been the worst part so far, that long flight. I still can feel/hear the roar of the jet in my body, and it also still feels like I'm going very fast at a very high alltitude.

We ate 3 meals on the plane. Dinner after we left DC. Breakfast before we landed in Rome, Italy to refuel. Then lunch as we were crossing northern Africa on our way to here. The flight was about 8 hours from DC to Rome, then an hour lay over, then another 5 hours to Ethiopia. I was feeling like yuck after all that.

But we got off the plane quickly, got our Visa in about 20 minutes, then got our bags and met our guide. And now we're at the Hilton. We got room service, because Margo had missed that previous lunch on the plane [she was sleeping]. Toasted Ham & Cheese with Fries:

Now all I have to remember is not to drink the water. I kept my mouth closed during my shower, but when I brushed my teeth, I didn't even think of it. Just to be safe, I rinsed my mouth out with Coke after brushing.

we take off in 13 hours

2007-05-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's go time. We are all packed. The suitcases made it into the car with the carseat already installed. The house is super clean and the mail has been held until we return. I think we're ready. Of course, I also think we've forgotten something but that is what makes traveling fun!

I'm pretty sure at least one of our bags is over the 50 lb. weight limit...Tomorrow when they tell me it's overweight, I'm just going to hand them my credit card. I just don't care that it's overweight and I'll pay them if it means I don't have to open up all my bags on the curbside check-in and shuffle stuff. Unless one of them is seriously underweight, which I doubt, then maybe I'll do the curbside shuffling. We shall see!!!

Ok, we are going to try and blog in Ethiopia and post pictures, but we're not sure about the internet connection over there. We are so excited I'm not sure I'll get to sleep!!!

40 hours to go...

2007-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

We've got 40 hours until we take off for Ethiopia. I think we have everything we need. Now I just have to get it all cleaned and in the suitcases and make sure no suitcase is over 50 lbs. Then clean my entire house so it is clean when we get home. I never found out an updated weight on Deacon, so I hope he is still in size 2 diapers because that's the size I'm packing!! We also need to install the car seat tonight or tomorrow! Woooo-Hoooo!!!!

4 days to go...

2007-05-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, we leave in 4 days. It's too crazy to comprehend. I just got back from church and would like to take this opportunity to thank a very important group of people that without them, this whole process would not have been possible. OUR CHURCH!!! Yay for Grace Baptist Church in Fort Worth!!!

From the very beginning of the journey they have supported us financially (through some very sneaky anonymous donations), and prayerfully (that's why our whole process went so smoothly and quickly), and emotionally (a ton of people are almost more excited than I am... if that's possible). It makes me wonder about people that don't have a church family to support them. How do they do life? I can't imagine not having all the wonderful people at Grace who have partnered with us as we start this new chapter of our family life.

Also, our church does this thing where new parents get meals brought to their homes for the first week or so after the arrival of the new baby. I'm usually signed up to bring stuff....but now I'm the one who's going to be getting the food!!!!! Yay!!!! Can I request that y'all bring us dinner for at least a month?

Ok, only roughly 96 hours till we go get our baby!

go for launch

2007-04-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia, this is Fort Worth, we're cleared for launch in T minus 7 days.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mary just called and everything went well in court. We are booking the flight today!!!!! Wooooo-Hooooo! Can you feel the excitement??? I was starting to freak out a little and wondering if I filled out papers correctly or what if the Ethiopian judge didn't like our picture...But then Mary called. I love it when Mary calls. And now we're good to go. YAY!!! Here we come Deacon!!!

more fun baby stuff!

2007-04-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I went a little crazy on the cafepress site...but check out the super cute shirts and onesies I got our little guy!!!

A ton of people in Fort Worth love our baby already!!
He is famous in Sugar Land thanks to his Mimi and Aunt Monica!!!

Apparently, I will be blogging this....

This one is just too cute...And Clayton is a music guy.

Clayton is not only a music guy, but a huge SRV fan. Here is a nod to Clayton's fave guitarist.

There were about 500 other cute shirts on this website but I 'limited' myself to just these 5 for now.

10 days till take-off

2007-04-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

10 days till we leave. (As long as everything goes well in Ethiopia on Monday, our court date!) Also, Happy 7 month birthday, Deacon!!!! He turned the big 7 months yesterday. Wow, everything is happening so quickly now. I've got a huge to-do list...register with embassy, get baby meds, call insurance to add Deacon, hold our mail, install carseat correctly...not to mention all my non-baby related things (work, 2 big projects for English, volunteering one last time at Cook's, keeping my sanity, etc.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAA...I need to hire a personal assistant.

Packing!!

2007-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Clayton posted this pic on his blog, but I think it should be on this blog also. Here are the suitcases we are packing for Ethiopia! We borrowed 3 big ones from the Rothenbergers! Thanks Shane and Deneise!!! The 2 on the right are full of humanitarian aid stuff like diapers, formula, a baby carrier and wipes. Lots of wipes. The empty one is for Clayton and I to take our stuff in and the little one on the chair is my carry-on and the other big one in top left is Deacon's suitcase. All of Deacon's clothes are on the bed and I'll get to packing them soon.

I don't know if you can see what is in my carry-on, but it's instant mac and cheese and lysol cleaning wipes. I've been reconsidering the mac and cheese. I think they have enough eatery options in Addis Ababa and there is always room service at the Hilton. We booked one of the last rooms at the Hilton. Yay! Although I'm kind of jealous of the Bottomly's who will be staying at the super luxurious Sheraton! The cleaning wipes are a must. I think I have an ever so slight case of OCD or germaphobia and the cleaning wipes give me peace of mind.

We leave in 11 days!!!!! I've got so much to do in 11 days!!! Luckily I made a count-down sheet with everything I need to do and all my appts. between here and then. (ocd. what ocd???)

Also, I got the cutest gift last night from a lady at our church, I'll post a pic later, but I can tell you it is a diaper bag with Deacon's pic on it!!! Sooo cute!!!

Fun Stuff

2007-04-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I saw these from a fellow mom at my church. These are awesome! I've already ordered some for Deacon. Bottles must be labeled in our church nursery and these are awesome because there is no sticker residue!!! Love them!

Bugs

2007-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was just doing a little surfing on the Ethiopian Adoption blogs out there and found a review about the Hilton in Addis Ababa. And I quote "There were however significantly less bugs at the Hilton…I took that as a plus! (In fact I only saw one bug at the hotel the entire time!)"

And that is why we will be staying at the Hilton. I don't like bugs. If I could give God any constructive criticism on our little blue planet here, it would be to not create anything below squirrels. No bugs, bees, spiders, snakes, scorpions, flies, or snails. Birds just barely make the cut, but really, what are they good for besides keeping the car wash place in business?

That is just my personal opinion on bugs. We are just waiting for confirmation on a court date, which will happen on April 30 or the day after. Then we can book flight and hotel and I'm already packing. Any suggestions on what to take?

Court Date!!!!

2007-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

About 10 seconds after that last post...Mary called. We got a court date for April 30th!!!!!! That means we should expect to travel on......May 9th....this is a magic blog!!! We will be in-country from May 10-17. This is tentative because the courts may say come back tomorrow or it could get pushed back...But for right now, we are going to Ethiopia on May 9th!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Hilton here we come!!!

Ssshhhhh...He's Sleeping...

2007-04-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the lastest pic of our baby! He had a long, hard day on the playmat and he needed to take a little nap break. Still no word on travel date, but we're hoping to hear something soon!!!

And here is a visual reason for why I'll be taking nutrigrain bars and instant mac and cheese on our trip.

I'm not a good international eater. Luckily, I believe they also have lots of Italian food and some American stuff also. Probably no Whataburger. Which is a shame. I mean no disrespect to Ethiopian cuisine, but my first rule of eating is that nothing touch. I know it's wierd and picky, but that's just the way it is. So, there is no way I could keep this down.

Baby Swag

2007-04-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

We had our second baby shower [my first] on Saturday, April 14. It was a huge blessing, with great food, and many new presents for Deacon to make his new home comfortable and fun. Here is some of the loot:

Molehill

2007-04-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's funny how molehills become mountains before your very eyes when you forget, for even a second, that we believe in a God that is good all the time. You would have thought our baby had died the way I was crying yesterday when I found out that the pic we having been attaching to wasn't a pic of our baby. By the way ladies, don't call your husband crying like a maniac and only squeak out "Mary called..." before breaking down in sobs unless you want your husband to think your baby died. Lesson learned. Of course, Clayton was my rock and said "That's it, a different picture?" It took me a little longer to get over it. But I can confidently say that looking back, I over-reacted. Which is so unlike me.....(Hahahaaa)

Our baby's info is all the same. Same story, same stats, same sweet little baby. Just a different head. And let's face it, Ethiopia seems to have market cornered on cute babies so it's no biggie. I love this picture even more because he's got a little grin going on and he is squishier. I'm sure that was something i put on our application: squishy baby face.

I'd also like to point out that everyone makes mistakes, we hold no grudge against Gladney and still give 5 stars (out of 5) for service. How could we be upset with the people that have helped our dream become a reality? They are over there working hard to get these babies forever families, and people sometimes make mistakes...who hasn't made a mistake?

So, we are still waiting for a travle date and it looks like we might be traveling with the Bottomlys. Yay! Now my prayers include open rooms at the hilton or sheraton and cheap flights. I still can't believe we are going to ETHIOPIA!!! I don't think I could have told you where Ethiopia was on a map this time last year. But then I took Geography last semester and I can tell you lots about planet Earth.

Also, I'm just going to put it out there because the last time I typed something it came true (maybe this is a magic blog)...But I'd love to travel on May 9th (we go wed-wed) because that means.....I'd spend my first Mother's Day in Ethiopia with our son!!!! Whoop!!! ( I can say that b/c my sister is an Aggie!)

just kidding....

2007-04-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

oops...wrong picture from Gladney....Here is Deacon....

feel free to comment all over again!

Wow, I was not expecting that.

2007-04-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I can type again. It was a Good Friday indeed. Here is how it went down. I went to work as usual. I called my mom around 10 am to wish her a happy b-day. We talked about the adoption, and then I hung up. I called Clayton to say hi and then hung up. I'm just sitting there and my cell phone rings. I don't recognize the number, but I answer it anyways. It's Mary (program director and the person we've been waiting to hear from)!!!!!! At first it didn't even occur to me that she could be calling with our referral. I thought she wanted to talk about money or training requirements. Then she asked if I was sitting down and my body just started shaking. She told me all about Tegene and then sent the emails with history and the pic.

To respect his privacy the only thing I can tell you about his story is that he was found outside a music school in Addis Ababa. Hmmmm...My husband is a Music Minister and music is his life. Hmmmm....interesting. Hmmmm....perhaps God's plan is perfect. I hung up with Mary and called Clayton. Then I called Mary back. Then we hung up and called our parents ( I got to tell my mom she got another b-day present!!! A beautiful grandson!). Then everyone with an internet connection got the email with the pic of our son. His pic has been forwarded around to probably 100,000 people already. So, now we see his face and the waiting just got harder. Luckily we only wait about 4-5 weeks before we travel to bring him home. But this has pushed me into super-nesting mode....check out the nursery....very cool.

If you can't tell, we love IKEA!!!

An amazing Easter weekend that we will never forget! Also, thanks for all the comments. It's awesome to know there are people out there praying for us and encouraging us all over the world! Thanks Maria for solving the dot in the pacific ocean riddle! I've actually been wondering about that!

Waiting rhymes with Frustrating

2007-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Still waiting. Still. Waiting. I lament about our waiting b/c I know the day we get back with a baby I won't ever remember that long, lazy days of waiting. So lament while the lamenting is good. I hope I'm using the word lament in the correct way.

Last Saturday we went to Gladney's True Colors seminar for transracial families (specifically african-american children with euro-american parents). I never know what labels to use to describe people. Nothing quite sounds accurate. African-american, white, black, light-skinned, of european descent, etc. I'd say we need to come up with a some new labels, but who needs labels? Too many of those flying around these days anyway. So, the seminar was fun. Best part was hearing the parents who have african-american or biracial babies talk about the encounters they have with the small-minded public. I think I'm to self-absorbed to notice any stares or glances or faces strangers might send our way after we get home with our african baby. Someone would have to speak directly to me for me to notice they had an opinion. And if they do share an opinion and it is anything less than sweet, watch out. I will go off like the older Sugarbaker sister from Designing Women. She gave the best speeches.

I finally found bedding that I like....

I don't want the toy holder or the lamp or pillows or diaper stacker...I just need the quilt, bumper and skirt. I'd better order now b/c it says 8 weeks for delivery. Deacon could possibly beat his bedding home.

Answer to Comment Question

2007-03-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Samantha asked how long it takes to get the application from Gladney. I looked back in the blog archives and it seems that we mailed off the request for app on 9/26 and got the app on 10/4. So a little over a week. Of course, we do live in Fort Worth where Gladney is located, so maybe that helped the travel time. I'd go ahead and give Gladney a call if you haven't already. Everyone at Gladney is unbelievably helpful! At least everyone I've talked to so far, and I think I've talked to almost everyone at one point or another. I'm so glad we chose Gladney. I think we won't even look for another agency when we do our next adoption, I am familiar and comfortable with Gladney so I think we want them to handle all of our adoption related needs.

Ok, still waiting. I think I'm going to get a shirt that says that..."Still Waiting" so I can wear it and people can stop asking me if we've heard anything...Trust me, the minute we hear something, everyone will know it.

Priceless

2007-03-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Office Visit: $20.00
5 Vaccinations: $310.00
Not getting ill in a foriegn country: Priceless

Had fun at the Travel Health Services yesterday. Today is not so good though. I guess your body is bound to feel funny after you get 4 shots of bacteria or whatever is in those shots. For Typhoid we got the oral vaccine. I'm supposed to call our doctor to get a prescrip for an anti-biotic and for the malaria meds. The nurse explained all the different malaria meds we can choose from...Talk about the lesser of all evils...The first one you take once a week for about 4 weeks. BUT, it has side effects of hallucinating and nightmares...I have nightmares already, so I don't need any medical help on that one. The other two you have to take daily I think for either 1-4 weeks. They also have side effects or are pretty pricey b/c there is no generic.

I like to console myself with the facts that we are being safe and that when we travel in a couple of years to asia or south america to bring Deacon's little sister home, we won't have to do these shots again. That's right, we aren't even done with this adoption and I can tell you already we are planning number 2. But not for at least 2 years.

Still waiting for referral. But we should complete our training stuff this weekend. I'm going to CPR for my volunteering at Cook Children's Hospital and we are reading "There is no me without you" and we are going to do one more online class. That should cover us. Then I'll have a good reason to email Mary about how much longer it might be.

dossier landed, shots scheduled

2007-03-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

I checked our fedex account the other day and I saw proof that our 1.1 pound dossier was received by Belay (our in-country rep) on March 13th!!!! Woo-Hoo!!! That day was my sister's birthday. So now I have a theory that we will get our referral on either April 6 (my mom's b-day), April 14 (MY 30TH B-DAY) or April 22 (Clayton's B-day). Mary, if you are reading this any of those days would be super!! Come on, I know our baby is over there....We're just waiting for a phone call to let us know you found him!!!

Also, today at 2pm we are going to travel health services to get shots....lots and lots of shots....I'll let you know what we end up getting later. Clayton has the attitude that it seems most of the men have, which is just get yellow fever shot and then tough it out in country, come what may-malaria, typhoid, polio, meningitis. I have the attitude that I'd rather you stick me now with every shot I might possibly need to be safe, than to be sick in a foreign country- can i get a chicken pox booster and something to combat the plague?

Also, if you check out our Target registry you will see something super fun. They have a collection of baby gear named....MARGO!!! That's right, the style comes in a pack and play, a stroller, and a baby carrier. I registered for the pack and play. Nothing ever gets named after me so I had to register for it!! It's only on-line though, apparently my namesake hasn't made it to your local store yet.

Ok, we need big prayers to God for our referral...The kind of prayers where you make unreasonable promises and offer up your first-born!

Fun Shopping and Painting for Baby!

2007-03-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

We had a blast on Saturday going to Dallas to go to the Galleria and just adventuring around DFW. Shopping helps me to kill this impossible time of waiting for referral. Here are some things we found....

We got books for the nursery that are about Africa and stories from Ethiopia. We also got two cute jumpers (is that what those are called?) the striped one for church on Sundays, but the "Future Rockstar" one for Saturday night partying!!! Haha.
By far the cutest thing we bought are the brown converse sneakers! This is soooo cute because Clayton has a pair of brown converse just like those!!! He said he wanted to take a picture of his feet with Deacon's feet when they are both wearing their chuck taylors...I can't think of anything cuter than that!!!

And we also painted the nursery...

Now it looks like a baby's room!

Ok, still waiting for our referral. Waiting....waiting.....waiting....

Big Weekend on the Baby Front

2007-03-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of fun for our new baby. We are still waiting to hear from Gladney about a referral. In the meantime, we had a garage sale this weekend down in Sugar Land. With Mom, Monica and my powers combined we had enough "treasures" to bring in a little over $700.00. Nice. Not to mention that the catchphrase of the day was "One dollar!" Seriously, almost everything was "ONE DOLLAR"!!

The garage sale was Saturday and here are some pictures to prove that I was up and showered by 4:45, we had mountains of stuff and people bought our stuff....

Then on Sunday my sister hosted a super-fun baby shower for me at Lupe Torilla. It was so fun to see everyone!!! We got a lot of educational toys, mostly because we don't know how old or big Deacon is yet, so that made it hard to buy cute clothes or things like that. I'll post those pics later when I get the CD of them.

Still working on training and I just made an appointment for us at Travel Health Services for all of our shots. What shots are we talking about? Well, off the top of my head I think we need: Yellow Fever, Hep A and B, Typhoid, Menengitis, Malaria, Polio booster, and maybe some others I can't remember now. I don't mind shots. I don't love them, but I won't pass out from the fear.

Ok, that's about all happening right now.

now it feels like i'm having a baby...

2007-03-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest parts of adopting for me has been the lack of recognition from the rest of the world. I mean, unless I tell someone that we are adopting, they'll never know...I've got no baby bump! I've thought about wearing the same shirt everyday that says "I'm having a baby! But he's in Ethiopia and we still aren't sure when we'll go get him and first we have to get all our shots just to travel and then make sure we get his visa before we can bring him home!" And no one is going to read anything on a shirt that has that many words....

I started a baby registry on target and babies r us and it felt weird. It shouldn't feel weird, we are having a baby. A real, live, squishy, screaming baby. But because we are separated by half a planet and we haven't seen his face yet, it felt weird registering. Of course, I'm great at registering for presents, so I powered through and now have 2 fun registries.

When Clayton and I were engaged, one of the most fun things to do, was sign in and look at our registries and see what gifts we were going to get. I've begun that same ritual with the baby registries. And I'm proud to announce...SOMEONE BOUGHT US CRIB SHEETS!!! YAY!!! It finally feels real. Like the rest of the world has acknowledged the gigantic life change we are going through and bought us sheets!!!

I'm very excited about the sheets! I know this entire post will probably make sense to no one else...but I had to express.

Dossier and Crib Done

2007-03-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Woo-Hoo!!! We got our I-171h in the mail today and we got it notarized and mailed off today! Dossier is Done!!! In honor of the dossier being done I bought a crib from Craigslist. (Note: never forget the first s in craigslist, you do not want to see what pops up!) Here is a pic of it with the donated crib matress from Christi!

It cost $50.00 and it is the color I wanted and it's the Jenny Lind crib which I loved. Now we just need some sheets for it and we're almost ready for our baby!!!

Good news!

2007-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Our I-600A was approved yesterday. We should have the I-171H by the end of next week.

Did you get this letter?

2007-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

If you haven't gotten this letter yet from us, it's probably in the mail.

Hello Family and Friends!

As many of you already know, Margo and I are in the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia. The process has moved swiftly and we believe that is all thanks to God’s hand in our lives. We have completed a mountain of paperwork and are now waiting for our referral. The referral is technically pictures and health history of a baby boy that will become our son. About 4-6 weeks after we receive our referral Margo and I will travel to Ethiopia to pick up our son and bring him home.

We are very ready for our baby and have even picked out a name. After much discussion we have landed on Deacon Elliott Faulkner. Of course, the minute we see him in person he may not be a Deacon and the naming process will start all over. We have prepared for his arrival by attending parenting training classes, reading books about multi-cultural families, met other families in the area that are adopting from Ethiopia (there are more than you’d think) and finally began working on the nursery.

The most amazing thing in this whole journey has been the feeling that this is exactly God’s plan for our family. Like I said earlier, the process has moved swiftly and the paperwork has been flying through the system (part of this is due to Margo’s attention to detail and directions). The biggest blessing and reassurance of this faith exercise has been God meeting every one of our financial needs. At first we were worried about the financial side of international adoption because it isn’t cheap. Yet at every step of this process God has provided. We have had fees waived, a 50% discount on fees because I’m a minister, and generous donations.

God has provided already for all of the agency fees and Ethiopia country fees for our adoption of Deacon. But we still need a little help. Many people have asked when they can donate to our adoption and this letter is for those people. For everyone else, consider this a family newsletter that should have been sent out at Christmas with the rest of the world’s family newsletters. We have included a list of ways that you can help and support us. Also, we have a blog you can check out and we try to update it whenever there is news on the adoption front. The address is http://babyfaulkner.blogspot.com.

Thank you to everyone who has already given and prayed for us during this exciting time in our lives.

How Can I Help Baby Faulkner?

• Pray:
Pray for our baby. Pray for his health, safety and comfort during this difficult time in his little life. Pray for his caregivers, that they will have wisdom and patience.
Pray for Ethiopia. Pray for this country and the beautiful people that may be suffering there. Pray that God will provide for their needs both spiritual and physical.
Pray for us. Pray that we continue to follow after God’s heart in our lives. Pray that our trip to Ethiopia is as hassle-free as possible. Pray for safety on our trip and energy for us as we make the long flight with our new baby.

• Give:
Money. We still need $8,000.00 dollars just for travel to and from Ethiopia and all the expenses in-country (driver, gas, food, and lodging). If you want to give to us financially please send all checks or cash to:
Clayton Faulkner
Grace Baptist Church
PO Box 150780
Fort Worth, TX 76108
(Please note these gifts are not tax-deductible.)
Baby Items. As you can guess, we have nothing baby-related and we would love to put your old baby items to good use. We need it all: crib, stroller, car seats, clothes, bottles, high-chair, etc. Any baby gear taking up space that you’d like to pass on, please leave a comment on this post.

• Go:
Check out Gladney’s website for ways to get involved in helping the orphans of our world. Adopt a child, go on a mission trip, send humanitarian aid items, and pray for those in the field serving the littlest humans of God’s creation.

This is waiting

2007-02-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a long time since I've posted, but that is what waiting is like. Not a lot has happened lately. We are waiting for our I-171 to come in the mail from Oklahoma City. This is the last paper we need before all or our information is sent to Ethiopia. I will probably start emailing next week to check on the status of this letter seeing as the Bottomlys already got theirs and we took fingerprints around the same time.

So, for now we wait. We also are working on our education training credits. We've read that one book, signed up for one online computer education class and I've checked out the Parenting Center classes here in Fort Worth.

We are also starting to look at nursery stuff. I thought I had settled on brown and blue for the nursery, but let's be real. I change my mind weekly about things, so maybe I should paint the walls a neutral and then accent with bedding and art in my colors of choice for that week. I just don't know.

I did check out the Hilton in Addis Ababa, very nice. That is where I'd like to stay. I'm a nervous traveler. I can travel and I don't freak out on planes or get scared of new places, but I like to know exactly where I'll be and what the amenties are where ever I am. I also can not be too far from high speed wireless internet or a flushing toilet. The Hilton has these two things and therefore meets my requirements.

I will hopefully be posting some exciting news next week! Waiting is hard!!

big day on the adoption front...

2007-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today has been a big day on the adoption front! It all began on Thursday when I went to check the mail. I forged my way through the snow (It's February in North Texas and it's snowing...Maybe Al Gore is right.) to our mailbox and found in there a letter from CIS!! It said we could come anytime during business hours to do our fingerprints! Luckily for us there is a CIS application support center right off Seminary Drive and they're open on Saturdays.

So, this morning we venture down to the Town Center Mall (those who know where I'm talking about, you know we were a little bit scared of this place, but they are really cleaning it up nicely!). We drove around the mall about 2 times before we got out of the car and went in. It took about 10 minutes total. We filled out some paper, squished our fingers on a scanner thing and left our comment card in the brown box. Now we wait for our approval letter from CIS. This I believe is the last paper we need.

Then we went to the library where I realized that is Black History Month (I thought that was last month!). So I picked up some info on activities going on at the library this month about BHM. I'm interested to learn everything I can about Africa and Ethiopia in particular.

After all of that we went to the Galleria in Dallas to meet the Bottomlys for dinner. It was so fun getting to talk face-to-face with another couple in our same situation! They were really fun and Thanks again for dinner!!! The best part about talking together is the information we can share about what we've been told so far and what we've been told to expect. Good stuff to hear.

And last but not least, some of the heirlooms from Clayton's baby years....

I love those baby boots!!!

This one is too precious and I fear our baby will be too big for this when we get him.

Big Deal!!!

Ok, that is about it...I'll probably start buying more and more baby stuff (crib, bedding, decor) and I'll post what I find!

here it is...

2007-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

We are officially approved for adoptive placement!!! We just received the certificate in the mail. Next up, waiting and more waiting on government offices. Time to start the nursery.

home study check!!!

2007-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

So, I've been getting a little antsy. I spent a month gathering papers and stuff and then mailed it all off. I've been feeling very unproductive. So this morning I emailed Tonia just to see if they needed anything else from me (of course, what I was really doing was letting them know I'm needy and would like an update). She emailed me back a couple of hours later and said that she had the home study and that everything looked good!!! Woo-Hoo!! She said she would be contacting us later today and I'm very excited about the next step.

I also washed all the baby clothes that Clayton's mom gave me that she saved from Clayton's baby years. One word: Dyn-O-Mite! I'll post pics later of my fave pieces from the vintage collection. I wasn't even sure how to wash that much polyster and acetone. Just by feeling the fabric, I'm pretty sure it doesn't meet flame-resistant standards. I think I could start a bonfire with some of that stuff.

It also looks like everyone has agreed with me on the not naming a baby True. Thank you for not voting for that one. There is one suprise vote for Preston. I like that name, but just not as much as Deacon or Noah. So keep up the voting!

YAY!!!

2007-01-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from KBS Dossier and she said that everything looked great!!! Woo-Hoo! All we are waiting on is our homestudy documents and our CIS approval letter. I can do nothing but wait about both of these documents, so I'm done for now!!! Seriously, it is like a 10-ton boulder has just been lifted. We are a few steps closer to our baby now! YAY!!!

Out of our hands

2007-01-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

This morning before the ice storm rolled in I fedexed our dossier to KBS Dossiers. Now it is out of my hands for a while. I'm hoping we get our homestudy within the next 2 weeks or so. That's about it on the adoption front. We just joined the Ft. Worth area Gladney Family Association. So now we can start going to events and getting involved with people in the adoption community. We also have to do some training and we can do that online through Gladney.

I'm currently reading Dim Sum, Bagels and Grits: A sourcebook for multicultural families. It is really good and is making me think of things I would have never thought of on my own. Things about when our child goes to school and has to do the family tree project and what possibilities there are for that project besides the 'tree'. You can do a garden or a family wheel instead. Also, there are specific things about what our situation will be (white parents, african baby). It is really great because it is full of resources.

During our down time we really want to go to some of the Ethiopian restaurants that are around Dallas. I'm not known for enjoying new foods, but I'll give it a try.

One Step Closer

2007-01-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

We got Clayton's birth certificate today. One more letter about insurance to get. We are almost done with our paperwork part. Also, I changed the format of our poll so it should work now. Sorry it didn't work.

Dossier Almost Done

2007-01-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

For our foreign dossier we still need:

Clayton's birth certificate (mine came in the mail today, so hopefully his will be here tomorrow).
Letter from Health Insurance (they said they don't notarize anything, so we may have to redo Clayton's employment letter to include health insurance information).
Home Study and 2 related documents from social worker.

I'm so tired of paperwork and we aren't anywhere near the end of this process...Luckily, we decided to use KBS Dossier service to authenticate our dossier so that should help a lot!

wow...that was quick...

2006-12-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, yesterday we had our home study. It was really fun and not at all stressful. It was just someone getting to know us and taking lots of notes. Our social worker, Heather, has about a month to type it up and put the papers together. Also, Heather is our person when we get back and need help adjusting or doing follow up paper work. I didn't know this, but after we get home we have 3 visits from Heather, at 3 months-6 months and 1 year. Then after that every year we send a letter to Ethiopia to tell them how much Deacon Elliott loves it in Texas.

In more exciting news...We got our FBI clearance packets back today. In case you're wondering we are both arrest free!! That only took 9 days from the day I mailed them to the FBI to get them back today. Everyone says things take longer because of the holidays, but that's bogus. Everyone has been quite swift in the paperwork department. Super!

I've also got all the pics we need for our dossier (shockingly the pics don't need to be notarized, authenticated and translated). And I went by the bank and the manager was kind enough to type up my letter and have one of her employees notarize it for me on the spot....That took a whole 5 minutes.

I also went by the doctor to get those health statements we need...I had to leave the letters and instructions and she said they'd call me next week when they are ready...I'm a little worried about these letters...I'm afraid they won't be as swift as everyone else...But that's just because whenever we go to the doctor we sit in that little room for about an hour before they get to us.

I also have the copy of Clayton's passport, we've got the passport sized pics of our adorable faces, and all 3 of our ref letters are written and waiting to be notarized.

I'm very excited at the speed of the process so far. Which is why I haven't bothered with the nursery yet. It will be the most fun part of this experience, but I'm saving the nursery building for when we've got 3 months to do nothing but wait for Ethiopia to do their part....

home study back on!!!

2006-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Quick update, our home study is now scheduled for December 28th. Yay! More time to clean! I know she said to not clean, but that is against my nature. I clean before our friend comes to clean our house. She actually got mad that our house wasn't dirty enough to clean. I sent off our FBI clearance packets yesterday. I will go apply for my new passport today and our last Gladney reference letter should be mailed off today or tomorrow. We are moving along at a pretty good pace....

home study postponed

2006-12-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our social worker called and sounded horrible. She had to cancel our appointment today and we will reschedule for hopefully sometime this week. That just gives me more time to clean up. We also got our passport pictures for our dossier. Now I begin the gathering of all papers notarized....

pot calling kettle....

2006-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I mentioned this ever, but Clayton lost his passport probably when we got home from our honeymoon about 4.5 years ago. And I was freaking out about how that would hold us up on paperwork and I need the passport number and we have to pay extra to expedite it because I need a copy of it for our dossier.

Well, we got his passport yesterday and I went to make copies of mine and his passport and realized in all the freaking out I didn't notice what name is on my passport...Margo White!!!!!!!!! Aaararhghgahgh. I was so excited that I hadn't lost mine that I didn't even notice it was still my maiden name.

Clayton wondered if that really mattered and why can't I still use it and I reminded him that we are dealing with about 4 different governmental institutions both stateside and abroad and yeah, they might be picky about my name not being CORRECT....

I'm a little upset at the actual passport hold up, but not that much because Clayton got his passport in about 2 weeks, so I've got time to get mine. And it is much better to realize this now then when we are boarding our 60 billion hour flight to Africa. I'm mostly upset because of all the picking on Clayton about losing his passport and then I realize mine is not even useful...This is why the bible says that thing about a splinter in his eye and a plank in mine.

But, I'm not a whiner...Bright side is I get a new picture on my passport!! Yay!! I guess the day I took the last passport pictures back in 2002 there had been a severe shortage in cuteness, becasue it is not a flattering picture of me. And if I do anything well, it's take cute pictures even on identification. My drivers license pic is adorable and I'll keep it till I'm 70.

Don't forget- Home Study is Monday!

home study next week

2006-12-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

Our home study is on Monday [Dec. 18]!!!

We thought we were going to have to wait till sometime in January, but we got the call today!

I think this process is beginning to snowball a little bit. It seems to be gaining momentum. I wish there was some kind of visual indicator to let you know how close you are [like a bar with lights like on a loading screen]. This is where natural baby making is better. You can tell when that thing is done. But I feel more "in the dark" without some constant visual reminder telling me that THE BABY IS ALMOST HERE.

Application: Check.

2006-12-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Friday we did it. We hand delivered our application to Gladney and here is a pic of us with the application moments before we handed it over. Clayton felt silly asking a stranger to take our picture with an envelope, but he does it to humor me. Just another reason to love him. He even manages a smile.
One crazy thing that Tonia told us as we handed over the application was that things would move quickly now. She almost made it seem like it would be less than a year to travel to get little Deacon Elliot Faulkner...I think that is the name we have chosen...Let me know what you think about it...

Pause For Snow

2006-11-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

The application is complete. The I-600A is almost ready to go, I just need the money orders. I'm ready to dive into the next step of the process and then it goes and ices over. Gladney is closed today due to inclement weather. Hopefully tomorrow the ice will melt and the snow and sleet will move on and we can get this show on the road.

So close...

2006-11-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, tomorrow is the day we turn in our first huge set of papers. I'll go by Gladney tomorrow afternoon with the application and a huge chunk of moolah. I'm only worried about our insurance stuff. We've had the same insurance for about 3 years, but the month that I'm trying to turn in the application, Clayton's job (our church) changes insurance. Of course. So, that may be my one hold up...

Also, we had lunch this past Monday with a missionary from Ethiopia! It was awesome. She could answer so many questions about the people and the country and she had a ton of pictures. I feel good that we have a connection there now. Clayton and I want to turn the trip to get our baby into a missionary trip. We would love to go over a week early and do some mission work and then get our baby and have him dedicated at a church in his homeland. We really feel that we just aren't getting a baby, but making a permanent connection to a people group. I want to take our baby back to his birth country when he is older and serve these people.

The most amazing thing about the people of Ethiopia (and this is something I learned from our new missionary friend) is how grateful and playful they are. Even though they barely have ANYTHING, they always leave some food on their plates for the beggars outside and they praise God that they have health and life. I think that is amazing.

Ok, I have to figure out who our insurance is through right this moment so I can finish this application.

If You Were Mine

2006-11-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let everyone know how the workshop went that we attended last weekend. It was called "If You Were Mine" and hosted by Family Life. Here are some of their websites:

These guys are very helpful in the adoption process. There were several adoption agencys present at the workshop, as well as foundations that provide support.

A couple of really good insights that I picked up while there:

current stats: there are 143 million orphans in the world today
reason why adoption is near to the heart of God #1: sacrifice. Much of the process is about sacrifice: time, energy, money, etc. All child-raising involves sacrifice (natural & adoptive), but the process of adoption provides more of a crunch in my opinion. God likes sacrifice because it gets us off of ourselves for a second.
reason why adoption is near to the heart of God #2: slow to love. There is a possibility that somewhere along the journey, sooner or later, this child may be slow to reciprocate the love we give. It may be when he realizes he looks different and feels like he doesn't fit in. Or it may be when he gets picked on and feels isolated. His response may be to withdraw from our affection. God also likes this, because it give us a taste of what He experiences all the time. It makes me think of Hosea a little bit.

Anyway, this is quickly turning into something much bigger than ourselves and what we're going through. We are feeling lead to create/initiate an Orphan Ministry within our church. We're not sure what this will look like yet, but we hope to meet with some other families the week after thanksgiving to talk/pray about where it could go. There just so happens to be several newer families in our church right now that have either gone through, or are considering adoption.

I'd give us a baby...

2006-11-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

Check us out...Who wouldn't want to give us a baby? I had to get these pics for our application which is almost ready to turn in. See our pretty house with suprisingly green grass...

If You Were Mine

2006-11-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we are attending the "If You Were Mine" seminar by Family Life. You can find out more here.

how do we pay for this?

2006-11-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

We've been trying to answer that question for the last month or so, with the application waiting to be filled out and sent in. There are lots of loan and grant options. There is also the hope of the income tax credit afterward.

The first option we are going with is using some of my retirement savings. Since I started working at Grace I've been saving for retirement, $50 per week. We're going to take out about half of our total savings to get this next ball rolling in the process. We figure we are still young, with lots of working years ahead [hopefully], and retirement is a long way off. Having a baby in the house and a son to love is much more important than having a cushy bank account waiting for us in 40 years.

Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment for the application. I hope I'm healthy enough to adopt a baby.

Application Time

2006-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

We received our application yesterday and are eager to start filling it out. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Lots of initialing and signing and references, but not too bad. But, we've only received part of it (the part they could email) and we should be getting in the mail the other part, the dossier part. That is probably the really paper intensive part. We shall see. I have found 2 new fun blogs by other people that have or are adopting from Ethiopia.

This is one that has the cutest pictures of a little boy...http://hennockgladney.blogspot.com/

This one is like us, in the process... http://bottomlysandethiopia.blogspot.com/

It is amazing how many people these days are adopting....Even Madonna is adopting a little boy from Africa. Which is good because I just read that there are 143 million orphans in our world today. That is a lot of lonely kiddos.

All Systems Go...

2006-09-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today we turned in our request for application with the $300.00 fee. The next step is they send us the application and then we start a tidal wave of paperwork. We also need to start paying the government a lot of money to fingerprint us and start the visa for our baby.

Names...

2006-09-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, the phone orientation was fun. It made it all seem really real. Really really, really real.

As far as the names go...Clayton is right about the No/Noah situation. I do tend to add syllables and vowels to different words sometimes. And so my long drawn out 'no' usually sounds like 'noooooa'. I love the name Deacon. So far of all the names it is my favorite. Lyron (like Byron with an L) is ok, but I'm not sold on it yet...And True is out of the question for me. Why don't we name him Left or ExclamationPoint??? You can't just pick random words!!

So, there we are on the name situation....I heart Deacon! The next step seems to be that we pay $300.00 and get the application. Hopefully we can do that in the next couple of weeks.

Phone orientation

2006-09-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

The phone orientation is now completed. Everything was explained pretty clearly, and the realization of how much paperwork we have to do is setting in. We've got to produce a certified copy of like every document that has ever had our name on it: birth certificate, marriage certificate, medical records, 3rd grade report card, dog's maiden name, social security number of childhood neighbor, etc...

Judy was covering some of the reasons why we could possibly lose our child referral and she mentioned a sad problem with the children in orphanages in Ethiopia. They have a very high mortality rate. She wasn't sure why [too many kids, not getting the proper care, poor conditions, etc.]. She did say that for this reason Gladney has opened their own orphanage in Ethiopia that cares for 10-20 infants. This way they are better able to give them the proper care. This makes me want to get the process going even faster.

Some names I'm considering for our son...
[I say "I'm" considering, cause I'm not sure Margo agrees with all these choices, but I think we'll find something we both like]
-Noah...probably won't go with this because when Margo says the word "no" she likes to put an extra "a" syllable on the end. This would confuse the child no doubt.
-Deacon...Greek in origin, "giving"
-Preston...English origin, "spiritual"
-Lyron...Hebrew, "my song"
-True...English, "truthful"