Vacations Galore....... Equal Slower Adoption Process :(

I have finally decided to write a bit about how frustrated I feel at the moment when normally I am pretty relaxed and patient. I can wait 3 months and be fine knowing there is a travel date coming up but thinking about the fact that there may not be a court date until the corning of our 5th month waiting since I have seen our daughter to be, well, I am slowly unraveling.

In the midst of this long wait, suddenly there is a rush of paperwork to be done. I am a problem solver and started solving a couple of the areas right away thinking, okay I can do this. Then I find out that our medicals must be re-done as well. Spent the evening in the hospital getting labs done and now I am finding out that the medical doctor is going out of town for 1.5 weeks and will not be able to sign the entire form, however another doctor can fill in the form for one lab test. Crossing my fingers this is going to work as they both work in the same office and I have obtained verification letters now for both doctors too.

Through verification I have had to plead with the state board as their personal went on vacation for 2 weeks LOL. I am hoping that there is someone we can find in the meantime.

Then I speak with agency and find out there are two more people in the arms we need to get things done that are on vacation. It is September and we waited all of August hearing each week, "Russia is on holidays." All month, same message. We get into September, find out we need more paper work, also to re-do paper work and now half the people to help us do this are out of town.

It leaves me in the end of this blog almost speechless.

Adoption is one of the most stressful things to go through with a huge reward at the end of the tunnel and I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, however it is an extremely rigorous process where one needs so many levels of support, ability to vent and just be in a time when that often feels impossible.

As I sit here answering calls, making calls, sending e-mails, sending faxes I also think about what do I prepare for? When are we going? When should I pack? What will I need? How cold will it be? How much will my daughter have grown? How old will she be? What has she been doing all of this time? Has her smile faded at all when we have seen her from photos?

As I end all of the office work today, I will then go to return all of the 12 month size clothing as she will most likely be almost 18 months by the time we bring her home.

What amazes me is that we have a healthy 3 year old boy from Russia who we are bringing with us, I wish this would account for something since even a recent post placement has gone in explaining everything about who we are and our lives and yet I have to worry right now about a psychologist putting in more about our personalities.

Exciting News: Orphans at Play Store is Now Open!

Check out the new custom designed necklaces. These are perfect for showing your Russian adoption pride, bringing awareness to children in Russia and supporting Orphans at Play's Grandma Mentoring Program. Proceeds will directly be given to our Grandma program and helping the children of Vladivostok who are waiting for families.

Interact in play. Support Through Love. Increase growth and development.

Simply put: Play. Love. Grow.

New products will be released throughout the next few weeks. Need a special birthday gift? Thinking about the perfect present for a family coming home from Russia? Or a baby shower gift? A wonderful teacher? These special designs come with a ribbon tie necklace and a special note to say thank you for helping us give back.

We will be releasing the rest of the designs in the brochure throughout the week!
Orphans at Play Store

Mission Accomplished 100 Diaper Creams!

Orphans at Play would like to thank you all for the support we have received towards our Helping Hands program. We made our 100 diaper cream goal!

This is incredibly exciting and we would like to show you just how easy it is for anyone who would like to donate diaper cream to the baby homes and hospitals in Vladivostok. A couple of jumbo plastic bags easily found in your local grocery store will hold them well at the bottom of your suitcase.

The current bags we have going to Vladivostok will be going to help baby hospital #3, baby home #3 and baby home #1.

A big thank you to Jody who organized the diaper cream deliveries to go to traveling families. If you would like to join others in our Helping Hands program, contact Jody

as she is ready to accept more Jackets n Hats for our Annual Winter Drive.

GOTCHA DAY! 2 Years to the day. August 24th, 2009.

Mama, I'm not a baby, I'm a boy!

Yep, you sure are a boy Alexei. 2 years ago we rushed to baby home #3. I still remember your Papa coming out of the store with 2 cakes, one in each hand. Then off to sign the last bit of our paper work at the Social Worker's office and one last drive to the baby home to pick you up.

They brought you out in an orange and white jumper with 2 goldfish crackers that you held so tightly in your little hand. You cried (they brought you from lunch) and we dressed you quickly, left and drove back to the Vlad Inn where you stood in front of us with your first pair of blue jeans and a black short sleeve T-shirt over a white long sleeve that said "Mama's Love Me". You looked up at us, wanted to be held and kept us close to you at all times.

You were so small, only a 9 month size in clothing but you sure had no problem putting your first pair of converse on and running up and down the halls with me. The first day of the rest of our lives with this little blonde, blue eyed cutie. Little did we know at the time your personality was going to blossom into what seems like a daily theater production starring you, Logan Alexei Booth.

2 years ago today we brought you into our lives and today we wait for the call for a court date to bring home your sister.

Update on Our Winter Jackets n' Hats Drive

Have an ol' piece of luggage laying around? Donate it to Orphans at Play Winter Jackets n' Hats Drive and give those traveling with donations a good opportunity for an easy delivery to children in need. If you happen to be traveling soon, why not fill an ol' piece of luggage with jackets n hats for a baby home, baby hospital or orphanage. The winter months are ahead and brrr... with cool, often snowy months on average 7f -14c degrees in Vladivostok, a warm hat or cozy jacket becomes a necessity.

Children in Vladivostok have incredibly warm hearts and the sweetest smiles. We want to do everything we can to comfort them while they wait for loving families to take them home. Please help us give back as so many of us have clothes too small for our children laying around in a closet. Or if you have the talent to knit, think of all of the children who will smile as they are given a handmade hat made just for them.

We have reached out across the country and the following people have volunteered their time and efforts for collection. If you are near by one of these areas, contact the person below.
The following contacts are available for area drop off locations:

Jody in Greenville, Ohio
Autumn in Denair, California
Lilian in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Meredith in Cleveland, Ohio
Melissa in Alabama
Christen in Elmhurst, Illinois
Sabrina in Florida
HunterAnn in Seattle, Washington

If you prefer to send the items, please contact Jody .

Image provided by:

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Request

Hello Guys,

I am not someone to post a lot about our children until they are in our arms, however here are tiny deets as requested by a few:

- 16 months old

- Girl

- A little over 2.5 feet

- American Sizing Average for Head

- 23lbs American Sizing Average for Weight

She does not really have hair so I cannot say. Looks to be possible dark blonde, light brown. Grayish/blue eyes. Huge Smile. Just barely stops smiling, babbling lots, walks with us with just one of our fingers and loves to pull all of my jewelry already and play with her shoes.

Let's Reach Our Goal of 100 Tubes of Diaper Cream This August

Help Orphans at Play reach our goal of 100 diaper cream tubes to be taken to Vladivostok within the next 4 weeks. We are currently at around 75 tubes. Let's see if we can get at least 25 more tubes before the end of August!

A big thank you to those who are donating and those who are traveling to get these tubes to the baby homes in need. For those who are waiting for a list of requests from the baby homes, we are working on this and have received great feedback so far. Stay tuned for a list we will be posting soon.

Any questions, please contact Jody