We finalized our travel arrangements last week for our second trip to Bulgaria, including the purchase of our plane tickets. Julia's passport arrived last Monday so we were happy we could move quickly with getting the airline tickets once our travel dates were confirmed. Now, we begin what adopting families do best which is counting the days until we leave for Sofia, Bulgaria.
We are very excited that our friends that we met on our first trip will also be traveling on the same dates as we are to Pleven to pick up their daughter. I am hoping that Vesta rents a van this time to take the five of us up into the mountains and then bring the seven of us back down to Sofia. I can't imagine all of us fitting in our driver's compact car again. We definitely would be like a pack of sardines.
This week is going to be very busy for me as I begin making the lists of things to do prior to the trip, buying any items that we will need while in country, and of course, packing! Today, I begin washing all the adorable clothes for our little boy that we received at our recent shower held at our church (pictures from this event should be forthcoming soon) and picking out what toys to take for both our son and Julia.
I also need to call Julia's pediatrician and set up the appointment for our son after our arrival home. I understand it will be a lengthy appointment, and we will have much to discuss. However, I am going to try and schedule it for several weeks after we are home as I would like to give our family and our son some time to adjust to what is going to become our new normal.
Our little boy's room is also coming together nicely as we were able to purchase a headboard and rails and a new nightstand for him last week. Now, I need to wash the sheets and put the rest of his bedding on his new bed. Did I mention it is in an airplane theme? Very cute! I also have some nice plaques that I am going to put up in his room which spell out his name. And, finally whatever else I need, I am sure that Target will have. Rob and I received several Target gift cards at our shower, and I intend on putting them to good use. I will definitely post pics of the room when it is finished.
I still can't believe that this part of the journey is almost at an end, and the most exciting part which is having our son home is about to begin! Twenty-five days and counting until we see you again Yuli Aleksandar Pachciarz!
Elbasan
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Amazing news from Bulgaria!
As you might have surmised from my last post, we have been trying to find out any information in regard to our court date in Bulgaria. Our documents had been at the courts for over four weeks so we knew that we probably already had a court date scheduled in the near future. We just did not know exactly what day it was.
Our coordinator from our agency called me yesterday around noon to say she had some news from Bulgaria. Then she asked me if I was driving or was I at home. When she had called back in November to say that Rob and I were finally going to meet our son, I almost drove off the road in my excitement. I have limited my cell phone usage in transit ever since. I told her that I was working from home and not behind the wheel. She then told me that she had some news that would knock my socks off. I sat down on the sofa as my heart raced wondering what the news could be. And, then it came.
Vesta had emailed our agency that morning to say we had a court date. As a matter of fact, we had already had our court date, passed court and were now legally Aleksandar's parents! Vesta also stated that Aleksandar's birth certificate was being re-issued with mine and Rob's names on it as his parents! And, oh by the way, can we travel in TWO WEEKS?
I was speechless to say the least. After 15 months of waiting, Rob and I were parents again!
Please watch the video to see our precious little boy - Yuli Aleksandar Pachciarz!
Our coordinator from our agency called me yesterday around noon to say she had some news from Bulgaria. Then she asked me if I was driving or was I at home. When she had called back in November to say that Rob and I were finally going to meet our son, I almost drove off the road in my excitement. I have limited my cell phone usage in transit ever since. I told her that I was working from home and not behind the wheel. She then told me that she had some news that would knock my socks off. I sat down on the sofa as my heart raced wondering what the news could be. And, then it came.
Vesta had emailed our agency that morning to say we had a court date. As a matter of fact, we had already had our court date, passed court and were now legally Aleksandar's parents! Vesta also stated that Aleksandar's birth certificate was being re-issued with mine and Rob's names on it as his parents! And, oh by the way, can we travel in TWO WEEKS?
I was speechless to say the least. After 15 months of waiting, Rob and I were parents again!
Please watch the video to see our precious little boy - Yuli Aleksandar Pachciarz!
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| Picture slideshow generated with Smilebox |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The questions I cannot answer
It's been a while since I have posted anything, but I am afraid that could not be helped. Several times I wanted to write something, but in the end, the thought of trying to put my feelings into words seemed too overwhelming. It has been a little over five months since we saw Aleksandar in Bulgaria, and as of today, we still have no confirmed court date or travel dates.
Some days I am fine with that knowledge as I tell myself that God is using this time to prepare us for the new addition to our family. At other times, my feelings are much different. Emotions begin to build up inside of me and swirl and change like the tide. One minute, I am sad because I know I am missing time with my son. A few minutes later, I am fearful that something has gone wrong with our paperwork. In the same instant, I am also anxious about the future and what it holds for my growing family.
These feelings have been compounded over the last week as Rob and I have been trying to get new information from our agency regarding our documents that are supposedly at the Bulgarian courts in Sofia. Our caseworker called today about this, and unfortunately I was covering a state House of Representatives hearing for my job and could not take the call. After listening to the message that our caseworker left on my voicemail, I was in no better state of mind. She stated that she had not been able to get any info from Bulgaria in the last week, but she said that she sent another email requesting information today. She then asked on the voicemail, if Rob and I had received our I-800 approval yet. This shocked me as we had received it February 28th of this year, and she had also received a copy because she told me so over the phone in February. She then went on to say that she wanted me to give her a call and let her know how we were doing as this part of the journey can be a particularly trying time for adoptive parents. No truer words were ever spoken.
Sadly, by the time I received the message, our caseworker had already left the office for the day to do a home study. However, I know that she checks her email regularly so I plan on sending her an email tonight and following up with a phone call when she is back in the office on Thursday. Hopefully, Rob and I will have some answers by the end of this week if not sooner.
I remember reading another adoptive mom's blog not long ago who was at the point in the journey where Rob and I are now. She posted how she could not bear for people (albeit well meaning people) to keep asking her what was going on with the adoption and when was she going to get to bring her daughter home. She did not have the answers to their questions. She did not know her court date. She did not know when they would travel again to Bulgaria to get their daughter. I remember how my heart ached for her after reading that post. I now fully understand what she was saying.
On one hand, I want people to ask me about Aleksandar and how our adoption is going. I want to share our story so that others might consider the blessing that this journey brings. On the other hand, I cannot answer the questions regarding the court date and travel, and sometimes it is painful because I do not have the answers...because I so desperately want to know the answers. So, if I tear up a little when you ask, please forgive me. My heart is full of love and longing for my son, and my impatient, logical thinking mind wants dates on a calendar so we can begin counting the days until we see Aleksandar again. Here's praying for some good news this week.
Some days I am fine with that knowledge as I tell myself that God is using this time to prepare us for the new addition to our family. At other times, my feelings are much different. Emotions begin to build up inside of me and swirl and change like the tide. One minute, I am sad because I know I am missing time with my son. A few minutes later, I am fearful that something has gone wrong with our paperwork. In the same instant, I am also anxious about the future and what it holds for my growing family.
These feelings have been compounded over the last week as Rob and I have been trying to get new information from our agency regarding our documents that are supposedly at the Bulgarian courts in Sofia. Our caseworker called today about this, and unfortunately I was covering a state House of Representatives hearing for my job and could not take the call. After listening to the message that our caseworker left on my voicemail, I was in no better state of mind. She stated that she had not been able to get any info from Bulgaria in the last week, but she said that she sent another email requesting information today. She then asked on the voicemail, if Rob and I had received our I-800 approval yet. This shocked me as we had received it February 28th of this year, and she had also received a copy because she told me so over the phone in February. She then went on to say that she wanted me to give her a call and let her know how we were doing as this part of the journey can be a particularly trying time for adoptive parents. No truer words were ever spoken.
Sadly, by the time I received the message, our caseworker had already left the office for the day to do a home study. However, I know that she checks her email regularly so I plan on sending her an email tonight and following up with a phone call when she is back in the office on Thursday. Hopefully, Rob and I will have some answers by the end of this week if not sooner.
I remember reading another adoptive mom's blog not long ago who was at the point in the journey where Rob and I are now. She posted how she could not bear for people (albeit well meaning people) to keep asking her what was going on with the adoption and when was she going to get to bring her daughter home. She did not have the answers to their questions. She did not know her court date. She did not know when they would travel again to Bulgaria to get their daughter. I remember how my heart ached for her after reading that post. I now fully understand what she was saying.
On one hand, I want people to ask me about Aleksandar and how our adoption is going. I want to share our story so that others might consider the blessing that this journey brings. On the other hand, I cannot answer the questions regarding the court date and travel, and sometimes it is painful because I do not have the answers...because I so desperately want to know the answers. So, if I tear up a little when you ask, please forgive me. My heart is full of love and longing for my son, and my impatient, logical thinking mind wants dates on a calendar so we can begin counting the days until we see Aleksandar again. Here's praying for some good news this week.
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