I love this bedding design/color scheme!!

Aunt Andrea...

My Grandma picked up some of those BRECK products for you and the baby.....oh tay?!?! xoxo

Wuv, Ni-kew-wis

Any questions????

The weekend purchase pics

Weekend purchases...

So, over the weekend, while in PA, Mom and I passed a yard sale and the lady had some nice things.......but what jumped out at me was this stroller! Yep, I bought it! It is in fantastic condition too! It's a Graco Coach Rider, in like a greenish tan. I left it at our place in PA. No sense in storing it here...won't need it for a while! The best part is...she was asking 30.00 for the stroller or 50.00 for both the car seat and stroller. I only wanted the stroller since I will buy a car seat new. I got the stroller for 25.00! Not a bad deal. She also had 6 or so, different ouce, brand new plastic bottles.....oh crap, are they BPA-free? hmmm and also two car window visors, all for the asking price of 3.00. Great deals make me smile. At the babiesrus in Scranton, PA, I browsed past the clearance rack and raked it in. I bought about 7-8 pieces totally like 14.00 :o)

Nicholas, your crazy mother is trying to get ready for you little man. Auntie Andrea sends her love too..

Seven years later...

and this is all still fresh in my mind!

JCICS Update, as of 9-8-08

"September 8, 2008Following our update of September 1, 2008, it is Joint Council'sunderstanding that the Government of Vietnam has issued a formaldiplomatic note to the United States Government naming a high rankingVietnamese official as Vietnam's lead negotiator and also requestingthat both governments begin negotiations towards a new Memorandum ofAgreement regarding intercountry adoption. Joint Council applauds the Government of Vietnam for taking this veryimportant step and encourages the U.S. Government to respond in a mostpositive manner. For more information on the ongoing diplomacy, pleasevisit the State Department's website."

Looks good to me! (thank you Lord!!)

Tropical Storm HANNA

The coastal states are getting hit by the wrath of T.S. Hanna - so we've battened down our hatches, so to speak. In the city that means: tie down/remove the patio umbrella, jam garbage cans in a tight corner/remove lids. Oh yeah......bring in the pets lol

That's about all of the excited to post.....sad but true.

Perhaps I'll post after the storm.

PEACE

Ethica News!

Vietnam: Update on September 1, 2008 Deadline> > The Vietnamese Department of International Adoptions (DIA)> has> confirmed that the DIA continued to issue referrals to> prospective> adoptive parents until September 1, 2008, the date the> United States –> Vietnam bilateral adoption agreement expired. According to> the> Vietnamese Ministry of Justice, prospective adoptive> parents who> received a formal referral by September 1 will be allowed> to process> their adoption to conclusion. Dossiers that were not> referred by> September 1 will be closed and returned to the adoption> service> provider.> > According to the DIA, a referral occurs when DIA sends a> letter to> prospective adoptive parents informing them that both DIA> and> provincial authorities have agreed to the match of a> specific child.> Any case where this letter has been sent to the prospective> adoptive> parents before September 1 will be considered as having a> referral and> will be processed to completion.> > The DIA has informed the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that they> will supply> the U.S. Embassy with a list of all cases that have> received a> referral. The Embassy expects to receive this list during> the third> week of September. The Embassy will confirm when this> information is> available to all U.S. adoption service providers and issue> a public> announcement providing a general summary about the number> of cases> still in process. Prospective adoptive parents who have> not received> a referral letter may wish to verify the status of their> case with> their adoption service provider.> > According to an informal poll of adoption service providers> taken in> mid August, approximately 600-700 prospective adoptive> parents still> had an application pending with the DIA and had not yet> received> referrals. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, will> process to> conclusion all adoptions that meet the Government of> Vietnam's> criteria and deadlines.> > The United States is strongly committed to processing> legitimate> intercountry adoptions from Vietnam. We have indicated to> the> Vietnamese our interest in negotiating a new agreement. An> important> goal for the United States is that any new agreement must> establish> enforceable safeguards and a transparent process which> ensures that> the children and families involved in the adoption process> are> protected from exploitation. The Government of Vietnam> shares this> concern. Both countries acknowledge that more needs to be> done to> address deficiencies in the current system. It is not> possible, at> this time, to predict when a new bilateral adoption> agreement may be> negotiated and signed.> > U.S. field investigations continue to reveal incidents of> serious> adoption irregularities, including forged or altered> documentation,> cash payment to birth mothers (for other than reasonable> payments for> necessary activities such as administrative, court, legal,> translation, and/or medical services related to the> adoption),> coercion or deceit to induce the birth parent(s) to release> children> to an orphanage, and children being offered for> intercountry adoption> without the knowledge or consent of their birth parents. > During the> month of June 2008, some children were reunited with their> families> after investigations by the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam> revealed that the> birth parents had not consented to their adoption. In> August,> Vietnamese officials confirmed media reports that 24> individuals have> been arrested and charged throughout Vietnam for> documentation fraud> and child trafficking instances related to intercountry> adoption.> > The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and the> Department of> State have instituted procedures to verify that children> identified> for placement meet the requirements of Vietnamese and U.S.> law, before> the child has been adopted under Vietnamese law. > Information about> these procedures is available from USCIS or through their> website> http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis. The Embassy> strongly advises> prospective adoptive parents not to travel to Vietnam until> they have> received notification from the Embassy that their case is> ready for> final processing and travel is appropriate.

Reality has reared it's ugly head....

but I refuse to give up! My son will be home to me, one of these days and I pray, sooner than expected. I don't envy those of you that are way out in front of the line. All I can say is, follow your heart, where ever it may lead you. If that's waiting it out, great........if it's switching out, that's also great. We all have to follow our own destiny. Good luck to us but more love to those babies that are stuck, with NO choices! Nicholas, Mommy will be on those 747's as soon as she can...promise!