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!

So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. Eventually feels a lot better than actually.” -Dr. Meredith

I keep Nicholas close to me, even on vacation!

I know, I need my head examined for bringing clothing for a baby that hasn't come home to me yet....but he's on my mind so often, I wanted to share this with him, where ever he might be! Love Mommy..

Crap, Vacation is over..

While the weather, thankfully was great, not a drop of rain, Miami was HUMID, ugh. But that didn't last too long, a couple of hours after we sailed from Miami, it was better. The ports we visited were, Cozumel, Mexico, Cayman Island & Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Cozumel was the best, such beautiful beaches, clear water...ah...Caywan was the next best and Jamaica, well...I never debarked!! I'll post a few pictures. Oh yeah, our ship rescued 44 Haitians that were adrift for 15 days! Needless to say, about 12 hours later, the Coast Guard came and retrieved them and back to Haiti they went!! Those people were lucky to survive the dehydration but, did they know about the sharks circling them???????????? God Bless America...I also came to another realization..........I don't like flying anymore. Boy am I in BIG trouble or what? I have a trip to Hawaii in Oct (connecting flights in both directions!!) and then................VIETNAM. oye. Drugs please.

Ahoy! I am coming about.

Ok, I should really be sleeping since we're (Mom, Aunt & Myself) are heading for John F. Kennedy International Airport bound for Miami Florida where we'll board of lovely ship. The Carnival Liberty!! I pray for a safe journey, please do the same for us. Thanks. I'll attach some pictures of our ship. Until my return, be safe everyone and I hope for wonderful news upon my return....By the way, the cabin pictured here isn't ours. We have a SUITE. Ah it feels good, V.I.P. check-in. Hey, ya only live once. Momma La.....xoxoxoxoxo DYLM? ILY !

Can you hear the crickets?

Not a word on the chat groups. Eerie..quiet.

Ah...Saturday! (cheese-E grin)

Good Morning fellow bloggers. Today, my Mom, my Brother and I are heading down to Freehold, NJ to join the 'Family BBQ/Get-together'. I'm looking forward to it actually. Not sure if it's the mingling with those whom I haven't seen since the last funeral (yeah, typical Italians..) or to get some sun and take a few dips in the pool. Oh well, I'll try them all and let you know.. He He

I'll just show a glimpse into my day. (pool not my uncles but as close as possible)

Is everyone wondering?

I hope that Friday's meeting was a huge success and that by tomorrow or some time early in the week, we hear some good news. I'm sure we can all use it. In the meanwhile, keep your minds occupied as much as possible: SHOP! Yesterday, Kohl's had a good sale on baby things, so I bought Nicholas a nice orange one-piece thingie, a short-sleeve shirt and navy shorts...Wanna c?

I was just wondering..

Has anyone set up their nurseries yet? If not the furniture, how about items for their babies? Wanna share pics? I think I have like 8 boxes of baby items for Nicholas in my my brother's old bedroom closet!! It does make me feel like, this is for real...........xoxo I miss posting about my little boy, sorta been in a funk lately. xoxo Mommy.

My feelings are easy to describe....

This is how my days are lately. Some days UP, some days DOWN but everyday, ever changing..... For the moment, what I am most looking forward to is: My Carnival Cruise, aboard the LIBERTY!! 23 more days...ahh

It's always good

to see my list number drop, even through these tough days! Gives a bit more hope.