Today Is Orphan Sunday

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Local friends, don't forget our Adoption 301 class at LifePoint Church tomorrow night, Monday, November 8th, from 7-9 p.m. at the FBC campus. Amy Curtis from Gladney will be leading the discussion about post-placement issues. There will also be an Adoption 101 class coming up next Sunday, November 14th. Learn more at www.lifepointchurch.org/orphancare.

Happy Halloween

Our nephew and DJ Myles Rock

Soon-to-Be Big Brother

Two days in a row we've gotten messages from sweet friends in Addis about Leul. Thought I'd share!

"Just wanted to let you know that I saw Leul today at the Gladney Center. He seemed so happy today. He was holding the hands of smaller children and helping them around. So sweet - he's destined to be a great big brother!"

"I did want to tell you that I got to see Leul yesterday at the Gladney office! He just seems like the sweetest boy. There was another little 3 year old boy there and Leul was looking after him, helping him into the van and taking him to get a drink. He is going to be a great big brother! Just wanted you to know that we saw him and he looked great!"

So sweet! Can't wait for him to meet Myles on November 13th!!!

A Scare

No, this isn't a premature Halloween post, but rather a recap of our day yesterday.

I woke up to read some disturbing news on Facebook about Leul's orphanage, so I immediately called our adoption caseworker to find out what was going on. Without going into specifics, there was an incident at the orphanage. Some boys were hurt, the police got involved, and in the confusion at the scene, it's my understanding that many boys older than 9 were arrested.

It was difficult to try to piece together what happened, but thankfully we have several friends in-country who could fill in the gaps.

Leul wasn't involved and wasn't hurt. However, it became too dangerous for him to stay there, so our adoption agency was able to use our adoption decree to remove him and take him to their foster care center.

We are so thankful that Gladney acted so quickly and got him to a safe place. We also feel incredibly blessed that we passed court when we did so he was able to be taken out of this tough situation.

Please pray for the orphanage boys. We've spent quite a bit of time at this orphanage — we were just there two weeks ago — and the boys we've come into contact with are sweet, smart young men. They are really hurting right now.

Please also pray for Leul as he makes this unexpected transition. In another week and a half, we will take placement before our embassy date.

It's been a really tough decision for us, but just Chris will be returning for our embassy date. Myles had amazing care while we were gone, but he didn't react well to us being gone for so long. And though we would love to take him with us, he's a little too young, the flights are too long, and the turnaround is too quick. I am beyond bummed, and I'm really sad we won't get to see our travel friends again. But it's the best decision for us right now. Chris and I have another trip planned for Ethiopia next fall, so I at least have that to look forward to! More on that later.

"He's Yours"

We are back from Ethiopia! We had another amazing trip. I have so many stories to share that I hope I can remember them all.

But the big news is, we passed court! Introducing Leul Hollomon.



We got in Sunday night and were back at work Monday morning, plus Myles has been a little mad at us for leaving him so long. :/ So, we are tired and jet-lagged to say the least! I'll try to post more soon.

We're Back On!

We are cleared to travel! What a difference a day makes. Our agency worked some things out, and we leave Saturday. Lots to do! Very thankful and praising God!

Not Today

We did not pass today. I'm not sure if our case is still open or if we will wait to be reassigned another court date.

The Time Has Come

Tomorrow we find out if we passed our first phase of court and get to leave for Ethiopia on Saturday...please pray for us!

My husband is also turning 29 for the second year. :) Happy birthday, Chris!

18-Month Stats

Myles had his 18-month check-up last week, and here are his stats:

Height: 34 1/8 inches (90th percentile) — I think this is way off. We had to see a different nurse, and she measured differently than our usual nurse does. At M's 12-month check-up, he was about 29 inches and in the 17th percentile. I tried to measure him at home a few weeks ago for our post-placement update, and he was around 32 inches.

Weight: 24 lbs., 4 oz. (25th percentile) - Also up from around the 17th percentile last time.

Head: Don't remember the exact measurement, but I do remember it's the 97th percentile! This is consistent from previous measurements. Lots of brain going on in there! :)

Size: 12-18 month pants, 18-month shirts (that head!), mostly 4s in shoes

I know I've mentioned here before that Myles had some significant motor skills delays when he came home, and now a year later he's almost completely caught up. We've had several pediatricians comment how smart he seems, and of course we agree!

Myles has had lots of ear infections since he's been home, and after a visit with an ENT doctor, he will be getting tubes and his adenoids removed once we're home with L. I'm not looking forward to it. Myles had a rough wake-up after his circumcision, but at least now we are prepared for that. But I also hate having to put him on really strong antibiotics every month.

M's First Haircut

I didn't realize his hair had become quite this unruly.


Getting your hair cut is fun!


Or not.


Nothing a little "Yo Gabba Gabba!" can't fix.


This feels weird.


A little brush, brush.


Tada!

I let the stylist cut his hair much shorter than I would have thought. And I have to say, short hair is so much easier! No more battles over tangles. And M's hair looked much better than the final picture after washing. I'd post a picture, but my camera batteries are dead. I'll try to this weekend.

Help with Humanitarian Aid

Some of you have asked how you can help with humanitarian aid, which we will take with us on our first trip in October. Here are two ways:

1. Donate items for us to take to our adoption agency's foster care centers. (This is where Myles spent five out of his first six months.) Some current needs are:
a. Infant clothing (new); Boys and Girls; sizes 0-2 years.
b. Huggies Snug and Dry Diapers, Extra Large Case – Sizes 1, 2, 3 and 4
c. Huggies Natural Care Wipes (Unscented); 576 count
d. Purell Hand Sanitizer NXT Refill, 1000ml
e. Toys & Activities for Older Children (Art Books, Crayons, Colored Pencils,
Markers, Manipulative Toys like Puzzles).

2. Make a donation to provide a meal for kids at a government orphanage. (This is where L has been for about four years.) Recommended gifts: 1 cow ($300-$400), 3-5 goats or sheep (about $40-$70 each), oranges and bananas for everyone (kids and caregivers) at the orphanage (about $25 total), soda for everyone (kids and caregivers) at the orphanage (about $30 total).

If you'd like to help in some way, please let Chris or me know!

What?!? A month?

A quick glance at my calendar tells me that a mere five short weeks from now we may be on a plane bound for Ethiopia. Where has the time gone? For our friends and family, here's a brief timeline of what's about to happen:

Oct. 4 - Chris's birthday and our MOWA date. This is a court date for which we don't have to appear. MOWA must issue a positive opinion on this day for us to keep our next court date.

(Oct. 9 - The day we are scheduled to leave for Ethiopia if MOWA issues a positive opinion. Yes, we will have less than five days notice if we are actually leaving this day.)

Oct. 11 - My birthday, hopefully in Ethiopia?!?

Oct. 14 - The date in which we are scheduled to appear in court in Ethiopia.

2-6 weeks after passing court - When we will return for our second trip to bring L home.

With only a little over a month until all this craziness begins, I'm beginning to panic about all that needs to be done! :) From little things like cleaning out L's closet to big things like, oh, I don't know, learning some Amharic phrases, there's so much to think about. Where did the time go, I ask?

Summer Fun

Hope you're all enjoying your summer!

Court Dates!

Natalie from our adoption agency called us today to tell us we already have court dates for the next court season, after the rainy season closures.

Our first date is October 4th (Chris's birthday!); we don't appear for this one. The ministry of the Ethiopian goverment that oversees adoptions will issue an opinion or request more information, and L's family member must appear to relinquish rights.

If all goes well, our court date in which we will appear to legally become L's parents is scheduled for October 14th. We will have to be in Addis on the 10th and leave on the 17th (my birthday is the 11th!). There is still a chance this second trip could be delayed. But I'm so excited to have a concrete date to look forward to!!!!

If you're a family traveling the same week, e-mail me! DMichelC at aol dot com.

P.S. Once we pass court, we will travel 2-6 weeks later to bring L home.

The Court Date Wait

Sorry I haven't had much to post lately. We're still just waiting for a court date. I've been hopeful that we will get a court date before the closures, but I realize it's July 1st and it's less likely that's going to happen as each day passes. I'm really okay either way (at least today, ha!). Surely we will at least have a court date within the next four months, right?

A little part of me hoped we would get our court date this week. We got our referrals for our boys on the same day, so I hoped we would get the court date calls on the same day also (June 28). We didn't ever get to have our first court date (July 22), though, because of some closures. We found out about our second court date on July 14 (August 7th court date), so maybe there's still hope.

A year ago we were praying for Myles's court date, and the same prayer requests hold true today:

1. That we will be assigned a court date, and fast!
2. That all of the paperwork will be in order, that there's electricity, that all the judges are present, and that all of those other little details will fall into place so we can pass court on the first try and before rainy season.
3. That God will give us peace and comfort if we have to wait a little longer and that the waiting flies by.
4. That L will stay healthy and strong while he waits for us to come get him.

A couple weeks ago we got to meet Amy Curtis, our post-adoption coordinator at Gladney. It was so great to meet a Gladney staffer in person since we're all the way in Tennessee! Amy was wonderful and a great resource for us. She has met L, so she was able to thoroughly prepare us for some issues we may have when he gets home. We are so thankful to have her!

Happy Referral Day!

June 3rd is apparently a big day in the Hollomon family.

Yesterday was busy and stressful, as we took Myles to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital to be circumcised. Because he's older, he had to be put under general anesthesia, which was scary for me. The surgeon assured us most boys his age do extremely well and are up and about within 24 hours as if nothing ever happened. The surgery went well, although Myles had a rough time post-op. After a long nap and his first meal of the day, he was doing so much better.

While Myles was napping, I took a nap also and missed a call from our caseworker. So she called Chris, and we found out she had our official referral for L! We got to know more about him and see new pictures. He's getting so grown-up looking! I can't wait to show you.

A little while later, I got a text from my friend Nancy, who reminded me that June 3rd was also the day we got our referral for Myles. Isn't that amazing?!? In all the craziness leading up to his surgery, it had completely slipped my mind.

So on June 3, 2009, we saw this little 2.5-month-old face for the first time.



And on June 3, 2010, we said yes to L.

Praying for a quick court date!

Quick Pics

www.alisonbynum.com

Myles: A Minute

M is the most expressive kid, and it is so hilarious!

At My Wit's End!

Please pray for me because I am losing it.

We’re having some issues with our local USCIS (citizen and immigration) office, and I’m beyond frustrated. I know not everyone who reads this has adopted, so I’ll try to explain it as best I can.

We submitted our I-600A, which is an application to bring an orphan into the country, in early January. As part of this, you have to be fingerprinted. In our previous experience, they send the fingerprinting appointment soon after they receive your application. More than two months went by and we still hadn’t received our fingerprinting appointment. This was my first sign that something was wrong. So I e-mailed our CIS office to ask about it. They said they were waiting to receive our home study because they couldn’t tell from our application whether we wanted an extension for Myles’s application or if it was a new application. I clarified that this was a new application, and they sent our fingerprinting appointments. Then we were fingerprinted and our home study was sent.

I e-mailed our CIS office again to make sure they were clear that second I-600A application was a new one, since they were confused before. I waited two weeks for a response and didn’t get one. Frustrated, I contacted our senator’s office to see if they could intervene.

In the meantime, our CIS office sent a receipt for our second application (three months later), but it had the same case number as Myles’s application. Another big red flag!

The senator’s office received a response from our CIS office saying they were reviewing our case this week (YAY!), but they said we were asking for an extension for Myles (NO!). If they would read our home study, they would see that Myles has been home for seven months!

I’m at my wit’s end! I don’t know any other ways to communicate that Myles is home and we’re asking to bring another child home. Please pray for my sanity :) and for this to be resolved quickly.

Adoption Brain, Part 2

Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote this little ditty. Although we don't technically have to go on the wait list this time, I'm experiencing many of the same symptoms as we WAIT. AND WAIT. AND WAIT. for our USCIS approval. Seriously, we still technically have a current approval! Myles's hasn't expired yet. Please just give us our clearance so we can tell our sweet 11-year-old he's getting a family and bring him home!

Ugh. Rant over.

Thinking of This Smile Today

Myles's 1-Year Pics - The Outtakes!