[ChelseaCFC]

Well all that stress for nothing! One of the social workers was off sick so visit cancelled. Oh well, at least my house is now clean.
Chelsea xxx

[coffee_please]

Ohhhh bugger it! Doesn't that drive you crazy. I'm sorry.

[loubielou]

Oh Chelsea that sucks
But the silver lining is the clean house I suppose
I wish I had one of those - just cant be bothered
Hoping for some good news from you soon.

Kirsty - waves - hows it all going? Did you organise another meet-up or are you giving her some time? HOW WAS MOTHERS DAY???? Hope it was full of smiles for you.

I'm having a sad week, everyone I know is now onto baby number 2. I am an ugly green-eyed monster
Just when I think I have it under control my infertility slaps me in the face. Ouch!

Hi to everyone. Keep posting!
Lou-b

[ChelseaCFC]

Hey Guys

Good to hear from you Lou-b. Sorry you're having a tough week. I know what you mean - you think you're doing ok, and them something will just jump up and slap you. Work friend (who knows where I'm at and what we've been through) came rushing up to my desk on Monday, said "I want to introduce you to someone" - then whipped out a babyscan. Out of the blue, open plan office, and yeh, great news, but blimey - she kind of jumped me with it! I'd just been thinking it was coming up to their 1st wedding anniversary and I'd better buy a card.

Anyway, we're on for our rescheduled double-date this Wednesday. So the cleaning and tidying frenzy has begun again. I think I've said before - I don't have a really positive feeling about this match and think we're just making up numbers. But I do think it will be good to get an idea of what sort of questions we can expect from the children's sw.

Kirsty - sorry, I totally forgot it was NZ mothers day. Hope you had a lovely day.

Well, better go get on with that scrubbing and cleaning! Hope you all have a fab weekend.

xxx
Chelsea

[coffee_please]

Hi Lou-b,

Things are going really well. Did I tell you that we now have two teeth and can sit by ourselves? I am trying to brace myself to go back to work in July and put the little man into daycare. Not an easy decision but one we have HAD to make for financial reasons. He will be 10 months old by the time he starts and he is going into a great centre, which makes me feel a little better.

I've told Cam's birthmom to contact us when she is ready, but still send her little update texts every now and then. It has been about a month since we were meant to have our visit, I will give it a few more weeks, and then contact her again to ask gently if she is ready.

Mother's Day was good. I was really looking forward to it, but don't think DH realised the importance of the occassion for me. I wanted two things, a card and a sleep in. I got neither. Oh well...

I really feel for you and your bad week. I can remember all too clearly my bad weeks/months. You are more than welcome to come over and have a cuddle (and cry) with Campbell anytime you want, if that will make you feel better. I really wish I had a magic pill for you. I am sending you good warm thoughts. And you to Chelsea, good warm thoughts for Wednesday. Please let us know how you get on. I will be thinking of you.

Take Care All
Kirsty

[ChelseaCFC]

Hi

Well, they've gone. I actually feel quite ill, my stomach is . I guess it went ok. I was sooo nervous at first when they arrived though. They must have thought I was a complete gibbering idiot - couldn't get my words out, kept forgetting peoples names, aaaaargh! You wouldn't believe people normally think I'm calm and collected. I calmed down a bit after the first bit, but feel really queasy now that they've gone. So silly, I know it's irrational but it can't be helped. I think it's a combination of knowing you're being assessed and knowing the enormous importance of that assessment. Anyway, our sw is on a course tomorrow, so I'm to call her Friday to see how it went (and apologise for being such a gibbering wreck!). Now it's out of our hands - we either get picked to go forward to matching panel or we don't.

Aside from feeling physically ill, I still feel underneath that it will work out in the end, it might not be these little girls that are for us, but the right match will come through eventually. Such faith!

Anyway - I'm going to try not to think about it now, the more I think the more my stomach churns.

We're going away at the weekend for a couple of days to Czech Republic so I'm going to try really really hard to just think about that.

Sorry, that was all about me.

Kirsty - I really admire how you're handling the birthmum contact. I think you're absolutely right. Sorry you didn't get a sleep in for Mothers Day - I'm sure though when Cam's a bit bigger he'll be nagging DH to help him make you burnt toast and cold milky tea - my sister says she really looks forward to it every year.

Lou-b - hope you're having a better week.

Righto, I'm off to cook dinner and sit down to a very large glass of wine.

Take care.
Chelsea xx

[Richie68]

Hi Chelsea - Have been checking in, from time to time to see how it is all going. Yes I'm feeling positive that things are on the horizon for you as well. Like you say if it is not these girls then someone special is definitely waiting. I used to wonder if there was someone out there right now that was pregnant with our child. Lots of positive thoughts help I find. Let us know all the details from their feedback. I'm sure they are used to people being very nervous. We will all be thinking of you.

Loubie Lou - We (that's all of us) can honestly say we know exactely how you feel - which I hope gives you some strength because we have (and for some of us are there currently) been through it before. I would be going along ok and then I'd suddenly flair up in anger (which is totally not me) and say it wasn't fair and why does it have to be me - usually throwing something would help. My poor dh would not know what to do - he was no good with tears. My heart goes out to you.

Kirsty - Tell that husband you want a card next year - or else. LOL

Kune - I hope you realise, as a birth mum, just how special you are. If it wasn't for "prefect angels" like you Kirsty and I would not have our beautiful boys to love and Cheslea and Loubie Lou would not have that hope for the future.

Best go one of my perfect boys appears to be up to mischief - LOL

Richie

[coffee_please]

We have had contact with Cam's birthmom. She has been feeling really down and has had a lot gong on. She feels ready for another visit with us now. We are going to organise something in the next couple of weeks. Apparently Cam's biological brother and sister have been asking to see him, so that has given her the courage she needed. She is an amazing lady! I can only begin to imagine how difficult this whole situation is for her.

Did anyone catch the Adoption Story on TV3 News last night? Link attached

TV3 > News > News Display

I'm back to work in 25 sleeps . I'm trying to get everything organised and ready for when I go back. This has included getting a second car and going for my licence (booked for 29 June). So wish me luck. I have Cam booked into the BEST daycare, but still wish I could afford to stay home with him.

I think that is about all my news. Things are going well here, I hope they are at your end too.

Take Care
Kirsty

[loubielou]

Kirsty!

Yay for contact. It is great that you are keeping up with Cams birthmum, guess it could be rocky for some time, but worth the effort in the long run. Watched that news item, and think that's great. I saw it on TV1 news too, and it is on their website as well. It is a really exciting development I think. Have you considered joining OPAN? I have, and get their emails etc, not often, but they have zoo trips and picnics etc - sounds like fun if you have adopted. I wouldnt go myself, just feel like a loser turning up to something like that, but thought maybe you would be interested.

I am sorry you have to go back to work when you would rather be at home with your boy. I have pm'd u.

My life is a lot less hectic just at the moment, which makes a nice change.

Hi to everyone - what's happening out there...?
Waves
Lou

[ChelseaCFC]

Hi Guys

Ritchie - good to hear from you and thanks for your wishes. I bet your beautiful boys are keeping you busy.

Kirsty - that's great that birth mum has been back in contact, she must be one amazing lady. Thanks for the link on the adoption programme too - it was really interesting. Sorry you've got to go back to work - hope it's not too tough and you get lots of help from hubby as you get yourselves into a new routine.

Lou - glad your life is less hectic, I hate it when mine spins off out of control - I really need down time to think or I get quite snippy. :-)

Kune - Hi - hope you're doing ok.

Well, actually we dropped out of the twins match. Had big discussions with hubby and in the end felt we were not ready for 2 x 2 yr olds. If he had been keen then I would have gone for it, but he wasn't really sure and this one has to be a joint decision - especially with two. This is so difficult. But - we have to trust each other and hope that when it's right we will know. I'm going to put a time limit on it though - if we don't get any closer by say Nov then I don't know what I'll do, but I think that we will need to do something. I think I can keep going on faith till then. Anyway - the match was between us and another couple and our sw said that the other couple were totally besotted with twins. So I feel like it was the right thing for us to drop out. Good experience though - I know what to expect next time.

So back to the waiting game for us.

Hope you're all keeping warm and enjoying the shortest day.

Take care.
Chelsea xxx

[coffee_please]

Hi Guys,

Just to let you know, our lawyer has lodged our final adoption order with the courts and we received a letter yesterday saying that our case has been placed on a Registrar's List for 10 August 2007. Our lawyer is going to contact the court to see whether they have received everything they need to finalise the adoption and if all the information has been received, she is going to ask if the adoption order can be granted without us going to court again. So it is close now. Whew! I will be able to relax when it's over and he is OURS. I don't think too much about it, but had a horrible dream the other night that he was taken away.

Lou - I was going to join OPAN before we got Cam, but they were having issues with their website and I just never got around to it after that. Your message has reminded me tho, and I will put it on my to do list again. Did you get my PM?

[Richie68]

I obviously don't know much about OPAN's. I guess I always thought it was for older people who had been adopted and now were connecting. I'll check out the site. Kirsty I went to that Adoption Option website. They had a lovely story from a birth mother and parents who had adopted - did you see it?

Kirsty very exciting to hear that the final adoption order is coming through. Interesting that you may have to go back to court - must be a new thing as we only had to go the once. We received Jack's two days after his 1st birthday. I really wanted it before his birthday so that we could celebrate the day with no legalities and no social workers hanging over our heads. Not that it mattered he had a lovely first birthday - we have it on video - very cute.

I'm interested to know if you will celebrate this day each year? We have a "family day" each year to celebrate the day that we found out that Jack existed (he came home 2 day's later). It's usually an outing like going to a wildlife santuary but in future, when Jack's a little older, we'll let him decide. At present if we asked him where he'd like to go he'd probably say McD's!!! So may you should set a tradition now to either celebrate the day he became legally yours or another important day to spend as a family. We love it and it's usually a really special and loving day.

All quiet here. I tried to attach a picture so that you could all see what the boys look like but I can't quite work out how you do that - does anyone have any ideas???

Richie.

[coffee_please]

Richie, we haven't really decided what (other than birthday) we will celebrate or how. I would like to, but dh isn't so keen. We will discuss it tho.

With regards to the picture... hopefully my instructions will make sence.

Near the top of the page in this forum, on the right hand side under the menus, is a box that says... Welcome Richie68 etc. There is an underlined bit saying 'update my page'. Left Mouse Click once here.

You will end up in your profile page. Left Mouse Click once on 'Edit Avatar', which is near the top on the left Margin.

Scroll down until you see a box called 'Custom Avatar' - select the option 'Use Custom Avatar'. Then you just upload a picture from your PC. Be careful of the Size. Don't forget to save changes before you exit the screen (there is a button at the bottom of the page).

[Richie68]

Hi All

Thanks Kirsty - fabulous! Hopefully you can now all see my beautiful boys. Jack's now 3yrs 8mths and Gray is 4 mths. I obviously have not idea what avatar means - I think I'll visit dicitionary.com to find out.

I went to that OPAN's website and discovered (or should I say remembered) why I don't belong to that website. We don't have an open adoption so it sort of rules us out. Next year Jack will be 5 so we are going to try and contact his birth mother again - hopefully enough time would have gone by and maybe she will be ready to make contact then. We'll see.

Hey Chelsea - what is the story with the weather in your part of the world? Have you been affected? I hope it is not the sign of the summer to come in NZ. Let us know if you are okay.

More soon.

Richie

[ChelseaCFC]

Hi Guys

Kirsty - roll on 10 August! It will be nice to get everything all finalised and settled. I'll be thinking of you and your little guy on the 10th.

Richie - your boys are gorgeous! How nice that you do a special family day. I hope that Jack's birth mum will feel able to make contact one day. I spent yesterday with my oldest half brother - he was adopted and so I didn't meet him till about 4 yrs ago. But it has been so lovely to have him and his brother back in my life. We're still getting to know each other of course - but it's funny how life has arranged itself, I ended up living on the otherside of the world away from my family and then he turns out to be living just down the road.

Weather here has been c*ap. I have not known such a wet summer here and the floods have been awful. We've not been affected by the floods thank goodness. I hear NZ winter has been pretty yuk too - but at least it is winter.

No news on adoption front. We may have a possible link with a little boy but we'd be about 4th on the list so not likely. Waiting, waiting, patiently.

Hi to Lou and Kune!

Well best go - we're off out to trek about London in the rain.

Chelsea xx