[coffee_please]

Hi folks,
Just thought I would drop a quick line. Yes we have applied for the birth certificate but we are having dramas. Apparently the birth mothers surname Mac M was written in the court papers as Mac m, which means the papers have to be reissued by the courts before the certificate can be issued to us. Oh well. It seems to be sorted now, so we should have it in the next couple of weeks. And YES... I am sooooo looking forward to having it. I know it is just a piece of paper, but I feel it is the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle I have been putting together for the last year. If that makes sence. And I am just looking forward to having it done.

We are hoping to see the birth family this weekend. If the weather is nice, we are hoping to meet them at the park down the road from their house. We have all been talking about it since Campbell's birthday on Monday. So fingers crossed it will go ahead this time.

We had a small gathering of family last Saturday for Campbell's party. It was quite relaxed. Cuddles, Presents, Cake, and Photos. Easy and nice. I can't believe he is a year old already. I got quite emotional with it.

He is still loving daycare. Most days he is not in a hurry to come home with me. He would quite happily keep playing for another 30 mins or so. HaHa. I try not to take it personally LOL. I'm really happy he loves it there. It makes me a lot more able to actually work when I am at work, knowing he is happy and well cared for.

I think that is all my news. I will try and upload a more recent photo. He is such a poser now, so shouldn't be too difficult.

Hope you are all well and hope to hear from you soon.

KB

[ChelseaCFC]

Hello Everyone

Sorry for the long pause. I've been holding my breath .........

.....and am pleased to say that I am now "trainee mum" to a little 8 month old bundle of boy named Ernest. He came home to us a week ago after a week of introductions. I would say that the last couple of months have been the hardest yet in this journey. It felt like we'd run a marathon then had to finish with a 100 m hurdle sprint. (and I was rubbish at hurdles at school!) But he's home now and he is gorgeous.

Sorry - this is a very "me" post!

How are you all?

Kirsty - your boy is growing up fast, I'm glad that going back to work has gone so well for you.

Lou - how are you honey? I hope you're hanging onto your dreams. I know it isn't easy and actually it's just bxxxxxxy unfair. It will happen though. I've been waiting for ten years for moments like tonight when I tucked my boy into his cot. I often thought I would never get there.

Ritchie - It's great that Jack is so interested in music, my family is quite musical (not me!). I hope you do manage to make contact with his birthmom - it would be so good for him to know where he gets things like the music from. We met Ernie's birthmom and will have letterbox contact which is going to be so helpful for him in answering some of his questions as he grows.

Kune - sounds like you had a great time away and spent some very important time with your son.

All - sorry about the rugby yesterday, watched it and were gutted.

Anyway - this trainee mum is pretty darn tired so I won't hang about for long tonight.

Happy hugs to you all.

Chelsea xx

[kune]

Who cares about the Rugby (we do but we will get over it) Ernest's arrival will put a huge smile on everyone's face.

Details Chelsea........pics if you have them......if not describe him in detail and tell us how your heart got squeezed the day you brought him home. All of that and anything else you can think of that we want to know!!!!!!

Ann

[coffee_please]

That is the best news I have heard all year. I am so very happy for you. Yes please. Pictures if possible. I'm so excited. Dh heard me yell from the other end of the house when I read your post. Fantastic. I am crying tears of joy for you. I know the journey you are about to undertake and you wont look back. Wow. Such a blessing.

[ChelseaCFC]

Hi and thanks so much for the kind wishes. We're pretty darn happy too! I'm not clever enough to put a picture up - maybe I'll work it out later. In the meantime, you'll have to trust me that he has a smile to charm the hardest and the most beautiful blue eyes. He also has a fine pair of double chins on him :0) He's a good sleeper and a good eater.

We're pretty much sticking to the same routine he has had and have kept as much the same as possible - bedding, washing powder, toys, food, etc. Later on when he's more settled we can change stuff if we need too.

Well, again it's got late and I'm (happily) tired.

xx
Chelsea

[Richie68]

Hey Chelsea that is the best news I've heard since Kirsty's. Fabulous. You must be over the moon. It's a wonderful wonderful feeling isn't it. I'm so happy for you. Enjoy all the love and cuddles. sorry I had not written sooner (I did see this a while ago), but I changed laptops and was failing the IQ test to get my password reset.

He must be about the same age as my Gray? Gray was born at the end of Feb and will be 8 months next week. Yes I know they grow up so fast.

I'm sending you happy thoughts and I am absolutely thrilled for you. So what happens from here on in? How long does it take for the official adoption order to go through? Enjoy all the visits from the Social Workers = you must tell us what is different in the UK - I'm sure we are all interested to know.

Hugs Richie 68

[ChelseaCFC]

Hi Richie

Thanks, yes Ernie was born at beginning of Feb so is 9 months next week. He's a wee bit behind schedule of stuff but the lesson I'm quickly learning is that I shouldn't pay too much attention to trying to do things according to the book. I have to do things according to what works for Ernie and that's all there is to it.

Sleeping has taken a bit of a hit this last week for no apparent reason, but otherwise he's in fine form.

We can apply formally to adopt in 8 weeks time then it is as long as it takes to go through the courts (6 months or more). So like Kirsty will be glad when that's all done.

Hello to all.

Chelsea

[loubielou]

Hey Chelsea that is soooooooooo great!
I havent even peeked on these boards for ages, so thought I would see if there was any news......... that is so exciting
we are no further on. did look at the possibility of going for pp after all, but have been busy lately with stuff and put it all on hold.
will see what the summer brings
ENJOY EVERY MINUTE CHELSEA! I am soooooo happy for you, i hope it takes away some of the pain of the last 10 years
Lou-b
xx

[Richie68]

Hi everyone hope you are all fabulous. Just had Jack's 4th birthday party - which has just reminded me now that I must talk to him about what he wants to do for his adoption day - It's coming up in the next week. When does the parting stop ah. As you can see I have changed the picture so that you can see what he looks like as Captain Jack the pirate.

So how is Ernest (hope I have spelt that right) now Chelsea. Loving that whole being at home thing? Doing the coffee morning rounds yet?

Loubie Lou wonderful to hear from you. You are the focus of our attention now (right ladies). If there is anything you want to ask etc re your profile don't forget to pm us or pop up a notice. I remember a few months before Jack arrived on the scene I totally overhauled the photos as they were advised by the SW that they were too small. Have you asked them if adoptions are up or down at present? Would be interested to know. Have you been keeping in touch with your SW? Let us know and it is wonderful to hear from you.

Richie

[ChelseaCFC]

Hello Ladies

Well just checking in while Ernie is having his afternoon nap.

Great to hear from you Lou-b, glad you're getting on with stuff. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that it will be your turn soon. Adoption in NZ is so different to the UK, if you're ever curious how different - check out the Adoption UK website. Have you considered overseas adoption - I don't know how difficult that is to do from NZ, here it seems to take a long time and cost quite a lot.

It is our 7 week anniversary since Ernie came home - and he has changed so much in that time. He can sit up by himself now and even roll over by himself (but only if he's bothered, otherwise he's pretty happy to just lie there face down ). He doesn't seem to have got the crawling concept yet but can stand up virtually unaided. He also started proper babbling this week with a definate Dada in there. Mama is just gonna have to wait her turn! We've all had colds this past week - Ernie seems to have recovered, so it's just me that's still sniffling and aching. I'm loving being at home - it's exhausting but I wouldn't swap it. I haven't been to any play-groups yet - they all seem to take place at his morning nap time, so perhaps they're for slightly older kids. I do have neighbours with littlies though so that's good. Also I'm lucky in that hubbie works from home often - which is lovely.

Our SW is going to send us the forms to complete for our adoption application in a couple of weeks time - then we send them off to the courts and hope they get heard sometime in the next 6 months. In the meantime I'm chasing up Ernie's SW to get hold of his LifeStory Book as I want to get on with adding to it and showing him the pictures.

Christmas is of course looming up and I'm so looking forward to it. It is weird though - Ernie has so many toys already it's hard to know what to get him.

Hope you are all well and enjoying some warmer weather. We're buttoning down and it was minus 2 overnight last night. Brrrr.

Chelsea xx

[loubielou]

Hi all

Just cruising the boards and wanted to send you all a big

MERRY CHRISTMAS

here's hoping everyone gets treated well by Santa this year, and has a safe and happy holiday.

Lou x

[coffee_please]

Merry Christmas to you all

I too just wanted to wish you all well, and say that I am thinking of you.

We have been crazy busy, but life is good.

Cam is about to experience his second Christmas. He has next to know idea, of course, but loves ripping paper off presents - so it's all good by him.

No other news. Hope you are all well, and looking forward to the year ahead.

xx Kirsty

[kune]

Kirsty
Thanks for the Christmas Wishes - they all came true for me. I had a lovely Christmas with my family. Grandson No 1 is 2yrs 10 months and so knows it all already. He was just sooooo into Santa this year, and also into the wrapping, the giving and definintely into the receiving. It was fun. No 2 is 7 months and just wanted the paper and the ribbons. Wasn't too impressed with the toys that popped balls or the Leap Frog that sings and counts and plays lullaby's - much rather try to chew a balloon.

I'm sure Cam will feel loved after lots of family hugs and kisses and spoilt with cute toys. Pretty hard to maintain a routine during the 3 hectic days of Christmas. Hope Mummy has time for an afternoon nap too.

New Year Wishes to you and yours.

Ann

[nzraven]

Well, I have not been on here for over a year...I lost the site when I changed jobs and had only ever bookmarked this site at work, and forgot all about it.

I am just stoked for all you guys and gals and your babies, and they look very cute!! I can't imagine what it must be like to have all your dreams and hopes realised. CONGRATULATIONS!

I have kind of put adoption out of my mind for about 8 or nine months, trying to do other things and keep myself distracted.

We decided enough was enough, we had quite a few mothers looking at our profile and we missed out, and then we had a mother in the Bay of Plenty choose us!!! She changed her mind...so we decided to go for the international adoption and chose China. We went for day three, started the ball rolling, and all of a sudden...they changed the rules for China effective May 2007, our social worker said if we wanted to get in and be judged on the older criteria we had to get in before February to get our profile to China before May. We crammed the application process from six months into one month...it was insane!!!

Our documents were sent off in time and our s/w said, 'now comes the hardest part...we wait'...it takes 12 months to two years for China and we were told that is the quickest country to adopt from. Well...in just over a week it will have been a year.

I have just tried not to think about it, other than five months ago, contacting our s/w with updates on our work situation and have never had contact from her.

I have called and called...finally, now that it is near a year that has passed I am getting annoyed...I went in to the local office and thought I would drop in unannounced...she was not available so I spoke to her boss who advised that it was unacceptable that she hadn't contacted me, at least to return my calls and would get her to call me that day...three days later still nothing...the upside is that every phone message has been logged and notes have been made so at least some of the information is on our file.

I spoke to my s/w boss and said 'I am sure there are more pressing files but adoptive parents are very sensitive and I think it's rude that my s/w can't even give me a courtesy call to say sorry too busy for you now but haven't forgotten you'.

Of course now, it's been a year...I know I will start getting anxious...we went to China last June to just keep ourselves busy and do something towards the adoption and we were totally fascinated with the culture, and are learning a bit of mandarin, to help us when we get the call to go collect our baby.

We have said we would accept from six months (which is the youngest you can get) up to two years, and our baby will most likely be a girl.

So...it could happen any day, or it could take as long as a year from now, but at least it's going to happen...so...we...wait...

[ChelseaCFC]

Hey there and happy new year to you all!

I've not been around much lately - just don't have many spare moments. We did have a lovely christmas and although the boy wonder didn't really have a scooby what it was about he certainly enjoyed all the fuss.

Welcome back Raven and I hope your wait for a little one from China passes quickly. Well done for getting through before the rule changes. I have some knowledge of the China process as we did initially look into that. Have you joined any of the online support groups for China. I know there is a UK based organisation and of course there will be lots of US ones too. I think the UK one is called CACH, they have a website and just talking to others who are also enduring the long wait might be helpful. I understand there is also a US site (I think called Rumour Queen) that seems to talk mostly about guessing the likely wait time. Of course you might just find it easier to avoid sites like that altogether. I know from friends also in the process that they find it easier to switch off completely for periods of time.

We finally got Ernie's lifestory book from his social worker, bit of a disappointment to be honest. We will have to re-do it ourselves. On the up our court papers have been submitted so now we sit and wait for a court date - could be 3 months, could be 6 months.

That's about it - best get off to bed now seeing as lie-ins are a thing of the past!

Best wishes to you all.

Chelsea