Answer the Cry film

Answer the Cry film

getting ready for trip #1

So Mike and I spent the morning getting the last of the things we need for the trip. stuff like zip lock bags not too exciting, but I did get some little ballet slipper type things to put on my feet when we go for our visits. I have been told they make you put covers over your shoes so I thought this way I could be comfy in some cute little slippers. Mike had to get some warm boots because it is cold there and may snow.I am already packed yep a week before we go! I just want to make sure I have everything ready and not in the wash or something. Everything I'm taking fits in my one carryon and one personal item (a nice sized bag holding lots of stuff lol). We had to get a few more papers notarized for our agency so we did that when we picked up the last of our new cash we have to take. Our visas came on Friday, our hotel is booked and we have our airline tickets, we are all set to go.I feel strange, excited but sorta scared. I keep saying to people it is like being pregnant I know it sounds strange but its the same feelings I had in that 8th month waiting for the baby to be born. This is an adventure for sure I'm so glad I have the love of my life my husband by my side for all of it, we have grown in so many ways even this far, and I know we have a lot more to go this is just the beginning.

three years ago today a baby boy was born

  Three years ago today a sweet little fuzzy red haired baby boy was born. I can't help but think about his Mother. I think how heartbroken she must have been. I'm sure she had no choice but to give him up. She already had six kids at home and in her country she would have no support, no place to turn for help, no medical care,no schooling,no place in society for a child that has down syndrome. I'm sure they gave her no choice. She almost aborted him when she was 3 1/2 month pregnant but changed her mind and let him live. How hard it must have been for her having him grow in her tummy feeling him move for nine months and then letting him go. I wonder if she got to hold him or even see him, I wonder if she visits him if she thinks about him often . I know that God put him on this earth in this way for a reason. He led us to him, he knew before anything that he would be our son. But I feel for his mother , how sad she must be today thinking about him on this day she gave birth to him. How grateful I am to her that she did!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY JOSIAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Josiah!

Today is Josiah's 3rd birthday and all though we can't be with him to celebrate, we will be there in 12 days. This will be the last birthday he will spend without us.




I thought for his birthday I would share the poem I wrote for him back in a the spring. we love you little guy and we will be there soon

Little boy do you know
 how much I already love you, how I look at your picture and long to hold you, long to kiss your sweet face and rub your fuzzy little head?



Little boy do you know
how I think of you in everything I do wondering what you are doing, if you are safe, how you are feeling, if someone is comforting you when you cry?


Little boy do you know
that God put you in my heart and I already love you as if you were growing in my tummy, how I hate the idea of you learning and doing all of your firsts without me,first smile,first tooth,first step,first word?


Little boy do you know
 you have sisters and brothers that are waiting for you to come play with them, a daddy that is waiting to tickle your toes and kiss your forehead and teach you to play ball?


Little boy do you know
 how many people are praying for you each day,you are special and loved?


Little boy do you know
 how hard we are working to bring you home,that God loves you and will be with you no matter what and that he is bringing us to you?


Little boy do you know
I love you?


written by Mommy for Josiah

check

$2,197.88  Plane tickets booked. Check!
$700  Visa's ordered. Check!
$840  Hotel room reserved. Check!

Congratulations Andrea!

Reece's Rainbow: Andrea Roberts, Founder & Director of Reece's Rainbow HAS WON! People Magazine's First Ever Reader's Choice Hero of the Year 2010! Congratulations Andrea!

email about our sweet boy

We got this nice email today from our agency from the last visit with Josiah.
Sure, I can share my impressions ! He has changed very much since last time I saw him: he grew, he became stronger, and he can steadily walk now. He seems to be a very sociable child. I had a chance to observe him in the playing room together with all other kids. Most of the time he was interracting with someone of them. When I came into the room he showed much interest in me as a new person, I guess. He smiled at me, he touched my hand, my camera. During all that meeting he had a toy mouse in his hands, and definately was very much fascinated by it. He never let it go! There were a couple of moments when he was sitting by himself and was attentively studying the details of the mouse's tail and ears. He looked very cute!

today while talking to the orphanage doctor I got some good news  due to the latest medical check results his  heart condition significantly improved!

It was so nice to get this info I'm so happy he is doing so well and has grown so much.  I love how she says he held and was studying the mouse.In this picture you can see he is giving the mouse loves.That is so great because it means someone has shown him how to do that by giving him loves. I'm so happy he is getting loved on by someone.

Waiting is over!

ok now the waiting is over now it's time to get back to work! we got Visas to order, Airline tickets to book and Hotel reservations to place. Here we come baby boy!!!

we have a date! Had to post this Because Heather did ha-ha.

I took this from Heather Filmore's blog and changed it some.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 WE HAVE A DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have a date, we have a date, we have a date! (Did I mention that we have a date?) We just got a call about an hour ago from out agency. our corrdinator e-mailed her in the middle of the night with the good news! All she said in the e-mail is that she had appointment dates for the Nine's and the Fillmore's. Our appointment with the Minestry of Education is November 15. in 21 days.  we will meet our baby boy!!!! We will be with him on his  Daddy's birthday the 19th . How perfect.
I woke up with butterflies this morning. It was really weird. We have been waiting TWO MONTHS for this date. We had a few times when it looked possible, then it happen. So we've been cautiously optimistic this past week, knowing that yes, the director is back to work, but who knows if she'll get sick again or something.
I have to include the correspondence between Heather and I today via e-mail:
8:28 am (Katrina to Heather)
Well, as always please let me know if you get any news from the agency.
10:38 am (Heather to Katrina)
I’m starting to feel antsy again, like it’s going to happen this week. Are you? Gotta try not to think about it all the time.
9:49 am (Katrina to Heather)
I have had butterflies in my tummy all morning like I'm getting ready to make a huge speech in front of a million people or something so maybe that is the same as antsy lol I am trying not to think so much. I think I will make some big gluey craft with the kids that has me tied up for a couple hours. right now they are just all playing and that gives me too much time to think.
10:40 am (Heather to Katrina)
Yeah, I guess butterflies is a better way to describe it. Like you feel right before you go into labor. J Did you see that Rebecca (another mom adopting from St. Pete) got their travel date on the 21st? They have to be there on Monday the 1st. So the committee is giving appointments! What is going on??
10:41 am (Heather to agency)
Hi , I just learned that someone got their travel date last Thursday to be in St. Pete on Nov. 1st. So they are assigning appointments. What’s going on? Have you heard anything?
2:14 pm (Katrina to Heather)
I feel sick to my stomach now why don't we have our date?
3;30 pm (Heather to Katrina)
It doesn't make any sense. Can't they just take a few minutes and pick up our files?
3:29 pm (Katrina to Heather)
Can I just say, COME ON ALREADY!!!! I'm tired of this. Lord, whatever you are teaching me, can this part of the lesson please be over? I feel like one of my 3-year-old daycare kids asking if they can get up from time-out!
4:55 pm (Heather to Katrina)
I hear you loud and clear. Enough is enough.
At this point, I called Mike and vented my frustration.
A half hour later, the phone rang.It was from our agency.I had never talked to her before.
( P)
I have good news.
I knew at once who she was and what she was going to tell me I started to cry.
(P)
are you ok?
(Katrina)
yes just so happy. she had to tell me the date 3 times because I was sorta in a fog in shock I guess.
I think I'm still in shock, it is something we have been waiting for so long.

we got our date !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got this from our Agency today
Here is the good news at last:

 The Nine's visit to the Committee is appointed for November 15, 2010

"

what I say to my self each day

Hold fast to Gods promise,trust,believe,do not expect,do not anticipate or worry.
Be surprised and praise God for his Glory.

look how much he has changed

LOOK ! LOOK! LOOK! we got new pictures.

we got new pictures of our boy and look how he has grown. he is a little boy now he has lost the baby chub and has gotten taller. looks like he is doing great.so happy to get these pictures.




.

back to normal,what is normal?

I'm sad because my days are getting back to normal .ha normal I don't remember what that is .I have had this adoption on my mind since Feb. and been working on it since March. There is not a day gone by I didn't think of Josiah first thing and all thru the day. Worked hard getting all of our paper work done and now don't even remember some of what we did or how to do it. I would have to look back in the hand book.


I feel like this week my life has somewhat gotten back to normal. I can't put my finger on why I feel this way, I still think about Josiah but maybe not as much. I'm not dwelling over anything, not checking my emails expecting one from our agency every 10 sec.. I guess I just don't expect it any more, maybe I have grown numb to it, maybe that's good maybe that means I have changed. I don't know but it seems so long ago off in the distance that we started all of this. The homestudy and all that all my stress over the uscis and everything else makes me laugh now. Maybe this is like when you give birth you remember it but you don't remember the pain, you can tell the story and after a while you forget things, well that's me anyways. Someone asked me the other day when each of my kids started to walk ummmmm ok let me find the baby books. There are a few years I don't remember much at all. when my first four kids were 5,3,15 mo and new born, I guess I was just so busy. I'm keeping a journal now so I don't forget any of it. Maybe that's what keeps people Adopting more then one child, they don't remember how much work it was or maybe its because the rewards are so great they don't care. like being pregnant and giving birth. Guess if I remembered everything about that I wouldn't have given birth to six kids. ok so that's my rambling for the day. I know that one day I will have Josiah in my arms and will be thinking the same about his adoption because I'm already thinking about the first half we went thru that way. I just don't know how to feel about my life getting back to normal when I don't have Josiah in my arms yet.