Our Adoption of Zaza

I realize that this blog, my every day life blog, is the one listed with our adoption agency, Gladney, as our adoption blog.  It is not, but I do occassionaly put adoption news and tidbits on here.  For those who have never looked to the right —–> there is a counter that is unbelievably at 3 years and almost 6 months that we have been waiting for our little girl, Zaza.  Our adoption blog doesn’t get as many entries as this one, but it can be found at:  www.ZazasMama.wordpress.com.  Our timeline is there as well as the worse-than- snail-slow process and progress.

Yes, I think about our little girl every day.  Yes, I miss her and I haven’t even met her yet.  We do not know her age, her name, her location (other than Colombia), her background…. nothing.  But she is our little girl… who is not home yet.  Our 11-year-old son prays faithfully for Zaza each night that she has a home and a bed and food and people who love her.  I pray they same prayer each night and that she will know God’s love at an early age.

Yes, we call her Zaza.  My sister-in-law came up with that nickname because we kept saying “our little girl from Colombia”… which is a bit long.  No, we will not change her name to Zaza.  We won’t change her first name at all because she will be 5 or 6-years-old and her name will be one of the only things she brings home with her from her mother country. 

Yes, waiting is hard.  I hate waiting.  I’m SOOO a right now girl!  This has taught me patience beyond what I thought was humanly possible.  We know some day she will be here and our family will be complete, but we don’t know when…… like I said, it’s hard.

This week I’ve been sewing a dolly, her clothes and a sleeping bag for the dolly…. all for Zaza to play with.  It keeps my mind on her and prayers sent heavenward on her behalf.  It also makes me feel like I’m doing SOMETHING!

Adoption Progress

Another Colombian darling.

For those who might wonder what’s going on with our adoption, I’ve put together a time line of our adoption process to this point.  People frequently ask us, “What’s happening with Zaza?”  And our answer is…. “we’re waiting.”  It’s not comforting to be reminded of how long it’s been, but it is reassuring to know people care and are praying… and with each day, we’re one day closer to Zaza being home.  Here’s the whole shabang:

Nov. 2006   Started looking at agencies

Feb. 12, 2007   Sent Application to Commonwealth

Jun. 14   Homestudy completed

May 9   I-600A Application sent

July   Psychological Testing and Report

Aug. 29   Received I-171H

Oct. 20   Dossier sent to Colombia

Feb. 7, 2008   Approved by ICBF in Colombia (Yippy!)

Jun. 14   Update USCIS fingerprints

Aug. 5   Commonwealth Adoptions Int’l Closed

Sep. 25   Signed with Gladney Center for Adoptions

Nov. 8   Update and Addendum to Homestudy 

The February approval started our official wait time.  We’ve heard the wait is between 4 and 30 months.  We just passed month 10.

 

The Addendum was done to fulfill updating requirements, but also to increase the age of the child we requested from 3-5 years (which means she’ll be between 36 and 60 months old when we get her) to 3-7 years (meaning 36 to 84 months.)  Somehow, two years ago when this all started, we didn’t take into consideration that our three children who are here would also be increasing in age….. duh!  So we increased the age, thinking this could possibly speed up the process as well.  However, we are confident that the Lord has Zaza picked out and she’ll be exactly who and what our family needs.

After-Veterans-Day Bags Have Arrived

Bags For Zaza took a day breather this week and the bags, well most of them, posted this morning.  There’s something for everyone… the career woman, the teenager, the traveler, the book worm, the chic shopper.  I was the delinquent picture sender as I worked past midnight and went to bed mad at the bag.  The flap was too long and went to the bottom edge of the front of the purse.  It just didn’t look right and the length would be a bother when digging inside.  After many futile attempts at tricky solutions, I gave up and hit the sack. 

Fortunately, I awoke with visions of grandeur and a fringy idea.  Here are the results of 7.5 hours of sleep:

For those new to MSJ, Bags for Zaza is an adoption fundraiser to help bring home our little girl from Colombia.  We have requested a daughter between the ages of 3 and 7… and chances are really high that she will have black hair, like her daddy.  BFZ was started by my sister-in-law, Jennie, who is also adopting a sibling group of three kids who happen to be the same ages as our three children.  Incidentally, Jennie is also the one who bequeathed the name Zaza for our little girl.  We hoped and prayed that we could raise $500 for this worthy cause.  Well, we haven’t heard official tally numbers in a while (due to double staffing with our head seamstress and bookkeeper) but I believe it’s nearing $4,000!  Woooo HOoooo! 

A heartfelt thanks to bidders, sewers, auction junkies and YOU for going over, taking a looksie and telling ALL your friends about Bags for Zaza.  www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com.

Is that Your Final Answer?

Another Colombian Princess.

YES!  Today the stress level in our abode sank back to near normal.  We decided on a new adoption agency, signed the papers and I ran to the mailbox and threw them in before we changed our minds.  It’s been almost a month since Commonwealth Adoptions Int’l. Inc. closed its doors… leaving us scrambling for another agency to complete the adoption of our little girl who is sitting in Colombia THIS MINUTE… waiting for us.

We are aware that CHANGE is the essence of adoption, but we did not see this one coming.  Changing rules.. yes.  Changing time frames… yes.  But changing agencies… no.  We are still not sure of the true reason for CAII shutting down, and frankly, it doesn’t really matter anymore.  But it was a wake-up call when we were sitting here cruising through our wait time for our referral call.

The entire Colombian program (approx. 90 families) had the opportunity to transfer to Gladney Center for Adoption, but we did not immediately jump on board.  We shopped around, compared programs, added additional fees on our fingers and toes, searched the web for Hague information and prayed our little hearts out.  We had it narrowed to three agencies, but the determining factor was a teleconference call with Gladney last Thursday.  Before the call, we realized that we were dealing with an agency with a stellar reputation.  They have been doing business for more than 100 years and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  I personally spoke with the COO the week before and he was fantastic and upright and just admitted, “I don’t know” to many of my questions.  That’s what we were looking for… truthful answers, even if it was IDK.  We feel that we are in good hands.  The pressure cooker lid was cracked open. 

We are nearing the expiration of our I600A and need to make a change to our homestudy as well.  The plan is to increase the age of the child we are requesting, and hopefully speed up the referral process.  As we’ve been preparing for almost two years for a toddler… our other kids have aged… two years.  (Go figure!) So we’re thinking a child of 4, 5 or 6 years might fit better into our home.  I mean really, how do you decide something like that?  We’ve prayed and prayed.  And feel at peace with it.

I simply want Zaza home NOW.  Her room is ready.  Our hearts are ready.  OK, we’re not exactly fluent in Spanish, but our charades skills are supremely honed.  :o)  OK, I need to go sew another Bag for Zaza to keep my mind busy.   www.bagsforzaza.blogspot.com.  Help bring Zaza home!