It's been a while since I have updated the blog. So many changes to report. I am back at work full time now. That means Nathan is in daycare full time. During June and July Nathan was in daycare 2 days a week. In August and Sept I changed it to 3 days a week. As of last week it was full time. He goes to a home daycare. Nathan loves it. He has several friends there and has learned so much as a result. I grew up with a stay at home mom so I have always been apprehensive about daycare. But seeing how Nathan has flourished, I have to be a big fan of daycare. It has helped him speak more and behave better. Although I tout all the benefits of daycare, my friend Katherine pointed out that I am carrying a tremendous amount of guilt about not staying home with Nathan. I love being a mom, but being a stay at home mom not my thing. I wish it were. As a result, I have heightened sensitivity when anyone makes comments about how I should be handling my son or my time. Is it really wrong of me to take a nap or go shopping for an hour?
Nathan is saying so much more these days. Not fully talking yet but speaking lots of sentences. I'm amazed how he knows what to say. This morning he was talking baby talk and Keyoor told him we couldn't understand him. So Nathan responds "never mind" and walks away. Here's another cute story. Whenever Nathan wants more food, he says the word more and signs the word more. Yesterday Nathan was walking around with his security blanket and left it in the hall when I took him to change his clothes. Suddenly he says and signs "more." I was confused since he wasn't eating then, so I asked him "more what?" Nathan says, "more blanket."
As of last month, Nathan is now sleeping in a toddler bed. I'm glad we got a convertible crib since he was not in there too long. My little boy is growing up. When we first got him, Nathan was a 9 month clothes size and a size 3 shoe. Now he is 18 months clothes size and size 6 shoe. His food tastes are changing and things he liked before he no longer likes and vice versa. His favorite snacks are figs and fruit roll ups. Frozen peas and blueberries are another favorite. I'm already having a tough time getting him to eat indian food. He always wants hot dogs. He no longer drinks warm strawberry milk. Cold plain milk it is. He loves juice and lemonade but we found that keeps him up at night, so I don't allow it except for weekend mornings.
My birthday was a few days ago, what did my son get me for my birthday? Just the best present ever, he started calling me "mommy." I have been waiting my entire life to hear that and how perfect it was that he started calling me mommy on my birthday. Up until then he called me by a random nickname he created, "Ty". Not sure where he got that. Needless to say, all weekend it was "mommy, mommy, mommy." I love it.
9/28/09
Spring 2009
Now that I finally figured out how to link pictures, here are pictures from our time with Nathan in India and the first month we were home. Or as I like to refer to this period - When Nathan was new. I hope someday Nathan can see these pictures as they bring tears to my eyes knowing how he was and how he has blossomed. For now, these pictures bring tremendous anxiety to Nathan. We showed them to him and he freaked out for days, nonstop crying. I think seeing pictures of the orphanage and his earlier baby pictures from that time, are a period of his life he wants to forgot. Nathan is a child who embraces life, he never wants to look back to what was. He loves his mommy and daddy and his home. Everyday he wants to do family hugs and everyday he gives us kisses. How lucky we are.
 |
| May 2009 |
 |
| April 2009 |
Summer 2009
Here are pictures of Nathan from this summer. As you can see he is a very happy child. Loving life. Growing every day. Love does that to you.
 |
| August 2009 |
 |
| July 2009 |
 |
| June 2009 |
9/2/09
Grouchy Kid Contest - Vote for Nathan - Contestant #6
http://www.mix1065.net/Sesame-Street-Live-2/5126295
My sister Rina entered Nathan in a grouchy kid contest. He already made it to the top 10 and won 4 tickets to Sesame Street Live. The winner gets front row seats to the show. The show is in the Baltimore and we will not be flying out for it. But we are donating the tickets to charity. So some very deserving child will be able to attend the show. Please vote.
And to address concerns, Nathan is not a grouchy kid. He is a very happy child with tremendous acting ability. He loves to pose.
Nathan is Contestant #6
My sister Rina entered Nathan in a grouchy kid contest. He already made it to the top 10 and won 4 tickets to Sesame Street Live. The winner gets front row seats to the show. The show is in the Baltimore and we will not be flying out for it. But we are donating the tickets to charity. So some very deserving child will be able to attend the show. Please vote.
And to address concerns, Nathan is not a grouchy kid. He is a very happy child with tremendous acting ability. He loves to pose.
Nathan is Contestant #6
7/27/09
Finally Settled
After being home for a few months now I feel safe in saying that Nathan is settled. Yesterday was such a great day. He woke up smiling, played with us, behaved when we went out for lunch,took his nap on time, played some more, ate and ate, and slept on time. For the past 3 weeks, Nathan has been sleeping through the night with the occasional getting up for milk once during the night and back to sleep. He is going to sleep on time. It took us many months to get to this point. Happy happy family we are.
For the past month we have been trying to provide a steady environment for Nathan so that he does not feel anxiety. We stopped going out to unknown places unless we were accompanied by known companions, like Nathan's Uncle Gary and Aunt Katherine. We made sure we were home in time for bedtime and we took no road trips. All of this helped him settle down.
Nathan is starting to speak more. His vocabulary has increased but he is not yet speaking fluently or consistently. The few things he is saying are in English but I think only Keyoor and I can understand them. He says daddy, mom, look, light, bathroom, more, and a few sentences like "I want to go", "It's not dirty (re: diaper)", "How are you."
Funny incident which occurred the day after he learned to say "mom." Nathan was talking on his toy cell phone, yelling into it. He sounded like a teenager yelling on the phone, sorta like she did this and she said that. I asked him, "Nathan, who are you complaining about, who are you mad at?" He turned around and gave his stink eye look and yelled "MOM,MOM, MOM". I laughed so hard. Needless to say he didn't appreciate the laughter.
Let me share the Walgreens story. I found out how impressive Nathan's motor skills were when we went to Walgreens. Nathan did not want to sit in the cart and insisted on pushing it by himself. I of course had to hold him up so he could reach the cart but I was not allowed to touch the cart unless I wanted to be subject to screaming. Enter the terrible twos six months earlier. Anyway, he pushed the cart down the aisle, rounded the corners to next aisle, maneuvered around people and boxes. I was amazed at his motor skills. 18 month old and can push a shopping cart in a straight line.
Nathan's food tastes are changing. He now likes foods he previously didn't. He now drinks lemonade and eats carrots. Homemade Indian food remains his favorite but hot dogs, french fries, and chicken nuggets are close favorites. Grapes are his favorite snack. We buy 2 boxes of red grapes at Trader Joes every week and Nathan devours them. The other day I was drinking tea with honey and Nathan wanted to try it. I thought whats the harm, he won't like it. Well he gulped it down. Note to myself, don't let him try beer.
New activities learned recently: climbing. Nathan now knows how to climb stairs, play on the slide by himself,climb onto the coffee table and climb onto the dining chairs. He attempts to climb everything and doesn't realize that not everything is climbable.
Nathan loves to give hugs and kisses. He is stingy with his hugs and kisses and they are usually just reserved for mommy and daddy. He feels left out if Keyoor and I hug so we started the family hug. It's where the three of us huddle together. Nathan loves it and insists we do a family hug a few times a day. How can I resist, hugging my two favorite boys at the same time.
For the past month we have been trying to provide a steady environment for Nathan so that he does not feel anxiety. We stopped going out to unknown places unless we were accompanied by known companions, like Nathan's Uncle Gary and Aunt Katherine. We made sure we were home in time for bedtime and we took no road trips. All of this helped him settle down.
Nathan is starting to speak more. His vocabulary has increased but he is not yet speaking fluently or consistently. The few things he is saying are in English but I think only Keyoor and I can understand them. He says daddy, mom, look, light, bathroom, more, and a few sentences like "I want to go", "It's not dirty (re: diaper)", "How are you."
Funny incident which occurred the day after he learned to say "mom." Nathan was talking on his toy cell phone, yelling into it. He sounded like a teenager yelling on the phone, sorta like she did this and she said that. I asked him, "Nathan, who are you complaining about, who are you mad at?" He turned around and gave his stink eye look and yelled "MOM,MOM, MOM". I laughed so hard. Needless to say he didn't appreciate the laughter.
Let me share the Walgreens story. I found out how impressive Nathan's motor skills were when we went to Walgreens. Nathan did not want to sit in the cart and insisted on pushing it by himself. I of course had to hold him up so he could reach the cart but I was not allowed to touch the cart unless I wanted to be subject to screaming. Enter the terrible twos six months earlier. Anyway, he pushed the cart down the aisle, rounded the corners to next aisle, maneuvered around people and boxes. I was amazed at his motor skills. 18 month old and can push a shopping cart in a straight line.
Nathan's food tastes are changing. He now likes foods he previously didn't. He now drinks lemonade and eats carrots. Homemade Indian food remains his favorite but hot dogs, french fries, and chicken nuggets are close favorites. Grapes are his favorite snack. We buy 2 boxes of red grapes at Trader Joes every week and Nathan devours them. The other day I was drinking tea with honey and Nathan wanted to try it. I thought whats the harm, he won't like it. Well he gulped it down. Note to myself, don't let him try beer.
New activities learned recently: climbing. Nathan now knows how to climb stairs, play on the slide by himself,climb onto the coffee table and climb onto the dining chairs. He attempts to climb everything and doesn't realize that not everything is climbable.
Nathan loves to give hugs and kisses. He is stingy with his hugs and kisses and they are usually just reserved for mommy and daddy. He feels left out if Keyoor and I hug so we started the family hug. It's where the three of us huddle together. Nathan loves it and insists we do a family hug a few times a day. How can I resist, hugging my two favorite boys at the same time.
7/21/09
A few thoughts before I move on to present day
Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I intended to update everyone with blogs of happenings from our India trip but in wanting to do so I haven't had updates on what Nathan is up to. And so this is a quick list of things I wanted to say about our India trip but never got around to it. All future blogs will be about the present or near present.
Here is a reflection on our India trip.
The First Day
I never got to blog about this the way I wanted. This day deserves it's own entry but I have to face the fact that I lack the time to give it justice. The first day was April 14, 2009. This is the day we first met Nathan and he became ours to hold. The day began with Rajeev, our agency India coordinator, meeting us in the hotel lobby at 9am. Over breakfast he filled us in on what to expect. The most important advice he gave was that when we first meet Nathan to grab hold of him and give him a big bear hug and not let go. He said that will make Nathan feel secure.
We arrived at the orphanage with our suitcase filled with donations. The orphanage was smaller than I imagined. It was a 2 story building which was open and airy. As they gave us a tour of the place we walked into one room and someone came up to me and said here he is and handed me Nathan. No warning, no prep, totally unexpected. I thought I was getting a tour and suddenly my child is in my arms. In the shock of it all I remembered Rajeev's advice and grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. I hugged him for the longest time. Our initial impression of Nathan was that he looked nothing like his pictures. He was much smaller and much darker than we had anticipated. Boy was he lovable. Our hearts melted as we held him. What a beautiful child and he was ours. We stayed at the orphanage a few hours and met the other children, took pictures, gave out donations ( we had taken a suitcase full), and gave the gifts the other families sent for their kids. At the end of it all, the orphanage held a goodbye ceremony. This was a religious ceremony in which all the kids and orphanage caretakers and administrators participated. The hardest part of this was seeing the children. They wanted to know where there parents were. They wanted to know why the baby was going home but they were not. The orphanage director explained to them that they had parents who would come for them soon and soon they would have their own goodbye ceremony. For the most part this is true.
Nathan fell asleep in Keyoor's arms at the orphanage. He woke up on the car ride back to the hotel. He watched in amazement out the car window at the world that was so new to him. At the hotel, Keyoor and I felt like we were in a dream. Here was the beautiful little boy that was our son and was finally with us. Thank you God.
Some Other Random Thoughts
1. I'm glad Nathan got to spend time with his cousins and his paternal grandparents. He loved his new family and they loved being with him.
2. Being in India was tough, the hot weather, the constant change of environment, the many plane rides, and life with a toddler.
3. Rajeev was our agency's India coordinator. Thank goodness he was there to help us. He is a wonderful man who makes sure the children find good homes. He also started his orphanage in Nepal for which he is always in need of donations. Let me know if you ever want to donate any supplies to India or Nepal orphanages. The need is great.
4. I wanted to write about the religious aspect of the adoption, how this all came to be. In a simple sentence, God led us to our child, and helped us bring him home.
5. It's been a long journey and one that does not end until the adoption is finalized. The road to finalizing the adoption in California is long and of course involves more paperwork and more money. It will take many months. I wish something in this process was easy. Actually the most important thing has been, loving Nathan and Nathan loving us.
Here is a reflection on our India trip.
The First Day
I never got to blog about this the way I wanted. This day deserves it's own entry but I have to face the fact that I lack the time to give it justice. The first day was April 14, 2009. This is the day we first met Nathan and he became ours to hold. The day began with Rajeev, our agency India coordinator, meeting us in the hotel lobby at 9am. Over breakfast he filled us in on what to expect. The most important advice he gave was that when we first meet Nathan to grab hold of him and give him a big bear hug and not let go. He said that will make Nathan feel secure.
We arrived at the orphanage with our suitcase filled with donations. The orphanage was smaller than I imagined. It was a 2 story building which was open and airy. As they gave us a tour of the place we walked into one room and someone came up to me and said here he is and handed me Nathan. No warning, no prep, totally unexpected. I thought I was getting a tour and suddenly my child is in my arms. In the shock of it all I remembered Rajeev's advice and grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. I hugged him for the longest time. Our initial impression of Nathan was that he looked nothing like his pictures. He was much smaller and much darker than we had anticipated. Boy was he lovable. Our hearts melted as we held him. What a beautiful child and he was ours. We stayed at the orphanage a few hours and met the other children, took pictures, gave out donations ( we had taken a suitcase full), and gave the gifts the other families sent for their kids. At the end of it all, the orphanage held a goodbye ceremony. This was a religious ceremony in which all the kids and orphanage caretakers and administrators participated. The hardest part of this was seeing the children. They wanted to know where there parents were. They wanted to know why the baby was going home but they were not. The orphanage director explained to them that they had parents who would come for them soon and soon they would have their own goodbye ceremony. For the most part this is true.
Nathan fell asleep in Keyoor's arms at the orphanage. He woke up on the car ride back to the hotel. He watched in amazement out the car window at the world that was so new to him. At the hotel, Keyoor and I felt like we were in a dream. Here was the beautiful little boy that was our son and was finally with us. Thank you God.
Some Other Random Thoughts
1. I'm glad Nathan got to spend time with his cousins and his paternal grandparents. He loved his new family and they loved being with him.
2. Being in India was tough, the hot weather, the constant change of environment, the many plane rides, and life with a toddler.
3. Rajeev was our agency's India coordinator. Thank goodness he was there to help us. He is a wonderful man who makes sure the children find good homes. He also started his orphanage in Nepal for which he is always in need of donations. Let me know if you ever want to donate any supplies to India or Nepal orphanages. The need is great.
4. I wanted to write about the religious aspect of the adoption, how this all came to be. In a simple sentence, God led us to our child, and helped us bring him home.
5. It's been a long journey and one that does not end until the adoption is finalized. The road to finalizing the adoption in California is long and of course involves more paperwork and more money. It will take many months. I wish something in this process was easy. Actually the most important thing has been, loving Nathan and Nathan loving us.
6/2/09
What's in a name?
Every now and then we get asked why we gave our son an American name. Actually people in India asked why did we give him a Christian name. People here ask why did we not give him an Indian name. So here is the story.
Keyoor and I were looking for a name that was easy to pronounce and easily recognizable. Since we both have difficult names we wanted a simple name for our child. There are two indian boy names that are also american boy names. I didn't care for either of those names although liked one of them. We set a deadline and if we didn't have a name by said date we would pick one of the two known names. Since I was determined to find a different name, I got out my Hindu name book and read every name starting at the beginning with the letter A. I bought the Hindu name book when Keyoor and I took our first trip to India as a married couple back in 1998. Finally I got to use it.
It wasn't just the name that mattered to us, I also wanted a good meaning, a religious meaning. So when I came across the name NATHAN, I knew it was perfect. As soon as I said it Keyoor and I knew it was THE NAME. I never looked at names after that.
The Hindu meaning for Nathan is Lord Krishna. The American meaning is Given by God. We truly feel Nathan is our gift from God so the name is so perfect.
Keyoor and I were looking for a name that was easy to pronounce and easily recognizable. Since we both have difficult names we wanted a simple name for our child. There are two indian boy names that are also american boy names. I didn't care for either of those names although liked one of them. We set a deadline and if we didn't have a name by said date we would pick one of the two known names. Since I was determined to find a different name, I got out my Hindu name book and read every name starting at the beginning with the letter A. I bought the Hindu name book when Keyoor and I took our first trip to India as a married couple back in 1998. Finally I got to use it.
It wasn't just the name that mattered to us, I also wanted a good meaning, a religious meaning. So when I came across the name NATHAN, I knew it was perfect. As soon as I said it Keyoor and I knew it was THE NAME. I never looked at names after that.
The Hindu meaning for Nathan is Lord Krishna. The American meaning is Given by God. We truly feel Nathan is our gift from God so the name is so perfect.
5/26/09
Prayers for Gracin
If you have been reading my blog you have seen me write about Traci and Gracin. See my Embassy Day blogs for more details on who they are. Yesterday I received a very troubling email from Traci. Gracin is sick and had to have emergency surgery over the weekend. She has an infection in both legs and her right arm. She is expected to be in the hospital for 6 weeks. Gracin is Nathan's age and my heartaches that this sweet little girl had to endure a painful surgery.
When you go through the adoption process, you become so close to all the families who go through this process with you. Even if you have never met, you form bonds with these other families and their children. We are a strong online community and we share each others joys and tears. I have cried so much since hearing the news about Gracin. You go through so much to bring your child home and its disheartening to see them suffer. Thank goodness she is here with Traci and not stuck in an orphanage where her infection would have gone untreated.
I believe in the power of prayer as does Traci. Please pray for Traci and Gracin. Traci has created a carepage for Gracin where you can keep tabs on her progress and leave messages. http://www.carepages.com/carepages/AmazinGracin
When you go through the adoption process, you become so close to all the families who go through this process with you. Even if you have never met, you form bonds with these other families and their children. We are a strong online community and we share each others joys and tears. I have cried so much since hearing the news about Gracin. You go through so much to bring your child home and its disheartening to see them suffer. Thank goodness she is here with Traci and not stuck in an orphanage where her infection would have gone untreated.
I believe in the power of prayer as does Traci. Please pray for Traci and Gracin. Traci has created a carepage for Gracin where you can keep tabs on her progress and leave messages. http://www.carepages.com/carepages/AmazinGracin
5/22/09
Embassy Day 2
I already blogged about the 1st day at the Embassy but I wanted to tell you about Day 2 at the Embassy as it was suggest a momentous day in our life. Just like the day before, we met Rajeev in the lobby of our hotel. Traci, sweet Gracin, and Traci's dear friend Helen joined us as well. This was going to be a big day for all of us. It was great seeing Gracin today. It was her 3rd day with Traci and we could start to see Gracin opening up to her. Gracin was more outgoing today and not as sleepy. She was feeling so comfortable with Traci and Helen. It's always great to see kids developing their bonds with their parents.
When we got to the Embassy there was a long line but Rajeev worked his magic and we got in right away. No line for us. Once inside we waited for our names to be called. Part of the process to get a Visa is an interview. For adoption cases the interview questions are primarily did you like your agency, how long did your adoption process take. Our process from beginning to end took 2 years. I thought it was strange that the embassy official asked why it took so long. For us it took 2 years because it took us a year for find our current agency. And then of course several months were wasted when our orphanage license had to be renewed. The normal process does take 1 1/2 to 2 years. Most agencies take about 12 months just give a referral and then the remainder of the process takes 6 to 12 months. My agency of course is awesome and has quick referral times.
What made this day so great is twofold. First, at the embassy, there are many other families who are waiting for their Visa to bring their child home. It was so great to meet the other families and their children. We all shared the same joy.
The other great thing about this day is that we received Nathan's visa. This means he can come home. And it means the official end of the adoption process. Hooray Hooray Hooray for us and for Traci.
When we got to the Embassy there was a long line but Rajeev worked his magic and we got in right away. No line for us. Once inside we waited for our names to be called. Part of the process to get a Visa is an interview. For adoption cases the interview questions are primarily did you like your agency, how long did your adoption process take. Our process from beginning to end took 2 years. I thought it was strange that the embassy official asked why it took so long. For us it took 2 years because it took us a year for find our current agency. And then of course several months were wasted when our orphanage license had to be renewed. The normal process does take 1 1/2 to 2 years. Most agencies take about 12 months just give a referral and then the remainder of the process takes 6 to 12 months. My agency of course is awesome and has quick referral times.
What made this day so great is twofold. First, at the embassy, there are many other families who are waiting for their Visa to bring their child home. It was so great to meet the other families and their children. We all shared the same joy.
The other great thing about this day is that we received Nathan's visa. This means he can come home. And it means the official end of the adoption process. Hooray Hooray Hooray for us and for Traci.
5/19/09
Updating Blog
I did not get a chance in India to update my blog as I wanted. I have so much about our journey I want to share. As I get a chance I will update the blog. Some entries may be out of order as a result.
5/17/09
We are home
Nathan is home. We got home on Thursday. It was a long flight and Nathan cried through a good portion of it. But we finally made it. At the airport to greet us was Keyoor's sister Rita and her husband Kiran. They came with a bouquet of balloons. Also there were my parents bearing toys and food. Several of my cousins also came to the airport to welcome Nathan. Despite the long flight, Nathan was his bubbly self and went to everyone and was laughing and smiling. I guess he knew he was home.
We landed in San Franciso in the afternoon and that evening we drove home to Folsom. Luckily Nathan fell asleep in the car seat so we did not have to hear him scream for 2 hours. We entered the house and my mom did a special prayer ceremony to welcome Nathan. My sister Manali had created a Welcome Home Nathan banner and it was hanging in the entrance. She had been there the week before and had turned the house into a wonderland for Nathan. Every room of the house had toys galore. She stocked the kitchen with baby utensils, baby plates and cups and bibs. In the bathroom were bathtoys and lotions, shampoo, baby oil. In Nathan's room there were more wall decors and his dresser was filled with clothes. I don't know who was more suprised Nathan or Mommy. This was better than Christmas morning. Between my sister Manali, my sister Rina and her hubby Randy, my parents, my cousins, Keyoor's sister Rita and her husband Kiran, Nathan and his parents were showered with gifts. I got several months of diaper supply.
Nathan is loving his new home. He is still adjusting to the time change and has anxiety about staying in yet another new place but he is slowing coming around. He is loving his toys and his walks in the stroller. I'm loving having my mom here to cook yummy meals. Nathan is already eating more and eating healthier.
In a few days he should be settled. He did sleep through the night last night so we are making progess.
I have lots of updates to make to blog and will do those as I get time. Thanks all. This journey started 2 years ago and we are home with our child. It is a dream come true.
5/12/09
Embassy Day
What a great day we are having. This morning we met Rajeev to go the US Embassy. Rajeev is the India coordinator for our adoption agency IFS. I will write a separate blog entry for Rajeev later. Right now I will just say the man is a saint and I couldn't imagine doing all this without his help. Rajeev met us in the lobby of our hotel around 9:30am. Another IFS family was also here with her daughter Gracin. Traci just adopted Gracin and we were going to the embassy together to get the Visas. Traci and I have exchanged emails in the past so it was good to finally meet her. First stop was to the photo shop to get pictures of the kids. Traci's daughter Gracin is a month younger than Nathan. Then we went to the doctor's office to get the kids medical exam. Gracin and Nathan had a great time playing together at the doctor's office. It was great to see Nathan sharing the toys. Traci just picked Gracin up from the orphanage yesterday so they were still in the honeymoon phase. That's the first few days were the child sleeps and is quiet. Needless to say, Nathan is no longer in that phase. After the doctor's office we went to the Embassy. The first step was getting the I600 application approved. That was a quick and easy process thanks to Rajeev's connections and expertise. After that the Visa application was submitted and we have to return tomorrow to pick it up. Then we are on our way home.
DARN- I wrote this blog and then computer had to reboot so I lost it. Here are quick notes of what I wrote:
1. Traci thanks for sharing the snacks. I had brought snacks for Nathan but he apparently loved the banana flavored puffs that Traci brought. He gobbled them up and couldn't get enough.
2. We are tempted to go to the best restaurant in Delhi for dinner tonight, it's right near our hotel. Rina, Randy and Parth you know the one. But Keyoor and I can't bear to leave Nathan with a babysitter so it's looks like another night in. Our hotel provides a babysitter. Nathan is not good in restaurants.
3. We are staying at Taj Palace. Definitely stay here if you are in Delhi. It's so worth the price. All TAJ hotels are great but this one is in a class of it's own.
4.We have been doing room service because Nathan can't go to restaurants. Food here is awesome. We had my fave, mulligatawny soup for lunch. Also some yummy chicken biryani. We do room service for lunch and breakfast. Dinner we ate at the outdoor cafe. Nathan gets to run around there so we can eat. Last night on the grounds there was a wedding and you could here then orchestra in the cafe. Nathan LOVES music so he was dancing to the band.
5. Since I have not had Internet access I have not updated the blog the past few weeks. When I return home I will post pictures and update the entries.
6. We leave here 11:45 pm tomorrow night and land in SFO at 11:35 am on Thursday. Hooray we are almost home.
DARN- I wrote this blog and then computer had to reboot so I lost it. Here are quick notes of what I wrote:
1. Traci thanks for sharing the snacks. I had brought snacks for Nathan but he apparently loved the banana flavored puffs that Traci brought. He gobbled them up and couldn't get enough.
2. We are tempted to go to the best restaurant in Delhi for dinner tonight, it's right near our hotel. Rina, Randy and Parth you know the one. But Keyoor and I can't bear to leave Nathan with a babysitter so it's looks like another night in. Our hotel provides a babysitter. Nathan is not good in restaurants.
3. We are staying at Taj Palace. Definitely stay here if you are in Delhi. It's so worth the price. All TAJ hotels are great but this one is in a class of it's own.
4.We have been doing room service because Nathan can't go to restaurants. Food here is awesome. We had my fave, mulligatawny soup for lunch. Also some yummy chicken biryani. We do room service for lunch and breakfast. Dinner we ate at the outdoor cafe. Nathan gets to run around there so we can eat. Last night on the grounds there was a wedding and you could here then orchestra in the cafe. Nathan LOVES music so he was dancing to the band.
5. Since I have not had Internet access I have not updated the blog the past few weeks. When I return home I will post pictures and update the entries.
6. We leave here 11:45 pm tomorrow night and land in SFO at 11:35 am on Thursday. Hooray we are almost home.
5/11/09
ICPC received
I just wanted all to know that we received ICPC on Friday. Also met with the court and received Nathan's passport. We arrived in New Delhi today and will be going to the US Embassy tomorrow for Nathan's visa. We will be leaving India on 5/13 and will be back in the US on 5/14. I'll write more later. Thanks to those who offered to help, especially Manali and Victoria. Special thanks to Keyoor's sister Rita for making the necessary phone calls and coming up with creative ideas to make the process move faster.Thanks to her we are coming home.
Rajal
Rajal
4/26/09
Haircut
Lots to catch up on. As always limited time. On Wed, we went to my uncle's house for dinner. I was so happy to take Nathan there as some of my favorite childhood memories were my summers spent at Anilmama's (uncle) house. I showed Nathan my grandmother's old room and we sat on the front porch swing and I reminisced about Ma. I know Ma must have been looking down on the two of us overjoyed at her great grandson. Nathan had a wonderful time playing with his 5 year old cousin Jenna.
On Thursday, Nathan got his haircut.I shed a tear as his curls vanished but I have to say that he looks even cuter. And I find it easier to wash his hair. Nathan was great during the haircut. Then since we all had so much fun at Anilmama's house, we headed back there in the evening. To me, Anilmama's house is home sweet home and I was thrilled that Nathan was enjoying it so much. Jenna and Nathan had so much fun running around the house together.
On Friday, we went to Law Garden ( a beautiful park with fountains, kids rides, and outdoor eateries). Nathan loved it. He ran around the park for hours. He tired us out. He loved seeing the horses, the dogs, the birds, and the people. As always, he said hi to everyone.
On Saturday we decided to go spend the night at my uncle's house. I don't know who was more thrilled, me or Nathan. I never thought I would get the chance after marriage to go stay at Anilmama's house so I was in heaven. Nathan too had the best time. I have never seen him laugh so much. He feels at home here and I am thrilled.
Today, Sunday, we are spending the day at Anilmama's then in the evening we are all going to visit my cousin Bhoumik and his family.
All is well. Nathan gets more and more adjusted every week. His health is better and other than vitamins he is off his other meds. Nathan loves live. Each day he is happier and happier. Keyoor and I continue to thank God for this beautiful child. And now I say, with tears in my eyes, something I never thought I would say - Everything I went through in my quest to have a child was worth it, I now know that God created this beautiful baby for me and I was just biding time waiting for this perfect child to be born and enter into our lives. I know Nathan is, always will be and was always planned by God to be my child. I finally have closure.
4/22/09
Social Butterfly
Nathan is such a social butterfly. Yesterday he attend his first party. It was a 50th anniversary party for a relative on Keyoor's side. It was held at an outdoor restaurant. Nathan loved it. He roamed around on the restaurant grounds and when he was up to it he joined the party. There was a band and traditional dancers. Nathan loves music. He was clapping his hands and dancing along to the beat. There were children at the party and Nathan was overjoyed. He gets so excited when he sees other children. They were older than him , around 8, but he insisted on playing with them. As they ran around the party, he followed. He would even go up to them and tap them saying in baby talk I wanna play. Even when they ran into the unlit area, Nathan was brave and followed them. No mommy or daddy needed. He wanted to be a big boy and he could venture on his own. I've never seen him so happy. He was smiling and laughing and excited as could be. After the party we went and met up with a friend for dinner. Nathan cried the first half hour but after that he let us enjoy dinner. Again the social butterfly, just chatting away in baby talk with Nilesh. Yesterday was our best day yet in terms of Nathan being on schedule with naps and no major crying attacks. Nathan likes - kids, Hershey's chocolate bar. Nathan dislikes car rides ( he gets car sick) and dairy products (ice cream, yogurt cheese) except he likes warm milk with sugar.
This morning I took Nathan to the park.It was mommy and Nathan time. We try to go every morning. He likes the slide and the merry go round. There were kids at the park with a dog. Nathan loved playing with the dog. It was yellow lab. He kept petting the dog and laughing as the dog played catch. For his morning nap I was laying on the bed and Nathan climbed up and laid on top of me and fell asleep. Priceless. I thank God everyday for this beautiful loving child he gave us.
Rajal
This morning I took Nathan to the park.It was mommy and Nathan time. We try to go every morning. He likes the slide and the merry go round. There were kids at the park with a dog. Nathan loved playing with the dog. It was yellow lab. He kept petting the dog and laughing as the dog played catch. For his morning nap I was laying on the bed and Nathan climbed up and laid on top of me and fell asleep. Priceless. I thank God everyday for this beautiful loving child he gave us.
Rajal
4/20/09
One Week Anniversary
It's been a week since we got Nathan. I can't believe we have been a family for a whole week. Nathan is like a puzzle. One day he's happy as the be and the next day he cries to no end. Yesterday was a I'm not sleeping no matter what day. Usually he takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap. Yesterday he woke up from the morning nap and did not get sleep again till 1:00am. From 4pm to 1 am all we did was try to get him to sleep. Nathan was sleepy, he kept yawning and rubbing his eyes and fighting to stay awake. He was cranky as can be. But at least it wasn't a 8 hour crying day again. To tire him out further, Keyoor and I took him to the park, walked around the neighborhood, had him play with the neighbors kids, fed him milk several times, gave him 2 baths, and even gave him a medication that makes him drowsy. Nothing. And poor Keyoor, Nathan has been daddy's boy for the past 2 days. So Keyoor carried him for hours and hours. The family members took turns holding him, the neighbors maid came and held him for a while, the 4 security guards ( we are in a high rise) each took turns walking around the gardens with him. Notice I did not say Mommy held him. Nathan is currently anti-mommy. Even when he wakes up he pushes me away. Not sure how this happened or why. But I'm sure he will come around eventually. Actually I know why, daddy gets the fun jobs and mommy gets the bad ones (i.e. diaper change).
Despite all that, we are having fun seeing the world through Nathan's eyes. He is so smart and Keyoor and I have to really keep up with him. Nathan's new trick is while he is drinking milk he likes to stick his fingers in the milk and then throw it on mommy. He knows two words - dada (daddy) and no no no no. Nathan loves playing peek a boo and playing with his bat. He also knows eyes and nose because of his book Goodnight Sleepy Head. Nathan is fascinated with the world around him and we can't wait to get him home.
Despite all that, we are having fun seeing the world through Nathan's eyes. He is so smart and Keyoor and I have to really keep up with him. Nathan's new trick is while he is drinking milk he likes to stick his fingers in the milk and then throw it on mommy. He knows two words - dada (daddy) and no no no no. Nathan loves playing peek a boo and playing with his bat. He also knows eyes and nose because of his book Goodnight Sleepy Head. Nathan is fascinated with the world around him and we can't wait to get him home.
4/17/09
Finally a good day
The last few days have been rough with Nathan. Turns out he had a stomach infection. Apparently he had it since the orphanage. Luckily my brother-in-law is a pediatrician and he got him the proper medicines. Yesterday was the first day that Nathan did not cry. Yesterday he smiled, laughed, played with his cousin-sisters (first cousins). He is now loving life. His foi (aunt) got him some toys yesterday and he played all day. Quite the sports start. He played cricket with the neighbors kids, kick around the ball, and was running all around the house playing peak-a boo and hide and seek.
Keyoor and I are amazed by this beautiful child. Now that he is feeling better, we are starting to see his true personality. Nathan such a sweet and happy child. He loves to laugh and loves being the center of attention. In fact, when his foi walked into the room and did not immediately say hi to him, Nathan followed her and yelled until she properly greeted him.
Nathan is finally going to everyone. Mommy is finally getting a break. The first few days, he would only let me hold him and he wanted to be held all day long. Now, he lets others hold him and he has grown attached to Keyoor.
Nathan doesn't know how to kiss yet, so he shows affection to me and Keyoor by putting his lips against our cheeks. He also likes to take his finger and put it up to our lips and touch our teeth.
I realize this blog is long but the opportunity to write is rare. I will at some point go back and blog about the day we got him. I meant to blog everyday but it just wasn't possible.
We are loving life with Nathan. He is so smart. We do not know his language and I'm still convinced it's just baby talk, but he seems to understand what we say and through sign language and various screams and tones, we understand what he says.
Nathan loves eating grapes and playing with his cousin-sisters. He hates bath time, diaper changes, and changing clothes. In fact he hates going into the bedroom because he knows that the place where bad things happen ( diaper changes, nap time, bath time, etc.).
The first few days were so difficult. I was so sore from holding him. Not only did I have to hold him but I had to carry him and walk around with him for hours and hours. I don't know what hurt worse, my back or my arms. Bootcamp girls if you are reading this, imaging the 20 lb bar that Val would make us lift half way then all the way, instead of a 2 min rep of that imaging the pain of doing that for 6 hours straight. In addition to that, Nathan would cry and scream for 6 hours straight. Then we figured out he was sick and all is better now. Needless to say that Keyoor and I felt awful that our child was sick for days and we didn't even know it. Nathan is taking his medicine like a champ. He eats it likes its candy.
There is so much I can write but I think you will get bored reading it. I will blog later on the first day at the orphanage. I have tons of pictures but I don't think I will be able to upload them until I return.
One more thing, when Nathan wakes up he doesn't cry. He just sits up in the bed and waits for Keyoor and I to wake up. What a wonderful child God has given us. We are so lucky and so loving being parents.
Keyoor and I are amazed by this beautiful child. Now that he is feeling better, we are starting to see his true personality. Nathan such a sweet and happy child. He loves to laugh and loves being the center of attention. In fact, when his foi walked into the room and did not immediately say hi to him, Nathan followed her and yelled until she properly greeted him.
Nathan is finally going to everyone. Mommy is finally getting a break. The first few days, he would only let me hold him and he wanted to be held all day long. Now, he lets others hold him and he has grown attached to Keyoor.
Nathan doesn't know how to kiss yet, so he shows affection to me and Keyoor by putting his lips against our cheeks. He also likes to take his finger and put it up to our lips and touch our teeth.
I realize this blog is long but the opportunity to write is rare. I will at some point go back and blog about the day we got him. I meant to blog everyday but it just wasn't possible.
We are loving life with Nathan. He is so smart. We do not know his language and I'm still convinced it's just baby talk, but he seems to understand what we say and through sign language and various screams and tones, we understand what he says.
Nathan loves eating grapes and playing with his cousin-sisters. He hates bath time, diaper changes, and changing clothes. In fact he hates going into the bedroom because he knows that the place where bad things happen ( diaper changes, nap time, bath time, etc.).
The first few days were so difficult. I was so sore from holding him. Not only did I have to hold him but I had to carry him and walk around with him for hours and hours. I don't know what hurt worse, my back or my arms. Bootcamp girls if you are reading this, imaging the 20 lb bar that Val would make us lift half way then all the way, instead of a 2 min rep of that imaging the pain of doing that for 6 hours straight. In addition to that, Nathan would cry and scream for 6 hours straight. Then we figured out he was sick and all is better now. Needless to say that Keyoor and I felt awful that our child was sick for days and we didn't even know it. Nathan is taking his medicine like a champ. He eats it likes its candy.
There is so much I can write but I think you will get bored reading it. I will blog later on the first day at the orphanage. I have tons of pictures but I don't think I will be able to upload them until I return.
One more thing, when Nathan wakes up he doesn't cry. He just sits up in the bed and waits for Keyoor and I to wake up. What a wonderful child God has given us. We are so lucky and so loving being parents.
4/16/09
Day 3 already with Nathan
It has been hectic to say the least. My son finally decided to take nap and I decided to log on to the computer and Rajal went for a shower. He has been fantastic. He woke up smiling today and has been very good. He had his milk and cereal in the morning and we all went for a walk in the park before it was too hot. He loved it. He sat on the swings with mommy. He was quite tired from all the excitement. He played with his sisters for a little bit. He had a whole banana for a snack (Banana's are small in India) and is now taking a nap. It is a much better day today compared to yesterday. The poor thing had his first plane ride and he was very tired. He was a little cranky all day yesterday. He is great again today and loving life.
4/14/09
Nathan is with us
Hi
This will be quick. We picked up Nathan yesterday from the orphanage. He is amazing. Quite a handful too. He gets into everything. We are loving it. Nathan also seems to be loving us. He clings onto us, laughs, smiles, etc. I have so much to write about and will do so later. We leave for Ahmedabad today to be with family. Nathan's first plane ride.
Gotta go.
More later.
Rajal
-
This will be quick. We picked up Nathan yesterday from the orphanage. He is amazing. Quite a handful too. He gets into everything. We are loving it. Nathan also seems to be loving us. He clings onto us, laughs, smiles, etc. I have so much to write about and will do so later. We leave for Ahmedabad today to be with family. Nathan's first plane ride.
Gotta go.
More later.
Rajal
-
4/12/09
Greetings from Hong Kong
I'm keeping this short. Just got off a 15 hour flight from San Fran to Hong Kong. Believe it or not I found the flight relaxing because our week was so stressful. I didn't sleep at all this past week because of all the things we had to do. There was mounds of paperwork to gather. My dining room table was covered in documents. Packing for the trip took so much more time because of all of Nathan's things. In addition there is work. I still have some pending work projects so at some point I will get to those.
The week was so stressful we never got to enjoy that face that Nathan was coming home. But on the plane, all stress was gone and I was overcome with excitement that this trip we had planned in our minds for so long was actually happening. Keyoor and I are just a basket of nerves. Every now and then we pinch ourselves, is this real, are we actually going to hold our son.
But here we are just a few hours aways from landing in India. It's 9:00 am HK time. Our 6 hour flight to India leaves around 2:30 pm HK time. We are enjoying our layover in HK. We are relaxing in the airport. On the return trip we will venture into HK with Nathan. Hong Kong is my favorite city. It's so clean and food is delicious.
I'll will post again when I get Nathan.
Rajal
The week was so stressful we never got to enjoy that face that Nathan was coming home. But on the plane, all stress was gone and I was overcome with excitement that this trip we had planned in our minds for so long was actually happening. Keyoor and I are just a basket of nerves. Every now and then we pinch ourselves, is this real, are we actually going to hold our son.
But here we are just a few hours aways from landing in India. It's 9:00 am HK time. Our 6 hour flight to India leaves around 2:30 pm HK time. We are enjoying our layover in HK. We are relaxing in the airport. On the return trip we will venture into HK with Nathan. Hong Kong is my favorite city. It's so clean and food is delicious.
I'll will post again when I get Nathan.
Rajal
4/8/09
With the good comes bad
Life is getting crazier by the moment. As we are frantically trying to get things in order for our trip, we learn of two deaths in the family. Keyoor's distant aunt died on Sunday. She was older but very young at heart. She lived in Folsom so we are attending her funeral today. And this morning, Keyoor's uncle (Priyakantmasa) in the bay area dies. He too was older and his health was not good but he was an incredibly well educated and intelligent man. He had several Phds from Oxford, Harvard, etc.
Since I am trying to keep this post as positive as possible, here is the good news for the day.
My little sister Rina passed her Maryland Social Worker License Exam today. Congrats Rinie. As always, we are so proud of you. One of many things we love about Rina is that she sets a goal and nothing stops her from accomplishing it.
And the big news on our end is that we booked our airline tickets. Also made all our travel arrangements in India. Thank goodness we had gone to Pune in 2007/2008 (pre Nathan) on business so we had friends and contacts in the area. We leave at 1:20am on Sunday ( so really Saturday night). Looks like Keyoor and I will be spending our 12th wedding anniversary on the plane. No complaints about that. What could be better than spending our anniversary traveling to be with our son.
To all those who have been emailing and leaving comments on Facebook. Thank you. I'm so touched by all those who share in our joy.
Rajal
Since I am trying to keep this post as positive as possible, here is the good news for the day.
My little sister Rina passed her Maryland Social Worker License Exam today. Congrats Rinie. As always, we are so proud of you. One of many things we love about Rina is that she sets a goal and nothing stops her from accomplishing it.
And the big news on our end is that we booked our airline tickets. Also made all our travel arrangements in India. Thank goodness we had gone to Pune in 2007/2008 (pre Nathan) on business so we had friends and contacts in the area. We leave at 1:20am on Sunday ( so really Saturday night). Looks like Keyoor and I will be spending our 12th wedding anniversary on the plane. No complaints about that. What could be better than spending our anniversary traveling to be with our son.
To all those who have been emailing and leaving comments on Facebook. Thank you. I'm so touched by all those who share in our joy.
Rajal
4/7/09
So much to do, so little time
We leave for India in 4 days. We are leaving Saturday night. Between now and then I have gather all my documents, shop, pack, laundry, baby proof the house, make travel arrangements, and wrap up work projects. I know, I'm kicking myself for putting off everything. At least the nursery is ready. And I did go out last weekend and buy diapers, clothes, and other travel essentials for Nathan.
When you've never had a child, you really don't know what to shop for. I called my cousin and asked her how many diapers and clothes a child goes through in a day. She said count 4 diapers a day and 2 pairs. That's a lot of clothes I have to buy. No she said, that's a lot a laundry you have to do. Thank goodness I will be in India where there are servants to do the laundry for me.
Shopping is exhausting. I read every label of every product. Shopping is suppose to be fun, what happened.
Last night we went out to celebrate. We only have a few nights of carefree living left.
Today I made the news public. I'm overjoyed and overwhelmed with everyones response.
It's still sinking in. I'm having trouble concentrating on anything else. In just a few days, I'm going to hold my son. Thank you God.
Rajal
When you've never had a child, you really don't know what to shop for. I called my cousin and asked her how many diapers and clothes a child goes through in a day. She said count 4 diapers a day and 2 pairs. That's a lot of clothes I have to buy. No she said, that's a lot a laundry you have to do. Thank goodness I will be in India where there are servants to do the laundry for me.
Shopping is exhausting. I read every label of every product. Shopping is suppose to be fun, what happened.
Last night we went out to celebrate. We only have a few nights of carefree living left.
Today I made the news public. I'm overjoyed and overwhelmed with everyones response.
It's still sinking in. I'm having trouble concentrating on anything else. In just a few days, I'm going to hold my son. Thank you God.
Rajal
4/6/09
Year to date pictures
The very first picture we got of our son.
Nathan at 5 months.
Nathan at 8 months.
Nathan at 9 months.
Nathan at 12 months. Already walking.
Nathan at 13 months. Sound asleep.
Nathan at 14 months.
WE ARE DONE WITH THE COURT PROCESS
Just got word that we received WRITTEN GUARDIANSHIP. This means Nathan is legally our son.!!! It's still sinking in. How quickly life changes. This morning I was fretting over verbal guardianship and here I now have written guardianship. We are all done with the court process in India.
Keyoor and I are leaving for India with weekend to pick up our son. We will stay there until ICPC is complete. ICPC is the US laws that govern interstate transfer of a child. I will submit a separate post on that someday. It's on my list of laws to change . Anyway, we should be home with Nathan in a few weeks.
Rajal
Keyoor and I are leaving for India with weekend to pick up our son. We will stay there until ICPC is complete. ICPC is the US laws that govern interstate transfer of a child. I will submit a separate post on that someday. It's on my list of laws to change . Anyway, we should be home with Nathan in a few weeks.
Rajal
Our Adoption Timeline
October 2001 - July 2007- Keyoor and I work on starting a family. We try everything from naturalpathic medicine to invitro treatments to try and have a baby. I consider those years my tragic years. Too many miscarriages. But I'm not ready to talk about that. Writing means acceptance and I'm not there yet.
June 2007 - Signed up with local agency to start the adoption process. The name of this agency was Accept. The plan was to pursue an independent adoption from India. We wanted to do this because 1) we wanted a child from Gujarat, the state in India where our family is from, 2) we had connections in Gujarat that would help us find a healthy child and move the process along quickly and 3) it was a cheaper option. An independent adoption is one where we find the orphanage, we find the child, and we do all the leg work. Accept would help us with the paperwork.
October 2007 - Our homestudy is complete. A homestudy is written by the adoption agency qualifying you to be an adoptive parent. They look at your financial and medical records, review reference letters from your friends, visit your home and look through all your closets, and interview you several times, both individually and as a couple.
November 2007 - Accept closes for financial reasons. We are so upset. We loved Accept. Our files are transferred to Adopt International. This agency is not approved by the Indian govt (CARA) so Adopt International can be our homestudy agency but they cannot help us with the India adoption. We go on the search for an agency that can help with the India portion of the adoption.
December 2007 - Our I-600A form is approved. This means that the US govt approves us for International Adoption.
January 2008- Finally found an agency to help us with the independent adoption from India. The name of this Agency was Children of India.
April 2008 - Things did not go as planned with Children of India. Eventually they too ended up shutting down. On the India side, ran into a lot of corruption when trying to adopt from Gujarat. Give up on adopting from Gujarat.
May 2008 - Called every agency I could find to see if they could help. No luck. No one would help with independent adoption from India and to go the traditional route of international adoption (where the agency gives us a referral) would take too long. I was getting a timeline of 12-24 months for referral. We give up. We did not want to start over and wait another 2 years before bringing a baby into our life. Took it as a sign that God did not want us to adopt from India. Started looking into domestic adoption within the US. Lots of fears about that but had no choice.
June 2008- Got a referral out of the blue for a 5 month old healthy baby boy in India. I belong to an online group of people trying to adopt from India. I almost unsubscribed from the group when we started exploring domestic adoption. Thank goodness I hadn't. A dear friend from the group emailed to say her agency had a healthy baby boy available for anyone who was ready with their paperwork. We had been ready forever and a day. We contacted her agency and literally overnight we had a son. The name of this agency is IFS.
This miracle happened after a trip we took to Temple Square in Utah. This deserves a separate posting and one of these days I will do that.
June 2007 - Signed up with local agency to start the adoption process. The name of this agency was Accept. The plan was to pursue an independent adoption from India. We wanted to do this because 1) we wanted a child from Gujarat, the state in India where our family is from, 2) we had connections in Gujarat that would help us find a healthy child and move the process along quickly and 3) it was a cheaper option. An independent adoption is one where we find the orphanage, we find the child, and we do all the leg work. Accept would help us with the paperwork.
October 2007 - Our homestudy is complete. A homestudy is written by the adoption agency qualifying you to be an adoptive parent. They look at your financial and medical records, review reference letters from your friends, visit your home and look through all your closets, and interview you several times, both individually and as a couple.
November 2007 - Accept closes for financial reasons. We are so upset. We loved Accept. Our files are transferred to Adopt International. This agency is not approved by the Indian govt (CARA) so Adopt International can be our homestudy agency but they cannot help us with the India adoption. We go on the search for an agency that can help with the India portion of the adoption.
December 2007 - Our I-600A form is approved. This means that the US govt approves us for International Adoption.
January 2008- Finally found an agency to help us with the independent adoption from India. The name of this Agency was Children of India.
April 2008 - Things did not go as planned with Children of India. Eventually they too ended up shutting down. On the India side, ran into a lot of corruption when trying to adopt from Gujarat. Give up on adopting from Gujarat.
May 2008 - Called every agency I could find to see if they could help. No luck. No one would help with independent adoption from India and to go the traditional route of international adoption (where the agency gives us a referral) would take too long. I was getting a timeline of 12-24 months for referral. We give up. We did not want to start over and wait another 2 years before bringing a baby into our life. Took it as a sign that God did not want us to adopt from India. Started looking into domestic adoption within the US. Lots of fears about that but had no choice.
June 2008- Got a referral out of the blue for a 5 month old healthy baby boy in India. I belong to an online group of people trying to adopt from India. I almost unsubscribed from the group when we started exploring domestic adoption. Thank goodness I hadn't. A dear friend from the group emailed to say her agency had a healthy baby boy available for anyone who was ready with their paperwork. We had been ready forever and a day. We contacted her agency and literally overnight we had a son. The name of this agency is IFS.
This miracle happened after a trip we took to Temple Square in Utah. This deserves a separate posting and one of these days I will do that.
August 2008- our dossier (adoption paperwork) gets filed with CARA (the India govt agency overseeing adoptions). We hear it takes 3-8 weeks for CARA to issue a No Objection Certificate. We start planning Nathan's 1st birthday in Dec and his first Christmas.
October 2008- The orphanage license is up for renewal. No cases are processed until CARA renews the license. We are stuck. There goes the Christmas and birthday celebrations.
December 2008- Nathan turns 1. Still no NOC. We spend the holidays with my family in Maryland. We all go out to dinner to celebrate Nathan's 1st birthday. Orphanage license gets renewed.
January 2009 - Received the NOC on New Years Day. The best news ever. We are in Maryland visiting family for the holidays and we all go out to celebrate. We think Nathan should be home by March. We are just waiting on the court process.
February 2009 - The court says they want more documents. Seriously? So we send them and wait.
April 2009 - Court is all done. Nathan is legally ours. Now we wait for ICPC. That process could take up to three weeks. We decide not to wait to see Nathan. We plan on leaving for India this weekend. We will take custody of Nathan and then stay with family in Ahmedabad until ICPC is done. If all goes well, Nathan will be home in the US in the next few weeks. HOORAY.
Rajal
October 2008- The orphanage license is up for renewal. No cases are processed until CARA renews the license. We are stuck. There goes the Christmas and birthday celebrations.
December 2008- Nathan turns 1. Still no NOC. We spend the holidays with my family in Maryland. We all go out to dinner to celebrate Nathan's 1st birthday. Orphanage license gets renewed.
January 2009 - Received the NOC on New Years Day. The best news ever. We are in Maryland visiting family for the holidays and we all go out to celebrate. We think Nathan should be home by March. We are just waiting on the court process.
February 2009 - The court says they want more documents. Seriously? So we send them and wait.
April 2009 - Court is all done. Nathan is legally ours. Now we wait for ICPC. That process could take up to three weeks. We decide not to wait to see Nathan. We plan on leaving for India this weekend. We will take custody of Nathan and then stay with family in Ahmedabad until ICPC is done. If all goes well, Nathan will be home in the US in the next few weeks. HOORAY.
Rajal
Where we are today
This is Rajal writing. I started this blog because I needed an outlet for all my frustrations with the adoption process. Also, I thought it would make it easier for others to follow along on our journey.
I'm new to blogging so please be patient.
Since this is my first entry. I will start by telling you were we are now and providing a timeline of where we started.
Currently we are waiting for the court in India to process our paperwork. We have been waiting now for 13 1/2 weeks. What we are waiting for is verbal guardianship. That's where the courts say he's legally ours. Approximately 2-3 weeks after that, the court issues the written guardianship. The written court order is then sent to our agency in Texas for ICPC. In US, there are a set of laws called ICPC that must be followed. That process can take up to three weeks.
Back on Jan 1, 2009 we got our NOC. This is a "No Objection Certificate" issued by CARA, an agency of the Indian Federal Government that overseas all adoption cases in India. We expected to have our child home by March 2009. Obviously no progress has been made since Jan 1, we are very worried as to why this is taking so long. Others who got their NOC on the same day as us or after us, are already done with court process and some are even home with their child.
We are scared, stressed, frustrated, losing hope etc. And so we have decided to go to India and take custody of our son. Legally we can foster him anytime after we get the NOC. We got our NOC back on Jan 1. The fostering rules are that we cannot leave the state where the orphanage is located and we must let the orphanage know our address at all times. We are waiting for the orphanage to let us know what day we can come pick up our son for fostering. If all goes well we will leave for India this week. But since nothing has gone well in this entire adoption process, don't be surprised if the date changes.
Sorry for the negativity. I usually am a very happy positive thinking person, but my frustration level is high these days.
I'm new to blogging so please be patient.
Since this is my first entry. I will start by telling you were we are now and providing a timeline of where we started.
Currently we are waiting for the court in India to process our paperwork. We have been waiting now for 13 1/2 weeks. What we are waiting for is verbal guardianship. That's where the courts say he's legally ours. Approximately 2-3 weeks after that, the court issues the written guardianship. The written court order is then sent to our agency in Texas for ICPC. In US, there are a set of laws called ICPC that must be followed. That process can take up to three weeks.
Back on Jan 1, 2009 we got our NOC. This is a "No Objection Certificate" issued by CARA, an agency of the Indian Federal Government that overseas all adoption cases in India. We expected to have our child home by March 2009. Obviously no progress has been made since Jan 1, we are very worried as to why this is taking so long. Others who got their NOC on the same day as us or after us, are already done with court process and some are even home with their child.
We are scared, stressed, frustrated, losing hope etc. And so we have decided to go to India and take custody of our son. Legally we can foster him anytime after we get the NOC. We got our NOC back on Jan 1. The fostering rules are that we cannot leave the state where the orphanage is located and we must let the orphanage know our address at all times. We are waiting for the orphanage to let us know what day we can come pick up our son for fostering. If all goes well we will leave for India this week. But since nothing has gone well in this entire adoption process, don't be surprised if the date changes.
Sorry for the negativity. I usually am a very happy positive thinking person, but my frustration level is high these days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)