And we got the call!!!!!!

Helllo All! 

It has been such a great week the Esden's!  We officially went off hold on June 20th.  For those that didn't know, with Elena's arrival we had to go on temporary hold for our adoption until Elena was officially 3 months old.  That of course happened on the 20th which just so happened to also be the day we got our referral!  Literally hours after Jana wrote an e mail to our agency reminding them that we wanted back on the waiting list they called with the great news.

Now, for those that don't know, a "referral" is the part of the adoption process where you are matched with your child.  We of course set "parameters" early on the process for what we felt was the best fit for our family (gender, age range, HIV positive or negative and so on).  Our request was for a healthy 0-12 month old boy or girl)  So Jana picks up the phone and see's that it is our agency calling.  We both think it is to confirm we are off hold but low and behold they have a referral for us!

So what did she say?  Well first we hung up the phone and called her back once we got Callie and Elena settled in.  We wanted to be able to listen intently to all she had to tell us......

........we were told there was a baby boy, 9 months old, healthy, and happy waiting to join our family!  She told us the little they know about his life then the best part, she told us she was going to send a picture for us to see, along with the rest of his information.  I of course couldn't wait to lay some eye on this little guy!  We hung up the phone after a few more minutes of talking with our agency and quickly opened up our e mails to await the information and picture.  We refreshed our inbox a couple hundred times and then it was there!  For the few seconds it took to open the picture (which felt like forever) neither Jana or I took a breath.  Then there he was.  Cute as all get out really!  Curly hair, happy face, healthy looking.  It was really a weird moment to finally lay eyes on something/someone you have been waiting so long for.  Below, although blurry, is the photo I made us take just after we looked at the picture.  Had to take at least one to document the moment right?  We really just looked at the picture for awhile and pointed out how awesome he looked.  Callie came in at some point and asked who it was.  When we told her it was her brother from Africa she clapped her hands with excitment and asked when he was coming!

After that the day was shot.  Jana of course was supposed to be working but we both walked around like in a daze, unable to put focus on any important task and somewhat in shock as to what just happened.  We called our parents and siblings then spent the rest of the evening talking about how cool the day was!

So what now?  Courts in Ethiopia close sometime in July or August for the rainy season, so we will not be making our first trip for court probably until October when they reopen.  After passing court, this little boy will official be considered our son in Ethiopia.  Then we come home and have to do a little more waiting until the US Embassy clears our case.  Then we go back and bring him home!  We still aren't done waiting but so glad to start this next chapter!

Jana and Eric

For all of those who give a sheet!

Wanted to take a moment and give a special thanks to all those that have ordered sheets or requested information about sheets.  Jana and I really appreciate the support from all!

Many have asked for more information about the sheets, so I have written some info below.  If you are interested in getting an order form to either place an order yourself or for others to order, please email me or Jana directly at eesden@yahoo.com or janalge@yahoo.com.  We will send you an order form that lists all the colors, pricing, etc.

Sheets:  They come in all sizes (twin, full, queen, king, california king).  The are 1200 thread count microfiber sheets.  Jana and I have sampled them ourselves and slept on them the last 2 weeks (washed in between week 1 and 2  :) ) and really like them.  I actually prefer them to our cotton sheets.

Cost:  All sheets, all sizes are $40.00.  For each set ordered, we will raise approximately $20 for our adoption fund.

Colors: Available colors include eggplant, sage, light blue, beige, chocolate, gray, navy blue, camel, white, black, mocha chocolate, and burgundy.  The order form that we send out lists all colors and shows a small sample of each color on the bottom of the sheet.

How it all works:  When 12 sheet sets are ordered, we purchase them from the company and they ship for free to any location we specify.  If you collect 11 sheet orders, we will also order you a set of sheets for no cost (to make 12) and have them shipped directly to you for you to distribute to your friends/family.  If you just want to order a set for yourself, we will ship out orders to any location and take care of the shipping cost ourselves.  

Thanks again to all that have inquired, purchased, passed on the word and so on.  We really appreciate it that you give a sheet!

Eric

All settled in.......

I know I say this every time......that I need to get better at this blog thing.....but at least this time I have an excuse.  It has been a bit crazy the last few months.  Although crazy, we have really enjoyed every moment we are spending as a family of 4.  At first it was hard to transition back into baby mode.  We had said goodbye to diapers, to being up at crazy hours of the night, or at least temporarily.  I don't know if it is because we are older now but the lack of sleep this time around is more difficult.

The transition from having only one child to two certainly was not without its challenges, but we seem to be getting into the swing of things and settling in.  Occasionally I work up the courage to ask a parent of 3 children how challenging it is.  Part of me wants to know what I am in for while another part is afraid to hear someone say it how difficult it could be.  Luckily the response has been mostly positive.  Of course having more children means more responsibility, but I find comfort in hearing that the hardest part for many parents is the transition from one to two.

So where are we in adoption world?  We have been on hold since the months leading to Elena's birth.  Although on hold, we continue to move up the waiting list and currently reside at number 8.  Just a few weeks ago, the couple at number 7 received their referral, so we are really on the cusp of the next chapter of this journey.  We have a meeting with our agency planned this week to discuss going back onto the list starting June 20th (Elena will be 3 months old) and literally a referral could come at any time once that happens.  Now don't go gettin' all excited.  The time between referral and bringing "baby in Africa" home could very well be another 6 months, but we find it refreshing to put this long and arduous waiting part behind us.  We can handle this next stretch for sure.

But with this new excitement and movement comes added cost and really the biggest chunk of financial strain in the whole process.  As most know, it is not cheap to adopt. Whether international or domestic it does not matter.  And at the time of referral a hefty chunk of money will come due to put the next chapter in motion. Since starting the process, we have had to commit to a different lifestyle and put a focus on saving, selling on Craigslist, and with the help of many family and friends, we also tried our hand at fundraising with an awesome garage sale last fall.   We are also members of a Facebook support group that includes other adoptive families within our agency.  It has proven to be a great resource and location for information-sharing that helps clarify how certain parts of the process work.  It was also a great resource for how to find creative ways to continue to fund raise and find ways to not be overwhelmed with the financial strain of the process.  It was from the idea of another friend that we decided to partake in a fundraiser that has proven most successful for many of our fellow adoptive families.

There is a company called Sanders Collection that is friendly with adoptive families.  This company manufactures microfiber bed sheets which are sold to retailers and also can be used in fundraising programs.  Jana and I gave the sheets a test run and we liked them.  Comfortable, soft, and in good quality.  They cost $40/set with no extra for delivery.  They come in a variety of sizes and colors.  For each set we sell, approximately $20 will go into our adoption fund. 

After a few days of printing, packaging, stuffing, and mailing, we plan on mailing out info on the sheets to family and friends to see if this could help raise some funds while helping others get a good nights sleep!  Keep a look out in your mailbox.  We tried to send out to those people whom we can't reach through social media, so if you don't get anything in the mail don't fret.  Shoot Jana or I an email or Facebook message if you are interested in some sheets, and we will take it from there. 

Thanks to all who continue to read this blog and follow our journey.  We appreciate the support through the process and general interest in our lives.

All my best,

Eric