The Journey of a Lifetime
Ryan and I have decided to pursue our forth adoption and add another beautiful baby to our family. We couldn't be happier and are thrilled! Join us in our journey in adopting baby Schlenner!
The nursery is done! I hope she loves it as much as I do!!!
My sister, Nick, painted a mural on the wall for Ahnya and we had a a fun time putting it together. Thank for your help Nicki!!!!!!
This is the first babies room that I've done where I haven't incorporated pink!!!! A real shock...but one that really turned out perfect. I love coming in here because it's so relaxing and dreamy. The girls love playing house and putting their baby dolls to sleep in the crib....so for now the room serves a different purpose!
We've waiting a total of three weeks now since referral....and I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm calm and sane! 9 1/2 weeks left to our court date!!! Keep the prayers and support coming!!!!!!!!!!!
Good news!!!!!!!!!!!! We got a court date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Things are really moving along!!!!!!!!
Our case will go to court on May 11th and be presented to the judge. When the judge signs off on the case and the decision is granted to place Ahnya in our custody she is legally ours.
A couple things have to happen before we travel. Once we pass court then all we need is the birth certificate and we can travel.
Right now, we are hoping to travel in June. Things can change, but that is a tenative date!
Today we sent off a care package for baby Ahnya!!! While Jocelyn was at preschool today, Gabriella and I did some shopping for our new baby! We already had most of the items ready and stored away for time we got the referral, but we had a couple last minute things to get. Gabriella and I had fun picking out the toys and outfit for Ahnya.
From the photo you can see that we sent a silk pink blanket, a stuffed animal, plush photo album with pictures in it, 2 musical toys to clip to her crib, a new outfit with matching headband and lace socks, a couple 8x10 laminated photos of our family and the girls for the nannies to tape to the wall above her crib. All these thing fit in a very large zip lock bag and were sent off to Africa!!!!!!
Here's a picture of our acceptance paperwork!
At 3:48 this afternoon we proudly accepted the referral of Ahnya Leigh Meretech OFFICIALLY!!!!
Ryan and I had to formally sign the paperwork and fax it into the adoption agency in order to make it official!!!
After signing all the paperwork and making extra copies we faxed everything over to the agency and it was done! AMAZING!!!! That was worth the 12 month labor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's a picture of my girls and Kirstie's boys announcing the news (and blowing kisses...of course!!) that they have a new baby sister!!!!!!!!!! Jocelyn ran through the house screaming and yelling when we got the call and Gabriella broke down crying!!!!!!!!! What little sweeties!!!! Kirstie's boys are too funny!!! When I was talking to our social worker Jenson was just hugging and holding me!!!! Braxton's comment said, "it's really is going to hurt when you have that baby!" So everyone experienced the moment differently!!!! Kirstie did a fabulous job taking pictures and taping everything on the video camera!!!
I promise to post more of the story tomorrow...right now...I'm going to enjoy the moment and get the best nights sleep that I have been lacking for weeks!!!!!!!!!
Today @ 4:16 p.m. I GOT THE CALL TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Horray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH........................................... and IT'S ANOTHER GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She's a little over 4 months old. Her birth mother named her Meretech Admassu. Her name means "She' Chooses." She's 10.8 pounds and is 24 inches long. We've learned that she has a beautiful personality to match, too! She is beyond beautiful and has the most amazing eyes that I have ever seen in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have decided to name this beautiful baby Ahnya Leigh Meretech. We chose the name Ahnya because I wanted to pass down my name sake. Leigh because it's her godmother's (my best friend Kirstie's) middle name, and we wanted to keep her birth name Meretech because her birth mother named her that-and it's beautiful! (pronounced Mer e TeSH)
I will post more later after I catch my breath....and stop screaming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support. Kirstie, Angie and Terese I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so much more than friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The nursery is done! I hope she loves it as much as I do!!!
My sister, Nick, painted a mural on the wall for Ahnya and we had a a fun time putting it together. Thank for your help Nicki!!!!!!
