More Surprises!

While I was giving the baby's room a very deep cleaning yesterday, the doorbell rang, and there was Pat with lots of gear for Baby Wieds! Pat works with Mark, and her daughter adopted a baby girl from China two years ago. I think she is almost as excited about our little guy as we are!!


I can't wait to see him in this!

Many thanks!
More good news: As of yesterday, 130 Members of Congress have signed the CCAI letter to Secretary Rice!

Wow! Everyone has been sooooo nice! Thank you for calling, stopping over, and emailing us...it is such a joyful time, and we are blessed to have so many friends that are excited for us!

Now to answer the question on your mind...
"What happens next?"
First, Mark and I sign a bunch of forms, including a confirmation letter stating that we are accepting Baby Wieds as ours. These forms are sent to our agency and then sent to the DIA (Dept. of International Adoption) over in Vietnam.

Next the paperwork that is part of his dossier will join our paperwork, and it will all be translated and stamped,signed, and approved. This entire process can take between 6-8 weeks. Once that's done, all the paperwork is then forwarded to the US Immigration Dept. and the State Department office in HCMC where our case will be investigated and, God willing, cleared. The State Department says to expect at least a 60 day wait, but recently there have been families getting approval in 30)

Finally, one day we will receive an email stating that everything is approved. Our Giving and Receiving Ceremony will be scheduled, typically a week after receiving the approval. G&R is the formal process where the VN government officials present us with our baby. Then we find a flight and head to Hanoi!

We are praying that these next step go quickly and without a hitch. We figure the earliest we might travel would be sometime in October. We've got a lot to do to get ready for that special day when we bring him home!

On another topic...
Last night on our way out to celebrate, we were lucky enough to go meet new friends Jenna, Ed and their new baby Ella. They were on their way back to Wisconsin after picking up Ella from Vietnam. Jenna, I must say that you look fab after sitting on a plane for 15 hours or so...hope you don't mind that I posted these pics.

It was really fun to be able to surprise them with our news!
Ella is just adorable!!!







Happy day!

WE GOT THE CALL!!!!

For the last six months or so, every time the phone would ring, I would imagine that it would be someone from our agency telling us we were matched with our baby! Well...last night it FINALLY happened! At about 7:40 the phone rang, and we got the news about our little BOY! Yes, Baby Wieds is a little boy!

He is adorable, and it's no surprised that we are completely in LOVE! He was born December 16, 2007, the same birthday as my sister, Kit.
I'll write more details about what happens next soon...

Surprise in the mail

Look what showed up in the mail today! It's a gift from Jenni, a girl that is also using our agency to help her adopt a baby. We are participating in a "cyber shower". It's a fun way to keep the excitement going as we all continue to wait for good news. Our dogs, Kelly and Cody, completely appreciated the "dog" theme!
Thanks, Jenni!

Tomorrow we get to meet Jenna, Ed and their new baby Ella at the airport during their layover. They are returning home after spending about three weeks in Vietnam. (Jenna is the girl I mentioned a few months ago...she works with my sister, Annie.)I'll post some pictures this weekend.

The petition signing has been going very well. So far close to 4000 signatures have been received. Thanks for your continued support!

Seven Months

I just cannot believe that seven months have gone by since we were officially logged in on the waiting list. It appears that all of the folks who were logged in during October have received their referrals...there were a lot of them in October. It also appears that there must have been many girls because the majority of the couples that were waiting had requested a girl. There are far fewer families that logged in during November so we are now closer than we've ever been. And...it's now more possible that Baby Wieds may be a girl. It's exciting to wonder about that. We will be thrilled either way!

The school year is wrapping up. Graduation is this afternoon. Then after all the grading and the end-of-the-year tasks are complete, Mark and I will have some time to relax a little bit this summer. We haven't made any plans for travel yet, as we are waiting to see what happens with our adoption. More soon...

Things are moving!

There are 13...yes, I said 13 families with our agency heading to Vietnam in the next few days to pick up their babies! That is such a big number to be traveling at one time. Things are definitely moving in the right direction!

THANK YOU!!

It was nice to hear from some of you the past few days. Thanks a ton for your phone calls and e-mails to our representatives. We have such wonderful friends and families!

I wish I could report some news about our referral. I just can't imagine that it will take much longer.

Enjoy this shot of the gorgeous sky shortly after sunset.

Part 2

BIG THANKS to everyone who sent a quick email last week!!
Now there is one additional step we're asking you to help with on June 2nd, 3rd or 4th. This step is more involved so we're praying that you find it in your hearts to set aside five minutes or so to make a phone call and follow-up with an e-mail.

Here is what to do:
On June 2nd, 3rd or 4th, please contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and ask them to support A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam.

Here's how to do it:
1. Call both of your U.S. Senators and your Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. You can find your Senators’ phone numbers and email address at www.senate.gov. There is a scroll down menu with each state at the top right of the page. You can find your Representative’s phone number and email address at www.house.gov. Enter your zip code in the box at the top left of the page.

When you get them on the phone you can say:

“I/we urge the Senator/Congressperson to join the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and sign their letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice in support of the recommendations found in Joint Council’s A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam.”

2. If they have not heard about the Campaign, ask them to contact the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute at 202-544-8500 or Joint Council on International Children’s Services at 703-535-8045.

3. Send an email to everyone you called. The e-mail message can be the exact same thing you said on the phone.
The e-mail is important, but the phone call should be placed first.

Updates: At least one couple with our agency received their referral 2 weeks ago!
On Friday the USCIS implemented the awaited DNA testing information. You can read all the details here if you'd like.

Once again, we appreciate your support as we try to bring home Baby Wieds!

peace~ Sue and Mark