Results Are In Christian Jae-won Ratcliff

And we are all smiles and hugs. We told the agency that we would like to accept the referral.


These are the two most recent pictures we were sent with all of his paper work.

Korea's been contacted

I have tried to keep the past 72 hours busy with researching day cares and trying to figure out what to do as far as the nursery is concerned. My sister has kindly offered to look at the frogs playing baseball figurines I found and try to come up with a mural for the wall. It isn't her usual art, kind of beneath her really, so it means a ton that she is willing to do this. There is a Montessori school close called Triple R. I am hoping this is a sign. Mom says she will go check the place out. Seeing as she is a former Montessori teacher herself I can't imagine there is a better person to do the job.

It is currently a little past 9:30 AM tomorrow in Korea. I hope someone is reading the email that was sent requesting the test information, and reply negatively. Hope often do we consider a negative to be so very positive? I guess it isn't that uncommon when it comes to medical topics.

My folks are coming into town this weekend and I would really, really, really like to have a reason to celebrate and go SHOPPING!

Referral Week

On Tuesday afternoon, during my last period of the day, I received an email from the HS agency in Austin. The gist of the email was to tell me that they had tried to call me, there was a referral, and would I call them as fast as possible. My phone was at home with Frig, long story, so I went on a mad hunt for a land line.

My room is located very close to two offices, and my very well behaved class was highly engaged in a project. I thought I would ask someone from one of the offices to watch my class real fast while I called. Both offices were closed. My mind is spinning. I know one of the teachers on my hall is off a fourth period and room to her room hoping it was the right day. I say something super fast and nearly incomprehensible "I need to make a phone call and I have a class but there's a referral." Her reply "What does that mean?" me "BABY! She actually just cam back from maternity leave herself. We went to Lanier together as kids. She picks up the papers she is grading and comes to my room.

When I finally make it to the second floor lounge I realize I can't call long distance. More running. Into the office and panicking as I tell the principals secretary that I NEED to call Austin. She gives me the code, no questions asked, and suggest I use a phone in an empty space off the main office. VOICEMAIL! ARGH!!!! Try again, try again, and finally walk back to my room still very excited but dejected as well.

It wasn't long before a second email came with five pictures and all of the child's other confidential information. I realized Frig was on the phone with the women. That has happened to me more than once in the past. I open the first picture and the baby looks so sad. He had obviously been crying. He was older in the next two sets of pictures and no longer sad but so very, very cute.

He does have a grade 3-4 heart murmur. At first Frig didn't want to get everyone's hopes up because we want to get details from a doctor, but by the following morning (5 AM) he had changed his mind. We call both sets of parents, I thought it was worthy of waking mom at 6 AM, to tell them the news.

I have an appointment with the International Adoption group at Texas Children's Hospital today at 4 PM. After the appointment we will hopefully be able to say that this child will be our child in 4 to 6 months.

Of course we already feel like he is our child right now so this better doctor better give me some good news!

Sometimes

Sometimes it is hard to not feel sorry for myself. I decided to do some research and it seems to take 3 to 4 months for the agency to refer 1 month worth of families. I watch as other people's newborns pass milestones and grow into toddlers and beyond. Other women I know have had two pregnancies in the time that I have been unable to have even one. I feel like I am so behind. I always wanted to be a young mom. Now I just want to be a mom and even that seems like it is never going to happen.

New month, same status

Apparently there is a private part to our international agency's website. I believe I might have known this at one point months ago and then forgot. That was way back at the point when there was something to do besides wait. Now that we have filled out all of the paperwork, and been approved, we have loads of time on our hands. I know once out little one arrives I will long for these days of freedom. I only wish I had tons of money to spend of doing things around the house.

The other day I was using some of this free time to lurk on a message board for moms and dads adopting from Korean. I think I have posted on this board 2 times. Both times I have not received a reply. Very rude if you ask me considering I was asking a direct question.

While lurking I saw a reference to the monthly update for my international agency. I did not know there was a monthly update much less where to find it. I asked when this update could be found. Both before and after posting the question, since I had no real faith that anyone would respond, I searched my international agency's website. Once I finally found this private part of the site I had to send an email to get a password. No one ever did respond to my post on that board, but I found the information despite their efforts at thwarting me.

Sadly, the information was the same as last month. They are still working with families that were approved in Dec 2008. We were approved in March 2009. So now I wait for next month so I can go back into the website and find out who is still waiting and if the wait is the same or if it has made any changes. This queue is WAY to long!