Noah Coffee

Last night I went to meet my dear friend Shannon at an Irish pub for some beverages. It was awesome because we hadn’t seen each other since we both learned of little Noah Arone (my future son, her future honary nephew) ( we hope!) and then turned right around and learned of our pending court date. We had a lot to celebrate. So we were talking most of the night about Noah and I was filling her in on some of the details of his life thus far and we were discussing how it was meant to be and getting chills just thinking about how it all went down. I was saying how I felt like this was the culmination of so many things and we agreed that it was just too huge to put into words, what is happening.

Then she started asking me about our trip to Ethiopia and what we would be doing while we are over there. And I was telling her how we would likely meet Noah either the day we get there or the next if it’s late, and how we would visit the local orphanages and climb Entoto Mountain and then finally, participate in a coffee ceremony and how that is a traditional way of celebrating in Ethiopia and I am excited to take part in one and learn about it.

Suddenly, over the PA system at the bar (mind you, we didn’t’ even know they had one because they hadn’t made any announcements all night and didn’t after) we hear “NOAH, NOAH COFFEE…please report to the bar. NOAH.” Ok, so they may have actually said Noah Coffman or Crawford or something, but we heard Noah Coffee, over the loud speakers, and we were totally amazed with chills running down our spines.

Weird, right? C’mon, you gotta admit that’s a little strange.

Also, my husband was just asked to become a member of the Moose Lodge. This has nothing to do with the above story, I just thought it was hysterical that Anil has been invited to be a moose.

Happy Friday!

Some news...

As a total shock to us, we received a phone call from Mary yesterday with our court date. It is scheduled for April 9th.

I'm told and I believe it to be true that there is just no rhyme or reason to how and when these dates happen. Everyone is petitioned on the day (or day after) they accept a referral and sometimes it takes 2 weeks, sometimes 8 or more. It's a blessing that we heard this soon, and we are grateful for it.

And we truly hope that this means more quickness and good luck for everyone, all around!

Tagged Again...by Grace!

First things first, my sister took the photo above. I think it's so cool. It's us, the night before our lives completely changed...

OK so Grace tagged me I think literally hours before we got 'the call'...she thinks it might be what set it off, so I'm going to give her that satisfaction. Who am I to say otherwise? She also gave me permission to write my 10 things about Noah instead of myself, which I can't possibly deny, since he is taking up most of my thought processes these days anyway.

What I got from Grace, and the rules for those I will tag:

So, here's the rules: You've been tagged! Share 10 things about yourself, and then choose 5 people to tag. "Tag" them in their comments section, and be sure to tell them the reason you chose them. Direct them to your blog to get the full details. You can't tag the person who tagged you. As a courtesy to the person who tagged you, please let them know when you have posted so they can have the sheer delight and extra work load of reading your answers.

Here are the first 10 things about Noah Arone that pop into my head:

1. It was love at first sight for me. Several people have asked and the definitive answer is YES. From the moment I saw his photo, I knew in the pit of my soul that he is our son. It's impossible to describe but it was very REAL. I know that it's not official and anything can happen, but I am not worried, for this reason.

2. Speaking of souls, Noah is an old soul. I've never even been quite sure exactly what that means, and I'd guess it means different things to different people depending on your belief system. But it is the first thing a close friend of mine said when she saw his photos, and I believe it to be true.

3. One of his favorite things to do according to the in-country Gladney staff is to raise his arms in a Y shape. I feel like he is reaching out for us, and I can't wait to be there to pick up that little Y and hold him tight.

4. More from the Gladney staff: "He enjoys being on his tummy and lifting up his chest and head with his arms. He is a loveable, easy-going baby." I love that they mention his enjoyment of doing push-ups and that he is loveable and easy-going all in the same breath. Sounds like he's pretty well-rounded. :)

5. Noah resides in the 'blue room' at the care center, and according to Amy Breedlove, who was there recently picking up sweet Nathan, that means that he is roomies with Tara & Eric's little guy, Malak. I love knowing who he's hangin' with these days.

6. Today we went to check out a day care center that little Noah might attend one day in the near future. It's a terrific facility and I think he will be really happy there. When we walked in, I couldn't help thinking 'I can't believe I'm here scouting day care facilities for my son!' Every baby there fascinated me. And when Anil whipped out the photo of Noah on his cell phone and the ladies went nuts, we knew we were in the right spot and immediately signed up for the waiting list. (more waiting!)

7. Little Noah Arone's grandparents are very excited to make his acquaintance, as well as his aunt&uncles, cousins, and all of our close friends who are like family to us. The only person we're not sure about is George. We plan to do all we can to prepare him for this big change, but he's been an only child for so long, it will be tough on him at first. I know Noah will win him over though! And George is a big believer in adoption! :)

8. Noah has asked that we come and get him as soon as possible, so if anyone is listening over in Ethiopia who has any control over this situation, please oblige my patient yet persistent little dude.

9. We struggled for hours with choosing a name after he was referred to us on Monday. He was incredibly close to being named Hudson. I'm glad we chose Noah. It's perfect for him.

10. I was struggling with one last thing so I chatted my husband and asked if he had to say ONE THING about Noah Arone, what it would be? He wrote back 2 words - stunning, golden.

I think that pretty much wraps it up for me. Now I unfortunately have to go tag some more people! No one is safe! :)

OK, 4 of you aren't - I'm tagging Jennifer&Jody,Jessica,Shasta and Meredith. Don't feel obligated, ladies. I'm just passing on some good luck!

Floating...

I literally crossed the street to come into the office today and felt like I was floating on air. We're still in the clouds somewhere, in disbelief that we have a little boy who is waiting for us, half a world away. Every once in a while, I'd say pretty much every other minute, I've been getting these waves of emotion that just take over my entire being. It's almost impossible to describe.

And just when I thought I might be coming back down to earth, our blog friends, Rebecca and Ben, got their referral yesterday afternoon and all of those amazingly cool and surreal and exciting and wild and indescribable feelings came rushing back full force! We're so happy for them. We went on the wait list on the exact same day and got our referrals only a day apart. That doesn't always happen, and I'm so excited and happy that it did so we can all celebrate our news at the same time, and hopefully travel together one day soon too!

And I want to CONGRATULATE also Julie (who also just claimed my son for her daughter, Marlie, so you have to go read this hilarious post!) and Heather (who left an amazingly sweet post on her blog too!) for guessing RIGHT ON THE MONEY! I love that two of my greatest friends who have been with me through every step of this crazy process BOTH got it exactly right. There is something really crazy about that for me, and I'm still trying to process it. Julie and Heather will each be getting a prize, but I haven't quite figured out what that is yet. I'll keep you posted!

Some quick details on THE CALL

I hate to keep everyone waiting, because I know how much I longed for those details when I was checking all of the blogs on referral days, so here's a quick detail post.

Anil and I were sitting at Barney's Beanery on the Santa Monica promenade and had just ordered lunch with my sister, Laura (who just happens to be in town from Illinois til tomorrow!) and we were talking about the referral. I had just said (AFTER I checked my phone and jokingly said to them, you know, 'just checking') that I actually thought that IF the call was going to come this week, it would probably be later in the week, like maybe Friday, because they had just given out 3 referrals last Friday so they probably need to catch their breath before the next round. And all the sudden out of nowhere my new beat phone starts playing some cool tunes, we all look over and see to our amazement that it's from the UNKNOWN caller. I still pass it off as "oh, it's probably so and so, because they also come up as UNKNOWN" but in my heart of hearts, I felt it, down deep.

I answered and there was sweet Mary on the line, "Angela?"..."yes, this is her." "It's Mary from Gladney." "You're not really calling, are you???" "Yes, I am really calling and I can't wait to tell you how beautiful your little boy is..." I yelled "it's a boy!!" to Anil and Laura. And we all started freaking out (well, mostly me) about what to do next!!! We are not at a computer and we are dying to know as much as we can about our son!

So we finally decide to tell Mary that we will call her back within 20 minutes to learn all there is to know and see the pictures. I frantically asked our waitress to pack up all of our food to go because we had just received a call with "life-changing news" and had to GO! She kindly obliged. It felt like it took forever but it was probably just 5 minutes before we were out the door with our food (like I could eat!) and on our way home to call Mary back.

I don't even know how we made it home, but luckily Anil was feeling brave enough to drive. We ran in and called her back right away. It took forever to get those pics to come through and in the meantime, Mary told us all that she knew about our beautiful, precious baby boy. He is 3 1/2 months old. His given name is Arone (pronounced ah-rone). He's healthy and happy and I'm not sure there are words for how we felt when we saw him. He weighs 11.24 pounds and is 24" long - and he's growing, fast!

Anil and I are just beside ourselves - so happy, so shocked, so grateful for this amazing day. I can't wait to introduce you all to our cool, hip, brave, amazing little guy - Noah Arone, Baby K!

More to follow, I promise. For now, suffice to say, we are THRILLED! And we love EVERYONE! There is nothing but love coming from this house today, pure, magical love.

REFERRAL!!!!!!!!!

It's a BOY! Details to followwwwww...we are besides ourselves!!!

A Lot Can Happen in 15 Weeks

In the past 15 weeks since we began our wait, I have:

- celebrated the holidays with my husband and my dog and family and friends that live closeby
- made extra efforts to get my little business that could off the ground, making some progress
- begun to investigate childcare options for baby, once my 8 weeks of leave end
- read up a little on parenting and adoption
- toasted my amazing husband on his 30th birthday, and grown closer to him every day
- enjoyed a romantic valentine's day dinner with my husband a day early (to beat the rush)
- cried often and hard for both happy and sad reasons
- laughed many times with friends over the silliest of things
- seen photos of my cousins craig & jennifer's recently born triplets - 3 boys! (congrats, guys!)
- missed my family who mostly live far away
- begun to think more seriously about my career path and moving it forward
- lived on less and saved more than I ever thought was possible

In the past 15 weeks, I have not:

- let a day go by where I didn't think about this adoption, and our baby, and the way our lives are going to change forever when we get that call
- stopped wondering how our baby will come to be, and under what circumstances, and hoping for peace and love to be surrounding the situation, no matter how difficult it may be
- purchased any baby items, with the exception of a onesie that says "apple of my eye"
- done as much reading and learning and preparing as I dreamed I would before we were waiting
- put together my wedding album (from our wedding in '04!), like I pictured myself doing on a lazy Saturday afternoon in 'wait'
- ceased to recognize and feel grateful for all of the crazy good fortune and mad crazy good people that have come our way as a result of this process
- been able to fully grasp that all of this is actually happening and in a few short months, we could be parents!

Kindness

Kindness is one of those things I don't take lightly. When someone is kind to me or my husband or my dog or a stranger on the street or I simply see an act of kindness taking place, I really take it in. It means something. True kindness is one thing I love to witness. I think it's why I love being a blogger in this adoption community - I get to witness all sorts of kindness. (Mostly) women helping (mostly) women get through this crazy process with their sanity in tact (for the MOST part). It's awesome.

So I've been meaning to blog about an act of kindness that really touched me recently. I mentioned in a post a while back that I had been introduced through a mutual friend to a cool chick named Katie, who as it turned out, is also adopting from Ethiopia. Katie and I became fast friends and began to email about our journeys. Hers has been rough, she and her husband have had one of the tougher times getting things rolling, through no fault of their own.

Anyway, Katie and I mostly emailed and then spoke by phone one day at a particularly rough spot along her path.

A week later, I got a package from Katie - inside, was a beautiful handmade basket from Ethiopia! My first thought was it was gorgeous. My second was where did she get this from? Well, Katie lives in Chicago, but ironically as we had discovered, her parents moved 5 hours south to Edwardsville, IL, where I am from and where most of my immediate family still lives. And even more "coincedentally", this fairly small town of Edwardsville now has a global gift type of store and that is where she found this lovely basket from Ethiopia.

I found the irony and beauty of even meeting Katie, then finding out her parents live in the same town as my parents, then receiving a basket from Ethiopia via Edwardsville from her in the mail, out of the blue, to be just so cool...and kind.

Thanks, Katie!

Love & Logic

First off, we're at 14 & a half weeks waiting, this Friday will conclude 15 weeks...although at times, I am now having a harder time remaining patient, when I really stop and think about it, the time has flown by. We have our fingers crossed that the call will come soon - but we're trying not to get our hopes up too high, knowing that families have been waiting a lot longer as of late.

I saw today on the EthiopiaAdopt group that the author of a book I've been reading, Parenting with Love & Logic, is going to be speaking on Dawn Davenport's show tomorrow, so thought I'd post the info here. I am in no way suggesting that this is the end-all-be-all approach to parenting, so take it or leave it. Just something our social worker suggested to us to check out and I've been doing so. I have found it to be interesting and informative.

You can listen live from 12-1:00 Eastern Time on March 12 by going to www.findingyourchild.com, click on radio and then click play.

You can listen after it airs, by going to this same page on the website and clicking on this show. You can also download it as a podcast by clicking on the iTunes button on the radio page.

I'm glad that you can listen after it airs, because that way when my PHONE RINGS tomorrow morning, I won't have to worry about missing the show!! Know what I mean?
:)

Square Dance Fun for Dad

My dad's 64 today. He's a pretty amazing guy, so thought I'd give him a blog shout out. Our little one will be the first grandkid for him and my mom. And they've waited a mighty long time. So we are very excited to give them something they've been hoping and dreaming and praying about for quite a while now. It's really sweet how excited they are for us and how they say every time the phone rings now, they are wondering if it's 'the call'...

I'll go ahead and share this hilarious video card I just made and sent to him. To which he responded, "your mom hasn't moved like that in years!"

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Hope you're having a great day, Dad! Sorry we can't deliver the photo of your first 'potential' grandchild on your special day...but soon, we hope, very soon!

Happy for the Rooneys

Although we don't know them personally (yet), we have been following their journey for quite a while and we're happy to see that they are finally the proud parents of lil Abenezer. It's been quite a battle for them, so send them your congrats if you have a minute.

Waiting for you...

I think the lyrics to this song and the abstract searching video someone paired it up with sums things up pretty well, probably for a lot of us...this is Ben Harper. I'm a fan. You may want to press play, then pause and let it load before trying to listen. But it's worth it (in my opinion)!