Journey to Jasey

Devastated

2008-04-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

There is no other word to explain how I feel right now other than devastated. Exhausted would be a close second.
I have tried to stay positive during all the ups and down of the past 8 months of this journey, but the past two days everything has come crashing down. First came THIS article from the AP. Then THIS from the embassy. Both are terrible news about corruption in the VN program. I knew things like this went on, but I guess I never understood how common it could be.
Adoptions in Vietnam will cease on Sept. 1st. Prior to the news we got yesterday, we believed our paperwork would be grandfathered in with all of the others who are logged into VN. We have now learned that will not happen, and all paperwork that is logged in but without a refferal by Sept. 1st will be sent back.
I don't feel like this is the end for us. I NEED to come full circle on this adoption, no matter how long it takes. My heart knows that Jasey will come to us someday, and she will come from Vietnam. I am allowing myself to be sad for the moment, but I have faith that things will work out in the end. Both countries will come together, fix the wrongs, set in place an agreement that will work FOR THE CHILDREN. This may take months, it may take years, but it will happen. And our arms will still be wide open, ready to hold our Jasey James.
All I can do is believe right?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Jake has been home for a week, and we are loving every minute of it! He is 11 months old now, it has taken us this long to get all of his paperwork done so he could avoid quarantine once he got to Hawaii. It was stressful, but worth it, and it all worked out in the end. Hmmm, sounds a lot like something else that is going on in our lives... No news on the adoption front, so I guess you will be seeing lots of pics of me torturing Jake with costumes like the one above for now!

Guess what??? We have a NUMBER!!!

2008-03-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to officially be on our agency's waiting list! Everything that can be done with our paperwork is done now, so the wait begins...

Thanks to Wikipedia, I have some facts about the wonderful number 42-

-42 is one of The Numbers on the television show Lost, along with 4, 8, 15, 16 and 23.

-The eight digits of pi beginning from 242,422 places after the decimal point are 42424242.

-The jersey number of Jackie Robinson, which is the first and only number retired by all Major League Baseball teams.

-The first digit (4) taken to the power of the second digit (2) is equal to the second digit (2) taken to the power of the first digit (4): 42 = 24 = 16.

- The jersey number of Pat Tillman, which was retired on November 13, 2004 by Arizona State University.

- Messier object M42, a magnitude 5.0 diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion, also known as the Orion Nebula. (pictured below, isn't it BEAUTIFUL!?!)

No longer lost!

2008-02-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

In translation that is:) We just got the news that we are officially out of translation, now we are just waiting to get assigned our all imporant number!

Our entire agency just spent a week in Vietnam working on their humanitarian projects. They took a group of all sorts of specialists over to help train caretakers in caring for special needs children. I hope they come back with LOTS of good news, everyone in our agency family sure could use some right about now!

I hope everyone is having a great Monday! I am in Washington right now, I'm here to pick up Jake finally! Here is a recent pic of my handsome little devil;)

I've been tagged!

2008-02-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

SEVEN RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I am scared to death of sharks and spiders.
2. I can't stop biting my nails, no matter how hard I try.
3. I talk to my cats WAY more than most people would consider normal.
4. I love the smell of new shower curtains.
5. I hate olives with a passion.
6. I get hooked on cheesy reality shows very easily.
7. I always drink Ginger Ale on airplanes, yet rarely in regular life.

I was tagged by my friend Anna

I'm cheating and not tagging anyone! I think all af the bloggers I know have been tagged:)

I am feeling like the gecko...

2008-02-15T23:25:00.000-08:00

My Mom took this picture a few days ago, right outside my front door. I have been thinking about that tiny gecko trying to catch that huge moth ever since... I think because I can relate to him in more than one way-
First off, the task in front of him is pretty much impossible. He is so hungry for something he just can't get. I hate to be negative, but this adoption has been feeling that way to me lately. I feel totally helpless, our paperwork is there in Vietnam, but we are lost in translation for who knows how long. I am trying to stay upbeat, but sometimes it is just too hard.
In a more positive way, the gecko is obviously a big dreamer. I dream of Jasey all the time, and it warms my heart. I know once this is all said and done it will all be worth it, my dream will have come true, our baby girl will be home, and the wait and turmoil will be forgotten.
Can't blame the little guy for trying!

Hahahahahaha!

2008-02-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

DTV!

2008-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Let me clear the cobwebs and dust bunnies off my blog before I begin...
So, it has been a month since I last posted, the holidays have come and gone. We had a nice Christmas at home, my sister Jen and her boys were visiting Hawaii, so we got to spend time with them. New Years was quiet, just the two of us. We lit off some fire crackers in the street in front of our house, then had to fight off sleep until midnight. PARTY ANIMALS!!
But, I finally have some good news to share... WE ARE DTV!!! For those of you not in the adoption community, that means Dossier to Vietnam (I think!). In other words, everything that can be done with out paperwork here in the U.S. has been done. It is officially in the country of Vietnam, currently being translated. The translation can take up to 8 weeks, but once it comes out we will finally be issued our number on our agency waiting list. I am anticipating we will be around #45, which sucks because our agency is optimistically anticipating 40 referrals in 2008. Yes, that means we most likely won't be meeting our baby girl this year. We are staying positive though, we will get her when the time is right.
The Director of our agency and his wife picked up and moved to VN last week. He hand carried a group of dossiers (ours included) over there himself. It makes me feel good to know that one of the heads of our agency is actually living over there, and overseeing things first hand. I admire his dedication to this program, and adoption in general.
Happy 2008 everyone! I hope we all have an awesome year!

She better not steal my name!!

2007-12-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am just putting this out there now in case the unthinkable happens and Britney Spears pregnant little sister steals my baby's name! I thought of Jasey first!! I can just see it happening, her name is Jamie, the baby daddy's name is Casey... put the two together and voila! I know it is a long shot, but it would just be my luck;)

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas... I guess.

2007-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Well, the tree is up, the house is decorated, the lights are hanging on the house outside. But when I look out my window I see a blue sky, green grass, and palm trees swaying in a light breeze. I know, I know, those of you who are freezing you butts off are wondering why I am complaining. I'm not really, but I am finding it hard to get in the Christmas mood when the weather is exactly the same as it was 3 months ago! I miss having to throw a sweater on because it is getting chilly, or the comfort of walking in to a warm house from the cold outside. The only time I get to wear a sweatshirt is when Jason has the A/C set to freezing. The lack of seasons here really gets on my nerves sometimes, but other times I realize how lucky I am not to be dealing with the extreme weather I have been watching on the news from the mainland lately.
Another reason I can't seem to get jolly is that my Christmas Spirit (AKA Jason) is gone until the 12th. I always start December off this way, kinda blah, but he has enough spirit for the both of us and eventually brings me around. My house looks like a Christmas store, and it's all his doing. I will have to post some pics of the madness!
I can't help but wonder if we will be celebrating Christmas with Jasey next year. When we started this journey I was so sure she would be here by next summer, but at the rate things are moving right now, I just don't think that is going to happen. I am prepared for a long wait, it is just the uncertainty I am having a hard time with right now.
Okay, I am off to wrap some presents and listen to some Cristmas tunes, maybe I will find my Christmas groove... ho ho ho.

10 years!

2007-11-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that Jason and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary today! It's strange how at times it feels like we just met yesterday, then at other times it's like we have known each other forever. 10 years ago today we walked out to Yokosuka City Hall in Japan, signed a couple papers, then were told to have a seat and wait. They called us back up to the counter 20 minutes later, handed us a certificate written in Kanji, and said "Congratulations". That was it, no ceremony, no frills, just sitting on a bench in city hall:) I can't believe we didn't take a camera with us, but I guess those memories will just live in our minds.
We had our church ceremony 3 days later at the Chapel of Hope on Yokosuka Navy Base. It's nice to have two days to celebrate our anniversay, the second day falls on Thanksgiving! This year I think I will be thankful that we are still together and happier than ever. I know people had their doubts, since we were so young, and there was only 5 months between our first date and our wedding date, but we proved them wrong!

Prepare to laugh at some retro pics. We look so YOUNG! I guess we were just 19 and 22, but geez, we look like kids!

Shortly after we met... Me with a seriously bad dye job, and Jason rockin' an awesome shirt!

Back when we were young and skinny;)

Jason wearing the T-shirt he wore to propose to me on our camping trip.

My reaction after the proposal.

See! We were even taking self portraits way back then!

My favorite posed pic of us from our wedding.

And my favorite candid.

This was taken at the reception my Dad threw for us in Canada, 2 weeks after the wedding.

Can you find the beer in the last two pictures? It's an ongoing joke that beer has been the "3rd party" in our marriage from the very begining;)

Yay! It's here!!

2007-11-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to open my mailbox today and see an envelope from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services! Our approval is here! This is a huge step in the right direction for us, and I am relieved to no longer have to stalk the mailman everyday.
Next step is Authentication, which means all of our paperwork will get sent BACK to Hawaii so the notaries can be authenticated by the Secretary of State office. Let's hope that doesn't take too long!
Here are the beautiful papers I have been waiting on...

I surprised Jason with them when he came home for lunch... Thumbs up from him! ;)

Panda Express does it again!

2007-11-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

What has my life become?!? I have started relying on fortune cookies to brighten my day! Oh well, whatever works:)

Here is a bonus of another thing that brightens my day... Jake says "Hey"!

Not much new to report...

2007-11-11T01:03:00.000-08:00

Well, that's not true. There is TONS going on in the adoption world. If you are a part of it you already know; and if you aren't, I will spare you all the gory details. The gist of it all is there are some major changes happening with paper filing procedures, and investigations into certain provinces to assure things are happening on the up and up. I am of course concerned about these things, but don't feel the need to contribute to the already abundant amount of discussion going on out there about it in Adoption Blogland.
We are just sitting here, twiddling our thumbs, waiting on our approval to come from USCIS. Not much we can do until then. Cross your fingers for us that it comes this week!
Here are a few recent pics from the Meeks household. Enjoy!

Me and Jason at the Khaki Ball- Can you tell I love self portraits?!?

Ewww... Pumpkin guts!

I think Owen and The Baby had a conspiracy going on...

"Let's both smell the same spot on the pumpkin so she can't get a good pic!"

And just a bit of Hawaii scenery for those of you who are starting to get a bit chilly :)

Back on track!

2007-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

We had a big bump in the road last month with a problem obtaining our Immigration approval. I had to scramble to get some documents from Virginia, and Jason had to do another interview with our home study agency. I am so happy to say that the home study social worker called this morning to tell us our addendum is complete! I am going to pick it up in a couple of hours and drive it straight over to USCIS to submit it. Hopefully they will stick to their 10 day turnover for approvals, if so we will be totally back on track in no time! Yay! What a relief:) One step closer to bringing our baby girl home.
I also want to let everyone who is immediatley affected by the new I600 procedures know that you are all in my thoughts. I can't imagine how hard it must be to have your travel dates at your fingertips, only to be told the wait will be longer. I know you have probably heard it a million times, but I am sure once you are finally united with your babies, the wait be totally forgotten and totally worth it. Keep your chin up!

I'm in love with a Monster!

2007-10-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

No, not Jason;) I found Jasey's first "teddy bear" at the Tacoma Mall last week while visiting with my Mom and sisters. Those who know me well know that I usually do things slightly unconventionally, so why should my daughters stuffed animals be any different? The line is called Eanie Meanies and the monsters are named Mye, Ni and Moe. The store only had Moe, but I found them at www.manhattantoy.com so I could get the other two. All the plush toys on there are so cute, I think I will definitely become a regular customer there!

Please tell me Jasey will turn out okay with these monsters as her first "teddies"!

Mye

Ni

Moe

The other "Baby" we are waiting on

2007-10-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

In addition to anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jasey, we are counting down the days until we can bring home Jake. He is our 6 month old Chocolate Lab that is currently living in Washington with my Mom. Her dog Gordie fathered a litter that was born in April, and Jake is the pick of that litter. Because of Hawaii's animal import rules, he won't be able to come home until February or March of next year:( We are hoping that Jasey and Jake will be the best of friends! Sorry so many pics... I couldn't narrow it down!

Newborn- She had a litter of 11!

3 1/2 weeks old-

7 Weeks old, Homecoming day!

His first duck-

9 weeks-

Same pose 6 weeks later-

Being silly with Gordie-

Latest pic, Our handsome boy at 5 months old-

I am heading to my WA in a couple days for our inaugural "Girls Weekend" with my Mom and my two sisters. I can't wait to get some Jakey cuddles;)

Jumping the gun a bit...

2007-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

So, I know that we aren't even done with the paper chase part of this adoption, but I have to admit work on the nursery has started. My Mom and my Auntie Val were here visiting for the week, so I had to put their creativity and craftiness to work. I wanted to change an armoire that was being used as Jason's video game station into a changing table for Jasey. I am so excited to say that my Mom and my Aunt made it happen, and it is even better than I could have imagined. Check it out!

Before-

Getting started-

Finishing touches-

All done!-

Finished inside-

Close up of quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk-

They also painted the letters that will hang on the wall over Jasey's crib-

Thank you so much Mom and Auntie Val, I couldn't have done it without you! I can't wait for Jasey to see all the hard work you put in to her nursery, I know she will love it. Now you just have to come back to Hawaii to help me put the nursery together:)

Wasting away again in Margaritaville...

2007-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, this has absolutly nothing to do with the adoption, but I had to share what a great time we had last night at the Jimmy Buffett concert. It was sooooo fun! The show was at the Waikiki Shell, an outdoor venue, and the weather couldn't have been better. It rained a bit right before the show, but cleared up right in time. It was our first Jimmy Buffett show, but Jason has been a life long fan and he converted me to an official Parrot Head over the years:)

Here is our attempt at a self portrait during the show-

Jason, with Jimmy over his shoulder-

And Jimmy himself-

And just so this post isn't totally unrelated to Jasey, these are the headphones I am going to order for her so she can enjoy concerts with us! She will be the youngest Parrot Head at the show!

Yay for Panda Express!!

2007-10-03T21:09:00.002-07:00

Not only did my orange chicken and steamed veggies brighten my day a bit, but the fortune from my cookie was definitely a keeper!

In case the pic isn't working, it says "Your ability to love will help a child in need." :)

Speed Bumps

2007-10-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Why is it that just when you are cruising down the road, quickly and smoothly, you hit a bunch of speed bumps? Okay, okay, logically I know it is to slow you down and make you aware of what's around you. I guess I should actually learn from that little analogy and quit pouting about our current situation.
Up to this point our adoption process has been painless. Every single form, application, procedure, etc. has been quick and easy. I guess I needed a bit of a wake up call, because we have run into some complications with our immigration approval. I'm sure it will all work out fine, but I am so frustrated that something has to go wrong, especially right at the end when I thought I was finished with everything.
I know in the long run I will be thankful for this setback. When I hold our baby in my arms I will be telling myself "If you hadn't hit a snag you would have been finished faster and THIS wouldn't be your baby!" But for now I am feeling a little blue that our wait is going to be even longer.
Okay, enough with my pity party. Gotta dust myself off and work on getting us back on track!
Who ever said adoption was the EASY way to have a baby?

The Why's...

2007-09-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

We are having a lazy Sunday, so I figured I could use this time to answer the most common questions that Jason and I have gotten since we started announcing our plan to adopt.

Why can't you get pregnant? Short answer, we can. Long answer, we have been married 10 years and a baby hasn't happened yet. After a few doctor visits for both of us, we, and our doctor, are confident we could get pregnant with medical help. Doing so just didn't feel like the right path for us right now. I can't say we will never try and fight the fertility battle, but for now our hearts just weren't in it.

Why adopt? Since Jason and I met, we have always talked about someday adopting children. We think it will be a privilege to be able to open up our hearts and home to a baby that is in need of loving parents.

Why adopt internationally? We realize there is a huge need here in America for adoptive families, but for our first adoption, the decision to go international was an easy one. Although international adoption is full of ups and downs, red tape, and uncertanties, we felt that having a course of action laid out with a light at the end of the tunnel was the way to go. Honestly, alot of what we read about domestic adoptions kind of scared us. For example, they say you can expect 1 or 2 adoptions to fall through before you actually get your baby. And even though international adoption is a hard process, we felt we had a little more contol over the process then putting our picture in a book and waiting for a birth mother to choose us. I can't say we will never adopt domestically, but for our first experience, international was for us.

Why Vietnam? This question is hard to answer, how do I explain "It just feels right."? Once we decided to adopt, I was glued to the internet reading about every adoption program known to man. As soon as I started reading about Vietnam, I just KNEW in my heart it was the program for us. So when asked why we are adopting from Vietnam, I usually answer "Because that is where our daughter is." :)

The beggining...

2007-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

How do you start a blog? Is it a simple introduction, or should it be some complex statement of who you are and why you feel the need to put these thoughts out there? I have had a hard time coming up with an answer to that, so I have spent the last week changing layouts over and over again. Yeah, that's why I'm not writing, those green dots just don't say ME!
So, I will make it quick and painless. I am Michelle, 29, married to Jason, 32. We live in Hawaii, for now. We are in the process of adopting our first child, a baby girl from Vietnam who will be named Jasey. This blog will serve a couple of purposes- First, it will be a way to keep friends and family informed of what is going on with our adoption, and second it should be a great way for me to fill up my time while waiting for Jasey.
There, I did it! My first post... short and sweet. Stay tuned!