This weekend Tony and I made the trek south for a long-overdue family visit. Having not been 'home' since March/April 2012 (and Tony not visiting since December 2011), I was pretty eager to get back and see everyone. Since my last visit, some things changed quite a bit (my nephew has grown by leaps and bounds; there's now a family dog in the picture; the guest bedroom has a comfy new mattress) and some things remained the same (my mom still makes the best sausage gravy in the entire world; drivers know how to yield to faster traffic in the left lane; my niece is still a girlie girl and is cute a bug). It was a wonderful visit. Over too quickly, but wonderful.
Monday mornings are usually tough, especially following a weekend away and a late night, but the email stalking finally paid off! We were sent PDF pictures of Oliver (we assume the hard copies are following by mail, similar to what they did for his first birthday), along with an 18 month update.
He is doing really well, and looking very healthy (the cut on his chin is just a little boy boo boo). Check out all of those teeth and that big grin!
According to the update, he "is a good eater with a hearty appetite" but refuses to give up the bottle. He likes to interact with others and play outside. He is "highly mobile and energetic....doesn't want to sit still" but yet he "has good concentration skills and engages in self play." While I don't know from personal experience, it sounds fairly typical for a toddler.
I can't wait to meet him! We received 4 pictures today, so click over to his page for more.
Tony and I are in the midst of our Home Study Update, which boils down to re-filling out paper work, completing physicals, having our backgrounds re-checked by the State of Minnesota, and reviewing our situation with our social worker. Last week I mailed in the bulk of our paper work and today I received an email from our social worker confirming that we are on track. Not one to miss an opportunity, I casually mentioned that we were mildly concerned that we haven't heard anything about our little guy and that we hoped he was doing okay [those who know me well probably know that I have been itching to email her every single day for the past week+, but had until now refrained].
Here is her response:
I wouldn't worry about not getting an update last month. Some families get more updates than others, and I would say that you are on the "more updates" end. - It is common that some families only get updates every other month, or sometimes even less. It really varies by the child's social worker. So I wouldn't be concerned, especially while you are enjoying a beautiful vacation ;) - If you don't receive one in January remind me, and we will request one.
If something were wrong with Oliver, I doubt she would have responded in this way. So, I feel a sense of encouragement that we are, indeed, just experiencing a delay. I am grateful that we have been on the "more updates" end and hope this is just a glitch. I'm still anxiously waiting for the email (the one with pictures of a super-cute 18 month old), but waiting with a tiny bit less worry. For those of you out there who are also worrying, perhaps your mind will be put at ease too.
Well, I'm officially going bananas as I wait for an update on Oliver.
- Obsessively checking my email in hopes of one with the update: Check
- Worrying that no update means he is sick or injured...or worse: Check
- Worrying some more that the 'no update' is because something is wrong: Check
- Checking my personal email since beginning to type this post: Check
So...no update to share. Hopefully an update comes along soon.
In other adoption-related news, you may have seen coverage in your local media about the developments in Russia regarding the shut down of adoption between the U.S. and Russia. First, I am happy to see that the media is covering this issue. Second, I was happy to see that our Senator acted quickly to meet with the families directly impacted and begin working to help move things in a more positive direction from her role as our representative.
My eyes welled with tears as I watched thousands of Russians protest the ban -- in the cold of winter and at the risk of being punished for speaking out. I am hopeful for those families already in process, that they will in fact be allowed to finalize their adoptions (although that is not guaranteed, it is hopeful). I am still incredibly sad for the children in Russia who need loving families, and those families in the U.S. who want to be provide such a home but may not be allowed the opportunity to do so. Nothing seems fully settled yet, but at least there is a glimmer of hope. Sometimes hope can make all the difference.
Last month I posted an article on Russian adoptions. Today I went onto the U.S. Government's International Adoption website (http://adoption.state.gov/) and learned that Russia is now closed to the U.S. and will remain so for at least 1 year. Families currently in process do not yet know if they will be allowed to continue or if their adoptions will be terminated. Here is the official information:
Alert: Legislation to Ban Intercountry Adoption by U.S. Families
On December 28, President Vladimir Putin signed into law Russian Federal Law No. 186614-6, which prohibits the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens. This law went into effect on January 1, 2013. The law bans adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, bars adoption service providers from assisting U.S. citizens to adopt Russian children, and requires termination of the U.S.- Russia Adoption Agreement.
The United States regrets that the Russian government has decided to ban the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens and to terminate the Agreement under Article 17(5). The Agreement entered into force on November 1, 2012, to promote stronger safeguards for children and all parties involved in the intercountry adoption process. Under the termination clause of the Agreement, it will remain in force for one year, until January 1, 2014. Despite the adoption ban, the U.S. government remains committed to implementation and fulfillment of its obligations under the Agreement. The United States continues to urge the Russian government, in the spirit of the Agreement, to allow U.S. families already in the process of adopting a child from Russia to complete their adoptions so that these children may join permanent, loving families.
At this time the Russian government has provided no details on how Russian Federal Law No. 186614-6 will be implemented. The Department of State has no information on whether the Russian government intends to permit the completion of any pending adoptions.
Tony and I had to take a day-long class at the agency over the summer and I recall meeting a woman who had been in the process of adopting from Russia for a long time. Prior to the ban, a Russian adoption included three trips to Russia. Two trips for all of your medical evaluations, mental evaluations and various legal/court steps. The third to bring your child home. However, you meet your child on that first visit -- you get to see them and hold them and fall in love with them.
My heart breaks for the families currently in process who do not know what is going to happen. My heart also breaks for those children, most (if not all) of whom live in an orphanage and have a rather difficult start in life. Please keep them all in your prayers.
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