We are in Haiti at last! We were up at 3am & caught the 4am shuttle to the airport. The flight was delayed by half an hour & had to stop in Antigua for fuel so we were a little late. Our one bag showed up, the other is missing, apparently this happens all the time. We were told just to keep coming back every day & it will get here eventually. Oh well - we did get the most important bag with all our clothes etc but all the donations are awol & we are running out of diapers for D. Hopefully it will show up tomorrow.
The kids are AMAZING!!! They came to see us shortly after we arrived as C was still getting her hair done. The came in holding hands & looked a little afraid but came walking right up to me with those big sad eyes. You would all be so proud of me I didn't break down & bawl like a baby or anything. They let us pick them up & play with them right away so they were soon smiling & having fun. They are cute cute & very loving. They know I am momma & A is their sister. They are very very sweet.
We had a blast with all the kids here today. There are a bunch of sad cranky kids though as many now have chicken pox within the past couple of days. Some of the kids have them really bad & have scratched the pox till they bleed.
Today they were also doing some of the kids vaccines so there was some serious crying going on, hahaha & that was even as they were waiting for their turn. They knew a needle was coming so they were screaming while they waited in line.
The kids are all adorable & we spent a lot of time playing on the swings & hunting guava fruit with them. They are all so hungry for attention & cry for their turn to be held. They love my hair & if I sit down there are kids all over me wanted to touch it.
We have D & C in the volunteer house with us so they have adjusted pretty well to the change in their routine. I sat next to C & patted her back as she was refusing to lay down at nap time today but once I did that for a couple of minutes she was out.
They both eat like champs & just shovel the food down as fast as they can. I know they would eat more but they don't mess around when food is presented. I don't think they will be fussy about anything I try to feed them. D tried some of my dinner tonight & didn't balk at anything. They are still eating the food they serve all the kids & meal times & snack times are serious business around here. Unfortunately all our snacks for the kids are in the missing bag.
This evening both the kids cried when we put them to bed so A & I both layed down with them & we all crashed out. Kids are all up around 6am apparently so I will probably go back to bed once this is posted.
We are taking lots of photos & are loving on everyone's babies. They really are adorable.
I think our kids birth parents & siblings are coming by tomorrow to meet us. That will be really wonderful for the kids to have all those photos when they are older.
Weather here is perfect but everyone here says this is about as cool as it gets. I think it perfect just the way it is.
Gotta go two little ones are waiting in my bed for me.
Hugs, Laur
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tomorrow's the Day
We are in Miami and a little groggy from taking the red eye flight. It is almost 6pm & we are ready for bed. Wanted everyone to know that we made it safely & had no issues with flights or delays. Actually it couldn' t have gone any smoother.
We froze on the first leg to Toronto but I managed to sleep for at least a couple of hours. A just froze & couldn't sleep. We both slept to Miami though. I feel sorry for the kids on the return flights they are going to be so cold - we really need to bundle them up.
We spent the afternoon lounging outside around the pool. It was beautiful, a little breezy but +25 so we even got a little color.
Tomorrow morning we need to be at the airport at 4am & we will finally get to meet the kids!!! I am so excited. Surprisingly it still feels surreal so I am not sure when the reality of the situation is going to hit.
I will try to post from the O tomorrow night if possible. Yippee we are going to meet my babies.
Hugs, Laur
We froze on the first leg to Toronto but I managed to sleep for at least a couple of hours. A just froze & couldn't sleep. We both slept to Miami though. I feel sorry for the kids on the return flights they are going to be so cold - we really need to bundle them up.
We spent the afternoon lounging outside around the pool. It was beautiful, a little breezy but +25 so we even got a little color.
Tomorrow morning we need to be at the airport at 4am & we will finally get to meet the kids!!! I am so excited. Surprisingly it still feels surreal so I am not sure when the reality of the situation is going to hit.
I will try to post from the O tomorrow night if possible. Yippee we are going to meet my babies.
Hugs, Laur
Friday, February 15, 2008
Flights are booked!
This feels surreal. After all of the months / years of waiting I can't believe we are counting down to days (DAYS) until we meet the kids for the first time & bring them home. :)
We will leave home on February 28 & overnight in Miami. February 29 we are off to Cap Haitien bright & early and will finally meet the kids.
We will spend four nights at the O spoiling / getting to know our kids & loving on all the rest of the babies.
March 4 we will fly to PAP & then hop a flight to Montreal. We will spend one night in Montreal & will head home our family united on March 5.
I can't wait to get home & get on with real life, my new reality.
Please keep my babies in your prayers as their whole world is turned upside down.
The count down is on 14 days to go..................
We will leave home on February 28 & overnight in Miami. February 29 we are off to Cap Haitien bright & early and will finally meet the kids.
We will spend four nights at the O spoiling / getting to know our kids & loving on all the rest of the babies.
March 4 we will fly to PAP & then hop a flight to Montreal. We will spend one night in Montreal & will head home our family united on March 5.
I can't wait to get home & get on with real life, my new reality.
Please keep my babies in your prayers as their whole world is turned upside down.
The count down is on 14 days to go..................
Thursday, February 14, 2008
I CAN PICK UP THE KIDS!!!!!
Just received an email that the kids are ready to go & I can make arrangements to pick them up.
Wow. No flights booked yet but I did just let work know & basically gave two weeks notice, although I have been telling them I thought it would happen at the end of this month.
I am hoping to have the kids in my arms on February 29. I will let you know all the details as I know them.
I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!
Wow. No flights booked yet but I did just let work know & basically gave two weeks notice, although I have been telling them I thought it would happen at the end of this month.
I am hoping to have the kids in my arms on February 29. I will let you know all the details as I know them.
I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!
Tired............
Why does it feel like the weekend is never going to get here. I have spent the last two weekends painting. I love starting new projects but sometimes have a hard time finishing them. I am trying to get all the painting / projects completed before the kids get home. My house is not kid proof so I think this weekend my son & I will tackle that to make it safe. I just never seem to run out of projects.
Now I am cleaning out the basement to prepare for a basement renovation. Been hauling the stuff I want to keep to a storage unit & just this evening filled my living room with all the stuff I am going to donate to Women in Need. It was either renovate this place or move. I thought I would move & did make three offers & always ended up in competing offers. My offers were always conditional on the sale of my current house hence I ended up not getting any of them. I wasn't willing to sell my place first & be forced to move as there wasn't always houses I liked in my price range. The thought of moving & starting renos all over again didn't overly excite me either since most needed work. I like where I am & have done many renos over the last few years so if the 4th level / basement is finished it will add significant living space for us. I want another bathroom & a family / playroom downstairs so the big ones have somewhere to watch movies / hang with friends & the little ones have a play area.
Still no word that the kids medicals have returned from Trinidad so no update on their visas. Once we have the visas we will be able to travel. I checked flights this evening & many are sold out already on the small planes from Florida to CAP. I am tempted to book flights now but if the visas are not ready then I would be charged the change fee. I really don't want to waste money on change fees when I am taking a few months off of work. I am still hoping we will be able to pick up the kids at the end of the month or shortly there after. It is getting so close........
The next two weeks I will be busy finishing projects upstairs & emptying & moving the basement contents. We may end up having our little ones home about the same time the basement renos start. Hmmmm..... bad timing but that is the way it goes. We need the extra living space so it will be great when it is completed. Over Christmas I put in closet organizers in all the closets in the house so we are trying to maximize our storage space to make room for an additional two people & all their stuff.
My oldest daughter will be traveling with me to pick up the littles & we have to work around her school schedule as well & her rock climbing trip to the US leaving this weekend for one week. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate that my daughter has become passionate about rock climbing? I don't know why anyone would like to cling to the face of a rocky cliff by your finger tips & try to scramble up the face. I worry for her safety & just pray she doesn't get hurt. I told her if she got hurt right before we are to leave to get the littles I would kill her. hahahaha
Wow - way past my bedtime - five hours until the alarm goes off. Only one more day to work this week & then I have a four day weekend. That should help put a dent in some of my chores. Having my hair cut & colored on Saturday to hide the gray. I don't anyone to think I am in Haiti with my daugher picking up my grandchildren. I may be old but I don't have to be gray. ;)
Night
Now I am cleaning out the basement to prepare for a basement renovation. Been hauling the stuff I want to keep to a storage unit & just this evening filled my living room with all the stuff I am going to donate to Women in Need. It was either renovate this place or move. I thought I would move & did make three offers & always ended up in competing offers. My offers were always conditional on the sale of my current house hence I ended up not getting any of them. I wasn't willing to sell my place first & be forced to move as there wasn't always houses I liked in my price range. The thought of moving & starting renos all over again didn't overly excite me either since most needed work. I like where I am & have done many renos over the last few years so if the 4th level / basement is finished it will add significant living space for us. I want another bathroom & a family / playroom downstairs so the big ones have somewhere to watch movies / hang with friends & the little ones have a play area.
Still no word that the kids medicals have returned from Trinidad so no update on their visas. Once we have the visas we will be able to travel. I checked flights this evening & many are sold out already on the small planes from Florida to CAP. I am tempted to book flights now but if the visas are not ready then I would be charged the change fee. I really don't want to waste money on change fees when I am taking a few months off of work. I am still hoping we will be able to pick up the kids at the end of the month or shortly there after. It is getting so close........
The next two weeks I will be busy finishing projects upstairs & emptying & moving the basement contents. We may end up having our little ones home about the same time the basement renos start. Hmmmm..... bad timing but that is the way it goes. We need the extra living space so it will be great when it is completed. Over Christmas I put in closet organizers in all the closets in the house so we are trying to maximize our storage space to make room for an additional two people & all their stuff.
My oldest daughter will be traveling with me to pick up the littles & we have to work around her school schedule as well & her rock climbing trip to the US leaving this weekend for one week. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate that my daughter has become passionate about rock climbing? I don't know why anyone would like to cling to the face of a rocky cliff by your finger tips & try to scramble up the face. I worry for her safety & just pray she doesn't get hurt. I told her if she got hurt right before we are to leave to get the littles I would kill her. hahahaha
Wow - way past my bedtime - five hours until the alarm goes off. Only one more day to work this week & then I have a four day weekend. That should help put a dent in some of my chores. Having my hair cut & colored on Saturday to hide the gray. I don't anyone to think I am in Haiti with my daugher picking up my grandchildren. I may be old but I don't have to be gray. ;)
Night
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Water Safety for Little Ones
As a former swim instructor & life guard for many years this is a necessary life skill to teach your children. Here in Canada outdoor pools are not common but for folks that do have them this is critical.
This is fantastic for parents to teach to their children - it could save their lives.
http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html
This is fantastic for parents to teach to their children - it could save their lives.
http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html
Friday, February 1, 2008
Medicals Completed!
Yahoo - another BIG step completed! The kids were taken in for their immigration medicals today. The results are sent to Trinidad (not positive what is done there) then it will be sent back to Haiti & then we should be able to travel to pick up the kiddo's. It is looking like a end of February homecoming! (disclaimer - this is Haiti, so timelines can change without notice) :)
I can't believe it. There were times during this adoption that it felt like it was never going to happen. In fact just to preserve my sanity I tried not to even imagine being at this stage or having the kids home.
The problem I have now is that I fall asleep fine but wake at 4am thinking of all that I need to do & can't seem to fall back asleep until my alarm rings at 6am & then suddenly I am very tired & just need a few more minutes of sleep. UGG
This weekend I need to paint the casings, bedroom & closet doors in the little kids room & my room. Then I need to get all my stuff out of the little kids room & quit using it as a junk room. Now where is all my stuff going to go? Obviously I don't need this stuff because it has been in there forever & I haven't had to use it, but I hate to part with it as well. Oh no - I am a hoarder. Wish me luck on parting with my junk & preparing the little kids room for our babies.
Now I need to start gathering stuff for donations for the orphanage. Not sure what I will take yet. I guess I better start practicing some Kreyol as well so at least I can get a couple of phrases out & be understood.
Hugs, Laur
I can't believe it. There were times during this adoption that it felt like it was never going to happen. In fact just to preserve my sanity I tried not to even imagine being at this stage or having the kids home.
The problem I have now is that I fall asleep fine but wake at 4am thinking of all that I need to do & can't seem to fall back asleep until my alarm rings at 6am & then suddenly I am very tired & just need a few more minutes of sleep. UGG
This weekend I need to paint the casings, bedroom & closet doors in the little kids room & my room. Then I need to get all my stuff out of the little kids room & quit using it as a junk room. Now where is all my stuff going to go? Obviously I don't need this stuff because it has been in there forever & I haven't had to use it, but I hate to part with it as well. Oh no - I am a hoarder. Wish me luck on parting with my junk & preparing the little kids room for our babies.
Now I need to start gathering stuff for donations for the orphanage. Not sure what I will take yet. I guess I better start practicing some Kreyol as well so at least I can get a couple of phrases out & be understood.
Hugs, Laur
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