Talentedhands

Aug. 25th, 2006

12:15 pm - Baby update

In November of 2005, Dan and I decided we wanted to adopt a baby. For a variety of reasons, we chose Russia, and from January-May of this year, I whined as I pulled together the vast paperwork to apply for adoption. By mid-May, we were finally on the Russian adoption waiting list.

While waiting patiently, we received a phone call from a local (DC area) friend of ours who knew we were planning to adopt. Our friend's niece was pregnant and considering placing her child for adoption -- would we like to talk to her?? Would we ever!

I don't have time to lay out all the details, but obviously, everything went beautifully. I was in the delivery room to see baby Roxanne enter the world, and Dan and I have been with her almost constantly since. She was born on August 4th, we went to court to adopt her on August 7th, and the adoption became irrevocable on August 14th.

That's all I have time for now, so I leave you with these sleep-deprived observations.

Just about anything can be done with one hand, including writing this journal and eating a burrito supreme (with a fork).

Summertime is a great season to have a newborn because I can go barefoot and use my toes to pick up stuff. Yeah? It beats bending at the waist with a 10 lb baby in my arms!

Both dan and I have dripped chocolate on Roxanne. The stains will so bust us.

Sometimes Roxy's crying is just crying. it doesn't always mean "help! i'm hurt/scared/ hungry/aaack". It might just mean "pick me up/put me down/i'm a tad warm/cold" or nothing at all!

Aug. 17th, 2006

07:14 am - Yeah, Baby!

So, remember those vague good vibes I wrote about on July 20? Well, they resulted in Dan and I adopting a beautiful, healthy, newborn girl: Roxanne Marie. She was born August 4, adopted August 7. She was born right here in Virginia, so all the complications of an international adoption are no more. Hurrah!!!

We are delighted, exhausted and thrilled. To sum up, I forward an email from an interpreting friend that was sent to other interpreters to announce the birth. It captures everything better than I could write after 3 hours sleep.

"Congratulations go out to Jennifer and her husband Dan, plus their two, now THREE kids [Dan has two teenagers from his previous marriage] for the newest addition: baby Roxanne Marie.

Jennifer is doing fine, and baby is fine, however sleep is lacking and you won't see Jennifer for awhile due to maternal responsibilities. Please feel free to coo at her baby from afar, via this link: [note to LJers: send me an email, and I'll send you a Flickr link to a zillion photos]

Received by immaculate reception, you may be wondering why she didn't look pregnant the last time you saw her. Well, they have adopted a beautiful little angel serendipitously from a local couple who are cool with the whole deal, and involved on a healthy level. Everything is going great for her, so wish her well at your convenience."

Current Mood:

ecstatic

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Jul. 24th, 2006

08:52 pm - Happy birthday

Today is my husband Dan's birthday. Happy birthday, honey! I'm so glad you are part of my life.

The kids came over for cake tonight and gave Dan a mini-scrapbook of highlights from the last year. It was very touching. Later, we went for a wonderful walk around our neighborhood and watched the bunnies and fireflies.

01:33 pm - Weekend update

This weekend I interpreted at the Capitol Fringe Festival, for two performances of Prufbox (http://www.happenstancetheater.com/). I didn't even know the DC area had a Fringe Festival, like the ones in New York and Edinburgh, Scotland, but hey, we do now! The concept is this theater festival features "alternative voices, new works, and intimate shows" performing in over 28 venues over 11 days. Very edgy and cool. I wore black and fit right in.

Actually, I sort of shimmied my way in through my association with Revels. When I went to the May Revels show, I chatted with Mark Jaster, a remarkable professional actor and mime with whom I had performed in a previous Christmas Revels show. (In fact, he played my husband, and we danced several Ragtime dances together. But I digress.) Mark and his new wife, Sabrina, wrote and brought to life a new show, Prufbox, and they needed an interpreter for at least a couple performances at the Fringe Festival.

Prufbox is based on The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Elliot. It's "two characters in animated collage. A woman rides a cycle of existence and a man hesitates. Whimsy and angst balance in a box where their shadows meet for tea. Do you dare to eat a peach? Have you heard the mermaids singing, each to each?" Much of the performance was without spoken word, so although I didn't have much to interpret, the material that I had was meaty. I studied the poem and the show. I rehearsed at home and discussed with the actors. It was very satisfying.

Jul. 20th, 2006

11:57 am - Vague entry

Things are percolating in my life. Good things. But the outcome is terribly uncertain at this point, so I've just gotta say that things are going well for the moment. How's that for vague? Please send good thoughts for my vague ambitions. Thanks.

In other news, Dan and I recently visited my Dad and his wife in their newly-rebuilt abode in Pensacola Beach. The house was stunning, and I enjoyed reconnecting with my Dad. There's nothing like face to face conversations to get you back where you want to be.

...

I usually don't interpret for shows or concerts, because as a performer myself, I know I'm unable to capture the essence of the artist in my interpretation. That said, I'm interpreting a show and a concert this month. What am I, nuts?

Jun. 28th, 2006

02:41 pm - Spamalot

Last night I had a lovely evening with flirtaciousj. We went to the Red Sage for dinner, which was a first for me. Somehow, I missed the fact that it was Mexican food until I sat down and read the menu. You'd think that with the theme decorations, I would have figured it out. Anyway, the food was delicious.

Then we went to see Spamalot at the National Theater. It was the funniest musical I think I've ever seen, and I left with a smile. Go here for flirtaciousj's review.

Jun. 22nd, 2006

01:47 pm - Vacation

First of all, happy summer solstice a day late. I love the summer. I love the long days! All hail the sun!

For the last 6 days, I've been vacationing in a small town in Illinois, about an hour west of Chicago. Dan's family lives there, so we've made an annual trip for the last 4 years or so. Amazingly enough, Dan's kids were still willing to go, despite their teenager-ness.

It wasn't an exciting vacation, and it was great. Here's what we did, in no particular order:
Hang out
Walk the dogs (two black labs)
Chat and catch up with parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings
Take the annual family photo
Play cards and other games
Nap
Take walks
Eat, eat, eat! (We have so many food traditions that we have to plan carefully so that we fit them all in)

I think my favorite night was on the solstice, when Dan, the kids and I walked the dogs at twilight. It was a lovely, cool, night, and the sky was that liquid-y bright blue color as the sun went down, accented by the yellow lights from the windows of neighborhood houses. As we walked past a cornfield, I saw scores of fireflies dancing among the stalks. And as we headed home, the stars came out, much brighter than I see them here in the city. It was good.

Jun. 9th, 2006

01:49 pm - Adoption Update

On May 15th, I finally shipped off all my adoption paperwork (AKA my dossier) to Kids First Adoption agency. Cosidering I started the process of gathering all the paperwork at the beginning of January, I was more than ready to be DONE.

Now we wait for a referral from Russia. I've heard that the average wait for a boy is anywhere between 3-6 months, but it could be longer. If the regulations for adoption in Russia change, the wait could be MUCH longer. And if Russia closes its adoption program? Well, then the wait is over and we have to look elsewhere.

While we wait, there's even more paperwork to do, but there's no way it can be as bad as the first wave (please?). Wish us luck.

Jun. 8th, 2006

11:55 am - Reveling

Last Friday I auditioned for the Christmas Revels. Yes, it's only June and the rehearsals don't begin until September for the December show. And yes, I don't have a clue what's going to happen about the adoption this fall. But I auditioned anyway. I love the show, I love the people, I love the vibe and the folkyness and the music. The Revels is the only group who is able to host fun auditions. All other auditions I've attended are stress-filled, competitive, "Oh yeah? Try and prove you're good enough for the show" kind of events. At the Revels audition, I chatted with friends, learned a cute folk dance, sang my goofy song, and was done.

To perpetuate the fun, after the audition I went out to dinner with several follow Revelers (including zombie_dog), then out contra dancing at Glen Echo park. (For the uninitiated, contra dancing is a lot like square dancing, and it's great fun.)

On Sunday, I found out that I wasn't officially cast in the Revels this year, but I'm not officially out either. I'm an alternate, which means if some some unfortunate soul (female) has to drop out, then I step in. At first, I was super-crabby about not getting cast. But I decided to remember that as fun as the auditions were, the Revels a theatrical production, and like all shows, they want a certain look, sound, etc. Plus, who knows? Perhaps the adoption process will heat up this fall, and I'll be in Russia in December.

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May. 30th, 2006

11:21 pm - Russian cuisine

I've heard that eating in Russia is an adventure. An adoptive parent pointed me to this restaurant, where she and her husband enjoyed a good meal: www.elki-palki.ru.

I put the page through Babel Fish, and the results of the awkward translation makes me laugh every time I read it:

You want to eat till full tastefully and inexpensively -- lettuce- bar to your services. Famous "cart" costs only 230 rubles with THE UNLIMITED quantity of approaches. Are here in the abundance the dishes of the traditional Russian kitchen, glorious their hospitality.

In some restaurants there is "hot cart". Here you can in abundance take pleasure by the meat goulash, podzharkoy from the pork, try sharp hen wings, pig ribs or hedgehogs in the basted sauce.

Yes, there's hedgehog on the menu! Tastes like chicken!

May. 15th, 2006

07:30 pm - I spoke too soon

Update to the update: When I got home tonight, there was a big ol' Fed Ex box waiting for me -- all my documents have returned, with fancy gold embossed seals from Virginia.

Holy cats, I think I'm finally ready to officially apply to adopt a child!!

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02:11 pm - Adoption Update

Evidently, May is the month of waiting. On May 1st, I Fed Exed a five pound box of over 100 documents to Richmond, Virginia for the state's final certification before I can send everything to my adoption agency. For this privilege, I must pay 10 dollars per document and wait several weeks. Good times.

I hear that all this document preparation is the easy part of the adoption process. After I submit the paperwork to the agency, assuming there aren't any significant delays, it should be about 6 months before they have a possible child for us to adopt, called a referral. But it's almost impossible to predict when things will happen, so I'm working on being cool with that.

May. 7th, 2006

06:35 pm - May Revels

Last December, I was a cast member in the Christmas Revels (otherwise known in my mind as the Winter Solstice Revels). Today I was in the audience for the May Revels festivities, and it was great! The show was outdoors, the weather was perfection, the setting at the Audubon Naturalist Society was lovely, and the singers sounded wonderful! Singing outside can be a real challenge if you don't have some gusto. Best of all, I was able to re-connect with all my Revels friends.

I have some great photos of the event, which I was planning to post here, but for the sake of privacy, I'll send 'em via email. If you didn't get the email, and you want to see them, let me know.

Apr. 14th, 2006

03:06 pm - Earthy

About this time last year, a wise friend of mine suggested I should plant flowers to help me get through some troubled times. Having grown up in the desert, my first response was, "what if they die?" She advised me on what flowers to buy, and assured me that they would grow. The flowers thrived, and did, indeed, bring me happiness.

Today I repeated the ritual, and planted even more flowers in the same bed. As I knelt on the ground, it felt sacred, and a continuation of the Winter Solstice celebration: we made it through another winter and spring is here. Hurrah!

09:55 am - Here we go again

I don't know if it's a myth or not, but I heard that when people paint the Golden Gate Bridge, by the time they get to the end, it's time to start back at the beginning again. I kind of know how they feel. I'm very close to having all my adoption documents finished, and while I've been waiting on the last few, my police background check expired (it's only good for 3 months). So once more with feeling, I requested and received that one again. Some documents expire in 3 months, some in 6 months, some in 1 year. I just want them all out the door!!

09:49 am - New readers

I just found out that my mother-in-law and sister-in-law have started reading my blog. Excellent, more readers! Welcome to the blogosphere.

Apr. 3rd, 2006

10:20 am - I couldn't have said it better myself

If you're been reading my measly adoption updates and wondering "How could this process possibly take SO LONG? Just fill out the forms and send them in, already! GAH!" then I have just the thing for you.

I'm on a listserv with my adoption agency, and I've exchanged emails with a DC-area dad who adopted his son from Russia. He had the stamina to write up the whole story of deciding to adopt, finding an agency, going through the homestudy, gathering all the paperwork, going to Russia, etc. Check it out here: Adoption Story.

Of course, every story is unique, but this gives you an idea of what I've been doing lately.

Mar. 28th, 2006

01:39 pm - Adoption update

I'm still in the "collecting all the paperwork" mode. GAHD, this is taking forever.

After being rejected by everybody I spoke to, I finally found a CPA willing to prepare the documents we need for the adoption. I found him through another adoptive mother -- I tell you, the adoption community rocks. He's starting the process now.

I found a notary willing to sign/stamp our 60 documents at a reasonable rate. Got that done.

We got the homestudy report finalized from the social worker who did our interviews, and sent it in to the USCIS (US Immigration) to get our approval to adopt internationally.

I have an appointment set up to have our doctor sign the multiple documents we need from her.

So... things are moving. Slowly. Very.