The Name Game

No, I'm not referring to the silly rhyming game adults make kids play until some older-than-his-years child wants to rhyme with the name "Chuck". Our name game is trying to keep the name we have selected for our baby a secret. There are only a few family member who know and we've worked hard to not let the name slip out too often. While we've been very upfront with people about the adoption process, the name is one secret we like to keep to ourselves.

Of course, friends and co-workers like to have a name to refer to our baby. So, independent of each other, both of our sets of co-workers have created names for our baby that are based upon our first names. Where I work, the baby is referred to as Michaelena, while Janie's co-workers talk about baby Janette. Too funny!

Missing Picture

If you read yesterday's post, you may have noticed there's a picture referred to that is there - thank Blogger for that little glitch - I have tried uploading a photo to my last post several times now with no luck.

So, here is a picture of our cinnamon roll bat dessert.

Its Monday Already!?!

Wow - can't believe another weekend has come and gone by so quickly. You know what they say - time flies when you're having fun! We had a great time catching up with good friends (Friday and Saturday) and family (Sunday). The only negative was the Bengals' disappointing effort against Tampa Bay.


Friday night we went to a Miami U hockey game with our friends Curt and Shannon, their 14-month old Madison, Curt's dad Craig, and his girlfriend Jenny. Being Alumni, its always neat to see what's new around campus. The new arena is incredible - and a parking garage. For anybody who's ever had to park in Oxford, you'll understand my surprise. Madison, as usual, was the star of the show, sharing her popcorn with Janie (even the pieces she found on the floor) and almost dropping her toys onto the fans in the seats below us. Good reflexes, mom and dad!

Saturday, Curt, Shannon, and Madison came to our house for lunch. Janie found some neat Halloween recipes to make (see pictures). The top one is a skeleton vegetable platter and the bottom is a plate of bats made from cinnamon rolls and other candies. This was the first time Madison had seen our cats and dog, which made for a good deal of entertainment for everybody. Madison also "tested" the toys we have purchased so far - I'd say we've hit the mark!

Future Parent Tip: Bob Evans is a great place to eat because:
a) the usual crowd clears out around 6:30 to get home to watch Wheel of Fortune
b) they have a big kids menu
c) they bring your food quickly enough so the little one doesn't get too bored
d) oven fresh rolls - ok, that's for me!

Sunday, we did our normal chores, made an unscheduled trip to Home Depot, and had dinner with my mom and stepdad. I also finally got to catch up on my new favorite show, Jericho.

Tip: For old-fashioned folks like us without TiVo, many networks allow you to watch their shows online for free. CBS has all of its dramas available, and I believe ABC does the same.

We are in for another busy week, as Wednesday is our three year anniversary (like I said in the first paragraph - "time flies when you are having fun") and Thursday we have our fourth class at Children's Hospital.

Another Milestone

Just learned from our coordinator that our documents have been translated and are now off to the IAD (International Adoption Department). Next, they will review our dossier and start the process of matching us with a child. Very Exciting!!

I also wanted to give everybody an update on recent adoption events. On Thursday, we had our second class at Children's Hospital, covering child development, speech therapy, and physical therapy. Again, we were impressed by the talent at the Center. On Friday, we had dinner with our informal local Vietnamese adoption group. We had a great time with everybody. Its so nice to have local people who are going through the same things you are at the same time. I can see all of us staying friends for a long time. If we ever create a formal group, our social worker is willing to give us a booth at their adoption fair - don't know if any of us is ready for that - yet!

Saturday, we attended an FTIA Waiting Families seminar in Loveland. There were a few couples who are in the same place we are, whether they are adopting from China, Guatemala, or Vietnam. We met our coordinator, Rachel, who was in town for the seminar. After months of emails and calls, it was awesome to meet her in person. We also talked to Candy, the Ohio FTIA Ohio coordinator, and our friend Perry and her adorable daughter Kiki.

To finish off the weekend, we volunteered at the Butler County Care Facility Octoberfest, which looked NOTHING like the picture below - though we had a good time.

Back to School...

Just wanted everybody to know we are taking a lecture series on International Adoption offered through Cincinnati Children's Hospital. If you're in the Cincinnati area, you should check out their International Adoption Center. Its one of a few in the nation and has some really awesome staff. The head of the clinic, Dr Mary Staat, taught the first class last Thursday. She is great! From her opening statement "I'm an infectious disease pediatrician - that means I study diaherra" she had the class hooked. Its rare to find somebody so knowledgable about her field and with a friendly, open personality. We look forward to having her review our referral information when that day comes. Our future lectures include Sensory Integration Disorder, medical concerns after adoption, and attachment and bonding issues.

In other news, Kohl's has its new series of books/stuffed animals out for the winter. We have already picked up Dr Seuss's Sneeches and we'll probably go back for Green Eggs and Ham and the Grinch. The cool thing about this promotion is that you can get either a hard cover children's book or stuffed animal for $5. All of the proceeds go to a children's charity. They make great gifts, so buy a couple.