Still just doing what Lori tells me...

I'm "IT"...

Job's I've had:
1. Substitute Teacher
2. Behaviorist
3. Dog Trainer
4. Server (this list really could go on forever...)

Places I've lived (some):
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Nagano, Japan
3. Balboa Island, CA
4. Flagstaff, Arizona

Food I love (I have to list types, because the list of specific dishes would be too extensive, LOVE FOOD):
1. Mexican
2. Japanese
3. Thai
4. Italian

Places I'd rather be:
1. With Judah and Tommy in Ethiopia
2. With Judah and Tommy in Europe
3. With Judah and Tommy in Nagano
4. With Judah, Tommy and Nicole in Thailand

Movies I love (I am not critical of movies. Unless it's an epic, I usually like it):
1. Grease 2 (the standard by which all other movies should to be compared to...I want a C-O-O-L, R-I-D-E-R)
2. The Notebook
3. The Sound of Music
4. Notting Hill

T.V. show I love:
1. The Office
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Gilmore Girls
4. Newport Harbor (I defend this choice to Tommy by saying I watch it because lots of filming was done where I used to live, on Balboa Island, and because I need to be in the know for Bunco, but Christa knows the truth)

Books I love:
1. Anything by Lonely Planet
2. Mists of Avalon
3. There Is No Me Without You
4. Memoirs of a Geisha

All the Ethiopian adoption blogs I read have already posted this list...who to tag?...who to tag? Nicole, you're it! Finally, I'm telling you what to do! Please do it so I have a momentary false sense of power. Thanks!

Hey Jude!

Why Judah?
Here's why!
It means "the praised one"
On the ancient Ethiopian flag, is the Lion of Judah...

Judah (in Hebrew: Yehuda) is the original name of the Tribe of Judah - traditionally symbolized by a lion. The Lion of Judah is important in Judaism, Christianity, and Rastafari religions.

Besides, who doesn't LOVE the song Hey Jude by the Beatles (and I LOVE the Beatles)...most of all we just like the name...it seems strong to us, and that is the one thing we know for sure- our little one is definitely a strong one!

How it happened...

I was at school with children. My cell phone was in my pocket and went off. I reached in and turned it off instantly. Less than a minute later it rang again. Convinced it was important, I looked to see it was CHI! Well, since our dossier arrived just a few hours earlier THAT SAME DAY, I was convinced she had a paperwork question. So, I quickly told someone to take the children for a moment. I answered the phone to "I have a boy for you! He is just three weeks old. And he's cute as a button." I instantly started crying, so the rest is quite blurry. I then started calling Tommy. He wasn't answering. I even texted 911 (I was desperate people)! I obviously left school instantly. I needed to see my little one immediately! On the way home I was able to get a hold of Tommy and he said he would try to get home as soon as he could, but it would probably be around 4...Well, it was only 1:30 ish. I asked him the obvious question "When did you change jobs from a graphic designer to a heart surgeon?" Unless it was life and death?
When I got home I ran upstairs, opened my email account, and stared at the new message, from our agency, titled REFERRAL. I couldn't open it up and see our baby for the first time without Tommy. I called our agency to see if she had ANY bit of additional information. She said that he was actually 10 weeks old. At this point I didn't really see a difference between 3 weeks and 10 weeks. I HAD A BABY BOY! (see how breezy I've become in Fall). So I stared for a good hour or two. When I couldn't take it anymore, I decided to pretend to do errands. Finally I went to the craft store. I made my mom meet me and bought the letters for his name, JUDAH. When Tommy and I finally met at home, we opened the pictures...Seeing my baby for the first time was the most amazing feeling of my life...such intense love instantly. During the past week I have been busy staring at him- and when I am not, I've registered, decorated the letters of his name for his room, read books on how to take care of him, and shopped for him. I am completely obsessed. Oh, and if you stare at him, he gets cuter and cuter and cuter, until you just have to take a break from all of his cuteness, because it drives you insane (this is not just my experience, but scientific data collected from Tommy, my mom, dad and me). Not an exact quote from them, but still the gist. I will post pictures of his letters (which turned out mostly ok, considering it was a 2 a.m. project after having a couple of glasses of wine), his bedding, and of us seeing our baby Jude for the first time!
By the way, this post was inspired by Lori. My sister moved to Thailand, I need someone to tell me what to do before Jude gets here and takes over...thanks! :)

Our love...

His birthday is July 21st, so he is 10 weeks and 2 days...but the pictures, we think, are of him at about 3 weeks. I can't wait to get more pics (and we will post them immediately)! I can't believe how in love we are already. He is our little precious man.
Truth be told, the picture you are looking at is altered. All of the referral pictures were of him wearing bright pink. Tommy love, is a graphic designer, and quickly changed him into a more boyish blue outfit. Although, it takes no more than a glance to see that our little man is ALL boy. We love him and think he is perfect. Share a comment about how perfect you think he is. We would like that.

Introducing Judah

WHOOOO! HOOOO!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

We got our referral! It's a boy!!! We are so happy! I am so teary I can't type right now. I am waiting for Tommy to get home to look at the pictures. These are the longest minutes of my life. I have never been happier. This is definitely the greatest moment of my life thus far.

YES!

I apparently think the answer is YES! I bought baby bedding today (appropriate for either a boy or a girl). FUN! FUN! FUN!

Authentication...complete!

Our dossier went through authentication (where they added some pretty yellow ribbons- yes, now we have star stickers and ribbons on our paperwork- both of which make me feel unreasonably happy, official, and fufilled. I love paper decor. I had no idea)! We notarized some copies, and shipped it off to our placement agency (go UPS! more tracking fun!) and then from there it will move on to Ethiopia. I am so so happy (I even cried a little- but if you have spent more than 13 minutes with me, you know this is not the biggest feat). We are official! This means, in just a matter of weeks, we could have our adoption referral. Sometimes, I close my eyes and I can so clearly see my baby (sorry, the picture is still too fuzzy to tell if baby is a he or a she). The plan tonight is to have a glass of wine (or two) and just feel really really happy! Can I start buying baby stuff yet?

Tracking...WAY more gratifying than stalking!

I love tracking. You just click a few times and there you have it...the exact location of our dossier in transit to D.C. We shipped it last night and presto- it arrived this morning! Our dossier had a very busy night, not stopping for more than an hour. I've never been more fond of UPS. Magnificent work if you ask me. A company made of pure magic. This is way more instantly gratifying than stalking our spicy mail carrier.
So, we first decided on adopting a girl, then a boy, then a girl again, then perhaps two, then one, then two, then boy only. I don't post with each change, because I realize that the confusion and exhaustion is just too much to handle... But, I am thinking that all of the changes are for good reason. We are SO completely open. We just want to be parents already. I'm just saying, when we get our referral, don't expect a certain age/gender...because decision making is not a strength of the Tommy and Danielle team (or remember, it could be because of my previous, more whimsical and positive claim of just being so "open").
I think that our package is going to hang out in DC for a week or two. Then, it will be shipped back to us and we will send it to our agency. At that time we should be officially waiting. I think. With me being so breezy, it's hard to know (you know me, just going with the flow...I believe summer is officially over tomorrow).
Is obsessively tracking breezy?

WHOOOO! HOOOO!!!

We received our immigration approval form today in the mail! I am very happy...VERY VERY happy!