Shot-Mania

Last Friday Rob and I visited the International Travel Clinic to get prepared for our trip to Ethiopia. Not having planned the clinic visit, I was totally oblivious to as to what was in store for me, but somehow, Rob knew. Per usual, Rob showed up at the visit with his shot history back to 1988 (WHAT?), whereas, I showed up with just myself. Apparently that wasn't enough. Rob had four shots, I had seven--vacinations for Hep A, Hep B, meningitis, polio (wasn't that eradicated last century?), tetanus, yellow fever, and typhoid. No malaria pills---apparently we're staying out of the high malaria areas. We also got a prescription for the good "stuff" should we come down with the runs. I know I will, so I was willing to put up with the shots to get the goods.

How did we fare? It's Sunday and we're doing fine, but Friday and Saturday were pretty rough--nauseau and general malaise. Lucky me, I'll be going back for booster shots on Hep A and B next week, a month after we return, and at the end of the year. Hopefully I'll remember to do it!

Travel Date!

Big news! Rob and I just bought our airline tickets for travel to Ethiopia---we will be picking up Meretech! The trip is scheduled for Aug 6-15. We're excited....stressed out...nervous...and almost finally there! More to come...so check back soon.

Mother's Out Playing

While we wait for Meretech, Rob is studying for the Bar exam (scheduled at the end of July). I'm getting "stuff" ready for her arrival. Never fear---some fun is taking place. Last weekend my sister-in-law Renee, best friend from 4th grade Amy, and work colleague Adrienne attended the Sex in the City premier. Check out the shoes!

Birth Certificate and Measurements

Hi!
Just a quick note to let you know that Meretech's birthcertificate now bears the "Schryver" last name. We received that at the end of May and it was pretty exciting.

We also got an update on her height and weight. Right now she is 24 pounds and about 31" tall. Her head circumference is also normal. Overall, she's in the 50th percentile for height, weight, head circumference and considered healthy!

Rights of an Adopted Child

My previous post sparked an idea. Perhaps it would be good to share the "Rights of an Adopted Child." These are the tenets that have guided our adoption process, and are worthwhile to keep in mind for all adopted children:

1. Children have the right to know who they are and how they joined their families.
2. Children have the right to freely ask questions.
3. Children have the right to positive attitudes about their birthparents.
4. Children have the right to be accepted as individuals with a unique genetic heritage.
5. Children have a right to be recognized by society as full and equal members of their adoptive families.
6. Information about our children's origins is private information that belongs to them.
7. Transracially adopted children have a right to a positive sense of racial or ethnic-identity.

Officially Parents!

As of May 13th, Rob and I are officially parents! Our daughter's paperwork made it through the Ethiopian court system and we are now the proud parents of a 16-month old Ethiopian girl. Her name will be Gianna (Gia) Meretech Schryver.

Our next step is waiting for a travel date, which we expect sometime in July-ish. (Keep in mind "expect" can be very fluid in meaning.)

I know you would love to see a picture.......but.......we're not quite comfortable with sharing it yet. If you are desperate, give us a call or e-mail, and we can discuss "options".

Also, word to the wise, don't ask us how she or her biological mother found themselves in a situation where they had to consider adoption. In the adoption world, that's considered personal information and it belongs to the child. When Gianna is older, she can decide if she would like to share that info. In the meantime, we'll be treating it as confidential. Asking someone why they were placed in adoption or what happened to the "real mom" is akin to asking a couple the intimate details of how they conceived their child. In short, it's tacky.

Finally! A Court Date

Today we were assigned a court date for Meretech---May 13th. Basically what that means is on May 13 the Ethiopian courts review whether or not Rob and I would make good parents for her. We do not need to be at the hearing---that's what the paperwork is for. While we expect that the court will rule in our favor, other roadblocks exist--missing paperwork, judge decides not to review the file, court gets delayed, etc. If this happens, then we have to wait for another court date. So while we are really excited to get a court date--we're crossing our fingers that the stars will align in our favor that day.

The next obvious question...how long do we wait until after the court date to pick her up? We've heard 5-8 weeks, but since this process has gone slow in general, we wouldn't be surprised if it's longer.

In any case, we're one step closer!