LEAVING ON A JET PLANE...

Only one more sleep until we leave to go pick up Asha. It seems strange to me that it is so close now. There are so many things that I am feeling; excitement, nervousness, worry. I have imagined what the "perfect" reunion will be like to meet Asha for the first time. I hope that she will just know from seeing us that I am her Mamma and Scott is her Dadda. They have been showing Asha a picture of us since we got the referral for her, so we are praying and hoping that it all makes sense to her. She is a genius though (have to say that cause I am her Mom), so I am sure she will put the pieces together!

To all of you who have followed our blog thus far, thank you. Scott will be updating the blog while we are gone. But, while we are away we need all of you. Even though Asha is already ours, we still need prayer that things get accomplished in SVG quickly, so that we only need to stay in the country for a month. Please pray for our travel there and our travel home. The trip there is going to be extremely long and tiring (for me especially); we leave at 9:10 pm to Calgary, have a two hour delay, then from Calgary to Toronto and have a three hour delay and then Toronto to Barbados and have a two hour delay in Barbados until we get on a plane for St. Vincent. Our journey ends at 6:10 pm when we arrive in beautiful Vincyland. Also pray for us in SVG as the country is not very wheelchair friendly - pray that we have a relatively easy time and can manage in the Ottley's home and sightseeing on the land. And remember, next time we see you, there will be three!

EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR ASHA...

WOW! There is no better word than "wow".

No words can express how generous everyone in our lives have been. Right from the beginning when we first struggled through four years of infertility and the ups and downs with that, to us making the decision to adopt, to waiting for a referral, to rejoicing when we got the news of a baby girl, to the day when it is time to go and pick up our daughter; there have been so many of you who have joined us in this journey and stood by us on the road to parenthood. There are so many who have asked about Asha, been excited with us about Asha and have prayed for us and Asha. Often people we don't even know will come up to us to say that they have seen our picture and have been praying for us and Asha. To everyone, we are truly grateful and feel so very blessed. So, thank you!

Lots has been happening this week whether it's packing and repacking, final running around, baby proofing and visiting of family and friends before we leave on Sunday. This past week, I had two work friends throw me a surprise baby shower during our monthly meeting. Everyone chipped in to buy Asha a toy; Noah's Ark with some animals of course, little tiny sandals and a rattle. They each signed the card and brought food to celebrate the coming of Asha.

We have some dear friends that we met through our small group that had the idea to bless the Ottley's by coming together as a group to make a donation to leave with the Ottley's for their son's post secondary education. A special friend of ours heard about what our small group was doing and decided to organize a small fundraising campaign with those who are close with us at work, to raise some money to contribute towards the Ottley's fund. We will be taking all of the money that was given to us and will be blessing the Ottley's. What a wonderful way to touch those outside of our country! All week we have also been getting random baby gifts from people at work. Asha is one spoiled and blessed little girl and we are so lucky to have you all in our lives.

I guess mainly, we want you to all know that one way or another you have each touched our lives and we are better people because of it. We can't wait for you to each meet our Caribbean Queen.

GRAMPS, NANA, UNCLE JOSH AND AUNTIE MEL THREW A PARTY...

On Sunday we went out to my parents place for a family dinner. We knew we wouldn't be having my Mom's type of home cooked meals for a long time being that we are leaving for St. Vincent in only three sleeps! I KNOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? ONLY THREE SLEEPS AWAY!!! Auntie Mel (our sister-in-law) ended up taking the picture.

After dinner, Mel went in the back to get out the dessert.

Even though we have gone out to my parent's home many times before - even lived their for a short time while saving for our house - this time it felt different. It was the last time we would be there as only a family of two; soon we would be a family of THREE and there would be one extra place setting.

MEDICAL...

The step that we've been told takes the longest to complete is to be able to take Asha in to see an Immigration Doctor. This is really the most important step because the doctor decides on whether or not Asha is healthy enough to leave SVG and to come to live in Canada. We are not worried in the least because she is such a healthy baby, but it is more of a safety precaution.

So, we ended up getting a call from Lynda (Asha's foster Mom) to tell us that she had some news, good news. She got a call from the St. Vincent adoption board and was told that everything is ready for the medical to be completed. Lynda called and made an appointment and Asha will see the Immigration Doctor tomorrow! This is a huge blessing to be at this place in the process already. Really after this part is finished, the rest should only take a month or so to finish. Lynda said that our lawyer and adoption board in SVG are trying to get everything pushed through as fast as they can because they know we are coming! What we thought would once be a two to three month stay in St. Vincent may only be a month long depending on how quickly her Visa and other documents get issued. PRAISE GOD!

Please pray that everything goes through smoothly tomorrow and that Asha Mikaela gets a clean bill of health!

CHANGE OF PLANS...

We decided we couldn't wait until May 1st to go pick up Asha, so we're leaving five days earlier and now are leaving on April 26th. She is just too darn cute and irresistible and we can't be away from her any longer.

Make sure to continue to check back here for updates!

ASHA'S ROOM IS DONE...

Scott is the creative one in the family. I knew how much it meant to him to be able to have a daughter and empty walls to paint a masterpiece on. So when it came time to make a decision on what we were going to do for Asha's room, I left that entirely up to Dadda! And he knew right away how to make her room special just for her.

Since we first began talking to her foster parents, they told us early on how much Asha loved being outdoors. If they were sitting out on the porch and had to come inside the house for some reason, Asha would get so upset at them and would cry until they brought her out again. She still loves the outdoors to this day and just loves being in sun - can't you tell by her tan? :)

Here is Asha's room, made special from her Dadda. Her crib is missing and is in Mamma and Dadda's room - we'll put it in the room when she is ready (okay, I know...when WE are ready). We can't wait for her to see her room and can almost picture her face with her big brown eyes when she first sees her very own butterfly garden.

ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING...

Well, we are now officially packed! Can you believe it? We leave in just over two and a half weeks and the days don't seem to be going by fast enough.

I am kinda feeling a little nervous believe it or not; nervous to meet my daughter for the first time (that sounds funny I know). I know I will cry when I see Asha for the first time but at the same time, I don't want to frighten her with my crying. Hopefully I don't get too excited and overwhelmed and start hyperventilating like I have been known to do in the past. Well...I don't think it will be that bad! But I can promise you that I will cry.

I just can't wait to hold her and touch her hair and skin and feed her and cuddle her and make her laugh and hold her in my arms. I have been dreaming of that day for so long and to think it is so close is strange to me. But at least we have been keeping busy, and packing has been one of those preoccupations.

A friend that I know who is actually picking up her daughter from Ethiopia right now (HOORAY), helped me so much by posting a list on her blog of what she needed before travelling. We worked off of her list to make our own. At first we felt a little overwhelmed, but now we feel confident that we haven't really missed anything major.

So what did we pack?

For Asha:
T-Shirts
Zip Up Hoody
Comfy Shorts
Dresses
Hats
Shoes
The outfit to bring her home in
Bathing Suit
Diapers - size 3 (Sesame Street)
Diaper Wipes
Diaper Cream
Swim Diapers
Changing Pad
Vaseline
Aveeno Baby Lotion
Aveeno Body Wash
Baby Sunblock SPF 50
Hair pick
Headbands, Barrettes, Elastics
Bottles
Sippy Cup
Bowl with lid and spoon
Wipe-able Bib
Formula Holder
Bottle Brush
Jars Baby Food
Snacks (cheerios, Gerber Puffs)
Baby Tylenol
Baby Decongestant
Baby Orajel
Ovol Drops (Gripe)
Baby Nail Clipper
Thermometer
Medicine Dropper
Diaper Bag
Receiving Blankets
Blanket - thick and warm
Baby Carrier
Baby Washcloths
Baby Toys and Books

Important Stuff:
Important Documents etc.
Passport
List of Vaccinations
Some Eastern Caribbean (EC) cash
Credit Cards
Airline Tickets and Itinerary
Travel package from agency
Travel Wallet for Docs/Passport
Health Cards
Travel Insurance Papers

Stuff for Mommy and Daddy:
Tylenol Prescription
Ibuprofen
Heart Burn Medication
Pepto Bismol Pills
Cipro Prescription
Cold Pills
Band-Aids
Polysporin
Halls
Hand Sanitizer
Nail Clippers
Mini Kleenex Packs
Razors, Shaving Cream
Make-up Kit
Face Stuff
Shampoo & Conditioner
Deodorant
Toothpaste, Toothbrush and Floss
Brush
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Feminine Products
Blow dryer
Hairspray & molding mud
Head Bands
Q Tips
Perfume/Cologne
Clothing

Hats

Running Shoes & sandals

Electronic Stuff:
Digital Camera, Memory Cards, Battery Charger, Case
Video Camera, Charger, Case
Power Adaptor for SVG
Laptop Computer
Portable Battery Powered Alarm Clock

Gifts:
Saskatoon Berry Gift Set
Souvenirs from Saskatoon
Blank Thank You Cards with Picture of Asha

Many gifts for Lynda & Godrick

Does anyone think we are missing something? If there is something you think of that we've missed, let us know...preferably before we leave in 18 days!!! YES, only 18 days and counting!

WE JUST GOT NEW WHEELS...

Everyone is always telling us that our vehicle isn't going to last forever. So...we thought it was about time to get something newer. Check it out:







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ANY NEWS IS BETTER THAN NO NEWS...

We have some great news to share! Many people in the Caribbean probably think that we have been stalking the immigration department in Trinidad. We have been faxing them for weeks now, almost every day, asking for updates and any information about our adoption. They must have gotten tired of getting our faxes so frequently because we finally got a response back! It said:

Good Afternoon:

This refers to your request for an update on the application for permanent residence in Canada of Asha Mikaela Parisien.

Please be advised that medical instructions and a request for the Adoption Order for Asha was sent to the applicant in care of Ms. Agnes Cato on 18 March 2009.

Regards,

VISA Section
Canadian High Commission
Port of Spain
Trinidad and Tobago

What does this mean? It means we are that much closer to bringing Asha home. This is the step that takes the longest time and that we have been waiting for since December. Now all our lawyer Ms. Cato needs to do is have an immigration Doctor go over the medical forms, then we wait to have Asha's visa issued. It should hopefully only be two more months until everything is done, and with us arriving in the Caribbean May 2nd, we may be able to actually bring Asha home by the beginning of June! Wouldn't that be amazing!

HAPPY 8 MONTH BIRTHDAY BUMBLE...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ASHA, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Today you are 8 months old sweetie and boy are we ever missing you. But even though Daddy and Mommy aren't with you today, we will be with you in exactly one month from today which will be your 9 month birthday. You will be in our arms in only 31 days and will stay in our arms forever. Can't wait to finally meet you, hold you, snuggle you, kiss you and play with you.