Catch-Up!

Wow, life has been a bit crazy lately and I have had no time to blog! So much has been going on.. I guess it's time for an update!
First and foremost - our NOC (No Objection Certificate) was issued by CARA (India's governmental department that oversees adoptions) last Friday! We received word on Wednesday that it was received by the orphanage and being immediately forwarded to the Kolkata courts. Now as exciting as that sounds, it is this next step which is the source of most stress and frustration. Or shall I say.. it can be. The current judge is not big on pushing adoption cases through quickly. On occasion I have heard of him hearing the case and approving it in a timely manner (which I would say is within 2-3 months).. but he has been known to delay hearing the cases for 6+ months. I guess at this point we can just pray that he somehow finds it in himself to hear our case immediately!! This step is to issue guardianship. After this 'legals' step, we only need to wait for Devika's passport to be issued (3-4 wks normally). Please - pray, cross your fingers, send us positive thoughts, whatever you can do to help us through this phase!!
In other news.. Devika's nursery has now turned into Maya's new room. :) That might sound odd, but it really made sense once I began thinking it through - esp. economically. So the room is going to be Maya's, and it has changed from under-the-sea them to rainforest/jungle theme. Penny Erlich (www.pfheaven.com) has been here and has performed her magic once more for us! The mural is complete and it is AMAZING! Photos coming soon.
I purchased a cherry-wood sleigh-type toddler bed for Maya.. it is so small and cute! And.. a 56" stuffed giraffe (her fav animal of the moment!) arrived today and is hiding in the closet - an early delivery from the Easter Bunny. :)) Anyhow.. I'm looking for a fun indoor swing to hang in the room also. I found one at IKEA, but we don't have one anywhere near me.. and it really isn't the right color (I've seen that they have bright blue and white.. and her room is in more muted colors). So if anyone has a recommendation, let me know. I know this might sound wierd, but Maya loves, loves, loves swings.. and I need a little 'push' to get her to be agreeable to this room change. She isn't quite sold yet, even though she loves the animals in the mural.
In more Maya news.. she met the Easter Bunny today. Frankly the thing creeped me out, but she loved him/her! She went running at break-neck speed over to give it a huge hug! She sat on it's lap and smiled for a photo! ??? This is the girl that won't smile when her professional photographer mother tries to photograph her.. sigh.
Anyhow, I was appalled by how tacky the rabbit was, so I didn't purchase the photo. We are going to a egg-hunt type of festivity tomorrow, which will have another photo opportunity with a different bunny. I hope this one isn't quite so creepy. I am also taking my camera, so watch for photos soon!
Maya's daddy has started traveling for work again, so her behavior has taken a down turn. She's very into hitting people.. and I haven't found a good way to work with this. I tried a 'go to the zoo' chart, but it only worked for about 3 days. Time outs simply don't work.. she enjoys them and actually hits in order to go to them. {eye roll} Hopefully she will get used to his schedule again and will settle down. Meanwhile, I hope we don't get kicked out of gymnastics class for beating up the other little girls and boys. ;) She might be small, but she packs a fierce smack!
In other news, I have received a request to donate one of my custom DVD Adoption Journey slideshow movies to an upcoming silent auction fundraiser in Denver, CO. It is sponsored by Journey To Me and Adoption Today magazine. If anyone is local to Denver and interested.. check it out! Journey To Me has a blurb about the event on their homepage: www.journeytome.com.
So on a personal front, I have begun to get antsy about this adoption now. It took awhile - things have been easier to this point, since we have Maya home and life is busy and full of entertainment! Well it finally hit me in a big way last week, before NOC came through. I was shopping and walked past a display of adorable little baby clothes. I just suddenly became really bummed.. as I started thinking about how Devika will be too big to wear those when she comes home. And then I started thinking about how much of her life we are missing. It is so very hard to miss these baby days. To think that RIGHT NOW as I type this, my baby - MY CHILD - is alive and breathing and on the other side of the world. And I'm not allowed to see her or touch her. I've never met her. I haven't smelled that sweet baby smell, or rocked her to sleep, or fed her a bottle. I wish I could just fly over there and stay until we could bring her home.
Anyhow, I almost burst into tears in the store! Good lord. {security - crazy woman hugging baby clothes and sobbing - aisle 8 - alert!alert!} ;) So anyhow, for everyone who has asked if the process is easier on an emotional level this time.. the answer has changed from 'maybe' to 'uh.. no'. And maybe part of what is making it hard is this judge in Kolkata. When we went through this phase with Maya, the judge was awesome and our case was heard very very quickly. Now we simply have no clue when we might be united with our child. People everywhere always ask us.. our neighbors, our banking reps, the post office employees, our dentist, our clients, our vendors, etc., etc. I seriously don't think that I go 24 hours without someone asking. And as sweet as it is, and as much as we enjoy sharing our story.. it is difficult right now. Hopefully soon I'll be loving to answer the question b/c we'll have travel plans!!
Oh - and have you seen the movie 'Juno'? I thought it was great.. but.. argh! When that jerk told Juno he was leaving his wife? And I thought that the adoption wasn't going to happen? Omg.. I was so sad for Jennifer Garner's character! I would have been SO po'd if the movie had ended that way. And that 2nd-to-last scene? With Jennifer Garner's character asking if she looked stupid? Ok.. I felt EXACTLY like that the first time that I held Maya! I was so trying not to burst into tears during that scene!! I need to buy that movie and watch it in the privacy of my own home so that I can do that. :) Anyhow, I luv'd the movie.

Here is a video that I created for entry in a 'love story' themed video contest. And I won 2nd place, so not too shabby. Though.. still a little irritated that I didn't put a little more into it to win 1st. ;) Oh well.. we will add it to Devika's Adoption Journey film in the future! Enjoy.