Jwaye Nowèl To Us!

That means Merry Christmas in Creole.

We received a letter in the mail today from Vivian with Heritage Adoption Services saying that our dossier should be in Haiti by early January! Now breath a sigh of relief with me. I am so excited. One more step down only a few more to go. Our dossier is all the paperwork we gathered, each document was authenticated, and translated and now is ready to be presented to IBESR in Haiti. I'm not sure what else has to be done with it in Haiti before it goes into IBESR but it shouldn't be long now!

IBESR is Haiti's Social Service Department. IBESR is where a social worker will look over all of our documents and decide whether to approve OUR adoption request.The director of IBESR, the IBESR lawyer, the head of adoption services at IBESR, and the IBESR social worker must all sign off on our dossier. This is four stages of approval.

Our file could be in IBESR anywhere from 2 months to 6 months or even longer but this is the typical range. In an effort of positive thinking I'm going to hope for two weeks. Realistic? Probably NOT but what can I say I'm eternally optimistic.

Also, in one last effort of positive thinking could everyone please send lots of positive happy birthday thoughts to Kobe on January 9th? He turns one and it would be really good for him to know he's loved all over the world.

More pictures!

So cute!

I think he's waving "hi mommy and daddy!"

This has to be the most precious little hand ever!

Do you think he loves the photos?

Seems to be very interested.

How cute is he?!?!?!?!?!

Ok so this is our darling son with his Aunties at the Creche!

Very sweet email

I just wanted to post this email from the couple in North Dakota. It makes me cry, I'm so happy!


I am so glad that we got to meet your son. He is absolutely gorgeous and has perfectly soft little skin. He has dimples in his elbows and on top of his knuckles, just like a plump baby should. I took lots of pics of him holding your photo sheet and holding his new soft rattles and chewies. He was getting ready to go to Port-au-Prince, i think for a Dr. checkup and was dressed so cutely in short overalls. He smelled of fresh baby powder and lotion and is a quiet, sweet little guy. He sat on Marc's lap and looked back at him occassionaly, trying to figure out who we were. He notices everything going on around him and looks at you with these large, sensitive eyes that seem to say "hold me." He never cried when we would see him and always seemed content. We are making a disc for you today. It has all of our pics on it but you will know for sure when you get to Loudince's photos. One photo I really like is a close up I took of his little hand. He was sitting in the chair by the door with his little hands on his knees and each dimple was so sweet to see. I hope you like it as much as I did.
He is quite a special little boy and I know he will love you.

December visit group home!!

Ok I'm admitting it, I know it is incredible selfish to say but I'm soooo happy that the December visit group is home from Haiti. It means photos are coming soon! Some really nice people from North Dakota took some small presents down to Loudince with some photos. They personally handed them to him and said they gave him lots of hugs and kisses for us. They will be mailing a CD with the photos to us!

I know this is going to be a long process (it already is). I am over the top optimistic and I have to say this adoption is so fun. I recommend it to everyone. Every morning I wake up wondering what Kobe is doing and if I will get photos or an update.

The other day in the mail I got his duvet cover for his bed, a box of enfamil formula for the creche, and an American Baby magazine. All in one day! I have to say it's about time I had baby things in my house and it is so cool!

Anyway, keep watching, we will have photos VERY SOON!!!!!!

Tropical Storm Olga

It sounds like Haiti is going to get another storm. Keep in mind a tropical storm for us is very dangerous for a country like Haiti. This was posted on the Creche forum regarding the tropical storm. The Creche is where Kobe is right now. He is no longer at the transition house. I am confident the creche is well built and he along with all his friends will be safe and dry!

At 7 a.m. EST, Olga was centered about 110 miles west-northwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and about 65 miles off the eastern tip of Cuba, according to the hurricane center.
The storm passed through the southwestern areas of the Dominican Republic that were hardest hit by Tropical Storm Noel six weeks ago.
Authorities evacuated 22 communities in eastern provinces to prepare for the storm.
“Every civil defense agency has been activated,” emergency services spokesman Luis Luna Paulino said.
In neighboring Haiti, the government earlier had warned people in coastal areas to prepare for evacuations and urged fishermen to remain in port, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, head of the country’s civil protection department.
Olga was moving westward at about 19 mph. Forecasters predicted it would gradually weaken into a tropical depression as its center continues across the Caribbean between Cuba and Jamaica.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the northern coast of Hispaniola, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, meaning tropical storm conditions were expected there within 24 hours.

Update!!!

Well we got our November update yesterday! This is so fun. To summarize:

Kobe is: Joyful, Nice, Handsome, Observant, and Cute! He is crawling very well and has perfected holding things to pull himself up. His health is good although he had the flu he is all better. He is now 20 lbs and 28 inches tall.

Wow have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE this boy!

Kobe Photo!

Almost Smiling!

New Kobe Photo

We have a new photo of our little boy! This photo was taken with Gina Duncan the director at the creche. He's such a handsome little guy!

Our First Update

We got our first update on Friday! No pictures yet, hopefully this week.

The first sentence of the update says: "Loudince is a big boy!" It goes on to talk about his health (which btw is very good) and his personality. They say he is "very active and joyful." I love to hear he is joyful.

The update also lets us know what paperwork is being processed. It says his file is just about ready to enter "IBESR" without going into deep detail IBESR is the longest part of the process and the way I see it the sooner it gets there the sooner it gets out. So lets all hope that our paperwork ends up moving quickly and painlessly and is approved so we can move on to the next step. We anticipate the file being in IBESR by January. There is a lot of work being done on our file while we wait, so rest assured it is not sitting on someone's desk gathering dust.

I can't wait until it's my turn to go visit the creche. I am excited to hold Kobe, read him books, and play. It will be fun to meet all the other children there as well. The children are all so cute and with their bright smiles you can't help but to love them!

What a boy!!!

I have good news and I have bad news. I'll start with the good news, I'm a good news kind of person.

Good News: Kobe is such a boy! He was at the doctor and I was worried. Long story made short he was at the doctor because he was playing and put something in his ear. *Laughing now*

Bad News: Like I said he was at the doctor so the family from Montana who are also adopting a little boy were not able to get photos of him. But it's OK as long as he's not sick, and if he's playing and sticking things in his ears, I would say he's doing OK.

Good News: I signed up for December updates, which are going to be back to us hopefully by December 1st and they include 15-20 photos, one minute video, and all the good measurements. So we'll have great photos in no time.

My Turn

Ok, many of you might be wondering where is Nate during all of this. Well I am here and it takes me a little longer to get my emotions and feelings in order.
First, I want to thank Kristi for everything she has done to bring Kobe home. Kobe as no idea that he is going to have the best mom a person can ask for! I am truly lucky to be married to such a caring and loving person. I love you Kristi! You are the best.
I am truly excited to be a father. I can not wait to bring Kobe home and be able to spend all of my energy and love on my baby boy! I will not lie to you I am scared and nervous about being a father. I want to be the best father I can be. I am looking forward to reading to Kobe before bed, and I can not wait to take him fishing and hunting.
Kobe, I can not wait until you come home and complete our family.

A little something for Kobe...

We are so excited. We "met" (if you can call typing to someone on the C4C forum) meeting, a couple from Bozeman, Montana that is adopting a little boy that is a month younger than Kobe and sharing the same room. They are visiting the creche next week and have agreed to take a little package down for him! Woohoo an excuse for me to shop the baby stuff at Target!!! We are sending a small square cuddle blanket, a little crib toy, and a baby photo album that says "Who Loves Baby?" and we put our photos in it. They are going to take "bunches" of photos and give him lots of hugs and cuddles for us! I am so excited. I just wish they had enough room for ME in their suitcase.

Crèche de l'Enfant Jesus

Quickly I want to thank everyone who helped us with our mountains of paperwork that started last July. Our friends and family who wrote reference letters and are still working on getting the notary statements just right (sorry) are the best!

Ok on to fun stuff. I just thought while I am waiting (very impatiently) for an update I thought I would catch everyone up on my research. (imagine that, me, research, no way)

Kobe Loudince is at the Crèche de l'Enfant Jesus, lovingly referred to as the creche from this point forward for obvious reasons. They speak Creole and French in Haiti. I am learning Creole. The creche has a preschool program in English for all the children, except the babies. I mentioned before we sent a photo page down to the creche to hang above Kobe's bed. The nannies point at our photos and tell the children who we are. They do wonderful things to prepare the children for their adoption, as much as one can for such an event. If anyone is interested in learning more about the creche their website is: www.chances4children.org

Which brings me to the Chances for Children organization. Chances for Children (C4C) is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. C4C is set up to support the creche. They have many objectives to better the lives of people in Haiti. Although I don't have much experience with international adoption I have been "researching" my brain out and C4C along with the staff of the creche seem to be extremely competent and provide excellent care for the children. It's actually very comforting.

We are working with Heritage Adoption Services based in Oregon and licensed in Oregon, Washington, and Montana (possibly Alaska as well). They are also awesome. After much "research" (do we see a pattern?) I decided on Heritage because of my first contact, Vivian. Who also just so happens to be our social worker and the coordinator for the Haiti and Guatamala programs. Vivian is quite simply really really good.

Ok thats all for now, this has turned into a novel.

A little More About Kobe!

Kobe was born in Abricot, Jeremie in the Department of Grand’Anse in Haiti on January 9, 2007. In Haiti the "Department" is similar to our states. Grand' Anse is known as one of the most beautiful provinces in Haiti. Check it out on the map here:

One more thing...

I forgot to mention the caregivers at the orphanage are called "Aunties" and they say that Kobe is a sweet baby boy who is often found cooing and babbling in his crib. They also say he is curious and once he is put down can be found crawling all over the place. Right now he is trying to pull himself up on his feet. Ok that's all for today, I think!

Catching up...

Ok so in order to get this blog off to a good start I better catch it up to now...

On October 15th we got "the call" to anyone involved in adoption you know that feeling. It's the same feeling I had when I was eight years old and we got "the call" that my brother was born. Our social worker called us at 6:21pm...PM!!! I had been waiting all day (actually longer) for that call. Nate was at a CPR class...haha!! To make a long story short I called him, he came home.

We stared at Loudince's photo and got excited and get this... we even held his photo up between us and looked at our little family in the mirror....we are a *cute* family, let me tell ya.

We had a couple of cute boy names we liked but they just didn't fit little Loudince. So we started over it didn't take us long to decide Kobe fit him perfect and so that is how we named him Kobe Loudince.

We called people, we called the grandma's and grandpa's and everyone we could find numbers to. Then, we looked for more people to call. Finally, we didn't know who else to call so we went to bed.

On October 16th, we accepted our "referral." We sent off the paper work and made a little poster of photos of us to hang above his crib. I sent his one little photo to Costco so I could frame his adorable face!

That pretty much catches us up to now. So now we wait, we wait for more photos, we wait for an update, we wait to see a video, we wait to visit him, and we wait to bring him home. You get the point.

Baby Blog!!!

I have started this blog to let everyone know where we are in adopting our new baby boy! The process for adopting from Haiti takes some time and patience. The patience part I'm not so good at. We hope this will be an easy place to post photos and information about our son as we received updates from his EXCELLENT orphanage in TiMache, Haiti. Although we have not been there we have seen photos and heard numerous accounts of how immaculately clean the facility is. We know that our baby boy is receiving lots of love and great care while we are working through the paperwork to bring him home.