Goodbye to a decade

As we start focusing on a new year and a new decade, I thought I'd do what so many people are doing and take a look back. I am happy that I will be saying goodbye to this decade the same as I said hello...with Ethan. It has been a very bumpy decade to say the least.


We have been through many disappointments. In addition to the many miscarriages, surgeries and the ectopic pregnancy, we lost family and friends. My Grandma June passed away October 1999 without meeting Ethan. I regret not stopping there to have them meet; she would have loved him. I lost my Grandma Jean as well. We also lost Ethan's Grandma Loie and Uncle Scott in 2002; fortunately they were able to be at our wedding. We have been with friends as they have lost family members and pets as well. Jolie, Remington, Sasha and Cloe were beloved dogs that were lost as well as Maverick last month.


This past decade was definitely a time of joy as well. Ethan and I were married, my niece was born, friends were married and welcomed children of their own. Ethan bought our first house, we got Maverick and also bought and moved into our second home. I think one of the best things to happen to me was at one of my toughest times. Through tragedy I found the most amazing women that became some of my best friends. I can't even imagine not having them in my life. They got me through so much and not to mention kept my sanity. Without these friends, I don't know where I'd be.


I also see how Ethan and I have grown, both as a couple and individually. He has become an even better friend to me, a wonderful, loving husband and now a great father. Ethan has done so much for me, and probably has no idea how much I appreciate him. He probably had no idea what he was getting himself into with me. I have become a stronger person; I never realized how much I could actually handle. The relationships I have with my sister and friends have also grown stronger.


Parker of course is the most important thing to have happened to us. I didn't think we'd ever become parents, but we did. It was definitely a long time coming, but now that he is home forever with us, the waiting and disappointments along the way seem like a lifetime ago.


So as we bid farwell to 2009, I look forward to what the New Year will bring now more than ever.

Happy New Year from the Cramblet family!

Maverick

How do you sum up almost 10 years of friendship? A friend that has been through everything with you, the good times, the bad times, knows your thoughts and your secrets. We’ve been trying but haven’t been able to. Ethan and I lost our best friend and first baby, Maverick on Friday November 13th. We had to put him to sleep. It was one, if not the most difficult things we’ve had to do together. We got Maverick 6 months after we started dating, we actually had him named before we even decided to go look at dogs. We got Maverick from the Ottawa Shores Humane Society in February 2000; he was about 9 – 12 weeks old. There wasn’t even a discussion; we both had him picked without saying a word to each other… he was just Maverick. He was always there for both of us, helping us through the bad times and there with a wagging tail in the good. He was a good dog, but most of all the best of friends.

Maverick
12/1/99 – 11/13/09

November 9, 2009

Happy Birthday Parker!

Fate?

As my previous post mentions, November is National Adoption Awareness Month. I realized today that Parker was born in November... coincidence? Possibly, but I don't think so. If so then the referral on Ethan's birthday and Parker coming home on our anniversary would be coincidences also. It must be Fate.

National Adoption Awareness Month

It's true, a whole month dedicated to Adoption Awareness. Here is just one of many, many sites that has some history and tips on how to observe adoption in November as well as year round. http://national-adoption-month.adoption.com/ and also from the Bethany blog http://www.bethany.org/blogs/koreablog.nsf.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time for Parker's 1st Halloween. Parker went trick-or-treating to a few of the neighbors' and got some goodies for mom & dad, and he got some goodies from both grandmas too.

getting ready for Halloween

Parker got his first pumpkins Saturday. Instead of going to the pumpkin patch, we decided to go to the farmer's market to pick out pumpkins and as you can see we were successful. We also went costume hunting, but were not as successful with that... still trying to figure out what to be. Parker's cousin thinks he should be a monkey, we're still debating that one. He would make a darn cute monkey though, as his cousin thinks. Some other suggestions were a lion or a bear. Whatever we decide, he'll look very cute.

I also have been planning Parker's 1st birthday party. I can't beleive he's going to be a year old already! He is getting the hang of walking, and loves to play ' drop the object so you can pick it up' game. We are going to try swimming lessons (parent - tot swim) next month and that should be fun.

October 15th

Today is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. This is a day of remembrance for all pregnancies & infant death which include miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS or the death of a newborn.

The Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Movement began on October 25, 1988 when President Ronald Regan designated October as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. On September 28, 2006 the House of Representatives passed October 15th as National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Please join us in remembering by lighting a candle tonight at 7:00pm to honor our children.

milestones

Parker took his first steps Sunday! Unfortunately I was the only one that got to witness it, Ethan was busy in the kitchen installing the safety latches. I'm still in disbelief, not quite sure if I really saw it or not. We were playing in the living room and Parker just took 3 steps toward me, it was so awesome to see especially since that is the first real milestone that we've been able to witness. He is 'talking' up a storm, with of course the only understandable word being da da. He is growing up so fast, it's hard to believe he'll be one year before we know it.

some new pictures

3 weeks...

It’s been 3 weeks and it’s hard to imagine life without Parker. Things have been going great; he is adjusting well and is a very happy baby. He is meeting new people all the time and going places. He already has a very busy social life. He loves the beach, going for walks around the neighborhood, brushing his teeth and playing with the dogs. He turned 10 months old today! He has changed so much already and has a great personality. He is still fussing at naps, bedtime and wakes up during the night for a bottle but over all sleeping much better. He had his first doctor appointment and that went well, he is 19.4 lbs and very healthy, other than the cold we all had. He is crawling all over the house, and will probably be walking before his first birthday. We can tell he’s going to be trouble already.

finally home

Paker arrived home August 18, 2009. Here's a picture for now, once things are settled a bit more I will update. Things are going well and we couldn't be happier! We are a Family.

Visa!

Parker had his Visa Interview and was issued his Visa! All we are waiting for now is a phone call from our social worker telling us that he's ready to come home and the flight details! Our baby will be home very soon.

calling DC

We are still waiting for Parker's visa interview. I am calling DC twice a week now and will probably increase that in the next week or so to 3 times a week. I'm not sure what the current wait time is from the visa application being submitted to scheduling a visa interview, but I don't really expect to hear anything for another week or two.

While we wait, I will just update on what's been going on with us other than waiting for a phone call. Coast Guard Festival just wrapped up this past weekend, and we had fun. Thank you again to Warren; as always, we appreciate being invited on the boat for the fireworks. I am glad to have Coast Guard done, though.

I also want to congratulate Megs & Matt on their beautiful baby girl. Welcome to the world Finnley Piper!

We are still procrastinating on getting things done around the house...we've just been plain lazy. We'll get it all done... eventually. It is a little hard to get motivated when we still don't have any idea when Parker will be coming home, even though we know it'll be soon.

We did finally get a new picture. Parker looks sad to us, and it is so difficult to look at his little face and not be able to comfort him. He does look very healthy, so that helps.

getting closer

I won’t confuse you with all the terms and abbreviations; I’ll just say we’re getting closer. We have more paperwork out of the way and are now counting down weeks instead of months. How many? We’re still not sure and there really isn’t any time frame we can go by until we actually get a phone call telling us when Parker’s flight will be. We are currently waiting for 2 major things to happen; Parker’s visa physical then his visa interview. No, he’s not actually going to be at an interview. Once his visa application is filled out and he has his physical, the Embassy will go over everything to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. If everything is in order he will be issued his visa and be ready to travel. We are having him escorted so our agency will have to line up and escort and once that is done he will be on his way home. We are hoping that all of this will go quickly but are prepared for it to possibly be 4-6 weeks, or longer.

8 month check up

I can't believe it, Parker is 8 months old! He had his WBC a couple of weeks ago and he's doing great. Parker is 19 lbs, has 4 teeth and right where he should be developmentally. He is pulling himself up and walking while holding onto furniture!


We are moving right along with paperwork too. As far as I can tell there are only a couple more things that have to happen before we get a phone call telling us that our son will be coming home to us. Hopefully not too much longer.

I600!

Ethan emailed the USCIS this afternoon to check the status of our I600, which is the form we’ve been waiting on for approval from the US. We have been approved!!! This is a big step in the right direction.

We are still waiting for Parker to have his Visa Physical and Visa Interview so Korea can approve him for his emigration permit. That all can happen at anytime now, let’s hope it is soon and all goes well.

8 weeks...

If Parker comes home today, it will take approximately 8 weeks for him to bond with us. According to some experts on adoption it takes one week to bond for every month a child has been alive. Contrary to what some people may think, the hard part of this adoption is not just the waiting...that is just the beginning. After Parker is home, there is going to be a whole new and different set of ‘issues’ for us to deal with. I think the bonding is going to be the biggest of the issues, but there is also the possibility of his grieving the loss of his foster family, and of course the 13 hour time difference. I’m not saying that any of this will happen; it’s just a possibility. Some families are fortunate and are able to bond very quickly and have minimal issues. People that become parents through birth have bonding from the very beginning with the mother bonding for 9 months prior to birth, then bonding through breastfeeding and so on. With Parker, we don’t have the 9 months before birth to bond, and we haven’t had the 8 months to bond for the 8 months he’s been alive; he has bonded with his foster family. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the people that become foster families. I’m sure it is just as hard on them when they hand over that baby to their forever family; I know I couldn’t do it. It takes a very special person to raise a baby for 8+ months, watching that baby grow and learn then having to say good bye.

So, basically I’m praying that Parker is home soon, as 8 weeks is already too long.

just a mattress

I really thought when I got the mattress for Parker’s crib it would be exciting, it wasn’t. I don’t want to say it was disappointing, because it wasn’t it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. We have been waiting for so long, and trying not to get excited buying things because we don’t want to jinx anything but now I think I may have put too much into the little things. I know a mattress… big deal. I thought it would be, but now it’s just a mattress in an empty crib. I really don’t mind seeing the crib set up every day, I never did but I just can’t get excited about it. I sit here every day looking at this precious little face knowing in my heart that he’s my son, but it still doesn’t feel real. I know, as soon as he’s in my arms it will feel real… at least that’s what I’m hoping for. I was so excited after we got the referral, and again after we got Parker’s WBC and new picture, but I’m just not sure how I feel now. We have been excited and then let down and disappointed so many times that I am basically numb to it all now. I for sure thought I would be able to get through the waiting process no problem, after all the waiting we have already done but it definitely gets harder with every day that passes. I realize that every day that passes is one day closer to holding my son in my arms, but it is also another day that he is changing, growing, learning. We are missing so many of the little things that new parents look so forward to, someone else is seeing those things, hearing those sounds. Again, I am grateful beyond words to the people that are taking such wonderful care of him and I am truly blessed to have my son, it is just so hard without him.

Hurry home Parker… mommy & daddy miss you!

Birthday Girl!

Some of you may know that while we were going through our 2nd IVF we ended up having to take our dog Stella to Michigan State University due to some internal bleeding that they were unable to diagnose at the Emergency Vet in Grand Rapids. MSU has a wonderful veterinary program and that's what our vet suggested we do, plus they have all the latest equipment. We had to leave her overnight in Lansing... almost 2 hours away. We have never left her alone and that was one of the hardest things we've had to do. The people at MSU were wonderful and treated her very well. They had diagnosed Stella with a tumor on her adrenal gland (this is what was bleeding and causing her body to become bloated), which is along her spine, and gave us 2 options...do a very risky surgery made even more so with her age or do nothing. They told us that she may not make it through surgery and if we chose not to do surgery she'd have a matter of months. That was 2 years ago! Today Stella is 14 years old and doing great! Happy Birthday Stella!

Well Baby Check

Parker had his WBC last week, and is doing great. He is growing like a weed, eating well and overall healthy. He is right where he should be developmentally, too. Unfortunately we did not get any new pictures...hopefully soon.

goodies

Parker's first care package was mailed off to him on Monday! I think it is about 7-10 business days to get to the main office in Korea, then I'm not sure how long before it will get to his foster family and him. I packed it with lots of goodies, some books, toys, rattles, clothes, a few pictures of us and the dogs, and of course his blankie! I admit it was very hard to part with the blanket, we have been sleeping with it for months and a part of me didn't want to send it. I did put the other one in bed with us now and that helps. I still feel as if this will never happen and he won't be coming home to us.


We don't have any updates but I am hoping that we hear something very soon. Parker turned 6 months old on May 9th and is due for his 6 month check up any time, I can't wait to hear and hopefully see how much he's grown, bittersweet as it is.


I'll update again once I know more.

success

We would like to thank everyone who donated items to our sale, family and friends that got up very early to help set up and those who came out to buy! The sale was a success and we are very pleased. People were generous with donations, many saying keep the change. All in all it was a great day.

Mother's Day

On this Mother's Day weekend, let's remember all mothers. This was posted on the Bethany S. Korea Adoption Blog and I wanted to share. Please take a few minutes and check it out.

http://www.bethany.org/blogs/koreablog.nsf

what's next?

We had our appointment for fingerprinting Tuesday and filed the acceptance papers, so now we’re back to waiting. We are done with filling forms out, but will still have some signing to do over the next few months. I’m just hoping that this time goes by a lot faster than the referral did. It’s going to be hard watching Parker grow up on paper and through pictures, but I guess we at least have that.

Meet Parker David!

we have a son... we got the referral Tuesday April 14th.

details to come...

expiring...

We never thought that it would take so long for a referral that we'd have to get our fingerprints redone! One of the requirements for approval is to be fingerprinted through USCIS/Homeland Security, and after 15 months, if you do not have a referral they expire...just one more stress. We had to write a letter to USCIS explaining that we have not gotten a referral yet and our prints are due to expire in May. We sent the letter and got a response with an appointment fairly quick. The good thing in all of this is we don't have to pay to have it done again... we have one "freebie". We go April 21st to get reprinted, and hopefully they won't have as much trouble with mine as they did last time!

we love it!

thanks grandpa for all the hard work so far!

room update

at least something is progressing....

Fundraising!

Garage Sale & Bake Sale

Adoption Fundraiser to:
“Help Bring Chuck Home”

Please donate your unwanted toys, clothes, furniture and any other household items! Drop off your items at our home, or call to schedule a pick up. E-mail us at bringchuckhome@live.com for our address or phone number.

The sale will be held 8 am Saturday, May 9th at Barber School, 102 W. Exchange, in Spring Lake.

All proceeds benefit:
The Ethan & Jami Cramblet South Korean Adoption Fund.

We ask that we receive all donated items by May 6th so that we can prep. If you would like to help, but are unable to donate items, please feel free to stop by Barber School during the sale to lend a hand.

Thank you for your support! Come out and join us May 9th!

Please view our progress at:
http://www.bringchuckhome.blogspot.com/.

We also encourage donations for the bake sale, so please feel free to share one or more of your favorite goodies.

-Truck and trailer available to pick up larger items.
-All items not sold will be donated to charity.

no news is good news?

There haven't been any March referrals yet, so nothing to really update. Grandpa started working on the mural, and here's a picture of what he got done yesterday. I'ts just barely started and I already love it.

Fundraising event May 9th, 2009!

details coming soon...

going nuts!

Please pray that we get our referral soon. I am getting so anxious waiting for the phone to ring. I have butterflies in my stomach and jump every time the phone rings, and it’s the work phone, not mine! I really don’t know what is worse, waiting for this phone call or all the times before waiting to get that phone call from the doctor to tell me what my beta numbers were and if I was going to lose the pregnancy. I think this might be. I’m finding it increasingly harder to focus on anything and am checking the Bethany blog and chat board obsessively! I want some sort of news so I can know what is happening. I can’t even imagine how it’s going to be waiting for the travel call… but one thing at a time.

more paper work!

No, we’re not done with paper work. I got an email from our social worker with several more forms for us to fill out. I knew in the back of my mind we’d eventually have more to fill out, but I also kind of forgot about it. We need to fill out the following:

Affidavit of Vaccination – which we agree to have Chuck vaccinated with in 30 days of arrival

I-864A – contract between Sponsor & Household Member

I-864 – Affidavit of Support

Statement of Adoption – which we are stating that it is our intention to legally adopt Chuck

Korea Travel Form – this needs to be filled out if we are traveling to Korea, we need to decide upon acceptance of the referral

More information on these forms can be found at
www.uscis.gov
http://travel.state.gov/pdf/DS-1981.pdf
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-864.pdf
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-864A.pdf

We also have to submit tax forms, statements of income, birth and marriage certificates.

Hopefully not too much longer now!

it worked!

According to the Bethany S. Korean blog, there were 6 referrals last week! They also welcomed home 4 children to their forever families. I'm not quite sure how many families are left in December, but we're one of the ones still waiting.

keeping busy

I’m running out of things to do to keep busy, well things I want to do. I started painting Chuck’s room over the weekend and it’s looking pretty good. We asked Grandpa Jim to paint a mural and he gladly agreed. I won’t ruin it be saying what it is, I’ll wait until it’s all done and post pictures.

There hasn’t been any news on the referral front; I figured starting to paint might get things moving. It can’t hurt.

welcome to the world

Congratulations Teri & Dustin!
Emilie Rae born January 22, 09
7lb 5oz 20 inches

and then there were none...

There was finally a referral, and from my count that means that there aren't any families left from Novemeber! Woo hoo...we're finally into December! Let's keep those referrals coming.

I wanted to put a little side note in. My dear friend Teri is being induced tomorrow; this is her first baby. Teri is one of my friends I met dealing with infertility and has been a wonderful friend to me throughout. Please put her in your thoughts and prayers that everything goes as smoothly as can be. I can't wait to meet that little baby girl!

update

I received an email today telling me that there was one family remaining in Novemember, then we're into December for referrals... not much longer now, I hope.

finally some news...

There were 4 referrals this week! Families are still waiting from November 2007, but we're getting closer.

A New Year. A New Hope

Well, I was hoping to be updating with something exciting, but nothing exciting has happened. We are still just waiting for a phone call...kinda boring but thatʼs what weʼre doing.

We had a very nice Christmas, and a fun New Yearʼs Eve that we spent with friends. Again this year Chuck made out alright at Christmas. Chuck got a rocking cow. Yes, thatʼs right, a rocking cow. I know, sounds silly but those of you who know about my strange cow obsession, itʼs not so silly. Chuck also got a Big Wheel. Unfortunately, itʼs going to be sitting for a few years until Chuck is old enough, unless Ethan and I get out riding it ourselves. Again, one of those weird things of mine, since I never had one as a kid. Itʼs more of a joke than anything, but I love it.

Hopefully weʼll have some sort of news soon.