Monday, June 27, 2011

Homestudy Packet Received

We received our first email with the documents needed to complete our homestudy again. You would think the amount of paperwork needed wouldn't be so surprising since this is our second trip down this road. As I was printing I thought to myself "Wow this is a lot of paperwork". I almost wish I could just buy a stamp with my signature. But then again that would take the fun out of it! How quickly can we get these forms complete? Hopefully the USCIS won't take to long with our fingerprint and I171H forms. Crossing my fingers and praying for quick appointments and turn around times. My goal is to have everything complete and submitted by the end of August. Is that attainable? We will see!

Meanwhile we have another fee due of $1050. We raised enough money from our shirts to pay our initial fee, can we do it again? Would you like to help? See the information on the right on our T-shirt fundraiser, Coffee website or if you would like to just donate. I want to thank everyone who has helped so far and will help in the future. This baby Heddleson #2 is already truly blessed.

The other night when we were putting Daniel to bed, Mark asked him if he thought his baby brother had been born yet. Daniel's answer "No". Is he right? Has our baby boy been born yet? I can't wait to see his little face. I know I am getting ahead of myself but I can wonder can't I? I know God has in his plans the perfect little boy for our family.

Friday, June 17, 2011

First Step Complete!

Our 1st payment and stack of paperwork is now on its way to AWAA! Thanks to our friends and family that have purchased shirts, coffee and made a donation to our adoption fund. I can't wait to see how God will continue to provide in this next leg of our journey.

We are now working towards raising our next payment of $7500. Would you like to help? Here are some ways that you can help bring our son home:

1. Purchase a T-shirt - you can purchase on our blog here or send me a message and we can work something out.
2. Share our blog with your family and friends. If you have a blog there is a button on the right that you can post on your blog.
3. Purchase some coffee at our Just Love Coffee Store, www.justlovecoffee.com/theheddlesons or use the link to the right
4. If you would like to just make a donation you can do that too? There is a button to the right that will take you to our paypal account.
5. And most of all pray for our journey and for God to continue to provide!

There are more fun things coming, so stay tuned and check back often. We are truly blessed to have such great family and friends.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Acceptance Call

A week and a half ago we submitted our application to America World for our 2nd adoption from Ethiopia. Since that day I have been glued to my email waiting for something to say "Yes you are accepted again". Well that email did not come, something better did. Tonight while I was helping with games for our youth program at church I felt my phone vibrate. I usually don't check it while I am doing that but something in me told me to look at the phone. I looked down and saw area code 703. For anyone who has adopted through America World you know that 703 area code creates major butterflies in your stomach. All of a sudden no one else was around me and I was very focused on answering the phone. So I ran to somewhere where I could hear and answered. It was Sara from AWAA say those wonderful words "Congratulations and welcome back!" I loved hearing those words. We are officially in the paper chasing phase of adoption number two. What happens next? We sign a bunch of forms and send in our first payment. Then we will be assigned a family coordinator and the paperwork fun will start. Once we submit our dossier the wait time right now is about 10 months for a referral. The age range we have submitted is 0-2 years old and we have submitted for a boy again.

Tonight while we were doing our bed time routine I told Daniel he was going to get a baby brother from Ethiopia. He was excited (I don't think he really understands what is going on). I asked him what we should name the baby. Daniel's answer "Gaga". For those of you who don't know that is what Daniel calls my brother RJ. I had to laugh but told him I didn't think that would work, one Gaga is enough.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family. We are building our family according to God's will and God's plan. We are stepping out in faith and praying for God to provide in all aspects of this journey. Praying he will hold us up when we can't stand and are to weary from this emotional journey. Praying that we will give him all the Glory in celebrating the milestones of this journey. Praying for the baby that God has chosen for our family and praying he holds the mother in his arms as she makes the what I would assume to be the hardest decision in her life. Praying for understanding and love. Praying for the support and love of all our family and friends. We can not go through this journey alone, nor would we want to.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

New Journey - New Blog

Since we are starting our new journey to bring home our 2nd son from Ethiopia, I thought it would be nice to update the look of our blog. I wanted something more personal and reflective of our family. Becky Burk(Adopt Africa Designs - www.adoptafrica.blogspot.com)did an awesome job! I love the new design. Now all I have to do is find the time to actually post on here.

It is funny how you fall back into the same patterns when you start something over again. We submitted our application last Monday to America World for our 2nd adoption. Since then, I am glued to my phone waiting for that email to come in that says we can start the next step in the process. I remember with Daniel's journey that little red light that blinks on my phone was like an addiction. I literally would have to put something over my phone to hide that little light. It has started all ready. And the butterflies when you see an email with the @awaa.org at the end. We literally just started the process and the butterflies have started already. It makes me laugh when I think about it. I can't wait to see this little guys face, but first we have to get through all the paperwork and the waiting! Oh the waiting (that I am not so good at).

It is all worth it in the end, and I do have to say I can't wait to do it all over again.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Playdates and Haircuts

I love seeing Daniel with other little Ethiopian cuties. Monday we had a playdate with a little girl named Lila. She is adorable and just a little older than Daniel. It was so cute watching them walk into McDonald's holding hands. Those big brown eyes are definitely an Ethiopian trait as they both have them. They played well together once we got done eating and we went to the park. He wouldn't really talk to her while we were together but once we got back in the car it was "Bye lila, Bye Lila" and when we got home it was "Come on Lila" apparently he thought she was still with us! Here is a picture of Daniel with his new friend Lila.


Tonight Daniel got his first haircut. Here is the before:


Here is the after:


He was such a good boy and sat there letting Daddy just buzz the hair off. I didn't want to cut his hair but it is so stinking hot here already and the poor thing is always sweating. I miss the curls. He looks so much older now. Looking at pictures of him from last summer this is how short his hair was so I am hoping to maybe make this an annual thing and letting his hair grow out over the winter. He is so cute with those curls. While his hair is growing out it will be easier this time since we have a hair routine that works now, plus the wonderful Tangle Teaser. Makes combing out the hair so much easier and he doesn't even move at all!

My baby boy is growing up so fast.