2010

We are still waiting to hear what region we are travelling to as well as waiting for our Invitation to Travel Letter. We know it's going to be an exciting year!!!. I feel there's still so much to do but in actuality there isn't. I feel like this is the longest pregnancy ever LOL!!.

Getting Things Together

While we still have quite a few months to go, I am trying to get some things together. Our adoption coordinator has been nice enough to forward me a list of items that we will need for our long trip. Actually, she sent me the entire travel packet so I now know what to expect once we get in Kazakhstan. The flight to Kazkhstan we arrange ourselves. We will fly into Almaty and spend the night there. When we land in Almaty, we will have have someone meet us there and take us to the hotel. He will then walk us thru the process. Any other travel that we need to do will be handled by our adoption agency. I am thankful for that. The next day we are taken to the baby house to hopefully meet our forever child. Once we decide on a child the 2 week bonding process begins.

I started going over the list of items that we need to bring and boy is it long!!!. We need to bring at least 40 items for the baby alone. I have some items already but still a lot more to get. Initially I thought I would bring a car seat with us for the plane ride home but it was suggested that we hold the baby on our lap ( in a snugli) for the ride home. This way it will help with the bonding process. I still have doubts about this because it is a very long flight home. My biggest concern is that the baby will cry the whole way home and I'll have a plane load of people pissed off LOL.

The baby's room is almost finished. It's taking forever but coming along nicely.

Other than that, we are taking things one day at a time.

On It's Way

Found out on 10/26 that our Dossier is on it's way to Kazakhstan. First stop is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Should be there for about a month then off to the Ministry of Education.

At this point we hope to receive Letter of Invitation to Travel in March.

We are one step closer!!!

Our Dossier

We finally got word that our Dossier was submitted to Washington Embassy on 9/29/09. They now have 30 working days to review and approve it. By 11/10/09 or there about it should start heading out to Kazahkstan.

Our

Adoption Update

Well we recently found out that we will not be travelling this year to Kazahkstan. We are very disappointed but hanging in there.

We finally just about have the nursery completed. The furniture arrived yesterday. Still have to put the crib together. I must admit it looks real nice!!.

What's Been Going On

I've decided to create a blog and share what has been going on in the Luciano household.
2008 was good to us. No major problems came about, thank god !!!! Freddie was fairly busy at work and only had to travel a few times during the year. I'm still a stay at home housewife. I did do some freelance work for my old company for a few months in 2008. As I look back at my time with the company (23 years) I know I got out at the right time. Massive layoffs occurred last year and if I was still there I would have been part of those statistics anyway.

I spend my time walking ( 3 days a week for about 3 - 5 miles each walk) and when I feel like it I also go to the gym to workout. I got back into cooking and I love it. I now have the time to cook proper meals everyday and Freddie has no complaints in that department.
Our dog Brandi loves the fact that I am home everyday with her. When I am in the kitchen preparing a meal, there she is lying at my feet hoping I drop something. Just the other day as I was preparing my breakfast, I left the kitchen for something and when I turned around she snatched my 2 pieces of bread from the counter. She acts like she never eats!!! but that's a dog for ya.

In September, we drove to Chicago for a family affair. We stopped off in Ohio to visit with Freddie's sister, then we drove to Michigan to visit with Jason, Alexis and Caitlin. While there Jason showed us around town and the campus. That night rather than going out Jason and Alexis made pizza ( which was very good ) and we played a game called Apples to Apples. We all had fun plus we had time to spend with Caitlin. The next day we left for Chicago. All in all the trip was very nice.

Freddie was off the last 2 weeks of December and he got to relax and chill and not think about work. Brandi was in doggie heaven because he took her to this open field every morning to play ball. Usually she only gets this treat on the weekends.

That pretty much sums up 2008. Sounds boring probably but what the heck, we are happy!!!!