We are Home

Hello All,

I am sorry it has taken me so long to post but between jet lag, vertigo and an active 13 month old; I haven't had much time to sit, let alone type. Jon posted a few updated pictures for you to view. (Isn't she beautiful?) It is so amazing what 2 weeks of love, attention, and good nutrition will do. Thanks to Tad and Chu our trip was amazingly smoothe. Or should I say, they were able to handle all the glitches with professional and determined tact; therefore our trip was able to be completed smoothly and without interuption. Thanks Tad, Chu, and everyone who has been there with us through this incredible journey.

Ann

Hi everyone. This is Jon. Ann is in Vietnam now anxiously awaiting the G&R. Tad was gracious enough to send us a couple of updated pics that we wanted to share with you. We should know and have more to share tomorrow.

Greetings from Hanoi

Hello All,

I made it to Vietnam!!!! I met with our agency director today after he visited the orphanage. He was able to bring me an updated picture of Brooke. I will try to upload it as soon as he is able to send it to me via e-mail. She is so adorable!!! He tells me she is about 16 pounds, is able to sit alone, stand while holding on to something but is not yet walking. I can not express in words the excitement I am feeling right now....to know that tomorrow I will be able to hold my little girl. The G&R is suppose to be scheduled for tomorrow but we still do not have a time yet. If it gets posted poned, we are still going to go visit. It will be so hard to hold Brooke and then have to leave her.

Cleared for Take off

We finally got our Giving and Receiving Date!!!!! On Tuesday, August 12.....Thi Lan (also known as Brooke) will officially become a member of our family. I am leaving Friday and will arrive in Hanoi on Sunday, giving me Monday to acclimate to Vietnam before picking up our precious little girl. There are not words to express the excitement and joy in my heart right now. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and meet each other for the first time.

Ann

I'm coming Brooke

I am so excited to tell everyone we got our approval to go pick up Brooke this morning. Yes, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I sent for my visa today and are hoping to get the date for the Giving and Receiving Ceremony tomorrow. I am hoping to leave on Wednesday and arrive on Friday, so I can acclimate to Vietnam and sight see a little before the ceremony. I will keep you posted. I'm coming Brooke!!!!!!!!

Ann

Brooke Turns One

Brooke turned one yesterday as most of the United States celebrated Independence Day. To celebrate, Jon and I along with my brother and future sister in law went shopping for birthday presents. We bought many "stimulating" and "sensory" toys as well as bath toys. Daddy picked out a special stuffed animal....guess what it is???? A cuddly frog:) for our little tadpole. I hope little Ms. Thi loves it as much as we love her. I also ordered her a Vietnamese doll from E-bay. I can't wait to bring her home. Let's keep our fingers crossed for good news this week. Happy Birthday Brooke Thi. We love you!!!!!

Meeting of the Minds

Hello Everyone,

We had great news Friday. As I stood at a counter at the gift shop buying a beautiful dragonfly pendant at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, our agency called to tell us the Embassy and Phu Tho had met this week and agreed to process our I-600. I am finding it hard not to hold my breath as I write this....knowing it could be hours, days, or let's go with hours/days until we have an approval and we can finally bring our sweet baby girl home. Brooke turns 1 on the 4th of July. How wonderful it would be to have the approval and be on our way to her as she is turning 1. Jon and I played with Brooke's name driving home and came up with Brooke Thi Ann Derheimer to include her given name. Jon has already said he will call her T as Thi is pronounced T in Vt, or a pet name of Tadpole (T.A.D.). Not sure I'm too fond of my daughter being called tadpole, but then again I did get used to him calling me Bug.

We will wait on pins and needles for a positive e-mail from Hanoi, I will keep you posted as we get news.

Keep Smiling,

Ann

One Step Closer

Fridays are usually very hard for me because I know we will not hear anything from Viet Nam for the next two days so I decided to spend the day with my mom shopping. We had a great time and as I looked at Coach purses the phone rang......it was our agency letting us know that the DIA and Phu Tho had met earlier in the day and Phu Tho had agreed to allow the investigation for our I600. It is all up to the Embassy now. It is amazing to me to think that they could actually do the investigation tomorrow and we could be on our way to Viet Nam by the end of the week. I know that is wishful thinking but one can hope. We ARE on day 107!!! Baby Brooke we are getting closer!!!! I started repacking today:)

Ann

Brooke is 9 months old today

Today Brooke turned 9 months old and we were unable to be with her, due to the delay in investigating her "orphan status". I can only pray that someone is holding her, playing with her telling her what a wonderful and special child she is. I can only pray that she is being fed enough, warm enough, and developing as any infant should. The questions that surround me each morning as I wake, each night as I fall asleep....is she hungry? Is she crying to be held? or just to be heard? Is she ill? Is she crawling? Does she scoot/roll like Joshua did? Is she teethered to the bed so she can't go too far? Does she suck her thumb? What kind of formula does she drink? Will she love me? Will she like me? If she gets much older...will I need to learn Vietnamese? How long will it take for her to call me mommy? Will she be a Daddy's girl? And what right does anyone have to keep our family on indefinate hold?



For anyone who doesn't know, we have been waiting since January 3, 2008 for our I600 to be approved. I have e-mailed, called, e-mailed again and then called again over and over to our US Embassy, DOS, USCIS and anyone else who I thought might have some answers. NO LUCK. I have also been in contact with Senator Lugar, Senator Bayh, and Congressman Carson....maybe they will have better luck, but so far nothing has seemed to help us get any information on how long it will be until we can bring Brooke home. If anyone has any other ideas I am all ears. There has even been talk of doing an adoption walk in Washington.....maybe that would get someone's attention.



So for today, we say Happy 9 month birthday Brooke from the family who loves you so much and can't wait to bring you home. XXOO



And to all of you who keep checking in....Thank you. It is just so hard to post when there isn't any news to post without being negative; and we all know what mom's say about that "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" :) Love and Blessing to you all.

Ann

I600 Confirmation Date

February 6, 2008 is our official confirmation date. To anyone who isn't familar with the I600 processing this means they have 60 days or "working" days to approve or deny our petition to adopt sweet Brooke from this date. We are hoping for the 60 days but are anticipating April 30th as our 60 working days to completion. Maybe we will hold off on the Derheimer Easter Egg hunt until Brooke gets home.

Ann

Hello All,

We learned this week that our I600 was sent to Hanoi to be processed. It took a little longer in HCMC than we expected, but we are now one step closer to our little Brooke. We should receive our confirmation some time this week, and will know when our 60 days of waiting officially began. Jon and I are staying positive that the adoption will proceed quicker now that Tet and all the other holidays are over. We are praying to have her home with us for Easter. Wouldn't she be cute is a Easter bonnet and white patten leather shoes?

Ann

I600 confirmation

Exciting news today. We received information today from our agency that the US Embassy is working on our I600. We are hoping for a speedy approvel but are prepared for the 60 day wait as well. The director of the agency is in Viet Nam as we speak so I am hoping he will send us a current picture of Brooke in the near future. I will post as soon as we get it. Until then, keep Brooke in your prayers.

Ann and family

Meet Brooke

December 31, 2007 will be a New Year's eve we will never forget as we were blessed with our consent to adopt our beautiful baby Brooke. She was born on July 4, 2007 in Phu Tho, Viet Nam and at 2 months weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds. Words cannot express the joy or love we have in our hearts right now for this sweet baby girl we long to hold.