It's for real!!!

Typing this at 5 AM b/c I can't sleep- I'm so excited! We have just received Stanley's official referral! Basically, this means that the Haitian government (not just our agency) is aware that we are working towards adopting Stanley and we are the only family allowed to adopt him. For families working to adopt from other countries, the referral is a sign that things are moving along- in Haiti, the real work is just beginning. Still, very exciting! We also found out his birthdate for the first time- he was born on March 9th. Starting to seem real....

Trip to Haiti!!!!

Well, we are only 5 weeks away from getting to meet the man of the hour. We can hardly believe it! We leave on December 11th for Ft. Lauderdale and then fly to Port Au Prince the next morning. Thank you to those of you who have offered to send us things to bring to the orphanage. We have an updated list of their current needs: powdered formula (both soy and regular), clothe diapers and plastic pants, and crib sheets (most of the childrens beds have mattresses about that size). We have also decided to bring some new undies (b/c somethings just shouldn't be handed down) and some Xmas toys for the kids (especially Stanley!). Of course, packing space will be at a premium. If you want us to take some goodies down for you (thank you!), please just let us know. We will try to collect everything by December 5th so we can pack it all up!

We hope to make multiple trips to Haiti with Stanley over the years, so don't feel pressured to gather things for this trip- we just know there are a few certain grandparents out there who are ready to spoil Stanley and his friends...