A long-awaited update

Firstly I would like to say a BIG Happy Birthday to our darling daughter! I can not believe Jessica is 1 today - she grows more beautiful, happy, funny and loving each and every day.

So much has happened since my last post it is hard to know where to start. I will do my best to include everything noteworthy.

Firstly I have had 2 more visits from Marco and a visit from my Mum and Aunt Phyllis. All my visits have been wonderful - and it means a great deal that my family and friends have been so supportive during this time away from home. The visit from my Mum and Aunt was actually also very timely, as the day before their arrival I had my left leg put into a cast from the knee down (having fallen down the stairs in our apartment and damaged my left ankle). I am pleased however to announce that the cast is off and my ankle is returning to its normal shape and strength.

Jessica thankfully has remained fairly healthy - she did have an ear infection, for which we are completing a course of antibiotics. But thankfully nothing more serious (although the temperature of 104.6 was a worry for 24 hours...!).

Before Marco's second visit we moved from our apartment to a house at the Santa Rosa apartment area. It is a much better location and there are grass areas and a swing park for Jessica and the other children to make use of. Plus we have all the other fostering families (as well as Debbie who is my good friend - thank goodness for Debbie!) who have become our playmates, counsellors, and good friends!

We have also been able to spend one weekend (during Marco's first visit) at the ocean which was good fun and a couple of weekends with Debbie and the babies in the city. During one city visit, on Valentines Day, we were able to see Iliana - Jessica's foster mum and have lunch with her and visit her home to see Iliana's mother also. During Marco's second visit we were able to spend the afternoon with Gaby (Iliana's daughter) which was also great. They all were missing Jessica so so much.

We held Jessica's first birthday party at the new house. We had it a week early so that Marco could join us. All our friends came and shared pizza, chocolate and banana birthday cake and a huge Winnie the Poo pinata! It was a great afternoon and Jessica had a blast.

Our sad sad news is that a few days ago we had a call from Gaby to tell us that a few hours earlier Iliana had died of a heart attack. She was only 56 years old. Jessica and I attended her funeral in the city the following day. It was truly a devasting day. The shock of this and the sadness will never leave us. She was such a wonderful mother figure to Jessica for the first 10 months of her life. We will be eternally grateful for her care of our precious daughter. Now we have to hold Gaby up in our prayers as she comes to terms with the loss of her mother and becomes the sole carer of her grandmother - a huge responsibility at such a young age.

Iliana - God bless you, rest in peace. We love you very much.

Our blessing is that this afternoon on Jessica's actual birthday we were advised that our adoption case is OUT of PGN - it is approved. Thank you God. We were 105 days waiting for this news - and how befitting that we should get our approval today of all days.

So now we are on the final furlong and home is in sight. From now on I intend to dedicate my time here to expediting the final steps and bringing our little girl home to her forever family.