8 & Counting...

Ethan was 8 months old yesterday! And with this new age he has also reached several new milestones:

(1) teeth are in!!! Noomz is finally teething. I say "finally" because for the longest time I had been thinking he was teething since he would drool a lot more than usual, bite on things more, etc.. etc.. but nope, only just now, his bottom two front teeth are just barely poking through his gums!!! Awww... just realized this probably means no more GUMMY SMILES :-C

(2) sitting to tummy. Ethan has been able to sit unaided for a few weeks now, and has just recently developed the ability to get from a sitting position to his front, and he even "tests" his ability to move forward and crawl by doing this forward-to-backward swaying (ala a preying mantis). And even though he can't really crawl yet, he can get around by rolling and back scuttling (yes, he can "crawl" backwards!) Weird, or not, but soon I cannot simply put him down one place and expect him to be there.

(3) and Ethan's first word is ... DAAH-DEEEE!!! Yay!!! Noomz can say dada, daddy, and a host of other hard consonant sounds like baba... though still working on MA-MA (he can sort of do the mumummmmmmmm sound so almost there!)..

(4) stage 2 foods cont ... And he's already tried so many different types of foods now, though his intake has lessened considerably and he's not putting on too much weight these days, likely attributed to his teething..

(5) standing with support! Noomz can play with his Leap Frog learning table and hold himself upright! Quite cool... and just the other day, he grabbed my leg like a toddler would and was totally standing :-D (not quite on his own though... a few months from that)


(6) toys and playtime... Ethan is slowly multi-tasking with his toys, now grabbing multiple objects with both hands, and generally very attentive and curious about what his toys can do (sounds, textures, etc..) all very exciting to him! And he anticipates a ball rolling towards him, an object falling off the table/high chair, etc...

Not sure if left out any other milestones, but it seems these days, each day, something new is learned or developed, and this was not really the case during the first 6/7 months... so moving fast forward now if you know what I mean all you veteran parents.

May take me some time to upload the many videos Kelly has been taking of Ethan displaying perhaps these various acquired skills/milestones... but I can post some pictures now..

Enjoy!

Old Face, New Face

Wow, I've not blogged in a few days, and many things have gone on lately. Most recently, our friends Scott and Rosa got married on the beach at the outer banks here in NC this past weekend. CONGRATS you two! Can't wait to celebrate with you guys at your new place in Governor's Club -- posh! Enjoy the fancy-dancy waffle maker we got ya :-P

And also here from out of town to attend this wedding was our other dear friends the Lakhanis (Vipul, Carmel, Kavi and baby girl). We got to hang out with them despite their busy schedule to meet up with as many friends and family as possible, and not to mention make it to the coast for S and R's wedding and back for the airport. We saw their little one, Kavi, who's actuallly not so little anymore.


The last time I saw Kavi was about 8 months ago when I went to Nashville, TN, for a regional Baha'i conference. Then, he was doing the babbling thing, and the eating solids (he loves strawberries!) and standing when holding on to furniture etc.. But boy has he grown! He is now a full toddler with awesome mobility :-D He runs, and talks, and gets nervous, and throws tantrums (but what toddler doesn't). Love you!


The whirlwind of a trip for them ended with some picture taking at our place, with Amani over also. It was far too short of a stay, but we look forward to meeting up in July for Kelly's birthday, August for the Tennessee summer Baha'i school (for kids and youth), and/or September for Ethan's 1-year birthday. Regardless, by then we will have moved to our new place in Blue Ridge Georgia and will be only a short 3 hour drive away from them! Yay :-D Vipul is on the organizing committee for the summer school and so we'll try and be there to show support for sure.

Prudential Realty

No, our house is not sold yet. But we've finally just bit the bullet and hired a realtor to sell our house in Durham. Still a popular time for the housing market, we've decided enough is enough, and simply trying to do everything ourselves was not working out and way too much work (especially with a little one) and so hiring a professional to do the job just finally made sense and worth the money.

We hired Micki Stewart from Prudential realty who is supposed to be very good in this area. We'll see. No pressure on her since we could have made everyone's job a little easier by hiring sooner when the market was truly at it's peak (end of April for closing). But I have faith that she will do a good job, and at the very least, I will have more time to focus on Noomz instead of worrying about our listing getting old and not enough interest and buyers etc.. etc..

One recommendation was made, however, and that was to paint some bold colours to neutral. We have a couple accent walls painted a navy blue, when placed adjacent to the creamy warm beige really looks awesome, but not everyone has the same taste and to be as attractive to most peoples' liking we have to tone things down some.

Thankfully, Micki thinks the soft colours of our other rooms can remain the same since they are pleasing and not dark or intense. Ethan's room is yellow with stensil work on one wall (of ferns, leaves) and our study is a desert green and the small hallway joining these rooms a Carolina blue (boo!) -- joking! Duke all the way!

And so I've called on the help of some friends this weekend to paint the house, with pizza dinner provided in the end of course. We'll see who's in town and who's not and who can help us. :-)

Graduation Time

This time in May is definitely graduation season everywhere, with college seniors saying goodbye to the campus world they've lived and breathed and partied and studied in, to the "real world" they are going to embark on. On Sunday, Chelsea's grandparents threw her a graduation/going away party. Chelsea finished her program at UNC and is moving to New Zealand with her husband, Zafar. The party was very well planned and the food was fantastic! Chels' grandparents' place was also very beautiful with gardens all around the house and very mature (over 20 years of planting has taken place and so the gardens have had time to totally develop). I loved it. Well anyways, here's a couple pics from that night.

Happy Mother's Day

To ALL mothers everywhere: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This morning, Ethan and I prepared "breakfast in bed" for Kelly, while she got some much needed extra zzzzz's. We made pancakes with a mango glaze sauce (that we made from scratch) and eggs (with solid whites but runny yolks) and of course English breakfast tea (Earl Grey) with milk and a bit of sugar. We drew "hearts" with ketchup over the eggs, and whipping cream over the pancakes. It kinda worked, though the hearts ran (or "bled") by the time Kelly saw them, and by that time they had resembled a shape nothing like what we had drawn originally.

Then later we all went to the Durham Baha'i Center for what was a tribute to mother's and also the end of the year for children's classes, and so every class gave their final presentations. The kindergarten/preschool age (3/4 years old) really impressed me, and well, thereafter, you kinda expect a lot more don't you? Maybe not, or perhaps this year's 3 and 4 year olds were just so fantastic none of the older classes really quite lived up to that same level. One girl recited a prayer that was very long indeed, and she chanted it sort of like a song, and her voice was just so cute.

Well anyways, Happy Day to all mother's out there!

Farewell Zaf & Chels!!

GOOD LUCK, Zaf and Chels, and safe travels to New Zealand. May you both find strength in each other as you both develop in your marriage and your life outside the good US of A. Chels, I hope you find your professional interests while down there, and Zaf, it was great getting to know you, and very best of everything with the furthering of your professional goals as well. I have family in Christchurch!! Allah'u'Abha :-)

Our Night --

Angelica picked up Adwoa and brought her to our place this afternoon. It was fun having alone time for Ethan to meet his Auntie Adj. Ethan was a bit nervous even though he had met Adwoa when he was very wee - 2 months old? But with stranger anxiety kicking in even stronger these days, he took some time to warm up to Adj. Still, they look great together don't they?



Actually, Adwoa arrived not long before Zaf and Chels' leaving party, which we all attended together. It was potluck meal and we provided ice cold watermelon, which was a favourite. Songs were sung, including a native pacific island (New Zealand?) jingle with accompanying actions which Larissa and Chelsea demonstrate so well to the group of friends (see vid above).


More and more friends started piling in to the small clubhouse, with more songs and food to be had, though we made an early exit, as come to be expected, since we had no diapers left in Ethan's diaper bag (should have checked before leaving the house - just assumed always have at least one in there).

Now back home, Noomz is bathed and clean and nursing and off to la-la land. Sweet dreams my boy.

This & That

The past few days have been pretty routine. Nothing out of the ordinary, though E and I did drive out to Durham Regional Hospital to meet Kelly at work yesterday. Otherwise, just the usual hanging out at home, playing games, reading books, walking around the house and looking at our plants in our garden, and repeating all a few times over.

Ethan got his hair cut last week, and this time it was my turn. My hair was out of control - yeah, I know, thanks - and so Kelly had just about enough. Not having any time to get my hair cut outside, I asked Kelly if she could cut my hair for me, since she's such an expert at cutting Ethan's hair now. Well, it didn't work out as easily with my hair, which, compared to Noomz' is much more coarse and our dull scissors just did not cut it - quite literally if you know what I mean. Of course you know what I mean.

Moving on.

So here are a few before and after pics I took of myself. Long hair. Short hair. Really short hair.

And Kelly made her now infamous Devil's Food Cake Mix Cookies. Ok, so it's not her original recipe and she got it some place online I'm sure. But they are the BEST cookies EVER! I jokingly suggested she enter her cookies in a contest, though they taste and have the consistency of brownies, so not sure if they'd qualify. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... good! And for good measure I include some pics of E's bathy bath time. Now that he can sit up by himself, he loves splashing around in the water, and even plays with the toys we had bought MONTHS ago (as if he could have appreciated them then). Of course, everything first gets the mouth/taste test, and if the toy passes (i.e. doesn't taste too much like soap or synthetic plastic or stale bathy bath water) it gets the ol' nod of approval and Noomz plays with it. Surprisingly, or not, nothing ever tastes bad enough to not put in his mouth first.

So, today, we'll be in search of some boxes for packing our stuff. Duke usually has an abundance of good quality moving boxes we can scrounge up. Jessica has been so kind as to allow us to store some of our things in her house for a while until we move to Blue Ridge.

This afternoon, Adj (Adwoa) will be arriving at RDU and Angelica is picking her up and both are coming for a visit! Adwoa used to live in our community and has since moved with her fam to Tuscaloosa (Alabama). Common friends Chels and Zaf are moving back to New Zealand (Auckland area I believe) -- where Zaf is from -- and so Adj is up to bid these friend farewell, and we are going to their leaving party as well, hopefully. Never a sure thing with Noomz, you know?

And so Ethan's napping now. Will check Facebook.

ClustrMaps

Quite cool to visualize :-) On the top right panel of my blog, you will notice (if you have not already) a counter of how many hits/views my blog receives, and also from where (viewer's location). Great little thing. However, a lot of the times when you click on the link to see the data, the server is busy or a statement mentions how I am not a "plus" or "regular" member, therefore only get little priveleges - since I am not a paying customer. Still, it is pretty amazing to see that my blog's viewership, literally, spans the globe -- though counting where members of Kelly and my family live alone will achieve this feat.

Facebook: Overnight Century Of Friends

I've joined the Facebook Frenzy!! So many email invitations to join Fb from my friends, I finally decided, ok, I'll open an account. 24 hours later, I have 116 friends -- some I have not seen or spoken to since elementary school days! Technology is an absolute marvel of human accomplishments and potentialities. It's a shame Fb is quite addictive. We'll try to detach from now and then. I hope to find really long time friends from the Philippines soon! Could it be, in our global society, that they too are on Fb? I have no doubt! Fun!

Shaklee

Our family's going GREEN!! Slowly by slowly, we are making changes to our lifestyle to be more friendly to the environment. It all started with our home in Blue Ridge which is built in a way that makes it very energy efficient. It is made of Timber Frame construction and SIPs (insulated panels) and we are told can be "heated with a matchstick and cooled with an icecube" :-) Sounds appealing, no? We'll see if this is true. And now, we are subscribers (and promoters) of Shaklee -- a company that makes everything you'll ever need from house cleaning products, to hygiene, etc.. that are all harmless to children and infants and the environment. Solutions are made very concentrated, so you cut down hugely on packaging, since one bottle can last you ten years!! And you'll be saving a lot of money - about $3400/year on such products you'll be buying anyways. Our next huge lifestyle change will be in our diet. Buying foods that are in season and local (i.e. Farmer's Markets near by) cut down in packaging and transportation -- which alone adds a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to maintain. Air travel is another biggie - travel abroad less (local travels can and are fun too). Etc.. etc... FUN TIMES GOING GREEN!

New Look Ethan #2

Ethan got his second haircut (first one was at 3 months old). Kelly did most of it, though I tried to help out a little and did a poor job on one side (hence no side view shots) :-p Sporting his new 'do', Noomz was ever excited in front of the camera, giving his gummiest of smiles. His hair grows quite quickly, and we may not wait as long to cut his hair next time. And although very squirmy wirmy these days and hard to hold still, Kelly did a fantastic job, even offering a "layered" look.

Future Soccer Star?

Pictures aren't great -- low light, no flash, blurry. Ethan has more arm control than leg, so not much movement happening with the soccer ball. :-)

Kitchen Drum Set

Here's Noomz playing drums with a collander and wooden spoon. Burp cloth on head to enhance baby rock star persona. Note: Ethan is sitting all by himself, and mama is only behind him because Noomz is on the countertop. It's been a long day today, and Kelly just got home from work. This is the "fun" we get up to :-) Enjoy!

The Battle Of Surfaces

In a little over an hour from now, world number 1 tennis player and undisputed ruler on grass courts (well any court surface other than clay really), Roger Federer, will take his 48 consecutive game wins on grass and do battle with world number 2 tennis player and King of Clay, Rafael Nadal (aka Rafa), who currently has an unbeaten record on the red dirt of 72 consecutive matches, dating back to April 2005.

Roger Federer has won Wimbledon the past 4 years. Rafa has won Masters Series Monte Carlo and Barcelona for 3 years in a row, and is two-time defening champ in upcoming Rome and grand-slam Roland Garros (French Open) - all on clay.


In this special "made for TV" sporting event, both will do battle on one court divided into each prefered surface - clay on one end, and grass on the other.

Who will win?

Nadal is entering this special "battle" on a roll, beating Federer in the Monte Carlo final on clay. The Federer Express, however, is on a bit of a "slump" having failed to WIN a tournament that he's entered in for the past 4 tournaments -- a record dating back to 2003! Quite the dominance he's been enjoying for sure.

So who will it be? Both say the result is not important, and that "having fun" is the main priority.

Personally, I feel that Nadal is in Federer's head, and although Rafa mostly gets the best of Roger on dirt, this special court is after all located in Nadal's home town of Mallorca, with the sell-out crowd surely behind him.

It is pretty risky to agree to play in such a game, for, after all, though just a sport, it is their careers, and injuries, or psychological effects may hamper their success after this battle is played.

Still, no fan of the sport can say they are not eager to get the "show on the road".

Go Federer!!

Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz: Noomie Update

If you have read, or are currently reading, Dr. Seuss's ABC book, you will know what a "Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz" is.

In a nutshell, my day is all about duckdogs and quacking quackeroos... not to mention the Wozet in the closet, or the Nooth Grush on the boy's tooth brush. I mean, seriously, are these quality learning materials? Maybe, maybe not. But they are certainly classics.

And my day with Noomz would not be complete without reading a few books in the Dr. Seuss collection. Ethan really enjoys "One Fish, Two Fish", mainly because the book has these moveable plastic fish toys along the spine which he likes to reach for while I read to him.

But Noomz is changing, developing.

We (Kelly and I) have officially agreed, that, yes, Ethan CAN sit unaided now, and so I've gone on to buy Stage-2 foods. Some of the foods I bought include: sweet potatoes and corn; banana, apple and pear; turkey and turkey gravy; and other single veggie or single fruit varieties that are thicker and chunkier in consistency and not the liquid puree of stage 1 level foods. In addition, I bought a multi-grain cereal that I plan to indroduce by first mixing with his single-grain rice cereal he's been eating now for a couple months.

But besides Ethan's ability to sit on his own, he is getting very hard to carry and hold still as he likes to climb and grab and generally do things with intent (i.e. you are holding something I want or am interested in simply because you are holding it). He rolls all the time, and so we cannot put him on elevated furniture (bed, sofa) unless we are right there with him. Even using pillows as barriers is not always full proof. He can get around them, or over them, but he does so not by crawling (yet), but by rolling, and pushing up with his legs when on his back. Clever little guy.

As if these changes were not all enough for mom and dad to tackle first, Ethan has also developed a bit of stranger anxiety, and also separation anxiety, or both the same? First, like in situations where we are in public and some of our friends wish to carry him, a once very playful and willing 3-month old is now a stranger-fearing 7-month old. He does warm up to others in a few minutes, and some, instantly, so not really "sranger anxiety" per se, but definitely something going on there.

Separation anxiety though has given us more trouble. Ethan can hardly be put down anywhere for a second before he kicks up a fuss. If you are out of his line of sight, he will let his displeasure be known. Calling back at him as if to say "don't worry, I am still here" only restores comfort for a second or two, if that.

And so bed time routines are being reinvented, and sad to say, his sleep training is no more. Ethan wakes regularly once, or twice at night, and usually cannot fall back asleep, as he usually flips to his stomach and props himself with his arms and finds this new position not conducive to going back to sleep :-) And mom and dad, being softies, let in, and he ends up cozying up in bed with us, content and snoring his baby zzzzzzz's the night away.

Kinda just have to roll with the punches I guess. One day at a time. One "Verna Vera Vin and her violet violin" at a time.

Closing Day Woes

It's official! We have purchased our home in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Actually, I don't know how official it is quite yet. All I know is that yesterday -- closing day -- was the most difficult day I've had to overcome in a very long time. The documents are all signed by us and at the closing attorney's office as I write this entry, being signed by the sellers and witnessed by the attorneys.

Closing day started bright and early for me. Ethan usually dictates how your morning starts, which, on this particular day was around 7am. And so my day went:

6:55am - blurry-eyed while Kelly leaves house for work
7:00am - wash face, brush teeth
7:04am - Ethan's first diaper change (pee)
7:05am - morning prayers with Ethan
7:20am - play and read with Ethan
7:45am - Ethan's first feed (solid - carrots & rice cereal)
8:15am - Ethan's second diaper change (poop)
8:50am - leave house for bank to meet with mortgage lender
9:01am - arrive at bank as they are opening, mortgage lender still on his way to work
9:10am - lender arrives at work, we're waiting
9:25am - still waiting to see lender, I decide to call closing attorney's office in Blue Ridge
9:27am - I am told not all information has been received, waiting on lender for some escrow details
9:35am - I convey message to lender, checks with closing department to ensure escrow details sent to Blue Ridge
9:55am - lender tells me this may take a while and just go home and that I will be called when ready
10:05am - we go home, not for any reason but Ethan was cranky having waited over one hour
10:20am - back at home
10:25am - Ethan's second feed (breastmilk - 3 ounces)
10:45am - quick stroll around the house and street
11:00am - Ethan's third diaper change (poop #2)
11:45am - I call lender to see what's taking so long -- reply, still waiting
12:00pm - I call Blue Ridge to see what's taking so long -- reply, none (voice messge)
12:10pm - second stroll around the neighborhood
12:30pm - Ethan's third feed (breastmilk - only 2.5 ounces)
12:45pm - play with Ethan and listen to songs
1:00pm - realized had not eaten lunch, ate cold noodles (leftovers)
1:45pm - lender calls, documents are ready, come to bank and sign
1:55pm - went in to my bank to get certified check for funds
2:15pm - arrived at lender's bank (again) and signed 100 pages or so of documents
2:18pm - attorney's fees for preparation of documents triple what was estimated, I literally go bonkers, so upset
2:25pm - soaking head to toe in sweat, Ethan hot, sweaty and cranky and crying, no more mr. nice baby
2:55pm - leave lender's office to go find Kelly to sign documents (Kelly was working so could not sign at office with me)
3:00pm - driving through traffic of north Durham trying to find Durham Regional Hospital (Kelly not at her usual Duke work)
3:20pm - meet Kelly at front of DRH, Kelly signs all docs in car while engine running
3:30pm - leave DRH to go back to my bank to get another certified check for difference of unaccounted funds needed
4:00pm - arrive back at lender's bank office with signed documents, and two certified bank checks, Ethan asleep
4:15pm - arrive at home, Ethan awake, no down time for daddy
4:20pm - Ethan's fourth feed (nearly four hours from last, breastmilk - 5 ounces)
4:45pm - Ethan's fourth diaper change (poop #3!! -- he hasn't had three poopies in a day since around 2-3months old)
5:00pm - third stroll around the neighborhood
5:30pm - Kelly home from work
6:00pm - cook dinner (boiled corn-on-the-cob), and leftover noodles
6:45pm - some dessert, blueberry pie
7:10pm - bathe Ethan
7:35pm - night-time prayers with Ethan
8:00pm - last feed of night, Kelly breastfed
8:35pm - noomie asleep at last
8:55pm - watch some TV - Dancing with the Stars
9:45pm - brush teeth, too tired to shower, go to bed

It was really the most arduous day ever, and compounded by so many ugly feelings of hate by how the whole closing process was dealt with by others -- it just infuriated me. And what added insult to it all, was the fact that, although I felt the handling of our closing was carried out so poorly for us, the fees demanded were astronimcally more than what was estimated, and since it was the day of closing (i.e. not a day or two before or a week before) we had no other option but to pay the fees or risk losing the purchase agreement or start all over with a new closing attorney/firm and wait another month (which we were not willing to do either).

Oh well. But I did learn a lot. Every lesson sure comes at a high price for me though. So if y'all are buying a house any time soon, talk to me for some pointers. To start with:

(1) find a good lender who offers a very competitive mortgage/rate with at least 3 weeks to time of closing
(2) own a fax machine AND scanner in order to expedite all the documentation required for credit history checking that will be required you provide
(3) shop around for the following: a closing attorney, appraiser, building inspector, title company
(4) appraisal is ordered by the lender and so have him/her shop around for you for cheapest appraiser/fee
(5) closing attorney have their own ideas of how much to charge, and so find a good, reputable and economical one
(6) title company also is decided by the lender/closing attorneys and so have them do some work to get a good rate and not their usual "go to" title people who charge an arm and a leg
(7) most imporant of course for last: have rates/fees quoted to you in writing so that on closing, any estimated fees will be precisely your agreed upon quoted fees, and not a penny more!

Ok, rant is over. Utterly, utterly exhausting. But you can bet this is not over, as I will aim to recoop some of the costs.

First & Ninth: Ellie Nur Turns 1

Today, on the ninth day of Ridvan, my niece Ellie Nur joon is one year old! Fresh from their trip to Fiji, I am sure my sister will have a home-made cake (a family tradition it seems) and festivities all around back at home now in New Zealand.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my precious one!!

I eagerly await your visit this summer in Blue Ridge. We will be sure to celebrate with the entire family then.

Ethan would like to send a message to his big cousin too:

"I love you, big E" (from little E)

Anika M. James Memorial Garden

From one garden to the next, we attended the opening of the Anika M. James Memorial Garden, which was held this afternoon behind the Baha'i Center in Durham. The garden was a project inspired by Anika herself, carried out in her memory by the vibrant junior youth of our community. Several of Anika's friends were in attendance today, some offering words of remembrance, prayers, songs and dance.

The official cutting of the ribbon was done by Bob (Robert), Anika's dad, and tearful mom, Mahtaj, was not far away. Today also marks Anika's birthday, and she would have been 16. It also falls during these days of Ridvan -- an important and most holy time of the year for Baha'is.

The garden itself was just beautifully done. Located behind (in the "backyard") the Durham Baha'i Center, where once it was just brush and overgrowth, is now a well-designed (courtesy of O'Mara Landscaping -- James O'Mara is a local Baha'i and professional landscape architect) and simple garden with beautiful stone work and a garden bench and sign that reads "In Memory of Anika James, Our Dear Friend".

Still clearly very sad and broken hearted, Anika's parents thanked the many friends and community members who have offered services in Anika's name, finances for the garden project, and much, much more. All of this work done in honour of Anika, will surely aid in the progress of her soul, and in healing the hearts of all who loved her.



[a pregnant Kelly, and Anika, at Fariba and Payam's wedding, summer 2006]

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Here are some pictures we took this morning from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The blue skies were in full force, and so were the gardeners enthusiasts who were all out it seemed for a plant sale that was going on at the SPDG. There were so many different plant varieties. I wanted to buy so many different plants. But it would not be wise to do so since we are moving very soon. Lots of planters and pots and decorative garden stuff -- I guess you just have to know what I mean -- with local craft artists and horticulturalists and botanists doing their thing. It was especially neat to see the "bog plants" and carnivorous varieties like the Venus Fly Trap (not sure the official name).

The Snow Azaleas were really pretty and we took some photos by them. Ethan kept reaching out to touch them, sporting his new wide-brim summer hat.

A-P-P-R-O-V-E-D !!

YES!!! I was just informed by my immigration attorney that my H-1B visa has been APPROVED!! Two weeks ago we heard the great news that my petition was one of the randomly selected by computer-generated lottery, but that only ensured processing. Now, it's official! I am just over the moon :-)

THANK YOU for your absolute professionalism, Aronson & Associates, PA, especially, our immigration attorney, Ms. Sarah Peterson-Stensrud and leagal assistant, Mr. Bryan Bradford. Thank you!!!

With such odds to overcome I was really down-hearted and worried about my chances. I already had my "back up" plan to do an MBA at Emory, though I may still do this down the road. If my H-1B were not approved, I would have had to file for a different visa status (e.g. TN-1) to enable myself to work in the country. If not, I could legally stay in the country as Kelly's dependent (H-4 status), but this latter status is a non-work one, hence my alternate plan to go to school if that were the case.

Now, I can look forward to begin my position as Chief Research Officer for RiverBirch Research Alliance!!! Not sure if I have announced this job on my blog yet, since I was so worried, though I was offered the job, that my visa paperwork would not come through.

I am keen to explore this CRO position and grateful for this opportunity since it will be my first job outside basic science research (academic research). And for the first time I will have responsibilities in management/business/finance and overseeing good clinical research practices and hopefully growing this small company. Surely a lot of learning will go on before any tangible effects of my work will manifest, but knowing me, I will soon have things moving forward. (God willing!)

My first-year roommate from UBC, Doug, who is completing his MBA at INSEAD in Singapore/France will surely be thrilled to hear this news. And I will be sure to pick his business brain in times to come.

1 of 65,000 H-1Bs. Cool.

:-)