Journey to China

Joylin the growing monster!

2011-02-17T12:44:00.008-05:00

She is getting Big! Which she will hold her hands high in the air when you sing that to her! SHe loves music and the remote. We just found our TV remote in a drawer which we never knew we had.
At her Drs. Check up on 2/4 - she gained 4 lbs! She is a whopping 20 lb butter ball now. She gained 2 inches and is already taking lots of steps. She swaggers a bit but prefers to walk than crawl.
Her hair is filling in as well as her eyelashes. She had 4 teeth when we were in China and now she has 8 teeth with more on the way. She is curious and into everything (see tornado pic below). She is bonding well with Dad and me. I am, of course, the favorite:)
We are still in awe and thank God for all he has blessed us with in this little angel.

Schedule - ANYONE?

2010-12-09T18:00:00.006-05:00

I am not an extremely organized person, but with our family and obligations- it would be nice to have a schedule. Miss Joylin thinks otherwise. She likes to keep us guessing. You know- go with the flow- be flexible. I would like to know if I can get to the store at a certain time or not. So when you tell someone to come over for a visit and then she spends the entire 2 hours sleeping - what do you do?
Here she is with the boys:

This is my "no!no! NO!" Hockey picture. Don't even hold that mini- stick!

Getting settled

2010-12-08T13:17:00.003-05:00

We have been home now for less than a week. It feels so good to be home. Poor Joylin has a cold still and we believe is teething too. There still isn't much of a pattern to her schedule. She is pretty active at around 4 am if anyone would like to visit then. Of course, I want to run her around to everyone and show her off, but I know that is not the best timing for her right now.
We are slowly realizing all the baby proofing and she isn't even walking yet. She sure wants to. She likes the boys to take her around holding her hands. She is communicating so much more too. Not talking per say - fun babble, but you know when she is done eating (which is good for her to realize that you can quit- she didn't have much of an off button when eating), she tells you when she doesn't like her face washed and being put in the crib. Yep, she is good at expressing her opinions now. This is a good sign, meaning she is more comfortable with us. We are working towards a stronger trust with her.
We did get our first hugs- (we think that is what they were) from her. We picked her up and she kind of pats your back in excitement and a huge smile. We just melt with her.
We have a drs. appt on Friday. We are hoping she has gained weight since we were in China. Her last recorded weight was 16 lbs. at 16 months!
I'll post pictures later tonight.

Homecoming- Yeah!

2010-12-06T11:40:00.013-05:00

We arrived in the US on Dec 3rd. It was a loooonnnnggggg plane ride. Joylin and I caught a cold before leaving and the airplane made it worse but we made it! Her routine we thought we had agreed on is completely off. Way too many changes for a youngster! We are so glad to be on our own beds, where everyone speaks English, and the comfort our town.

Mom & Joylin in the airport- two tired puppies!

Daddy trying to keep Joylin entertained at the airport.

My sister, niece, Aunt, Uncle, Gman and My Mother met us at the airport.

Our welcome home crew!

Here we come down the exit ramp. Kurt and I couldn't decide who would carry her to everyone so we decided to "walk her"- which we found out is something she really enjoys, too.

Here Gman is meeting his new little sister.

My Beautiful niece & sister with Joylin.

My aunt and uncle with Joylin.

The boys learn she likes to "walk."

And what we do without Gma!

Catch up Part 1- The red couch and last days in GZ

2010-12-05T02:52:00.013-05:00

We got a little behind- I just this will be how it is from now on, trying to manage a baby and sneak in some computer work while she is sleeping. We were on our way home and unable to connect to internet at the late hotel we were staying at so here is the catch- up series.

Our last days in GZ:
Playing at the park in GZ.
Ready for her own wheels.
Tah- Dah! Princess's photo op.

The 3 of us- just needing the big bros to complete the picture. Coming soon!
All around the island where we were - people were taking pictures for weddings, promotions, etc. The buildings in the areas are nice backdrops. I have a bunch of these- but this was the funniest. Not sure but were they trying to use English? Her chalkboard answer was "ye!". Maybe that is Chinese, we meant to ask our guide.

On December 1st we woke up to the hotel completely decorated for Christmas. They must have worked all night and below is also the new hostess's outfits.

GZ day and trip to Buddist Temple

2010-11-28T01:26:00.013-05:00

Last night were the fire works from the last day of the Asian Games here in GZ. We were told to stay close to the hotel and not venture too far. Apparently there are 16 million people that live here and more are here for the games. Our guide said "it will get crazy tonight." There were plenty of police on the streets, all was well. We heard the fireworks but that was the time that Joylin- miss fussy pants- didn't want to go to sleep, so we didn't want to over excite her.
Today we went to a Buddhist temple. It was lovely and very serene. We were going to a museum but the lines were too long so we were able to head back and get Joylin her afternoon nap.
We are all still doing well.
This is a funny face that she does- we don't know why but it makes us laugh.

We received our "Adoption Barbie" today. I was pleased at how well they matched me in the mother doll. Of course that was when I kept my hair blonde.

One of the temple towers.

Daddy and Joylin taking a break.

Incense prayers and Offerings for the temple.

Joylin and I making a wish by one of the statue.

Lots of flowers around the grounds.

I quickly snapped this. Kind of funny b/c he was on his cell phone.

This guy was amazing. He was painting ink pictures with just his hands.

A View of GZ from our window.

Tianjin To Guang Zhou Day 5, 6, 7

2010-11-27T00:11:00.039-05:00

Sorry to not post in 3 days...We have been out an about, which is good. sorry this is long. I need to document better for her memory book.
Day 5 was more paperwork and some shopping. Day 6 was thanksgiving and we went to a nice restaurant had Peking Duck. You are suppose to eat the skin by rolling it (with chopsticks of course!) in sugar. It tasted good- different- greasy sugar. The Duck was good too a bit more greasy than turkey but still very tasty. Marian showed us how to wrap the duck in wraps with Chinese chives, cucumber and soy sauce.
We also went to Cultural street. Really neat stuff. We sent Kurt with Joylin back in a taxi so Marian and I could keeping looking around. Kurt is allergic to shopping. I think Joylin was enjoying herself- she got a lot of attention, yet was missing her afternoon nap.
Later that day , Marian and I took a taxi to the outskirts of town to her founding place. It was pretty emotional for me to see this place. We did run into an older lady that remembered Joylin. She keep saying- "nothing wrong with her but mouth." We figured that out too. She is a smart little girl. She is healthy- like an OX- her Chinese year symbol.

We made the transition to GZ. The 3 hour flight was delayed. Joylin was over tired to begin with and fussed on the plane. There weren't any extra seats and she was in our lap. we arrived at The famous White Swan hotel (famous for adoption families) at 10 pm. Our guide, Jason gave us a ton of information that neither Kurt or I could concentrate on- we are really tired. Luckily he wrote it down too so we were able to look at it in the morning.
The breaksfast buffet is quite spectacular. The goal is to eat enough here then skip lunch. At Breakfast, we noticed that there were lots of adoptive families here. We fit in! In Tianjin, we were stared at everywhere we went. Here you smile at all the adoptive parents.
GZ is much more "westernized" - we had a starbucks coffee (yum). Jason warned us that there are more police and security points right now for the Asian games which are happening here in GZ. He said there are about 16 million people here. Wow. I cannot say it enough how crowded and that there are ALOT of people in China. You can really feel it walking around. I have been to NY city during many summers and it is still not as crowded as here.

We had to do our medical examine today and her photo for an American Visa. She was awesome. she didn't cry once through the exams. we didn't have to do the immunizations b/c she is under 2(she actually has most of her shots except MMR). It wasn't as bad as we thought. They took some of her latest measurements - weight is at 16 lbs and she is 26 inches long. Maybe she ahs gained some weight with us? She sure can eat! We put her on cereal on day 2 and that seems to fill her up. There is another couple here with a 16 month old and she weighs 3x as much as Joylin.

Below are pictures from the last 3 days.
View of Tianjin from our hotel window. Look at that traffic- all day.

At cultural street entrance.

Kurt and Joylin hanging out at Cultural Street.

Look at my new outfit.

Our thanksgiving dinner- Peking Duck!

Marian showing us how to wrap it.

Look I can eat my feet too!

Kurt loving the chopsticks....not!

Cutie Pie!

Daddy makes me belly laugh.

KFC everywhere - we didn't eat there.

Some pictures around Tianjin.

Love the Budda!

Local Paperwork- Day 4

2010-11-23T19:07:00.014-05:00

The first night was a bit rough for all of us. She would wake up every hour- look around and cry. You know she was trying to figure out where she was. We had to wake her up in the morning too (you know it just seems wrong to wake a sleeping baby) but it was b/c it was the local appointments we had. Day 4 was all about local paperwork. Today we went to the registration office, notary, and police station. I couldn't take many pictures- those places are part of the gov.
The registration offices - gave us the certificate that we are her parents now. We took a family picture for the document. So officially the Chinese gov has legally given us her. The notary has to seal it all. We waited in the car at time since some of the places were so crowded.
We then went to the police station to start the paper work to get her Chinese passport so we can travel with her. We will pick it up on Friday. It is in her Chinese name. All these papers we received today are going to be very important next week and when we are coming through immigration in the US.
Our guide, again has been fabulous! She really has it down and we would not have any idea what we needed to do. The night before she goes through the papers we need to bring.

It took all morning- we arrived back at the hotel at 1 pm - just enough time to get her a bottle and all of us a nap. Joylin sleep until 4. We went to a great boiled dumpling place. Did you know dumplings can be steamed, boiled and fried?

Ok- I know what you really want to see...Here are a few pictures:

We had to wake her up.

It is official- We are her parents.

Playing while we wait in the car.

Daddy giving her some cereal. She really needs to fill up on more solid food.

This is our favorite. she is able to cross her fingers. We decided to make it our sign. Our forever family.

From gotcha day- her FF tied her shoes on. Can you see why?

Gotcha day- Day 3

2010-11-22T05:36:00.011-05:00

Ok the post we all have been waiting for, but first some before stuff. We woke early again about 4 am. Luckily we were able to chat with the kids and my mom.

We were so nervous, it was amazing we could even eat breakfast. Marian met us to get $ exchanged and arranged for a driver to take us to the SWI.

We arrived at the social welfare institution of Tianjin at 10 am. We were able to take some pictures but we really wanted to meet Joylin. We were led to a nice room just for adoptions, signed some papers and before the camera was out two ladies came in with the most beautiful baby girl- our Joylin. It was love at first site for us. She just gave us "the Look". The look of who are you? She didn't cry but very cautious. She let us hold her, both Kurt and I. We were given a few gifts from the SWI and Marian is going to translate the nannies notes and a letter from the Foster family.

The picture we have as our update is actually pretty recent. She is a peanut. I would say about the size of a 9 month old. She weighs about 16 lbs and is 28"long. She is super playful and pretty easy going for the moment. She has a scar from surgery and we think her lips are lovely- a little like the Angelina Jolie look. We are so in love. I will provide more info on the next post. I want to get back to playing with her.
Here she is-our precious- Joylin!

She fell asleep in the 15 min car ride back.

Here is the Look.

And here she is laughing- love that drool...

More pictures...

Day 2 -leaving Beijing heading to Tianjin

2010-11-21T15:24:00.011-05:00

Today started off as a nice restful day. First the rest of the families left in the am with our guide- George to head to their provinces to pick up their children.
Our Beijing guide- George.

We headed to breakfast where we tried some different things for breakfast. I had the Milk steamed buns.
Kurt tried some steamed green veggie- Chinese cabbage. I refused due to being warned about veggies. Some different looking eggs.

We had until 2 pm to repack and wait for our next guide, Marian, to take us to the train station to Tianjin. She will be with us the whole week. When we met her, we knew she is going to be a fabulous help. She also works as a translator for our agency in Beijing and is the main guide for the area. She is about our age too.
Right away she was telling us information about Joylin that she had after calling the orphanage. We were again excited for more details on our mysterious wonder.

A few notes about Joylin:
1) she has been in Foster care for the last 4 months. We are not going to meet the FF b/c it is forbidden by the gov. We brought extra gifts which we will send along to the FF with a Thank you.
2) we know her lip had been repaired but not her palate and so she is eating still only soft foods. Marian bought us a few local foods to bring with us. See photo. I was surprised about the BBQ chips and shrimp flakes but thought the one cracker box looked like our US "Gold fish" brand. I think the teddy bears cookies will be a hit.

3) She likes to play in bath tub, VERY extroverted (hmmmm), and up at 6 am beditme 10:30 pm with only a 1 hour nap - (uh oh) and she LOVES to shop (ok - I just added that in- to be determined!)

We took the Bullet train- Kurt said the train was traveling at 180 mph! It was a smooth ride. Getting all our luggage on and off was another "unique" experience. I would relate it to the subway but we had so much luggage and it was hard to maneuver around all the people. It was extremely crowded. Our largest suitcase wouldn't even fit down the aisle. Poor Kurt was swarmed and the middle of a traffic jam- no one seemed to get it to move out of his way so he could open the aisle. A view from the train trip.

We arrived in Tianjin and it remind us more of a large city (10 Mil people!)Tons of traffic on a Sunday late afternoon. We had dinner in a "fast food" authentic restaurant- Kurt tried Spicy Sour noodles. I talked him out of something rated 4 chili peppers hot. I didn't want him getting sick before our big day! We had to eat with Chopsticks- Kurt was a real trooper- noodles and chopsticks are difficult for the first timer. I will get a picture of this tomorrow:)
Tianjin view from our room- 15th floor.

Our room is a fantastic large corner room. We will have a nice amount of room to play in here. We unpacked for the next 5 days. So now we are suppose to get some rest. The beds are extremely hard. We have 3 blankets on the mattress (ie board).

So tomorrow I will take pictures of the hotel and JOYLIN!

Day one in Beijing

2010-11-20T13:34:00.016-05:00

We arrived late on 11-19. Got to our hotel at 1 am. We had no problems sleeping at night. Neither of us slept on the plane.

We had a good breakfast buffet. I'll take some pictures later to show you some of the unusual options.

We met our travel friends today and toured with them. Many of our tour spots are assigned by the government. You saw the buses dropping all the "foreigners" off at these sights. First stop the Jade factory.
Here is someone carving the jade.

3 things we learned about jade:
1) There is hard and soft jade. The hard jade is rarer called "jadeite" and used to make jewelry. The soft jade is used to make sculptures.
2) Jade is like diamonds in the US. There are 3 grades of Jade- A, B, C. A being the most pure.
3) Jade is suppose to "share" its mineral component with the wearer.

THE GREAT WALL of CHINA

Then we were off to the Great Wall. We went to the non machine side, meaning no machines were used to make or fix this part of the wall. It was very steep.
Christine tried to go up but her fear of heights took over and had to stay at the lower part. Kurt took the hike and got some great pictures. Three things we learned about the Great Wall:
1) It was created to keep the enemies out and used by many dynasties.

2) the wall officers used smoke to communicate along the wall to warn the town. The special smoke during the day was made from wolf dung (poop). This smoke is darker and goes straight up. They used regular wood for night fires.
3) It is 8700 km long.

We needed a break and had lunch- family style with the food in middle. It was fun. We did not get to choose what we wanted but there was a variety. Where we ate was another gov sanctioned restaurant with a gift shop below that you had to go in and out.
.

We took a short trip to where the Summer Olympics in 2008 were held.

We saw where the torch was placed.
The "Bird Cage". Amazing architecture!

And the "Water Cube" where swimming was held. The place was kept very clean.

The evening ended with a flying acrobatic show. Very entertaining some highlights (I couldn't get a good picture):
10 girls on a bike while it was moving in a circle.
2 guys in a dual hamster ball wheel in the air moving it around in a circle while jump roping.

Over all, Beijing feels very safe. They are use to foreigners. There is a lot here that we are not going to be able to see. There are the Ming Tombs, the Forbidden City, and so much more. I think it would be a great place to visit and stay longer.
we were so tired and fell asleep at 7 pm Beijing time. Which is why at 3 am we are awake posting this:)
We leave Sunday afternoon for Tianjin.

The PLAN

2010-11-18T10:03:00.003-05:00

Here is the PLAN. Let's hope all goes according to the PLAN. It is always God's PLAN anyway...

*** Projected Plan for Group 1662 ***

11/18 Leave U.S. for Beijing at 1pm.

11/19 Arrive in Beijing
Welcomed by your Beijing guide George. Go to the Holiday Inn Downtown. Free time. Enjoy!

11/20 Tour Beijing. Ask George for details. Great Wall and Ming Tombs

11/21 Tour Beijing. Ask George for details. Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong Tour.

In the evening, take the bullet train from Beijing to Tianjin. Your CCAI rep will travel with you to Tianjin. Your Tianjin CCAI rep will be Marian.
Go to the Golden Ocean Hotel

11/22 Receive your child today. (aka GOTCHA DAY!)Congratulations! Complete paperwork needed by the orphanage. You will also apply for your child’s Chinese passport in the afternoon.

11/23 Go to the Registration Office to do adoption registration & notarization. Please note that your adoption is finalized at the time of registration. After this point, the Chinese government prohibits you from relinquishing your child in China.

11/24 Receive your child’s notary paperwork.

11/25 Optional City Tour – Ask Marian for details.

11/26 Receive your child’s passport.

Leave Tianjin for Guangzhou on flight TBA.
Welcomed by CCAI representatives Jason.

11/27 Have your child’s visa physical and visa photo taken this morning. Bring supplies (water, snack, etc.). Be ready to go!

11/28 Meet with CCAI representatives to prepare paperwork for the Consulate appointment: Please bring all of your documents and passports to this meeting.

11/29 Today is your Consulate appointment.
Your CCAI representative will deliver your visa packets to the U.S. Consulate Adoption Unit in the morning. In the afternoon you will go to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath.
11/30 Waiting for the U.S. Consulate to prepare your visa packet.

12/1 A CCAI representative will go to the U.S. Consulate to receive your child’s visa packet. Prepare to leave for home.

12/2 Leave Guangzhou for Beijing on Air China CA 1330 @ 10:00.
Please proceed to the hotel that you have booked in Beijing.

12/3 Leave Beijing for the U.S. Please check in 2 hours prior to departure for the US. Please check your tickets for specific information. WELCOME HOME!

On our way!

2010-11-18T09:59:00.003-05:00

This is us getting ready to head out the door.
The sign says "We are coming, Joylin. See you in Tianjin, China!"Yes. Lots of luggage. Not sure what we will need. Can you see the bags under my eyes?

Testing out the baby Carrier

2010-11-14T11:27:00.004-05:00

The cat is spoiled rotten. I am definitely the favorite b/c I feed him, keep the litter box clean and pet him gently.
He was helpful today when I needed to check out our new baby carrier- (THANKS, Molinari family!)

We are TA!

2010-10-29T19:58:00.003-05:00

Yeah! We just received our Travel Approval phone call from our agency. This means that the dates are narrowed to us leaving anytime starting Nov 11th (OMG!!!) and be back before Dec. 7th! We are coming for you, Joylin!
I am hyperventilating....Better start looking for the suitcase...

Many Thanks!

2010-10-21T07:16:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all of those who are celebrating our "joy" and happiness with the news of our referral.
Thanks to the Puca Family for sending beautiful flowers.

Thanks to all of those people who are sending in quilt squares.

Thanks to Deanne and Darcy for patience as I waffle around shower or not.

Thanks to Michelle for making the quilt- I truly appreciate your skill and effort in creating it.

Lastly, thank you to Ch*Na for sharing one of your children with us- we feel privileged!

Waiting for TA

2010-10-21T07:05:00.004-05:00

Just thought I would update people that right now we are waiting for our TA- Travel Approval. It is harder now that we have her darling face to dream at and now have her here.
I checked again with our agency to ask about an update. They did make the request on Sept 19, so it is hard to believe it is only a month. We would really love some information on her now- our data is from when she was 3 months old.

Hopefully I will have more to post soon.

It is a girl!

2010-10-02T07:43:00.003-05:00

Announcing
Joylin
Mary-Sandra
Brillhart

We are so excited to share this news! After waiting for 4 years- it is finally happening! Isn't she a cutie?
Her DOB is Aug 2, 2009
From Tianjin CWI
Chinese name Wei Ya Yuan (means Ya-Elegant Yuan Park)

We hope to receive our Travel approval within 5-8 weeks. Home before Christmas! What a wonderful gift for us all!

A special song

2010-10-01T09:03:00.003-05:00

I came across this music video by Stephen Curtis Chapman. I have always liked his music but this one had me really crying today. He had adopted and really understands so much of the emotional roller coaster about adoption, parenting, and living a good life. I also listened to his "Cinderella" song. I better leave the computer and do something else today....put this in your browser for a really nice song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=demRHgul2Zk&feature=player_embedded

Hoping it meant to be...

2010-09-30T11:21:00.002-05:00

All I can say is we hope to share great news here soon! I have been so unproductive these last two weeks and praying for strength and MORE patience. Just let it be final, please!

The road for us

2010-09-19T22:21:00.005-05:00

I am between two roads. One road will take us into the final adoption process with a daughter that we have been waiting for over 3 years for and love her tremendously. This road brings the emotional roller coaster of parenting that does not compare to any other life situation. I am scared, excited, full of hope, lots of faith and willing to give up any self interests for her adjustment and well being. We will be trusted with giving her a family and helping her feel loved.

The second road is one I have just accepted as a choice. It will be the road of moving on to more independence, letting go of the little boys as they adjust into adulthood. It will be giving up the hope for adoption of one that would need me. I shall bemore grateful for what I have and content on the way fate has lead me on this road. I will be more aggressive in my work and seek more opportunities.

So here I am. I have been here a while but finally able to understand where I am, how I got here, the emotions tied to this and the positives of each road. I am trusting my faith that my road will be clear within 2 months. We will not renew paperwork or continue to wait for a daughter. There are so many others in line behind us that if we are unable to be matched then it wasn't our fate. If we do get matched with in 2 months then I will trust that this was our destiny.
It is difficult to put a deadline to this process, but as a family we need to.

We will see

2010-09-08T13:25:00.004-05:00

Just looking at the time since our LID. 3 years 11 months and one week. I wish I could say it has gone by fast...like how my oldest son is in 8th grade soon to be in HS. My youngest is in his last year of elementary school. Yes, that was fast. I am blessed to see them growing up and making more memories with them. The wait for this adoption, not much to show except receipts and paperwork.
We made the decision this month to put our name on the Waiting Child list. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a list that comes out once a month from Ch*na of children with special needs. Maybe the right child is on there for our family, we will see. All we can do is wait....

Just stopping in...

2010-06-15T21:28:00.003-05:00

I counted it out from RQ's latest projections from the lowest and slowest category of referral projection time. I actually counted 15 months with a LID of 9/29/06. It kind of shocked me. That was suppose to be the original time frame not the 3-4year emotional struggle we have been in. I used the idea that it takes 4 months to complete a month of LIDs. I guess that might be too optimistic.
15 months...seems so close.(if the glass is half full)
15 months...I wish it was now....

Round 3 of paperwork

2009-09-19T15:36:00.005-05:00

Our paperwork for the US gov is off again with another check! Our paperwork is good each time for 18 months. Obviously, when we started this, 18 months was the wait time. Three times we are filing out the same forms- changing very little only our ages!
I was hesitating this time around b/c I am not bringing in a salary right now. I had already started the homestudy re-write in June, so some money was already spent. I guess I had to continue and hope for the best.
Once we get our paperwork update - it will be good for another 18 months. Then we will be grandfathered (no, not grandparents YET) and ask for another free extension for another 18 months. After that, it will be really hard to renew again.
We can't help that our original adoption family plan has changed and we will be 3 years older at that point.

Hopeless

2009-08-17T18:02:00.002-05:00

I used the China Referral forecast calculator and this is what it came up with...

Our prediction for LID 2006-09-29
China has 191 days of dossiers to be processed before they get to your dossier. China currently processes about 3.1 days of dossiers each month.

Our best guess: 2013-04-17

Since China generally sends out referrals in a batch about once per month, your referral date could easily vary +/- one month depending on whether you just get included or just get missed in a particular batch.
About 4 more years....???????...

I'm so sad....

Counting the days

2009-08-06T16:51:00.004-05:00

RQ gave a great post about visually helping kids understand the days before our referral. She mentioned using items in a jar like marbles or pennies or something that you could put a large amount in. After a referral date is posted by CCA* , then take out that number of days that were matched.
I think a jar would be really helpful for ME, too!

Here is our calculation of "days" left in line:
It is 192 days from the start date March 22, 2006 (the latest match date) to the end date (Sept. 29, 2006 -our LID date), end date included.

Or 6 months, 8 days including the end date

Alternative time units
192 days can be converted to one of these units:
16,588,800 seconds
276,480 minutes
4608 hours
27 weeks (rounded down)

You Might Be Adopting From China If:

2009-05-22T09:09:00.002-05:00

(borrowed from The Shelton Family blog)

...you know that I-600 & I-171 aren't highways

...you've been expecting a baby for over 3 years

...you understand that it's 2006 in some parts of the world

...you've "paid for" 3 citizenships, but never brought anyone into the U.S

...you know that waiting for China has nothing to do with Macy's or dishes

...your homestudy is followed by a number (i.e. #3 or #4)

...you never know how many days next month will have

...you know that babies come in batches

...you've been fingerprinted four times, but never committed a crime

...you automatically assume everyone who is expecting is having a girl

...you own new clothing in 3 little sizes for all 4 seasons -because you don't know when or how big (I will add that she has more clothes than I do!)

...you look twice when you see a ladybug

...you're more interested in what will happen in April 2006 than in April 2009

...you know people who understand when you talk about 2 day months & 5 day months

...your due date hasn't changed by days, but by years

...you know who the Rumor Queen is ... AND ... you don't know who she is

...you know that forecast doesn't have anything to do with the weather

...you've waited so long, they re-checked your fingerprints to see if they changed

...trying to understand why they're printing you again, you study your own fingerprints and wonder if fingerprints grow wrinkles

...when you speak of "that time of month" you're talking about CCAA updates & referrals

This one made me laugh AND cry! God is good and if it is meant to be then it will be...

An Update of Sorts....

2009-03-10T18:04:00.004-05:00

WOW! It has been five months since I did my last post. It isn't because I haven't been near a computer but as I said in my holiday letter - not much to say.

We are still waiting. We will go through another renew process this summer to keep our paperwork current. Way back I said that we wouldn't renew unless we were close. Well, we aren't much closer- random polls suggest anywhere from March 2010 on a good day to Dec 2015 on a bad day.
We will renew- it is just more waiting. While we soul search - I still feel the need to keep going. Like - I can't let go! I will try to use this time to keep reading information to help train us for a variety of adoption scenarios.

It has been 3 years this month since we made the decision and contacted an agency. The estimate at that time was 18 months. A bit long (*snort*) but we will use the time to get ready.

Still moving slowing but forward. They are on March 6th, 2006 LID - We are Sept 29, 2006 not far on a yearly calendar but may be years in a referral away. At this point - not much else to do....

Update

2008-10-10T17:48:00.005-05:00

Here is a short update on the adoption.

Sept. 29, 2008 was our 2 years of waiting anniversary.

Referrals were matched at the end of Sept. for people with LID (paperwork dates in Ch*na) through Feb. 15, 2006.

The line is still moving. People are still receiving referrals.

March is a huge month of people waiting. We hope they can get through that month by Jan 2009.

Our USGIS paperwork will expire in Sept. 2009. I hope we have a better projection of the time frame.

I took a new job and love it! This keeps me focused and organized. Maybe I should use this time to get established in my job/career so that when princess does come, I can have both.

Another update

2008-08-18T18:18:00.005-05:00

We took another small step in line this month. I think the term "baby steps" is an ironic play on words in this case.

We were lucky to have a set of referals this month since the speculation was there wouldn't be any due to the Olypm*cs. Most of the gov agencies have closed until they are over. Next month will also be small IF they are able to get any at all. Many people still waiting in IA are hopeful that the rumor of things speeding up after this month comes true. There are many prayers for more matching, and we are among them.

The predictions if things continue or slow even farther down are horrible. But we are almost in our 2nd year of waiting. There are many more important needs in the world than my desperate plea for answers. I have seen my selfish ways too often. If I can keep busy enough and avoid the daily speculations- I can get through this using more patience.

Someone the other day didn't like how I was rushing to get something back from service- She scolded me and said "slow down, You have to have patience. Just wait, in time."
Blah! Blah ! Blah! I wanted to shout like a two year old - I have been waiting! I am tired of it!" Then wanted to throw myself down in a temper tatrum. BUT I did not. I did manage a half smile through gritted teeth though.

We can do this. 2010 doesn't look so far away anymore. A special little girl is there for us. I love to see the people's news of the latest referrals. Someday it will be us, looking back telling people it was worth the wait.

Latest Referrals

2008-06-14T10:07:00.004-05:00

The latest referrals were for people logged in (LID) with paperwork was from January 13-20th. That is seven days further we move up. Better than last month's batch but slower than last year at this time. Moving forward is still a plus.

The rumor is to get to March 2006 by the end of this year. March has a lot of families logged in. It will take a while to get that paperwork done & matched.

We are LID end of September 2006 & still in line hoping for some faster matching.

Congrats to all those who waited for 29 months to see their new family members!

What do you say?

2008-06-09T19:04:00.004-05:00

The question is caring & hopeful but my answer is so full of emotions that I am not sure if this is what people are ready to listen to. Everyone means well, but do they really want to hear me ramble again?

"How is the adoption going?"

My favorite picture. Patience.
We are waiting. Still waiting. Yes, this is the longest wait for IA with Ch*na. Our paperwork will expire again in May 2009. We will have to decide to continue by refiling the paperwork or pull out. I am desperately hopeful at this point. Why so long? Many reasons- but this is the way it is right now. We have a closet full of clothes, books & toys for "princess." The boys have written stories about having a sister to play with, take care of and spoil.
I was devastated by the news of the Ch*na earthquake, the schools and the people that lost their lives, homes, family. I did get upset though that I counted at least 20 orphanages in the effected region. Why are there that many orphanages when there are so many willing people?

I guess it is a culture that I will have to keep learning about, empathising, and understand.
Thank you for asking.

Interesting Quote

2008-05-29T13:30:00.004-05:00

Consider the postage stamp;
its usefulness consists in
the ability to stick to one thing
till it gets there.

-josh billings 1818-1885

No news. Still waiting...

For Fun

2008-04-06T18:29:00.004-05:00

Not much is new. We are very excited to have spring here and some nicer weather. Here is our dog with her pal playing tug O war.

We passed our 18th anniversary of waiting. We haven't rec'd our latest update paperwork but the longer our gov takes to process this then the longer we have until it expires.

We rec'd our passports in just 4 weeks. They are good until 2018. I hope we have travelled to China before then!
Just keeping busy & enjoying the boys. Maybe applying for a new job.

The latest referrals were reported to take the current placement date to Jan 9th, 2006. Congrats to those who are celebrating. At least we are in 2006.

Still waiting

2008-03-02T19:17:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted much since there isn't much to post.

Just Waiting...
Waiting for the next set of referrals to be official.
Waiting as we just passed our 17th LID anniversary.
Waiting for the new 171 form from our paperwork renewal.
Waiting for answers to many questions with IA adoption in China.
Just Waiting.....

Starfish Supply Raiser...

2008-02-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

This information is posted on fellow adopter's blog Red Mary Janes to spread the word about helping out a special charity.

Starfish Foster Home is run by an angel. The dedication she has for the children is beyond any words. If you are not familiar with Amanda or the Starfish Foster Home in China, please visit their blog at 'Chinese Starfish Blog' and the Chinese Starfish Organization website for donations and information.

Starfish Foster Home is always in need of small-item donations! Some things are just difficult to get in China. At the moment, they need the following items. Due to import regulations, it is better to receive new items.

Long sleeved onesies or body suits from 0-3to 2T. We need some for next year
Winter sleepers, the ones with covered feet from about 6-9 months to 3T.
Any summer clothes, Preemie to 2T.
Summer shoes from 0 to 6 children's.
Vick's Baby rub
Infant Motrin and Tylenol
Gripe Water from Amazon.com
Pelican plastic bibs
Baby sunscreen
Plastic backed changing table covers
Plastic backed bibs
Playtex Bottles (the ones with the bags in them)
Playtex nipples (the have four different kinds some of each will do)

If you would like to help the Starfish Foster Home by supplying any of these items or any other items for small children, e-mail Kim at timnkim@gmail.com or go directly to the Chinese Starfish site to get mailing information.

She will be collecting the items throughout the month of February and then mailing them to Chinese Starfish at the end of the month.

Even if you cannot donate at this time- please check out the Chinese Starfish blog and the mission of this foster home at Chinese Starfish Foster Home. It is very inspiring to know that angels are out there.

It is 16!

2008-01-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

This case it is not a sweet sixteen.

Right now this adoption blog is nothing more than a reminder of another month waiting.

The current wait is 24-26 months. What this means is that people who have just received a child referral have waited 24-26 months. Rumors & speculations are telling us that we have 3-5 more years. 2008 is not really possible without a miracle. 2009 is less likely to happen also.
Have Faith. I do. But not necessarily that this adoption will actually take place. I have faith that the divine power is in control and knows what is best. His plan may not include this adoption. That I am accepting. Depressed? Of course, but we have our paperwork in through 2009. Then we will see what will happen.

We are looking into other countries IA programs. We are trying to find the right fit. We started off wanting to expand our family. We decided not to add another into the world with children needing homes. So Ch*na was a perfect fit for us but we would have to wait a year. Well that changed.

We are currently researching Eth*opia. The orphanages and country is in extreme poverty. This seems to be where the need for a new life is greatest. Just some health factors and emotional issues to work through. It isn't the perfect fit but we may be led this path.

So another month waiting. Thanks for reading....see you next month.

The latest updates

2008-01-09T19:57:00.000-05:00

The rollercoaster continues. The latest referrals were for LID up to December 19th, 2005. This was another small batch. Remember I am a Sept 2006 LID.
There is HUGE concern over what is happening with the IA program in China.
People want to know but there doesn't seem to be much information given. This is when the rumors and speculation is high. People need to figure out what is going on and many people have ideas.
I have been bouncing around to check out some.
The Olympics is probably a factor. Speculation is that China is planning on minimizing some of the IA program because image.
There are other rumors that they will only be through Feb 2006 at the end of 2008. Again, this is a tough one- drawing out a lot of emotions on all grounds.
I am going to have to trust this is the path I am meant to take.

This is part of my daily prayers & readings:

"May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. (this is really hard on some days)....
Let His presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love....."

We are renewing our paperwork. All of our doctors reports were good & we are now waiting for the home study update. This should take us into 2009.

Another LID anniversary....

2007-12-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

Here we go again. There isn't much to write each month. Trying to stay optimistic, empathising with fellow adopters, and keeping busy.
Not feeling very good with details lately, I sent 50 holiday cards with the wrong adoption blog address. Luckily it didn't take them to something nasty. Just nowhere. Now do I send a postcard with the right address as a follow-up?

I did buy an ornament (see below) but didn't take it out of the box- I might end up sending it to someone who actually goes through with the wait.

We are in the mist of updating our home study. Just had some doctors appointments & our police reports are cleared. There is some paperwork to file with our gov but it isn't as much as the first time. We will wait for another appointment time to be fingerprinted again.

Lessons

2007-12-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Hard to post lately. I use this blog for more factual or information for others.
The emotions are still there. Overly controlled on this blog but as I wrote my holiday letters last night- it was hard to update others with "still waiting to adopt."
My dream world was going to have her in our family pictures this year & to welcome her and introduce her to the Christmas card community of friends & family that we have.
Sigh...
I recently watched Evan Almighty with the family & a great friend. I am intrigued and think about a special quote in it lately.
The comment is coming from "God" (Morgan Freeman) to Evan (Steve Carrell)
"If you ask God for courage, does he give you courage or does he give you the opportunity to be courageous?"
So I am going to take this a few steps further -
If you ask God for patience, does he give you patience or does he give you the opportunity to be patient?
If you ask God for strength, does he give you strength or does he give you the opportunity to be strong?

I am trying to learn & grow from these opportunites...

14 LID anniversary

2007-11-30T14:25:00.000-05:00

Yeah! We are out of the review room and moving down the hall to the match room but the cart our paperwork is on is in a HUMONGOUS back up line.

Yesterday was our official 14th anniversary. Some people like to celebrate anniversaries - I would like to celebrate the GOTCHA day instead.

More Math

2007-11-23T16:04:00.001-05:00

This information came from another site but they explain some of the math.

Using this information to calculate the number of dossiers ahead of us Sept 2006ers:
as of October 2007 30000 dossiers at CCAA
12600 dossiers for October 2006 - April 2007 if you use 1800 dossiers filed on avererage for those months
3000 dossiers for May 2007 - October 2007 (if you use 500 dossiers files on average for those months)
30000 - (12600 + 3000) = 14,400 dossiers ahead of us
with 7000 referals a year or (7000 / 12= 583 referrals /month)
and 100 files closed per month
14,400 / 683 = 21 months or August 2009.
That would put us at a total wait of about 35 months.

While my thoughts are obvious on this- there is hope for something to change. I guess I will keep up the faith.

We are currently renewing our paperwork with the US gov. We are granted one FREE extension. After our paperwork expires the second time- I believe we will drop out.

13th...

2007-10-29T19:04:00.000-05:00

Well, with mixed emotions it is our 13th month LID ( ie waiting). 13 is good because we are still moving forward. Yep, time has NOT stood still for this ghastly wait.

When we started our paperwork in March 2006, the wait was projected to be about a year to 15 months. So I guess technically we are still in that time frame. Unrealistic to think it could happen so in Dec. I can probably lay it out then.

So another step forward, moving up in file-ville. Happy LID to my fellow line mates.

Referrals for September

2007-10-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

I don't pretend to understand the universe - it's much bigger than I am
Albert Einstein

They have confirmation of referrals through Nov. 30th 2005. The cutoff is not set but doesn't look good according to the rumors. We don't know if Dec.1st - 5th is in or not.

People with Chinese heritage have been expedited through Aug 2006. That is very good news that children are being placed.

Congrats to all of you that see the light at the end of this long tunnel now. This last month was an emotionally rough one.

It's been 12!

2007-09-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

It has been 12 months that our paperwork has been logged in China. I tried not to think (obsess) about it too much.

My feelings were of mixed emotions. Glad to get through a big milestone but then WHY does it have to be this long?

To be the eternal optimist (which is always challenged) I went to the closet with gifts from friends & family for our China girl. It is packed! see below!
She is blessed and probably not even born yet - this chick has more "stuff" than most children--- her brothers were not so well gifted this early:) Yeah, that's the way it should be for our Asian princess anyway.

I have put together a little rhyme for this occasion.SUNG to 12 days of Christmas.

On the 1st month of LID china girl rec'd...
One lady bug toy.

On the 2nd month of LID china girl rec'd...
Two china dolls and

On the 3rd month of LID china girl rec'd...
Three pairs of boots and

On the 4th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Four special blankets and

On the 5th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Five rubber duckies and

On the 6th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Six golden treasures and

On the 7th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Seven dress shoes and

On the 8th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Eight cute dresses and

On the 9th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Ninth special books and

On the 10th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Ten quilt squares and

On the 11th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Eleven lucky dragon flies and

On the 12th month of LID china girl rec'd...
Twelve little socks and

* ok.. they didn't all actually come in that month but you get the idea- she is loaded! Now all we need is HER!

Outta there!

2007-09-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

AUGUST is Outta there! Congrats folks! That was fast- good signs? Anyone see a dragon fly?

September LID is next.
Please no phone calls....

The CCAA has finished
the review of the
adoption application
documents registered
with our office before
August 31, 2006.
The CCAA has finished
the placement of children
for the families whose
adoption application
documents were
registered with our
office before
November 25, 2005.

Fundraiser

2007-09-10T20:03:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we were a part of a fundraiser. Called: An Afternoon at the Museum: a Kid's view.

The kids from 5 families worked on some type of research through the summer to exhibit. There was a cafe, silent auction and art work on display. We were even lucky enough to have a firetruck visit for an hour.
The kids did the planning through a series of meeting over the summer. The kids range in age from 10-5yrs. The kids donated the money raised to Habitat for Humanity and Love without Boundaires. They raised $300. We are so porud of them. It was a long day too.

This is Brett with his Hockey display.

This is Garrett with his animal facts and tree frog display.

Here is the display for the donations.

Dang Nebit!

2007-09-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

This is probably the nicest way I can state how upset we are that the latest news is that there were only 4 days LID referrals.
To explain for those not in this twisted mess what just happened is that the Chinese government agency took the whole month of Aug. to move 4 days of LID paperwork. The last 3 referral trends were 7 days. Now it is lower.
When we signed on there was about 3 weeks of referral dates for each calendar month. It has been getting progressively slower- which means - the wait for us is LONGER.
Current predictions for the BEST case scenario from NOW is 2 years for us to recieve a referal. Why this is happening is not clear- not easy to give ONE reason.
We need a miracle that this is not the trend.

11th month LID anniversary!

2007-08-29T07:18:00.000-05:00

It has been ELEVEN months that our paperwork has been in China.
So what is so special about eleven? A little Internet research shows...

1. Schoolhouse Rock. Who doesn't remember fondly the educational musical vignettes that used to be shown between our favourite cartoons on Saturday morning? The Good Eleven was a segment of the Multiplication Rock series.

2. A rocket must travel at over 11km per second to escape the Earth's gravity.

3. According to Numerology, 11 possesses the qualities of intuition, patience, honesty, sensitivity, and spirituality, and idealism.

4. Eleven, 11 lettered words.
1. Maintenance
2. Justifiable
3. Foolishness
4. Truehearted
5. Documentary
6. Foretelling
7. Girlfriends
8. Knucklehead
9. Summerhouse
10. Tranquility
11. Yesteryears

5. The symbol for the 11th anniversary is STEEL.

6. The 11th president of the United States was James Polk.

7. Eleven Pipers Piping, from 12 Days Of Christmas, would cost $2,053.

8. 11 is the atomic number of sodium.

9. The 11th moon of Jupiter is called Himalia

10. In Astrology, the 11th house is of Ideals, Friends and Allies

11. Apollo 11 was the first mission to the moon. July, 1969.

Mexico?

2007-08-14T07:54:00.000-05:00

My mother has retired to Mexico- near Lake Chapula. She told me last night on the phone that a group of Irish people came in a restaurant with their newly adopted Mexican babies. She said they were beautiful.

Does anyone know why we don't hear of adopting from Mexico in US? Is is because of the Haugue treaty? I wish I was there to ask a thousand questions.
Looks like I have ANOTHER project to work on.

Anniversary clarification

2007-08-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry to be misleading with the photo. We are into our 11th anniversary. The picture was to show cloud "nine". The ticker shows our LID. We actually starting making calls and signing up in March 2006.
We decided that we will start our renewal process once. We will probably pull out if we have to do a third time. I guess we are looking for an end date- like most of you. I need to plan ahead. I am always a "what-if?" person.

Referrals for July

2007-08-03T17:58:00.000-05:00

COngrats to all those people who received referrals with LID Nov 14 - 21st 2005. The children are precious. I love referral time - it shows that matches are being made and I can take my next step in line forward. Happy cloud Nine!

Just a joke...

2007-08-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

I have friends that travel to China for work.
They ask me "Do you want something while I am there?"
My response is always "My daughter!"

Do you think she could fit in their suitcase?
Would they notice one less orphaned girl?
Do you think by writing this I will be on the hold list during the review process?

Update: Rumors tend to show only another week of referrals for the month of July. I am praying that the Nov LID group is just enormous (bless you all and the agony of week by week) and that this is NOT the trend. March LID 2006 seems big too. We are Sept 29 LID so I can only IMAGINE the strain of week by week. Let's hope I don't have to experience it. Argh.

All quiet ....

2007-07-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

It is quiet on the China adoption homefront. Always rumors but this is where the speculation is highest.

I was in a children's store this week and saw a lady with a little dark haired girl. I got bold and asked the lady how old her daughter was? She thought I was asking for the size of clothes. I mentioned these were for someone else and threw in the word "LID" to show a connection. Her daughter is no more than 3 yrs from Indonesia. Very cute. She had to go to the orphange 3 times and had to leave the country each time. She was able to stay in Russia for 2 months with her son.

Everyone has a story. Each adoption is unique in its own way.

Still waiting

2007-07-17T18:35:00.001-05:00

Still waiting in line... I was disappointed to see from my agency that only 19 children were referred in the last batch from Nov. 7 -14th.

But I did get to see a real referral from a real couple this past weekend. She was lovely. I choked up too. I couldn't help but feel like there will be a day for us too. They waited for 20 months.
So I will just stay in my place in line-

I am enjoying meeting the people around our LID. Some people are going for their first adoption, some this is their second! I cannot imagine doing this again.

I do appreciate the strong support group- especially from those that have done this before. Each person has a unique perspective on this process.

Actually this picture is misleading since most people can SEE the end...

Riding Tandem

2007-07-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

Congratulations & warm wishes to those that have received referrals this week. Good luck packing and travel.
I am inspired to write that we will get there too.

My post is that we are on a tandem ride. To just say that "the adoption journey is quite the experience" - is an understatement. The waiting process is long and getting longer. Some days you hear good news - other days not so good and most of the time - you hear nothing...

Sometimes I need to find someone else to pedal on this bike for a while. I read others blogs, find adoption stories or see a video that offers some peace and hope. Other times we are working together- sharing ideas and dreams. Today, I checked out all the new referrals on RQ and I feel like pedaling. So sit back if you need- I've got today covered.

Adoption Update

2007-07-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

The latest information is that the next set of referrals are in the mail. The LID that are to be matched are from Nov. 7 - 14th 2005. It seems small but Nov has a large group of people with LID. March 2006 will be large too but hopefully we will see some previous trends in double digit matching soon.

There are 319 more LIDs before us to go. This number came by taking the number of days ahead of our LID 9-29-07 and adding them together:
16 (Nov 2005)+
31 (Dec 2005)+
31 (Jan 2006)+
28 (Feb 2006)+
31 (March 2006)+
30 (April 2006)+
31 (May 2006)+
30 (June 2006)+
31 (July 2006)+
31 (Aug 2006)+
29 (Sept. 2006)
-----------------
319 Days

This number represents all days - there are days included that don't have any LIDs due to holiday or weekend. So we (in the adoption community) hope for a larger span of LID to move us closer to our referral. It is like standing in line.

CCAA (the government agency that has the paperwork) has finished with May 2006 LIDs in the review room. The review room is another double check for making sure all the paperwork is in order and clear for the match room. If there is a problem your adoption agency will be notified and help you correct, clarify or update. Getting out of the review room is a big step in the waiting process- it kind of let you know that that your file was handled and read in China.

Not really an update but...

2007-07-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

"When you want to believe in something, you also have to believe in everything that's necessary for believing in it."
~ Ugo Betti

Nothing new on the latest adoption scene- they are getting close to another set of referrals and a TA group. Best wishes & prayers for those so close- I enjoy seeing all the referral pictures. Somehow it makes it more real.

Nine!

2007-06-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

9- It has been nine months- LID anniversary.Here are some facts about the number nine. Some good, some well not helpful in the wait…

= 3 x 3
A square.

There are nine major planets in the solar system, Beethoven wrote nine symphonies, and a cat is said to have nine lives.

A polygon with nine angles and nine sides is called a nonagon.

In Chinese the word for the number nine is jiu. In French the word neuf means both nine and new. In German, the words for nine and new are neun and neu, and in Spanish, nueve and nuevo.

As you count and reach nine, you know you are about to make a new start.

Rounders and baseball are all played with teams of nine players.

A game of squash is won by scoring nine points.

Golf courses often have nine holes.

The expression to the nines means to the highest degree.

The game of skittles or ninepin bowling is many hundreds of years old. The pins are set up in a diamond formation and players throw the ball (or `cheese') at them. In the nineteenth century some American states passed laws banning the game because bets were often placed on it. But these laws were evaded by the simple ruse of adding a tenth pin. As a result tenpin bowling is now the far more popular game.

On cloud nine means happy, euphoric or `high'. The phrase came into use in the 1950s from a term used by the US Weather Bureau. For the meteorologists Cloud Nine is cumulo-nimbus cloud at a height of 10 km, which is high even by the standard of clouds.

Only about one ninth of the mass of an iceberg is visible above the water. Nearly all its bulk remains hidden beneath the surface.
The 9 of diamonds - the playing card - is sometimes called the Curse of Scotland.

Redivider with nine letters is the longest palindromic word in the English language. A palindromic word has the same sequence of letters backwards or forwards.

A nine days' wonder is something that creates a short-lived sensation.

Dreams

2007-06-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

I like reading about others dreams, although I believe no one can completely interpret the dream but the person who experienced it.

I apologize for lack of details but this is what stayed in memory.

I did have a dream as the sun was rising about being at an adoption center- looked like a day care. I was hugged by a little girl - two/three years. She had black hair shoulder length hair and was named Katie Maggie. She never talked & I only talked with a childcare provider. Katie Maggie as a name wouldn't work since those are the names of my best friend's girls. But if we use the K & M we could name her KIM.
Then she seemed to dissolve into two children - one boy & one girl. Close in age but I thought this would be OK too. Like twins- I can handle it. Then I was getting around to go and had to find the two little boys Matt & Carlos that I was taking home. One was in a wheelchair. Again the thought two is OK.

So what does it mean?
We don't have a name for our daughter- no rush - it keeps changing. We have a top three list and Kimberly is one of them.
Matt & Carlos doesn't mean anything to me.

The child is older than 12 months and she walked toward me. I am not expecting my daughter to be able to walk yet.

Then the two children. One boy & one girl. It won't happen since we have only asked for one little girl.

The two boys at the end is really odd. First we are on a non special needs list (NSN), so why the wheelchair? Two boys and no girl is not what we are planning. We are going through process for the girl.

When I look back on this- the wheelchair wasn't the focus or the gender to me at the time. I was alone without my husband at an adoption center. No paperwork. No stress in any of it. The dream probably only lasted less than 10 minutes when you think about it.

Lately I am seeking what God has planned for me & my family. I second guess myself often so if I was getting a message it is hard to filter through all the other garbage floating around in my head.
"Two is OK" was what I sensed. Does that mean that don't wait for the third child? Or two is OK right NOW - be patient with the two you have.

Unfortunately the sense of peace while sleeping doesn't carry over into the day. Ideas?

Treasure Chest

2007-06-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

One of my special memories is playing in my mother's jewelry box. My sister & I use to put on the costume necklaces and bracelets. There were favorite pieces and ones we would barter for because they sparkled the most. None of her "expensive" jewelry was in there but there was lots to play with. It was a favorite past time to be princesses all dressed up for the ball.

I am trying to build up a "costume" jewelry box for my daughter. Hopefully she'll let me play too. I go to the sale racks in stores looking for sparkly jewelry. I saw some big glittery rings today but they need to go down a little more in price. They would make a beautiful story about the ring with powers.

Also, it isn't easy to find the right jewelry box. I am looking for something particular. Not trendy or too fancy but a wooden box. I am going to go to some garage sales and maybe some antique stores. It is my quest for the perfect treasure chest.

Chinese Ducks

2007-06-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you to my secret pal for these very cute rubber ducks. They go with the bath towel set very well. These arrived a month ago and I was trying to translate them before posting. But I need help translating the symbols. I believe they are the traditional style characters not simplified. I also think the back left one is happiness. If anyone wants to practice their Chinese symbol skills, please share! Thank you again secret pal - you are very creative!

New!

2007-06-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

I am restructuring the blog - because I can! I have linked to a new blog just for the 100 Good Wishes quilt. So far I have one...only 99 more to go! Note the ticker at the top of the blog.

Second- I have also designed Cranium Cafe- aren't I such a geek? Well, this is for my ramblings. You know that movie with Mel Gibson - All Women Want- where he can hear into women's heads? My dH thinks that would be his personal nightmare to get into my head! It never stops - sooooo I am just calling my new blog a rambling - maybe a thought provoking place for those that I know want to "think" with me.
These can be accessed by the extensions on the right.

This blog will always be open for adoption news and general info.

Celebrate

2007-06-07T06:38:00.001-05:00

It's official - I am on summer break! It has been a really tough last two months with so much going on but I am looking forward to some R & R. I am working on my summer list of things to do with the boys. Stay tune for additions to this blog.

Also - Congrats to those that received their children matches this week! CCAA has matched children with those people with LID up through Nov. 7th. I went to some of the sites with the pictures posted- they are adorable and I get all choked up looking at them and hoping for our day. These families have waited about 19 months. It is predicted our wait will be longer. They have finished reviewing paperwork for March 2006 people.
My son & I did our best case scenario- of being matched in Nov 2008, possible scenario - March 2009 and worst case scenario of being matched Feb. 2010. Again, many factors are involved and change (see post - Factors for & Against)
Keep the prayers coming!

Anniversary

2007-05-29T07:09:00.000-05:00

Comrades in waiting... another month down.
Eight months and still counting....

thoughts

2007-05-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Pondering...

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If vegetarians eat vegetables what do humanitarians eat?

How can there be self-help groups?

(these came from my google home page tab -thoughts of the day)

Spring Flowers

2007-05-17T20:00:00.000-05:00

The ground is breaking with flowers!

I took a trip to the Dow gardens. I took over 100 pictures. It was one of those beautiful days. The kids had digital cameras too and we each had different ways of looking at the same flower.

Special Photos

2007-05-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

"Peek-A -Boo"
Anyone that knows me knows I love to take pictures. If you put all my photos together - it is like a flip book. I also take ALOT of photos. It is like a therapy for me. The weather has been getting nicer here so I ventured out to take some photos.

I call this one "Bad Hair Day"

Check out the tongue! "Cheese"

I am so Spoiled!

2007-05-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

Look what my aunt made for our baby's room! I sent her the material and she made the bumper, crib ruffle, and basket liners! They are so beautiful! I cannot sew and actually a sew machine may be considered a weapon with me. I will be doomed to getting hurt for sure. My Aunt Dottie makes my boys' Halloween costumes- what ever concoction they come up with. It is never an easy to follow the pattern costume. I just love the home made stuff- they always seem better. I hope to enlist her to help make cute dresses for my daughter. Thank so much, Aunt Dottie! You are really terrific for doing this for me!

Splish! Splash!

2007-04-28T08:25:00.000-05:00

I belong to a secret pal exchange group for those of us waiting to travel to China. These people are from all over US & Canada. I received my first surprise package earlier this week. Isn't it cute! The theme was "bath". I love the trim colors. Whoever she is, thank you!

Patience

2007-04-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

Here is alittle self pep talk...

The strongest of all warriors are these two: Time and Patience.
– Leo Tolstoi

He that can have patience can have what he will.- Benjamin Franklin

Patience is power; with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes silk.- A Chinese Proverb

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg,
not by smashing it.
- Arnold H. Glasgow

Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith.- Adel Bestavros

Six month LID anniversary

2007-03-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

Wahoo! six months under our belt...?? more to go!

The Slow Boat to China...

2007-03-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

After ready some lengthy information provided by my agency and what other news sites say about Chinese Adoptions, Kurt & I have come up with a summary of "factors" beyond our control on our wait for a referral.
This is what we came up with:

Factors For

CCAA is working to persuade local officials to work with them and developing a relationship with them. This is provided through funding, education and supplies.

CCAA moved to a new building with more space. They may hire more people.

There are stricter requirements for incoming dossiers, so there won’t be as much of a build up in the future. Doesn’t really help many of us with our Dossier already there.

Factors against

Dramatic increase in Dossiers (foreign paperwork) –This is because the health of the children, acceptance of Asian adoptions, successful program stability & reliability and manageable wait time. CCAA took more dossiers than their past yearly quota in 2005, then they received many more than they could manage. This is probably the biggest cause for the slow down.

Hunan trafficking incident- A baby was brought to an orphanage and money was asked for the child. The Chinese government made example of these people including the director of the orphanage, so directors may not participate in reporting the orphans to CCAA if there is any uncertainty and the hassle since it was voluntary to participate.

Lack of motivation among officials- international adoption adds too much extra work on an already heavy work load. This is probably the other greatest reason.

Orphanages buildings and symbols of power – Overly large newer facilities need to maintain a certain number of kids or they can lose their jobs. The government has put a lot of money into the orphanages to improve them.

Impact of Economic success – Improved economics has lead to more domestic adoptions and less abandonment.Less orphans is a good sign for China, but this is minimal since the most of the country sides are still dealing with low economic issues.

2007-03-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

I read an article in TIME about how your brain can time travel. It was really interesting. I love writing which is new and leaves open possibilities. Anyhow, this article discussed how your brain is able to time travel. The brain is able to ignore our 3 dimensional space. This happens every time you relive or think about a memory. Your physical self/matter cannot leave this time space continuum but your brain does it frequently. You can go back in time to when you were small, or visit your favorite vacation spot, or speed ahead in time to the day we are finally off to China! It is such a neat concept. I will attest to lots of daydreaming errr I mean time traveling when spring comes!

So when do we travel?

2007-03-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

I bet some of you are wondering when are we traveling to China to meet our daughter. Well, let me briefly explain the process where we are now. My information is what I have read & asked about.
We had all of our translated paperwork checked in with China on 9/29/06, this is our "Log in date" (LID). The current process is for the Chinese government (CCAA) to review our paperwork and match those qualified people with requests with the available orphan information sent to them by the orphanages. This process is the only way to adopt with China.
Most people, including us, have requested a healthy girl at 0-12 months of age. CCAA of China will choose the child for us. We will be given this referral and have to accept within 24 -48 hours. While other people have requested a waiting child. These children have some minor to major disabilities or may be older. Their wait may be a little shorter and the adoption agency has a list so you can actually “choose” your child.
OK so the big question is WHEN? As of this week, people with LID of 10/05 have just received a match. Then people travel in about 6 -8 weeks from this phone call.
Our projected timeline (which varies with different people’s math) to receive a match or our daughter's picture is about 18-20 months from our LID. So right now we would be traveling in late 2008.
Hope this helps. Right now we are in the very long wait phase. Why the long wait? That will be my next post.

Can you find our File?

2007-03-04T14:56:00.000-05:00

As many other adoption blogs are showing - this is one of the rooms where our dossier in China sits. A fellow adoption blogger stated it the best: "I think I see ours! It is the fourth row from the right, third shelf down, 12th dossier in the stack on the left. See it? Yeah, me neither. I really hope it's in that room. I hear they might be matching as we speak, come on...BIG BATCH, BIG BATCH!!!" thanks to Lisa M for some humor in this.

Join the Quilt for our daughter

2007-02-28T20:23:00.000-05:00

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei,
or
100 Good Wishes Quilt.

It is a custom to invite friends and family to contribute a square patch of cloth with a wish for the baby. It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth and a wish. The 100 patches are sewn together into a quilt. We would love if you could participate in this project for our daughter.
The main 8×8 patch of cloth goes into the quilt for the baby, and the other small part of the cloth goes onto a wish or blessing note for the child. The quilt contains the thoughts, prayers, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.We have decided to begin a quilt for our daughter! Our daughter will come to us with very little family history, so this is a way to surround her with love and give her a special keepsake from her forever family.

Can you spare a square?? To participate, please do the following:

1. Find a good quality, 100% cotton piece of cloth that you like. It can be from a piece of clothing or from fabric store. You can choose the fabric that YOU like and something that represents YOU and/or your family.

2. Cut ONE(1) 8X8 Square (this is the square that goes into the quilt) and (1) small swatch (like a 1x1 or 2x2) from the fabric.

3. On a 5x7 or smaller note card/cardstock, glue or somehow attach the small piece of fabric on it and include your blessing, wish, prayer, note or verse for her. Also, please put your name on the blessing card and maybe a little explanation about why you chose the fabric that you did.

4. Mail it to us before our 1 yr anniversary log in date to china 9-29-07

Why we decided to adopt

2007-02-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

About a two years after Brett was born, Kurt & I went to an European Adoption informational seminar. Through it, we figured we would consider China. There were pluses and minuses. The pros were you only have to travel once, the Chinese government chooses the infant for you, it is permanent, the children have clearly been abandoned, the health of the children were among the highest for international adoptions, and our wishes to have a girl. The cons were that the cost was higher and the wait was about a year.
Well, Kurt was interested but still not committed. Soon I was pregnant with Garrett and a wonderful child he is! He keep us very busy for the first 5 years.
Last March (2006) the topic was brought up again. This is because as we get older, we wondered if we should even have a third child and naturally or adopt. I was the one hesitating now. God then must of lead us because I met two really nice families that had adopted and felt more secure about the process. Over a really nice & relaxing spring break vacation, we felt this was the path we are destined to take.
After some research and excellent recommendations, we choose CCAI for our adoption agency. That will be another post another day.