Guess Who's Walking!!!

I'm late posting this since she actually took her first solo steps a couple of weeks ago. Then she didn't show much interest until the last couple of days. She is still a little wobbly and you can just see the concentration in her face. She is just so proud of herself when she gets from point A to point B. If you had bet me two months ago that she would be walking today, you would have won.





Yeah, I know it's been a while since my last post. All is well, just busy and haven't made the blog a priority. We had my friend Andree' from Seattle here and then my parents, sister, nieces and nephew were here. LuLu enjoyed meeting her Aunts and cousins and was happy to see my parents again. We really had a blast and both of those visits deserve a post of there own. I'll try and get some pictures up soon.

Six Week CheckUp

We went to the Dr. last Wednesday for our 6 week checkup. Yes, we have been home 6 weeks. It has FLOWN by!! She now weighs 18.4 pounds and is 29.25 inches long. So, in 6 weeks she gained 3.3 pounds and grew an inch!! We are now officially on the growth charts.

She is also pulling up on anything that is stationary for a second and cruises around from object to object.

Here are a few words that she will say:

Da Da

Ma Ma (finally!!)

Nite Nite

Thank You - although it sounds nothing like "Thank you" and I'm sure I'm the only one that would recognize it.

She will do the signs for "eat", "more" and "dirty" (we made that one up - you just wave your hand over your nose)

She can point to her foot, teeth and dimples. Well, she actually points to the same general area for both tooth and dimples. Yeah, I know most people start with nose but we think the others are much more fun.

Really the only thing that could be improved is the sleeping. I don't think she has slept through the night since we got back from China. The last week has been a little better in that she is easier to get back to sleep once she wakes up so hopefully we are headed in the right direction. Typically she wakes up around 1:30 and 4:30 am expecting a bottle and is downright peeved if you don't immediately produce one. I really think the ONLY way she knows to fall asleep is with the bottle. I'm sure she's waking up more now during the night due to the huge transition that she has gone through. And then of course once she's awake and trying to fall asleep again, she is looking for the bottle. So it's a process of teaching her HOW to fall asleep. I'm sure we'll get there, it's just taking a little time.

Do You See What I See?

082009 022
Originally uploaded by Jon and Karen

Yep, there is a tooth coming in on top. I thought I should make an announcement. My friend Kristen heard it from the owner of our local Thai restaurant and wasn't too happy about that. The latest pearly white peeked through a few days ago and I think the second top tooth isn't far behind.

I know her life will be much easier with teeth but man I'm going to miss that gummy smile.

For Those Yet To Travel - Part Two

As I was giving LuLu her bottle last night, I realized how far we have come. We all hear over and over again that the caretakers in China have probably cut a larger hole in the bottle's nipple. Most packing lists include several nipples and something to cut the hole larger. Even though I had heard this for over three years, I had no idea just how big the hole would be.

When we received LuLu, we also received two boxes of the formula and a bottle that she was using. If I had not seen the nipple myself, I would never have realized how big they make the hole. About one third of the nipple was gone. No sucking required as with a hole that big, the contents would literally pour out.

We immediately went to a smaller hole. Even with that, she would not suck but would just move her tongue around to get something out. We have gradually worked our way to a slightly modified fast flow nipple. In the last couple of days, she has also been drinking out of a straw style sippy cup. She is so proud of herself when she is successful with that cup.

I know this was our experience and yours may be different but I thought I would mention just how big of a nipple your child may be used to. If I had not seen it myself, I would never have guessed.

Here she is with her new sippy.

For Those Yet To Travel

Last night, I was reading through the posts from China and it occurred to me that it really doesn't tell the entire story. Don't get me wrong, in many ways I think our trip was a "best case scenario" and I don't take that for granted. However, for those yet to travel to meet their little ones, there are a couple of things I wanted to point out.

First of all, even under the best of circumstances there are some tough moments. LuLu came from what some say is one of the "better" orphanages. I do think she was shown lots of affection and I am grateful for that. I will admit however, that I wasn't quite prepared to be handed a child in her physical condition. I won't go into details because it's her story not mine. I've travelled all over this world enough to know that different cultures have different standards for cleanliness. It's just different. But when you are handed your child in that condition, it's hard. I would have told you I was prepared but I wasn't.

Also based on updated measurements and these pictures that we received just before we travelled, I knew she would be tiny. However, her size literally took my breath away. Even our facilitator (who has seen lots of babies over the last 12 years) was concerned about her size. I fought back tears everytime I changed her diaper.

Now all of these things are EASILY overcome. But they are real and they were hard to see so I wanted to mention them for my friends still PATIENTLY waiting.

Now that I see more of LuLu's personality I know that much of her "contentment" the first few days was really just her being overwhelmed. Or it could just be that there was never any reason to fuss before, I don't know. And although she is a generally happy child I can promise you she has now learned the fine art of fussing. So my advice is that even if your child seems "fine", keep it very low key those first few days. Since we were a travel group of one family, we were able to keep it very low key and that certainly helped. Actually we were probably downright boring the first few days.

Most of this is probably things you guys already knew but I wanted to pass it on anyways.

EDITED TO ADD: Stephe's question in the comments regarding sizes reminded me of something else to share. We always hear to bring several sizes of clothes when you travel. It's true. Even if you have updated measurements like we did, it's still a good idea. Based on measurements we received just before we travelled, I could look at the clothes size charts and tell that she fell into the 6 month clothes. However, that wasn't completely accurate because most of her weight was from the belly up. So 6 month tops fit but bottoms were a different story. Most of those were too big. Of all the clothes I brought for her, I think she wore the same 4 or 5 outfits over and over. We just did laundry. You can also find what you need in most cities in China. However, for me personally I would not have wanted to worry about that in the first couple of days. As a new parent, I had enough to process those first couple of days without going clothes shopping.

We're Still Here

and all is well. I have just been busy and have not kept up with the posts. I was down for a few days with a cold turned ear infection but on the mend now.


LuLu is scooting across the floor with ease now and will even venture into a room by herself. Her scoot is done with one leg in a sitting position and the other leg has the foot on the floor. Hard to explain but maybe you can get an idea in this picture. It's actually quite efficient since she is half way there when she wants to sit down.

She is now a champion eater and really doesn't turn down much of anything. Hopefully her number of teeth will catch up with her appetite soon. She weighed 15.1 pounds at the doctor three weeks ago. She's filled out quite a bit since then. Her cheeks are fuller, she has quite the belly and she is working on having thighs. We go back to the Doctor in three weeks and I'm betting on at least 16.5.

For some reason, her favorite thing is having a lime in each hand. She goes crazy for them everytime she sees them. Walking through the grocery store, she just about jumped out of the hip carrier as we walked past the produce. If you came to our house right now, I can not promise that you would not step on a lime. At this rate, we are going to have to open up a Mojito bar.

Here's A few more pictures from the last several days

Here's what we have been up to...

It's been just over a week since we have been home and it has flown by. Here's a little of what we have been up to. We have moved from Up Dog to Down Dog.

Cleaned the rug

Recovered from jet lag. As you can see, some have done better than others.

Tried to juggle limes

Discovered watermelon

Been swimming

Had a belated one year birthday celebration. Complete with a very special dress made by my Mom and worn by two of my nieces.

We also had our first Doctor's appointment since being home. We will have more official word when the blood work comes back but so far so good. Speaking of blood work, frankly that experience sucked. I could go for a while without having to do that again.

Unfortunately, we haven't returned all the lovely Welcome Home emails and phone calls. And we haven't sent Thank You's for all the gifts that have poured in. Maybe next week.

Back Home

We arrived back home last Wednesday right on schedule. Everyone is doing great, despite the jet lag. We actually felt human today. We were welcomed by pink balloons and American flags lining the driveway and a huge Welcome Home sign made by my out of town relatives. And I thought I had cried all the tears of joy I could possibly cry. Thanks Guys!!! My parents have been a HUGE help since we got home. My poor Mom is cooking and cleaning like Cinderella so Jon and I can enjoy LuLu. Our friends Becky and Larry brought a Mexican feast last night complete with Corona and limes. We continue to be spoiled by everyone's love and generosity and I hope that someday we can pay it forward.
I promise to be back soon with some pictures of our first few days home. I will say that LuLu has become quite the daredevil and can't decide if she wants to crawl or walk first.

All Packed Up

We're all packed up and are leaving Guangzhou in the morning. We are sad to be leaving China but excited about getting home as a family of three. We have spent the last couple of days seeing the sights and finishing up the last details. Sorry I haven't posted but just so much going on. LuLu is eating everything that we let her and is getting more mobile by the day. Jon and I have had to up our game on getting her diaper changed now that she can roll over. She is also very close to being able to go from laying down to sitting up and she likes to practice that move just as the dirty diaper comes off and the clean one goes on. Good times.

The next post will likely be after we get home and settled a bit. Here are some pics from Guangzhou. We have lots more, just haven't had a chance to get them uploaded.

Up Dog

Until last night, when we would put her on her stomach, LuLu just didn't know what to do. She could not really lift her head or didn't know to try. Now she is doing a pretty decent Upward facing dog. Of course, it's usually followed by a pretty good face plant. She also rolled over this morning. She was very proud of herself.

P.S. Yes, I now see the rubberband on the floor and I realize it's a choking hazard.

Catching Up

Here are a few pictures taken just before we left Nanchang and a couple from the flight to Guangzhou.

Greetings From Guangzhou

We made it to our hotel in Guangzhou last night around 9:00pm. LuLu did great on the flight. The flight was just a little over an hour so it was good practice for the long flight home. Not so much for her, but practice for us of course.

It's now Saturday just before noon and we are already done with her visa photo and medical exam. She passed the "extensive" medical exam with flying colors. She now weighs 15.4 pounds.

When we returned from the medical exam, we spent some time with our facilitator and finished all the paperwork that is required for the US immigration side of things. Everything is going so smoothly, it's like we have been sprinkled with fairy dust this entire trip.

Thank you so much for the lovely comments, emails, thoughts and prayers. We haven't had a chance to respond to all of them but they mean a lot to us.

I realize it's the second post in a row without pictures. We'll try and get some up later today.

Our Last Night In Nanchang

We had another great day here in Nanchang. We took a nice walk to what they call "City Mall". We also got to walk around some of the side streets and alleyways and got a glimpse of life here in Nanchang. LuLu came out of her shell a bit more today. She even scolded us a few times when we didn't get things just right. It's great to see her little personality more and more each day. She is eating great and seems to be getting stronger each day. She is now trying to roll over. Also, when she is sitting on the floor she walk her hands out and stares at the floor like she knows if she get her arms and legs going in the right direction, she could go places.

We are heading further south tomorrow to Guangzhou. That is where we will complete the US immigration part of this process. Jon and I are both a little sad about leaving out little cocoon we have established here in our hotel room. To be honest with you, this hotel room would not have impressed me if if I had walked into it back home. However, to us it has been absolute paradise for the last 4 days. It is this room where we first met this amazing little person that we are blessed to share our lives with. This is where we heard her giggle for the first time and where we get to see that big gummy smile several times a day.

Still In Nanchang

The rain slowed a little yesterday so we ventured out. We picked up the official adoption documents from the notary and then we headed to Walmart for a few supplies. Of course, LuLu slept through most of the adventure. Picture Walmart on Christmas Eve, multiply it times a million and that was the scene that she slept through. She played a good bit of the afternoon and crashed just before we headed out. She woke up just as we were getting back to the hotel.
Nanchang is known for their porcelain so we are going to head out today to get her a Porcelain tea set.
Here's a few pics from the day.
Disclaimer: We are NOT bathing her in dirty water. She is still scratching quite a bit so it is an oatmeal bath.

She's A Sleeper

Man, this kid can sleep. I think she has a little bit of a cold and mostly I think it's just her way of "dealing" with all the changes. She seems to get up, take in as much as she can and then crash. She had two, two-hour naps yesterday and then slept from 8:30pm - 5:30 this morning. She had a bottle and went back to sleep. It's 7:40 am and she is asleep again. Every time I put her in the baby pouch, she falls asleep on me. When she is awake, she's happy. She loves to be held and if you put her down, she will whimper.

And patient, she is very patient with us. I am sure that she has figured out she got a couple of rookies. I've worn the baby pouch wrong, made bottles that were too thick and too runny and she just goes right along with it all.

She is TINY. I knew she would be tiny according to the latest measurements we received just before traveling. However, I was still surprised. The dress she wore yesterday was a 3-6 month dress and it fit. Actually the matching diaper cover was a little too big. I don't think she has been given much in the way of solid foods. She will eat from our chopsticks or fingers but she's not a big fan of the spoon. She wouldn't eat much at all (other than her bottles) the first day but yesterday was a little better. She ate a fair amount of steamed egg last night. So all in all, she is doing fantastic.

What else? Oh, yes Mary she has dimples!!! We can see them when she smiles. Also, She is sleeping in the crib in the hotel room, not with us. Well when she feel asleep after her bottle this morning, I put her in my bed, but generally it's the crib.

Here's a short video of a couple of giggles that we managed to get yesterday.

More Pictures...

All is well. We were done with our paperwork in about an hour this morning. It was a blur but our facilitator was awesome at getting us in and out. LuLu slept through most of it. She probably would have slept through the entire thing but they made me wake her up to take her picture. We spent the rest of the day just chlling in the hotel. Lots of smiles. Here's some pics. We are headed downstairs to dinner soon.

Here She Is...

We've been a family of three for about four hours now. We've played, had dinner and now she is sound asleep. She likes a bottle at bedtime so we got one ready and she took it like a champ. She feel asleep in my arms as she finished the bottle. We've had a few smiles and Jon even got a kiss. We are blessed beyond belief. We have a morning of paperwork tomorrow and oh, who am I kidding, no one is reading this... Here's the pictures!!!!

Lulu's on the way!

We made it to Nanchang!  We're in our hotel - with internet - and they're bringing the babies in an hour!

Great Wall Photos

Beijing Day Three

Once again, our "handlers" (guide and driver) gave us an action packed, exciting day.  Highlight was The Great Wall. Sorry we don't have any pictures at the moment. We crashed when we got to the hotel last night (Great Wall kinda kicked out butt) and the camera is already packed up. Anway, I know I keep using this word but it was amazing.

When our travel dates became "asap", we really thought we might have to forget the few days in Beijing. We are so grateful that it all worked out and we have had this opportunity to experience Beijing, even if only for a few days. Makes us want to come back.

We are packing up and will be checking out in about an hour and heading to the airport. We have about a two hour flight to Nanchang. Still no confirmation on whether we will meet LuLu today or tomorrow but they are hopeful for today. So are we!!!

As long as I can get connected, I will post tonight from Nanchang. Hopefully with the picture we have all been waiting for.

Free Souvenir from the hotel

Don't panic Mom, we are fine.
I didn't mention the H1N1 Quarantine procedures because really it was a non issue for us. We connected through Tokyo and since we did not enter China from an "infected" country, the procedures seemed a lot less involved. No one boarded our plane and took our temperature when we landed in Beijing. We had to fill out a health questionnaire and have our temperature scanned a couple of times in the Beijing airport. No big deal.
This evening we had a note under our door to call the front desk. The hospital called our hotel and wants our temperature readings done twice a day. So the hotel gave us a thermometer and asked us to report our temperature to the front desk twice a day. I asked if anyone on our plane is sick and the front desk said No. Hopefully that's the case.
So here's Jon getting his temperature taken. Despite leaving the thermometer under our tongue for SEVERAL minutes, our temperatures were both below normal. Does hand sanitizer ruin a thermometer? Because I used a lot of it before this picture was taken. The random thermometer seemed like a bigger health risk than that plane ride two days ago.

Beijing Day Two

Here are some hightlights of Day Two. The Summer Palace and tour of The Hutong area of Beijing.

Beijing Day One

What a day!!  We left the hotel around 9am and visited Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven.  It was all amazing.  After such a long wait, it's almost surreal to be here.  Our guide Jennifer is fantastic. We are feeling quite spoiled.

Oh, and we also took in a Chinese Acrobat show. Our seats were in the second row and crazy close to the stage. Honestly one wrong move and we would have been wearing a Chinese Acrobat. That close. The show was fantastic. I was about to fall asleep just before it started but it was just what I needed to get a second wind.
Jon took about 500 pictures (not an exaggeration). It will take us a bit to go through them all and get some uploaded. In the meantime, the picture above was take in The Forbidden City. 

Just a matter of days before a picture of the THREE of us.

Good Morning Beijing

Well after a few hours sleep and a lovely breakfast, we have transformed into less cranky versions of yesterday.  We are touring The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square today and then a Chinese Acrobats show this evening.  As much as I am looking forward to seeing the Beijing sights,  my eye is on Sunday/Monday as that is when we will meet LuLu.

We Made It To Beijing

We are at our hotel in Beijing. It's about 11:15 pm local time so we are going to try and get some shut eye. We are meeting our guide at 9am for some sight seeing.  The trip over was really easy - other than the obvious length I mean.  Everything worked out great and the hotel in Beijing is fantastic. Night Night.

Welcome To Japan

We made it to Tokyo. We are currently in the Admirals Club for a pit stop and then connecting to Beijing. So far, so good. Getting those birthday pictures certainly helped!!! I held it together all morning but as
soon as the wheels went up on the airplane, it hit me. Then the tears started. Happy Happy Tears.

Birthday Girl

We received pictures from LuLu's birthday party!!!! Looks like she had a proper party with a cake and a few friends. The size of that cake just kills me - it's almost as big as the table!!! Looks like they put a dent in it though!! Oh, that sweet sweet face!!

I LOVE this picture of them gathered around the table.

(I've been in touch this morning with another adoptive parent whose daughter is likely to be in this picture. If you think you child is in this picture, email me with the link to the right or leave a comment and I will email you all the pictures I have. Of course I am getting on a plane to China a a few hours so I probably won't get to it immediately.)

We also received updated measurements. She is now 15 lbs and 28 inches long. Tiny but growing. We are so GRATEFUL for these pictures. Jon and I were both up early, couldn't sleep and I saw these about 4:30 this morning.

We leave for the airport in a couple of hours. See ya on the other side.

Our Itinerary

For those playing along at home, here is our itinerary. We are packed and just about ready to go. I am actually fairly calm about it all. Guess that ridiculously detailed packing and to do list helped. Maybe I'm just in shock.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - Depart 12:05 PM
Wednesday, July 22 - Arrive In Beijing
Thursday, July 23 - Saturday July 25 - Tour Beijing

Sunday, July 26 - Leave Beijing for Nanchang

We will meet Lulu either the afternoon of the 26th or the 27th.

Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31 - Adoption process in Nanchang.
Friday, July 31 - Depart Nanchang for Guangzhou
Saturday, August 1 - Tuesday August 4 - US Immigration process in Guangzhou

Wednesday, August 5 - Return Home

We hope to be able to post some updates and a few pictures along the way. Direct access to blogger will probably be blocked but we have worked out a plan B, C and D. They all rely on a bit of free time and an internet connection though.

Happy Birthday LuLu!!

July 20th is LuLu's first Birthday and since it's already the 20th in China, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LULU!!!! I wish we were there already but we aren't so I will just pray that she is loved and cared for and is spending the day with someone close to her.

She received her first piece of mail yesterday, an adorable birthday card from my niece Ivy and my Mom and Dad.

We spent the weekend making final preparations and packing. Just a few things left to do tomorrow and then we fly out on Tuesday. A week from now she will either be in our arms or just hours away from being in our arms.

Four More Sleeps!!!

Not that I'm able to sleep these days. It's more like four more times I put my head on a pillow and start analyzing the packing list. I eventually fall asleep. Then I wake up and do the same thing to the "to do" list. My monkey brain is in full swing.
But whatever it is, there are only FOUR more of them before we leave!!!! I'm hoping to get our In China itinerary today.

I think I have all the major errands done. I still need to make copies of some documents that we are taking. And we still have to install the carseat. We will do that today so we can have it inspected at the firestation on Monday.

This weekend we will do a trial run of getting everything packed. LuLu's clothes and supplies are packed. I've been making piles of our stuff. By the looks of it, when I am done with LuLu's stuff and my stuff, poor Jon is going to have an outside pocket of the suitcase left. And maybe a small inside pocket.

Oh, and I still have some thank you notes to finish. If you haven't gotten a thank you note from me, I promise I'm not an ingrate. It's coming.

Confirmed!!

We have written confirmation that our Consulate appt. is 9:00 am August 3rd. We leave in less than a week!! Our Visas were expedited and should be here today. I booked plane tickets last night. We don't have our exact itinerary as some of the details are still being worked out. What I do know is we leave July 21, meet LuLu July 27 and return home August 5th. The rest will be filled in today or tomorrow.

Still Looking Good

We have "verbal confirmation" that we can leave next Tuesday. Should have written confirmation and an itinerary tomorrow. Then we can book tickets - we have them on hold at the moment. We hope our Visas and passports will be in our hands this Friday. If all goes as planned, "LuLu Day" will be on July 27th. Two weeks from today.

We are crazy excited.

The Latest

Ok, here's where we stand with travel. Our agency is trying to get our Consulate Appt. in China scheduled for August 3rd.  We are the only family in our group that is still with the I600 process. Everyone else is I800 (new immigaration process) and those families still do not have travel approval. Instead of holding us up any more, they are trying now to get us there asap. We are VERY excited about this  but sad for the families in our group still waiting.

 

If our agency is successful getting the August 3rd appt. we will leave on July 21 or 22nd.  It's all going to be last minute. In fact, we probably will not have our China visas and passports back to us until the day before we leave.   Nothing like one more big hill on a rollercoaster. Frankly, we should already have those Visas and passports in our hand but we don't and complaining about it now isn't really going to help.  Hopefully we will know tomorrow if we were able to get an August 3rd Consulate appt. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

We have been running around like mad this weekend. I know three plus years should be enough time but there are quite a few things that can't get done until you know travel dates.  I was really stressed on Friday but feeling better about it now.  Not because we got it all done, not even close. But I did go through the "todo" list line by line and if it wasn't preventing us from getting on a plane or preventing us from getting LuLu home safely, it was DEFERRED. Worked wonders.

TENTATIVE Dates

Looks like we could be leaving as early as July 22nd!!! We could meet LuLu on
July 27th - exactly one week after her first birthday. There are still some big things to be worked out so that could change. However, that is what we are currently planning for!! I will know for sure some time next week. Which is of course convenient since we may be leaving the following week.

Unfortunately it looks like we will be a travel group of 1 family. We were really looking forward to travelling with another local family that we have been in contact with lately. Due to a whole bunch of red tape nonsense, their travel will be later. Not sure how much later at this point. Still hoping for a miracle for them but I feel terrible that they are still in limbo.

OK, lots to figure out.

SURPRISE!!!!!!

No, I did not all of a sudden get travel dates. However, that was the sound I heard recently when my coworkers thew us a surprise shower. I can honestly say that other than the Saturday morning in 2003 when Jon showed up at my house and proposed to me while I was doing laundry, I have NEVER been that surprised!! What surprised me even more is that Jon knew for weeks and I still had no idea. My spidey senses must really be off.

Anyway, the company had us all corralled at a conference center a couple of weeks ago (I know, another late post). It was two days of meetings so we were there overnight. Jon and I work for the same company so we were both there. Anyway, I had just come out of a meeting when Yasmin (Queen of the surprise shower) asked where I was headed. I don't even remember what I said and then she says "come here I have some scoop for you". Of course that's all it took and I was following here anywhere. I'm just that mature.

She opened the door to another conference room and SURPRISE!!! There were streamers, balloons, decorations galore. And presents - lots and lots of presents. I think I was speechless (that fact alone is a surprise). As soon as I was able to take it all in I cried. Not just a few tears. It was the take off your glasses and put your face in your hands kind of cry. I was just blown away. Of course there were also Mimosas being served so the tears quickly turned into giggles.

Jon and I are so blessed to have such great friends. Everyone at work has been so supportive since we started this journey back in 2005. Honestly I can't say enough how much I appreciate each and every one of them. And a special thank you to Yasmin, Bradley, April, Amy, Jenna and Caleb for throwing us such a fantastic shower.

Nothing New on Travel

We've had travel approval for almost two weeks. Still no travel dates. Every day is getting harder and harder. Not the usual "I wish we would hear something" hard. More like "constant knot in my stomach and lump in my throat" hard.

There is also a small issue with my fingerprints. NO, I didn't rob a bank or forget to return a library book. They expire August 9th. I applied for refingerprinting back in June. I finally received a fingerprint appt. for July 22nd. Since I don't have travel dates, I don't know if that is soon enough or not so I am begging for an earlier appt. No luck so far.

We have a travel meeting tomorrow afternoon with our agency. If I come out of that meeting without travel dates please send chocolate. Or tequila. Or chocolate AND tequila.

Under Construction

Sprucing things up a bit as that old green template was just so 2006. Besides, LuLu is just too darn cute for that boring template. Of course, I have about a zillion other things to get done so it may take a while to finish this construction project. In the meantime, enjoy the kaleidoscope of colors I seem to have assembled.

Better Late Than Never?

We did use the webcam to video the referral call back on May 21. Excuse the VERY primitive editing. I had to remove our home address and other personal information. It could use some more work but I've got a packing list to obsess over. Enjoy.



UPDATED TO ADD: Just watched this again and I have to say that I have no idea what I was writing down since I only ended up with some pitiful scribble scrabble by the end of the call.

More Flickr Practice

Slideshow Test

Test Email Post

 

I'm testing the ability to post via email. There is a chance we won't be able to access the blog directly while in China so I'm trying to have a plan B, C, D and E. This is plan B.

Visas

Now that we have Travel Approval, we sent off for our Visas today!! I hate that whole process of sending away your passport. I've had to do that twice in the past for other Visas and the entire thing makes me nervous. But, I am sure it's going to work out great. Right?

Still no word on travel dates. However, I hear that our agency is trying to get us there by July 21st!!!! We always said we would go early to do Beijing which means we could be leaving in less than three weeks!! Oh, I hope that holds true.

Shower Fun

I've had two showers in the last couple of weeks. The first was a couple of weeks ago and was here in town. My friends Kristen and Heidi did an amazing job. I've heard horror stories of adoption showers where inappropriate (and highly annoying) "traditional" baby shower games are played. You know, like pregnancy trivia or something. This shower was the complete opposite. It was lovely. I got to spend the afternoon surrounded by people that have been so supportive throughout this lengthy and emotional process.

They served a fantasic lunch complete with my favorite desert - icebox lemon pie!! And I don't have a picture of it yet but they made the most adorabale baby stroller out of a watermellon. I kid you not.

Kristen probably could have written a thesis with all the research she did regarding Chinese baby traditions. We had red eggs, red envelopes, and lucky bamboo. They even presented me with a knife. In China, it is a tradition that when a baby takes their first steps, a relative walks behind her with a knife drawing three lines on the ground. The Chinese believe there are invisible bindings around a child's ankles binding her to a previous life. With the bindings cut, the child walks freely forever. I teared up when Kristen explained this. Of course I also teared up when I opened most of the presents!!! Speaking of presents, I do have a few pictures of those.

Hat, sweater and booties MADE by my friend Leigh. I "joked" with her that since this is so adorable, LuLu needs to wear it for the next 18 years of so. Therefore, she will be adding to it throughout the years.

Smocked dress made by Mom - who gets a special shout out for coming from out of state for the shower.

Travel Approval!!!!

We received our Travel Approval!! We do not have travel dates yet but our Agency is hoping for the "late July" timeframe. I of course am hoping for the earlier part of "late July."

Other happy new is I have TWO showers that I need to blog about. Off to do some travel paperwork and then will be back with shower news.

Hopeful yet Annoyed

I am HOPEFUL that we will hear something on our travel soon. I am annoyed that I will be on 4 planes this week, none of which are headed for China.

Nursery - In Progress

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Originally uploaded by Spencers

Reviving my flickr account and thought I would try it out with this picture of the nursery.

11 Months Old Today

LuLu is 11 months old today. It's been four weeks since we first saw that sweet sweet face. I love those two pictures more than I thought possible but I NEED more. I need to hold her, hear her laugh, hear her cry, feed her, change her, bathe her. But mostly I just want to hold her. Still no word on travel approval which just stinks. I am trying hard to be patient but it's not really working.

NOT On The Agenda

These days the only things on the agenda are obsessing over travel approval (don't have it yet), shopping for LuLu, and trying to put in an honest days work. Apparently the universe hasn't checked the agenda because last Wednesday the skies turned a weird, freak of nature green and then all hell broke loose. We've been cleaning up ever since.


I guess it was about 6:15 pm or so when I heard crazy thunder in the distance and noticed the strange color of the sky. I was cooking dinner so Jon turned on the tv to see what the "experts" were saying. I think his exact words were something like "Holy Crap" and then said he thought we had about 15 minutes. Of course I continued eating my dinner for another 10 minutes. Then the weather sirens sounded and within about 3 seconds it hit. The noise was horrible. The windows shook, rain fell sideways. We don't have basements here so when the weather hits, we take cover in our walk in pantry which happens to be under our stairwell. I think I've taken cover in there one other time and I don't think Jon has ever taken to the pantry. We were both in there, pillows on our head and I was telling Jon that I loved him.

When we finally came out of the pantry, this is what we saw.

Our trees that sit between our house and the neighbors house split and went on their car, house and fence. Debris was everywhere, the swimming pool was trashed. Luckily everyone was OK. Several houses ended up without roofs so we were VERY lucky. There was a confirmed tornado and 80 mph winds in the area. Not sure which one we had and not sure it matters. Either way, not fun. We of course lost electricity and were without for a couple of days.

My parents were already scheduled to arrive on Friday so they spent the next couple of days helping with the cleanup. Again, NOT on the agenda as they were coming to help with Operation "Get Ready For LuLu". Of course, they are from south Louisiana so a little storm cleanup doesn't even phase them.

It's Monday and besides some insurance details, things are getting back to normal. Operation "Get Ready for LuLu" did commence yesterday as my friends had a shower for me. It was LOVELY and more on that to come.

A Baby In China

Our adorable next door neighbor "F" is in kindergarten. She and her brother "C" are excited about LuLu and love to come over and look at "the baby's room." And of course, I love to show them. Last week, F's class wrote a story. It was one of those stories where someone comes up with the title and then everyone gets to add a sentence. F got to come up with the title - you will see why that is significant when you read the story. Here is the story that F and her genius classmates wrote.

A Baby In China

Once upon a time there was a baby who could play baseball. She was from China. She ate eyeballs for dinner. Her name was Sam. Her favorite food was cucumbers. Sam lived in Florida near Disney. Her Dad was named Sparkle. He was a knight.

A few LuLu tidbits

We got the translated report and here are a few of the highlights...

- She especially likes eggs
- At 8 months, she weighed 13.86 pounds
- She cries before sleeping (that one just breaks my heart)
- She can sit by herself with her back against the wall
- She is active and outgoing and she likes to laugh and talk
- She likes to be held

I have memorized every inch of her pictures and just ache to hold her.
We have been busy around here making all the final preparations and praying for speedy travel. No word on that yet and probably won't hear anything for at least a couple of weeks.

Referral Day

What a crazy few days it's been. Before the details of that crazy day are replaced with obsessing over travel dates, I wanted to capture some memories. Honestly if we had not videotaped the phone call, I would not even remember some of it.

We were very lucky on referral day, since Jon and I were both "working" from home that day and could receive the phone call together. I put working in quotes because although Jon was able to get in quite a bit of work, I think I managed to only get out a few emails before it got crazy.

I was in touch with my parents via phone and email and they were glued to the rumor sites as much as I was. I was also emailing and texting my sister and a couple of friends every few minutes.

The rumor was that referrals were coming and that the 14th would be in but here is what I did not include in my little updates in this post. Even after China announced that the cutoff date for referrals was March 14, our agency did not think we were in. They interpreted the announcement from China to mean that referrals would only include up to the 13th and that we would be next. Of course I am nothing if not stubborn so I was still thinking we were in.

I had just gone downstairs to force myself to eat something since I was started to feel really yucky. That's when the phone finally rang. I screamed at Jon to get ready and went running upstairs. Of course I had a list of questions to ask and had left space under each question for my notes. HA!!! It was all I could do to get name, province, date of birth. I was not calm, not even close. In fact, I could hardly breathe and therefore couldn't even speak for the first part of the call. Oh, and I was crying. I think the phone call lasted all of about 6 minutes. (Our agency calls with the news and the basic info first, then emails a picture and then has the full report translated.)


Once we received the phone call, we called immediate family and kept hitting refresh on the email looking for the picture. When the picture came in, I had a friend on one phone and my sister on the other. I sort of hung up on my friend, sorry Kristen!! When I saw the picture, I think I screamed "She's in a car.!!!" We emailed the picture to my parents and then skyped them in so we could see them open it.


After that it is a blur of visitors, phone calls, emails, etc. My friend Kristen stopped by to congratulate us and to see if we needed anything.

Since then we have been busy researching the city and orphanage where LuLu is currently living. We also went shopping on Saturday for a few things that we will need for our trip. Having this happen just before a three day weekend was great. We had time to soak it all in and maybe tomorrow I will even get in an honest days work!!

In Color

We Have A Daughter

Here she is!!!! If you click the picture, you should be able to see a larger version. These were emailed from the agency today. Should have the actuals in our hand tomorrow. Loving that car!!!

More details to come but here is what we know so far

Birthdate - July 20, 2008 so she is 10 months old
She lives in Jiangxi Province

Our agency is sending more information tomorrow.

We HOPE to travel in about 6 weeks.

I Need An Epidural...

Ok, if someone wants to call me with a referral, I am ready. I have pen, paper and a list of questions sitting by the phone. Heck, I've even had a shower.

9:18AM - A referral has arrived in Ireland.

9:50AM - The offfical CCAA box has changed to reflect that referrals will include up to March 14, 2006. WE ARE IN!!!! RING PHONE RING

11:49AM - Freaking out. Jon is playing classical music apparently trying to calm me down. Not working.

12:07PM - Just determined that I can check the RQ main blog, RQ discussion forums, yahoo March DTC group, email AND make sure the phone is working in exactly 33.2 seconds.

12:42PM - Someone in the US just got a call. Not sure of their LID.

1:21PM - Referrals are happening. Someone that shares our 3/14 LID has a referral. I'm about to vomit.

2:02PM - Comment moderation is now on. Some buzz kill individual TRIED to steal my joy with a nasty message. I knew it would happen sooner or later so I was ready. Sorry if anyone had to see it. Back to our regular programming.

3:10PM - We have a daughter. 10 months old. no picture yet. need to call family. more later.

STORK ALERT!!!!!

I really think this is it. SEVERAL agencies say referrals are on the way and the cutoff is March 14th. Hopefully we will see them soon!!! Due to a work committment, I could not be online most of the day. Jon and my parents did a fabulous job of watching out for info!!

I told my clients what was going on so they did not all think I had completely lost my mind. At one point during the day, I went to the restroom and forgot to bring my phone. It started ringing and one of my clients ran the phone into the restroom. It was only a work call but BLESS HER!!!

I saw my friend Leigh today and she gave me a lovely gift with a beautiful handmade card. She made the card two years ago - crazy. I was impressed that she still knew where it was.

I am hoping that by tomorrow morning there are reports of referrals arriving in Europe and we will get our calls tomorrow or Friday AT THE LATEST!!!!

Still haven't decided on a name.

And The Roller Coaster Goes Up!!!

There are some agencies (three I think) that say referrals are ON THEIR WAY!!! And are you sitting down? The rumor is that the cutoff is March 14th. Holy Moly that is us. These are rumors and nothing is confirmed but it's better than last week's rumor of nothing until September. Should know more tomorrow. Typically we start hearing chatter of referrals arriving in Europe before they start arriving in the US. Of course, I am scheduled to be at a client's site teaching a class all day tomorrow. Jon and my Mom and Dad are on Rumor watch. Stay tuned.

UGH!!!

More agencies are saying that things are definitely on hold due to the Swine Flu. Not a real shock since it's May 12th and referrals haven't arrived and there is no word that they are on their way. Several people's travel plans have been put on hold since some provinces are not allowing agencies to schedule the necessary "in China" appointments. This could all (hopefully) change tomorrow but that is where we are today. The Swine Flu stinks!!!

Good News

Some folks that received their referrals last month have received travel approval!!!!! If all goes well, those people can begin to make travel plans. Maybe that stork didn't get the swine flu after all? It looks like in light of the swine flu, there will be additional paperwork which must be done in order to travel. If there is one thing adoptive parents can handle, it's paperwork so bring it on.

There is also some unofficial chatter (rumor) that referrals will be sent later this month. No word on when or how many days they will cover. Funny thing is I'm not even agonizing any more on whether we will be included in the next group or not. As long as things keep moving I'm good. Of course, you may have to remind me that I said that next week. But for now, I'm just happy to not have a complete shutdown.

Not Much Of An Update

I was waiting for some concrete information before posting an update, unfortunately that hasn't happened. Our agency is saying that families are being encouraged not to travel but the rest of the process is proceeding as usual. Other agencies are saying that things are on hold. While it is a positive sign that our agency says referrals will not be held, I will feel better when all agencies are saying the same thing. Or better yet, when referrals arrive. It's not so much the thought of waiting longer that is getting to me, it is the not knowing that is making me crazy.

Also, I want to say that I have the BEST family and friends!!! To everyone that called, emailed, left comments and dropped by the house to give me a hug, THANK YOU!!! We've had lots of delays through this process and for whatever reason, the news last week hit me hard. Having your support means the world to me and Jon.

Clear As Mud

I'm going to try to get through this post without cursing.

Still nothing definite on the Swine Flu impact. China did post an offical announcement but it is difficult to decipher Looks like those folks that already have a referral and travel approval might be able to travel at the discretion of their agency. Anyone with a referral but doesn't yet have travel approval might have to wait who knows how long. It is still unclear what impact this will have on referrals. Oh, and it's now a holiday in China so we won't know anything more until next week. My heart goes out to those that have a referral but can't travel. Having that picture and not being able to travel would be the last bit of torture I could stand.

Some think maybe China is leaving it open to see the state of things when they return from their holiday weekend. Now if we could just get our media to shut the hell up maybe things will seem better next week and we can just freaking get on with this!!!!!

Swine Flu

Just when we thought nothing else could get in the way of our adoption. There are reports that China has halted adoptions due to concerns of the swine flu. I don't have any concrete information regarding what this means and how long things may be halted. Even if we are "next", it seems we won't hear anything in the next couple of weeks like we thought.

I know there are logical reasons for this and yes, I know that things will work out. Logic isn't working today. In the last three years, I have "looked on the bright side" more times than I can count. Not today. Maybe tomorrow but not today.

UPDATE: 9:00 PM Central time. Some agencies are now saying this rumor isn't true. Some are insisting it is true. Who knows? It's been an emotional day and I'm tired. Maybe we will know something tomorrow. I want off the roller coaster.

Matching Has Begun?

Some agencies are reporting that matching has begun. That means they have started the process of matching babies with families. There is a chance that right now, someone is looking through our paperwork and matching us with our child. For a more detailed explanation of how the "matching room" works, you can go here.

There are a couple of agencies thinking that the matching could get as far as 3/14/06. THAT WOULD BE US. I am not sure if they have some information from CCAA that has them thinking that or if it's just a guess. Either way, it's crazy exciting.
By the end of next week, we will hopefully know if we are in or not and could even have a picture!!! My personal feeling is there is about a 50% chance that we will be included in the early May group.

Luckily I was busy at an out of town conference last week so I was able to stay somewhat distracted from obsessing over whether we are in or not. I was also able to spend some time with a good friend that Jon and I have known for years. He wrote the nicest reference letter for us when we started this crazy process. When I told him goodbye at the airport, I said "Next time you see me, I could be a Mom!!"

Are We Next????

The "official" cutoff for the last group of referrals was 3/8/06. I say "official" cutoff because it looks like some families from 3/9/06 got referrals, yet some people from 3/7/06 were skipped. Just when this could not get any more excruciating!! My heart goes out to the 3/7/06 people that were skipped and I really hope they find out something soon!!

So, that means they need to get through our friends with an LID of 3/9/06 - 3/13/06 AND THEN IT IS OUR TURN!!! 3/11 and 3/12 were weekends (yes, I know the 2006 calendar better than the 2009 calendar) and it appears 3/9 and 3/13 are fairly light days.

Anyway, all of this means that we could be next or the group after that!!! I think the next group of referrals will arrive in about two weeks, around May 1. That is just crazy with a capital C. Right now, someone in China could be taking our dossier down off the shelf and blowing the dust and cobwebs off. (This is the part where I don't allow my mind to think about all of the things that could have happened to that dossier in the last three years.)

So for now, we just keep waiting, wondering and praying that LuLu is safe. Well, that and trying to accomplish all the things that we procrastinated on for the three years.

When our referral arrives at our Agency, they will call us with the basic information and will email us a picture. They will have everything translated and will overnight the complete information. We will have more paperwork to do and our Agency will work to get our travel dates set. Typically, travel happens approximately 6 weeks after the referral. So, we will likely be in China sometime this summer.

We still haven't decided on a name so it's still LuLu. (And according to my sister, it will always be LuLu.) We have a short list of names but I don't think we will know for sure until we see her and see her Chinese name.

So stay tuned, it's getting exciting!!

P.S. A great big shout out to Nancy. We have gotten your last couple of notes and Jon and I REALLY appreaciate them. Your excitement means so much to us.

Come On Referrals!!!

It's Monday morning in China and there are rumors that the next group of referrals could show up this week. I CAN NOT WAIT to see how far they get and I am so excited for my fellow March 2006 LIDers that are NEXT!!!! I am prepared to only see referrals for March 7, 2006 families since apparently that was a big day for dossiers to be accepted in China. Any thing more will be fantastic. After this group of referrals, I'll have a new prediction of our referral date!!!

Oh, over the weekend I had a dream that they made it to March 14, 2006 with referrals which is us and I was running around like a complete lunatic. I am pretty sure that one part of that dream will come true.

8 more LID's To Go!!

Here's the latest. Referrals have arrived for anyone with an LID up to March 6, 2006. That's only 8 LIDs and we will be included. Referrals have been arriving around the first of the month so if that keeps up, the next group will be April 1. My best guess is that there is one or two more groups to go before they get to us. (There are some crazy good rumors out there that suggests it could be sooner but I'm not counting on it.) Since everything slowed down the day we started our paperwork (or so it seems) I'm sure things will speed up once we get our referral!!!

There has been a flurry of activity around here trying to attack that To Do list that we dusted off in January. Mom and Dad came out for a week in January and helped us get LuLu's room ready. Mom sewed her fingers to the bone and Dad painted his heart out. Jon and I both are very appreciative for all the help!!! Mostly for helping us get off our you know what and start. Can't really goof off when the parental units are here to help, can ya?

Mom sewed bumper pads, blanket, valance and a pilllow. Here a picture of Mom agonizing over getting perfect corners on the blanket. She is so talented. I love the blanket and love it even more because Mom made it.

All the furniture that we are using in LuLu's room are things that we already had. Amazing what a coat of paint can do. This was my Grandfather's. We painted it and gave it a distressed finish. Where the memo board is, there used to be a mirror. I made the memo board with a burst of craftiness that doesn't come around very often.

I still need to get new hardware for it but it's coming right along. I love the mirror on the top left. When I was little, I can remember going into my Grandfather's room and trying to see myself in that mirror. I could tell if I had gotten any taller by how far I had to jump to see myself.