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

DSC_0009[1]
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.

Anyone Out There???

Yeah, it's been almost two years since a post. Surely that's a record and I will win some type of fabulous prize. I didn't plan on it being two years but a week turned into a month, a month turned into a few months, etc. Plus, it looked like we would be waiting FOREVER so I had to step away and try and get on with life. When the name of your blog is "Jon And Karen Go To China" and you aren't going to China, stepping away includes the blog.


Not only did I not update this blog, I really stopped reading a lot of my favorite adoption blogs. Nothing personal to any of you out there but that's just how I deal with stuff sometimes. I think the fancy term is denial. Anyway, I've been making the rounds and oh my goodness!!!! What beautiful families! Can't wait to catch up with all of you.


So why am I back now? There are only 14 LIDs ahead of us!!!!!!! The next batch (hopefully in the next week or so) will start with March 1 2006 families. We are March 14 2006. If they continue referrals at the same pace as the last year, I think we will receive a referral around April. We'll see.


Although we've kept busy over the last couple of years, we haven't done much to get ready - again, stepping away doesn't include shopping for baby stuff and painting a nursery. We have A LOT to do!!!! So, in addition to dusting off the blog, I've dusted off the To Do list and we are going to attack it. Starting now.

February Happens

Where have I been? What happened to me? February, that’s what happened. If February was a movie, it would be Steel Magnolias. A crazy combination of gut-wrenching sorrow and side-splitting laughter. During the first week of February, we lost Jon’s best friend due to very tragic circumstances. I had no idea how to write about it when it happened and honestly I still don’t have the words. I can only say that I hope he has now found the peace that he was not able to find while he was alive. We miss you, Jason.

Not long after that, I spent my girl-friend weekend with BFF Andree’ in Vegas. What a blast!!! We had not even checked into the hotel yet when Andree’ made me laugh so hard that I snorted loud enough for the guy in line behind us to comment. And the laughter did not stop until we said our goodbyes at the airport.

And since we apparently didn’t have enough going on, Jon and I started suddenly looking at houses while out for a Sunday drive, called our realtor friend, found a house we liked, made an offer, had our offer accepted and then put our current house on the market. We close on the new house on March 21st. No, we haven’t sold our current house yet but there has been lots of interest so we have our fingers crossed. Besides, one thing that can probably speed up the rate of referrals is two mortgage payments. I know we are all tired of speed up rumors, but I am telling you this could work.

Light My Fire

It seems that getting out of the review room has been just what I needed to re-light that extinguished fire under my you know what. I told myself months ago that until CCAA got to December 05 referrals, I was not going to get too excited. Rubbish. I've got some bottled up excitement and getting out of the review room has let it out. I know the next couple of months for referrals may not cover as much ground as this last one and we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Also for the first time in months I got up the nerve to input our LID of 3/14 into one of the referral calculators out there (can't find the link at the moment.) It isn't an exact science but does calculate predictions on past data. It gave us a date of 11/22/07!!!! I am not putting a whole lot of stock in that date but I would be lying if I said I didn't like what it said. (If you had told me a year ago that November 07 was a best case scenario, I would have wanted to smacked you.)

When I told Jon about the 11/22/07 prediction his response was "Well babe, I guess the rabbit finally died". Yes I know it is just a figure of speech. But dang it, in the last few years I have pee'ed on enough sticks and obsessed over enough adoption message boards and blogs to consider sacrificing a rabbit if it came to that.

Progress, Sweet Progress

Congratulations to all the families receiving referrals today!!!!Looks like referrals covered up to October 13, 2005. Our magic date is March 14, 2006 so that puts almost exactly 5 months worth of dossiers in front of us. No, that doesn't mean we are 5 months away from a referral - I am still hoping for a very special Christmas present. However, for some reason this group of referrals has given me hope. It seems possible for the first time in months.

I was already feeling good about things and then a few minutes ago saw this on the CCAA website:

The CCAA has
finished the review of
the adoption
application documents
registered with our
office before March
22, 2006.

We are finally out of the review room people!!!! Whoo Hoo!!! This is big!!! This means all of our dossier t's were crossed and i's were dotted just the right way. Maybe all of that obsessing over the paperwork was worth it after all. I really wanted to get out of that review room but I didn't realize how relieved I would feel seeing the official update.

The next big stop for our little dossier is the matching room. I imagine the matching room is quite backed up at the moment so maybe our dossier is hanging out in the hallway outsite the matching room. Maybe they have added a waiting room for the matching room... either way, being out of review is GOOD.

Best Ebay Find EVAH

WHOO HOO!!!I just bought this shirt off ebay!!! After a VERY stressful day at work, I decided to check out ebay to see what I couldn't live without. And there it was....the cutest Baby Lulu shirt. I had to have it. I waited until just before bidding ended and put in an insanely maximum bid. If you thought you had this shirt and was outbid at the last moment, I'm sorry but I have no shame. But I had to have it. Now I have a million things left to do tonight because I spent an hour hitting refresh on this item.

Big Fun On The Horizon

Ok after a string on less than jovial posts about waiting for a referral and the Holidays, there is some big fun on the horizon!!! I spoke with my BFF Andree' yesterday and it seems we both have a bad case of cabin fever that needs to be cured ASAP. Andree' has been pounded with winter weather for the last month and her kids have had waaaaaay too many snow days. I have a different strain of cabin fever. My case is due to the fact that our dossier is STILL not out of the review room in China. Yes, our dossier has been in China since last March but we still have not cleared the review from the officials in China. Hopefully there will be an update soon. I can just picture our poor little dossier sitting on the shelf in the review room singing Boat Drinks by Jimmy Buffet
"This mornin, I shot six holes in my freezer
I think I got cabin fever
Somebody sound the alarm"

OK, back to the big fun. Andree' has a weekend pass from her many obligations and I am going to take a couple of days off from work and we are headed to Las Vegas for a long weekend next month. (Note to self: Remember to officially request vacation days...C.B. if you are reading this, consider this my offical request.) We are going to hang out, go to the spa, see a show and laugh. Few people in this world can make me laugh the way Andree' can.

Holiday Recap

Jon and I tossed around several ideas regarding what to do during the holiday season. We thought about disappearing somewhere about mid-December and resurfacing in January like nothing happened. But I could not resist the call of the nieces and nephew. As much as I want to be a parent, I do LOVE being Aunt Karen.

I cherish the relationship that I have with my nieces and nephews. If I already had children, it would be different. I know we would still be close but it would be different. When you don’t have kids of your own I think you have the upper hand in being the “fun” Aunt and Uncle. You don’t have to play that hand, but it’s there. I’m certain my sister’s kids think every day at our house is like this. Despite the fact that the disco ball is still hanging in the living room, every day at our house isn’t like that.

So we headed about 600 miles to the east and spent some time with my family. I had a blast being Aunt Karen to Olivia, Jackson and Ivy. Anyday now they are going to be too old to think I am cool so I better enjoy it now. Trust me, Ivy is 5 going on 15 so it really could be any day now. I did have a brief crying spell during Christmas Eve service and again on Christmas morning but not too bad considering early December I wanted to go to sleep and wake up in January. Last Christmas I spent so much time thinking about what this Christmas would look like. It didn't look like that and when I was quiet and still, it got to me. Luckily there wasn't much quiet and still with all the fun going on.

I don't know where she is or when we will meet her, but "LuLu" is already so loved. She was mentioned on some Christmas cards that we received. While helping Ivy clean her room, I accidentally found the blanket that my sister and her kids started making for "LuLu" last summer. My parents had a present for "LuLu" under their tree. My Dad corrected me regarding my previous post. He point blank reminded me that it doesn't stop at three. He's absolutely right - there are Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, Dogs and Birds waiting right along with us. For that, we are grateful.

Because Someday There Will Be Three Of Us...

Overdue Holiday Meltdown **UPDATED**

So apparently I really don't post enough since I just had trouble logging in - seems I forgot my new password.

Lots happening lately just haven't been motivated to capture any of it here. Maybe I've been busy, lazy or maybe coming here forces me to think about THE WAIT and that interferes with my current state of denial. I've been staying off some of the blogs that I read regularly and the discussion boards. Don't take it personal if I haven't commented or visited your blog lately - it's not you...again, it interferes with my current state of denial.

I've actually been handling the holidays great. Had fun putting up the tree, hung THREE stockings on the fireplace without a single tear. In spite of everything, I've probably been more in the Christmas spirit this year than the last two years. And then I checked in on my LID discussion group and everyone was talking about this new Christmas song titled "Merry Christmas". Apparently I am the last one in the China adoption community to hear of this song. It is recorded by the Christian group Third Day. One of the band members is (or maybe already has) adopting from China. I have to admit that I had never heard of this group. Well my interest was peeked so I downloaded the song. And that was it. Here's the first verse:

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

I can't even share the rest because I need to go take out my contacts and blow my nose for the zillionth time. If you haven't heard it, consider yourself warned. Search online for it - you'll find it. It does have a happy ending - the same one that many of us are waiting and hoping for.

**UPDATE - It was a "good cry". I cleaned myself up and went over to amazon to see about ordering the CD. I read a review which included the following:
Which brings us to the final song. "Merry Christmas" is yet another in a long line of potentially depressing Christmas songs. Band member Brad Avery's real life wait to adopt a girl from China inspires it. While the final verse does have a happy resolution, I find the first two verses very sad. I will be skipping this track most of the time. Still, this one track is not enough to ruin the CD overall.

My somewhat selfish sadness turned to anger. This guy is going to skip the track so it doesn't ruin his Christmas!!!! To each his own I guess. But to me, this says that the forgotten are forgotten again. I don't think so. Luckily Amazon allows comments to their reviews and I wasn't the first to leave a comment. I probably could have been more eloquent had I taken time to think about it but that's not how I operate. I left the following:

I just want to make sure I understand this. You find a Christmas song about a baby born under imperfect conditions "depressing." I am glad to see that I am not the only one that understands the ridiculous hypocrisy of your comment. I will sleep better tonight knowing that a song about a baby born under imperfect conditions doesn't ruin a Christmas CD. Go back to your Jingle Bells.

What Ever You Do - DON'T PANIC!!!

Ahhh, winter in the South. There is a CHANCE of winter precipitation here tomorrow. I am watching the news right now and they are killing me - you would not believe the drama. They have people stationed throughout the city with live reports. I kid you not, you could take every sentence they are saying and substitute "swarm of locusts" with "chance of snow" and their reports would make more sense. They have stopped just short of telling everyone to notify their next of kin and make sure your donor card is filled out. Yes, I am exaggerating but not as much as these reporters. This is entertainment, people. One poor sap was just reporting live standing outside with a round thermometer larger than his head showing that is is now below 40 degrees!!! Yes, it was 70 degrees just a couple of hours ago but still this is waaaaaaay over the top. My friends in the north would just love this!!!

Sure, I could be eating these words when we are covered in ice tomorrow, no food in the house and I get stuck at the airport trying to catch my 4:00 flight. Oh man, I just remembered I have an appointment to get my hair cut and colored before heading to the airport tomorrow - we have a Christmas party Saturday night and I am a shaggy gray dog at the moment. Ok now this is serious. This town shuts down if there is a speck of ice on the ground. If this winter weather messes up my hair appointment, I am going to be peeved.

P.S. Thanks for all of your nice comments and emails regarding my last pathetic post. I'm still working on the "positive" list. How many items does it take to make a list?

Random Confessions Of A Waiting Mom

(I apologize for anything not spelled correctly - blogger spell checker ate my post twice so I gave up.)

1. I didn’t believe anyone when they said the wait was harder than the paperchase. I still don’t think it would be harder if we knew how long we will be waiting.


2. While I was paper chasing, I could see progress, I could put an X in a cell of a spreadsheet with each document, with each certification, with each check that I wrote and you can not imagine the joy that each X gave me.


3. Once we were LID (paperchase officially done), each batch of referrals was progress and that made me happy.


4. Referrals still make me happy but they don’t make me feel any closer to our daughter. This is awful to admit but I only see progress when I see someone with an LID of August or September 2006. There are actually people behind us in the wait.


5. This time last year, I was chasing paper like a mad woman. I am sure that I drove Jon crazy with the urgency of every single step. But I just knew that if I hurried up, we would have “Lulu” home by this Christmas. And you know what - If I had it to do over again, I would do the exact same thing.


6. I told very few people this but I hung a stocking for “Lulu” last year – she got stacking cups. I think she will like them.


7. We are so far behind on our Agency training that it is embarrassing. I am still reading every single book on the list. For some bizarre reason, I just can’t bring myself to actually log into the website and answer a few questions.


8. Actually, some of the questions in the last section that we did complete were insulting. “What will you do if you get to China and your child is ill?” UMMMM….”Do whatever it takes to find her the proper medical care. Move mountains if we have to.” I’m not trying to over simplify things – I know it would be terrifying to find yourself in that situation and I’ve not been there. But as far as I am concerned, you might as well ask me “What would you do if you gave birth and your child was ill?”


9. Unfortunately, due to situations that I have never written about here (and never will) they have to ask such questions.


10. I opened the door to the guest room closet recently while looking for something and I actually gasped when I saw all of the dresses hanging there. I just hadn’t looked in there in quite a while. They actually caught me by surprise. I immediately closed the door and walked away.
11. Yes, it is still the guest room and I am glad. I know that it helps some people to get the nursery ready but I seriously could not bear to walk past a nursery in our house just yet. Besides, where would I go when Jon’s snoring is keeping me awake?
12. No, we are not going to get a call any day now with our referral. I know some countries work like that – China doesn’t. I realize that your next door neighbor’s cousin’s butcher, baker or candlestick maker got a surprise call one day. China doesn’t work that way. I’ll post a better explanation eventually but you get in line and there are several people in front of us. They don’t pull a name out of a hat.
13. I had most of our documents notorized and shipped at the UPS store a couple of blocks from our house. They were awesome and made me promise to bring our daughter to meet them. I have switched UPS stores because I am tired of them asking “when”? Yes, I know they mean well and I love and appreciate their enthusiasm. I am just tired of “when”.
14. For my next post, I will write about some positive aspects of the wait - may take a while.

Back Up

Yes, I know the blog was down for a while. Easy fix but frankly I just couldn't be bothered. I think I've posted maybe three times in the last couple of months because I just needed a break. Not sure why, I love being here and love reading others but I just needed a break. So when the blog was down, I just took my sweet time getting it back up and running. I've switched over to the beta version so we will see how it goes. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!!

Going To The Chapel.....

This is a ridiculously overdue post but I am trying hard not to lose my "most pathetic blogger ever" status. Anyway, my brother Paul and his girlfriend are getting married!!!! They are very excited and we are very excited for them. Of course I think my first question was "are you eloping or do I get to buy a new dress?" Hey, you have to be prepared. Anyway, an exact date hasn't been set but probably some time next spring and the wedding will be in New Orleans. Can't wait - I love weddings. He told my parents on their 46th wedding anniversary which is kind of cool also. Congratulations Paul and Jennifer.

Still Here

I can't believe that it's been two weeks since I posted. Not that anyone is on the edge of their seat wondering but everything is fine here - just super busy. Nothing exciting, just busy. Even Dad, one of my most faithful readers, hasn't asked where my posts have been. Oh yeah, it's football season - I've probably been replaced by the LSU fan message boards. (Still seeing how far I need to push Dad before getting him to leave a comment.)

In the last two weeks, something had to give and since I want to keep my job and my husband, I guess I gave the blog a rest.

Last Wednesday (yes, a week ago) Jon and I did celebrate our third wedding anniversary. Well I was out of town of course so we didn't celebrate on Wednesday but that's what weekends are for. I don't have any anniversary pictures so I'll share a couple of pictures from our wedding.

Thanks babe for still making me laugh!!!

Best Email Ever

Hello Karen, this is Ivy speaking. I just wanted to tell you that I love you. And that's it.
Bye.
Ivy

(In my inbox this morning - typed by my brother-in-law)

I LOVE YOU TOO IVY!!!!!!

Maybe I Was Wrong...

I have to admit when I first heard that the Saints were going to play in the Superdome tonight, I didn't really know how to react. OK, I admit it - I was annoyed. There are so many bigger problems to deal with yet we can figure out how to continue with the football??? Many people can not find housing and the suicide rate is up 300% in New Orleans. And further east, in Mississippi, the progress is even slower.

I remember (barely) when the superdome was built. Growing up, I went to several Saints games and went to the Super Bowl there in 1981. As a kid, I think I saw the circus there. I remember how funny it was that the trapeze was flying below some of the seats. One summer in college, I worked downtown and my carpool parked in the dome everyday.

A year ago, with a house full of family members that evacuated, I watched all the horrors unfold at the Superdome. I could not imagine it ever being the "Superdome" again. So when I heard the game was going to be played there tonight, I had mixed feelings.

Don't get me wrong - I love to see the progress. I want the nation to know how strong the people of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region are - trust me, they would not be there right now if they weren't strong. I want people to travel to New Orleans and spend loads and loads of money. However, people need to know that there is still a lot to be done. The people checking you in at your hotel and the person serving you that hot steamy cup of Gumbo may be struggling to find a place to live. Yes, the French Quarter and uptown may be open for business. However, people that work in that part of the city do not necessarily live in that part of the city. They may be going home to a FEMA trailer or worse.

So, I sat down tonight to watch the first professional football game that I have watched in YEARS (sorry, just not a fan). And it felt good. I was very curious (and skeptical) on how it was going to be portrayed. I did not watch the entire game but from what I saw, I think the message was good. Yes world, the spirit of New Orleans lives. There are parts of New Orleans that are open for business. We are able to have a football game and we would love for you to come and visit (and did I mention to spend money?). But life there is still difficult at best and we can't forget that. I don't have the answers. I do think two things that New Orleans will need for years to come are
1- the continued support of the nation and
2 - for the people of New Orleans to come together and work together.

So, hey if a football game can help with those two things then I say GO SAINTS!!!!

OH, and Bono was HOT!!!

Balance Schmalance

First of all, thanks to everyone who helped to wish my Dad a Happy Birthday last week- you guys are great!!! Also, an update to this post. I received a 911 call from my sister yesterday from the mall where she spotted stirrup leggings. As if.


A few weeks ago, I was on my way to a client and passed the campus of a large, well known technology company. I won't use the name but chances are if you on a computer enough to be reading this, you know this company. As I passed the main entrance, I noticed a trailer parked in front of the building that said "Mobile Dentist". Hmmm. And then I noticed the cheesy slogan regarding some nonsense about helping people to balance life and work. Oh please - you have got to be kidding me you heartless corporation!!!! Some people may find this convenient - I find it ridiculous. You mean you are going to let me actually get up from my cubicle and see a dentist chosen by YOU in a TRAILER. I bet that lovely trailer of yours is outfitted with wireless so that I can continue working while being lectured on the benefits of flossing. Sign me up.

Last time I checked, most people go to the dentist twice a year. (Unless you are having additional work done which I am guessing you don't want to have done in a trailer.) What's next, once a year the stirrups are going to arrive in my cubicle for a quick checkup? Trust me this company isn't solving world peace, world hunger, speeding up the referral process or replacing the calories and fat in Cracky Kreme donuts with vitamins and minerals. If that was the case, I would be all for holding these employees hostage. There is another type of institution where people do everything they need to do on "campus". It's called prison!!! People, we are NOT that important.

If you want to help me balance my life and work, just give me a couple of hours twice a year to visit MY dentist!!! Better yet, take that mobile dentist out to people that otherwise would not be able to afford to go to the dentist and bring me a mobile massage or a mobile manicure!!!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday!!! He loves to say that he has NEVER had a birthday party. Don't believe a word of it. In fact, just last year my sister and I threw a party for him complete with a cake, streamers and balloons. Well, there was the fact that he wasn't actually at the birthday party but really that's just a detail. Hey, we all had a good time and sent him pictures.

If you think that is bad, one year my parents sent me a package in the mail for my birthday. Inside I found deflated birthday balloons, blown out candles, used decorations and a videotape(yes, it was back in the day of videotapes.) I played the videotape and it was my mom, dad, brother and their dog Buster all singing Happy Birthday to me, blowing out the candles and eating MY cake!!!!

So anyway Happy Birthday Dad!!! Help me out people. Leave a comment wishing him a Happy Birthday - maybe a "cyber party" will satisfy him.

I Love You Dad!!!

Who Is Responsible For This??

I have learned some very disturbing news recently. I've tried to ignore it thinking it would just go away. Unfortunately, it looks like it is not going away and I am going to be forced to discuss it here. So here it goes.

Who the heck decided that leggings should come back in fashion!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I know, fashions come and go. But leggings......that is something that should NEVER come back. Sure, I wore them years ago when they were in style and I've seen the pictures. Let me say that I am shocked that my loved ones let me go out in public like that. Really, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't care what you do to leggings, they are NOT pants!!!!! No one looks good in them (at least I like to believe that is true.) I don't care how popular they become. Let me go on record telling anyone listening if I so much as think about putting on a pair of those things, you have every right to take those hideous spandex/lycra things and strangle me with them.

That brings me back to the question who decided they should come back in style?? Odds are they are tall and skinny. I say we find them and force them to eat dozens and dozens of Cracky Kreme donuts. Who is with me???

Where Were You?

There are some events that you will always remember EXACTLY where you were when they happened. September 11, 2001 is obviously one of them. I had just returned through JFK airport from Amsterdam the week before. I flew to Houston on September 10, 2001. The morning of September 11, 2001, I was in my hotel room in Houston getting some work done before a mid-morning meeting with a client. I had the news on but the volume was turned down and I couldn't see the tv from where I was working. At some point I realized what time it was and stepped away from my work to get dressed for the day. I passed by the TV and saw the images. Both planes had already hit the twin towers.

I immediately called my parents. They didn't even know yet which is unusual since they are avid news watchers. I was traveling constantly at the time. My office was a plane ticket, a cell phone and a laptop. I wanted my parents to know I was safe in Houston. When I was on the phone with Mom, the news of the pentagon hit was announced. As soon as I got off the phone with Mom, I immediately called my friend Andree'. Her husband was traveling as much as I was at the time so I wanted to know that he was ok. I didn't even know Jon then, we met a few months later.

I did not have a rental car so I just hung out in Houston for a couple of days waiting for a car or a flight. Like most everyone else, I just sat glued to the TV watching the images and trying to understand it all. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to be in New York on that day. I was finally able to get a car and drove home since there were still no flights. I will never forget going to the airport to retrieve my car. The silence was deadening. You don't realize how loud it is in the parking garage of an airport until it's quiet. For some reason, even after watching the events unfold for a couple of days, the silence of the airport shocked me. I threw up in the garage before getting into my car.

I know that I am posting this at the end of the day but my thoughts have been with those that lost their lives five years ago. My thoughts are with those that lost loved ones. My thoughts are with those that witnessed it first hand and are still haunted by the memories.

Jewelry Party A Success

The jewelry party last Thursday was great fun. It was a great excuse to spend a couple of days with my sister and a couple of hours with friends that I don't see nearly enough. Thanks to everyone who came or sent orders. Here's a look at all the pretty things we had on display.

What I did not mention in my previous post is that I have actually decided to be an independent representative for this jewelry company. So Thursday was actually my kick-off party. Besides having fun with my sis and friends, I earned a few hundred dollars plus a few hundred dollars in FREE jewelry. What girl doesn't like free jewelry? I've never imagined myself doing anything like this but I fell in love with the jewelry and the people and decided what the heck. When I get a chance, I am sure that I will be updating this blog with a link to my website and some additional updates. In the meantime, if you are curious what it's all about, just shoot me an email at the address on the side. Just don't ask me how I am planning on doing this along with my current somewhat demanding job - I'm figuring that out as I go.

Officially Great

Although I think Jon and I have always been pretty good at the Aunt and Uncle gig, we are now officially GREAT. Jon's niece had a baby girl last Monday, 8/28 which makes us Great Aunt and Great Uncle. Since I was out of town all last week, I didn't get to see her until yesterday. She is absolutely beautiful and making all the squeaky baby noises that I love so much. Here she is at just a couple of days old being held by her Great Grandmother (Jon's Mom). I told you she is beautiful.

Dinner With Andree'

I was out of town AGAIN last week, this time in Seattle. However, I got to spend a little time with my friend Andree' - totally took the sting out of being on the road for the fourth week in a row!!! Gosh it was so great to see her. I met Andree' in 1987 when we were both fresh out of college. Is it really possible that I am old enough to have been friends with someone for almost 20 years that I met as an adult??? Can't be.

It was a great visit although too short. I spent the night at her house Thursday night and then left for the airport around 1:30 Friday afternoon. She and her husband have four beautiful (and very entertaining) kids which have grown so much since I last saw them.

I couldn't wait to hear about the 60 mile 3 day that Andree' had just completed. OH MY GOSH. It's hard enough to wrap my head around walking 60 miles. I had not even considered the entire element of sleeping in a tent (which you set up yourself) for two nights and using port-a-potties!!!!! That adds an entire dimension of discomfort that I had never even considered. I guess I imagined that after walking 20 miles, I would be hanging out at the Four Seasons recharging for the next day. Apparently not. I totally admired her for doing this before but now I am just in awe. Seriously if you know ANYONE participating in one of these events, support them any way you can. Donate money, watch their kids while they train, give them pep talks, take a walk with them while they train, whatever you can do. The Seattle team raised over 6.8 million dollars towards breast cancer research. WALK ON!!!!

Dr. Ivy Makes House Calls

Here she is in her full Dr. attire before heading over to Mom's for her post surgery check up. Looks like she is prepared complete with prescription pad. I called Mom after Dr. Ivy was there to make sure she was still in one piece. I've been "treated" by Dr. Ivy and I can tell you that she is fairly thorough with her questions. However, every symptom I've reported including upset stomach, allergies, sore throat, mosquito bites, has been met with the same conclusion by Dr. Ivy. "I'm going to have to cut it out."

Let's Hear It For The Girls!!!!!!

Specifically two very good friends of mine, Mary and Andree'. I am blessed to be able to have both of these women as friends. Earlier this year, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. They caught it early so the prognosis is good. She has handled this diagnosis with all the courage, humor and faith that makes her so special. You may have noticed comments on here from "Mary(get your mammogram)" and "Almost done with ratiation". That is Mary. Today, August 24th, was her last day of radiation treatments. Woo Hoo!!!!! Hopefully she does not read this for several days as she is headed to the beach soon to recharge.

That brings me to Andree'. Her mom is a breast cancer survivor but unfortunately she recently lost a cousin to the disease. This weekend she is walking the Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day 60 mile walk for the cure. She has been training for months. She has four very active kids and her husband travels frequently for work so she was already pretty busy before she started training. Oh yeah, and she had to have surgery herself during the training but that didn't stop her. Her team has raised OVER $16,000.00 for breast cancer research.

Mary and Andree' have never met in person. Well, they may have met at our wedding but I doubt it since everyone was so focused on me....and maybe Jon, but mostly me. Yes people, that is sarcasm. Anyway, they may have never met in person but they have been in each other's thoughts for a while now. Andree' is dedicating mile 24 of 60 to Mary (last day of radiation treatment). I think Mary said it best in a recent email to me..... "Godspeed Andree'!!!!"

Happy Bleeping Birthday!!! **UPDATED**

Tomorrow is Mom's Birthday. And boy does she have some BIG plans for the day. At 5:30 tomorrow morning my Dad is taking her to...............................the hospital for surgery. How's that for a birthday celebration? Over a week ago, Mom broke her ankle in two places. Yep, she busted it up something bad. How did she do this? Well, being the crazy fun Grandmother that she is, she took the Grandkids to the water park on the last day of their summer vacation. Apparently while she was performing some type of dangerous water park trick she fell and broke her ankle. So, she has been off of it for over a week now waiting for the swelling to go down. Tomorrow she will be getting a brand new ankle complete with a titanium plate, screws, pins, nuts, bolts, whatever it takes.

I know the past several days have been tough for her. Picture if you will, the energizer bunny on speed (and without the annoying drum). That's Mom. She is ALWAYS doing something. And it's not that non-productive, spastic type of frenzy that I MIGHT manage to work myself into once a year or so. Nope, it is focused and productive. Frankly, it can be downright annoying sometimes. There is always something to be cleaned, cooked, ironed, straightened, mended, sewed or there is someone to have lunch with, someone to be visited, a meeting at church, a party to go to....you get the picture. Taking it easy is not in her nature. I am not sure that she has totally given up her usual ways. Rumor has it that she was recently seen sitting down, with her foot propped up and holding a yard stick with a towel wrapped around the end so that she could clean the corner of the bathtub. No, I will not reveal my source although I can say that I do consider the source VERY reliable.

During all of this, Dad has been taking very good care of her. He has been doing the grocery shopping, cooking, and waiting on her hand and "foot", mostly foot. Although he apparently missed a speck of dust in the corner of the bathtub, we will let it slide. A couple of days ago, Mom was frustrated about the fact that she would have six weeks of recovery time after the surgery. It was shortly after this post and Dad told her "not to worry, six weeks would go by in no time." She told him if he said that again, she was going to send me to scratch his eyes out. Ahhh she may be down but she's not out. Good one Mom!!!!

So Happy Birthday Mom!!!! Do we get to sign your cast?

UPDATE - The surgery went fine although the ankle was shattered really bad. She stayed in the hospital overnight but made it home today. Lee-Anne, hilarious comment about the butt paste. It won't help the ankle although the cast was irritating Mom's skin and my Dad suggested butt paste for that earlier today. I kid you not.

If You Are Looking For An Adoption Update...

I've heard from some friends and family recently that they check here for adoption updates and haven't seen anything specific lately. The fact that I ramble on about butt paste and disco parties is my way of saying that there really isn't an update. Originally we thought we would be meeting our child this year. Yeah, as in 2006. Oh, that is funny. Then here, I mentioned that it might be 2007 since wait times were expected to increase between 2-4 months. Oh, an increase of 2 - 4 months, those were the days.

At one point I thought that we had experienced our last Christmas, last Mother's Day, last Father's Day, etc. with just the two of us. I TRY not to look at things like that anymore. I am trying to cherish the "just the two of us" time. My birthday was Sunday. I turned 42. Luckily Jon and the friends we were with only made me blow out 1 candle. I could not help but wonder who will be there next year.

We spoke with our Agency today. I really appreciate the effort our Agency is taking to keep us informed. Unfortunately all they are able to tell us is that the current wait is approximately 13 months and the wait can get longer or maybe even shorter. Well that clears that up, doesn't it. There are many complicated reasons for the increase in wait times. Some of it is fact, some of it is speculation. I'm not in the mood to explain it here. I found a way to reset my expectations from a 6 month wait to a 12 month wait. I am in the process of resetting my expectations to an 18 - 24 month wait just in case. I'm not there yet. I know that a child (biological or otherwise) is a blessing, a gift and not something that I am entitled to for any reason. It hurts to admit that but I know it is true. That doesn't mean that my head is not full of "whys". It is.

So, all I can say is if you are reading this, the only update is that we likely still have another year. I've been saying "another year" since last October. Some people must think I am a crazy lady that thinks she is adopting. I'm either running in place or someone is moving the finish line. You will know if there is any news. I wish I could tell you more.

Also, I have said it before but I will say it again. Please refrain from using any of the following:
1. It will be worth the wait
2. Everything happens for a reason
3. It will be here before you know it
4. This is happening so that you can be matched with the child that was meant for you
5. Maybe you will get pregnant before then - ( Yes, we may get pregnant. Goodness knows we aren't doing anything to prevent pregnancy. This adoption is not a substitution for a pregnancy and no we aren't doing this to "save" a child. It is how we chose to grow our family. Period.)
6. Everything worthwhile is worth waiting for
7. Anything similar to the above

If you do say any of these things to me in the near future, I will want to scratch your eyes out. Of course I won't actually do that since with all the delays I will have to be fingerprinted again. But I can't promise that I won't fantasize about it.

Oh, but feel free to leave lots of comments about how I don't look a day over 41!!!!

Have Buttpaste...Need Baby

(EDITED FOR CLARIFICATION)

I guess my Mom wanted to top the stellar present that she gave Jon last Christmas. When she was here recently she presented Jon with a 16oz jar of Boudreaux's butt paste. 16 ounces!!!!! That is a lot of butt paste!! ( It was sort of a gag. Right Mom? A useful gag though. Looks like Jon is going to be changing some diapers!!!!) A few years ago Jon and I tailgated at the Cotton bowl with my parents and the Boudreaux Butt Paste RV was parked near my parent's RV. Jon thought that was the funniest thing he had ever seen. I am pretty sure we have pictures somewhere.

Just in case you haven't heard of this miracle butt paste, people swear by this stuff. It's not just for diaper rash. I had a rash on my finger that nothing would get rid of except for the Miracle butt paste. Of course, we are partial to this particular recipe since it comes from just up the road from my hometown. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting my Mom and complain about ANY type of skin ailment, she will have some butt paste on you faster than you can say Boudreaux. Although the company was recently bought by a company in Indiana, I really hope they keep the production in south Louisiana. Seriously, with Boudreaux in the name, it really can't come from anywhere else.

When I saw the size of this jar, I thought "great, now we can worry about the butt paste expiring along with our fingerprints." But, it seems like it is good until May of 2009. Too bad, I could have orchestrated an essay contest where people could write me explaining why I should bequeath the butt paste to them. Actually, that could get quite scary, never mind.

So, the nursery may not be started and our daughter doesn't have a name (besides LuLu) but at least Mom can stop worrying because we are loaded up with butt paste.

Traded Our Disco Shoes For Some Rock and Roll

Last night we went to the Tom Petty concert with some friends. Even though it was an outdoor concert and it was about a bizillion degrees outside, we had a blast. Very good show. We saw The Rolling Stones last November which was excellent but even despite the sauna situation last night, I think I enjoyed last night's concert more. Yes, he just released a new album but I only counted a couple of songs that were "new". Lots of the old favorites. My voice is a little shaky this morning from singing and screaming. I am sure if everyone would have been quiet and Tom could have heard me, he would have invited me onto the stage. Oh, and Stevie Nicks joined him on stage!!! I wasn't aware that she was joining the concert in some cities so it was a very pleasant surprise. They sang a few songs together including "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." She stayed on stage with her tambourine for most of the concert and took a bow with the rest of the band at the end.
Anyway, I AM TIRED. The last couple of weeks have been nonstop with the nieces/nephews and then a crazy week at work last week. Next week is shaping up to be a "two city" week so I think I am going to be taking it easy this weekend.

Highlights and Lowlights of Camp Jon And Karen

Ok, you may be tired of hearing about it but I couldn't help myself. Thanks to Julie for the idea (she did one of these a while back) and her suggestion on some very helpful software. And for "Anonymous" that asked why there weren't any pictures of me on the last post.... Well if you watch close, you will see me in all my Disco glory!! Fortunately for me, the lovely act of falling flat on my you know what as Jon tried to spin me around the dance floor wasn't captured on film. Trust me it was lovely. I should have done a practice run in those platform shoes!!

Cost Of A Disco/Dance Party

Age inappropriate costume for a 4 year old.....$5.00



Gold Glitter Hat.....$4.99




Inflatable plastic guitar.....$1.99



Disco Ball Earrings.....$1.99



Disco Ball Hanging In Your Living Room.....$23.99



Your Husband (wearing a Mr. Kotter wig) and nephew "rocking out like they mean it".....



PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I think this was around the time that my Dad announced "I think I hear The Homestudy People knocking on your door." Luckily it was just the extremely loud beat of the music.

Update from Camp Jon And Karen

We are still at it with the kiddos, we have just been having too much fun to post. Actually it's too difficult to wrestle the laptop from the 11 and 15 year old. I realized from some of the comments on the previous post that I should let you know there isn't really any camping done at Camp Jon and Karen. There is usually a kid sleeping on the floor, so I guess that might count as camping. Today is the last day so last night we celebrated with a disco/dance party. I will just let the pictures tell the story.


Even Dad was "getting his groove on."



More to come....

Camp Jon And Karen Day 1 (told by Ivy)

(I asked Ivy to tell me about her day yesterday. Most of it was spent driving here - they got here around 6:30pm. This is how Ivy remembers it.)

First, yesterday I woke up in the motorhome and we drove here. We played and colored. I took a nap and Ashlee' did too. It was a long, long trip. Pappy ate an Ice Cream Sandwich when we stopped. I ate a turkey sandwich. We couldn't find the campground because we went the wrong way. We parked and Mamare brought us to your house. When I got here I hugged you. We had a tea party but I drinked apple juice. We had goldfish at the tea party. Karen gave everybody a tee shirt. That's it.

2006 Camp Jon and Karen Countdown

Ok people, it's almost here. That's right, in less that 24 hours the happy campers should be arriving. My parents are bringing the nieces and nephew in their R.V. and should arrive late Wednesday. So, not only do the kiddos get to travel in style but it also helps us out with the kid to adult ratio. (Despite what our homestudy says, Jon and I really don't have a clue.)

Which reminds me, some of you asked if you could send your kids. I'm afraid we aren't able to accept any additional campers as we should probably keep the adult to kid ratio at 1 to 1.

As chairman of the planning committee, I can tell you that I have a few things planned but those will remain a secret for now. I am sure there will be pictures and stories so stay tuned. Despite my BS post yesterday about not obsessing over the referrals *, I am considering putting each of the kids, my parents and Jon on a rotating 3 hour referral watch. I already have all the important sites bookmarked so it wouldn't be too tough for them. (Well I would have to teach Ivy to read a couple of key words but how hard could that be? I'll start her on the flash cards first thing. ) Then I could have 24 hour round the clock referal watch. Brilliant. Besides, without three kids to look after, my sister Hope might be a little unreliable in the next few days.

Speaking of pictures, I thought it would be a good idea to capture a "before" shot. You know, so that we can properly assess the damage, I mean fun, that we have. Here are three of the four kiddos (they are picking up my Brother's daughter in the morning.) My BIL took this before they left today.















* I am currently allowed to obsess since we are now in a severe referral alert status. My new resolution only applies to anything less than a severe status. OK, and maybe a high status.....

I've Created A Monster.....

and I love her. It's my sister Hope. It was almost exactly a year ago that Jon and I were starting our adoption process. I was at her house for a visit and I exposed her to the world of adoption blogs. At that point I had found one - yes one, China adoption blog. Don't laugh, I was new to all of this. The blog belonged to a family that had just returned from China with their daughter. We sat at Hope's kitchen table, both with tears, and looked over the blog. The next morning Hope confessed that she stayed up very late the night before reading the entire thing. Anyway, her blog habit has progressed from there and I couldn't be happier. It's not about her reading the blogs, it's her involvement in this entire process. She doesn't even have to ask if there any updates because I swear she knows them before me. Don't get me wrong, all of our family and friends are nothing but supportive about the adoption. I am grateful for all of their support. They just haven't reached the obsessive status that Hope has reached - and I wouldn't recommend it either. In another few months, you will probably hear about her support group for "Sisters of Adoptive Parents".

Last month when referrals came out, I was down with bronchitis and didn't even get around to announcing the referrals. I mentioned that to my sister and she said "Oh, please I've seen every one of them." I asked her how (because clearly she must be dependent on me for all of her information. ) She says "I've seen them all on The Salsa Girl's blog." Yes, M3 you are "Salsa Girl" and trust me it is a term of endearment.

A couple of weeks ago, I was called her from whatever airport I was in and mentioned that I had been so busy I had not even checked in on the latest rumors. No problem, Hope knew exactly what they were. But here is the best part. If there is a good rumor, she gets all excited and tells me. If it's a bad rumor, she will say "Don't listen to that, it's just a rumor."

I've decided I can no longer watch all the rumors like I have been doing the last couple of months. It may help other people but for me it's just not healthy. I'm sort of an "all or nothing" type of person. I do not think certain rumor sites are bad. In fact, Hope will be the first one to tell you that she has learned so much about the process via the popular rumor site. I can use just about any acronym out there and Hope knows exactly what I am talking about. I also think the site does a good job of educating folks on issues such as the extension for the 171H.

However, with an LID of 3/14, we have a ways to go and I just can't do that to myself. This is also why I've been blogging and commenting less - I am afraid I'll get totally "sucked in." I'll still check on the rumors off and on (especially when referrals get close) and I am sure as we get closer to a referral, I'll be hitting refresh every five seconds. But for now, I am going to let Hope be my filter. I'll still be checking all my favorite blogs so I can celebrate each and every referral. But I am going to take a break from the "12 month, 18 month, 24 month" game. It's anybody's guess and no amount of speculation is going to change that fact. When I started this process, I decided to trust our agency and the process. As much as it hurts, I have to continue trusting.

HEY YA CHARLIE BROWN OUTCAST HEY YA SONG

Check it out. I love this song and either it's the wine I've been drinking or this is really funny!

Wireless In Rhode Island

For anyone who scoffed at my need for a wireless connection at any airport, I have a little story. I arrived at a certain airport at noon last Wednesday for my 1:14 pm departure. After everyone boarded, they decided that the plane (regional jet) was over it's weight limit. They make a lame announcement which basically says "we are over our weight limit and we need some people to get off the plane". Yeah, Mr. Airline Employee that's going to work. So "Little Miss Helpful Let Me Tell You How To Do Your Job" (aka - me) sitting in the front row tells the guy "I think you need to tell people a little more info if you want them to volunteer. You know, tell them if you are offering any vouchers, tell them when they will be rebooked, things like that". Blank stare from Mr. Airline Employee.

Of course no one volunteers, so I said I would sacrifice my 110 pounds - HAHAHAHAHAHA. Six other women (who are now my new friends) volunteer also. Then the chaos begins. The gate agents start pecking on their keyboards looking for alternate flights for us and what do you know, can't seem to find any. "Little Miss Wireless" (aka - me) fires up my laptop, logs onto my favorite travel website and proceeds to find flights for myself. I also tried to help my new friends but they were all traveling together and it wasn't easy to find six seats. Yes, I was one of "those" people - but hey I wanted to get home. The gate agent tries to tell me that there aren't any seats on the flight I found and I say "yes, actually 3F in first class is open and that will work just fine for me." The seven of us then proceed to re-negotiate the original voucher offered and got them to increase that a bit as well. Only fair since I did a bit of the work.

It took TWO hours to get all of that settled and then still had a couple of hours before the new flight. So I headed to the airport bar with my six new friends and had a couple of drinks. They were a hoot!!! So if you ever get stuck at the airport just give me a shout and I will hook you up!!

P.S. - Angela, Mark is of course excluded from any frustration that I appear to have with Mr. Airline Employee and his co-workers. Mark is the pilot, the one that gets me home safely. I say THANK YOU every time I pass the cockpit door when getting off of a flight - even if it is late.

Have You Seen This Show?

I'm in my hotel room, flipping through the limited channels and trying to get some work done and I came across this show "Honey*we're*killing*the*kids" on TLC. Two words. TRAIN WRECK. Oh my goodness. (I know what did I expect with such a dramatic title.) Think Super Nanny but all about diet and exercise.
Is this show old news, am I the only one that hasn't seen it? Sure, it's mostly common sense, things we all know but don't necessarily always do. They study what your kids eat and also the amount of exercise they get vs. how much time they spend watching tv and playing video games. Then the whammy, they run this data through some fancy schmancy computer model and show what the kids will look like when they are 40. Scary. Not in an attractive vs. unattractive way but more about how healthy they will be. Who knows how accurate these computer models are but at 40, they looked at least 55. The main star/host is Dr. Lisa Hark, well known nutritionist. She takes the family through a three week program where they transform their eating and exercise habits. She showed how much sugar they should be consuming in a week and then showed how much they are actually consuming each week. Ouch. They just threw out all of their junk food - huge plastic bin full. Not good. Hmmm. I just realized I am basically watching a TV show about how bad it is to watch too much TV. Wait, is that the hotel gym calling....... Nope it's still the TV.
Have you seen this show?

Funniest Thing Ever Heard At 35,000 Feet

I've logged a few miles over the last 15 years or so. I've heard and seen some crazy stuff while flying the friendly skies. I once heard a two hour conversation between a minister and a Las Vegas stripper - I kid you not. Too bad I didn't have a blog then!! Anyway, I was on a flight yesterday and as the flight attendant comes down the aisle to take our drink order, the woman next to me orders a strawberry daiquiri. HA!! Would you like that before or after the five course meal you are going to be served? This wasn't even a "real" airplane. It was a regional jet. What do those things seat, like 60 people? You can't even stand up. Sure, the thing is equipped with some (hopefully) sophisticated navigation equipment and your seat cushion will somehow magically become a flotation device in the event of a water "landing" but sorry, no blender.