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.