Our Journey to Jia

Out and about.....

2010-06-23T12:05:00.004-05:00

Out and about the last few weeks and we took Jia to the Zoo so she could check out the animals. She was a bit indifferent and didn't seem all that excited about the animals, but we had a good walk around the park. She seemed to like the Tigers the best, you know they are one of her favorite animals at this time.

It's been extremely hot in the Midwest already so we decided to get Jia a wading pool for the back yard. She loves bathes but isn't totaling in love with the cold hose water in the wading pool. We did end up taking her to the "big" pool and she was fine with the water there. I think she liked checking out all the other kids at the park more than anything.

One of Jia's favorite things to play with are books. She loves being read to and pretending to read to you. Here she is reading Peter Rabbit to me. Just love her! :o)

Few more pictures of Jia Baptism party .....

2010-06-22T16:55:00.003-05:00

Jia's Baptism ....

2010-06-22T14:51:00.003-05:00

These photo's are from way back in May. I am behind on posting! Jia was baptised on May 2, 2010. We had brunch afterwards and it really turned out well, other than Jay and myself being dead tired from cooking the night before and waking up at the crack of dawn to finish it. Jia is lucky enough to have two sets of godparents.

Jia with her godparents Carrie and Matt.

Jia with her Uncle Jeff and Aunt Janessa, also her godparents.

Everyone after church service.

Jia with Mommy and Daddy. She is wearing the dress that she wore at Matt and Carrie's wedding. Cute dress!!

Need to post something.....

2010-06-17T11:57:00.003-05:00

It is so hard to keep up with posting on the blog and downloading pictures to the computer.

I have some cute pictures of Jia and Natalie from the last weekend that I will try to download on Monday. Also, we are making a trip up north to visit family so I'll make sure I get some pictures and get those on the computer as well.

Jia's First Baseball Game.....

2010-06-07T08:52:00.001-05:00

Went to a ball game Saturday night with Jia and she surprised me by doing so well. It was hot as heck outside but other than that we had a great time.
All those days and nights of watch games with Daddy have paid off.
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Just a few pictures....

2010-05-09T18:06:00.002-05:00

Few pictures ....

2010-04-29T08:17:00.003-05:00

Just a few pictures of Jia that daddy took of Jia with the tulips.

Happy Little Girl......

2010-04-16T13:54:00.004-05:00

This is a picture courtesy of Debi. This girl LOVES to be outdoors.

She would be happy as a clam just sitting in the exersaucer on the deck watching the other kiddos playing in the yard. That all changed when Jia's sitter Debi put up a swing set in their back yard. The day the swing set was completed she finally decided it was time to walk in the grass to see what the other kiddos were up to. Debi let me know that she is a little dare devil.....loves climbing up the slide and once she gets up to the top she does not know how to get back down. Debi is teaching her to slide down on her belly.

Speaking of sliding on her belly... last weekend with Daddy she slid down the stairs at our house. Yay!! We've been showing her for months how to go down the stairs on her belly and she did it this weekend for Daddy. When I came home and she went down them it was the funniest thing EVER!! I was laughing so hard. The best way to describe it ...she looks like a fish out of water flopping around or a breakdancer doing the worm. Very funny!!

Quotes....

2010-04-08T12:16:00.007-05:00

For beautiful eyes,

look for the good in others:

for beautiful lips,

speak only words of kindness:

and for poise,

Walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

-Audrey Hepburn

Easter and more....

2010-04-08T11:32:00.007-05:00

Our neighbor had a little get together for some of the neighborhood kids and relatives. As you an see from the picture below Miss Jia isn't too sure about the grass. We were joking that this would be a wonderful way to keep her in one place. I know....mean Mommy.

Her shirt that Uncle Jeff and Aunt Janessa bought for her. Angel wings on the back and on the front...Uncle Jeffy is my Angel.

She does love her Uncle Jeffy.

All dressed up in her Easter dress getting ready to go over to Grandma and Grandpa H for lunch.

Playing with Wally dog over at G and G house.

How your life changes......

2010-04-08T08:22:00.011-05:00

Where have I been the last three months??? Adjusting to going back to work and taking care of an active little girl. Last post was on January 15, 2010....the time has flown.

I went back to work on January 27 which was welcoming but so very hard at the same time. Missed "adult time" but also felt like a part time parent. Wake Jia up in the morning, spend only 45 minutes with her before I take her over to the sitters house, go to work, pick up Jia and spend 2 hours of not so quality time with her while I try to cook dinner, give her a bath, little bit of play time and then put her down for bed around 8 pm. Then repeat times five.... I will say it's been an adjustment but very worth it.

February....

Our little girl turned one on February 13, 2010!!

We had Jia's birthday, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and Jia's one year Dr. appointment. We crammed her birthday, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day all on the same day. What were we thinking?? I didn't do the best planning either. I'll be better next year....promise.

During February she still has been pulling herself up on everything and walking along with support of the couch, kitchen chair, walls or her "walker" toy. We call her the old lady because she'll cruise along with her "walker" toy and does what ever she needs to do in that area and then grabs her "walker" toy and moves along to the next mission.

She has four teeth on top and two on the bottom.

She is not a picky eater but really doesn't care for green beans, potato salad or anything with italian dressing on it. She loves getting out of the house but the weather has been so cold and snowy this year we haven't been hanging outside much.

March....

We had a lot going on in March. Our best friends Matt and Carrie were married, Jia got to meet her Aunt Debi and Uncle Zak from California, Uncle Jason, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Natalie came in town and I had one of the big birthday's.

Jia was hanging out over at Grandma and Grandpa O's house on March 12 meeting her Aunt Debi and Uncle Zak and she decided that this was a great time to start walking. Actually walking from point A to point B.

Matt and Carrie where married on March 13 and we had a wonderful time. I'll have to get some pictures of Jia in her dress, she was so pretty.

Natalie and Jia got to hang out over the weekend and they had so much fun together. Jia was trying to do everything her cousin was doing. She was trying to hold on to the railing of the stairs while she was going up or down, she learned how to splash big time in the tub, loved sitting on her lap when she sat down and monkey see monkey do everything that Natalie was doing.

After the wedding everyone in the house was sick and it was no fun. No fun when baby girl can't breathe and doesn't have an appetite because she can't taste anything. Took a few weeks but everyone finally got better.

Spring is almost here... grass is turning green and flowers are starting to bloom. Long overdue.

Having fun!

2010-01-15T18:00:00.000-06:00

Still not walking but Jia is getting two more teeth in. Next week is my last week at home and then I go back to work. Mixed feelings .....excited for the adult company but I will miss my little girl. Thinking that this is going to be harder on me than her. We shall see.
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Sookie's position at the highchair

2010-01-13T10:21:00.000-06:00

Jia is now into sharing with Sookie and the puppy dog is loving it.
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Some new pictures and a short post....

2009-12-29T15:56:00.004-06:00

I have been extremely busy with a new baby and the holiday's. Jia had a blast eating paper and putting everything possible into her mouth. We are off the St. Louis soon to visit my side of the family. Jia will love her cousins. I will try to update more often... trying to get the hang of this mommy thing still.

Jia at Grandma's

2009-12-19T18:47:00.000-06:00

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Orli....check out my shoes

2009-12-18T17:45:00.001-06:00

Jia just loved your shoes so much she HAD get a pair of her own. Miss you! We watched some videos today and I laughed at all my friends.
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Baby so tired....

2009-12-07T13:10:00.000-06:00

And Mommy and Daddy are too.

She is still on China time. Wants to sleep all afternoon and play at night. She is in a deep sleep in the afternoon too. Today Jay let her sleep an hour and a half and she was falling asleep and smiling while Daddy was feeding her. Too funny.
Last night was the first night she slept four hours straight. Would not fall back asleep so she ended up in bed again but this time we had one cat, two dogs, one baby and mommy and daddy in a queen size bed. A bit crowded.
We are going to try our best keeping her awake today and hopefully she'll sleep more than four hours.
We brought the animals home last night as well and she is not really fond of the dogs. Sookie loves her and Peanut looks like we betrayed her.
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Bunnies slippers

2009-12-02T22:56:00.001-06:00

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Consulate appointment today

2009-12-01T19:23:00.000-06:00

We have our consulate appointment this afternoon. Two more nights at the White Swan Hotel and we get to come home. Yippee! Tired of living out of a suit case.
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Dianjiang Girls

2009-12-01T03:55:00.000-06:00

Jia Lan is not so happy in this group photo but I have to share. From the left is Jia Jia, Airis, Jia Lan and Orli Jia-Mei.
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Happy red couch photo

2009-11-30T23:30:00.000-06:00

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Barbie

2009-11-30T21:27:00.001-06:00

We got our Barbie yesterday.
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Medical Exam, Visa photo and other adventures

2009-11-30T21:09:00.000-06:00

Yesterday 11/30 we had to walk over to get Jia's photo taken for her visa and her medical exam for the US.
The whole exam took about 10 minutes. They checked her hearing, vision, heart, lungs, weight and height. Little girl weighed 20.4 lbs. She was very good for her exam and only cried when the nurse took her away to weigh her.
Next we were off to the pearl market. Really good prices on strands of pearls. Purchased a necklace, bracelet and earrings for Jia.
Came back to the hotel so Jia could take a nap and then grabbed a bite to eat with Ted, Corey and Orli Jia-Mei. Jia Lan was not on her best behavior at dinner. I am thinking it was from all the running and missing her morning nap.
Today we have to hang around the hotel at for a phone call. Kathy and Jason are taking our paperwork to the US Consulate today and will give us a call and let us know if there are any questions or if everything is OK. At 12:30 all the babies are going to get their photos taken on the red couch. Bought a cute dress for Jia to wear. More to come.....
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Break through and tour day

2009-11-29T16:43:00.000-06:00

From yesterday 11/29/09

Just wanted you to know that Jia is letting her daddy hold her today without causing a fuss. She is starting to realize that I am not going anywhere and is letting Jay get closer to her. We had issues when we went to the regisration office for her adoption. This is the place where we picked her up and she didn't like it. Of course I don't know what was going on in her little head but since that day she went backwards with Jay. She would let Jay feed and change her in the morning since I would sneak out of the room before she would see me.... in the past once she saw me it was history but now she is sees me and doesn't cause a fuss. She is even letting me leave the room and she doesn't cry.

Today we toured the city of Guangzhou. First stop was the Six Banyans Temple to see a Pagoda and be blessed by the monks. Jia was taking a nap in the carrier which she does well while we check out the Pagona. The smell of insense was overwhelming. Jia and myself went it to get blessed and it was to funny....Jia was in a deep sleep and once the Monk started beating his drum and chanting she woke up and started bobbing her little head.

Next stop was the Folk Art Museum which was built 100 years ago. Beautiful cravings on the outside of the buildings and beautiful artwork for sale.

Third stop was the Guangzhou local arts and craft store run by the Guangzhou Municipal Government. The artist working there were talented. This young lady was painting inside tiny bottles and glass globes, another lady was painting intricate artwork on porcelain vases and the list goes on.
Headed back to the hotel and a couple of other fellow families went to grab a bite to eat and enjoy an ice cold local beer. Jia is taking her nap and then it is a group dinner at the Cow and Bridge Restaurant for some Thai Food. Yummy! I dig Thai.

Tomorrows agenda...visa photo and a medical exam for Jia. This leg of our a journey is for the US of A. Talk to you all later and her is a snap shoot of the museum.
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We made it to Guangzhou

2009-11-28T00:36:00.000-06:00

We made it to Guangzhou with no issues.
Jia handled the plane like an old pro. I think the only issue we may have is keeping her occupied on the plane ride home.
Paperwork tonight and off to the Buddhist Temple tomorrow.
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Ready to go to Guangzhou

2009-11-27T16:08:00.000-06:00

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RAWR!!!!! I am a dinosaur

2009-11-26T22:34:00.000-06:00

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Bath time fun

2009-11-26T21:19:00.000-06:00

Jia does not like taking a bath at all. I don't know if it was always this way or she is just not used to the baby bath tub on the hotel room. Take her out of the water and she is fine. Gotta run! Group photo.
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This is for you Carrie and Matt

2009-11-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

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Day at the Chongqing Zoo

2009-11-25T03:05:00.000-06:00

Little Ham Bone ....this is Jia Lan's nick name, actually its Lan Lan but she is a character.
Today we took a trip to the Chongqing Zoo to see the giant Panda and few other animals. Last night Jia decided she prefers me holding her instead of Jay so I strapped on the baby carrier and stuck her in and boy does she love it. She gets to face out and see all the action. She did fabulous on our outing. She loves being on the move, outside and around people. She was hamming it up with some local Chongqing women at the Zoo laughing at them and showing them her crinkle nose smile. Too cute! All the outdoor activities wore her out and she fell asleep on the bus ride back to the hotel. Got her back to the room, Jay mixed up her medicine with some water and sugar and put it in her sippy cup, which worked better than mixing it in her formula (Thanks Ann!) then Jay went to get Jia some Congee for lunch. Come to find out the girl loves food more than formula. She is not a picky eater either....good for us.
Speaking of traveling.... by auto or bus it is an adventure in itself in Chongqing. I am quite surprised that there are not more accidents. Oh and you better get out of the way because pedestrians do not have the right of way. You'll get honked at.....that is all I hear from our hotel room.

The weather is wonderful in Chongqing. No rain.... just extremely foggy which I hear its foggy all the time. I would say it is around 50 to 60 degrees outside and that is cold to the people of Chongqing. In the summer I hear it's miserable 110 degrees and very humid. Dressed Jia in layers today for our outing, she is a sweaty baby and tomorrow it will be more in the same. Heading to Old Town tomorrow hoping we can find some treasures there.
Talk tomorrow!
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Jia day three

2009-11-24T19:05:00.000-06:00

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Just a picture....

2009-11-23T22:46:00.000-06:00

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More about Jia Day

2009-11-23T21:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a busy day for us. In the morning we had to fill out all the paperwork for Jia's adoption once that was done we headed underneath the hotel and Anita showed us were the grocery store and good restaurants were. I swear it is like Vegas or the local casino. Clouds and blue sky painted on the ceiling and cigarette smoke lingering in the background.

We grabbed a small bite to eat and met everyone in the lobby by two o'clock then started our five minute walk next door to meet the babies. I could spot Ted and Corey's little one but for the life of me I could not spot our Jia. All the girls from the Dianjiang SWI were there. Jeff and Teresa were the first up, then us and then Ted and Corey.

Jia was not happy at all. She cried the entire time we were at the registration office. She was not happy that we were holding her either, she kept pushing us away and wouldn't look us in the eye. My heart was breaking for her....she was so sad. Brought her back to the room and it didn't get much better. She was needing a diaper change which helped for five minutes and then she was back to crying. She cried for five hours and kept calling for Nai Nai which means Grandma in Chinese. I think she had a belly ache from all the traveling because once I started rubbing her belly she went to sleep. Woke up smiling, drank some juice and had a good poop.... all was good in the world.
Dr stopped by the room to check her out. Found out she has had a cold and was in the hospital because she was dehydrated. Dr gave us some antibiotics and some cough medicine so hopefully she will be feeling better soon.

She is a sweaty little thing too. I am afraid if I go lighter on the layers she'll get chilled and her cold won't get better. Thank goodness for Jeff and Teresa next door. They have raised five boys and are there to help us with our questions.
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Start of day two...

2009-11-23T16:55:00.000-06:00

Jia woke up this morning a happy girl. I was concerned if she would be in shock but she was smiling and babbling.
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Finally got a smile!

2009-11-23T05:33:00.000-06:00

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Jia Day

2009-11-23T02:16:00.000-06:00

We just picked up Jia two hours ago and boy she is not happy. Very hard on her. Once we got back to the room we changed her diaper and she went right to sleep. More to come.
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We made it

2009-11-22T09:39:00.000-06:00

We made it to Chongqing. Getting everything ready for tomorrow. I will upload pictures if I am able.
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Chongqing

2009-11-22T08:08:00.000-06:00

We made it to Chongqing. Do you see what's in the picture? Can't wait.
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Hong Kong last night and our last day.....

2009-11-21T19:57:00.001-06:00

We walked around Hong Kong last night and everything was decorated for Christmas. We don't even feel like we are in China. I could actually live in Hong Kong with no problem.
Heading off to Chongqing in five hours and we will arrive around 8:25 pm. We will do some paperwork when we get in tonight and try to get some sleep before the big day tomorrow. Hugs to everyone!
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Oh so sleepy.

2009-11-21T05:32:00.000-06:00

Just waking up from my cat nap and I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Going to head out and see all the Christmas lights and see a laser light show. I would like to stay up a few more hours so I can sleep through the night tonight.
Group 1515 will get their girls tomorrow. So excited for them and can't wait to meet up in Guangzhou.
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Hong Kong....

2009-11-20T16:38:00.000-06:00

We just made it into Hong Kong. Time is 5:30 am Saturday morning we should have made it in on Friday night at 8:30 pm.
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Newark.....

2009-11-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

Newark is a beautiful city.... from the airport window. Our flight has been delayed 5.5 hours. We were supposed to fly out at 3:30 and now we are delayed until 9:00. Looks like we will get into Hong Kong around 2:00 am.
Positive point....it's going to be dark by the time we leave so I can take a cat nap and we're going to China.
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Phone setup for China.....check

2009-11-18T10:19:00.000-06:00

Set up my phone for China. I will be updating and sending pictures this way instead of lugging around the laptop. For those of you that only have my work email address my personal email is kelly_hurst@sbcglobal.net
We leave tomorrow morning!
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Getting ready to travel .....

2009-11-16T22:02:00.005-06:00

Started packing today and I think I have everything for Jia ready to go. Tomorrow I will work on packing up our things. Last time I looked the weather in Chongqing was in the 30's and Guangzhou was much warmer. Layers I suppose.....

Things to do tomorrow... pack, clean the house, finish up any extra laundry that appears and run some errands. Wednesday??? Thursday..... we are on a plane to China!!

Whew!!

2009-11-09T19:04:00.003-06:00

Airline tickets purchased today. Whew!!!
I haven't been this stressed in quite a while. Airline tickets to China, work stuff, everything that we NEED to take to China and making sure we have everything for the Jia when we get back. We're getting it done.... slowly ... but we are getting it done.

Updated photos

2009-11-06T11:57:00.000-06:00

New pictures of Jia arrived today! Here's one of them.
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We're going to China!

2009-11-05T12:48:00.000-06:00

We need to start booking tickets! Need to arrive in Hong Kong on 11-22 and the we'll be in Chongqing on 11-22! Consulate appointment was confirmed today!
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We got our TA's!!

2009-11-04T11:17:00.003-06:00

We received word for our agency that they received Travel Approval for our family!! We will be leaving for China the third full week of November! We'll have Jia by Thanksgiving. This will be a Thanksgiving that we will never forget. Can't wait to get our little girl. Chongqing here we come.

We got our Visa's today!!!

2009-11-03T11:51:00.003-06:00

Hooray!! We got our Visa's today. We can now go to China! Well.... we do have to wait for the travel arrangements.

Got a call from our agency yesterday and they are telling us we'll either leave on 11/19 or 11/26. OMG!! As soon as 16 days... gulp. I am ready to go get Jia but my house may not be so ready. Oh well, if it's not done... it's not done.

Jia's Bedroom ....

2009-10-27T18:25:00.016-05:00

Jia's bedroom is almost done. Just a few finishing touches and it will be complete. This room was known as the "catch all room" if it didn't have a home this is where it lived. We removed the wallpaper, removed the popcorn ceiling, painted the trim, replaced the doors and painted the walls. Now I am trying to get the rest of the projects around the house done before we bring her home. It's never ending.

Where is Jia....

2009-10-21T13:48:00.005-05:00

Jia is at the Dianjiang County Social Welfare Institute in Chongquig Municipality. Research-China.org has some information about the area. I have contacted Brian about getting Jia's finding ad. Finding ads are published by the orphanage as the first step for international adoption. The photos used in the ads pre-date a child's referral photo by several months. Additionally, information contained in the ads is very valuable to adoptive families, especially those who have not traveled yet.

We have a name....

2009-10-19T15:29:00.004-05:00

We have decided to keep her given name which is Jia Lan.

We are going to send a care package this week and I am leaning towards Ann with Redthread China. I need to get on the ball and dig up some pictures to put in the photo book. We are going to send the PJ package too.

This weekend was busy!! Trying to get every last home project done before we travel to China. This weekend we bought nine new doors for the upstairs and guess what.... every single one of them is about 1/8 of an inch to big. Nothing is as easy as it seems. Sunday was all about Jia, we went BabiesRUs and added some items to the registry and went clothes shopping for baby. Jay had a hay day!! I also started working on the travel paperwork and oh my is it overwhelming. These few weeks will fly by!!

Mommy and Daddy love you Jia and we'll be coming to get you soon. :o)

We are in love.....

2009-10-15T09:55:00.016-05:00

We received baby girls information yesterday via "FedEx stork", signed the LOA (letter of acceptance) and ran out to Kinko's to catch the last FedEx drop.

She's beautiful and we are so in love!!

Do you notice that I am calling her baby girl??

Well, a while back Jay decided that Isabel wasn't "the name" anymore and really I am fine with that. I really love the name she has now....Jia Lan which means beautiful orchid. Love it! Still working on Jay but I think I am convincing him.....

Let me introduce......

2009-10-13T12:57:00.005-05:00

Jiang Jia Lan was born on February 13, 2009 from the Dianjiang County Social Welfare Institute in Chongqing Province.

Isn't she beautiful!!

Has been in the orphanage since February 14, 2009.

Two teeth

Moderate sleeper

Holds head up

Rolls over

Grasps toys

Ready smiles

Closest to her caretaker

AND!!!! We travel in 5-6 weeks.

Tomorrow is the day!

2009-10-12T14:27:00.002-05:00

Agency received the referrals today. We'll get the call tomorrow.
Can't wait to see that face!!

No rumor .... this is a fact.

2009-10-12T10:24:00.003-05:00

Europe is starting to make phone calls!!
Hoping that our agency gets the package today!! If that is the case we'll hear tomorrow. Our agency always calls the day after they receive them in the mail.

We'll get to see that beautiful face soon! Can't wait to share.

Fly stork Fly.....

2009-10-12T07:42:00.003-05:00

Rumors are floating around that the box at C2A2 has changed and the cut off date is 3.28.06. This could mean our referral is on the way.

Fingers and toes crossed!!

Rain, Rain go away.....

2009-10-08T09:28:00.003-05:00

Time to break out the rain gear.

We are heading to Columbia, MO to see the Mizzou / Nebraska game tonight and of course rain is in the forecast all day long. JOY!!
We did get a hotel room since it is an eight o'clock game and none of us want to make the two hour journey back home. I am actually thinking that "tailgating" in the hotel room is sounding pretty good. Don't get me wrong I don't mind getting wet but when it's 40 degrees outside I mind getting wet. BRRRRR!
Go Tigers!!

This quote hits the spot....

2009-10-01T16:28:00.001-05:00

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."-Joseph Campbell

Should I get excited.....

2009-09-28T15:14:00.002-05:00

Are referrals arriving this week OR in the next two weeks???

There is news that a package has left China... is it referrals or TA's (travel arrangements) for last months referrals?? Whatever is in this package I am not holding my breath that they are referrals. Nope...not gonna do it.... absolutely not.

I had in my heart that we would have received our referral last week and when it didn't arrive....... I was sad and upset.

With that being said I am just gonna think they are coming the week of 10/12..... if they arrive earlier than that. Yeah for Jay and I!!!!

42 months......

2009-09-27T08:44:00.003-05:00

Three years and six months waiting for baby. Enough said.............

There's a peep today.....

2009-09-25T07:30:00.004-05:00

Word is another agency is saying the 29th is in the upcoming batch. Wonderful news!! I have met some great people with an April LID that really would like for the March peeps to get out of their way.
Now let's get that stork flying.....

Still quiet....

2009-09-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

No news is floating around there today. Hoping for next week.

Tick, tock, tick, tock..... part four

2009-09-23T09:14:00.001-05:00

Nada..... just going back to my numb state for a while..... wake me up if you hear anything.

Tick, tock, tick, tock..... part three

2009-09-22T13:37:00.003-05:00

Still nothing. I thought for sure we would hear something by now.

Could they really be waiting to send everything out right before their extended holiday???

Grateful that I am busy at work but I am still ready to see that face.

Game day!!!!

2009-09-19T12:52:00.000-05:00

Keeping our mind off other things.
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So quiet out there.....

2009-09-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

Still nothing to report. Hopefully we'll have information next week on referrals.
This weekend is filled with MU football, painting the kitchen and tasting wedding cake with Miss Care. Go Tigers!
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Nothing new out there.....

2009-09-17T16:23:00.003-05:00

I would love to say that there is some news to share but there isn't. It is bone yard quiet in the rumor world.
I hope we'll have some word tomorrow that the referrals are in the mail on their way to the states......

Tick, tock, tick, tock..... part two

2009-09-15T14:24:00.003-05:00

My mind is mush! I can't function or think straight today. What am I going to be like tomorrow or the next several days?

It's really finally starting to sink in. In several days I will get a picture of that sweet little face that I have been waiting so long to see. True story!
I think I am going to cry!
No wait, I am crying!

If anybody walks by my desk right now they are going to think that something is wrong with me...
Nothings wrong. I swear.
Just extremely happy. Pass the Kleenex please.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.....

2009-09-14T08:45:00.003-05:00

Ready for the rumors. Ready for anything. The last leg of the wait is driving me insane.

Will it be this week??? Next week??? The week after next??? Hopefully we will know more in the next couple of days.

Thinking of you and wondering how you are doing... can't wait to see your face for the first time.

Baby Crib

2009-09-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

Painted the crib for the baby. Love the Jenny Lind crib! Room just needs the finishing touches and then it's done....just waiting to see if it's a girl or a boy before I do anything else.
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One more picture....

2009-09-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

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Testing pics

2009-09-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

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Testing

2009-09-01T11:18:00.001-05:00

Just testing out posting.
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41 months......

2009-08-27T14:39:00.004-05:00

Happy 41st anniversary! Hope we don't make it to 42!

We are next!!

2009-08-26T10:24:00.003-05:00

From what I am hearing we should get our referral between 9.21 - 10.1. Hearing 9.29 to 10.1 could really be the days due to the upcoming holidays and I am OK with this. I am just thrilled that we are next!!

These next few weeks before referral I am trying to get everything that I always wanted done around the house done. Removing wallpaper, painting walls, fixing the grout in the bathroom, baby's room, painting trim, replacing our craptastic doors around the house, hanging crown moulding.... etc. etc. Doubt I'll get all the doors replaced but it would be nice.
Last night I said to Jay "What are we thinking? We had years to get this done and we wait until the last minute?" Ahhh, nothing like a little motivation!

Today I will go home after work and paint some more trim. Yippee. Tomorrow I am getting my hair colored and cut. Which means no painting for me!!

Early rumors....

2009-08-17T08:25:00.003-05:00

It is looking like the cut off for referrals will most likely be 3/24 our LID is 3/27. Next month is our month!!!

Matching has begun....

2009-08-14T11:18:00.002-05:00

They have started the next set of matches. Once this news starts circulating it takes about a week for the referrals to get to the States.
So what does this mean??
We could be next. If we don't get a referral in the next week September is our month.

WOW!! It's really going to happen.

Oh really....

2009-08-12T13:58:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago my hubby said he was not sure if we should name the "wee one" Isabel anymore.

"OK that's fine." I said to him. "Do you have another name in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about the name Abigail." he said.

"Oh really" I replied. "The name that I suggested when we started this whole process four years ago? The one you vetoed and said that you didn't like?"

Smirk on Jay William's face as he said, "Um, yea."

Who knows??? I think we'll know if she's an Abigail or an Isabel once we get that cute picture. I like both names.

Now if it's a boy?? That's another story.

Updated I-171H ..... done

2009-08-04T10:54:00.003-05:00

I am grateful the our local immigration office works so fast. I mailed the home study addendum and cover letter on Monday, by Saturday morning I received the information from their office stating that the paperwork has been forwarded to China.
Easier than I expected. Whew!

Upcoming Holidays and Trade Fair....

2009-07-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

Just read this on RQ. Quite honestly this would be our luck....lately it seems we can't catch a break.

The US Consulate in GZ will be closed October 1st through the 5th (Thursday through Monday) for National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival. And then again on Monday October 12th for Columbus Day.
Many Chinese businesses and government offices are going to be closed October 1st through 8th, which is Wednesday to Wednesday for a combination National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
This is going to make the timing for travel around this time period a bit of a challenge.
And to top that off, the Trade Fair in GZ this year happens three weekends (Thursday through Monday) between October 15th and November 4th. That doesn’t stop adoption, but it makes hotels and airline tickets more expensive, and tickets and reservations harder to come by.

40 months of waiting and counting....

2009-07-27T14:48:00.002-05:00

Happy 40 month anniversary to all of you who have a LID of 3.27.06 out there. Thank goodness our wait is coming to the end.

Twilight series.....

2009-07-26T09:09:00.003-05:00

I am seriously addicted. Started reading the first book in the series on Thursday and finished the last chapter this morning. Have the second book in the series just itching to be read.
Need to finish the crib before I get sucked in.

Referrals .... 3.22.06

2009-07-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

Love it when people start getting their referrals. There are quite a few young ones in this batch and they are all so cute!

Getting more and more anxious for our turn!

Rumors are a flying.....

2009-07-17T10:04:00.004-05:00

Well I wouldn't say flying. Just a tiny rumor.

An agency out there is saying their people with a log in date of 3.22.06 are in. Not sure if this is the case across the board but I am hoping they throw a couple more days in there.

Come on 3.27.06 we are excited about baby Wee!!

Wee One's Bedroom

2009-07-13T17:32:00.005-05:00

It's coming along but it's an extremly SLOW PROCESS!!

Need to finish priming the trim, then paint the trim, hang crown molding and paint the crown molding, put in a new closet door and bedroom door, paint the new closet door and bedroom door. Hopefully it will be nearly completed in two weeks...

Why did I wait until the last minute?????

Goodness! Not the Flu!!

2009-07-02T15:33:00.005-05:00

Found out yesterday that one of my March 2006 buddies Mary has been quarantined in China.

She said the hotel they have been transferred to does not have air conditioning and they will need to be quarantined for 7 days. YUCK!!

Also, today is her son Nathan's 9th birthday. This will be one birthday he shall never forget. They will be delayed one day from picking up their daughter. Hope time passes quickly for them!

LOVED this growing up..."Free to be ... you and me"

2009-07-01T14:45:00.008-05:00

I was reading this blog and they mentioned "Free to be...you and me" one of the first pieces of vinyl that I owned. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this growning up.

From Wiki:
Free to Be… You and Me is a record album and illustrated songbook for children, first released in November 1972, and later in 1974 as a television special, featuring songs and stories from celebrities (credited as “Marlo Thomas and Friends”). Using poetry, songs, and sketches, the basic concept was to salute values such as individuality, tolerance, and happiness with one’s identity; a major thematic message is that anyone, whether a boy or a girl, can achieve anything one wants.

The album has become a cult classic across the United States amongst many who were children in the 1970s.

39 and still counting

2009-06-29T19:40:00.003-05:00

Saturday was our 39 month anniversary of waiting for baby Isa. I hope that we don't surpass 41 months..

June referrals .... 3.20.06!!

2009-06-19T14:30:00.004-05:00

Referrals are on the way for families logged in 3.15.06 thru 3.20.06!! China has completed 6 days of referrals this month. Excited for all the Marching Pandas out there!

China referred up to 3.20.06 and we are 3.26.06 that means we are 7 days away!! I am shooting for an August referral. Maybe we'll get lucky and get in July????

Shocking!!!

2009-06-16T09:40:00.006-05:00

We actually started getting the room ready for the little one. It's pretty shocking.

This room has served the purpose of a huge closet for many years, collector of misfit household items that we had no idea of what to do with. What should I do with such and such?? Just put it in baby girl's bedroom and we'll deal with it later. These things have either moved to another room, been donated or just thrown out.

The bedroom now looks like the scene from Dexter.

Plastic draped on the walls from the ceiling all the way to the floor, layers of plastic covering the floor.
The victim.... popcorn ceiling. All I can say is popcorn ceiling texture is the nastiest stuff and our house has plenty of it. Slowly it is vanishing room by room.

Yesterday J filled in the dimples on the ceiling and tonight I'll go in and sand all the rough areas out. I would hope I can continue with this rare spurt of motivation and at least start priming the ceiling tomorrow night so I can re-texture the ceiling on Thursday.

Took some before pictures... need to take some during this process and post some.
I hope we can get this done in two weeks. HA!!

Well here's the story.....

2009-06-11T10:31:00.004-05:00

Nada.
No new rumors floating around yet. Looked on my agencies web site and they believe the CCAA is starting to prepare to work on the next set of matches. They do not know the log in dates for the next group of matches at this time. I am thinking that the next batch won't come out until July. Really hope that is not true.

I REALLY need to start getting the room started for the baby. Normal everyday life just interferes with getting anything extra done around the house. Even if I have to skip cleaning this weekend to start ....so be it. I am going to have a hard time with that one. Dirt and clutter, they are not a friend of mine. Just going to have to let it go.

Interesting Rumor out there.....

2009-06-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

On RQ there is a rumor floating around out there that China is going to match the full month of March. Doubt this but would be exciting if it was true.

It's really going to happen!!

2009-05-30T07:49:00.002-05:00

Got the pre placement paperwork from our agency yesterday! Another landmark on the adoption journey. We could hear something as early as July but I am still going with August - October. We'll see what next month brings for matches.
Need to stop procrastinating and start the getting the room together for little one.

38 Months and counting

2009-05-27T14:26:00.003-05:00

Our paperwork has been logged in for 38 months today. We are getting there! BTW I have something in common with a Alpine black salamander...who would have known.

The animal with the longest gestation period is not a mammal; it is the viviparous amphibian the Alpine black salamander, which can have a gestation period of up to 38 months at altitudes above 4,600 feet (1,402 meters) in the Swiss alps.

DMB - Funny the way it is

2009-05-22T15:34:00.001-05:00

Love referral time!!

2009-05-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

So excited for all the families getting their calls! All the pictures being posted makes the wait a bit more bearable.

China finished the placement of children for the families whose dossiers (adoption application documents) were registered on/before March 14, 2006. China has 13 days worth of dossiers to process before they get to our dossier. Currently China is matching 4.3 days worth of dossiers a month, so at this time we should hear something by September or October of this year. Maybe sooner???

Referrals .... 3.14.06

2009-05-20T12:43:00.004-05:00

Referrals to 3.14.06 are on the way! Excited for everyone and we are getting closer. Maybe will get ours in August or September??

SNL ....Justin Timberlake

2009-05-19T12:50:00.005-05:00

Just because. If you haven't seen this it's hilarious. Contains explicit lyrics, so you have been warned.

No news.... nada.

2009-05-13T15:27:00.004-05:00

There is really nothing to say.

China is being cautious and has not mailed out referrals. I do believe that they have them done but are holding off sending them at this time. No word on the cut of date of this batch either.

I know, quite boring.