The End of a Chapter

It's with a bit of sadness that I have to say goodbye to this blog site. I've been having technical difficulties that can't seem to be corrected. So, a new site has been set up and designed for me by my good friend Stephanie. The "babygirlschneider" site, however, will remain in place, I just won't be posting anything new to it.

I'm so glad that I have "our wait" chronicled. I know I will come back to visit frequently to remind myself of all the milestones that we have crossed thus far. Stephanie has thoughtfully placed a link to this blog on our new blog site. That way, anyone who wants can easily look back and be reminded as well.

Please clink on the link below and join us as we complete our journey to bring XiuGang home!

Baby Girl Schneider Chapter 2

Qian Xiu Gang!!!

 

The Fed Ex truck made it!! Look how sweet she is!!!

 
Her name: Qian Xiu Gang
Her date of birth: September 10, 2008
Her SWI: Social Welfare Institute of Qianjiang District
Municipality: Chongqing

According to her description in the medical report she is:

14.7 pounds and 24.25 inches long (exam done at 6 months of age)
A deep sleeper (thank God)
Active and restless (uh oh!!)
Has a ready smile (aahh) and quick in reaction (that will come in handy...she has two brothers, after all)

I'd type more, but I'm dying to get back to staring at her photos!!!!

WE ARE IN LOVE!!!! GET ME ON A PLANE!!!

Waiting together....literally

 

Terri (a fellow waiting mama) just showed up at my door with flowers from her, Mardi, Stephanie, Kayce and Suzanne (all adoption mamas)!!! Thank you guys so much!! They are beautiful!

Terri is going to stay and wait for the FedEx truck with me!!! It's 1:40 right now...the truck is scheduled to be here by 3:00 PM

Keeping Watch

 

No FedEx truck yet, but Lincoln is keeping watch!

We did, however, just receive these beautiful flowers!!!! They are from the Sweetlands, the Hawks, the Pacheskys and the Pearsons!!!

 

WE LOVE YOU GUYS! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Her package is in PHOENIX!!!!

She's getting closer!!!

FED EX TRACKING INFORMATION:
May 22, 2009 8:41 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery PHOENIX, AZ
May 22, 2009 7:07 AM At local FedEx facility PHOENIX, AZ
May 22, 2009 6:56 AM At dest sort facility PHOENIX, AZ
May 22, 2009 3:38 AM Departed FedEx location INDIANAPOLIS, IN
May 22, 2009 1:26 AM Arrived at FedEx location INDIANAPOLIS, IN
May 21, 2009 9:14 PM Left FedEx origin facility EARTH CITY,MO
May 21, 2009 6:59 PM Picked up EARTH CITY, MO
May 21, 2009 3:12 PM Shipment information sent to FedEx

OUR REFERRAL!!

I LOVE BEING WRONG!!!! IT DID HAPPEN TODAY!!!

All we know right now is this:

Name: Qian Xiu Gang
Date of birth: 9/10/08 (She's only 8 months old)


Our Fed Ex package has been mailed (Doug has already started tracking it)!! Estimated time of arrival is 3:00 PM tomorrow!!!

It won't be today

Our agency never called us back. I believe that they did in fact receive a package today, but that it contained documents regarding the Special Needs program...not referrals. I wish CHI would have called us, like they promised, but they didn't.

Tomorrow is a new day. Perhaps we will hear something then.

Sorry everyone. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

Still no call!!

It's after 5:00 PM in St. Louis....still no phone call. I can only hope that they are staying late to receive this package. Doug is on his way home from work right now. I've emailed my agency to see what is going on. I'm giving it 10 more minutes and then I'll probably call them.

UPDATE: We called our agency (at about 5:15 their time) and got their after hours answering machine (Doug left a message). We have also emailed them but have not gotten a response yet. It is now 5:50 PM in St. Louis.

Not "the call", but a call!!!

I just received a call from my agency telling me that they have been notified by DHL that a package is being delivered late today. They wanted to verify my address and where I want the referral package mailed because they are going to get the overnight packages ready to go so they can get them out today...HOPEFULLY!!!

She said they would call us one way or another before the end of the day!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!

Reports of calls being made

There are reports that referrals have arrived in various countries and families are getting phone calls today. Even some U.S. families have gotten calls!!

My wonderful friend, Stephanie, has been giving me the blow by blow all morning long. I left the house this morning and decided to go on Jacob's field trip. Then I changed my mind and went and met Leigh and Cori for breakfast thinking nothing was going to be happening today.....then everything changed!!! Stephanie called and texted me to let me know that some U.S. agencies are telling their families to expect a call today!!! I'm home now and will be checking the rumor boards, my email, my phone....you name it, for the rest of the day!

Here's hoping we have good news to share by the end of the day!!!!!!

Can this be true??!!

Rumors start trickling in last night that referrals were on there way. This morning, Europe, Spain and even a few U.S. agencies are confirming that the referrals have been sent. There is even 1 report from Europe that someone received their "call" today!!

Do I dare get excited??!! I've got my phone charged, and my list of questions ready to go. 1 copy of the questions is on my desk in the office, another in the car! I pulled a bottle of champagne out of the wine bar and put it in the fridge! I figure...if we get the call then we'll open it to celebrate....if we don't, we'll open it anyway because I'll probably need it to help me sleep tonight!!!

And the wait goes on....

Today marks the start of yet another week of waiting. We still don't know what exactly is going on with the referrals. Our agency did speak with the CCAA and they were told that the referrals "are not being held" due to the Swine Flu. They weren't told why they haven't been mailed or when they will be mailed. The fact that the CCAA says that the referrals aren't being held due to the Swine Flu doesn't actually mean that they aren't being held due to the Swine Flu....it just means that they are saying that they aren't being held due to the Swine Flu. Does that makes sense?! I, for one, believe the they are holding them.

There is always the possibility that it is just taking the CCAA longer to do the matching this month. At least, that's one of the rumors floating around. I doubt it's true, but it's possible. There's not a whole lot to rest our hope on right now. Nothing tangible...no frame of reference. That's tough. Really tough. But, we'll get through it. Someday my phone will ring!!! This I know!!

For now, I'm trying to adjust my attitude towards China. I'm trying to be respectful of a culture I truly don't understand. I don't want to get into a habit of bad mouthing my daughter's country of origin just because my western way of thinking doesn't jive with theirs. That's not OK. The fact of the matter is, the day will come when I will be eternally grateful to the country of China for allowing me the privilege of parenting one of their own. Someday "she" will be ours, but for now "she" is theirs. They have to do what they feel is in her best interest and I have to respect that and patiently wait for that job to be handed over to me.

I guess I'll just sit back and do some "people watching" with regards to China. Just sit and stare and wonder "what the heck they are thinking??!!" (But in a kind, respectful way, of course).

Out of our heads...into our hearts, PLEASE!!!

So the other day Doug and I ordered a new camcorder. Today I received an email containig a TRACKING number for said camcorder. A tracking number...for our CAMCORDER!!!! I had to laugh. The good people at Sanyo have big enough hearts to assign a tracking number to our package so that we can have PEACE OF MIND in knowing exactly where our new video device is at any given moment of the day.

But our referral? Our child? Where is she? Apparently, we aren't entitled to that information. It's none of our business. China remains silent.

If this delay was in fact due to a pandemic, I could accept it. But it's not. It's due to fear. The provincial leaders in China are taking extreme measures to ensure that their province does not have an outbreak. Not because they are concerned about people, but because they are concerned about themselves and the rammifications that would be placed upon them by the governmental powers of China if such an outbreak occured. As a result, children (including our child) will sit in orphanges without knowing the love of their family and parents will have to continue to wait to meet and hold the child they have dream of for so many years. All because of fear....fear of man. And that, makes me angry!!

THIS "SYSTEM" IS BROKEN!!! My mood today....not very attractive!!!!

Time for a little distraction

The rumors have more or less died down. I have nothing to report, with regards to what is happening (or not happening) with the referrals. Travel approvals, however, have been arriving this week for families who have already received their referral. In fact, my girlfriend Mardi was notified by our agency today that her travel approval in on it's way from China!!! I'm so excited for her.

As for me....well, I could use a little distraction from all the adoption drama. So, Doug and I (along with some friends) are going to a Bob Schneider concert tonight. WE LOVE BOB! The boys are going to spend the night with Sarah (thank you Sarah...AGAIN), so we are footloose and fancy free.

I plan on staying pretty busy from now until the the end of the weekend...Then next week I'll go back to enjoying more adoption drama!!! This will end someday, right?!

(I've added a few Bob Schneider songs to my playlist for your listening pleasure!)

Dear baby girl,

I know we still have "mountains to climb, hills to get over, roads to hoe", before we can all be home together. But we are getting so close. When I say I need to distract myself, it's only from the pain of this wait, not from you. My thoughts of you are with me constantly. Everywhere I go. Even to this silly concert! I can't wait until we can shake our booties together. We'll invite Vienna over to show us how to do it right...that girl has got moves. Just imagining the two of you dancing around the living room together puts a smile on my. See how happy you make me already??!!


UPDATE: Here's a pic of me backstage with Bob after the show. JB took it. It's kind of a funny story how, or I should say why, JB & I decided to walk backstage, but not something I'll blog about. It was a fun night, though.

Vodka tonic, hold the tonic, please

It's my own fault for looking at the rumor boards, but SERIOUSLY....WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WERE ME???!!

Here's what the rumor queen had to say today....

REFERRAL RUMOR
May 5th, 2009

I’m hearing from several agencies that the people who sign off on referrals are out of the office this week and that referrals are not likely to be sent until they return.

At one time we were told multiple people would be given the ability to sign off on them and that all of those people would never be out of the office at the same time. Looks like that went out the window.

WHAT THE *&$%!!!! I can't take anymore....I'm hitting the bottle.

Is no news really good news?

We are still waiting to see whether or not referrals will be released this month. I was hoping so badly that there would be some type of an announcement made today, but that didn't happen. Who knows, maybe no news is good news. Maybe referrals our on their way. I wish I knew.

I'm really sorry everyone. I will try to keep you as up to date as I can. If I hear anything at all I will be sure to post about it right away.

I can tell you this...last night the CCAA released a new, "large", list of Waiting Chidren (special needs kids)to the various agencies. Our agency is posting the children's files to their website right now for families to review. I don't know if this is any indication that it is "business as usual" at the CCAA or not. I can't really see why they would mail a new WC list and NOT mail referrals. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Right now it's time for some vino.....(oh yeah, and homework)!

Laughing thru my tears

I have to say, in all honesty, that I didn't see this one coming. I probably should have, but I didn't. I thought the only worry I would have this week would be whether or not our phone would ring on Friday morning. I was all concerned with whether or not we would spend the weekend celebrating, or spend it knowing that it was our last weekend "without her". Silly me!

Instead, a "pandemic" flu has hit the scene. Certain agencies (none in the U.S., so far) have told their families that the CCAA is putting a 20 to 30 day hold on referrals and travel approvals due to the swine flu outbreak. Our agency (who I called today) is saying that they have not been informed of that as of yet. Therefore, I don't know what effect, if any, this will have on us. It is quite possible that is could cause a delay. It's happened before with the SARS epidemic.

It's almost funny to think that we are (or were) days away from receiving the call we have waited so long to receive and then......A PANDEMIC FLU????? REALLY????? A FLU???? FROM PIGS???? Are you freaking kidding me?!

As always, I'm grateful beyond words for my friends and family who are always there to offer their support and encouragement. I love you all and I hope I have better news to report tomorrow.

UPDATE: Our agency just sent an email with the following information. It's not very helpful in the sense that it doesn't really tell us whether or not the CCAA will be holding the next batch of referrals or travel approvals. I think we will have to wait until Monday (or even later) to find out if that is going to happen. I don't think the CCAA has made an official decision on it, as of yet. Hopefully, no news is good news. We'll have to WAIT and see.

Children’s Hope will continue sending families to China to complete their adoption as long as China and the CDC allow us to do so. Any family that does not wish to travel at this time due to the Swine Flu can delay their travel to China to complete their adoption until they feel it is safe to travel.

Weekend Bliss!

I may have just had the best weekend ever! On Friday, Doug and the boys left for a two night camping trip and I had the whole house to myself. I think it's a first! Friday night, Leigh came over and we went to work on trying to complete the crib bedding. First, we came up with a plan and an idea for the skirt, then we headed to Jo Ann's and bought the few things we knew we were going to need....then we went out for sushi! I was convinced that that would be the end of "sewing" for the night, but Leigh was bound and determined to get something done. So, we picked up some yummy desert and headed back to the house. We actually managed to make some pretty good progress on the bumper that night. JB and Brianna popped in for some moral support, which was nice!

Saturday morning I cleaned my house a bit and headed out to meet Terri and Suzanne for lunch. It was so nice to see them both again. Suzanne even surprised me with a cute little outfit for our sugarplum. Panda p.j.'s! Thank you Suzanne!

When I got back to the house, Norah was already there and guess what she had with her?! A BRAND NEW CAR SEAT FOR US!!! It's a gift from my sisters and my parents! It was so unexpected, but GREATLY appreciated. I can't believe I have a car seat in my house ready to go. It gives me chills to think about it.

Soon, all the girls were here....Norah, Sarah, Leigh and Adrianna.....oh and I can't forget, Vienna. The sewing got under way, as did the wine drinking. Just one bottle...we had to stay focused! Anyway, we got it done!!! I have the best girlfriends and sisters in the world. I say it all the time, but it really is true.

Saturday night I went to dinner with Adrianna and Chris. Then, Norah and Sarah and I went out for some drinks, lots of laughs and a little dancing. The three of us NEVER get out together like that....it was a lot of fun.

Sunday, I slept in, sat by the pool, chatted on the phone and waited for my three boys to return home. Benji could hardly wait to run in the door and give me a hug (I think I got about 20 hugs from him that night). The three of them had a blast on their trip....and nobody got hurt!

Doug took me to dinner that night (cause I hadn't been spoiled enough). I told him all about my weekend. He was very impressed with the baby's room and even more impressed with the generosity and love that my friends and sisters show to me. We feel so blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives. It's hard to put into words just how much you all mean to us. Having your support and love throughout this journey has made it possible for us to stay strong for our little girl and to not give up hope that this will happen! It warms my heart to know just how much love this child has waiting for her.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

"Waiting mamas"

"I came to help sew....and hold pink hippos"!

Sewing is serious business....even with wine!

Norah hard at work (probably undoing what Sarah just did..ha ha)

The pictures don't do it justice...it really is precious!

Aren't the tie backs adorable?!

The only thing missing is our sugarplum.

Our new carseat, modeled by the lovely Vienna!

Update: Doug made the music selection for this post!

So, what happens next?!

Sinces it's the middle of the month, and rumors about the next batch of referrals are nonexistent, I thought it would be a good time to address a question that I have been asked by many friends and family members lately....."What happens next?"

Here's my best answer:

• The CCAA will finish matching all of the children who are to be included in this batch to their "forever families". They will packaged the referrals and send them to the various adoption agencies that represent the famlies. Our's being, Children's Hope International.
• When Children's Hope (located in St. Louis) receives the package they will start calling the families who have been matched. It's "The Call" we've been waiting years to receive. At that time, we will be given basic information about our child (name, birthdate, height, weight, birth province, name of orphanage, ect.). They will also email her photo to us at that time!!!
• They will then express mail our referral announcement with photos, original medical report with translation and any other information provided by the orphanage to us. Included in this package will be documents that we will need to sign and return right away.
• Children's Hope will then send our signed documents to the CCAA for processing of our travel approval.
• Once they received the travel approval (which takes about 4 weeks, I believe), they will request appointments for us at the American Consultate in Guangzhou.
• When appointments with the Consulate have been confirmed, we can finalize our travel. In other words, we can book our flight. Most families travel about 8 weeks after receiving their referral.

That's the long and short of it. Any questions? Anyone? I love answering adoption related questions, so feel free to ask. We hope to receive our call around the first week in May. I'll be stalking the rumors boards like a crazy person (what else in new?!) on the days leading up to it. There are usually hints that "the call" may be coming on those boards, so hopefully I won't miss it. The call, I mean...not the hints. Could you imagine me missing the call???!!! As if!! I'll probably have my cell, my home phone, and Doug's cell phone strapped to my body at all times.

The photo above is of a precious Guizhou girl. My girlfriend Mardi's newly referred daughter, Lauren, is a Guizhou girl...so, I thought I'd represent!

REFERRAL NEWS!!!

Today, April 3, 2009, Children's Hope received referrals for our families who have March 7, 2006 Log In Dates. We received 8 beautiful little girls all from the Guizhou Province. They were 9 months, 11 months, 12 months, 13 months, two children that are 19 months, 2 years 5 months, and 3 years and 4 months. The families that received the 2 and 3 year old children either requested a toddler or were given a referral based on the CCAA guidelinesof the parents ages and what age child they qualify for. These families waited 37 months from the time of their LID. Congratulations to thesefamilies!

At this time, we do not know what the cut off date was for referrals. Our next families that will be receiving referrals have a March 10, 2006 LID.

This batch of referrals seemed to have dropped out of the sky! Usually we hear reports of Europe getting referrals and then a day later they arrive in the U.S. Not this month! My friend Mardi received her call this morning and I was able to speak with her this afternoon. Thank you so much for calling me, Mardi. I feel so priviledged to have been your third phone call of the day (her husband, her mother and then ME). As I type this post, her and Dan are seeing Lauren's face for the first time. Soon her photo will be up on their blog for all to see. Although I have shed tears of joy off and on all day, I think I'm in a bit of a state of shock. Is this really happening??!! Are we really next??!! I'm in awe.

CONGRATULATIONS DAN AND MARDI!!! Lauren is so loved.

What it feels like to adopt

My girlfriend, Terri, sent me an email with this photo attached asking how I was holding up! I laughed so hard when I saw it. The picture pretty much describes how I've been feeling this week with regards to the adoption. My nerves are a frazzled mess (but in a good way) as we wait to see what this batch of referrals will do! I've been checking the rumor boards like a mad women! It's a thrill a minute...not really, but it is an exciting time for us!

One thing is certain, my friend Mardi WILL be receiving her referral in this batch! My heart is racing for you Mardi! I'm waiting on pins and needles right along side you! Lauren is almost here!!!

Where I want to be.....

Right now I'm sitting in my office going over the last of my accounting stuff to get things ready to file our taxes. But, where I want to be is pictured above.....Ventura beach, chasing after my niece who spent the morning running through the sand in her p.j.'s. How dreamy is that?!

UPDATE: Here's one more reason I want to be with Vienna on the beach and not in front of my computer: I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CHECK THE RUMOR QUEEN SITE!!! Look what she just posted:

There are a few early rumors floating around, none are higher than an R2 at this point. The rumors range from a cut off of the 9th to the 14th.

The 9th OR the 14th???!!!.......Kind of big difference for us! GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!

Noth'in but love

What an amazing weekend we just had!

• First of all, Doug and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Friday night we had a family night with the boys! We exchanged gifts (kind of a family tradition) and took the boys to dinner at a cowboy/western restaurant which they loved, surprisingly enough! Saturday morning I dropped the boys off to Sarah and.....well, the rest of the weekend was heavenly. Doug and I ate out, sat by the pool, shopped and just enjoyed one another's company (I'll spare you the details on that one). We talked a lot about the last 15 years and how blessed we both feel to have one another, the boys, our friends and family....and of course, we talked and dreamed of our baby girl.
• Second of all, Sarah organized and sponsored a yard sale at her home on Friday and Saturday in honor of our adoption. She enlisted the help of all the friends and family members she could think of. She asked everyone to drop items off to her home that they were looking to get rid of. She made sure to mention that all the proceeds of the sale would go towards a donation to her niece's orphanage. There was an overwhelming response. She was able to raise over $1000.00!! Both her and Norah worked hard all weekend to make this sale a success. They did an amazing job. Doug and I are so full of gratitude toward the both of them. I've said it a million times before, but I'll say it again.....I HAVE THE BEST SISTERS IN THE WORLD! Doug and I will hand carry the money to China with us when we travel and will proudly turn it over to our daughter's orphanage director. Orphanage donations are a mandatory part of the required adoption fees. It's one fee I have no problem paying. The money is given directly to the Social Wellfare Institute that houses the children being placed. It is used to help improve the conditions of the facility, employ nannies, and provide food and clothing for the children. Our daughter will have benefitted from the donations of the families who have traveled before us and her "sisters" will benefit from ours. It's a good thing.
• And finanlly, I went ahead and hopped on Rumor Queen just a few moments ago and read the following: I’m seeing multiple agencies who are giving their clients the idea that the next two months could cover more days than we might be expecting them to cover. She went on to mention that the hint is that the next batch of referrals COULD cover through the 13th!! Although early rumors tend NOT to be true, there is that glimmer of possibility that our LID will be included in the next batch of referrals (due to arrive in the next 2 1/2 to 3 weeks). So, hang on folks, the roller coaster ride is about to get extremely exciting. I for one will choose to keep my hands and heart inside the ride at all times, until it comes to a complete stop!

Love to all,
Mary

P.S. I know the pictures are horrible, but they are the only ones I have from this entire weekend! They were taken on Doug's cell phone...Jacob took the one of Doug and I..we look a little rough....I guess that's what 15 years of marriage will do to you (ha ha).

P.P.S. I chose the Eric Clapton song out of desperation. I couldn't find another song that fit the post. I have to remove the music thing from my blog, it's too much to try to manage. Anyway, this was the song we danced to at our wedding. Isn't that sweet?!

Our 3 Year LID Anniversary!

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of our log in date. It's amazing to think that 3 years have passed since we received word that our documents were officially "logged in" at the CCAA. So much has changed in our lives since then. So much has changed in the world on international adoption. The one thing that has remained the same is the uncertainty of this program. This has been one long, hard journey but I'm so glad that we have stuck it out. It already feels so worth it!

Our little sugarplum is in our thoughts and dreams everyday. There's hardly anything I do throughout the day that doesn't make me think of her. I don't know who or where she is right now, but I know I love her. It won't be long before we see her precious face.

We love you, baby girl, and will continue to wait for you with open arms and open hearts!

(The flower pictured above is some type of a "sugarplum" flower....who knew?!)

March referrals!!

The March referrals starting arriving in the U.S. earlier this week. They matched families with LID's of 3/3/06 thru 3/6/06!! Our agency did not have families logged in during those days, so they have not announce any referral news, or even that the 6th was the official cut-off date for this batch, but I'm reporting it anyway.

This means that there are only 4....that's right, 4 days left to match to get to us! Aaaaaahhhh! We are so close! I knew March was going to be an exciting month.

As far as my guess as to when we will see our referral, well here it goes. I think that the next batch of referals will cover only 1 day, March 7th. Those referrals are expected to arrive around the first week of April. The next batch, which will arrive around the first week of May, will hopefully cover the 8th thru the 10th!!! So, I'm hoping to receive our referal then! My biggest fear right now is that the CCAA won't be able to match the 7th in one batch and that they will have to split it into 2 batches. I hope not. What a hard, hard pill that will be for people to swallow. A half day batch. I really, really hope it doesn't happen.

One of my biggest thrills right now is knowing that my good friend, Mardi, is up next for a referral!!!!! She has an LID of 3/7/06! I can't believe that she will be seeing her daughter, Lauren's, precious face in just a few weeks! It's so exciting to see someone who has been enduring this wait right along side us actually get to this point. I can't wait to celebrate the arrival of Lauren's referral. Yippee!

My new look and my dear friend

Isn't the new look of my blog just precious?! I would love to take the credit for it, but I had very little to do with it. My dear friend, Stephanie Wise, took time out of her busy life to create a new look for me and transfer everything over. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I'm truly amazed with Stephanie's creative abilities and her giving heart. She's a smart, talented, caring individual and I feel blessed to have had her friendship and support throughout our adoption journey. Stephanie is also waiting to bring her daughter, Zoey, home from China. We both have LID's of March 2006 and are with the same agency. We have shared many of the same highs and lows throughout the past 3 years. We have spent countless hours on the phone together discussing our adoptions and our lives....we laugh a lot, but not always. There's been some really tough moments on this journey. But through it all a great friendship has formed. It's one of the many gifts this process has afforded me.

Thank you Stephanie for taking the time to do this. You truly are a great friend. I can't wait to see Zoey in your arms and to celebrate all the joy's that this coming year will have for our families.

Your friend, with gratitude,

Mary

The beautiful print at the top of this post is one of Stephanie's many "adoption art" designs. You can view more of them if you visit http://www.jiinkindesigns.blogspot.com/

While we wait....

OK, I'm starting to loose my grip on staying calm and not obsessing about when the next batch of referrals will arrive and how many days it will cover. It's not a good thing because it's only February 9th and we probably won't see referrals until the first week in March!!! It's doesn't help that when I look on Rumor Queen to see if there's even a "buzz" starting about the next batch I have to read stuff like this....

Rumor Queen post:

I reported on January 15th that the “the general atmosphere at CCAA is better than it has been in a long time, and that there is hope that things may not be so dismal in the near future”. I also reported this was coming from multiple places, and that while we’ve had these kinds of rumors before, it somehow feels different this time.

I still get an email or PM every two or three days from someone else who has talked with someone who has contact with the CCAA and this is again reported in some manner.

Her post went on and on... It makes me want to scream, "STOP MESSING WITH MY HEAD!!!"

I'm not alone in feeling this way. Most of the people that I've talked to who are in the China program are wondering what these rumors are all about and why there out there. You could spend all day trying to figure it out, searching blogs, checking for email updates.....but, what we really need to do is distract ourselves.

So, here's my advice (and the real reason I'm posting today)....get on a Segway and take a tour of your local zoo. Doug and I did this for the second time this weekend and had a blast...again. This time we went with our friends JB and Leigh and their son Tyler (who was a total riot on his Segway). Last time we went with my sister Sarah and her husband Cody (who is equally as funny as Tyler, but a lot more dangerous). These things are so much fun it's ridiculous. It's a little awkward when you first get on them, but after a while you get really comfortable.

If there was a Segway gang in Phoenix...I would join it. I'm even thinking about starting my own Segway gang! Seriously...these things are fun!

To our dear baby girl:

We are thinking about you constantly....even when we're riding Segways around the zoo. It won't be long before you and I visit the zoo together. I'll be so happy to be there with you that it won't even bother me to have to WALK instead of ride on a Segway. I love you THAT much!

March is being matched & Boo Boos is growing up!

Last week (actually it was the week before last) referrals came in and March 2006 families officially began to be matched! There were rumors leading up to the arrival of the referrals that this could possibly be the first large batch we've seen in a while. Rumors that the CCAA has been unusually busy and very excited about their work. Some felt it was due an increase of children's files being given to the CCAA from the various Social Wellfare Institutes, possibly due to the recent increase in the mandatory donation. Some felt it had to do with the Olympics being far enough behind us. It was interesting to read all these rumors and wonder what this might mean for us personally. Some even felt that this might be the first "double digit" (or 10 day) batch we have seen in years. What?! The first 10 day batch?! That would mean that we would receiving our referral....like NOW! I laughed about it all, not believing a word of it and yet wondering constantly whether or not there could be even an ounce of truth to any of it. Then they came in and it turned out to be a TWO day batch. March 1st and 2nd! I laughed...some more. Not that's there anything funny about a two day batch, but what else are you going to do?! Our agency received referrals with this batch since we had families logged in on the 2nd, so that was exciting. I love seeing people post their referrals announcements and seeing all the precious little baby's faces! The next batch of referrals will start with the March 3rd families and move forward. Our agency doesn't have people logged in again until March 7th and then again on March 10th....THAT'S US! So, feel free to keep your fingers and toes crossed for an 8 day batch!!! Could you imagine?! OMG! There's only 8 LID days left to match to get to us. I CAN NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE COME THIS FAR!! I will have knots in my stomach with the arrival of the next few batches...the ancitipation and excitement is hard to explain. The next batch of referrals will most likely not arrive until the first of March, so I have some time to just enjoy life and not be a nervous wreck. But, it's going to be wild ride from here on out!

March is going to be an exciting month for us. We will move ever closer to seeing our baby's face for the first time, we will celebrate our 3 year LID anniversary (this time without tears, just pure excitement) and Doug and I will have our 15 YEAR wedding anniversary! Woo hoo!

I can not leave this post without mentioning that, on January 25th, my Benjamin turned 10!!! He was so proud of the fact that he had made it to the double digits that he was telling everyone. He's really growing up fast. He's only 2 1/2 inches shorter than Jacob...there's a good chance he's going to be taller than him by the end of the year. Benjamin is such a loving child. He gives me more unsolicited hugs and kisses than any mom could hope for. He loves his friends and family so much and everyone just loves him back! How could you not?! He absolutely can not wait to be a big brother to his little sister. He talks about her more than I do. I know he will give her such sweet love.

"We love you Benjamin and are so, so, so proud of you. You make us smile everyday. You truly are a gift to us and all of those who have you in their life."

PF Changs Half Marathon!!

Well, on Sunday I managed to complete my first ever half marathon!! Official time: 2 hours, 12 minutes!

It was a day I won't forget anytime soon. All the pre-race anxiety, the excitement, the energy from all the people (over 21,000 participated)...it's hard to explain, but it was amazing. I laughed, I cried...and I ran! Most importantly, I proved to myself that I can do the seemingly impossible if I really set my mind to it. When I got tired, and believe me, I got tired, I thought about my boys and my family and friends who were waiting for me at the finish line to cheer me on and I just pushed on. I figured if they could pull themselves out of bed on a Sunday morning, walk for miles and stand in sun among a crowd of literally thousands of people just to support me, than I could muster up the energy to forge on! I also, of course, thought about my baby girl who, despite the fact that we haven't even met, has already taught me so much about endurance and inner strength. It was inspiring to jog pass the Chinese Cultural Center (just after mile marker 8) and think about how close we are to having her home with us!

I never, ever, ever could have done this without the encouragement and support of my friends and family. They are the best cheering squad ever. My B.F.F., Machel, drove all the way out from San Diego just be there at the finish! How great is that? And, my good friends, Chris and Brad trained with me for months....putting up with all kinds of questions, complaints, boo hooing, whining....I'm a pain in the butt to train, but they were great! Chris's wife and my dear friend, Adrianne, got up before the sun to drop us off at the start and spent the whole day out there taking pictures and cheering us on....THEN she made us dinner!

And my sisters....I can never say enough about my sisters. They were there, as always, rooting for me and screaming my name. I actually heard Norah before I ever saw her...too funny! I searched the crowd for Sarah and my Dad, but never spotted them. I knew they were there though and it made me feel so good. It really was a fun and exciting day.

Thanks to everyone for being there!

GEARING UP IN THE PARKING LOT!

CHRIS, MYSELF AND BRAD! "MY TEAM" JUST BEFORE THE RACE!

CHRIS AND ADRIANNE

MY BOYS AND I JUST AFTER FINISHING!

NORAH AND I AT THE FINISH!

ICING MY ANKLE...I WASN'T CRYING, I SWEAR!

VICTORY BEER! (I LOVE THIS BOY!!)

SIMONE (MY DEAR FRIEND SINCE 1ST GRADE) AND I! WE ROCK!

MY NIECE, SARAMARIE, MODELING MY MEDAL

THE FLOWERS MY MOM HAD DELIVERED!

Just Because!

Doug came home last night with flowers and bottle of wine (mind you, it was a $5 bottle of wine, but who cares) "just because". "Because why", I asked. And do you know what that practically perfect man said?! He said, "Because you deserve it and because I should..(slight pause)...at least I should more often than I do." HELLO!!!! Right anwer! He got a big kiss for that one!

I'll enjoy the flowers all week, but the wine is going to have to wait until after the half marathon this weekend. No alcohol till then...gotta keep this body well hydrated.