Waiting for Lily

A Year Ago Today.....

2009-08-11T13:39:00.009-05:00

We received the phone call that forever changed our lives! It was our referral call and the day that Yue Mei Chun entered our family. Yue Mei Chun became known as Lily Mei Chun and has brought so much joy to our lives as our daughter and baby sister. Life is busy right now (hence no posting all summer!) but today is a day to reflect on the past year. I still get emotional thinking about last August 11th but the one thing that sticks out is how I knew immediately that Yue Mei Chun was meant to be our daughter as soon as I heard her info. When we saw her picture there was no doubt that this beautiful girl with big cheeks was her daddy's girl. A year later people are still telling us how she looks like her daddy, LOL! I never knew an Irish guy and a Chinese girl could resemble each other so much! We had another milestone on July 6th. That was the day that Lily had been with our family one day longer than she had spent it the orphanage. I feel so blessed that Lily was a young as she was when she was placed in our arms. I know she will never remember her early beginnings but not a day goes by that I don't wish she never had to spend a night in the orphanage. I realize that Lily's first eight months are part of her history and without that we would not have her as our daughter. I am just so thankful that she was well cared for and was prepared to be loved by her forever family!

I 'll end with a few pictures of Lily over the summer.

Look Who's 5!!

2009-06-24T21:00:00.007-05:00

Bryce turned 5 on Saturday. So hard to believe that my baby boy is 5 years old! We spent the day having a party with a few of his friends and then it turned into a big family/friend cookout. Bryce had a great day and loved the water slide and the bouncy house. Bryce is a very fun big brother for Lily. He is always able to make her laugh and although I am constantly telling him to be gentle, Lily loves to play rough with Bryce! Bryce and his big brother, Shea, are truly the best of friends..even if I am pulling them off each other a few times each hour! Bryce is my passionate child who lets us all know what he is thinkingand feeling. Bryce is a jokester and is always making us all laugh.

Amelia Island

2009-06-16T20:43:00.011-05:00

Lily and I spent this last weekend at Amelia Island in Florida with some amazing people. Over my 31 month wait for Lily I became very close friends with an amazing group of women. We had a few trips with just the moms while we were waiting for our babies to arrive but now that all the babies are home we decided to meet once again. Of the 14 families in our group 10 were able to meet in Amelia Island. It was an amazing weekend. Each one of the girls were absolutely precious and fit into their families so perfectly. We had a photo shoot on Saturday night and lots of cute pictures were taken. Lily seemed to think she should be the center of attention and kept standing up and clapping. Lily and I had a great weekend together and she was a great little traveler.

Have I mentioned how much joy this little girl brings to our family every day?!!!

Dancing Queen

2009-05-16T06:35:00.011-05:00

It's been a while since an update but Lily continues to just get cuter! On Mother's day we had lunch at an Irish Pub and there was Live Irish Music and to say Lily enjoyed herself is an understatement! She ripped it up on the dance floor and seems to have the Irish Jig down! She may just be the only Chinese girl in her Irish step class in a few years but she will be the best! She entertained quite a few people that were in the restaurant and really has some good moves!

Look at me! I can stand on my chair!

Lily Loves to read! I love this picture becasue you can really see her little brain working!

Finally after three years I have all my babies with me on Mother's Day!

The generations of daughters. My mom, me and Lily.

Life is Good!

2009-04-28T20:23:00.015-05:00

We had a great school vacation week that ended with a visit to the zoo and to the beach. We have had 4 straight days of beautiful weather and spent a lot of time outside. Everyday Lily is introduced to a new experience and handles them all so well. Lily is just so adaptable and there is nothing better then seeing new things through her eyes. Everything is magical and wonderful. Being at the beach on Sunday was crazy and emotional. Crazy becasue we have never sat on a beach in 80 degree temperatures in Mass. in the month of April! Emotional becasue seeing my three children together on the beach has only been a dream for the past 3 summers. Finally the picture was complete. Lily took it all in and then sat down and acted like she had been shoveling sand her whole life! I just sat in awe as I looked at my daugher on the beach..she was a natural! Pat and I both were very emotional seeing our "family" together where it all started...Minot Beach, the place of our engagement!

Lily roaring at the lions with her Nana Judy

6 Months Together!

2009-04-20T18:46:00.005-05:00

It was 6 months ago today that Lily was placed into our arms. In so many ways it feels like forever ago that we were in China. Our family of five is into a nice routine but there are still so many first with Lily remind us daily that Lily is truly a newbie to our family. Today she went to her first Boston Marathon and later this week she will have her first trip to the zoo! Everytime we celebrate a holiday I feel so blessed to have all 3 of my babies with me and this past Easter was no different. Lily is quickly becoming a toddler in every way. Her walking is turning into running, she is testing the limits and learning what "no" really means and she is becoming a pickier eater. Lily is keeping us on our toes! We all love to hear her laugh..such a beautful sound, her speech is starting to pick up and each day we hear a new word. Some of Lily's favorite things to do are to be outside or to grab a book and plop down in the middle of our lap and have it read. When I want her to go with me somewhere in the house I will put my hand down and she will hold it and follow along. She is my little shadow.

I refelected on the wait tonight when I was giving Lily her bedtime bottle. I had such a hard time with the wait..I am not a good waiter for anything. Even with all the frustratiuon, sadness and anger that I felt during the wait I would not change it. The wait made me the person I am today and taught me so much but most importantly I have my Lily Mei-Chun from Jiangxi Province that was truly destined to be our daughter and sister. I find myself appreciating all the small things that I think I may have missed when the boys were this age and I think I am a better mother to all 3 of my kids becasue of the lessons I learned through the wait. Although I can't wait to see what the next 6 months will bring us I am content in just enjoying Lily and the boys the way they are right now!

6 Months Ago 10/20/08 and then today

2009-04-08T18:26:00.008-05:00

Its been a long time since my last post. My excuse is I picked up a part time consulting job and although its only 8 hours a week I can't seem to get anything done! I am also taking a class on Thursday nights that is a lot of reading! During the past few weeks I was able to get Lily's Easter pics done; and yes its just Lily. I did not include the boys because Lily is changing so quickly and I have portraits of the boys as babies every 3 months and want the same for Lily. They came out very cute.

Spring is in the air

2009-03-18T19:14:00.010-05:00

First I need to brag about Shea. Shea participated in his first Pinewood Derby with his cub scout troop and came in 3rd place! He had so much fun making the car with his dad and Papa Tom and then racing it.

Spring is defiantly making its way to New England and after a few very nice days Lily is finally able to get a little outside play time. Lily was able to meet a very special person today..her great, great aunt Dot! Aunt Dot is my moms aunt who has followed Lily's journey to our family by being a regular reader of the blog. I wish I had had my camera but unfortunately I didn't and therefor no pictures. Hopefully we can have another visit soon!3 kiddos are defiantly keeping me busy and I am not sure where the time goes but I feel like nothing gets done and that my house will never be organized again. Blogging is slowly fading away and I find it hard to do the updates. Hopefully once I get my camera fixed I will be more motivated to blog but I have to find some spare time to get that camera fixed but for now hear are some pics from the video camera.

Lily's new rain coat..aint it cute!!!

She just can't get enough of her Papa Jeff

So this is grass

Big Brother Bryce and Lily sporting their St. Patty's Day shirts.

And More Birthdays!

2009-03-06T21:46:00.008-05:00

The parties just keep going and going! Last weekend we celebrated Patrick's, my mom's and my nieces birthday and tonight we celebrated my mother in laws. It is also my Nephews 15th Birthday today. I can't believe I have a 15 year old nephew!!

Lily's new trick this week is saying "momma", which is music to my ears. Sometimes she says it when she is looking for me, sometimes she says it and then runs into my arms but mostly is is said with a little whiny tone. Even with the whine I love hearing it!! I am anxious for her to use a few more words but she does have the sign for "more" and "all done" and I am sure the other words are not far behind. She is tolerating me going to the gym a few times a week and seems to enjoy the daycare a bit more each time. I am still only keeping her there for about 30 minutes but she is probably ready for longer, I just don't know if I am ready for more exercise! I can't believe how fast the time is going. I saw a baby at the gym this week who was 8 months old and I realized that was the age Lily was when we got her in China. The baby I saw looked so little and still such a baby and I know that Lily was like that but she seems so much older now. The infant stage lasted such a short time and now we have a very busy toddler on our hands!!

Lily and Tommy LOVE the ball game!

Finally, a sippy cup she will drink from!

Lily and her cousin Addison in their new shades.

Lily loves her Papa Jeff!

Happy Birthday Pat! He also just turned 29..again!

Still Here!

2009-02-25T14:53:00.014-05:00

I can't believe its been so long since my last post! Thank you Debbie for reminding me to get with the program. If you get a chance go read her blog and say a prayer for her sweet Hannah! We've been busy since Lily's birthday celebrating more birthdays. We had my birthday, cousin Tommy's 1st birthday, today is Papa Tom's birthday and then Friday is Pat's and then a weekend of more family birthdays including my mom and niece!! Lily should really know the birthday song after this weekend. The boys had their Feb. vacation and we took them skiing for a few days and my parents joined us allowing Pat and I to both ski. I spent the last month and a half interviewing for a job but in the end had to turn down the offer because the compensation was just not enough to make it worth me being away from the kids 20 hours a week. I think it was the right decision and now I feel like I am out if limbo and can start a new routine..including get back to the gym. Lily is not loving the gym but we are taking it slow until she gets more comfortable. Lily continues to be an amazing child and is now WALKING everywhere and I think she tried to run today! Being up and about also means a few more falls and bumps and bruises; which allows Lily to really show us how dramatic she can be. I was able to slowly transition her to whole milk after being intolerant in the beginning and she continues to be a very healthy eater. Lily is babbling a lot and especially in her crib before she goes to sleep..it is very cute. On my birthday I received the best present I could ask for and she said "momma". Saying momma is not a daily occurrence but I will take it when I get it. Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks but unfortunately they are not great because my camera is broken and I have to use my video camera. I really need to work on getting my camera fixed so I can capture all the great moments with the kids!

Mommy and Lily on mommy's 29th birthday.

Preview of Easter outfits

Walking to big brother Shea

Tommy and his cousins

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-02-05T19:25:00.005-05:00

Lily is a one year old girl...no longer an infant but a toddler!! Everyday she is walking more than the day before and her laugh and giggles get a little louder. We celebrated with a spaghetti and meatball dinner..as you tell she really enjoys her Italian. Today was a day that I thought a lot about being Thankful. I am so thankful for:

The beautiful baby that entered our lives on October 20, 2008.

That Lily's birth mother choose Life.

That China has allowed us the privilege to parent one of their daughters.

That Lily was well cared for and loved in the Yugan Orphanage.

That Lily only spent 8.5 months in the orphanage.

That we were able to be together for 3.5 months before her first birthday. This was truly a gift!

That we saw Lily's first tooth, Christmas, step, word, clap, kiss, point and her first birthday!

That Lily loves to be hugged, cuddled, rocked and kissed!

That she has two wonderful big brothers who love and protect her!

Even with all that I have to be thankful for I can't help but feel some sadness today. Sadness that a women and maybe a family are grieving for the daughter they let go a year ago today. Sadness that Lily's birth mom will never know how loved and safe her daughter is. My only wish is that somehow this birth mom will someday feel peace about her decision. I am so thankful that I have Lily Mei Chun as a daughter.

Birthday Party

2009-02-01T20:34:00.012-05:00

Today we celebrated Lily's first Birthday with our family. We will have a family dinner on Thursday on the actual day of her birthday but today was a fun day with all of Lily's cousins. Lily did not know what to think of the cake. She is doing so well with everything and has new tricks for us daily. Last night she was really walking, like 6 steps at a time and it was just adorable! Now that she is almost 1 we thought it was time to say goodbye to that very early 4am bottle. The first night went smoothly but the second night she was defiantly looking for it. I always say it takes three nights to change habits so I think we will have one more tough night and then she will forget all about it; at least that is what I am really hoping for! Enjoy the pictures of the most adorable 1 year old baby girl from today and this past week.

Daddy's Little Girl

Happy New Year

2009-01-28T20:10:00.003-05:00

Chinese New Year started on Monday January 26th. It is the year of the ox, the year Patrick was born. We started the New Year off with a small party for Wren's (99er) birthday / CNY party. It was so great to finally celebrate CNY with Lily and the rest of the girls from the 99ers. January 26th also marked three years since our paperwork was logged in at the CCAA. It was nice not to have to celebrate 3 years of waiting and instead just celebrate each day I have with our daughter and how she has enriched our lives. It is amazing how perfect Lily is for our family and the love our whole family has for Lily just overflows. Lily now has 3 teeth with the fourth one begging to break through! We are now officially in teething mode and she is been extra fussy and it appears as though teething is worse from 1am-3am. Unfortunately, my camera has not worked properly since the ski trip so I am low on pictures. This weekend we are celebrating Lily's' first birthday and hopefully I'll have some cute pictures after the weekend. Happy New Year!

3 Month Together

2009-01-20T14:35:00.004-05:00

It was 3 months ago today that we were in Jiangxi, China and Lily was placed in our arms. We were awake very early that morning because we were so excited and anxious for what was to happen at 10:00AM. I remember sitting in the lobby of the hotel and I was just talking and talking..I think Patrick, Kathy, Erik, Dave & Sandy had to tolerate my nervous chatter! We finally were able to get on the bus for the 10 minute bus drive to the Provincial office were we would meet our daughter for the first time. We walked into the building and took an elevator to the 26th floor and then we waited again. The babies were being brought to us by the orphanage staff and they were running a little late. We used that time to prepare bottles, cameras and to get the toys ready. We had no idea how Lily would react to us. The girls finally arrived and we were the 3rd family called. I remember seeing her and thinking she looks just like her picture but her cheeks were all red. Lily was placed into my arms and she snuggles right in, she was a perfect fit. I never want to forget those first moments..I had waited so long for that moment! I think back to those first few days and it is only now that I realize how shut down Lily was. In the three months we have been together her true personality has really expressed itself. Lily has brought so much joy to our family..and honestly I would wait all over again to have this precious child in our lives.

Hitting The Slopes

2009-01-18T19:39:00.009-05:00

We took our first family vacation as a family of five. We went up to Sunday River for a few days of skiing and overall I think it was a success. Lily did great during the 4 hour car drive and sleeping in her Pack and Play, both of which I was nervous about. I was surprised at how well she slept the first night and then we had a tragedy. We lost Taggie! Taggie is her blanket that she has formed a strong attachment to and I did not realize how strong until it was lost. We got very little sleep the 2nd night and Lily was clearly looking for it. Luckily the next morning someone at the ski school found Taggie outside in the snow and we had a great 3rd night! What is interesting is that she has 2 Taggies but prefers the one that I had slept with for a few months before she came home. Next time we go away I will pack both Taggies just in case we have another disaster. The boys did great skiing. They both did 3 days of ski school and by the third day Brcye could go up the chair lift and ski down the mountain..very exciting!!I now have 2 skiers in the family. Unfortunately, Patrick did not get much skiing in because he decided to spend quality time with Lily. We decided not to put Lily in the daycare and thought we would just switch off. I ended up skiing all 3 days and it was wonderful! Thank you Patrick!!

We have been home for 2 days and Lily has taken her first steps!! She took a few steps independently tonight and we are so excited!! I am hoping to capture it on video tomorrow. Stay tuned..

Lily enjoying lunch at the Foggy Goggle with mom and dad; our favorite slopeside restaurant! Lily learned how to blow kisses..so sweet!

Shea coming down the mountain slow and steady. Shea is the taller one.

Bryce coming down the mountain fast and furious.

2009! Really??

2009-01-09T19:57:00.008-05:00

Where does the time go? I can't believe we are 9 days into the New Year and I haven't posted! We've been busy here dealing with sick kids, Lily with a double ear infection and bronchiolitis and Bryce with cold induced asthma. We are on a few different meds and neb treatments. Luckily they are both recovering nicely and so far Shea has been spared the sickness. We started the New Year off with a reunion with 7 of the families we travled with. To have all the babies together was just great and they are all doing so well!

Lily turned 11 months on January 5th. She now has her first tooth and it's oh so cute. Her top tooth came in last Saturday and the 2nd one is not far behind. Teething has produced a new trick of spitting out her food, th eonly time Lily is not cute! Honestly, she gets cuter every day and I'll end the post with a few pics.

Christmas

2008-12-26T10:36:00.011-05:00

We celebrated Christmas Eve at home with about 30 friends and family. It was a fun night and Lily was able to meet more family. The kids could wait no longer for Christmas morning and after laying out cookies and sprinkling Reindeer food on the front lawn it was off to bed. Christmas morning was great and the boys were so excited. Lily is still to young to understand what the hoopla was about but enjoyed the wrapping paper. Christmas afternoon was spent at my parents house and the boys had a blast with their cousins. Lily was great all day and continues to bring so much joy to our family. The last two Holiday seasons were difficult..there was just a void and every time I looked at our family picture I knew someone was missing. I LOVE taking family pictures because I know my family is together. I still have friends waiting and I remember how hard it is and all I can say is don't give up because your baby is waiting for you!

Christmas Eve photo

Shea LOVES his new Patriot uniform from Uncle Brian and Aunt Kate

Nans and Papa with all 8 of their grand kids.

Lily enjoying the wrapping paper!

Bryce trying out his new Smart Cycle

Family photo on Christmas Day with our family clown, Bryce, in the back.

Look Who Came Knocking!!

2008-12-23T21:01:00.006-05:00

We were all dressed in our PJ's and getting ready for bed when there was a knock on the door. Imagine our surprise when we saw Santa standing there with a bag of gifts! The boys could barely contain themselves and Shea was just giddy. Shea LOVES Christmas and you can see the joy in his eyes as his sits with Santa. A six year old at Christmas is truly magical! Lily even decided she would give the big guy a chance. A few weeks back she wanted nothing to do with Santa but tonight she thought he was kinda cool. We are all very excited for what's to come this week but unfortunately Lily is a teething mess. Hopefully Lily will get some teeth for Christmas!

The boys and their cousins getting ready to make Christmas cookies.

Lily can now clap!!

Lily clapping for herself with her Nana Donna after spilling all the sprinkles onto the counter!

The Fun Continues

2008-12-14T20:20:00.008-05:00

Its been kind of a whirlwind since we've been home but I am starting to feel like that even in the middle of Christmas preparations that the new normal is starting to come together. Lily continues to do great! In the past week teething has really begun and the drool is never ending. I think one of these days a tooth just may appear in her mouth. Lily can stand on her own although much prefers to be on all fours crawling around. The most exciting thing that has happened is she is beginning to point..this is a big developmental milestone and as a special needs teacher one that I eagerly await! I think she may even be getting on some sort of nap schedule which makes for a very happy baby and even happier mommy. This past weekend we started some of our Christmas traditions and it is so nice to really be in the spirit after the last 3 years of waiting. This year I can truly feel the joy and not think about the baby that is missing..I have all my babies home with me this Christmas!!

Picking out the Christmas tree. This year Bryce;s tree was picked!

Teething on her doll's bottle. I have her dressed in her Hannah Andersen dress..just one of those things I could not wait to do. The dress and leggings just scream out girl to me!

Shea, Lily and Bryce with their cousin Tommy. The first picture with all 4 Devine cousins together. Lily is obviously the princess around all these boys!

I LOVE this ornament because I still love seeing Lily's name in print!

The kids in their Christmas pajamas after decorating the tree. Bryce loves to have his hands on his sister and I am always telling him to be gentle. The funny thing is that the harder Bryce plays with his sister the bigger the laugh we get from Lily! She was so meant to have 2 big brothers!!

It's a Girl Thing

2008-12-05T12:36:00.008-05:00

The boys just can't understand why Lily has so many shoes and all I can say is "its a girl thing". In China you can buy squeaky shoes (really cute shoes that squeak when the babies walk) for around $3.00; so that meant I had to buy like 10 pairs! I have a few different sizes and styles and we will be getting our wear out of them! Lily LOVES her shoe basket and really enjoys playing with them. I just have to say that after 6 years of trucks I am more than happy to play with a few pairs of shoes! Lily continues to be just a bundle of joy. She is so happy and easy going and just makes me smile all day. Her smiles come a lot easier now and she always has one for the men in her life; aka daddy and brothers!
Lily attended her friend Lia's second birthday last weekend. Lia's mom and dad are one of the "99ers" and she came home last December with Caroline and Sophia. Now that Lily and Wren (mom and Dad are Dave and Sandy from our trip) are home we finally had a chance to get a group photo and it was hilarious. The girls had matching dresses and we tried to do a red couch photo on the Bordens brown couch. It was so heart warming to see all five girls together and I couldn't help but think that exactly a year ago on 11/30/07 we had a Birthday dinner and send off for the 99ers that were leaving in a few days to get their girls. A year lady the party had a much different feeling with 5 babies crawling and walking around!

Wren, Caroline, Sophia, Lia and Lily

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T10:44:00.012-05:00

This was obviously an extra special Thanksgiving and we had an extra blessing at the table! For the first time in 3 years we were not saying "Next year we will have Lily" and instead we had Lily right with us! We hosted Thanksgiving for 23 family members and with a lot of help from my mom it was a great day. Seeing the boys playing with their cousins and having Lily right in the mix of the chaos brought a lot of smiles to my face. My dad keeps saying its like Lily has always been here and I completely agree. Her little personality is really shining and our routine is starting to fall into place. I took lots of pictures and I just think she gets cuter every day. I can't count how many kisses those cheeks get every hour!!

Lily and daddy playing games with Great Papa

Lily and her cousin Anna.

Baptisim

2008-11-24T19:34:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Lily's Baptism on Sunday. I was so excited that Lily fit into the same gown her two brothers and cousin wore. Lily slept for most of the Baptism and didn't mind to much when the water was poured on her head. The day was perfect and it was so great to see Lily with two of her friends from the orphanage. This was also the first time that all five of the "99er" babies were together. After so much waiting it was so great for all our babies to be in one room and to think it was only 1 year ago that we were celebrating the referral of 3 of the babies. Having Lily and Wren home just complete the package!

The picture of the 5 of us is our first family photo. Hard to believe we have been home almost a month and this is the first family picture, just shows how hectic things have been. I feel like this picture has been in the making for 3 years and it's finally complete. I can't stop looking at the picture, it makes everything feel so real!

One Month Together

2008-11-20T12:51:00.005-05:00

October 20th. Our Forever Family Day!

Can't believe we have had Lily for one month! Its been a whirlwind but we are falling more in love every day. I am in awe of Lily's progress and I am so proud of how well the boys have handled the new addition to our family. The big change around here is that we are all getting a little more sleep! Lily is going to bed between 7 - 8 and sleeping through the night until 6:30 - 7:30. She may wake up for a bottle but will generally fall right back to sleep. I am no longer on the floor of her room and Lily does not seem to detest her crib any longer. Lily had her doctors appointment with the International Adoption Pediatrician and the doctor was very pleased will all her skills. Lily's gross motor, fine motor and expressive language skills are all above age level. It is amazing to think this sweet girl spent her first 8 months in an orphanage and yet is at age level for so many of her skills. Lily is a strong little girl and a survivor; she has handled more change in her short 8 months than many people have in a lifetime. Lily has transitioned from her birth mother to an orphanage and then to us. Lily home has changed completely from an orphanage to 3 hotel rooms to our home, all her daily routines are different, she is experiencing a new country and culture, a new diet and a different language. Lily has been to the doctors more times in a month than pro bally her first 8 months. I am in complete awe at how well she is really doing is spite of all she has gone through. Oh, she also gained 1.5 lbs since China, she is still loving the American Food!

Lily making herself at home in my Tupperware cabinet!

Sleeping babies are a beautiful sight!!

We have a mover!

2008-11-13T19:53:00.006-05:00

After being home for 2 weeks we are still settling into a routine. Going from two to three kids was a bigger adjustment than I thought. I am amazed at just how much my laundry has grown! I am so lucky to have an amazing group of friends who are bringing us meals twice a week, so we are eating well. Lily is crawling EVERYWHERE, but luckily she has not yet found the stairs. When I leave the room she is never far behind me! We have had a busy week that included getting blood work, which was traumatizing! The lab was unable to find a vein and had to get blood from the finger and we still have more blood to get in order to get all the test done. We attended our last waiting families meeting at our agency. It is a tradition that once you get your baby you return to the meeting with the child and give the others still waiting some words of wisdom. After 3 years it was nice to be the family with the baby! Lily is still dealing with Eczema and a few other skin irritations and she is extremely itchy. I am really hoping that once Lily becomes less itchy she will sleep a little better. We are still battling sleep issues and I have resorted to sleeping on the floor in her room. There is small improvement each night and I think we will eventually get a full nights sleep but I don't think its anytime soon. I am hoping our third week home will bring a little more sleep and a little more routine but either way its all good because I am finally a mom of 3!

First Week

2008-11-06T19:15:00.012-05:00

We have been home for one week. I am 10 times more tired than I expected but it is slowly getting better and its all so worth it! Lily is adjusting well, she loves to eat and play! She is not a fan of sleeping, especially in her crib! I forgot how HARD sleep deprivation is but it is slowly getting better each night. Lily is sooo good when she is awake but I think she releases the stress of all that has happened in the past 2 weeks during the night. She sleeps for about 2 hours at a time and then needs to be reassured and put back to sleep by either rocking or walking. I have walked a lot of miles in my upstairs hallway!

Watching Lily eat is one of my most favorite times of the day. The girl will eat anything! She likes bananas, pears, peaches, carrots, green beans, avocados (spread on a cracker), rice, soup, noodles, pasta, meatballs, chicken, oatmeal and of course her cheerios! She still has no teeth but that does not stop the eating machine!

Lily and cousin Tommy meet for first time

Lily's gross motor skills amaze me! She is crawling and starting to really explore the house. Now she will leave the room and start to wander..I'm in trouble! She pulls herself up and can stand for a few seconds without holding anything! We introduced a push toy to her tonight and I think we are only days away from her walking behind it.

Lily has been a real trooper and has been carted around everywhere this week. Pat went back to work on Monday and the boys had their regular activities. Lily was perfect in Church, went to the boys swim lessons, cub scouts, and a few other appointments. She has met her cousins and a few friends and really seems to enjoy other kids. Every day we see Lily come out of her shell a little more, laugh a little more and really start to realize we are her family. There is nothing better than her reaching out to her mommy and daddy, it melts my heart! She turned 9 months old yesterday and although I can't wait to see what Lily will be doing in the next few months I also want time to stop. I want to enjoy her as she is now before she gets any bigger! I think every day how lucky we are to have her with us and how worth the wait she was!!!

Home Sweet Home

2008-11-01T08:42:00.006-05:00

After 30 hours of being awake and traveling we arrived home at 1:00 AM on Thursday. The trip home went well, anticipating the plane ride was worse than the actual trip. Lily slept for about 80% of the trip so we were pretty lucky! Getting off the airplane and seeing our family and friends at the airport was the best part of the trip. Thank you to everyone who made the late trip to the airport to welcome Lily home! The boys arrived home at 9:30 Thursday morning and seeing them was obviously very emotional and exciting. Both boys looked huge!! Lily loves her brothers and Bryce even got her to laugh for the first time! I have been in a daze for days and sleeping is not going so well. I can only hope Lily's clock gets back on track soon and she starts to sleep like when we were in China! We dressed Lily up for Halloween but she stayed in with me when the boys went out trick or treating. We plan on having a low key weekend and spend some time introducing Lily to more of her family.

Back in Beijing

2008-10-28T21:02:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was our swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate and then we left for Beijing. We have our envelope with all of Lily's immigration paperwork and once we are in Chicago the envelope is opened and Lily is a US citizen!! Our 3 hour plane ride to Beijing went a lot better than before and Lily slept most of the time. We have Megan (Pat's sister) visiting us from Tongliao, she took a 13 hour train ride to see us for 5 hours!! We were so excited to see her and so glad she was able to see Lily!! We leave for Chicago at 4:00 today (Wednesday China time) and hopefully we will be in Boston at 9:30 Wednesday night. am really looking foreword to being back home with my boys!!!

Red Couch Photo

2008-10-26T06:47:00.006-05:00

Today was the infamous red couch photo. All the babies in the group get dressed up in traditional Chinese outfits and are placed on a red couch at the White Swan and have their picture taken. You can imagine what it is like getting 11 babies to sit on a couch for a picture; pure chaos! I have read about this tradition for a long time on adoption blogs and it was almost surreal when we were doing it. We know finally have our "Red Couch" photo. Lily is the 3rd from the right in pink in the top row.

We also visited a Buddhist temple and has the babies blessed and then went to the Jade store. It is a Chinese tradition for a mother to wear a jade bracelet and then give it to her daughter when she gets married. Guess who has a jade bracelet? It is beautiful and I love it!

We have also discovered that Lily loves Ramen Noodles. It is so cute watching her eat them! We have 2 more days here and then we head back to Beijing and then we fly home Wednesday. I am ready to go home to be a family of 5! To say I miss the boys is an understatement! I love China and the trip has been amazing but I can't wait to introduce Lily to the rest of her forever family!

Hello Guangzhou

2008-10-25T00:52:00.007-05:00

It was not easy getting here but we are now really enjoying ourselves! After a day in Nanchang at the Porcelain Store and the Teng Wang Pavilion we headed to the airport. It was an emotional bus ride for me as I knew we were leaving Nanchang, felt like we were leaving a piece of Lily behind. We also had to say good bye to our local Guide, Evelyn, who we really enjoyed. Lily seemed to be feeling better yesterday so I was optimistic about the plane ride. Unfortunately, the 1 hour and 20 minute flight felt like 14 hours! As soon as she finished her Pedialyte bottle after take off it ended up all over Patrick and myself. She then became inconsolable, to be expected for a child who has gone through so much but we had not seen this until we were on the plane next to a very nice business man. She ended the flight with a diaper blowout! Even for us seasoned parents this was enough to throw me into a little meltdown. We all regrouped and once Lily was cleaned up and in her PJ's she fell asleep in the front carrier at the airport. We finally arrived at the hotel at 10:00 and Lily went on to have a real rough night. We have come to the conclusion that she is having a hard time adjusting to the formula. We talked with a doctor today and because her diarrhea has slowed down and she has only thrown up once in 48 hours it does not make sense to change it again. I am hoping we have really turned the corner this time!!

Teng Wang Pavilion

So, we awoke this morning and cute, happy Lily was back! We had her physical exam for her visa this morning. Lily weighed in at 17 lbs and 26 inched long. She's short and chubby! She did great at the appointment and only cried when her ears were checked.

After the exam we hit the streets of Guangzhou for a little shopping. I still have a lot more to do but we were able to do some damage in a short amount of time. Our group headed over to Lucy's for lunch for some good old American food. Lily will only eat food she can put into her own mouth so she is not into the Congee that every other Chinese baby seems to like. Lily had herself a chicken quesadilla for lunch which is a riot because has no teeth!!! We LOVE Guangzhou, it is very warm and has a touristy feel to it. We are looking foreword to a few days of down time before our Consulate appointment and hopefully we can keep Lily healthy.

Lunch at Lucy's with Dave, Sandy and Wren

2008-10-23T16:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we visited a local village. It was not as rural as the farming villages we passed on our way to the orphanage but more like a small neighborhood. Some of the house were actually pretty large but then they would be next to a very small primitive home. The younger generation will leave the village to go work in the city and then send money home. As they earn the money they build their homes, so it can take a long time. We had the opportunity to go into one of the homes and although it was spacious there were very few furnishings. They leave their front doors open so the house was infested with flys. We brought candy with us to pass to the kids and as word spread that the foreigners arrived more children would come out to see. In the afternoon we took a walk around the hotel without the guide and we caused quite a scene. People could not figure out what we were doing with these babies! Lily was all about daddy yesterday and giving us lots of smiles and giggles. We are still trying to figure out her stomach issue and I am wondering if its the formula. We gave her a bottle in the middle of the night and so far she has kept it down. I will try again after breakfast. We leave Nanchang tonight for Guanzghou and although I am ready for a more "western" city it is sad that we are leaving Lily's home. We have had an amazing time here and we have enjoyed the people and experiencing the culture. I am also really missing the boys and I can't wait to see them with their baby sister!

Home in local village

Orphanage Visit

2008-10-22T19:18:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we were able to visit the orphanage. This was something I thought would not be bale to happen so I was very excited to learn we could spend time at the place Lily called home for her first 8 months. It was a long day full of lots of emotions and some things I will wait and share with only Lily when she is older. It took us over 2 hours to get there and the drive is a memorable one. As we left the city of Nanchang we drove through the countryside and it was a lot to take in. Water Buffalo were in the fields and chickens roamed freely. The house were 2 story brick structures that looked half finished. Some had no doors or windows. We entered Yugan City and that is a small city but not as built up as Nanchang. When we arrived at the orphanage we were fed lunch and although I was unable to eat most of it I tried to be as polite as possible. We were then shown the floor with the babies rooms. I has seen a video of the orphanage so I was prepared and that defiantly helped. Lily's room was the last room at the end of the hall but her nanny had gone home for a few days and took the 2 other babies with her. I was disappointed I was unable to meet and thank the nanny but we did get pictures of Lily's crib and the room. Lily was held by the the assistant director and other nannies and she seemed happy to see them but was happy when she would come back to Patrick and myself. It was very difficult to see the other babies still there and to know this was where my baby spent her first 8 months. Although it was nice my orphanage standards and is not where I would want to spend one night. There is no doubt Lily was loved and well cared for and she is healthy (other than fighting a stomach thing) so I guess it shows you how little we really need to survive in life. She had the most important things; love, shelter and food.

Lily is still sick and can not keep anything down. She will drink the ceralyte so she is hydrated. Even is spite of this her personality is really shining through and she is really a happy baby!

Video

2008-10-22T07:07:00.002-05:00

Getting to Know Each Other

2008-10-21T17:14:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a busy morning and we started our day at Walmart. Walmart in China is a whole new experience! We picked up some essentials, like snacks and a few diapers. We visited a local park and took a nice walk. After the park we went to a local restaurant for lunch. The food was amazing! Fried lotus and steamed pumpkin were my favorites!

Unfortunately, Lily is a little sick. She is fighting a cold and has something going on with her stomach. She has only had diarrhea diapers and threw up yesterday. She is so brave and only whimpers a little and I know she is having stomach pain. We have given her some Ceralyte and hoping she can work whatever she has threw her system. We were still able to get laughs and smiles from her and they are priceless. She smiles just like her referral picture!

Today we are off for a visit to the orphanage. I can't believe we get to go and I know it will be an emotional day.

Oh, I am getting all emails and I appreciate them! For some reason I can not send them, I am getting an error message. Sorry!

Officially a Devine

2008-10-20T17:34:00.006-05:00

I just have to say that Lily is perfect! Yesterday was so smooth. We arrived at the office before the babies and were brought into a big room. All the families sat down and prepared for the babies. We made bottles, took out toys and of course had the cameras ready! We waited about 20 minutes and they they started calling the babies names. A baby would enter the room with a nanny and then each family would be called. We were the third family called and I just remember trying to hold back the tears so I wouldn't scare Lily. The nanny told Lily I was her mamma and then placed her in my arms. She came right to me and never cried. I just held her close and couldn't believe that after all this time we were together. She fit perfectly in my arms and was exactly the size I expected. Pat was so patient and it was a few minutes before I realized he still had not held his daughter. She went easily to her daddy and they had some bonding time together. We stayed at the office for about another 30 minutes while the nannies gave us some things back that we had sent including the 2 disposable cameras and a book of questions I had sent there were all answered! We also receives another photo album and a necklace as a gift from the orphanage. The caretakers are truly amazing and we are so thankful for pictures from right when she was found. We got on the bus and she guzzled her extra warm 4 oz. bottle right down! Once back in the room she had another 4 oz. bottle and we just stared at her in amazement! We spent the rest of the day filling out paperwork and getting everything ready for her Chinese passport. We went back to the Provincial office to take our oath and to make everything final.

She has not cried and has just been soaking everything in. We think she is probably internalizing everything. After a nap yesterday she was defiantly scared and sad but we took things slow and brought out the Cheerios. Cheerios are our friend!! She had a great dinner and she LOVES to eat! She ate tofu and noodle soup and could not get enough! During dinner she even had her first poop which is a big deal because sometimes babies hold back when stressed. After dinner she seemed more relaxed so we decided to try the bath, she really needed it! She LOVED her bath and though splashing was very fun. She had another bottle and went to bed at 8:00, woke up at 3:30 for a bottle and is still sleeping at 7:00!

She is very strong and can sit completely independently and can crawl!! We have a mover!! We are hoping for a few more smiles today and hopefully we can get some pictures and video of smiles today. Here are a few more pictures to hold you all over. Her nannies told us she was "good and perfect" and we couldn't agree more!

We have Lily!

2008-10-19T22:43:00.003-05:00

Here are the pictures. She is in shock and has not cried but doing well. Took a bottle great! We are in LOVE!! I'll post more later but here is what you want!

Arrived in Nanchang

2008-10-19T10:14:00.006-05:00

After another looong day we are now in Nanchang, hours away from having Lily placed in our arms! Our day started today at the Forbidden Palace. The only words I can use to describe that is magnificent and massive! It was very cool to be in a place that is 500 years old! While there I received a few extra looks and one couple wanted their picture with me. It was very funny!! They do not see to many blondes over here! After the Forbidden Palace we went to "Old Beijing" that was very cool! Each couple had a rickshaw ride and we saw the oldest part of Beijing that is the original downtown area. The roads were very narrow with courtyard style housing. It was close to a river lined with quaint shops and restaurants. We had the opportunity to visit a family's home. The area was very cool and there were even quite a few pubs and bars. Unfortunately, we did not have a lot of time there so no time for a beer. I will let you all know that Pat is liking the Tsing Sao beer and is having plenty of opportunity to drink a few glasses at each meal! We headed to the airport for our 5:30 flight and arrived at the hotel around 8:45. All sorts of emotions ran through me as we walked into our room and saw the crib. We quickly got busy and unpacked our things and so we know have a diaper station, bottle station and clothing station all set up in our room! We hosted a little pre baby gathering in our room to go over diapering and bottle instructions with all the first time parents. Our group has a whole lot of nervous energy going on right now. We are scheduled to leave the hotel tomorrow morning at 10:00 for the provincial offices and should have the babies around 10:30. We have lots of paperwork to fill out tomorrow so I am not sure when I will get a chance to post. We are very excited right now and hopefully we will get some sleep tonight! Please pray that Lily handles the transition as best as possible and that we can comfort her.

Forbidden City

This man and his wife wanted to pose with me! It was very funny and I think it's a riot that I am so much bigger than him!

Beijing at Night

2008-10-18T08:54:00.005-05:00

The fun just continues! We had our first Peking Duck Dinner and it was delicious and then we strolled through the food vendors. It was a strip of food vendors that sell everything and I mean everything!! Enjoy the pictures of the fried starfish and all the other delicious offerings! I tried fried pumpkin and it was good but unfortunately the smell of the street prevented me from eating anything! We saw so many new and amazing things today that it is difficult for me to capture it all with words. The stroll through the park gave us a glimpse into the life of "older" Beijing residents. I got the feeling that they were at the park for exercise as much as for socialization. We saw lots of group stretching, dancing, ping pong and a game like hackey sack. The Summer Palace, where the Emperor would spend his summer, was full of beautiful courtyards and a man made lake. Climbing the Great Wall was more challenging than I ever expected! The steps are so steep and there are just so many of them! The lower part of the wall was very crowded and it was amazing to see people carrying babies, smoking cigarettes and talking on cell phones while trying to climb the wall. The views kept getting better the higher we went and imagine my surprise to see a toilet and souvenir vendors past the 4th tower! That is quite a hike to work!! I will never forget climbing the "Great Wall Of China"!! On our way back to the hotel we were able to drive past the Olympic cube and birds nest. The traffic was unbelievable and a 45 minute drive took us 2 hours! A couple of thing I saw or just think are interesting: Children go to the bathroom anywhere, like right in front of you on a sidewalk! Traffic is just like they say and I am very glad we are in a huge bus, that mean we usually win the traffic war! I can't believe I can function on so little sleep.. I guess it is preparing me for whats to come! I have become very good at bartering my prices down.. even if I only save a buck its a thrill! Even though kids pee everywhere the streets are pretty clean of litter. I am impressed with how many signs are in English. Tonight was when the realization set in that we are less than 48 hours away from Lily. Having this time in Beijing to truly experience the Chinese culture is such a gift and I tried to soak everything up. I can only hope thay one day we are able to return with all our children. Tomorow we visit the Forbidden City and taking a tour of "old" Beijing. At the end of the day we are on a plane to Nanchang. We are so close to what we have been waiting for for 3 years!!

Peking Duck

Amazing Sights!!

2008-10-18T05:37:00.009-05:00

We had an amazing full day in Beijing today and it's not over yet! We are off to a Peking Duck Dinner and to walk around the street of vendors. We started our day at an outside park at 6:30AM. The park was beautiful and is where the locals get in their exercise. After the park we ate breakfast and met a very nice German couple and then off to the Summer Palace. After the Summer Palace we hit the Pearl Factory where I did a little bit of shopping! Lunch was at a local restaurant and then off to the Great Wall. I am proud to say Pat and I both climbed to the 6th tower (the highest we could go)! I have so much to write about but running out of time. I want to post a few pictures for the boys and then when I am awake at 4AM I will write again. China is amazing!!

We Arrived!!

2008-10-17T07:23:00.003-05:00

Hello Beijing!! After a very LONG day we are at our hotel in getting ready for sleep. We left our house Thursday AM at 4:30 and now it is 8:15 Friday night China time. I finally know what it means to lose a day! The flight was fine and I am so glad we had the extra seat. Now a whole lot of slep happened but Patrick and I survived. We had dinner with the group tonight and now we are off to bed! We have a big day of touring tomorrow. Oh, I can't believe how smoggy it is! Here are a fes pictures.

Shea and Bryce, we love you!! I took a picture of us flying over the North Pole!

Ready to go!!

2008-10-15T09:58:00.008-05:00

After 3.5 years from when we started the adoption process we are on our way to CHINA in less than 24 hours!!! We are bringing our baby girl home and we will be a family of 5! Everything is packed and when the boys come home from school we will carve pumpkins and have a pizza dinner. I think they are ready for us to go! We had a great weekend and think we all are ready for the change that is about to happen to our family. A wonderful, beautiful change!! We arrive in China at 1:55 pm Friday afternoon China time so I hope to post once we get to the hotel. Say a few prayers that our long flight goes smoothly!! See you in China!!

A day at Battleship Cove. The boys loved the WWII ships!

Shea and Bryce at the farm. We picked our pumpkins and took a walk through the corn field maze.

7 Days!!!!

2008-10-09T06:59:00.002-05:00

One week from right now I will be sitting on an United plane heading to Beijing. Unbelievable. People keep asking me how I feel. I feel excited. I am not nervous about going to China, although I have only been to the Caribbean, I do feel comfortable traveling to China. I know our agency will take care of everything while we are in China. I have had 3 years to read about other's adoption trips to China and I feel like I am very prepared and know what to expect. I will miss the boys; I will miss the hugs and kisses, the smell of their sweaty heads after they play, the smell of them freshly bathed. I will miss the "I love yous", the "hey mamma, guess what?". I may even miss the 5:00 o'clock whining... Ok, that's a lie I will not miss that! I am truly blessed because I know my boys will be well cared for by their grandparents. I could never leave for 2 weeks without the love support of my mom and mother in law!

Although I am not nervous I am worried. I am worried because Lily may have been fed tainted formula in her first few weeks of life. Some children in China who have had this formula have been diagnosed with kidney stones. I know for a fact Lily's orphanage received donated formula (the main brand that was recalled) last February. It makes me sick to think Lily was given this formula in her first weeks of life. There is nothing we can do until we get home and visit her pediatrician and the IA pediatrician. I do however do not underestimate the power of prayer. This is a bit of a rambling post but I guess that's what happens when I am 7 days away from traveling to China to get our daughter!!

Countdown Begins!!

2008-10-06T10:35:00.003-05:00

10 more sleeps until we are on that plane to China. On October 16th our flight leaves Boston at 8:31 Am and lands at Dulles at 10:12 AM. We leave for China at 12:12 and land in Beijing on Friday afternoon at 1:55 (1:55 Friday AM our time). For some reason being only 10 days away has changed things for me and I am finally realizing this is going to happen. I have a lot done but still a lot more to do! I really want to be done with everything by this weekend we can enjoy our last weekend as a family of 4. We have some special things planned for the boys and I just want to have a fun stress free weekend. I can't help but think that in 2 weeks our baby girl will be placed in our arms forever. I feel sad that Lily has no idea her life is about to change, everything she knows will be different. There is no way to prepare a 8 month old for what is about to happen and I only pray that somehow when she is held by her mommy and daddy she feels the love that we have for her!

Travel Plans! Finally!!

2008-09-29T19:30:00.002-05:00

Today was our long awaited travel meeting and we were presented with our itinerary. We leave in just over 2 weeks. Here we come Lily!!!!!!! Here is our itinerary:

October 16th: Leave Boston at 8:31 AM.
October 17th: Arrive in Beijing at 1:55 PM
October 18: Great Wall and Summer Palace
October 19th: Forbidden City. fly to Nanchang at 5:20 PM
October 20th: Lily placed in our arms forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 21 - 24 - Nanchang
October 24 - 28th Guanzghou
October 28th - Back to Beijing
October 29th Fly Home. Land in Boston at 9:28 PM!!

Amazing that after all this time we finally know the day we will have our baby in our arms. We do have a small glitch in our Immigration approval and at this time we may not able to leave China! I have been assured that this will be cleared up before we leave for China so I am praying that it will be resolved asap!

Video

2008-09-19T14:15:00.005-05:00

I spent the day learning how to download video from the camcorder to the computer. Yes, that took me about 4 hours to do! I also learned how to edit movies, really cool! I thought I would post a video just to make sure I know how to do it once I am in China. The following video is a clip from our referral call. I was way more emotional than I expected and turned into a blubbering mess, so I cut the video short. It's really hard to watch myself on video and for all of you expecting a referral call I recommend not wearing a sleeveless shirt unless your arms are toned! So here it is, enjoy!

TA!!! Finally!!

2008-09-18T13:19:00.003-05:00

When our agency said Travel Approval takes 2 - 4 weeks to receive from China I should have expected 4 weeks!! I thought no way would it take 4 weeks, every other agency is getting them back in 2 - 3 weeks. Well of course ours took 4 weeks but the good news is we finally have TA!! China has approved us to travel to China to complete our adoption!! We still do not have travel dates because now our agency needs to make our Consulate appointment. The CA is where we will get Lily's Visa and that is the last part of the trip. We should have CA in the next few days and then we will know when we are traveling. We are very close!!

More Informaton

2008-09-01T20:24:00.004-05:00

It is amazing to me that just 3 short weeks ago we received our daughter's referral. All we knew was her Chinese name, D.O.B., province, orphanage and 4 pictures of her at 4 months old. In such a short time we received pictures of this beautiful baby at 2.5 months old, a video of her in the orphanage and just last night we received 5 NEW pictures! I now have pictures of Lily from last week! She looks healthy and strong! We now know she is 16.5 lbs and has not yet gotten any teeth. I am so relieved to know that she is safe and being well cared for but at the same time she needs to be home with her family. Today may have been the day she saw her family for the first time. I sent a care package 2 weeks ago to her orphanage and today I received confirmation that the orphanage received the package and I can only hope that means the nannies are showing Lily the photo album with her mommy, daddy, big brothers and grandparents. I sent two disposable cameras and I hope that when Lily is put in our arms we will also receive more photos of her daily life in the orphanage. I sent her a taggie blanket and small stuffed animal and I hope that tonight she sleeps holding those and somehow knows that people she has never met love her more than imaginable! There are so may people to thank for this information. Here is a shout out to a few: Thanks to Stephe for motivating me months ago to have a care package ready to go, thanks to Di for giving me the letter written in Chinese to include in my care package, thanks to Carrie for sending me the pictures and video from her April visit to the orphanage and thanks to Adele at Blessed Kids for the newest pictures, measurements and confirmation that my care package has arrived. I am just so grateful for all the people who have made it possible to connect to my daughter across the world!

The gift!

2008-08-30T12:53:00.006-05:00

This a picture of Lily's orphanage.

A few days after our referral I joined a yahoo group for people who have adopted from the Yugan County Orphanage, where Lily is. A women contacted me saying she had visited the orphanage in April and she may have pictures of Lily. You can imagine my excitement when after I sent her Lily's pictures she sent me pictures of a baby she thought was Lily! This is a treasured gift from Lily's past that we may never have had if it was not for the kindness of a women named Carrie. It gets better! Carrie had also videotaped while she was there and sent me a 45 minute video of her visit to the orphanage. Lily is in the video for a few minutes but I was able to really see the orphanage, the room Lily is in and her caregivers. Again, how do I ever thank Carrie for this price less gift! Well, it still gets better!! During the video when Carrie is in Lily's room I saw the most amazing picture, a picture of Jesus! In a communist country, in a government building, there is a picture of Jesus right above Lily's head! I have prayed that our baby was being taken care, that she had felt the grace of God but to actually see this was just amazing! I can only hope that one day I can repay the gift I was given to another waiting family. If we are allowed to visit the orphanage I plan on taking lots of pictures and video and hopefully one day share those pictures and video with another waiting family!

What's Next??

2008-08-21T19:44:00.002-05:00

It's been over a week since Lily entered our lives and its been amazing. We still can't stop staring at her picture and just wondering what this little baby is like and think how blessed we are! We had her file reviewed by an International Adoption pediatrician and she confirmed what we thought, she looks like a very healthy baby! We signed our acceptance letter, filled out more paperwork and returned it all to our agency. Now we WAIT! Yes, I should be good at this by now but I want my baby home!! Our agency sends our acceptance letters back to China (first all 9 families from our travel group have to send theirs back to the agency) and then we wait for China to send us our TA (travel approval). Once our agency receives our TA's they make us our CA (consulate appointment). The CA happens at the end of the trip in Guangzhou and that is where the babies get their Visas to come home to the US. When we have our CA then the trip starts 2 weeks before that date and we know when we will travel and can start making travel arrangements. My best guess of when we will travel is sometime in October.

In the meantime I am having a fun end of the summer with the boys. They are excited about their baby sister and love making her pictures and showing off her photo. We sent a care package on Monday and hopefully it arrives safely in China. Once school starts I have to get serious about packing and other baby preparations. I have to say that for the first time in a long time I feel like myself again and that is a great feeling. I feel the JOY again!!

Lily Mei Chun

2008-08-13T21:15:00.006-05:00

Introducing Lily Mei Chun!!!

DOB: February 5, 2008

Jiangxi Province
Yugan SWI

We can't stop looking at these pictures!! She is just so cute!
She fits in perfectly with our family with the round face and big cheeks. I can't wait to plant thousands of kisses on those cheeks. These pictures were taken when she was just about 4 months old. At that time she weighed 13 lbs and 23 inches long. She looks healthy to us!! We learned her most favorite activity is to be carried by caregivers to go to busy places! Well, looks like our busy schedule will be just fine for Lily! I think we will spend some time just enjoying these pictures!

Referral Day

2008-08-12T18:58:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was probably one of the best days of our lives! It started early. I awoke at 5:00 and checked rumors - there was nothing. Back to bed until 7:00 and then the first rumor appeared; packages in Europe. Knowing packages were in Europe combined with another rumor made me about 95% sure referrals were coming! Pat cancelled a meeting and we hunkered down waiting for the call. The first part of the morning went well and we were able to keep ourselves busy but by 10:30 we were going crazy! I watched a little Olympics, I checked in with Kathy and Dave (2 other couples who will be traveling with us), I checked my e mail and RQ and Pat and I just stared at each other. The kitchen island was ready with every gadget: camera, laptop, voice recorder, "the call" sheet, pen, pencil, 2 phones, and 2 cell phones! Finally at 11:42 the phone rang and my social workers name appeared! OMG this is it! I answered the phone and Pat started the recording. I call the boys upstairs "This is the call!" and they ran up to share in this moment. Erin, my social worker, wanted to make sure I was ready, "Do you need a pen?", she asked. Are you kidding me! Of course I am ready! She tells us we have a baby girl and then she tells us her name; Yue Mei Chun. This was amazing and already I know this child was meant for us. When we started the process, 3+ years ago we called Lily "Mei Mei" meaning little sister. Mei Mei then turned into Lily Mei. I remember my g.mother calling her Lily Mei and I had to explain that was not her name! We would have her middle name be whatever her Chinese name was. Well 3+ years later we now have a Lily Mei Chun!! The social worker then gave us her DOB; 2/5/08. I really lost it here; OMG she is a baby at just 6 months old! I was prepared for a baby between 6 - 18 months but really thought she would be 10 months at referral. I was shocked again. She is a February baby just like her mom (2/10), her dad (2/27), her uncle (2/6), her cousin (2/15), her papa (2/25) and her nana (2/28). Another red thread! She was born just 10 days before her baby cousin Tommy! I have spent a lot of time with Tommy this summer and have watched him grow and change, I can't believe he is the same age as our little girl in China!! Finally, the social worker told us she was in the Jiangxi Province. This is the same province as 2 of the "99" (our close friends who came home in December) babies. The call ended and Pat and I both called our moms and then I spoke to Dave and Sandy. Wren was born 6 days before Lily and is in the same orphanage!! I spoke to Kathy and Emma is 18 months old and also in the same orphanage! This is truly a gift. The 6 of us have formed a nice friendship during this wait and it is so unbelievable our girls have spent their short lives together. They will be together forever!!

After the e - mails were sent and phone calls made we took the boys to Build a Bear. They both made bears for Lily. Shea made a Patriots cheerleader and Bryce made the Red Sox "green monster"! We can't "girly" up these boys!! I had to make a quick stop into Gymboree and buy a few small outfits. We headed home and by 4:15 the party began. Friends and family stopped by all evening and we enjoyed 3 visits from the Chinese food delivery man and 1 visit from the Pizza delivery! Lots of champagne was poured and drunk and a few beautiful toast were given. Patrick and I felt so blessed to be surrounded by our family and friends at such an exciting time for us.

We had taped "the call" on our I POD so we listened to that a few times during the day. I love hearing "the call", it brings the whole moment back and makes it feel all so real! By 10:00 I was exhausted, I can't believe how tiring the day was! It was an amazing emotional day and it couldn't have gone any better! I went to bed and just kept repeating her name "Lily Mei Chun". I couldn't wait to wake up this morning and start learning about her province and orphanage! I will save all that for another post!

I want you all to know that we have saved every message and comment that was left for us. They will be printed out and someday Lily will know how excited everybody was for her arrival. I have received some of the nicest comments from people I have never met, but then again the adoption community is made up of some of the most wonderful supportive people! For people still waiting, I can only say I hope you have the strength to continue with your journey. I pray for a speed up but I know that one day your pain from waiting will be replaced with pure joy and thankfulness!

I saved the BEST NEWS for last: We get Lily's picture tomorrow night at 5:00!! Check back and you will see Lily Mei Chun for the first time!!

We Have a BABY Girl!!

2008-08-11T14:53:00.004-05:00

We are rejoicing and celebrating!! We received our call today at 11:42 AM. Our daughter is Yue Mei Chun, to be called Lily Mei Chun Devine. We have limited info. but here it is:

DOB: 2/5/08 (6 months old)

Province: Jiangxi

Orphanage: Yugan County SWI

We will get more info. and pictures in a few days. We are celebrating and feel so blessed!!

Next Week

2008-08-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

The original stork alert was wrong. We have more rumors from a few agencies that they were mailed from China on Thursday but not to expect them to next week. This week has been so long and full of disappointment. I have lost some of my excitement. I need to shake these feelings and start getting excited for next week. We are getting our referral and I am grateful for that. Nothing has been on my timeline so I should be used to it. I have to thank everybody who has been so supportive this week, from my family and friends to my friends in the adoption community. I would never have made it this far without all your kind words and support. I think I will have a little pity party but then I am off to celebrate the start of the Olympics with our good friends; the 99ers and their girls. I'll bounce back and be ready for next week!

Stork is in the Air!!!

2008-08-06T07:19:00.002-05:00

There is a rumor out there that referrals left the CCAA on Monday. They are coming!!!!!!!!! I say either today or tomorrow but obviously really hoping for today!! Wow, we are down to hours and then we know who baby Lily is! Excitement is building around here!

Still Waiting.....

2008-08-05T16:12:00.003-05:00

We have heard nothing, not a word. I can only hope that referrals have left the CCAA and are in route to our agency. The silence is killing me. I was calm until today. I am now a bundle of nerves and just want to know when my phone will ring with the caller ID saying Wide Horizons! I'll post as soon as I hear. I am praying for tomorrow.

Getting Closer

2008-08-04T14:25:00.004-05:00

Today it is looking like the cutoff this month will be January 27th and that just stinks for all my friends still waiting. Another 2 day month, when will the madness end?! Knowing the cutoff does bring us closer to our referral call. Usually this means the CCAA is done matching and I am hoping for a phone call this week, maybe Wednesday! I am starting to feel excited and it must mean something when Patrick is checking RQ and reading blogs looking for rumors!

Our last weekend before referral!!

Do you see the Rainbow? It must be good luck!

Next Week???

2008-08-02T13:13:00.002-05:00

I am optimistic that referrals will arrive next week. All signs are pointing that way. I would love for the referral call to come on Monday but it is looking more like Tuesday or Wednesday. I can wait a few extra days. I will be ready either way. We will be home from the beach for 2 weeks so I can stalk RQ and all my yahoo groups looking for any signs pointing to packages arriving at the agency. I find myself just imagining what the moment will be like... will all go as planned? Will Pat be home for the call? Will the call come when I am not expecting it? Will I be able to fill out my call sheet? Will I be able to record the call? I also can't stop thinking about the important details. Who exactly is Lily? Where is she? How old is she? Is she healthy? Is lily with our friend's daughters, Wren and Emma? Soon all these questions will be answered, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Matching Has Begun!

2008-07-29T17:39:00.002-05:00

RQ has reported that matching has begun!!! This could really be it..we could have a file on a desk in China with our pictures and a picture of our daughter!! Of course there has been a bit of drama this week. Rumors were floating around that referrals would not be sent until after the Olympics. My agency did confirm with me today that they still think we should get referrlas this month and now there is a rumor on RQ that matching has begun. There is a lot of speculation that the CCAA will be closed for the month of August due to the Olympics, if this is the case then I think referrals would be sent out on Friday and we could possibly get a call on Monday or Tuesday! Hopefully some more news in the next few days!!

30 Months

2008-07-27T18:34:00.003-05:00

Saturday marked our 30 month LID anniversary. I am very hopeful this will be our last month of waiting and that our original wait of 6 - 8 months will end at just over 30 months. We still do not know for sure if the CCAA will send out referrals before the start of the Olympics, but I hope we will have that answer in the next few days. Keep everything crossed for us and if you pray then we could use a few prayers to!

Happy Anniversary

2008-07-24T08:18:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to say Happy Anniversary to Patrick. We have been married 9 years, together for 17! We met very young and new even then that we would be together forever. We have been blessed with 2 wonderful sons, a loving family and a great group of friends. We have wonderful examples of marriages in our family and my grandparents are getting ready to celebrate 61 years of marriage in September. I can only hope that I have the chance to spend the next 52 years with Patrick, I can't wait to see what you are like at 87!

We are still waiting patiently for rumors this month. I am hoping that by this point next week we know that matching has begun and we are getting ready for our phone call. Only another week or two until we see our Lily. To say we are ready is an understatement!!

When

2008-07-16T15:27:00.002-05:00

As reported on RQ:

"The soonest I would expect to see them this month is Monday, August 4 and the latest is Thursday, August 14. The most likely arrival based on the average would be Thursday, August 7."

August 4th is also my best guess. I think that the CCAA may send them out the week before the Olympics and then they will probably be off of work during the Olympics. I really hope nothing goes wrong and they don't lose our file because we will have to wait until after the Olympics to clear up any issues. I know I am thinking of problems that haven't happened yet but I just can't help but think the worse.

I like to think we have 3 more weekends before referrals. Weekends are always the hardest because there is never any information or new rumors. This weekend Pat and I will be away for a night to celebrate our anniversary, following weekend we have a wedding and the third weekend I will probably be in isolation!

Travel Buddies

2008-07-14T15:55:00.004-05:00

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Kathy's baby shower. Kathy is with my agency and we share a LID so we will travel together. Pat and I have formed a friendship with Kathy and her husband Erik over the last few years of waiting and we are so blessed to share this wait with them. Kathy's shower was wonderful and she received lots of great things for her daughter to be, Emma. Sandy, also from our agency and travel group, also attended the shower. It was a great way to spend the day and it really made us excited for what's to come in the next few weeks.

Sandy, Kathy and myself: Ready for China!

Update

2008-07-03T21:38:00.004-05:00

Going to the beach was the best decision I could of made. I needed to distance myself from all the "adoption anxiety" and having not great Internet service was the only way it was going to happen for me. I figured I would find out all the important stuff and I did......

The cutoff is officially January 25, 2006. We are NOT receiving our referral this month. We are however absolutely NEXT!!!! Yes, I was sad and angry about not receiving our referral but I LOVE the fact that we know we will be in the next batch. The question changes from "are we in" to "WHEN". This wait is hard, the hardest thing I have ever done and at times it feels unfair. Every month someone misses the cutoff by one day and this month it was our turn.

My only concern is will the CCAA be sending out referrals before the Olympics. What if NEXT means September and not August? I did put a call into our agency and they said they have been told that matching will continue and to expect our referral at the end of July / beginning of August. After waiting 29 months I can handle 4 more weeks!

While away we did celebrate Shea's 6th Birthday. My boy is growing up! Shea is a sweet, sensitive, creative special boy. I am amazed at how wise he is and I learn something from him every day! He is an amazing big brother to Bryce and is looking foreword to loving and protecting his baby sister. Happy Birthday Shea Patrick!

Buzz Kill

2008-07-01T13:19:00.002-05:00

Well, after stalking RQ for 2 days and putting calls into the agency we find out that the "packages in the air" were NOT referrals. We still have no idea what the cutoff is and if we are even included in this months referrals. We are frustrated to say the least. I have to remember that I originally did not think we would hear anything until July 7th so I think I will go back to thinking that. Tomorrow is Shea's birthday and I need to focus on making his day special. I am leaving the island (my kitchen island!) and going to the beach. I will bring my computer and still do frequent checks but I can't stare at my computer any longer. Hopefully I will have good news soon.

Sunday Night

2008-06-29T19:45:00.006-05:00

When I posted on Friday night I thought all would be calm this weekend and we would hear no rumors. I woke up on Saturday AM and Pat took the boys out for their Saturday morning routine of Dunkin Donuts and haircuts. I sit down and start my morning routine of checking e - mail, blogs and RQ. Imagine my surprise when RQ reports that 2 agencies are expecting to receive packages on Monday and Tuesday. We have no "official" idea what is in these packages but we can think that they may be REFERRALS! When I read that packages may arrive on either Monday or Tuesday I think I may have started to shake! I have spent the weekend trying to prepare myself that we may not get our referral this month and we may have to wait until August. I am praying with all my might that we will receive our referral this month and possibly tomorrow but there is a part of me that expects the worse. How can you not expect the worse when your wait is already over 3x longer than expected!

We however have not lost all hope and have done a few things to prepare for "the call". We tried out my speaker phone on my cell and we have the voice recorder all ready to go so we can record the conversation that will change our lives forever. I have "the call" sheet on the counter ready to fill out all the important information about our daughter. I even purchased a great new camera this weekend and spent the weekend taking pictures and loving how great the zoom is and the no delay it has!! It is a Cannon Powershot and has a 10x zoom and 8MP. This is the camera we have to have for China!

I am hoping that we hear SOMETHING tomorrow, even if it is just a cutoff date. I plan on trying to get some sleep tonight and then a day of stalking RQ for any rumor I can get my hand on! I will leave you with a few pics from my new camera.

29 Months

2008-06-27T19:23:00.002-05:00

As of yesterday we have been waiting 29 months since our LID. I stopped counting a while ago but I can't help but wonder if this will be our last LID anniversary without a referral. As of tonight we have no news. I can't even call people anymore because they expect it to be "the call"! I am hoping to hear the cutoff on Monday or Tuesday. I am sure by Sunday night I will be crazy with anxiety but right now I am feeling pretty calm and looking foreword to the weekend. I of course have already had one margarita tonight and see a few more coming my way this weekend! Hopefully this is our last weekend without a referral!!

Rumor's and TA's

2008-06-25T15:21:00.002-05:00

Last night RQ posted than an agency says that matching has begun. This is significant for a few reasons. If this is true then our file could be sitting on someones desk with a picture of out daughter!!!! That is overwhelming to think about! Oh, and when I read that rumor I was down at the beach house and a storm had just passed and the most beautiful rainbow came out. That has to mean good luck, right?? Usually, a few days after RQ post that matching has begun we learn the cutoff. So, I am thinking we may here from our agency on Friday about the cutoff. I am in a bundle of nerves!!

Then, this AM people who received referrals last month posted they got travel approval today. Typically, referrals arrive a few days after TA's arrive. So it looks like the CCAA is very busy right now and hopefully they don't slow down until 1/26 is matched!

I thought I would be calm this week and I would be a mess next week. NOPE, I am full of nerves right now and I just need to know if we are in or out.

Happy Birthday Bryce!

2008-06-20T19:40:00.003-05:00

My baby boy turned 4 today! He's growing up so fast. I remember last year how sad I was that Bryce was turning 3 and how I felt like it was really time for Lily to come home. I realize now that Bryce was not ready to be a big brother but he has grown so much in the past year and I know he is now ready to be a wonderful big brother!! Bryce had such a great day today and loved being the center of attention. His party with his friends was so much fun and the smile never left his face. Bryce keeps me on my toes but he's full of surprises and always making us laugh. Bryce is affectionate and always has a kiss and hug for mommy. It will be a long two weeks away from Bryce when we travel to China and I know I will be missing ny hugs!!

Happy Birthday Bryce, mommy and daddy love you!

Matching Room

2008-06-16T20:07:00.009-05:00

All the dossier's ready to be matched.

At this point I think it is safe to say that our file is in the matching room. I thought it would be fun to share with you all what exactly that means and some pictures of the matching room. I took the explanation from the RQ site becasue I think it does a good job explaining all the details.

How the Matching Room works

First, they review the baby dossiers and make sure there are no issues with them. We are told that they then count up all of the baby dossiers that are eligible for matching that month and then look to see how far this stack will go in the parent dossiers without sending out a partial day, and they pull all of those parent files. That is the likely cut-off date. Sometimes something happens and they don't get this far. Sometimes something happens and they get farther.

Next they match orphanages up with agencies. This orphanage has six babies, this agency has six families. These two orphanages are in the same province and have a total of 12 babies, this agency has 12 families. When they are through with this is when (I believe) some agencies start to get information about the cut-off date. Or at least it is when they used to start getting information.

And then they start matching individual babies to individual families. At some point during this part of the process most agencies used to hear from their person in the matching room to let them know how many referrals they will be receiving and from what province(s). Some agencies shared this information with their clients. Some chose not to. Recently I’ve gotten the feeling that many agencies are still getting this information but they are being given orders by the CCAA to not share this information with the families.

Just as in the review room, each matcher is assigned certain agencies and is responsible for communicating with their agencies. Some matchers tell their agency the cut-off date, some matchers tell their agency “you have X number of referrals arriving”, some matchers give their agency a list of that agency’s families that will be receiving a referral. And some matchers don’t say anything at all to their agencies.

The next question that comes up is generally how the matchers match families and babies. I’ve heard from several people who have had the opportunity to speak with someone who works in the matching room. The various conversations seem to all agree that they first look for something that stands out: a matching birthday, a baby who looks a lot like a parent, or a baby who likes music and a parent who teaches music. Several matching people have stated they match by bone structure of the baby’s face and the parent’s faces (this is why they need our passport photos, so they can compare our mug shot with the baby’s mug shot). Some have stated that they used Chinese astrology, also. Once they’ve matched the obvious matches they then start to look at things like age of child requested. The age requested is not a priority for them, they feel they are matching families and not filling orders.

Soon the CCAA will be looking at Pat and my passport pictures and matching a baby to us. I wish I new this when I took my passport picture! This is just getting more exciting every day and I am really tyring to stay calm, not easy for an excitable person like myself! Today Pat and myself started our immunizations and we have 2 more visits and then we will be all immunized to travel. One more thing to check off my list!!

RQ's Projections

2008-06-15T17:40:00.003-05:00

This is RQ's latest projections. She had added a new column "spring 08 small" to reflect what happened a few months back. So, if this month is as bad as a month we had in the spring then we will not have our referral in July. Recently, we have seen referrals fall somewhere between the spring 08 column and the horrid case. That will be fine with me because January 26th fall between those two columns. I am really trying to stay positive and just keep thinking we are only 2 - 3 weeks away from knowing who our daughter is!

Tradition

2008-06-12T20:09:00.006-05:00

When you do something once in my family, it becomes a tradition. When I was 36 ish weeks pregnant with Bryce my mom and I went to my appointment and then took Shea to the Swan Boats. Well, today I happened to have a doctors appointment in the city, so my mom and I follow up on that tradition. We took the boys and my niece into Boston. We went for a ride on the swan boats, on the "T" and then enjoyed a little ice cream at the annual Scoooper Bowl. If I didn't know any better you would think I was 36 weeks pregnant, I took the "all you can eat" ice cream to heart. I guess being this close (hopefully weeks away) from a referral can make you act pregnant!

Nana and the kids at "Scooper Bowl"

Riding the "T"

A rumor already?

2008-06-11T07:21:00.002-05:00

Yes, 2 post from me in one hour!! I just read RQ and here is what she said:

"And last but certainly not least, I have a good rumor to share. One agency says that the CCAA says next month will also have a lot of days in it. That’s probably the earliest rumor about next month ever. But, I’ll take it."

That just makes me all teary eyed!! It's really early for rumors but how can I not get excited!!

Referrals!!

2008-06-11T06:54:00.002-05:00

Referrals arrived Monday and you have to go check out Sharon's blog. Sharon received her referral for Mary Alice and she is such a cutie! Congratulations Sharon!!! Lots of other people received referrals this week and it has been so fun watching and reading all the referral post. Will we be doing this next month?? I hope so. The CCAA confirmed the cutoff at 1/20/06, 2 days earlier than we what we thought it was BUT the 21st and 22nd are weekend days are no one was logged in. So, although we are 6 days away from our LID I really think we still have a good chance of getting a referral in a couple of weeks. I am pouring over packing list and making to do list and I am hoping to get a few things accomplished in the next few weeks. It will be a miracle if I get anything done because I don't think I have really digested he fact that we are NEXT...hopefully!

More Reassurance

2008-06-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

We are still waiting for this months referral batch to arrive and it looks like Monday will be the day. This is just torture and I think this is the latest they have arrived in a long time. The good news is that more agencies are confirming the cutoff at 1/22/06.

The website China Adoption Forecast tries to predict when people will get there referral based on their LID. I have been checking this every month and I was very happy to see their most recent prediction:

Our prediction for LID 2006-01-26
China has 4 days of dossiers to be processed before they get to your dossier. China currently processes about 6.3 days of dossiers each month.
Our best guess: 2008-06-27
Since China generally sends out referrals in a batch about once per month, your referral date could easily vary +/- one month depending on whether you just get included or just get missed in a particular batch.

I just love thinking that we are NEXT! For those of you who are unaware of the process being next means I think we will have our referral next month (end of June, beginning of July). When we get our referral we will receive an initial phone call with some basic info. about our daughter, such as her Chinese name, age, where in China she is and maybe weight and height. We then wait a few days for her picture and for the complete file to be translated. We then start preparing to travel, which we are hoping will be in September.

Of course, I have to end with my disclaimer and we may have to wait until August for our referral but either way we are very close!!

NEXT!!!

2008-06-04T14:21:00.002-05:00

The "unofficial" cutoff this month is the January 22nd!!! OMG they are 4 days away from our LID!!! This is really going to happen. It is not official until the CCAA changes their website but our agency has confirmed this for us. People, we are are weeks away from seeing Lily!!!

Of course, they could only do 1, 2, or 3 days next month and we would have to wait until August BUT I really think next month is our month. It is so perfect.. right in time for Shea's birthday. Back in January he said that seeing Lily would be a perfect b-day gift, oh how I agree!!

Nada

2008-06-03T19:20:00.002-05:00

No News. Barely any rumors. Here is what I know so far:

* Referrals have not been sent yet. The cutoff date is most likely between 1/16/06 - 1/22/06.

* The thinking is that the person in China who needs to sign off on referrals is busy dealing with Earthquake relief (as he should be).

* Our agency has sent 2 e - mails this week. The first one telling us we can no longer apply for waiting children (children w/special needs). The second one telling us our fee has increased by $500.00 due upon referral. I can't say I am pleased with either e - mail but I will not get into that right now.

* I can only hope and pray we have some answers by the end of this week. That my friend Sharon gets to she her daughter's picture and that I have some idea if we are next or not!

Silence...

2008-05-30T18:24:00.002-05:00

I've been quiet, RQ has zilch to report and nothing is coming out of the CCAA. We have had a busy month with preschool ending and my sister in law (Meg) graduating college. Congratulations Meg!! Meg leaves in August for China!!! Megan has decided to go to China (Inner Mongolia) for a year to teach English. We are so proud of her and so honored that she will have a year to immerse herself in her goddaughter's culture. We are hoping that she can meet us in China when we finally get there and have a few days to spend with us and Lily.

There are no Rumors this month and it is killing me! We have heard that 1/23/06 will not be included, but that is not a surprise. We should know something on Monday and hopefully I will be sane enough by then to hear what the results are. Here's my breakdown:

If they get to 1/20 then I feel 90% sure that we will have a referral in July.

If they get to 1/19 I feel 70% sure we will get a referral in July.

If they get to 1/18 then I feel I have a 50% chance of a July referral.

If they don't get to 1/18 then there is no way it's happening in July.

So, I don't know how to feel right now, except very anxious for Monday!

Earthquake

2008-05-13T18:33:00.003-05:00

As most of you know China is dealing with the aftermath of a massive earthquake. There has been a huge loss of life; including as many as 900 school children . Non profit organizations working in China have reported that many of the orphanages in the area were able to evacuate and are dealing with only minor damage. There are still a few more orphanages that they are waiting to hear from. Donations are being collected for all the children who will be affected. The organization I like to donate to is http://halfthesky.org/

Many people have asked if we know where Lily is. This is a question we can not answer. We assume she has been born but we do not recive any information until we receive our referral. We have no way of knowing if she is the area affected by the earthquake but we are praying that Lily and all the children in China are safe right now.

Projections

2008-05-06T19:39:00.003-05:00

RQ posted her projections today. When I looked at this chart my hear skipped a beat and I am holding the tears back in my eyes. Her horrid case is Jan. 23rd! I was thinking it would be great if they could get to the 19th BUT if the CCAA gets to the 23rd then we are defiantly in for July. In 4 weeks I could be saying, "I am next!". I am tyring so hard not to get my hopes up but I have been let down every month for 27 months that I know I can handle disappointment. I really can't believe that this journey will really be over soon!

Next...

2008-05-05T07:41:00.002-05:00

The CCAA confirmed that the official cutoff is January 12th. Our agencies 1/10/06 group received referrals and we are the NEXT LID group with our agency. We are finally next for something! It will probably take 3 months to get to 1/26/06, although I am really praying for only 2 months. The phone calls started coming on Friday and it was so exciting to read all the messages as people received their referrals. It is really hard to believe that we are so close and that this is going to happen for us. I find myself thinking a lot about the baby that will become our daughter. I know she is born and I pray that she is being well cared for. She is not waiting for us, she does not know that her world is about to change in a few more months. I hate to wish time away but I really hope the next few weeks go by fast!!

Makeover

2008-05-02T06:41:00.004-05:00

New Look!! I had a makeover done by Sarah at Blogoverers with Love and I LOVE it! The money I paid all goes to my favorite charity, Half the Sky. I needed something fresh and new to look at for these last few months of the wait and I think Sarah, from Blogovers with Love did a great job.

Referrlas have not arrived yet but we expect them either today or Monday. I am so excited for my friends Susan and Hope who will be seeing their daughter's face for the first time!

January 12th

2008-04-30T11:05:00.002-05:00

Not official, but we are pretty confident that the cutoff is this month is January 12th. 3 days is far from great BUT this is what I was prepared for. The 12th was a really big day so I am not surprised they did not get any further. The CCAA is now 14 days away from our 1/26/06 LID! Four of those days are weekends, so really 10 days! We are 2 or 3 months away from a referral. I think there is a 50 / 50 chance that we could see a referral in the beginning of July. If we do not get a July referral then I don't know what will happen. There are rumors that the CCAA will not give referrals out during the Olympics. I really hope they send referrals out at the end of July right before the Olympics, but then I expect we will be unable to travel until September. Part of me can't believe how close we really are and then I also feel like we will never see Lily's face. I think I need to start a "to do " list because I would hate to be unprepared after all this waiting!

Another Place for Toys...

2008-04-24T19:32:00.003-05:00

Another place for toys, the last thing we really need! However, I have been looking for something to keep Lily's toys in and this was exactly what I wanted. Most of the toys are in the basement and then we have a toy bin for the boys. Over the years, the boys toy bin has become a holder for every small toy in the world (legos, crayons, small figurine's). I wanted something for Lily that I could keep in a different part of the family room and that still looked somewhat stylish. I have already filled the baskets!! The hope is that referrals will be sent next week. The CCAA is closed for a holiday next Thursday and Friday and they have always sent out referrals before they leave for vacation. Hopefully only one more week until we know the cutoff. My head says the cutoff is the 12th but I still hold out hope for a few more days.

Projections

2008-04-17T17:54:00.003-05:00

RQ has posted her projections. Our LID is Janaury 26th and by looking at the chart we should have our referral anytime between May and July. The "good case" has not happened in over a year and the last 3 / 4 months has been one day less than horrid. So, if we are lucky it will be July. It is so great that we are finally in this chart and even in the good case for this months projections BUT I still feel like we have a long road ahead of us. We still do not know what will happen during the Olympics.

On the bright side, the weather has been beautiful, the boys are loving playing outside and I am cutting my hours at work back soon!

Lazy Blogger

2008-04-10T08:50:00.002-05:00

I guess I lost all motivation to blog after the dismal month of referrals. This past Monday we received the "official" word that the cutoff was indeed January 9th. I am still hoping for a July referral but I am not as sure about it as I would like to be. The adoption community believes that the Olympics are playing a big part in the slowdown at this point. I never thought in a million years that with a 1/26/06 LID the 08 Olympics would be impacting our adoption. I keep reminding myself that back in January I prepared myself not to even get a referral until the fall, so if it happens in July then that would be a nice surprise. For the rest of this month I plan on enjoying the spring weather and hopefully by the end of the month my hours at work will be cut back. I have some big plans this spring, including teaching Shea how to ride his bike without training wheels! By the beginning of May the next batch of referrals will be here and my 1/10 friends will be seeing their babies for the first time!

Same Old Stuff

2008-03-31T19:51:00.002-05:00

It looks like the cutoff this month is Janaury 9th. NOT the 13th, NOT the 12th and NOT EVEN the 10th!! Mostly I am just sad for my friends who thought they were getting referrals this month and now need to wait another month. This wait has been just full of disappointment after disappointment month after month. With any luck we can still get our referral in July but I really have no idea. I know I will wait it out but I just wish that we could start getting excited. It seems like as soon as we feel positive the CCAA takes the rug right out from under us.

Rumors...They have started

2008-03-27T07:28:00.002-05:00

Referrals should be arriving early next week. The rumors are in full force. Our agency had a 1/10 LID and I have friends with the same LID so I REALLY want that date to be included. I am ok with the 10th being the cutoff BUT there are rumors that the 13th is included. IF the 13th is included then we are getting a June referral!! I've been on this roller coaster long enough to know that early (good) rumors are usually never true but I still can't help but feel so excited! I just need to hope for the 10th and then I will not be disappointed!!

Easter

2008-03-25T08:53:00.007-05:00

I started getting sick last Thursday but I willed myself to feel better for Sunday. We woke up and had our indoor egg hunt and then went to church. In the afternoon we had family over and the boys and their cousin Olivia had the big outdoor hunt. The food was all delicious and the it was a really nice family day. By 7:00 Sunday night I felt terrible and by Monday AM I could barley walk. Off to the doctors I went and basically I had the flu that turned into an ear infection and just a nasty virus. I am starting to feel better today but I honestly do not remember ever feeling this sick!! Thank God I have great family who helped me out with the kids. Here are some pictures of Easter.

Family of 4 for a few more months!

Olivia, Shea and Bryce are ready for the egg hunt!

My niece, Addison. She has been warming up Lily's crib!

My grandparents who have been married for 60 years!

You know You're An Adoptive Parent When....

2008-03-20T10:00:00.002-05:00

The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing. ( I have never been able to watch this without crying!)

The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
(Yup, I spend a little to much time reading blogs)

It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents. (or when they refer to my bio children as my "real kids")

You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth. (2 years!) (By the time this wait is over I think I may look like an elephant!)

You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.

You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.

You believe God's heart is for adoption.

You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!

You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life. (It absolutely amazes me the things a social worker needs to know!)

You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life. (Our child will not be lucky. There is nothing "lucky" about being abandoned and then given to a family and taken to live on the other side of the world. We will all be blessed to have each other. )

-Author unknown

I saw this on the starfish website and it all resonated with me. Check out the Starfish Foster Home blog, it is a great story!

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T18:58:00.004-05:00

I barely remembered it was St. Patrick's Day today. I remember a time when what I would do on St. Patrick's Day was planned weeks before! I did manage to get the boys dressed in green (army green, that OK? Right?) and myself in a green. We had a great Irish dinner at a small pub near our home and as you can see it took everything out of Bryce!

Bryce fell asleep on dad's lap during dinner. St. Patrick's Day was a little to much for him. I hope this is the only time I see my son asleep in an Irish Pub!

We've had a busy few weeks and I am anxiously looking forward to the next set of referrals. We had our fingerprints re done for the third time and hopefully that is the last time! I have the care package all ready that I plan on sending to Lily when we get our referral. I have started buying a few small gifts to bring to the orphanage workers and I am hoping to accomplish a few more packing tasks in the next few months. My plan is to be all ready when we get our referral so I can spend the summer having fun with the boys. After all, this is our LAST summer without Lily! I am really starting to think that referrals should cover at least through the January 10th and that means we are still on track for a July referral. July can not get here soon enough!!

I LOVE COMMENTS!

2008-03-06T14:45:00.002-05:00

First, thank you to those of you who do comment and thanks to the people who just started commenting (mom and dad!). I think I have a few readers out there because I am not the only one visiting the site! I know for certain that a few friends are reading (Aimee, Amy, Denise, Susan, Brittany, my wonderful mother in law!). So come on people, now is the time to make your self known!

Goodbye 2005!

2008-03-03T20:42:00.003-05:00

Referrals for March came out today and they went through January 4th 2006. FINALLY the CCAA has finished referring 2005!! I am so happy that we are now into 2006 and that we have a 1/26/06 LID! The January cutoff is worse than RQ's horrid case by 1 day but I don't think it will affect my predicted July referral. I am already thinking ahead to April referrals and I am really hoping that 1/10/06 receives referrals. January 10th is our agencies next group and I have a few friends from other agencies who will also be expecting referrals. Check out Susan's blog and Hope's blog and in a few short weeks you can share in their excitement!! I am really starting to get excited, hard to believe this is really going to happen for us!!

A Must Read

2008-02-22T17:27:00.002-05:00

What to Expect When Adopting......

While reading a few blogs I read a very helpful article. This artical is from Amy Eldridge, from Love without Boundaries. I think it is important for all waiting parents to read this BUT I also think it is important for our family and friends to read. I hope that you all will read this. Thanks.

What to Expect When You're Expecting (from China)…….A MUST Read for Adopting Parents

Below is a letter from Amy Eldridge, from Love Without Boundaries, addressing the recent adoption disruptions and parental preparedness. If you are reading this, think about posting it on your site - a waiting parent who reads your blog may benefit from it.*****

I have been so saddened by this situation. I most definitely wish there was a way to educate ALL adoptive parents about the truths of institutional care, however I have come to realize in my daily work that there are just as many parents who are not online reading everything they can find on adoption as are.There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of parents out there who have no idea what life is like for a child in an orphanage, and who head overseas to pick up their perfect child only to be handed a baby who is unresponsive, thin, unable to eat….. and on and on and on.While adopting my son last month, I walked several times over to the White Swan to talk to parents, and over and over I spoke with moms and dads who had no clue whatsoever about the issues their kids were having. I heard so many times things like, "she won't eat solid foods" (oral aversion), "she has no muscle tone" (muscle atrophy from lying in a crib all day), "she won't smile" (pure grieving from being taken from her foster mom). I guess since I live China 24/7, I assume everyone adopting does, too, which is not the case.I talked to at least a dozen parents who didn't even know their child's orphanage name, and while I gently said "you might want to memorize that for your child's sake", at the same time I was trying to process how many parents get all the way to China without ever reading about post-institutional issues. It was sobering to me.Babies in the NSN (non special needs) as well as the SN (special needs) path can have issues with attachment, motor skills, emotional issues and more. I think all of us on the WCC (Waiting Children China) list acknowledge that, while also acknowledging that all children (whether bio or not) can have these same issues. Living in an orphanage of course increases the odds.I think the easy out is to say that agencies have to do more, as well as social workers, but I do think that most of them do try to give information to the parents but often parents don't want to hear it or else think it won't happen to them. Again, I am often surprised to talk to parents leaving soon and to realize they are not prepared. One family was adopting from our foster care program, and when I told them that the child was DEEPLY attached to the mom, the father said, "guess she might cry for an hour or so then?" An hour or so? She had been in foster care for over a year! I tried to explain that this little girl was about ready to lose everything she had ever known, and that they should not expect her to be sunny, happy, and full of personality after an hour. I told them to please remember the 72-hour rule.......that after 72 hours they would probably see her spark, but that she would probably grieve for a long time after that as well.I think for many adoptive parents, they just don't want to read the "bad stuff", and so I do think that ultimately it is the parents who are at fault for not doing more to educate themselves. There certainly are books galore out there about post-institutional issues. I equate this to when I was pregnant with my kids and I would read "What to Expect When Expecting", and I would get to the C-section part and always skip it. Each and every time I would jump to the next chapter as "that wasn't going to happen to me". Well, on my fifth baby, when they were rushing me in for an emergency C-section, I sure was wishing I had read that section earlier! But at that point in the OR, while they were strapping my hands down to the table, it was too late, and so I felt complete panic when I could have been prepared. I think adoption from China is very similar to giving birth...it is much more rosy to only read the happy stories on APC, but I now encourage every family I meet to read the harder ones as well, because if you are the family who is handed a child that is limp and listless and who looks autistic, what you have learned in the past will help you make the right decision for your family during those very emotional first few days.I have been called many times in the last few years by parents in China worried about their children. I agree that having a support network to help you through the initial time is essential. Everyone should go to China with at least one phone number of someone they can call if they are panicked upon meeting their new child. I remember feeling so alone when I was handed my daughter and she was so tiny and limp. Because our foundation often helps with the kids who have been disrupted, I am aware that sometimes there are children who have much more serious issues than originally reported…. and that is such a hard thing for a parent to get to China and then discover their child is truly autistic or has serious mental delays. I think everyone on both the China and international side would agree that it is absolutely wrong of an orphanage to not be honest in their reports, and no one would excuse that, but I also know without a doubt that the majority of kids who are disrupted are just suffering from institutional issues and would catch up quickly in a loving home. It is always a very sad day for the orphanage and everyone involved when a child that they know is absolutely fine, but perhaps thin and grieving, is returned by their new parents for being "delayed".I think far too many people believe their child's life is going to begin the moment they meet them. The truth is, and everyone must realize it….. a child's life is going on RIGHT NOW in China, and all of their experiences are shaping who they are. The vast majority of aunties that I have met in China are such kind and caring people, but it absolutely is not the same as having a mom and dad at your beck and call. I have had new parents call and say "we didn't think living in an orphanage would affect her at all", and those statements truly puzzle me. How could they not contemplate life in an orphanage?Walk through Babies R Us and you will see every gadget known to man to make our children's lives here as ideal as possible. Now Americans have two way video monitors, so that when baby awakens not only can mommy see when to immediately rush in and comfort him, but she can talk to baby so that he doesn't even have one single second where he feels alone. How many new parents would have a newborn and then put that baby in a crib 22 hours a day on their own? How many would only feed their baby, even if they were really crying hard, every 8 hours? Or prop the bottle in her crib and then not watch to see if she ever really ate?Of course no one would do that…... we feed newborns on demand, comfort on demand, love continuously…. and whether people want to recognize it or not, that is NOT the life of an orphan in an institution. .….. even when the aunties are as good as gold. I remember one night when I took some volunteers in for the night shift in an orphanage, when normally just a few aunties are working. One mom looked at me with tears in her eyes as she slowly realized that it was absolutely impossible with just two hands to feed every child, to comfort every child, to soothe every baby who was crying. She said her heart was aching to realize that her own daughter most likely had many, many times where she cried without someone to comfort her..... and she told me that for the first time she finally understood why her daughter had such a deep seated fear of being out of her mom's sight.The aunties are trying their absolute best, but that doesn't equal mother/child care. I remember being in an orphanage in the north this past winter and the aunties were so proud of how they had 6-8 layers of clothes and blankets on every baby to keep them warm. They were swaddled so tight that they couldn't move, but it was freezing in the orphanage and so the aunties wanted the babies to stay as warm as possible. What alternative did they have? It really was freezing there…... I was cold in my wool coat, so the babies couldn't be up and about with just 1-2 layers on, with the ability to move their arms and legs. To stay warm they had to be immobile, and so of course all of those kids have weak muscle tone. But the aunties were truly trying their best, and when a parent is given one of those beautiful children on adoption day, I am sure they will go back to their room with concern and say "she can't sit up by herself…. she can't put weight on her legs". That is absolutely the truth, but she also survived 10 degree weather in a very cold province and she will catch up soon enough with parents to encourage her.To not acknowledge that living in orphanage circumstances can cause lower body weights, low muscle tone, inability to make good eye contact is very sad to me. Can it be overcome? Most definitely! The one thing I have learned over and over again about the kids in China is that they are fighters and survivors. But for some reason, people seem to want to ignore these issues in public forums.Recently, one of our medical babies that we had met several times in person was adopted, and we all knew that this child was a "spitfire". When the family arrived and spent a few days with her, they decided she was too much of a handful for them and they wanted to disrupt. She absolutely was not what they expected. When they called their agency, they were told they had two choices: adopt the child, bring her to the US, and change their expectations of what they were hoping for, or adopt the child, bring her to the US and the agency would have a family waiting at the airport to adopt her locally. Option three of leaving the child in China was never once given. I admire that agency so much, as they were thinking of the child and the child alone. The family followed through with the adoption and handed the little girl to a new family upon her arrival in the US. As horrible and tragic and emotional as it was for everyone involved...I still feel this was the right decision for the agency to make. It was done in the absolute best interest of the child, who had waited a long, long time for a family. I wish more agencies would advocate for the rights of the child, instead of always seeming to give in to the parents, especially in those cases when they know with absolute certainty that nothing is permanently wrong with the child. Recently with another disruption, the agency I spoke with told me that it was "easier" to just get the family a new baby.Sometimes easier does not equal right. The first baby who was rejected has now been labeled "mentally challenged" even though the agency knew the child was really going to be okay.I think all of us, who do realize that delays occur and that babies can usually overcome them, should be these children's advocates by continually trying to educate new parents on what to expect in China. By helping them be better prepared, we just might help stop a disruption in the future. I love Chinese adoption with my whole heart, and it is my life's work…. but I also want every family who goes to get their baby to go with their eyes open and to be as emotionally prepared as possible, for the child's sake.

Amy Eldridge, Love Without Boundaries

Welcome Baby Tommy!!!

2008-02-17T08:23:00.003-05:00

Pat's sister, Kate, delivered a beautiful baby boy on Friday night. We are so excited to have a new baby in our family and the boys are excited to be big cousins!! Pat and I were able to meet Tommy yesterday and the boys can't wait to have their turn! Congratulations Kate and Brian!!!

Projections

2008-02-12T20:33:00.001-05:00

This is the little chart that I have been waiting for the past 10 days. This is a projection chart that Rumor Queen puts out every month and I have been waiting to see our LID included. So, according to RQ we are in the horrid case for a July referral. I am liking that! I am thinking there may even be a chance for a June referral. I can honestly deal with a July referral. Shea gets out of school the end of June and a few short weeks later I see my baby's face. I then spend my summer preparing for the arrival of Lily. OK, so this could so not pan out this way and I know it could even be September before a referral but I will deal with that when the times comes. For now I will think optimistically becasue it feels so good!

February Referrals

2008-02-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

February referrals arrived today. The cutoff is December 27th, 8 DAYS! This is so much better than the 3 day batch we had last month. The CCAA is less than one month away from our 1/26/06 LID!!!! I really think this is going to happen for us. At this point it looks like we would receive a referral in the beginning of July, with travel in September. Looking like I will have a picture to stare at on the beach all summer! It is still possible that we could get an earlier referral or a later referral but July is the most likely right now.

With that being said, my heart is still heavy knowing that lots of babies and children are suffering right now in China. Southeastern China is being hit with some of the worst winter weather in recent history. Some of these areas are not accustomed to the snow and bitter cold. The orphanages are running out of heat, diapers and food. Our Lily is quite possibly in one of these orphanages. If you pray, then please say a prayer for all the babies and if you have the means to do so then please consider making a donation to http://halfthesky.org/
Half the Sky is tryng to send money and relief to these orphanages and every dollar counts. Thank you for any support and prayers you can give!

PLEASE HELP

2008-02-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

Friday, February 01, 2008

URGENT NEED OF HELP PLEASE READ

The message below is a letter sent to all members of Half the Sky asking for help. The blog entry is long but we ask that you take the time to read it and help all of the children in China if you can.

Thank you Melissa and Patrick

Hi,this one really hit home. In all likelihood, most of our daughters-to- be (INCLUDING Lily) are experiencing something pretty horrific right now. Please read, and if your financial situation allows, help:

Welfare institutions in south and central China are having the hardest time dealing with the weather disaster. This part of the country is simply not equipped to deal with extreme cold or heavy snow and ice.The most common critical problems are power outages, lack of safe drinking and cooking water, lack of fuel, diapers and public transportation. In many places where buses have stopped running, our Half the Sky nannies havebeen walking hours (in one case, 4 hours) along icy roads to get to the children. As conditions worsen, our nannies and teachers are remaining at the institutions day and night. They have given up the idea of going home to their own families for the holidays. They need quilts. They need warmclothing. They need coal, water, disposable diapers and food.Here are the reports I have thus far, while in-flight. I will send more soon. Where you don't see a report, either all is well or I don't yet have information. I will tell you when we've heard from everyone.We'vealso given all the directors an emergency number to call when/if the situation changes.

Hunan Province –Chenzhou has had no electricity or water for six days. They are relying on coal for heat and cooking. The supermarkets and banks are closed. Staff is using personal money for baby food, diapers, coal and water. Costs are rising due to shortages. They have a natural well which,thankfully, is not frozen. Even the older children are helping to fetch water. They have perhaps six days of food remaining. The local government is overwhelmed by the disaster and is unable to help much.Shaoyang has seen heavy snow every day for 20 days. There is sufficient water and, for the moment, there is power, so the children are warm. However, 5 of 6 power poles have been downed by weather. Only one stands and the institution fears it will fall as well, leaving them without electricity. Much of the rest of the city is already dark. Children and caregivers continue to work and play together. High school students are cramming for exams and trying to ignore the cold. Everyone prays that thepower pole will continue to stand.

Yueyang also has no electricity. The one functioning power generator isbeing used in the children's dormitory. They are relying on coal heat but the price has tripled in recent days. They are running out of food and have applied to the local Bureau of Civil Affairs for funds to buy more. Our HTS nannies have been walking for hours to get to work, often slipping on the ice, "even though they try to be cautious."

Xiangtan has had snow for the past 10 days. The main water pipe is"broken again." There is no water for cooking right now but they do have electricity, coal and blankets. They are still able to buy food butprices have gone way up. Not all of the HTS nannies can get to work every day. They are keeping the programs going as well as they can and makesure that at least five nurturing nannies are there with the babies everyday, along with the institution' s caregivers.

Jiangsu Province –Changzhou has seen some heavy snows but the director reports that the children are fine. The director says that he's doing his best to ensure that the children do not suffer. Public transportation is crippled by the snow and HTS nannies and teachers are waiting for hours to catch a bus for home or even walking home in the snowy dark.

Nanjing reports no problems at all despite the heavy snows. I tried tof ly into Nanjing yesterday but it was not possible.

Anhui Province -Chuzhou has both water and power. Only public transportation has failed.HTS nannies and teachers are walking to work. They are leaving home extra early to be there for the children.

Guangxi Province –Guilin has two broken HTS heater/air conditioners in the Infant Nurture rooms and they've asked us to replace. The rooms are very, very cold.They ask for more soft matting for the floors and also snow boots for ourHTS nannies who've been slipping and falling in the ice and snow as they come to work. They are so ill-equipped to handle severe weather.

Jiangxi Province –Fuzhou lost power for a few days but now it is back to normal. The snowstopped a couple of days ago but now is falling again. The directors and HTS staff have gathered all the children into one big room to keep them warm. They've bought New Years clothes for the children and will have a party no matter how bad the weather. This year, however, the foster parents will stay home to keep the children safe. The institution has enough food and water. They want us to focus on those in more serious trouble and ask us please not to worry.

Jiujiang says they've never faced such bitter weather. They desperately need disposable diapers. Washable diapers cannot be dried. They need warm clothes, shoes, gloves hats quilts and warm mats for the floors.They need medicine for infant coughs and colds. There is no water for bathing. The local community has offered totake children in for the Chinese New Year and the institution feels this may be the best decision to keep them safe.

Huangshi reports that the freeze is so severe that all heater/airconditioners have stopped functioning. They need quilts and warm clothesfor the children. They need disposable diapers. Several HTS nannies have fallen on the ice on their way to work and they need medicine to treat cuts and bruises.

Gathering these reports together makes me think about how careful we have always been at Half the Sky to maintain our focus on nurture and education programs. Ours is not a medical or relief organization. There are many wonderful groups who do that work. Probably the primary reason we've been able to accomplish so much and reach so many children is because we've maintained our focus on our core mission -- providing nurturing care forc hildren who've lost their families..But a moment like this really cannot be ignored. The tragedy of HurricaneKatrina in the US taught us that no matter how wealthy a country mightbe,its vulnerable citizens (old, poor, ill, and orphaned children) are the ones who suffer most when disaster strikes. Even as China seems to be entering the first world, a disaster like this is quite simply crippling.We know that orphaned children will be among those who suffer the damage most. I say this because I think we should break one of Half the Sky's rules and, if there are sufficient funds raised in the Little MouseEmergencyFund, we should offer relief (water, food, diapers, quilts, clothing)toany orphanage where children need help. Let's see how this goes.

If people are as generous as I think they might be, we will work with the provincial Bureaus of Civil Affairs in every hard-hit community, and offer assistance to all welfare institutions where there is need.Please lend a hand, however you can. You can donate to the LittleMouseEmergency Fund by calling us in the US at +;1-510-525-3377 or in Asiaat+852- 2520-5266 or by visiting us at http://www.halfthesky.org. Once there, you can click on "Donate Now"or go to http://www.halfthes ky.org/help/ docs/usdonation- orderform. pdftodownload a form to mail or fax. Donations are tax-deductible in US,Canada and Hong Kong.Please forward this message and tell your friends and familyI will be back with an update very, very soon.

Thank you!JennyJenny BowenExecutive DirectorHalf the Sky Foundationwww.halfthesky.org

2 YEAR LID ANNIVERSARY!

2008-01-26T08:28:00.000-05:00

2 years ago I thought that by January 2008 we would have had Lily home for a year. That is certainly not the case. We still have many months left on this journey and quite a journey it has been! So, 2 years ago China logged our dossier into their system and we have moved through the review room and now we sit somewhere in limbo. We know they have looked at our Dossier and luckily we were asked no questions. Our file is hopefully in the matching room but nobody knows how long it will take for us to be matched to our daughter. Over the past 2 years I have hit my lowest lows but I know that one day I will have my daughter home from China and all 3 of my children will be under one roof. I really hope I will not be celebrating a 3 year LID anniversary, although I know a lot of people who will. I have prepared myself for not getting a referral this summer and that we will be delayed by the 2008 Olympics. Overall, I have come to a "sort of" peace about this wait. I will be forever grateful for the gifts this wait has given me; patience, compassion, new friends, and for truly understanding how blessed I am to have 2 healthy boys! I will be a better mom to Lily than I would of been 2 years ago. Lukcily, I have the pleasure of spending the day at a wedding with some of our best friends so there will be something to celebrate!

Winter vacation

2008-01-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a few days away. We went to Sunday River, in Maine, for a little family vacation. Patrick and myself got on skiis for the first time in 6 years and the boys spent a lot of time in ski school. My legs are still burning, Shea can officially ski and Bryce has no fear of skiing but stills need to learn the whole stopping thing! It was a great 3 days away and I even managed to stay off the computer for most of the time. This was definitely something that would have been much harder to do with a little one with us so it was nice to take advantage of the time we have with just the boys. Shea was a star and by the end of the 3 days he was able to ride a chairlift and ski down the mountain. I was teary eyed watching him come down the mountain. I LOVE to ski and haven't done it in so long and have lots of memories skiing as a kid with my family. It was so hard to believe that MY son was skiing with me! Bryce was a trooper and did well in ski school but still needs to learn the art of stopping. We did take him up the chairlift but getting down was no easy task. Having a 40 pounder between my legs was not easy! Enjoy the pics..

Shea and I at the top of the mountain

Bryce coming down with the help of the instructor.

Here comes Shea.. second from the back.

The Nursery

2008-01-09T18:58:00.000-05:00

I need to blog about something "happy" because rumors in "China adoption world" are just bad, bad, bad!! I will not even get into them right now because nothing has been confirmed true. At the point I am planning for summer 2008 without Lily. Anyways, back to good things. Right before Christmas Pat finished painting the walls and I LOVE the color. I still need curtains, a book case, lamps, and a few other things but we have plenty of time for all of that. So here are the pictures. What do you think??

Getting Uglier

2008-01-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

I found out last week that the cutoff for referrals was December 19th 2005. It has taken me a week to be able to write about this because I could barely talk about it. For the first time in 2 years I had real doubts if we were doing the right thing. Is waiting another 6 - 9 months the right thing? Is Lily in China? After our waiting meeting last night and seeing the "99ers" visit with their girls I was reminded that we really don't have a choice, we have to wait because Lily is in China and we have to bring her home. I KNOW we were meant to parent a child through adoption, I KNOW there is a reason for this journey, I KNOW our daughter will come home to us and our family will be complete. I DON'T know how much longer we will have to wait, I DON'T know what to say to people when they ask "how much longer?", I DON'T know how to survive the rest of this wait without being sad and angry. SO, I need to figure out how to do the last part. I need to figure out how to be a better person during this wait, I need to do this for my boys and for my husband! They deserve a better me. The CCAA is 38 days away from our LID but if they continue with 3 day and 5 day batches per month we are still 6 - 9 months away from our referral. Right where we started 2 years ago. So, looks like I need a new project to keep me busy or even better, a vacation to keep me mind off of the wait!