Guanzhou Social Welfare Institute

So I found some pictures of the Guangzhou SWI that Malia was at from April 2006 until November 2007. Half the Sky (non-profit) helps at this orphange and created the playground and the classrooms. China is also renovating sections of the building which is great.

Referral Acceptance and Happy Chinese New Year

This week has been a blur but it was wonderful. I can't believe that it will be a week tomorrow since I first saw Malia Feng Sha. I turned in my letter of acceptance on Thursday and went out to dinner with friends that all have 2 year old girls from China. I also hosted a Chinese New Year party at my house on Saturday. Thank you to those that made it with the snow and really cold winds. It was a great time and awesome to think Malia will be here next year for the celebration.

Now, I am waiting for acceptances to go back to China so we can get travel approval. The estimated time for travel approval is 2-3 weeks. From there it might be another 3-4 weeks until I travel to CHINA!!!!

I believe in the red thread.....

I don't know how it is possible that this little girl is so perfect for me. Not only was she born on Christmas day, which is the ultimate holiday in my family but her personality is such a match.

• She loves watching singing and dancing shows on TV (OK, we can watch American Idol and Dancing with the Star together).
• She is quiet and fairly introverted but she adjusts well to strangers and new environments
• Her favorite place is to play outdoors and if she is upset you can calm her by going outside (glad we are coming home in the spring)
• She is speaking one to two syllable words (oh, oh - better practice my Chinese)
• She has 16 teeth but loves candies (better think about the dentist appointment)
• She goes by the name Feng Sha (so this will be her middle name)

I just had the pediatrician appointment and everything looks really good. She even typed in all of Malia's measurements over the past two years and printed off height and weight growth charts for me. It was so neat to see how she progressed over this time.

Thank you to everyone for the kind words and support. This is an awesome journey and I love that you are all in it with me.

It's a Girl!!!

It’s a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Name: Li Feng Sha
Bday: 12/25/05 (Christmas baby)
Province: Guangdong
She is in foster care.

Height: 31.5 in
Weight: 23.8 lbs

Stork Update...

So it looks like it might be Friday or Monday.... What a roller coaster ride but I know it will not be coming today but it is so close!

More coming....

Stork Alert????

From what I am hearing, the referrals might be on their way here and I should be in it!!!!!!

Oh my God!!!!!

More rumors... still including 12/22 for this month...

So here is the latest from the Rumor Queen.

Still hearing that the 22nd will be included.
Just to be clear, this rumor is not that the cut off is the 22nd, this rumor is that the 22nd will be included.
We’re still at the R2 level

I know most of you may not be familiar with the ratings. So here is quick summary.
R1 - A rumor that is very, very suspect
R2 - A rumor to keep an eye on
R3 - A rumor we feel good about as accurate
R4 - A very, very, very reliable rumor.

We want to see this hit an R3 and find out when they might be coming. I am continuing to work on projects this weekend so I will be really ready for the call if it comes next week. My prediction is Tuesday or Wednesday because I am in all day classes at work those days. My agency was checking that all of my paperwork was ready so I take that also as a good sign that it might happen soon.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed. It seems like it might be working. I believe.... I believe....

Referral Rumors Starting!!!

The referral rumors for this months are starting and I like the sound of this one. One agency said that 12/22 would be getting referrals this month (that would be my date). However, since this is only one agency and it is still a little early in the month, I am not counting on it yet. It would be great if they can get thru 12/22 but it would be even better if they could go farther for the people that are behind me in this wait.

Continue to keep your fingers crossed. It might actually work!!

P.S. I had another dream last night about getting "the call" for my referral.

Rumors on next set of referrals

It is still unclear whether I will be included in the next set of referrals or not since 12/20 is so big. But here is the information on when we might see the next update.

"The soonest I’d expect to see them this month is Friday, January 25 and the latest is Monday, February 4. The most likely arrival based on the numbers would be Thursday, January 31."

I am so excited that I should finally see Malia in February (hopeful) or March (at the worst). YEA!!! KEEP YOUR FINGERS, TOES, ETC CROSSED!!!

For my birthday?

Referrals came over the New Years holiday and they did 5 days (12/15 - 12/19). This means that we need them to match 3 days for February. In theory this should be no problem; however, 12/20 has a ton of families. Please, please, please.... let them match 3 days during this month. I think this means that I will get a referral early February (just in time for my birthday). But, even if it is not February, the longest it could be would be March.

As for other updates, Christmas was good. It was so weird to think that next year I will be celebrating Christmas with Malia!!! I spent time with family and friends. Even though it snowed a lot, I still was able to have fun. New Years was also a nice time. I watched some movies with my parents and we welcomed 2008. I just know that 2008 will be special because I will be getting my referral, I will finally see Malia's face and learn about her personality. I am so looking forward to going to China and meeting/holding my daughter for the first time. I hope everyone also has a great 2008!

Next week???

It is rumored that the next set of referrals may be coming next week. I need everyone to wish and pray really hard that 12/22 is included this month. I know they can match 8 days... the question is will they? I will keep you posted!

P.S. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

2 years ago today...

So it was exactly two years ago today that China officially logged my paperwork into their system and the clock started. I am having fun with the Christmas season knowing that next year I will be celebrating it with Malia. Also, just this morning I received my finished 100 wishes quilt for Malia and it is gorgeous. My grandma Betty and her friends in Arizona assembled it for me and I can't believe how wonderful it turned out. They also surprised me and made two pillow cases that match it. Later today I am also celebrating Christmas with my friends I have know since childhood. Finally, my sister, brother in law, and new baby Jude are coming in from Chicago to celebrate Christmas. I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!!

....maybe January...

So I have heard more from my agency and others that are waiting with similar log in dates and it seems like January is pretty possible. According to my agency "The month prior, the CCAA was able to match 8 days of LIDs. What this means for you is that since your LID is 8 days out from 12/14, you have a good chance of being referred in January, though it is also possible you won't be matched until February. I've got my fingers crossed for January though!".

Hey, I will take a good chance for January!!!

Here is a new pictures of Jude.

Well, still waiting for Malia....

So they just updated the CCAA website a couple minutes ago and only matched 12/9 - 12/14. This still leaves me 8 days out log in date from my referral of Malia. It is hard to be so close and yet so far from seeing her face for the first time. I really hope they can still match me with Malia for January but it is going to be hard to know for sure at this point. I continue to do my best to enjoy the holidays knowing that shortly I will be with my daughter forever.

On a happier note, my sister gave birth to her son, Jude Christopher Hall, on November 21st. He was about a month early but they are both doing well. I lucked out and was already planning to be in Chicago with her for Thanksgiving so I was one of the first people to see him and hold him. He is a wonderful baby and made me realize how badly I am looking forward to being a mother. I can't wait for the moment when my life will change forever. Congratulations to the Hall family and their new addition!!!

In November, I also had my neighbors and friends shower. It was a ton of fun and I can't believe how everyone is so excited to see Malia. Thank you again for Donna and Betsy for hosting such a great event. Every little detail was perfect. They did a Nursery Book theme where everyone brought one of their favorite books for Malia. It will be so cool to read these books to Malia someday and be able to tell her who bought her each book while I was waiting.

My friend, Elizabeth, is also in China to get her daughter, Taylan. They return tomorrow and I will be going to the airport to welcome them home. It is so exciting to see more parents and children united forever. Elizabeth and Taylan - my best wishes go out to both of you!

I hope you all have a special, memorable Christmas. I can't wait until next year when my family will be complete. It is a great feeling to know that this isn't a dream and that my future is within reach. Always reach and work towards what you want out of life....

Getting Closer...

So it seems like this wait has been never ending but I am starting to feel like it will soon end. The November batch of referral covered 8 days so I am 14 log in days out yet. I think it looks like I should get a referral for January. It would be a wonderful New Years gift.

As for other events it was fun celebrating Halloween with my brother, sister in law, and nephew. Garrett was a really cute Donald Duck. I had to dress up as Mickey to surprise him since he did so well at Disney World this summer. Unfortunately I think I confused him versus making him happy. At least I didn't scare him :)

I also visited my sister and brother in law in Chicago and we had a great weekend shopping and enjoying the nice fall weather.

Elizabeth, the single mom who got her referral in October, got her travel approval and consulate date so she will be going to China in a couple weeks to get her daughter, Taylan. I am so excited to see this happen for her since we have waited about the same amount of time. I went to her shower a couple weeks ago and it is exciting to see everything happening.

I am looking forward to my sisters baby which is due December 12th. We also found out my sister in law is having a girl this time and she is due in March. It will be so much fun this summer with the little kids around. Thank you to everyone for your support during the wait and I can't wait to share my good news soon. I will keep you posted!!!

Fall is here...

So fall is here, again, and I am still waiting. Referrals came today and my friend Elizabeth got matched to her daughter. They will hopefully be together by her daughters first birthday in November. So the official site was not updated due to CCAA being out for the Fall Festival this week. It appears that they matched at least through the end of November 2005 but we are unsure if they matched anyone between Dec 1-4 or not. We will have to wait until they come back and update their site to know for sure. This means that I am either 22 or 18 paperwork days away. I am currently thinking this leads to a referral in December or maybe January. Only time, and CCAA, will tell when I will finally see my daughter.

As for how I am spending my time during the wait, September was busy. As I last posted, I went to Disney (I know... again) and I had my first shower (see pictures). I also helped host a shower for my sister and all of our grandparents were in town. She is due December 11th with her first child. I attended some China events with our group, including dinner out for the Moon Festival on Sept. 25th. I saw movies and went to a Wild hockey game (sorry Susie but we beat Chicago 5-2). Thanks again for the support while I am waiting and CONGRATULATIONS to Elizabeth and her daughter Taylan!!

The roller coaster....

So, the new analogy for the adoption is the roller coaster. The ups when you think that they will finally start going faster and the dips when they don't make as much progress as you think. This month was a dip for referrals. They only matched 4 days of paperwork for the entire month!!!~!!!@@!!! You have to keep in mind that they used to match a month for a month and then a half month for a month so that is why 4 days is so frustrating. They are now through Nov. 25th, 2005 so they are 27 days away from my paperwork date. It is really hard to say what impact this will have on me getting my referral before Christmas so we will all have to keep praying and see what happens. I figure it should be time for an up month so here is hoping that October is better.

As for other news, I just got back from Disney World with my parents, and my brother and his family. It was so cool to see Disney through the eyes of a little kid. Garrett had a blast. Also, I had my first baby shower and it was wonderful how nice everything was. The decorations and everything was coordinated so well and the gifts were perfect to get ready for Malia. It was a ladybug and China theme (the ladybug is an adoption sign of referrals coming).

Well, that is it for now. I will keep everyone posted as we hope to see Malia's face by Christmas (.... this year.... ha, ha...).

My wish....

OK, this past month has been really strange. I kind of came to terms with the extra wait and went on a trip to New York around the 4th of July and booked a flight to go to Florida with my brother, sister in law, and nephew for September. Now today they matched the next set of people and they are done through 11/21/05. That means they have one month of paperwork to match before me. SO CLOSE!!!! I am now 95% sure that I will have my referral/picture of Malia by Christmas.

On that note, I had a dream Wednesday night and I had to jot down my thoughts (in the dark at 2 a.m.). Here is a draft of what popped in my head at the time as my wish for my future daughter, Malia.

My wish for you...

May you experience happiness, laughter, giggles, and love.

But when you experience sadness, I will dry your eyes.

When you experience fear, I will comfort you.

When you experience pain, I will protect you.

My wish for you my daughter is that you have a wonderful, happy, and fulfilled life.

OK, it might be a little sappy but what can I say when I came up with it in the middle of the night.

Other news: My sister and brother in law, who are expecting their first child in December, just found out that she is having a boy (see the cute ultrasound picture). And we found out this month that my brother and sister in law are expecting their second child in March (almost on the same date as Garrett, their first child, was born). Congratulations to both families. We keep telling my parents (well my mom) to be careful when she wished for grandkids. We will have a full house this time next year!

P.S. There was also the obsession with Harry Potter in July. Not only did I see the new movie twice. I also finished the last book in a week... I will not disclose the ending, but it is well worth reading!

Summer is here!!!

Well, June is almost over and the next batch of referrals should be arriving in the next week or so. We had a big Q&A session at the agency a couple weeks ago and they warned that the slow down may last for awhile yet and are preparing new families for a 2 1/2 year wait. I called them to discuss what they thought for when I would get a referral and they are guessing 5-7 months (remember this is just a guess). So, I continue to have fun during the wait and leave for a vacation to New York on Wednesday. It should be a lot of fun. I also went to a picnic with the China Singles group at Tracy's house and have attached some pictures. Other than that it will be more pool time since the weather has been cooperating. I hope everyone has a safe and fabulous summer.

I can't believe it is June!!!

Well, May seemed to fly by. Me and my family all did the walk for the cure on Mother's Day to support breast cancer research. It turned out as a nice day for everyone and a great way to spend the time with my mom. I also hosted the China single mom's group at my house and those of us waiting for our daughters were able to get our kid fix. I got the pictures hung in the nursery and it is really coming together. I am also starting to think about the registry. Another update is that my friend had her son who is extremely premature. We all continue to pray for Elijah and his parents (Renee and Cliff) to stay strong and think of him every day. On that note, the biggest news is that my sister, Susie, and her husband Ryan are expecting their first child. She just made it through her first trimester and is due in early December. A big congratulations to the Hall family and I can't wait to find out if she is having a girl or a boy. I think those are the major updates for May. I can't close without an update on the wait. We thought it might be a big month finally but it looks like they may have only matched 6 days (Nov. 2 - Nov 7, 2005). With this kind of update, I give up predicting when Malia and I will be together. The only thing keeping me sane is knowing we will be together and I just need to wait for my turn.

16 months and yes, still counting

The new referrals will be coming this week and CCAA did matching only for people from Oct 27, 2005 - November 1, 2005. That means I still have a ways to go but at least I can now say that they are working on November applications (mine is 12/22/05). In the meantime, I am trying to continue to stay busy. I have been to a couple movies, enjoy dinners out, and always shopping. For Easter we took a trip to Chicago to spend the holiday with my sister and brother in law. It was a lot of fun and we were lucky enough to get last minute tickets to see Wicked. It was an awesome show and we had seats all the way up front but to one side. You could see all of their emotions and facial expressions. As for the wait for Malia, maybe God is just trying to make sure we don't have to travel to China in the heat of the summer. 100+ degrees plus add in major humidity... Yuk! My best guess at this time is that I will receive a referral in the fall and travel hopefully before the holidays. More updates next month (and lets all pray for a bigger batch of referrals that time)!!!

Walk for the Cure - Mother's Day

I am going to do the Race for the Cure 5K walk on Mother's Day this year. If you are interested in donating, you can follow the link: http://www.active.com/donate/komentc07/MAnders71

Spring is here!!!!

It is almost April and the snow has almost all melted (except the plow piles). It was another quiet month unless you count the back to back snow storms a couple weeks ago (hence the snow piles). I am continuing to try and learn Mandarin but it is a really hard language to learn. Yesterday was exciting. I went to travel orientation at my travel agency with my parents and it makes it more real that we will be traveling this fall to get Malia. Today was also a lot of fun. It is Garrett's first birthday (my nephew/godson). I have attached a couple pictures.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Well, I survived another month during the wait, another birthday, and we have crossed in the "Year of the Pig" according to the Chinese calendar. As I feel that I am getting closer to Malia, I have renewed my efforts to finish projects, including the inside of the dollhouse and her room (see pictures of both above). This month, I also found out a friend is pregnant and is due in August. I guess we are now both pregnant together, in a manner of speaking (ha, ha, ha...). Next month continues to look busy so hopefully that means that the wait will be easier to take. I also hope we start to get nice weather, especially after the foot of snow this weekend:)

Welcome 2007!!!

The new update is that CCAA is completed matching children to families that sent paperwork up until 10/13/05 (and mine is 12/22/05). They have been matching around 2 - 2 1/2 weeks of paperwork each month. At this pace (as long as it doesn't slow down), I am estimating that I will get a referral in June or July. As for January updates, it was pretty quiet again. However, I have had some events with other singles that are adopting. We went to a China exhibit at Minneapolis Institute of Arts and recently had a brunch with a couple friends from the adoption group (see pictures of their children). Now the plan is to spend the next couple months getting organized and complete the nursery, work on house projects, etc. I will keep you posted on progress. Enjoy the Chinese New Year which starts on February 18th.

Christmas Arizona Trip

I got the chance to visit my grandparents for Christmas this year. I went with my parents and grandma and we went to Arizona. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Well, I was hoping to be able to post more information on the wait but the CCAA (China Center of Adoptive Affairs) is still working on the referrals for December. Even with the wait I still had a nice Christmas with family and friends. In December the CCAA announced that starting in May 2007 they will no longer accept single applications for adoption in China. Therefore I consider myself fortunate that I started the process when I did and got my paperwork to China. I continue to use the extra time to have some fun and prepare for Malia. Also, in December I had other single friends bring their daughters home. It helps to know that it does happen. I wish everyone the best in 2007!!!

November Update

Well, it has been a quiet month. The China Center of Adoptive Affairs is done matching kids with families that sent paperwork up thru Sept 8th of 2005 (and my paperwork was received Dec. 22, 2005). This means there is still a long wait. Based on their progress, I would guess I will get Malia's picture in June or July.

As for November, I have other single friends that either got their daughter home or the picture of their daughter. It is fun to see the girls and know that my turn will come. I also received some neat gifts (from Grandma Bev, Tracy (adoptive mom), and my adoption group secret pal).




























Finally, I have been practicing my baby skills watching Garrett.

10 months and still counting...

Well, it has been more than 10 months since China logged in my application. Even though I still don't have a referral, at least my application was officially approved. The past month has been busy. My INS fingerprints expired so I had to get them redone and was yelled at again since my fingerprints are apparently wearing off. My first set was declined and when they did the second set they also had me sign a sworn agreement stating that I am not a criminal. I also had the bachelorette party and wedding for my friend Renee, and the wedding for my cousin, Don. Now that the holidays are approaching, I am hoping the wait seems to move faster. In the meantime, I will try to keep busy and keep optimistic. Thanks again for the support and good wishes.

Officially Approved!!!

Well, I am now finally officially approved to adopt per the China Center of Adoptive Affairs. This is a big step and one closer to Malia. This month has been busy, busy, busy. Work is going well with my new role but as we get close to our date to turn over documentation to IT is has been crazy. As for my personal life, it is also on the go. This month has been wedding showers (for a friend and Amber (future cousin in law)). I started a tap dance class through community ed to keep active and to make the wait time go faster. There were also the birthdays for my brother in law and sister in law. As busy as September was, October seems on track to be just as much fun with the upcoming bachelorette party, two weddings, and other events. This year is sure flying by which is great until Malia is here with me. I hope everyone is doing well and thank you for the prayers to get Malia home sooner rather than later.

Summer's almost over.....

So much for the quiet summer. We found out this month that my mom has breast cancer. On Thursday she had the surgery and everything went well. We even were able to go to the State Fair for a couple hours on Saturday. On another note, I recently got a promotion at work and the extra money will be nice. As for the wait time for Malia, it continues to increase. Right now they are at a 14 month wait from log in date to referral but they expect the wait to continue to increase before it gets better. I have switched my mind to a June or July referral next year at this point. Oh well, nothing I can do to change it and it is more time to prepare for her arrival. My friend Tracy is in China right now to adopt her daughter so I know it will eventually happen. Let's just enjoy the upcoming fall weather!

Happy July

Well, things have really quieted down in July (personally and with the adoption). The wait time to get Malia's picture has extended to 13 months from 12/22/05 (my log in date with China). Therefore, I took advantage of the time and took a vacation to Florida/Disney World. I heard that Mickey missed me and wanted me to visit, again! It was a nice trip with my parents and Susie (my sister) also joined us. Weather basically cooperated (except one day with 10+ hours of rain straight). Now, I am tearing apart the house to baby proof and upgrade. The current project to JUST put a wall around an existing railing seemed simple until we started it. It was a lot of work but all that is basically left now is to paint. Next, I will have new carpet installed in August for 75% of the upstairs area (living room, dining room, hall, and stairs). I can't believe it has been almost one year since my home study was approved by my adoption agency so I guess I can wait longer to still received the picture of Maila. Here's hoping this fall goes as quickly as this summer has been passing (It is August next week!!!!).

First Day of Summer

Well it was the first day of summer on Wednesday and I have passed another month of waiting. I finished Chinese II and am enjoying have some more free time. I will start back up in the Fall with the intent to actually practice more outside of class this time :) I am taking the time to continue to prepare for life with a child and decided to trade in the Mini Cooper for a more reliable family car. I got the Toyota Corolla about 2 weeks ago and love it. Also, I took a road trip to Chicago with my parents last weekend to visit Susie and Ryan. We had fun and celebrated Father's Day and my mom's birthday. Thanks to the people who have started to send quilt squares. They are so much fun to receive and I can't wait to see the quilt all put together. Finally, the wait to referral is still around 12 months and may get longer in the coming months. Only time will tell when we will all see a picture of Malia but in the meantime I hope everyone enjoys the summer!!!

May Update

The wait continues to be around 12 months now for referral and I am now 5 months into the wait. My agency gave an update and they are unsure what will happen with the wait time over the next several months. The key right now is to keep busy since I can't control the wait time. I had the baptism for Garrett and I got to be godmother with Amy's aunt. Also, my goddaughter & cousin Rebecca had her confirmation and got her drivers license. Finally, my friend Valerie had a new baby girl Gabrielle. On top of all that, I have been still taking Chinese class, going to dinner with the waiting family group, and enjoying all the other stuff that might be harder to do once my daughter would be home. Thanks to everyone for the continued prayers during this difficult waiting time.

Keeping Busy

Well, it is hard to believe that it is almost May. Four months have passed since my paperwork was received in China. The wait time is still 10-12 months to get the referral. At this point I am praying that I know who my daughter will be by Christmas. At lot can change over the next couple months (faster, slower, or the same). In the meantime, I have been keeping busy with various activities. I am now in Chinese II class and it is still a really hard language to learn. Also, I have been in a secret plan exchange with other December waiting families. Below is a picture of the cute outfit I received in April. I just went to the Lucy Kaplansky concert last night. Her Red Thread CD is wonderful and she told many stories about her daughter and the adoption. The wait continues for Malia but each month I know I am one step closer to her.

I am an aunt...

I am now an aunt and I can enjoy the baby while waiting for my own child to be here. Garrett William Anderson was born Saturday at 8:18 pm. He is 7 pounds 11 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long. He is beautiful and I am so happy to finally see him. Here are pictures of the new addition to the Anderson family. Also, here is the link to Garrett's blog (http://baby-garrett.blogspot.com/)

Congratulations Jeff and Amy!!!

Three and counting

It has now been three months and no sign of the wait time decreasing. I guess there were a large amount of people who sent their paperwork May and June of last year and that volume is slowing down the normal process. My agency is still saying to expect a 9-10 month wait to be matched to my future child. So, I continue to find ways to pass the time and learn the value of patience.

Here are a couple pictures of the nursery. I am still working on it but it is looking pretty fun so far.

Two months down...

Well it has been two months since the China office officially logged in my paperwork and the wait continues. According to my agency the current wait time between log in date and referral continues to be 9-10 months. I still hope and pray that it speeds back up this spring but either way every day is one closer to seeing my daughters picture. Now that I am soon going to be an aunt I can look forward to seeing a new baby. I am also using the wait time to read books, set up the nursery, and other fun activities. Here's hoping that there is great news to report in March.

Dollhouse

The dollhouse is finally completed. This was a long project but I think the end result was worth it. I will be so happy to tell my daughter that I made this for her while I was waiting. The exterior and the interior walls are even painted. Next I need to add flooring inside, with assistance from my dad. Also, my parents found the dollhouse furniture I had growing up so I am going to fix it up some and use it in this dollhouse for another cool memory.