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.

Chun Jie Kuai Le (Happy Spring Festival)

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Yesterday was the kick-off for the 15 day celebration for the Spring Festival. I celebrated with my family by attending the CAAM Chinese Dance Show. I was fun seeing the event and emotional thinking that by this time next year I will be home with my daughter.

As for other updates, I just started taking a Chinese language class. Right now it seems like a difficult language to learn. The pronunciation is important since many words can sound alike. I think I know about 5 sayings right now but at least need to know the basics like hungry, thirsty, tired, bathroom, and of course, shopping.

The latest information on the wait time for the referral is 9-10 from my agency. However, the last group was closer to the 9 months. If they stayed at this pace then I would be hoping for a referral in September. Keep in mind that over the last year the wait time has increased and decreased so we won't know for sure until we are a little closer.

Well, I want to wish everyone a happy new year and good luck in the months ahead!

One step closer....

Well as I was taking a couple days off at Christmas to spend with my family, the CCAA was busy getting my dossier logged in. My offical log in date is 12/22/05. This means we now know the date to start the count down. The hard part is that the count down timeframe keeps changing. Right now the referrals have been received about 8-9 months after the log in date (versus 5-7 months in the past). This means I would be receiving my referral around August or September and would travel to China in October or November. I think we are pretty safe saying that Malia would be home for the holidays next year, but hopefully she is home in time for a couple fall weddings. I will keep you posted as we approach the Review Room next.

Memory for DTC Date

OK, I broke down and had to go shopping for a special item to remember my DTC date. I found this cute picture frame ornament from Pottery Barn Kids that says Mom and Me. I figure that I can add a picture of us each year to remember how exciting this day was.

Great News!!!!

I received notice that my dossier is on its way to China as of the end of the day Tuesday, 12/6 (St. Nicholas Day). See below for information on the key steps that occur after this. I have been hoping that this would happen before Christmas and now its true. Thanks again for everyone's support and good wishes as I go through this process. The next step is to wait for my log in date.

Key Steps

DTC = Dossier to China .....Sent 12/6/05
This is the date that my paperwork goes to China for processing.

LID = Log in Date .....Completed 12/22/05
This date is when my dossier is formally received by the CCAA (China Center for Adoptive Affairs). This typically is one month after the DTC; however, some groups never officially receive this date.

Review Room
At this point the CCAA reviews my dossier. They may request additional information at this time.

Matching Room
After all of the CCAA questions are answered, then my dossier moves to the matching room. This is a very special step in the process because this is where they match me and my daughter together.

Referral Day
Yeah!!! This is when I will get the call from the agency that my referral has been received by their office. Over the phone you typically receive some basic information (i.e. name, age, and province). the agency then needs to get the file translated and will set up time for me to go into the office to review all of the available information, including pictures and medical reports. FYI - The typical wait time between DTC and Referral is 5-7 months but can be as long as 10 months.

Travel Approval/Date
Now is crunch time to prepare for travel, book the flights and other travel arrangements, and PACK! I am worried that I will not be under the weight limit for my luggage so this might take awhile.

GOTCHA DAY!!!
Gotcha day is the most important in the process. This is the first dat that I will be united with my daughter finally. This usually occurs the first day in China, excluding if we arrive early for sight seeing and to get used to the time difference. I will be in China for 2 weeks to complete the adoption process.

Welcome!

This site has been set up to keep you updated as I progress through the adoption process and finally bring home my daughter, Malia. There have already been some ups and downs but any wonderful is worth waiting for.

According to Chinese proverb, an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break.

I will be adding more information over time so please keep checking back. Thanks for being part of this journey with me!