Mairzy doats and dozy doats

The winds of change are a blowin'

2011-07-02T19:40:00.003-05:00

June was a very crazy month.

Jennifer turned 41. It was my first father's day. My mom came to visit. Ella turned 2. And, Gannett eliminated my position at the paper.

Life changes, and changes fast which is even more of a reason to stop and smell the roses.

Ella seems to just grow and grow. Not only in size but in maturity also. This past month or so, she has just been more fun than normal. She is very giddy, smiley and giggly.

My mom flew in for Ella's birthday, which Ella was so excited about. She talks about mamaw a lot. On her actual birthday, we went to Potters Park Zoo in the morning. Came home, ate lunch and then Ella went down for a nap. Once she woke, that's when we opened her presents. She got a bicycle, dollhouse, sand/water table, a recliner and so much more. Jenn had decorated the house with balloons and Ella LOVED them.

Here are some pictures from her day:

Yesterday, Ella's school (EC3) had a little parade for the 100+ kids for the Fourth of July. Ella waived the American flag the entire time around the block. It was hilarious.

Today, we went to Saugatuck before Mamaw leaves for home. We enjoyed the ArtFest and walking around downtown. After that, we went to Oval Beach where Ella had a BLAST in the sand and water. She didn't want to get out! Jennifer said, and I quote, "I think Ella needs to live somewhere on the water." So, I am putting it in writing for when I want to buy a house on a lake or something so she will never forget!

Below are some photos from the past month!

Off topic and full of accomplishments...

2011-05-30T17:11:00.007-05:00

Wow! Has it really been more than two months since we posted?

We have been extremely busy, but I'm not exactly sure what we've been busy doing. Life happens, I guess.

This blog has, mostly, been about Ella and our experience during the adoption process. From time to time, however, we have veered away from the original subject. So, today we will veer a little off the beaten path but, I promise, we will retun.

May will forever go down as one of my least favorite months... As most of you know, Larry had a profound influence on my life. He entered Kevin's world when I was seven. This past week was the year anniversary of his death. For the first year, I have gone through the sadness phase. I think I'm entering the anger phase now. I really don't understand why as there isn't anything I can do about it. But I am. I am angry.

At his death bed I was able to tell him everything he meant to me. Everything. One for not being sentimental, that made him uncomfortable. But I didn't care. It was about him realizing the type of man he was. The role model. The mentor. The father. The man.

What I am so angry about right now is the fact that he never met Ella. He isn't here to take her to Indiana Beach. He isn't here to take her boating. He isn't here to mess up her hair. He isn't here to teach her to ski. He just isn't here.

Knowing him, though, he probably did meet Ella. He is probably the one that helped bring the most wonderful gift anyone could ever bring to me. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Okay, enough of that. Let's return to our regularly scheduled subject...

Ella continues to amaze. The biggest question I get is about her speech. Does she understand English? Does she speak? Well, you are all invited to spend 10 minutes in our home and you will quickly understand why I just said that. Today, in fact, I was screaming inside my head... "shut up. Shut Up. SHUT UP!" she just never stops talking. NEVER! Yes, I'm grateful. No, I'm not complaining. But Lordy! Did my mother feel like this with me? Surely not.

She is combining words... mostly three and four word sentences. I'm sure most of it is due to her voracious appetite for books. She just LOVES to read.

She is running now and learning to hop. Really? You have to learn to hop? Yep!

Ella graduated from Early On last month. She no longer needs their services. Which is fantastic! They are just amazed at her progress. Need I remind everyone? She's a genius.

But she is screaming... a lot! It's quite annoying.

She knows her animals and their sounds. But when you ask her what daddy says... she responds with "I love you."

She knows all the parts of her body.

She says yes to everything, except food.

She mostly knows her ABCs, can count to ten and picks out colors.

She better! That Harvard tuition is nearly $60k per year! She sure is going to need a scholarship, though.

Jennifer and I did the thing we said we would never do... So never say never. We bought a mini van. I'm sure Larry is up there laughing his ass off screaming 'I told you so.'

Below are some photos over the past two months.

Be kind. Be safe.

Ella, the toddler years...

2011-03-13T15:58:00.002-05:00

Ella is officially a toddler and challenging her parents every day. Regardless, it's still fun.

She loves to throw things out and wipe up the messes she makes. Seriously, any piece of lint she finds, she will throw them out. Yesterday, we found her taking tissues out of the Kleenex box and throwing them away one-by-one. The Kleenex box has officially been put up.

Related, she is completely loving the trash and where it is. Putting things in; pulling things out. A lock has been installed.

She is really trying to find her boundaries... which are very close together. She is saying "No" a lot now, which, I can only assume, is because that's the word she hears the most! HA!

Jenn purchased those wonderfully delicious Robin Eggs and we weren't going to allow Ella to have any due to choking hazzards... however, Ella found them and ate two of them before we knew what she was up to. After we moved the basket, she found it on the desk in the office, stood up and took it down so she could have ANOTHER one.

I was giving her a bath the other night and she stood up and took the wash cloth from me and began washing her private, personal parts. When I asked Jennifer if she had taught her that... Jenn said "No."

She is the nosiest little sprout I've ever known. I remember when Ryan/Emily visited us when we lived in Freeport... they had to be around 5 and 3... anyway, they went through the entire house and looked in every drawer/room/closet. Ella is worse... she pulls everything out and asks what it is and then repeats it before she's satisfied. Of course, she's only 20 months.

She just wants to do what she wants to do in the time that she wants to do it in... sound familiar, mom? ha ha

But nowadays, she is just changing so fast... there are times when we look at her now and compare to last week and she is just learning so fast! We love watching her develop and grow and learn and...

Below are a couple of videos we shot today... one of her making animal noises and the other is of her with her Froggy, aka "soggy".

Enjoy!

Iwuvu... funny stories...

2011-03-06T18:49:00.002-06:00

It's been a month since we last updated and it seems like so much has happened.

The most wonderful thing is that she now says "I love you", or "Iwuvu". That just melts our heart.

Here are a few funny stories...

- One night after work/school, Jenn and I were in the living room playing with Ella and we started singing the Hokey Pokey. When we got to the part about "turn yourself around", Ella started, well, turning herself around. We had no idea, but it was hilarious.

- She got into her first scuffle with a boy at school. Apparently, she was on her favorite rocking toy and he wanted on it. So, he grabbed her nose and she just sat there and looked at him, planted her feet and just stood her ground. Then the teacher pulled her off to see if she was okay and she just started sobbing because she didn't do anything wrong.

- One morning Ella pointed her purple ball and grunted. Jenn asked her what it is she wanted and she replied with "ball" and then signed "please". She is a very considerate little girl (when she wants to be).

- Ella received a sippy cup from a friend and it has Ella's name on it. The other day she pointed to it and said "E-L-L-A Ella". She's a freaking genius. And, no we didn't prompt her.

- Ella had her first snow dive! Daycare had taken the kids out for a buggy ride and when they got stuck in the snow, Ella went face-first into the snow. She was not happy.

Aside from the funny stories, she did have her first emergency room visit. I stayed home with her one day as she was sick and had a high grade fever, which spiked very high around 4:55 p.m. Jennifer and I ended up taking her to the local hospital and learned there was a pediatric ER. VERY NICE! We were out by 7 p.m. and the diagnosis was pink eye and nervous parents. She is all better now.

Ella is also walking now. She still crawls, but the majority of the time she is walking. It's hilarious. Check out the video below:

Our sixth month post-placement visit was two Mondays ago. We drove to Grand Rapids after a snow storm to meet with our Michigan social worker. We had to provide 16 photos of Ella. They could not be photos of Ella by herself and must be labeled on both sides. Our visit went just fine as Jennifer did all the prep work to save us time. (Yes, she is THAT organized!)

That Friday, Jennifer and I took Ella to daycare and then we had a date day... we even saw a movie! It was very nice to "play hookie" from parenting for a few hours.

Ella has really begun to love the outdoors. She loves riding in her red wagon and get some fresh air. We just cannot wait for this weather to break! At daycare, the teachers take them out for a few minutes every day. She, apparently, laughs every time the buggy gets stuck in the snow... except for when she does the face dive.

The biggest downfall as a parent right now is the fact that Ella is ALWAYS sick. It's like she gets over one cold and then the next one is right there. It is so annoying. Everyone tells us it's normal, but we are hopeful that when the weather breaks, so will the colds. If this isn't true, just lie to us and tell us it is.

Love to all...

新年快樂 Happy New Year!

2011-02-06T12:15:00.003-06:00

It's the year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar. TheHolidaySpot.com says this will be a "temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances."

I like that!!!

We celebrated yesterday at our first Chinese New Year with FCC Lansing. Ella had a ball, and as you will see in the photos below, she was all decked out! She was so excited and got to see dragons and rabbits and eat all sorts of Chinese fare.

Ella's daycare celebrated the New Year on Friday with decorations, red envelopes and cake. The teachers were teaching the kids how to say "Happy New Year" and talked about Rabbits a lot.

Below are many photos... Enjoy!

Ella is a gift, mostly to us!

2011-01-29T10:22:00.003-06:00

It's been a month since our last post and so much has happened!

We flew to Florida to visit my family and had a great time. The weather in Fort Myers was absolutely perfect... mid-70s every day! In fact the only day with bad weather was the day we left!

Ella had a wonderful time and did especially well on the flights. She even earned her first set of wings! The flight attendants loved her and visited her throughout the flight to see what she was up to. She slept most of the flights, though. It was WONDERFUL!

New Year's Eve brought most of our family together. Ella got to meet several cousins and see her aunts and uncles again. It was fun to see everyone and Ella especially loved playing with her little cousins.

On New Year's Day, Mark, Ryan and I went to Orlando to watch MSU get clobbered in the Capitol One Bowl. While the outcome wasn't what I wanted, it was still fun to spend time with them and go to a bowl game.

We visited several beaches and Ella just LOVED the water and just being outside. In fact, she and I ran outside three times together. Well, I ran and she rode in the jogging stroller. She especially loved running (napping) on the beach in the morning and the other runners, walkers and shell collectors would just stare and comment at how beautiful she is.

As far as Ella's development... well, let's just say that Early On is extremely pleased with Ella. In fact, they all get excited when they get to see her and their team talks about her all the time wanting to know how she's grown, etc.

Ella is officially walking, but she prefers to crawl right now. That's according to her physical therapist, Christina. One of the things that we were supposed to work with Ella on was siting on a pillow and the standing up without holding on to anything. Christina went to show Jenn and teach Ella how to do it when Ella just did it ALL BY HERSELF without being shown!!! That's how smart she is!

For occupational therapy, Jen has now altered her schedule to see Ella in three months rather than every other week! She does not have any food aversions and is perfectly on target now!

Ella can say a little more than 50 words, which is well above the average 19 month old. She must get that from her daddy!

Her 18-month old check up was very good. She now weights 18 lbs, 15 oz and is 30 inches tall. She is still in the zero percentile of her weight but is now in the sixth percentile for height. At least she's on the charts now!

Dr. Chapin told us that she labeled Ella as three months old when she first saw her in August and she is now saying she's 15-18 months old. So she has aged 13 or so months in merely five months time! That's what happens with love, nutrition and opportunities!

We now don't have to go back until her two year visit! WAHOO! Ella's doctor has really wanted to keep her eye on her and make sure she's gaining and growing, so we've been seen a lot more often that what's normally necessary. But that's okay with us. It helps us with making sure we are doing the right things with her and just keeping her on task!

A couple of fun stories to share:

- When Jenn dropped Ella off at daycare earlier this month, a little boy, Everett, came up to Ella and gave her a kiss. THEN another little boy, Ben, gave her a HUG! While Jenn thinks is sweet and cute, this just does not make daddy very happy.
- Our first stare-down. Ella and I were playing with each other one night after school and work. Ella kept signing and saying "more", so I obliged. But then got tired so I told her "no" and signed we're "finished". She was not done, so she SCREAMED and SHREAKED "MOOOOOOORRRRRREEEEE!" with her hands together for signing. I quickly responded with "Don't you every talk to me that way." At which point a stare-down began. What seemed like an hour was probably more like five minutes. We just kept staring at each other and she finally pushed her head back and ROLLED HER EYES!
- Ella and I were doing grocery shopping and while I was trying to find something on the shelf, a woman walks by and looks at Ella and says "HI ELLA! How are you today?" I had no idea who this woman was... but it was very strange and uncomfortable for me.

She is just growing and learning so much. She is mocking everything now and is able to repeat, repeat and repeat! So daddy is really trying hard to watch his mouth!!!

EC3 (daycare) is very happy with her and has told us that she is just a "really bright little girl... and very intelligent." That was from the director of programs at the whole school!

She just brings everybody that comes in contact with her so much joy and happiness. Ella is a gift, mostly to us!

Christmas 2010: A great success!

2010-12-26T19:11:00.003-06:00

We are labeling Christmas 2010 as a great success.

As expected, Ella didn't quite understand everything, but it was still fun.

Jenn, Ella and I made my grandma's sugar cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. Following her exact ingredients and even using her tin cut-outs, they couldn't have tasted more like them.

Of course, we left those with two carrots for Santa and the reindeer. Ella didn't understand but it was fun to see her point to the plate over and over again.

We also decided to begin a tradition of having Chinese food on Christmas Eve. Jenn made the dinner from scratch and it was very good.

I ended the day reading 'Twas the night before Christmas to Ella and explained that Santa was coming and she must sleep all the way through the night or she may not get any gifts. It sort-of worked. She woke up crying at 4 a.m. but then slept until 6:30.

As Jenn was bringing her downstairs she just had this look of "what's going on" on her face. But as we explained... she began to understand (or so we like to think).

She had 30 total gifts (and Jenn and I had seven) plus her stocking. Jenn began with her stocking and she was overwhelmed just with that. But when she saw her Radio Flyer wagon, that was it. She was done. She loved it. We took her riding around the house in it and she says "weeeeeeeeeeee" as we go. It's hilarious.

But we got through all of the presents... she loved them all. Her favorites are the wagon, her Asian doll (Cailin) and a piggy bank that is very interactive.

Of course, she has been very spoiled by her extended family... she loves all of the clothes, books, and toys she got. Since she's obsessed with shoes, she especially loved her Uggs that Auntie Monica and Uncle Jeff bought her. Seriously... she keeps pointing to them and tries to put them on her feet. HIGH-LARIOUS!

This week, I work Monday and Tuesday and then am off from 12/29 through 1/9. We will be headed to sunny Florida to spend time with my family (mom, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins). So excited to get to Florida and see my mom. :~) Jenn works Tuesday and Wednesday, so we each have a day to ourselves before our trip.

Mark, Ryan and I will be headed to the Capitol One Bowl on Jan. 1 to watch MSU play Alabama. I'm pretty excited about it and should have a fun (long) day!

Ella is such a joy... she is truly our gift this year.

Below are a few photos and videos from Christmas.

Love to all.

We've entered the world of toddler-land!

2010-12-24T07:01:00.002-06:00

It's been nearly two months since we last posted, our apologies.

Ella is just a completely different child now than she was when we brought her home and even from two months ago! She is truly a toddler, getting into anything and everything.

On the development side, she knows 30+ words. According to Early On a typical 18 month old knows five-to-six words. When Jenn told me that she said "obviously she takes after her father." I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. :)

From the walking perspective, she is so close. She is able to cruise along furniture and walk while holding onto mommy or daddy's fingers. Earlier this week, she stood by herself and took two steps. She's done that twice now. So, she is VERY close. She will also push her stroller or her scooter for quite a bit of time.

We've been teaching her some sign language to help us with "more", "thank you", "finished", "please", "up" and "down". This is solely to help with communication.

She loves to climb the stairs... going in both directions. She's a pro right now.

Ella is now 18 months and is just shy 18 lbs and 28.25" in height. She has increased her weight (and probably weighs more now) but has not grown in height at all. She is still in the zero percentile, but we just call her peanut.

EC3, Ella's daycare, has really come through with working with her. They have been instrumental with helping her walk, self feed and just getting her caught up. They love her so much, there. We couldn't ask for anything more. In fact, they even added a third teacher in Ella's room to give her some one-on-one time. Ella will be transitioning to a new room in the summer or fall; and, from what we hear, there are two teachers that are positioning themselves to get her in their rooms. The teachers all love her so much and fight over time with her. Again, we couldn't ask for anything more. It is so nice to go to work and not worry about her at all.

Jennifer and I had Auntie AJ come over and babysit Ella so we could just go out. This was our first time! AJ did great and Ella had a BALL. It was so nice going out and having dinner without any worrys about Ella. Thanks, Auntie AJ!

The holidays have been extra special this year, as you probably know. It's been fun buying things for her and having her sit with Santa. She really doesn't understand anything, but she certainly takes it all in. Christmas is something... we keep buying more and more stuff when she doesn't need a THING! But, Ella is what it's all about.

We are celebrating Christmas with just the three of us... which is what we wanted. Next Thursday, we leave for Fort Myers to visit my mom and her new place, and the rest of the family. Mark, Deb, Ryan and Emily will also be there along with my aunts and uncles and some cousins. It will be nice for all of us be together.

With MSU going to the Capitol One Bowl, Mark, Ryan and I will be making the trek from Fort Myers to Orlando New Year's Day to watch the Spartans beat the Crimson Tide (knock wood). That will be fun fun!

And now for what you've been waiting for... below are two photo galleries: one is the family photos we had taken in the Fall and then pictures with Santa. I'm sure we will update more tomorrow or Sunday after the BIG DAY!

Love to all!

Developing Ella...

2010-10-31T19:44:00.002-05:00

I can't believe October is over. It's been more than two months since we came home from China and there have been A LOT of changes.

Jennifer is now back to work, as of last week; which means, last week was Ella's first week at daycare. Overall, she's done really well. Drop off is not so fun as she cries every time I put her down to play or eat. It will get better, I know. Jennifer picks her up just after 5 p.m. and every time Ella falls asleep on the car ride home. So, we believe she's having a very busy and fun day.

Ella's development has really begun to take shape. Early On, Michigan's early childhood development program, said that Ella is - developmentally - a six-to-eight month old. So, she has physical therapy and occupational therapy about every other week right now. The goal is to get her to her normal age within six months.

Over the past four weeks, she is:
- Self feeding using her fingers
- Holding her own bottle
- Crawling on her knees
- Pulling herself up
- MUCH more vocal
- Mimicking a TON
- Moving from a crawling to a sitting position and vice versa
- (has) pulled herself to a standing position in her crib

Jenn and I were talking the other day at how busy we've been... in fact, we have had more company at our house than in the past 10 years. Thankfully, we have a bit of a break until Thanksgiving. We will be able to just have some downtime while we get into a new routine with her daycare. We've loved having everyone here and visiting, catching up, but we've really only had one weekend to ourselves in late September.

Ella's swimming lessons have concluded, but Jenn is still taking her to her early music class, which ends in December. She has become more vocal in the class and mocking the music and programs.

Her teacher's at EC3 are Miss Ada and Miss Jen. They are wonderful. Miss Ada especially has been spending a TON of time with Ella and, the best part, is that they offered to put an extra teacher in the Dolphin room (Ella's classroom) so Miss Ada can spend more one-on-one time with her. We really couldn't ask for anything more. They are spectacular to work with. Anyone in the Lansing area who needs a daycare/preschool/kindergarten facility should utilize EC3... EXCELLENT!!!

With Halloween, this past Friday there was a parade with all of the children at EC3. Jenn and I attended and saw them march around the block. We were toward the end of the parade and when Ella saw us... well, she reached for us both. It was really cute to see all of the kids.

Tonight was her first Halloween with us. We went over to the Jaconette's (thank you) and Auntie Ariana took her trick-or-treating while mom and dad watched. It was hilarious. We probably went to a dozen homes or so and by the very last one, she finally understood it.

You'll see some pictures below of Ella as a Panda.

Thank you to all of you who have sent presents, it is so sweet. The UPS and FedEx folks ring the doorbell and hand us the boxes and say "here's another one for the baby." HIGH-LARIOUS!

Of course, Ella just loves the paper!!!

I think that's everything for now... I'm sure the next two months will be INSANE with the holiday's approaching.

Love to all!

You never stop learning...

2010-09-26T09:19:00.003-05:00

It's been very busy... as you can imagine, I'm sure!

Ella continues to do very well, growing and learning! Here is just a sample of things she's done over the past couple weeks:

- Swimming lessons: As many of you know, Ella is in swimming classes with daddy every Thursday night at the YMCA. The first class was canceled because of a little dirty accident in the pool NOT caused by Ella. But last Thursday was the first one. We had a lot of fun. She did Humpty Dumpty, Wheels on the Bus and the Hokey Pokey where her head went all the way under. Once that happened, she was DONE! It was hilarious. But she does love the water.

- Music class: Jenn takes her to MSUs early on music class every Wednesday evening. She's only had one so far, but had a really good time with it. She does love her music.

- Story time: Ella continues to go to the library every Wednesday morning for story time.

- Daycare: Once a week, Jenn takes Ella to her daycare so she can get acclimated and know the kids and teachers. Last Thursday, she had lunch there. Ella had a lot of fun playing with all the other kids... all boys... so I'm sure once she starts going in late October Ella will toughen up quickly.

- Baby showers: Last Sunday was a baby shower hosted by Jenn's girlfriends. We received a lot of great gifts, books, toys, etc. Everyone was so gracious... special thanks to Shalom and Danielle for organizing and hosting. We are very thankful to have such wonderful friends and neighbors. Today, the OC at the paper are hosting a shower for us... I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun there, too!

- Playdate: Ella had her first play date with Anabelle. She had SO much fun at their house and, of course, Sweetie-licious for lunch! She had her first bite of a Sweetie cookie... YUM YUM.

- Mid-Autumn Festival: yesterday, as part of FCC (Families with Children from China), we went to the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was a great time meeting all sorts of families with adopted Asian children and their parents and grandparents. Such a great group of people. Ella had a ball!

- Early On: the State of Michigan has a program titled, Early On, that evaluates children from a developmental perspective. They spent about 90 minutes at our home with Ella and Jennifer. Basically, they said she's developmentally delayed, which is no surprise. A report will be shared with us in about two weeks. We've heard these reports are an inch (or more) thick. Some immediate next steps include: vision/hearing test (Tuesday), joining an Early On playgroup (Wednesday), physical therapy and then occupational therapy. They really want her to focus on crawling, picking things up with her thumb and first finger, and naps. The more sleep she can get the better. They did say with all of this stimulation (which she's not used to) is just exhausting her. They were very happy with what we've (mostly Jenn) been doing with her. She's come a LONG way in a SHORT time.

Some great things also have happened in the past two weeks:

- She says her name, Ella.
- She kisses everything, even her daddy!
- She is doing the army crawl.
- She knows where her baby doll is -- Deb she LOVES the baby doll.
- She continues to eat very well... and has even started chewing... well, sort of.
- We received her birth certificates in the mail, which were incorrect. So Jenn called and got that all straightened out and now we have the correct ones. Apparently, my name is not Kevin McFatridge, it's Kevin Matthew.
- She is starting to hold her bottle by herself.
- She is discovering more of the house... checking out the laundry room and Jenn's office. She does really like to scratch the walls with her nails, which drives daddy absolutely CRAZY.
- She knows the word "No" very well now. She stops whatever she's doing, looks at me and then turns right around and does it again, quickly as if I wouldn't notice.

Below are a lot of random photos. We finally downloaded from our iPhones and our camera. We don't think there are any duplicates, but you'll find some of the things I've mentioned above.

Here's the thing... being a parent is hard. Yes, I know, this comes as no surprise to any of you that are already parents. And, it really doesn't come to any surprise to me either. However, what's hard is balancing work and life. I never realized how hard this would be.

I find that I just want to be here all the time and when I'm here, I'm constantly thinking about work and projects and ideas and and and...

I find myself jealous of my wife being the primary caregiver. But at the same time, I'm thrilled it's her and not me. This stems from when I asked how her day was and she said "for three hours we handed a subscription card back and forth to one another to work on her fine motor skills." Yeah, I could NOT do that. I'm so A.D.D. that the poor thing would be confused.

I find myself jealous of other parents whose 15 month old's (and some younger) are far more advanced than Ella. But Ella does things in her own time. It's fun to see the light turn on when she finally understands.

When Early On was out and evaluated her and Jenn filled me in on everything I found myself irritated that someone would JUDGE my daughter and tell me she's developmentally delayed. Yeah, whatever. But, I know they are here to help. So, I just need to get over it and help her.

And before any of you say anything, I know she was not given the opportunity to thrive. I know her chronological age is 15 months, but her emotional age is much younger... but I just want her to succeed and be the smartest kid I know she can be. I want to be able to provide whatever she needs to her... emotionally, developmentally, financially and security. And we are. These are just the random thoughts in my head. It's hard. It's just hard.

But, I'm loving every minute of it.

A lot of firsts and some great food!

2010-09-12T19:03:00.002-05:00

It's been a little while since we've posted, but we've been a bit busy. :)

All of Ella's documents have been turned in to get her registration of foreign birth, which is her U.S. birth certificate. We should receive her birth certificate in about four-to-six weeks.

Ella met her cousins, Bryce and Aiden, and her uncle Jason for the first time over Labor Day. She had a wonderful time with them and loved to play. I think Bryce really took to Ella... and now believes she's real!!!

We also took Ella to the Potter Park Zoo for the first time. I think she was more amazed at the people than the animals, but it will come. That was an exhausting day as we kept her busy with errands.

The DeWitt Public Library offers a story time for toddlers. Jennifer and Ella were able to attend for the first time last week. The first 15 minutes is listening to stories and music and the last 15 minutes is floor (play) time with other kids.

This past weekend, we went to the lake for the Dunn's Fun Run, which honored Larry's life. It was very wet but fun at the same time. A lot of people came out and ran and walked in the rain. Ella stayed dry, but I did run the three miles.

While at the lake, Ella was able to meet her cousins, Ryan and Emily, her uncle Mark and aunt Deb, uncle Rick and aunt Susie, uncle Al and aunt Susie, and, of course, see her mamaw again. Many friends also got to meet Ella, too!

There were a few more firsts for Ella at the lake:
1. She had her first Sycamore (the best custard in the world).
2. She had her first taste of Sugar Cream Pie (an Indiana staple that NO other state offers).
3. She went to Riverside Park and rode on the Carousel.

It was great to see everyone and spend time together (even though it was a short trip). Ella received many wishes and gifts of which we are so thankful.

This week is going to be another busy week for her.

Tomorrow (Monday), Jenn is going to take her to her daycare facility to meet everyone.

Tuesday she has another doctor's appointment. We are anxious about this one to see how much weight she's gained. She's really become a little pig, lately. We are very thankful for that. It's been fun to see her belly (or Buddha belly as we like to call it) become larger.

Wednesday, she has story time again and her first toddler music class at MSU, both with Jenn.

Thursday is her first swim lesson with daddy.

Friday is our first post-placement visit with our social worker.

She is really changing in front of our very own eyes. She is becoming more vocal, ALMOST crawling (seriously, I think we have days until she's loose), she know's how big she is (sooooo big), she knows where the ceiling fan is (she looks up), she shakes her head yes when she is asked if daddy is her favorite, and she knows how to clap.

Everyone continues to ask us 'how we're adjusting?' That question perplexes me everytime we get asked. I mean... we've been waiting for Ella for more than four years and we've been wanting a family for more than 10 years. I don't really think there's an adjustment period going on at all. We love her very much and she has made our lives much more fulfilling. With that said, we've learned a few things:

1. It takes longer to get ready to do anything.
2. We can't be on the go all the time (I'm just reiterating this for my own benefit.)
3. Whenever we go somewhere, we have everything but the kitchen sink. I almost think we should purchase a trailer for her stuff.
4. Ella cannot tolerate being fed in a moving vehicle (she puked it all up).
5. We must be prepared for anything and everything. Which really means, we've added a change of clothes in the diaper bag.

With that all said (or typed), below are some photos for all of you...

Ella, work and lessons...

2010-09-02T18:41:00.002-05:00

Ella is doing wonderful!

She is eating extremely well now. Sitting up on her own. Standing up on her own. Pulling herself with her arms (almost crawling). Sleeping well. Picking things up. Laughing. Giggling. Smiling a lot. Adjusting to her car seat and stroller.

She is such an angel. I mean, really.

This was my first week back to work and it's gone well. It's hard to leave every morning, but when I come home she just gets so excited, so that's fun. I am getting back in the swing of things, though. Everyone has been so supportive and welcoming, it's been very nice. I think they did miss me. :~)

Jenn is doing very well with her every day. She spends a lot of time with her working on development and Ella is really doing well. I think Jenn really loves it! She is a natural.

I signed Ella up for some swim lessons at the Y. We begin on the 16th from 6-6:30. I'm really looking forward to that.

Jenn signed her up for an early learning music class at MSU and I know she's really looking forward to that.

Below are some photos of her playing, eating her first ice cream at the MSU Dairy Store (hilarious) and my office on my first day back to work.

Doctors, shots and swingsets!

2010-08-25T15:14:00.002-05:00

We are settling here at home with Ella.

Yesterday was a big day. Ella had her first doctors appointment.

We had several questions (of course, we're first time parents)!

Ella weighed 14.1 lbs and is 28.25" long. She is in the zero percentile of her weight and the seventh percentile for her length. And, that's on the Asian charts. Clearly, we have some work to do.

Also on her first appointment, she got three immunizations and a TB test. So, she was not happy. For more added excitement, we took her to the lab at the hospital where she had blood drawn. Boy oh boy, is that ever heart wrenching for the parents. You have Jenn, me and a nurse holding her steady while a second nurse is digging in her arm for a vein to get the blood. The poor thing cried so hard and was just so upset. Thankfully, at this age, she has a very short memory as she was smiling on the way out.

She goes back in three weeks for test results and two more immunizations.

Today, we met a friend of mine in Jackson and went to Ella Sharp Park and spent quite some time walking around. Below is a photo gallery of her at the park and her first time on a swing.

How sweet is she?

Home sweet home

2010-08-21T20:10:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it home... THANKFULLY!

It was a long flight but a safe one, which is the most important. Ella did great for the first 10 hours of the flight, but the last five were rough. She was antsy and fussy but rightfully so.

It is so nice to be home, though. We can brush our teeth with tap water rather than bottled (or boiled) water. We can wash our clothes in our own washer and dryer (and, yes, Deb, I did buy Dreft). We are sleeping in our own beds and have our own stuff. We can walk outside and not feel like we need to take a shower... Michigan was a comfortable 80 degrees today!

Scheduling is going to be the hardest and most critical right now. Getting Ella on a schedule AND us on a schedule. We all, basically, slept until 1 p.m. today. Ella went down about 8:45 p.m. for the night. We, however, aren't tired at all.

Below are some more photos, including Ella's first time in a swimming pool. That was fun. And, our great friends the Jaconette's and the Wall's decorated our house and made us food for our first night (or week) back! So, sweet!

http://s888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/kevinmcfatridge/Miscellaneous%20Ella%20photos/

Almost home...

2010-08-19T00:12:00.004-05:00

Last night we made it back to Hong Kong via train.

Our time in China has come to an end.

While it's exciting, it's also very sad. We feel for Ella. The emotions she must be feeling, even at 14 months, has got to be difficult.

While we are proud Americans, it is also hard to know she will not grow up in the Chinese culture for which she was born into. We have learned so much about China and Hong Kong, and, in some respects, have fallen in love with it. It's been an amazing trip and a trip of a lifetime.

We are so saddened it's come to an end, but are so grateful at the same time. We are ready to come home. We are ready to drink tap water and not boil it first. We are ready for a dishwasher. We are ready for a washer and dryer. We are ready to not live out of suitcases. We are ready to see our stuff. Our home. Our other clothes. Our friends. We are ready for Ella to see her room. Her house. Her toys. Her yard. We are just ready to begin our lives as a family.

Jennifer and I are deeply indebted to Ella's birth parents. We feel for the loss they have. The emptiness they must feel. The toughest decision they have probably ever had to make. At the same time, we are filled with so much joy it's very difficult to describe.

Now the toughest job begins for us... raising our daughter. Teaching her right from wrong. Making sure she understands values, principles and respecting others. Being courageous. She needs to understand the value of a good education -- school is important. Remaining healthy and making the right choices for exercise and nutrition. Giving her all sorts of opportunities, whether it's swimming, music, or underwater basketweaving. We will support her in whatever decision(s) she makes.

I leave with one quote:

"All of our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." Walt Disney

It's official!

2010-08-18T19:35:00.003-05:00

[Originally posted 08/16/10]

Today we had our appointment at the US Consulate’s office and took an oath.

Ella is officially ours and we will be free to leave China tomorrow upon issuance of her visa.

Cheers!

Kev, Jenn and Ella

Photos...

2010-08-18T19:34:00.003-05:00

[Originally posted 08/15/10]

Here are some more pictures: http://s888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/kevinmcfatridge/

Love,
Kev, Jenn and Ella

The blessing...

2010-08-18T19:33:00.003-05:00

[Originally posted 08/14/10]

Ni hao (Hello) from GZ (Guangzhou)

Ella gave her parents another decent night sleep, for that we are thankful. She is still battling the cough and rattling in her chest, but no fever or change in disposition.

We met our guide, Shinko, this morning at 9:30 to taxi to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. This temple is a stop for most adoptive families as the babies receive a blessing in the Buddhist Temple in from of the statue of Kuan Yin. We saw many other adoptive families there. We did not take photos of the blessing, we instead chose to video the ceremony. Ella was very alert during this process as the monk was chanting, ringing a bell and tapping on a wooden drum----at one point, Ella even joined in with the chanting.

We made a donation to the temple after the blessing. It is something amazing to witness and be a part of…no words.

We are waiting on her to wake up from her long afternoon nap. We will be heading out to explore more of Shamian Island as soon as she wakes.

We signed more paperwork for the US Consulate this morning with Shinko. Tomorrow, she will turn all of the documents in to the Consulate. This is the process to obtain her Visa entry into the US.

Below are a few photos of our day today, so far.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52939577@N07/sets/72157624727313616/

With love,
Kevin, Jenn and Ella.

The island...

2010-08-18T19:32:00.002-05:00

[Originally posted 08/14/10]

Today we spent time in Guangzhou on Shamian Island and in the White Swan.

After the Visa medical visit, we went to the Swan Room, which is the children’s play room dedicated by Mattel, and played with Ella. We met some other adoptive parents from Minnesota and Tennessee. We had a nice conversation with them while the kids played with one another.

At that point, Ella got really sleep, so we came back to our room and she took a three hour nap. We couldn’t believe it!

During that time, Dong from Susan’s came and picked up our laundry for cleaning. He was in our room for quite a while with his son and he invited us for tea. Once Ella woke up, we had three different types of tea that Dong grew himself. He and his wife were very nice and welcoming. Of course, it was in his wife’s store and they were trying to sell us everything in there. But, it was neat to learn about them and their culture.

He told us that with Ella’s big ear (you know, the one I keep calling ‘Elephant Ear’ that Jenn gets really upset with me), that means she’s very smart and that she will live a long life.

At another store, Emma’s, I think, Emma herself told us that a big ear lobe will mean good luck and with Ella’s big ear, we’re sure she’ll have a big lobe!

Everywhere we went today people commented on how beautiful she is and how much hair she has (see, I told you)!

We ate dinner at Lucy’s tonight and I now have a favorite beer: Zhujiang beer. It’s made here in Guangzhou and is better that Tsing Tao. Mmmmmm!

Anyway, after dinner, we headed back to the room so she can go to bed for the night. She’s been a bit fussy today, but we think it’s because of her cold.

Tomorrow, we are meeting Shinko to go to the Temple in town to have her blessed. Jennifer and I are very excited about that. After that, we’ll take the famous “red couch” photo here at the White Swan. But once that’s done who knows what we’ll do. Probably spend some time in the pool! It looks yummy!

The temperature was 97 degrees today, but felt 109 degrees – that’s according to Weather.com, by the way. I’m not just making this stuff up!

Here are the photos I’m sure you’ve been waiting for: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52939577@N07/sets/72157624721840398/. Pay close attention to the final one with her hair! It’s hilarious!

Love,
Kev, Jenn and Ella.

Blowout, Guangzhou and shopping! Oh my!

2010-08-18T19:30:00.003-05:00

[Originally posted 08/13/10]

We made it to Guangzhou and Ella did great on the plane with the exception of her poop blowout. That was hilarious… all over momma. Ha ha ha ha!

But, the White Swan is more than we expected.

Today we had Ella’s Visa photo taken and her Visa medical appointment.

She does not have an ear infection and the doctor believes she has a food allergy. Since Ella doesn’t eat anything but formula mixed with rice cereal we believe it’s the mixture of American formula with the Chinese formula. So we have removed the Enfamil from her mixture to see if that’s what’s causing the allergy. The only other thing she’s had is a little bit of apple juice mixed with water. But the rash appeared before we gave her that mixture. Let the testing begin!

Ella did really well at the Visa medical appointment and passed with flying colors. Her is 15 lbs and 28.4” in length. Her body temperature as normal and her lungs are clear. The doctor commented that she is a skinny baby.

While in the waiting room and at breakfast this morning, several other families commented on how pretty she is. I told you she was the most beautiful girl EVER!

While here at the White Swan, we’ve met a lot of other American families adopting. It’s been really fun comparing notes with them and learning about their children. I’m sure we will meet more.

They are very willing to share their experiences in Guangzhou with us, ie: Jordons is the place to go for squeaky shoes; Lucy’s is the best restaurants; Emma’s is also a great retail store; among others.

Guangzhou is absolutely beautiful. It seems to us like a resort town. There is a lot of construction going on because the Asian Games will be here in December. So, there is a TON of beautification going on. You will see just some of the photos we’ve taken below. English is very well spoken here and, again, the people cater to adoptive parents, especially American. In fact, the flyer from Jordon’s reads “American Adoptive Families”.

When we returned to our room at the White Swan, there was a box on our coffee table with a Barbie doll in it. The White Swan has a special partnership with Mattel. The Barbie doll is holding an orphaned China baby. The only way to get this doll is by staying at the White Swan. So, this made us very happy and laugh.

We are headed down to their play room where we will meet more people, I’m sure.

This hotel is really one of the more beautiful we’ve ever stayed. The service is amazing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52939577@N07/sets/72157624720250996/

Love to all,

Kev, Jenn and Ella

A terrific day!

2010-08-18T19:29:00.004-05:00

[Originally posted 08/12/10]

Well, we had another terrific day in Nanchang. Probably our most favorite.

Ella slept really well last night… a full 10 hours. We hung out in the hotel for most of the morning and then went to Nanchang Lake, which is the largest lake in Nanchang. It is surrounded by a beautiful walking path and in the center is a Temple.

First of all, the lake is breathtaking. We have not been big fans of Nanchang as the city seems very dirty, poor and overly populated. But today at the lake was a whole different experience and a view of Nanchang we weren’t expecting. It was absolutely spectacular.

We walked to the Temple which was an emotional experience. I prayed to the Jade Emperor, the supreme sovereign of all. We were told that he is the god of education and prosperity.

Sitting at the lake and walking around the different temples and learning about the different gods were just emotionally overwhelming. It was both sad and exciting to learn about the Taoist beliefs. We were saddened that Xiaqing won’t be living here to understand the cultures ins and outs, but were excited that we learned about the culture and her future with us.

On a more lighter note:
- Ella is rolling over on her own.
- She is holding objects in her hands.
- She took a mixture of apple juice and water. She’s not too prone to trying new things, so this was an achievement.
- She now says Mama and Dada.
- The most fun time with her is 4-7 p.m. as she is very playful.

We purchased a very nice tea set for her from Jiangxi Province, which is known for its porcelain. Trust me, it’s beautiful.

Also we received all of the notarized documents from China confirming she’s ours. That’s a very big deal!

We also got the pictures from the two cameras we sent to the SWI and those are just amazing. There are several of her birthday party and in her high chair and even on a spittoon. They are HILARIOUS!

Tomorrow we leave Nanchang for Guangzhou, so we excited to begin that adventure.

Here some additional photos we took today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34218295@N05/sets/72157624708664900/

Love to all!

Kev, Jenn and Ella

The most beautiful little girl EVER!

2010-08-18T19:28:00.003-05:00

[Originally posted 08/12/10]

I think I finally have the computer issues fixed. Geesh… what an ordeal!

Yesterday, Ella woke up a bit fussy, but ended up being really good. Her fever broke and she was back to her old self. A perfect Angel.

I’m sorry to let all of you know, but she is the most beautiful little girl EVER. I know. I know. You all say that same thing about your kids or, for some, yourselves. BUT… I have to tell you, you are WRONG! Ella is the prettiest thing ever.

Okay, now that we have to all cleared up…

We had a big day yesterday. We went to the Teng Wang Pavilion, which is one of the four great towers of China. It has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 28 times, with this last building reconstructed in the Qing Dynasty in 1989. In the photos you’ll see, there are many of the replicas from the old towers as well as some artifacts. It is all hand painted and just spectacular. The photos don’t do it justice at all. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and there’s a bell that folks can pay to ring for good luck.

Some of our photos are hazy because of the high humidity. Included is a family photo taken by our guide, Shinko.

After the Pavilion excursion, we went to dinner with the other couple in our travel group. It was a nice evening and the girls were on their best behavior!

Ella slept more than 10 hours last night which gave her parents a welcomed break.

This afternoon we will be doing more site seeing.

We leave tomorrow afternoon on a 3:05 p.m. flight to Guangzhou.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52939577@N07/sets/72157624581660717/

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week.

Love,
Kev, Jenn and Ella

Wow… last night sucked...

2010-08-18T19:26:00.001-05:00

[Originally posted 08/11/10]

For most of yesterday, Ella had a fever. It spiked around 103.6. So, she’s been on medicine. We think it was a combination of things: teething, no bowel movement, and just the overall stress of everything.

While she wasn’t feeling well, we did have some good moments yesterday as she just powered through.

Last night, however, sucked. She didn’t fall asleep until 9ish last night and then was up at midnight. That’s when Jenn spent about two hours with her until we put her in her crib where she wailed. So, we broke our number rule and allowed her in the bed with us. But I’m justifying it with the fact that she was sick.

We ended up canceling all of our sightseeing yesterday completely, so we spent the entire day in the hotel. We’re hoping to get out today and see more of Nanchang.

This morning her temp is back to normal and she actually pooped! I never thought I’d be so happy for someone to poop. But it was her first time with us. So, it was past due.

Here’s hoping to a good day.

Kev

Photos galore...

2010-08-18T19:25:00.002-05:00

[Originally posted 08/10/10]

You’ve been asking, we’ve been taking.

Below is a link to our Flickr account with 76 photos of Ella. We got some really good ones last night so I hope you enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34218295@N05/sets/72157624690863924/

Ella went down last night about 7 p.m. and woke up at 4 a.m. She fell asleep at 6 a.m. and is still down for the count. Mommy and daddy, however, are still wide awake.

We don’t have a lot planned for today. We will head down for breakfast in a little bit and then play in the room until about 3 p.m. At that time, we will head to Teng Wing Pavilion, which is the oldest Pavilion in China and just up the street from our hotel. After that we will head to the porcelain row. Nanchang and Jiangxi are known for two things: porcelain and bamboo.

I hope you all have a wonderful night as we head into our day.

Love,
Kev and Jenn

A big day...

2010-08-18T19:23:00.002-05:00

[Originally posted 08/09/10]

Today was a very big day for us. While it was our first full day with Ella, more importantly it became the day that she is officially ours (according to China, that is).

Last night after we got her, she had a few melt down moments and ended up passing out for the night at 5:30 p.m. She slept 10 full hours but awoke at 3:30 or 4 a.m. She had a bottle when she woke, whimpered a bit, Skyped with my mom (who got the first smile out of her), took a bath and then fell back asleep for about an hour.

We all went down for breakfast, she had a bottle and at 9 a.m. we went to the Adoption Registration office (Civil Affairs Bureau of Jiangxi Province) where we were interviewed as to why we were adopting from China and promised to never harm or abandon her. We also had to get our first family photo and her passport photo taken. Once we get to Guangzhou at the end of our trip we receive a hard bound certificate that includes our family photo and declares Dong Fan Xia Qing ours.

On the 26th floor of the office was full of other adoptive parents from many countries. It was very hot and very crowded. In China, folks are allowed to smoke everywhere (including elevators) so the rooms are hard to breathe in.

After being there for an hour we had to go to get those document notarized. That was filled with many of the same people we saw at the first office. It was slightly cooler, but not much.

It was overwhelming with emotion as other adoptive parents and their babies were all congratulating each other no matter what travel group you were in.

That process was slightly quicker.

We needed to get some supplies so after our big event, we went to the Nanchang Wal-Mart. Let me first say, I hate Wal-Mart and this experience did not help that any. Picture the dirtiest, busiest and most disorganized Wal-Mart you’ve been to and multiply by 1000 and you will have had the exact same experience. This Wal-Mart was two stories with other shops on the ground floor. We picked up water, pop and diapers.

It was an experience I will never forget, unfortunately. I do, on the other hand, now know what Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie go through with people staring. (Yes, I’m equating myself to Brad Pitt). Finger pointing, comments about Jenn’s blue eyes and whispering were made by everyone who saw us. In fact, Jennifer even got her photo taken with Ella today. They aren’t rude, but they do stare and it can make you uncomfortable.

So, more on Ella: she is an angel. I mean seriously, she’s an angel. Very laid back, easy going and just a great temperament. She only whimpers when she wants something or is tired. We did see more of her personality today with laughs, smiles and her playfulness. She must be getting used to us.

With that said, there are some issues: she is 13 months and can barely pull herself up, she cannot sit up by herself and is definitely not crawling. But the motor skills will come more and more every day.

Ella does not like to sit by herself, she wants to constantly be held. We’re not sure if this is because she wasn’t or if it’s security. Either way, we don’t care.

We weighed her today and she’s about 17 pounds at almost 14 months. She is very petite and doesn’t eat much… yet. The shoes we brought do NOT fit her. The 12 mos clothes that we have are a little big and most of the clothes we brought were 12-18 mos. So, she’ll be swimming for awhile.

Best of all, she said her first word today and it was “dada”. So that’s an homage to me… or so I think.

Attached are a few pictures of her sleeping at the Civil Affairs office. We forgot the battery to our camera and had to rely on my iPhone for photos. I know. I know.

Love to you all.

We will email as often as we can. And then will post these to MairzyDoats as soon as we have access again.

Kev & Jenn

P.S. I’m dying without Facebook!

Our first night...

2010-08-18T19:22:00.002-05:00

[Originally posted 08/09/10]

Ella had the ugly cry for about an hour and then just passed out cold around 5:30 p.m.

She slept the entire night… 10 hours. She woke up around 3:30-4 a.m. this morning. So her schedule is already messed up.

She is whimpering every now and again but we’ve learned she likes to be held right now.

Our guide, Shinko, went to the store for us last night and got us the Nestle formula and rice cereal she’s used to so she can have some “normalcy” right now.

She is very curious wondering what’s going on. She keeps looking around with a frown on her face, which is to be expected. She is not taking too kindly to me, however. Not surprisingly, we were told she’s not used to men at the SWI.

Her documents say she is very timid, quiet and shy. We think she is just trying to process everything before she’ll try anything. She likes for Jenn to hold her but does not like sitting by herself at this point.

Jennifer and I signed (and thumbprinted) a lot of paperwork last night “accepting” her into our lives. Today, those documents get notarized, so we will leave around 9 a.m.

That’s all we have planned for the day other than just trying to get her to bond with us.

So amazing...

2010-08-18T19:15:00.005-05:00

So, the trip was just amazing!

Once we arrived in Nanchang, we were unable to access Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. So, emails to our family and friends was the best we could do during that time.

As a result, I am going to post those to Blogger and update Twitter and FB at the same time.

Ella is doing great. She seems completely different from the first day we got her... but here's the beginning of our adventure...

======================================================
[Originally posted 08/08/10]

Well, we got her!

It was the strangest thing… we were called and told to come to the lobby of the hotel. So we did.

There were two women who brought her from her SWI. One was the director and the other an assistant. They were very sweet.

We stood there and looked at her and another baby from the SWI and asked if we knew which one was Xia Qing. We didn’t really. But they told us, obviously. She is much smaller than we ever thought. In fact, she’s probably in six-nine month clothes, but we’re not quite sure at this point. She was handed to Jenn and she just looked dazed and confused… I’m sure a lot of that will be forthcoming the remainder of the week.

Jenn held her for a little while until I got her. She did really well. She didn’t wince or whimper or cry or anything.

We asked a lot of questions and then said our goodbyes.

Our guide, Shinko, who will be with us the entire two weeks, said in her experience the babies that come from her province and SWI typically are the healthiest she’s seen.

We came right up to our room where Ella just started crying… loudly. It was the ugly cry. The really ugly cry. She got herself so worked up that now she’s asleep. So we haven’t had much time to spend with her… YET!

So, that’s where we are.

What an amazing day. Jenn and I are already exhausted from anticipation. But it’s just so weird to instantly have a love for her and we just really met. I’m not sure how to describe it. Odd, but wonderful at the same time.

Nanchang is nothing like Hong Kong. The traffic here is much worse. The neighborhoods don’t really seem safe. We get strange looks wherever we go, but we don’t care. We have our daughter and that’s what makes this trip worthwhile.

Attached are a couple of photos that we have so far. One includes Jennifer and the SWI director.

Ella, here we come!

2010-08-07T15:54:00.002-05:00

Well, it's nearly 5 a.m. on 8/8/10... the day we get little Miss Ella.

We slept... sort of. We both woke up about 1 a.m. thinking it was close to 5 and it wasn't. So, we woke up every hour on the hour and finally just got up at 4:30 a.m.

We are [almost] packed for the day.

Our shuttle bus leaves at 6:30 a.m. for Hong Kong International. We meet our guide, Shinko, at 9 a.m. That's when the fun begins.

China Eastern Airlines takes off at 11:25 a.m. for Nanchang and we arrive at 1 p.m. A relatively short flight.

As for additional posts, we're not sure when we will as we cannot anticipate the rest of our day. But we will do our best.

Love to all!

Hong Kong... Central District and The Peak

2010-08-07T03:49:00.004-05:00

Today was a busy and exhausting day!

We started the morning with our Starbucks... then walked to the Star Ferry to go to the Central District shopping. :)

It's amazingly different here with time... Nothing opens before 11 a.m. Let me rephrase... nothing worth shopping for opens before 11 a.m. As we were leaving the girls at our hotel told us that we were leaving way too early... but did we listen? NOPE! And, you know what? It worked out just great. Just wait...

Before I tell you what Jennifer wants me to tell you, I need to set it up. Everywhere we go in Hong Kong EVERYWHERE WE GO, we are accosted by people trying to sell us something. And, it seems to be Americans in particular. But, honestly, it gets very annoying. I mean, it's not like they just ask you a question and you say "No, thank you" that they leave you alone. They literally follow you and keep talking trying to sell you on their product or goods. Okay, so... on our way to the Star Ferry, there was an older man who was dressed in monk-like attire. And, being in Hong Kong and American, he proceeded to hand us something trying to tell us the worth of God or Buddha or whomever he believes in. So, Jennifer was behind me not saying a word and I just turned to him and said "No, thank you." He kept talking to me, touched my arm trying to give me his little card thing. I said, "NO!" And, we finally walked away. I turned, looked at Jenn and said, "well, I'm going to Hell." So we've been laughing about that all day long. I'm sure I will meet most of you there, anyway. :~)

Star Ferry:

When we got of the Star Ferry, we walked into the mall, which none of the shops were open, but we walked the IFC (International Finance Center), aka shopping mall. I felt like the senior citizens in the states that walk malls for exercise. But, it was a nice mall. Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, David Yurman, Jimmy Choo, Burberry, etc. All the stores we can't afford. But it was nice. We've been to three "malls" and they all have the EXACT SAME STORES. So, fashion is a big thing in Hong Kong.

We've noticed a lot of make-up, shoes, and jewelry stores. Clearly geared toward the female demographic.

We did eat lunch at this great little place in the IFC, but it wasn't chinese. It's amazing how westernized the food is here. Perhaps we're not going to all the local hot spots, but there has not been much option or Asian cuisine, unless it's high-end. Again, we haven't been to many of the truly local restaurants, so we could be missing a lot. Nanchang, we're sure, will be much different.

After lunch we took a bus to The Peak... or Victoria's Peak. WOW! That was probably the most amazing views I've ever seen. Check them out:

Besides the amazing views at the top of The Peak, there was ANOTHER SHOPPING MALL. But, this time there were some really unique stores. Not just the typical corporate retail. Individual, cool stores. We could've done a lot of damage, but ended up just buying a couple of things. Most notably a chop with ink that has Dong Fang Xia Qing's Chinese symbols. So, that's cool!

After spending about two hours at the Peak, we walked back to our hotel and voila...

It's been an amazing and quick two days in Hong Kong. A really good friend told me to not leave with any regrets and I don't. We've done everything I wanted to do here.

This city is so easy to get around in without a vehicle (and you wouldn't want to drive, trust me) it's just not funny. We started this adventure in a car, then a plane, a train, shuttle bus, ferry, a double-decker bus and, of course, our sore feet! But it's been well worth it.

I might have one regret... not doing the fish eating pedicure. Hey, I still have 13 days!

Kowloon, continued...

2010-08-06T17:25:00.002-05:00

After the park, we walked to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and spent quite a bit of time there. They had a wonderful exhibit by Wu Guanzhong, who is now my favorite artist. Here's just a sample of his work:

After the HKMOA, we walked along the Avenue of Stars and gazed at Victoria Harbor. The Avenue of Stars is similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame with famous Asian actors with their hand prints, etc. We saw Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Those are the only names we recognized.

But the standout for us was the Harbor and Hong Kong's skyline.

It's just beautiful.

The one down side? It's VERY HOT and HUMID!

Today, we are going to take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong and the Central District (pictured above) and walk around there.

Tomorrow, we get Ella!

Our own walking tour of Kowloon...

2010-08-06T02:53:00.012-05:00

Today, Jennifer and I spent all morning exploring in Kowloon.

It's just so different. First of all, there is no inch spared. There are businesses EVERYWHERE. It's just amazing.

We woke at 5:30 a.m. and went to breakfast about 6:30 or so. After breakfast, we just began wandering the streets of Kowloon.

Our first stop, however, was so Jenn could get her Starbucks:

Then we were talking about Larry and how he would have just loved to hear about our trip and all of the China experience. Literally, we turned a corner and found this:

So, we just kept walking and found this display that is promoting a Food is Art Festival. Since it's all about the sweets, we just had to snap it!

Nothing opens until 10 or 11 a.m. (Stacia's time) and since it was early, well we spent the morning in the most amazing park I think we've ever seen. Now, we have always held Krape Park in our hearts from a days in Freeport (just one of the nicest parks we've ever seen), but the Kowloon Park has taken the top spot! Enjoy some of the photos:

Our first night in Kowloon...

2010-08-05T17:39:00.001-05:00

We both slept like rocks last night, but woke up at 5:30 this morning. So, we are nearly ready for the day. We're going to start with some breakfast and then just check out the sites, or should I say, shops?

:~)

24 hours of travel and we're still speaking...

2010-08-05T09:53:00.002-05:00

Nearly 24 hours after leaving our house this morning, we arrived in our hotel in Kowloon.

So, here's the recap:

-- Car services 30 minutes late. She couldn't find our house and then got turned around. Once we were on the road, she missed the exit to the airport. She was a bit ditzy.

-- Delta. I did not get my first class upgrade I was hoping, but we did get upgraded to preferred seating with a outlet for my electronics. That made life a lot easier. Oh, and we had an entire row to ourselves.

-- Flight. We took off one our later than anticipated, but it was a 16 hour flight. The flight was not nearly as bad as we had thought. We slept quite a bit... probably six-to-eight hours total, but it was interrupted sleep, so we are a bit cranky and tired already. I'm sure this is just a sign of things to come with parenthood.

-- Hong Kong International Airport. WOW... this place is awesome! Tiffany. Burberry. Armani. Prada. Jimmy Choo. If I wasn't so tired, I'm sure we'd still be there. But, we went through Immigration with out any problems. Customs was even easier.

-- Kowloon. Because our hotel shuttle operates on certain hours, we ended up taking the train and a bus to the hotel. Once we got to Kowloon, you would just not believe the amount of stores... EVERYWHERE. Small stores, big stores, just stores everywhere. I am not kidding, there is not an inch of space left unused.

-- Hotel. The Regal Kowloon upgraded us... so the room is really nice.

I think that's it... we're tired so we're going to relax and get to it tomorrow.

Planes, trains and automobiles... so it begins!

2010-08-04T08:52:00.003-05:00

We are as ready as we'll ever be.

Bags are packed.
Electronics are packed.
Itineraries printed.
Passports in hand.
Money in hand.
House cleaned and organized.
Trash out.
Newspapers on hold.
Mail on hold.
Lawn service ready.
Housesitter ready.
Work is done.

I'm not sure there's much else left to do. If there is, we'll figure it out.

Jenn slept like a rock last night. Me, not so much. Too many thoughts. Too many items to remember. Nervous energy.

We are just waiting on the car service... just 35 minutes to go and then we'll load up and head out. :~)

A blog that Jenn has been following said that Blogger is not accessible in Nanchang. So, we may not be able to update the blog while there. So, we may have to send some emails out to those of you interested and then do a lot of posts in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. So, please be patient.

Well, here we go... our trip of a lifetime is just minutes away.

A room of her own...

2010-08-01T13:49:00.002-05:00

Here is Ella's room. Our goal for the room (yes, we had a goal) was to make it a place for Ella to grow. We didn't want a theme or make it a true nursery.

Some things to point out:

Crib: We purchased the pewter-finished crib almost four years ago in Rockford. Friends of ours saw it on the floor and knew we were wanting a silver crib. They told us about it and we purchased it. We are fortunate that it hasn't been recalled. :~)

Bedding: The day we handed our life over to China, literally, we went shopping in Chicago. We hauled this PB bedding about 35 blocks back to our hotel. I swear we walked through Cabrini Green, too!

Walls: The room is painted Duchess Lilac. It was painted about a year ago to celebrate our three-year wait.

Artwork: The piece over the crib is the ABCs of China Provinces.

Mirror: Every girl deserves a full length mirror, right?

Chandelier: Yes, it's probably too much, but we found it in Traverse City and just thought it would fit nicely in her room.

Bookcase: From Land of Nod, we liked it because the toy box is open and at the bottom.

Rocking chair: This was my grandma's chair. It was green with a pineapple decal at the top. Not any more. :~)

Quilt: the quilt was made by a very good friend of ours, Charlo. She is so talented and made it with all sorts of ladybugs all over it. It's so sweet, we love it.

Desk: The white desk was a table in the basement of our Rockford home. The previous owners used it for a laundry basket to collect clothes from the shoot. We didn't plan on bringing it to Lansing with us, so when it came off the truck, we were surprised. We had it refinished, strengthened and a drawer added.

Closet: it's full!

Everything else was collected from various places and people. But, we are very happy with it and know that Ella will be, too!

Stressing dreams...

2010-07-28T18:10:00.002-05:00

Stress is a something else.

Jenn told me the other morning about her dream... picture it:

It's August 4, 2010, 7:32 p.m. on a Delta flight somewhere over the western United States.

Jennifer: Kevin, do you have the money?

Kevin: No, you said you got it.

Jennifer: I didn't get it. You told me you got it.

[both look at each other and say ] &%*$

But what I didn't tell her is that I had a dream that night also. No dialogue, though.

I was sitting in bed about to get up for the day and yawned. At that point all of my teeth just fell out. YEP... just FELL out.

Of course, there's a meaning to that, right? I Googled what it meant and, basically, it means I'm stressed. But there are many interpretations. Here they are:

- fear of rejection
- fear of growing old
- fear of embarrassment
- inferiority or lack of confidence
- I put my faith, trust, and beliefs in what man thinks rather than in the word of God
- In the Greek culture, a family member or close friend is very sick or even near death
- In the Chinese culture, there is a saying that you are telling lies
- Symbolizes money

I like the last one the best. :~)

But, these dreams symbolize to us that we are stressed. As I said earlier, this is a moment in time. But our subconscious is being revealed through our stressing dreams.

Yep, a moment in time...

2010-07-27T06:12:00.002-05:00

Anxiety is something and is associated with uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry.

There are seven days until we leave. And, there are 16,543,102 items left on our to-do list, yet, I'm not sure where to begin. Some of the stuff is major... like getting our moolah. Others are minor, like trimming the side bushes. But, all are important for us to get done now.

The room is ready.
The house is set.
Itinerary has been set, modified, set, changed, set, finalized.
Work is, well, almost organized.

But this is a time of change.
A time of anticipation.
A time of joy.
A time of excitement.
A time of fear.
A time of birth.

Yep, a moment in time.

We're leaving on a jet plane...

2010-07-22T19:53:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's true! We leave in less than two weeks! August 4, to be exact.

Jennifer and I will be on Delta Flight 0027 leaving Detroit at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4 direct to Hong Kong... arriving at 7:15 p.m. August 5.

Our itinerary looks like this:

August 8, 2010 (Sun): A.M. The family travels with ISS staff from Hong Kong to Nanchang OR ISS staff meet the family at the hotel in Nanchang. P.M.: Meet Ella at the hotel

August 9, 2010 (Mon): Adoption Registration & notarization

Aug 10-11, 2010 (Tue-Wed): Wait for notarized documents and passport

Aug 12, 2010 (Thurs): Notarized documents collected by ISS staff

Aug 13, 2010 (Fri): Ella’s passport collected by ISS staff. P.M.: Travels from Nanchang to Guangzhou

Aug 14, 2010 (Sat): Visa medical

August 16, 2010 (Mon): Medical report collected by ISS staff. Visa appointment date

August 17, 2010 (Tue): Visa ceremony

August 18, 2010 (Wed): Ella’s US Visa collected by ISS staff. PM we will head back to Hong Kong by train.

We will be on Delta flight 0026 leaving Hong Kong at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, August 20 and arriving in Detroit at 12:10 p.m. on the same day.

Tickets have been purchased.

The schedule is finalized.

It is actually for REAL!

So excited!

Right here, right now...

2010-07-15T18:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we received communication from our caseworker at Lifelink with regards to our "Hotel Reservation Worksheet".

We have organized our preference of hotels and rooms:

When Jennifer and I arrive in Hong Kong, we will book our own hotel... so, that's to come.

But, when we go to Nanchang, we will be staying at the Gloria Grand Hotel. We will be in Nanchang for five nights.

When we head to Guangzhou, we will be staying at the White Swan. We will be in Guangzhou for five nights.

After Guangzhou, we will head back to Hong Kong and stay at the Regal Airport Hotel.

Also, yesterday, we received a letter and receipt in the mail for our renewal of our I-600A. In the letter it states that the current processing times are 3-4 months. Um, our current I-171H (which once the I-600A is approved, we get the I-171H) expires on 8/26/10. Four months later after processing time would put is in October. Somehow, I don't think I want to stay in China until then.

The reason why the delay is because our government is consolidating and centralizing into one office. This took effect on June 28... 10 days after the Michigan office received our paperwork.

So, I've spoken with with USCIS, Senator Stabenow's office and NBC (National Benefits Center). Yeah, it's been a fun day. I hope - HOPE - it's all been straightened out... but we will see. I have to call them tomorrow to speak with Officer Merck to verify the email receipt. GEESH! Once they get our stuff in their system, it shouldn't - SHOULDN'T - be much longer.

But, I did find out a few things today... ISS (International Social Service) is wanting us to travel either August 8-19 or August 15-26. Of course, we will be front-loading a couple days in Hong Kong but we're thrilled that we have an idea.

We are still waiting for the travel invitation. Hopefully, it will come very soon.

For now, we are living in the moment.

Ready, willing and waiting to go...

2010-07-11T19:48:00.007-05:00

We have been reminded of the lack of posts made over the past two weeks... and that it's time for an update...

According to Rumor Queen, the European Agencies received early June referrals Travel Assignments. Which, hopefully, means we'll receive ours early this week. (fingers crossed)

The wait is becoming harder each day. Knowing we'll be gone in a few short weeks and meeting Ella for the first time has been on our minds since the referral.

That said... we have been busy... some of you might say we're nesting... others would just say we are organizing. :~)

Of course, my uber-organized wife (complete with spreadsheets, highlighters and charts) has purchased everything Ella will need for when we get there. And, because of that, she wanted to get her suitcase packed so we won't have to worry about it when the time does come. Honestly, I think it took us an hour, but her suitcase is packed.

Here you'll see just an ordinary suitcase:

But here, you'll see a suitcase packed full of hopes, dreams and, now, reality:

Inside this suitcase consists of more than 100 items (excluding clothes). Yes... you read correctly, more than 100 items... EXCLUDING clothes. Oh, and you might ask... where are the clothes? They are in a secret compartment wrapped in Ziplock bags. Because they take up less space when you remove the air. They don't even take up 1% of the actual suitcase.

The items recommended we take includes an actual pharmacy (in case she has a cold, diarrhea, flu, etc), a blanket, bottles, a couple books, diapers, snacks, sippy cup, bibs and the list just goes on and on.

Jennifer has already created an Excel list of categories... for her, for me, and for miscellaneous items that we should not forget. Please note my list is blank.

As I type this she is yelling at me saying that "you could not have done this without any planning. If so, we would be at Meijer at midnight the night before we leave." Yeah, she's probably right.

But the point is... we're ready. We are overly ready.

Who wants some cake?

2010-06-27T14:58:00.011-05:00

It's been awhile since we posted something, but as you can imagine, we've been very busy! Yes... we've heard from a lot of you about the fact that we haven't updated lately. :~)

We (and by we, I mean Jennifer) were able to get all of our paperwork completed. This includes our travel Visa's and the I600A form that extends our I-171H form which allows us entry back into the States with Ella.

In fact, we've already received our travel Visa's back...

The government did receive the I600A form so we are just waiting for the extension now. Shouldn't be much longer!!!

Last weekend, Jennifer and I celebrated her 40th birthday, father's day and Ella's first birthday in Traverse City, MI. We had a great time shopping, eating and just sitting on the beach. We had a great time just hanging out and lounging around!

And, most importantly, Ella turned one on 6/21. If you recall, we were able to send a birthday care package to her through BlessedKids.com. The package included a teddy bear, blanket, disposable camera, birthday cake, pictures of Jenn and I and a letter from us translated into Chinese, of course.

With this particular package, the toys and stuff are delivered first and once the delivery confirmation comes through, the birthday cake is delivered a couple days later. We were so excited when we learned the toys and such were delivered on 6/19 and her birthday cake was delivered ON her actual birthday of 6/21! VERY COOL!

When Adele from BlessedKids.com emailed us to let us know, she said she had eight other photos to share with us... so, click the photo below to view all eight of them!

HOW EXCITING IS MY CAKE?

I CAN HANDLE THAT!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, sugar!

HEY! It's my cake. That's okay, there's plenty to go around.

I think I'm going to be sick, now.

I don't really know what to say...

Me and my little buddy enjoying a sugar coma.

So, the next big question is when do we travel? Well, we wish we knew! We SHOULD (emphasis) receive our TA (travel assignment) within the next week or two. The TA comes from ISS (International Social Service).

Where's Ella?

2010-06-14T19:28:00.003-05:00

We are learning more and more every day. There are so many wonderful people who have adopted sharing their experiences and information it's just wonderful. They are sending us all sorts of things.

First of all, where is Jiangxi? It is in the southern region of the People's Republic of China. Mountains surround Jiangxi on three sides; and is centered on the Gan River valley.

With, roughly, 44,000,000 in the Jiangxi Province, it is a rather poor province when compared to its neighboring provinces.

Nanchang, the region's capital and the most densely populated city, is one of China's largest metropolis. This is where we will fly into and where "gotcha day" will happen.

View Larger Map

So, now you know where the province is... where is the orphanage? Thanks to the folks at wolfetoe.com below is an image of all SWI in the Jiangxi province. Locate Nanchang and follow the train tracks southwest. Nanchang is located near the center to the southwest of the big lake.

Here are some images from June 2005... again compliments of wolfetoe.com.

The main building:

The courtyard:

So, there you have it... it seems like a nice place... but nothing will compare to her room we have waiting for her!

Here's to a quick six-to-eight weeks!

It's all about Ella...

2010-06-13T13:44:00.003-05:00

What a busy weekend we've had... yesterday we did errands that were all about Ella. It was kinda fun except for the trip to Babies R Us... I walk out with a headache every time!

Her first birthday is coming up this weekend (June 21) and, unfortunately, we won't be able to share it with her. BUT, thanks to BlessedKids.com, we were able to send a care package. The package includes a cake, blanket, teddy bear, disposable camera, pictures of mom and dad and a letter from us translated to Chinese. She should get it by Friday.

We were able to thank the orphanage caretakers for showing her special care during her year there. When we pick up Ella, the caretakers typically have her take all of those things with her (except the cake, of course). So we should be able to have photos of the days between receiving the care package and our gotcha day.

If you didn't already know, Ella was born in the year of the Ox. People who were born in the Year of the Ox are the supremely self-assured, generally patient and thoughtful, they measure their words and speak clearly when it matters most.

Born to lead, Ox people can be quite stubborn -- but also stubbornly loyal to those they love. When opposed, their fierce tempers are legendary. So you never want to cross an Ox.

There are no gray areas within an Ox's narrow scope of vision, and they only see things as good or bad. They possess an excellent memory and can often recall verbatim a conversation weeks or months after it has occurred.

Ox people are also generally good with their hands, and together with sterling leadership abilities are often successful as DOCTORS or SURGEONS!

Famous people born in the Year of the Ox: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Clooney, Walt Disney, Clark Gable, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Vincent Van Gogh.

WOOHOO! She is BRILLIANT!

It's only the beginning...

2010-06-12T08:33:00.003-05:00

So, Jenn and I have been at each other's throats the last few days. The reason? Well, we have a TON of work to get done... oh, and we're a bit anxious!

Folks keep asking... well, what types of things do you have to get done? Don't you just get on a plane now? We wish it were that easy!

Because our I-171H expires on 8/26/10, we have to go through a renewal process. If this form expires before we return from China, there is a chance we won't be allowed back into the country. So, instead of taking the risk... well... we want to renew it. The renewal of that form requires a homestudy update. So, our Michigan post-placement agency had to meet with us to get that process going. I'm happy to report the homestudy has been completed and will be submitted early next week. Once that's done, we will begin the renewal of the I-171H. Hopefully it will get renewed in time!

We also have to apply for our Visa because we will be traveling to mainland China. A visa or travel visa is a document which gives us permission to travel into a China and stay there for a set period of time. To get a Visa, we either have to do it in person, have a courier or a friend/family member go on our behalf. The Chinese Embassy for Michigan is located in Chicago... so we're using a courier. That will go out early next week and we should have our passports stamped and back to us within a week.

This morning we are going to our credit union to order money. That's right... we have to order un-circlated or clean, fresh, unmarked $100 bills for our trip. Our agency recommends traveling with $9,000-$12,000 worth of cash. I keep saying I'm going to buy one of those silver briefcases with the handcuff on it. That won't bring any questions as I go through security at the airport, will it?

Then there's little things that we need to do... like housework... clean garage... clean hot tub... wash the clothes we've already purchased... put the stroller together... put the high chair together... etc. etc. etc.

So, what am I doing blogging? I gotta get busy...

Love to all!

The call...

2010-06-09T19:24:00.001-05:00

Here is the video of THE call.

It was just after lunch on Monday, June 7... Jennifer met me at my office so we had Beth, our social worker, on speaker phone.

Notice the awkward silence and twitching during the call.

She was pretty with a pleasant and active personality...

2010-06-08T19:12:00.009-05:00

We keep learning more and more about Ella every minute...

I met with the IT Director at the Lansing State Journal today as he was born in Hong Kong... so he can translate for me... but we also received the formal translated version... of her documents.

Here's what we now know...

Ella was found abandoned at the gate of the Tai Cheng Weave Factory on June 22, 2009 by an entrance guard of the said factory.

She was then sent to the welfare institute on the same day for care. According to the intake medical check-up, her growth and development were normal. She was 46 cm tall and 2.5 kg in weight.

At admission, Ella had black hair, a small face and rosy skin. Her time at the welfare institution have been documented as such:

2-3 months old: Ella had a fair appetited, but her sleep was not stable.
4-5 months old: Ella would turn her head when someone called her name.
6 months old: Ella was quiet and sometimes impatient. She cried when she was hungry but was well-behaved when she was full.
7-8 months old: Ella loved going outside, basking in the sun. She liked toys that were colorful or with sounds.
9 months old: Ella would use her legs to make "Bang Bang" sounds.
10 months old: Ella's hair became a little bit curly. She was pretty, with a pleasant and active personality. When someone played with her, she would smile. She was a pretty girl.

In the documents that show her state of growth and routine. In there we learned she has four teeth, is a moderate sleeper (6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with a two hour nap in the afternoon), sucks her fingers, laughs aloud, takes off her sock by herself, quick in reaction, close to her caretaker and loves outdoors activities and TV!

Geez... I think she's a perfect fit for us! A nice blend of Jenn and I... ALREADY!

We do not yet know when we will travel, but will probably be six-to-eight weeks from now. We have to wait for the consulates appointment. We will be flying out of Detroit as there is a direct flight to Hong Kong from here... AND, it's closer than Chicago.

All of this information came with our referral package... boy was that an experience. UPS "delivered" it to our home at 9:30 a.m. So, I drove home to pick it up at lunchtime and it wasn't there. Checking with neighbors... nobody saw UPS or the package being delivered.

I called UPS to track the package. They couldn't help me because I was not the sender. The sender had to open an investigation.

So, I called our agency and left messages with everyone as nobody answered the phone. I called four different offices, even. NO ANSWER.

Considering Illinois and Michigan lost our original file... I really was freaking out and did not have much faith in UPS at this point.

I called the local UPS retail store who suggested I go to the distrution building. So I did. Come to find out, the driver misread the address and set it on a doorstep on the opposite end of our street. After two hours, I FINALLY had the package.

What a day! What a week! What a month! What a year!

It's a girl...

2010-06-07T13:34:00.004-05:00

We are proud to introduce our daughter...

Dong Fang Xia Qing AKA Ella McFatridge

She was born on June 21, 2009 and currently resides in the Social Welfare Institute in the Jiangxi Province.

Here's what we know...
- she's a moderate sleeper
- she can hold her head up
- she rolls over
- she sits up
- she can visually follow things
- she knows her name
- she can point to her eyes, ears, nose and mouth
- she's active
- she likes music and toys
- she has long hair (just past the ears)
- she weights 6.7 kilograms (15 lbs)
- she's 68 cm in height (27")
- her intake day (day she went into the orphanage) was 6/22/09
- Xia means small; Qing means green; Dong means East

We should receive photos any time now... but wanted to post as much information as possible.

Here's to our little daughter...

holy cow...

2010-06-04T07:22:00.003-05:00

According to Rumor Queen, CCAA has been matching and the cutoff is going to be 4/26/06. We are 4/24/06... SO... we should hear something Monday...

The rumors come from some European agencies that are "almost always correct."

Exciting!!!

Here's the link to Rumor Queen, if you're interested: http://chinaadopttalk.com/

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2... OMG!

2010-05-10T19:38:00.002-05:00

Today referrals were announced. While CCAA did not get through April 24, 2006 (our LID), they DID get through April 21, 2006. Looking at the calendar to the left of our blog, you will notice that the 22nd and 23rd is a Saturday and a Sunday. Which means... WE ARE NEXT!

Yes, four years, five months, and 21 days later, we now know, June 201 will be our referred month.

The last eight days have been... weird. Typically, CCAA refers children on the first Monday of every month. Since last Monday was a national holiday for China (USAs equivalent to Labor Day), we thought referrals would have been released on Tuesday or Wednesday last week. So, it's been a horrible waiting period for us. Finally, today, they were released.

I can only imagine what next month will be like!?!?!?!

Who knows... the next blog post could include a photo of our child!

Stay tuned!

Our fourth annual top 10 list...

2010-04-24T20:22:00.003-05:00

Four years ago today...

We got in a line for adoption with China. The wait for referral at the time was expected to be six-to-eight months; three years ago it was 17 months; two years ago it was 27 months; last year it was 38 months; and, as of April 2010 it has officially reached 48 months. Boy how time flies.

As we sit here reflecting, our thoughts are much more positive. After all, we should know within one-to-five weeks who will be our child.

In our fourth annual post, we will treat it the same as we have in the past... our top 10 list of what we know now... Without further ado...

This is what we know today
1. We will know who will be our child in a maximum of five weeks.
2. There are only seven days ahead of us in line.
3. The name
4. We will be celebrating Christmas as a family of three.
5. Our fingerprints will not expire until February 2011.
6. Our original file is still somewhere between Chicago and Detroit!
7. If we do not think we will return from China with our child by August 26, 2010, we will have to renew our I-600 for the fourth time, which is a $1500 document.
8. The room is done.
9. We have selected and reserved a child care center.
10. Next summer our child will be toggling along after the others in my neighbors yard.

Early projections anticipate the next cut off being 4/23/06 which is one day before our LID. Which means we will definitely make it in June, if not May.

Stay tuned...

Getting closer... and closer... and closer...

2010-04-13T19:58:00.003-05:00

As you know, our referral is getting closer and closer every day.

There are only 20 days until we THINK we'll get our referral. So, as we mentioned, we're getting prepared.

Last Friday we looked at a daycare facility in Lansing, EC3. We LOVED it. We felt a connection with the director very quickly. We loved their programs, way of teaching, security and, well, we just loved it. Oh, and did I mention, it's located in the school that Magic Johnson attended?

Tomorrow, we're going to look at another center. Next week, the final one. It's been fun and scary at the same time.

Below is a list of blogs that received their referrals this month. Check out the pictures. I'm hopeful that we'll be sharing our baby next month.

* Boutin Adoption

* Waiting 4 Baby Rock

* Polar Bear in China

* Blessed by Aimelyn

* Jersey to China

* ak_teacher

* Journey to Mia

* Our Many Blessings

Holy crap... is it really time?

2010-04-06T19:31:00.003-05:00

We started our paper chase in October 2005.

Our official log-in date with CCAA was April 2006.

From 2006 to 2010, we've done nothing but wait and update forms and wait and update
our finger prints and wait and moved to a new state and wait.

It is now April 2010 and we will, hopefully, receive our referral next month. NEXT MONTH! Our assumption will be Monday, May 3, to be exact. Recently, referrals have come out on the first Monday of the new month.

HOLY CRAP!

It's just odd that four years of waiting is about to come to an end. I mean really!!! I look back over the last six months or so and ask "where did the time go?" Am I serious? WHERE DID THE TIME GO? It's been FOUR FREAKING YEARS! How can I even ask that question?

From the beginning, I wondered what I would feel once we were a few short weeks away from our referral. Well, now I know: I feel excited. I feel scared. I feel anxious. I feel responsible. I feel nervous. I feel sick. I feel happiness. I feel fun. I feel [fill in the blank]. Yes, I have a lot of feelings right now.

So, what have we been doing to keep these feelings under control?

We've been researching... What's the best car seat to buy? What's the best stroller to buy? What's the best crib mattress to buy? What's the best high chair to buy? Of course, we've purchased all those things (except for the high chair... back to square one.)

Now we're focused on the best daycare facility. Should we hire a nanny? Should we send our child to a facility? Should we send our child to an in-home daycare? Well, we really don't know that answer yet. BUT, we are interviewing a place later this week. We hear wonderful things about it... so we'll see!!!

In the meantime... we'll probably be posting a bit more often now that it's getting closer. So, stay tuned...

CCAA referrals... our time is coming

2010-03-06T13:41:00.004-06:00

CCAA has released it's latest round of referrals on March 1, 2010. We are pleased to tell you that CCAA has matched children with adoptive parents through April 11, 2006.

Our date is April 24, 2006, which means there are only 13 days between now and our date. We are hopeful we will receive our referral in June or July -- just four or five short months. Projections show that the next date of referrals (early April) will be matched through April 20. If that's the case, our referral would come as early as May.

It seems as though we will be parents this year. WOW!

Here are some links to those children who have been matched:

- Julie Jadyn (Password: juliesblog )
- FantasticFam4
- scandwaiting
- Lots of Love for Little Sister
- Sakana no ko
- Thomas Tales 3
- Cjhau

Stay tuned.

The rollercoaster ride continues...

2009-08-25T19:03:00.005-05:00

CCAA sent referrals out to those families that had LIDS (Log in Dates) of March 23rd and March 24th of 2006. So this was another small batch in terms of calendar days and a lot of disappointment out there among those families still waiting. The wait is currently 41 months and still growing. We hit our 40th month anniversary of our wait yesterday.

Yesterday, we spoke to both of our agencies (Lifelink--Illinois/Adoption Advocates--Michigan) regarding the need to update more paperwork. We will begin the process to request fingerprint renewal (fourth time) with Immigration in late September. Because we aren't sure of our referral date, both caseworkers recommend that we hold off on renewing a second document until January. There are some side items we can begin to work on while waiting for January to come along (complete physicals, letters of employment, background checks with the state of Michigan -- second time).

As we explained to both of our caseworkers, we have grown numb to the wait--it doesn't surprise us anymore---the maddening part of all of this is the fact that we have to keep renewing all of these documents and paying the fees because that wait has grown far beyond what anyone would have predicted 40 months ago. The form in January (that may or may not have to be pursued for the fourth time) requires a homestudy update. That homestudy update will verify that "yep, they are a year older and yep, they still don't have any children in their home" AND it doesn't even get sent to China to be attached to our dossier.

Both caseworkers have expressed that they have been getting nothing but "screamed at" by their waiting families. We aren't one of those families as this isn't something they can control. We simply explained to both of them that we would appreciate an update now and then, a phone call, an email, etc. Something that shows us that they know we are still waiting. After the fact that our file went (still is) missing, no contact from them makes us nervous.

We are inching closer...31 days ahead of us. Average days referred per month is currently four. We think they will finish March 2006 in October and then it will be on to our month, finally. If you take 31 and divide that by four, that's, roughly eight months... which means that we should get our referral toward the end of April 2010. We are still hopeful that the referral will be before then as April is not as large of a "batch" as March is.

referrals, referrals...

2009-07-23T19:11:00.004-05:00

Another round of referrals came out this past week. While they only referred children to adoptive parents with LIDs 3/21-3/22, it seems to have been a large batch.

March 2006 had a lot of families waiting for children. Once CCAA matches families with LIDs of April 5, we should see a slight speed-up (fingers crossed).

We are still hopeful for a December 2009 referral. In the meantime, let's celebrate those that received their referrals in this batch:

Waiting for Hope
Patiently Waiting for You
About One Year
Waiting on Emma
Anna Grace
Step by Step, Blog by Blog
Journey of Hope
Mission Safari
Meet the Harriss

It's really going to happen...

2009-06-27T11:27:00.003-05:00

Last week, CCAA matched families through March 20, 2006. That was six days since the last period, which is their average these days.

Here are links to blogs with photos of their new babies:

The Red Thread Journey
Alliegrace
Side of Fries
Our Journey to Hailey
Mommy Moon
Father Mother Sister Brother
Mix with Love
Little Sister Williams
At Last

Since there are 35 days between March 20 and April 24 (our LID), and CCAA is averaging six days every month, we are now anticipating our referral to come in six months... which is, roughly, the end of December.

If you look at the calendar and count six days for every month (and include weekends), it could work out something like this:

July = March 26
August = April 2
September = April 9
October = April 16
November = April 23
December = April 30***

So, we are hopeful to have our referral in December. It would really be neat to receive our referral between Dec. 18-25 since that is around my birthday, my moms birthday and my grandma's birthday.

We did receive news this week... we have yet another new caseworker. Lifelink (our Illinois agency) continues to redefine their responsibilities. Since we began this journey, we have had Meegan, Michelle, Laura, Michelle, Laura, Diane, and now Ann. We are hopeful our new social worker, Ann, will keep in communication with us as much as Laura did.

Our attitude toward the wait has now turned into one of "Oh my gosh, time is really ticking."

It's really becoming (or seeming like) a reality. We had the room painted last month. We cleared out the room to make room for the crib. Cleaned the carpet. Next step is really going to be setting up the crib, which is something I really can't wait to do. However, it still seems too early.

We do need to start thinking of purchases... crib mattress, stroller, car seat, etc. Those are the big things left to buy, I think. Any suggestions or ideas are certainly welcome!

Just an update

2009-05-21T20:41:00.003-05:00

CCAA has sent out referrals today confirming that they have matched children to parents logged in through March 14, 2006. Today we get to mark 6 days off of the calendar. On Sunday, we have officially waited 37 months...unbelievable.

Average days per month is 5 days, so at this point, we are anticipating our referral January/February of 2010. Rumor has it that another batch of referrals will come out in the next 2 weeks or so. The batch today was late because of the H1N1 Virus--just another delay to add to our list (Earthquake, Olympics are coming, Earthquake, Olympics are here, H1N1).

We are really hoping for one batch of more than 6 days between now and November. It can mean the difference of receiving a referral in December rather than January or January rather than February. The closer we get to the end of the year brings new forms to renew (one for the third time and one would be for the fourth time).

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. It is supposed to be beautiful here in mid-Michigan. Kevin and I are going to research ways to get rid of the ground bees that are living in our backyard...we have located one of the holes (there are many). If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know...but getting a dog isn't one of them.

Yet another year of waiting...

2009-04-24T18:55:00.003-05:00

Three years ago today...

We got in a line for adoption with China. The wait at the time was expected to be six to eight months long. Two years ago the wait was 17 months long and a year ago was updated to be 27 months long. Today the wait is 37 months long and growing with each passing month.

This is what we know today
1. Referral and travel dates are still a mystery
2. There are only 47 days ahead of us in line. (Progress is being made considering a year ago there were 104 days ahead of us)
3. The name
4. We will probably have another Christmas without being a family of three.
5. We are anticipating our 4th fingerprint renewal by the end of 2009 because as we have said before, they change...WHATEVER.
6. Our original file is still somewhere between Chicago and Detroit, but we were allowed to recreate our file for Michigan in order to get fingerprinted for the third time--Good times!
7. We will probably have to renew another form for the fourth time if we haven't traveled and returned to the US by 4/24/10.
8. We finally spoke to someone with our placing agency (Rockford, IL) after 5 months of no contact and learned that the other 2 couples in our original group are still in the group.
9. We had the room painted to the color we have been carrying around for 3 years-- Ralph Lauren--Duchess Lilac.
10. We are still the only home on our block that does not have a child.

Early rumors for the next round of referrals indicate they might reach 3/14/06 which would be a SIX day referral month. Won't know for sure until later next week. We can only hope.

There is a site those that are involved in China Adoption often refer to known as Rumor Queen...we remember a few years back reading one of her projections when the slow down began. The projection on her site at that time indicated that based on our LID (Log In Date-4/24/06) our referral would come February of 2010...and we thought that was crazy...only to be sitting here now, facing the reality that it actually might come true.

Not much else to say. We have now waited the same amount of time that we spent trying to have children via IVF...who would have thought International adoption would have taken longer. We didn't.

2009-04-04T10:18:00.002-05:00

We just updated our calendar to the left as CCAA finally updated theirs. It's been more than a month since they've updated their records showing the dates of families who have been matched. It is still hovering around two-to-four days per month of matching. So, with 49 days ahead of us (including the two we think they matched from this past month), at an average of three days per month of matches, our referral would come in 16 months or June 2010. Jenn will turn 40 at that time.

---------------

Nothing overly new is going on with us in this beautiful Spring. Both of us have been working a TON. Jenn's down a body at work and I'm, well, down several bodies with some furloughs mixed in. BUT, we still have our jobs and continue to ask for more responsibility to ensure some type of security (does that even exist any more?)

---------------

Our beloved Spartans are Motown Bound today for the Final Four... and YES, I do know what that means! GO SPARTANS! We will be watching the game... and not just for the commercials. :)

It wasn't true!

2009-01-22T17:29:00.002-06:00

The matches have come out and CCAA matched referrals for two days in March. But, now we have only 53 calendar days left!

Notice the calendar to the left has been updated...

Could it be true?

2009-01-18T10:11:00.002-06:00

There's a rumor out there saying there's a very, very, very, very slight chance CCAA will get to March 24 in matching. The rumor is based on the near doubling of the orphanage fee. We should know, hopefully, by the end of this week if it's actually true.

Happy New Year... will 2009 be the one?

2009-01-10T18:44:00.006-06:00

We think so. Emphasis on the word "think."

Not too much is really new on our end. We had a nice visit with Kevin's family in Springfield, MO over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Christmas and New Year's were both quiet and enjoyable without any travel. We spent the time in Michigan with colds. That's what we got for the holidays!

We both have decided to have a healthier lifestyle in 2009. So, we've been eating much better and exercising. In fact, we purchased the Wii Fit; now we just need the Wii! They've told us it's harder to find the Wii Fit than it is to find the Wii, so we bought it one day walking into Best Buy as they were unpacking. Of course, we have been on the hunt for a Wii without much luck.

There has not been much movement on the adoption; however, it seems as though we should get our referral this year. If you notice to the left of the site, we've added two calendars, March and April of 2006. CCAA has referred children to those families that were logged in through February 28, 2006. Our LID is April 24, 2006 (notice the yellow background with the ladybug on it.)

There are now 55 days until CCAA matches our LID. That's good news!

They are averaging six days of referrals every month. If you take 55 days and divide that by the average of six, we are looking at 9.2 months until we receive our referral. We are hopeful that our referral will come in September/October 2009. So, that's good news!

We've begun talking about starting the room as it seems like it's getting closer... and nine months isn't too far away. I'm sure it will fly by.

Our next steps are to continue saving for the referral. The orphanage fees have nearly doubled among other fees.

Not sure if you remember, but our file was lost between Illinois and Michigan. That has since been resolved. Honestly, we still don't understand how and why, but we were able to recreate a new file in Michigan; therefore, our original file is still MIA. While we're not happy about it, there's nothing we can do about it.

Please check back more often than you have, now, as we will be updating more frequently this year than last.

Here's hoping to a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Happy 14th Anniversary!

2008-10-19T18:04:00.013-05:00

On Wednesday, we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe we've been married for 14 years!

On Friday, we went up north and spent the weekend in Traverse City, MI. Here is the view from our hotel...

On Saturday morning, we went to the end of the Mission Peninsula. Here is the view from the Lighthouse...

After leaving the lighthouse, we stopped off to get a view of the colors and vineyards... Here's happy Jenn...

After Mission Peninsula, we spent time between many different towns... Elk Rapids, Charlevoix and Petoskey. Here is the view from Petoskey...

On Sunday morning, we woke up early and ate at the Omelette Shoppe & Bakery in Traverse City. OUTSTANDING!!! Then left there and drove to northwestern Michigan around Crystal Lake and sat on the beach of Lake Michigan and saw the Point Betsie Lighthouse...

After leaving there, we drove the remainder of the way home... through Manistee and Ludington. While those two towns were not as fun as the TC area, the drive was absolutely beautiful...

We had a lot of fun!

Enjoy the shots...

Hillary in Michigan...

2008-09-27T15:07:00.011-05:00

Here she is, waving to me!

Growing numb...

2008-08-24T19:06:00.013-05:00

They say blogging is most effective when you do it regularly. It's our policy at the newspaper that bloggers post two-to-three times per week to make it effective. Interestingly enough, we don't follow the guidelines that are set in place at work for this blog.

So the question is... why?

Perhaps it's a lack of time.
Perhaps it's the fact that we don't have anything to say.
Perhaps it's hard to focus on something that we have absolutely no control over so we avoid it.

I s'pose the latter is the most appropriate. After all who wants to think about something that you want but can't have until your time is up... without any control... no opportunity for persuasion... absolutely no way of tipping your waiter to get a better table. You get my point.

Well, today is our 28th month anniversary to our LID. I know it's stupid that we know these things... but we count things... our ages... our years together... the gasoline prices... the number of hours we work... our stock prices... so it's no surprise that we count our adoption anniversary.

Of course, I can't sit here and say that nothing has happened over the past four months.

My parents and I drove to Springfield, MO to visit my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew...

Jenn's brother and his two boys came to visit us...

And, of course, spent time with friends and hung around the state of Michigan.

The most disturbing thing that's happened is that our immigration file is missing. Yes... MISSING! Since we left the state of Illinois and moved to the state of Michigan, we had to have our file transferred. Makes sense. Well, when our fingerprints expired toward the end of June and we never received an invitation from the state of Michigan to get them redone... we started asking questions. Ended up getting Congressman Rogers' office involved... then got Senator Stabenow's office involved. Both from Michigan.

The purpose was to open an investigation for the Detroit office to audit all files in hopes of finding ours. The final determination that our file is not in Detroit came down last week. Letrice Bonner, the Congressional liaison specialist with the Department of Homeland Security writes: "... informed me once again that he does not have their file which was supposedly transferred from Chicago." She goes on to say, "if they like, they could just send copies of the original submission with an updated home study and a receipt notice and he can adjudicate the case then."

Isn't that just wonderful news? We can merely send copies to the Detroit office and not worry anymore.

Well, I don't know about you but I really am not thrilled with the fact that copies of our birth certificates, marriage license, tax returns from the previous year, and our original home study is MISSING!

Do I have a right to be irritated? Or should I be thrilled that we can just send copies of these documents to Detroit and have a complete file for immigration which falls under homeland security?

Obviously, we're making the copies... but what about our personal information just floating around... lost. In this age of identify theft... all we need to do is make copies... no worries. "We'll get your file all set up, Mr. McFatridge."

We have contacted Congressman Manzullo's office in Illinois to investigate if Chicago immigration actually did send our file to Detroit. Still awaiting results on that one.

Our caseworker in Illinois said that they just slap a first-class stamp on these files and take them to the post office. NO TRACKING NUMBER. NO CERTIFIED MAIL. NO SIGNATURE UPON RECEIPT. NO NOTHING. Perhaps it's our fault. We should have asked. Or, we should have just gone to Chicago and picked up the file ourselves? I don't know. Hindsight is always 20/20. But we're in yet another predicament. OH wait, did I mention that we couldn't pick up our own file because we could "alter the information." Hmmm... what's happening now? We could alter the information.

They say that adoption is very stressful and a lot of people drop out or just can't take the bureaucracy. We really have been more frustrated with the steps taken rather than the stress or bureaucracy of the whole thing. But this last part has really taken it's toll on us. Both of us.

Our friends are telling us... it's worth the wait. Or, you'll get through it. Or, whatever... Well, let me tell you... it's not helping. It's taking us to a whole new place right now. One of numbness. And, that's not good.

The two couples we started this whole journey with, both now have their second child. One is from Korea... one is special needs from China. Both are absolutely gorgeous. But I'd be lying to you right now if it I said it didn't hurt. But what can we do?

So... we continue to move forward with our lives. We eat, sleep, work and have fun. That's all we can do, I guess. Just knowing you're all there for us is enough. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers to help us through this difficult time.

We are thankful for each other, our health and, of course, our friends and family.

One piece of sweet news is that our friends' sister sent us a beautiful quilt... out of the blue... we LOVE HER!

Peace!

Two years ago today...

2008-04-24T19:46:00.002-05:00

We got in a line for adoption with China. That line at the time was expected to be six to eight months long. The line a year ago was updated to be 17 months long. Today that line is 27 months long and growing with each passing month.

One year ago today this is what we knew
1. We had no idea when we would get our referral
2. We had no idea when we would travel (see number one)
3. The name
4. Anticipating our first Christmas as a family
5. We would see the Talleckson's and Ventura's with their daughters
6. Katelyn Ventura is a ham
7. We were in the chat rooms thanks to Mellissa and we were angry
8. We attended a parent training class
9. The wait was getting tremendously longer and we were getting angry
10. The Talleckson's brought Sofia home and she is a sweet little girl

This is what we know today
1. Referral and travel dates are still a mystery
2. We are part of a Lansing area waiting families group, one of the couples in our group should be receiving a referral with the next batch, they missed the cut-off by one day, so they are definitely next.
3. The name
4. Christmas as a family of three seems far far away
5. We see the Talleckson's and Ventura's every now and then with the girls. The Ventura's are adding a second daughter to their family this spring. They are adopting a special needs child from China. Vince will be heading to China again to meet their daughter and bring her home.
6. Our file is somewhere between Chicago and Detroit, we hope.
7. We will have to be fingerprinted for the third time this summer for the Department of Homeland Security because, you know, they change...WHATEVER!
8. As of today, there are 104 days ahead of us in line.
9. Our placing agency received referrals last month for 4 families, three of the four were referred a boy...which gives us something new to think about.
10. We are the only home on our block that does not have a child.

Some things that we have done or have happened in the past year:
We finished remodeling our Rockford home, only to put it on the market 60 days later
We lived in separate states for 5 months
We have celebrated 13 years of marriage
We have sold our home in Rockford (one of the lucky ones)
We bought a home in DeWitt, (the land of plenty, wanting for more)
We shoveled our way out of a long Michigan winter (we hope its true that this was unusual)
Attended two MSU games, one football, one basketball.
Attended theatre performances at MSU
Attended the East Lansing Film Festival
Jenn was promoted to Accounting Manager and is supervising people from home
Jenn is taking golf lessons
Kevin has been working a lot, getting things situated

Not much else has been happening, which is why we haven't been updating this site as often as we were in the past.

We can't believe it has been two years already. With an average of 7 days of referrals each month, we can only expect to wait another 14 months from now for referral. We hope it gets better, but it doesn't look promising.

"China Ghosts"

2008-01-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things about moving to a new area is meeting new people, neighbors and friends.

Of course when you're meeting these folks, the interview process always begins... where are you from; why did you move here; what do you do; and, then the question always arises... do you have any children.

Depending on my mood, I'll answer one of two ways: "not yet" or "we're currently in the process of adoption." If I answer the latter, then one of two directions will always ensue, either questions like... from where? boy or girl? how old will they be? how long until you get your child?; or, they'll begin a story about a friend or acquaintance they knew that adopted.

Toward the end of the conversation something always happens that typically irritates the living crap out of me. Folks always go down the road of... that's a noble thing you do; or, I've always respected adoptive parents.

I'm not 100% sure why that always irritates me, but I think it probably has something to do with how selfish we, adoptive parents, are. I mean... we're the ones that want a child; we're the ones that are taking the child out of their own habitat; we're the ones that are fulfilling our dream.

In fact, it's the children that are the brave. I just can't imagine being forcibly removed from the only life I've ever known. These children are the ones that are leaving the only country, culture, smells, etc... all by force. All because of selfishness.

I suppose one could say that we will be providing a better life for the children. I get that. I've heard and read stories about adoptive parents in China receiving their children and the public will walk up and pinch the baby's nose and say "lucky baby, lucky baby." I guess I just hope they respect their Chinese heritage and culture as well as their American heritage and culture. I don't ever want our child to be insensitive to China nor its way-of-life.

For those of you in the adoption community, you've probably guessed that I'm in the middle of reading a wonderful book titled "China Ghosts." It's written by Jeff Gammage, an adoptive father of two Chinese girls; and it is written from the father's point-of-view. This book shares the exact feelings I have about this entire parental process... from not wanting children, originally, to falling in love with a child I've never met nor seen to something I have yet to experience.

I'm finding myself wanting to share this book with everyone that asks questions about this process. It's that good; and, I'm only half-way through it.

*****

We don't know any more news about the wait; other than the latest rumors, which seem to include 12/22/06 LIDs.

We are meeting with our post-placement caseworker on Tuesday to get the ball rolling on moving our file from the Chicago USCIS (United State Citizenship and Immigration Services) to Detroits. This typically takes about two months to complete. We've heard that the Detroit office is the worst in the country to move a file to/from. We're holding out for a positive experience.

*****

Jennifer had two of her wisdom teeth pulled last Thursday. She's doing surprisingly well.

*****

We're sick of the snow!

Happy Christmas...

2007-12-24T18:30:00.000-06:00

At this time every year, we sit back and reflect upon the previous year.

It seems that this has been a busy one for both of us....

In December 2006, Jenn's father moved to Rockford with us.
In January, Jenn started a new job with the Deluxe Johnson Group.
In February, we were still thinking we would receive our referral in 2007.
In April, we celebrated our one year anniversary of our LID.
In April, our kitchen remodeling was finally completed.
In May, the Rockford Register Star sold to GateHouse Media.
In June, we put the house on the market and Kevin saw Gwen Stefani in concert.
In June, we celebrated being out of review and realized we would not get our referral this year.
In June, Jenn celebrated her 37th birthday.
In June, Kevin started a new job in Lansing, MI
In July, Kevin went to BolognaFest in Yale, MI and truly became a Michigander.
July and August were a blur.
In September, Jenn's father went into the hospital and we realized then that he needed more care than we could provide.
In September we received the only offer on our Rockford property in a rapidly declining housing market. WOO HOO
In October, Jenn's dad made his permanent residence in a nursing home in Chicago.
In October, we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary... apart.
In October, the movers packed up our house.
In November, we closed on the Rockford property and on our new home in DeWitt, MI.
In November, we went to the MSU vs. UM football game. Our first sporting event as Michiganders.
In December, we went to the MSU vs. NC State basketball game. Our second sporting event as Michiganders. NOTE: Kevin has been to more sports games this year than in the previous 10 years.
In December, Kevin celebrated his 36th birthday.

December is nearly gone and we're exhausted! It has been a roller-coaster of a ride this past year and that was just with Jennifer. No, seriously, it has been a hard year and one we are glad is nearly gone.

Today, on this Christmas Eve, we realize it's our 20 month anniversary of our LID. We both feel blessed; however, it is hard to go through these holidays without our child. We know there will be a happy ending, but getting to that point is not always clear, easy, or fun. It is hard to even guess when our referral will come to us. Some think it will be in the fall; some think it will be next winter; and, yet, some think it will be in the spring of 2009. We're, obviously, hoping for 2008. Our goal was to travel before the Olympics (8/8/08) and now, we will travel after.

The next steps for us in the adoption process is to meet with a local agency in Michigan. We have decided to partner with Adoption Advocates of, get this, Rockford, MI. They will be our post-placement agency; however, Lifelink will remain our placing agency. We have already made contact and will get the ball rolling after the holidays.

We are in love with our new home, here in Michigan. Here is a link to view the pictures. Mom, Larry, call me when you can't figure it out.

Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year.

Love,
Kevin & Jennifer

Greetings from DeWitt, MI

2007-11-18T17:35:00.000-06:00

After four days, we are settled in our new home, sort of. We have unpacked all of the boxes and need to hang pictures, photos, etc. That's it. Then we're done! So far, we love the house. As soon as the rooms are set, we'll take photos and upload them onto the blog.

====================

Our hearts go out to the Sheldon family. If you haven't heard, Sandi and Dennis went to China to meet their daughter, Hannah, and bring her home. While in China, Dennis passed away due to diabetes. It just so happens that we know the Sheldons as they are/were part of the waiting families group here in Lansing. For more on the story, click here.

====================

The latest round of matches took us through December 8, 2005. Our LID is April 24, 2006. Eight days is the most we've seen since March 5, 2007. So, hopefully, we'll see an increase in referrals over the next few months.

On the not-so-encouraging news, our adoption agency, Lifelink, met with CCAA directors and they said that China has opened up the purse strings on the one-child policy in the rural areas. Which means there are fewer children that are abandoned. They also said there is an increase in domestic adoptions within China. The China officials did not indicate there would be a speed up any time soon.

Sparty on...

2007-11-04T14:22:00.001-06:00

We officially closed on our Rockford, IL property at 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 2.

WOO HOO!

Jenn permanently joined me in Lansing as of 11 p.m. that evening.

On Saturday we went to the MSU vs. UM game at Spartan Stadium. We tailgated beginning at 11 a.m. and the game started at 3:30 p.m. It was a good time. We had pretty good seats, 13 rows from the field on the MSU end zone. Even though the Spartans lost, it was a pretty cool experience. Check out the photo gallery on greenandwhite.com.

Today we spent the day shopping for furniture for our new house... to no avail. We close in 10 days. We can't wait to get out of our apartment. The Cooley Law students screaming in the hallway at 2 a.m. is getting old! Or are we getting old?

That's it from Michigan. The weather is brisk but beautiful.

October is a time of change and anniversaries...

2007-10-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend was bittersweet. It was my last trip to Rockford... to help pack up the house and to say goodbye. We've lived and worked in Rockford for three years; made a lot of great friends; and really fell in love with the community. While we are excited about the next phase of our life, it's difficult to leave the routine we've had.

This past week, Jennifer and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary (October 15th). Hard to believe we've been married for 13 years. We've moved seven times. This latest move will be the eighth. Holy crap! We've resigned ourselves to the fact that we are getting too old to be doing this again!!!

Here's our schedule:
October 30: the movers pack up our Rockford house
October 31: the movers load the truck
November 2: close on the Rockford home
November 2: Jenn moves to Lansing
November 14: close on our home in DeWitt, MI
November 15: movers deliver our furniture
November 16: movers unpack our boxes

Yes, we have found a home in DeWitt, MI. Here's a picture of the outside:

On Wednesday, October 24, we celebrate (???) our 18 month anniversary of our LID (April 24, 2006). The wait is still growing; however, November 2005 LIDs are DONE! This is, hopefully, a positive sign. We have read that there were an astronomical number of dossiers in November 2005. This is all rumor, but December, January, and February are much smaller than what November was. The next highest month is March 2006 -- of course, as we are April 24, 2006.

Here's hoping to a speed-up in referrals, a safe move and a good start to our life in Michigan!!!

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my...

2007-09-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

Jenn came to stay with me this past week in Lansing. This wasn't just her first full week in the area, but it was her first week working remotely for Johnson Press. It was really nice to have her here. But, as all good things come to an end, she leaves for Rockford today.

Monday, September 24 marks the 17th month (from LID) we've been waiting for our referral.

Also on Monday, Jennifer will be called by an accreditation committee for the Hague Convention. She will be asked questions regarding Lifelink's procedures, practices, etc. This is so Lifelink can continue to provide intercountry adoptions. It's a good thing we like our adoption agency!

Last night we went to the Potter Park Zoo for the annual Zoo Party. This is a gala event where they raise funds for the animals, kids and education. They had 26 different restaurants participating and various wine and beer stations throughout the Zoo. It was a fun time.

Wake us up when September ends...

2007-09-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's September. We can't believe it either!

Kevin is settling in with his new job in Lansing, MI; while Jennifer is still in Rockford, IL keeping the house up.

It's been difficult, to say the least. We see each other every other week and Jenn gets the added responsibility of keeping the entire house up. Before we would just split the work. Now, it's all on Jenn's shoulders, and she's thrilled about it.

We have had more than 70 groups of folks walk through our house and only a handful have come back for a second showing -- we're always the bridesmaid, never the bride. A lot of the folks that have walked through are either nosy neighbors or people who want to see the new Benson kitchen. At any rate, it's good for people to get the word out, right?

Each week we grow more and more frustrated that this house hasn't sold. But, it's our life right now and we'll get through it, right???

On the adoption front, we reached another milestone: 16 months of waiting. Because this has taken so long, we had to renew our I600A, which is a petition to bring an orphan into the United States, because it's only valid for 18 months. This is a one-time free pass due to the extended wait. So, if we have to wait another 18 months, we will have to pay for the next renewal.

It has taken CCAA one year's time to get through four months of LIDs -- July 22, 2005 through November 21, 2005. We're April 24, 2006. So, if recent history repeats itself, we'll be posting this same message in September 2008.

Typically, CCAA would get through 30 days of LIDs every month. Now the average is seven.

It is our understanding that November 2005 is a very big month, which is partly the reason for the slowdown.

Those folks out there that were complaining a year ago about the wait, just have absolutely no clue as to the frustration we are having right now. We have surpassed their waits and then some and now some more. And, at times, it's even difficult seeing them, talking to them, and/or hanging out with them. It's as if everyone around us have children and we don't. We are the minority, and it's completely beyond our control.

So, we've really tried to just step back. We're re-grouping and trying to come to terms with the fact that it will be late 2008/early 2009 before we meet our child. And, we're certainly not getting any younger!!!

We have had many conversations about switching countries/programs, but at this point, why? By the time we get our paperwork re-done for the new program/country, we would have waited the same amount of time. Make sense?

So, that's it.

We're frustrated... we're geographically separated... and we're alone.

[do you feel sorry for us yet?]

PS> do you know anybody that wants to buy a great, remodeled house in beautiful Rockford, IL?

Michiganian, I am...

2007-07-27T18:09:00.000-05:00

It's official! I can now add Michiganian to my resume!

From a Hoosier to New Yorker to Illinoisian to Michiganian, I have certainly gotten around!

No matter where you move, there is a certain point that you become one of them. It's something we've always said we won't do... but we always do. Today was my day.

I was traveling to Port Huron, MI today for a routine visit... talk about advertising, online content, etc. Then I got the opportunity to go to BolognaFest in Yale, MI. How could I have turned that up? BolognaFest?

Just the name took me back to my childhood. I remember having bologna sandwiches and fried bologna sandwiches practically every day. My mother said it was my grandmother who always made us eat bologna. Whatever the case... it was certainly a staple in my household.

So the ad managers decided to take me to the festival today for my childhood treat... and, treat it was! It had to be the best fried bologna sandwich I've ever had. Yale Bologna. I highly recommend it.

I was so excited about this that I was given the honor to wear the BolognaFest King crown. Yes, there's a crown. Apparently, the King and Queen are named for raising the most money to help fund the festival. For your viewing pleasure, I leave you with the photo.

In case you're wondering... it's a ring of bologna that's on the crown.

Enjoy!

Another month, another post...

2007-07-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a month since we last posted. How time flies...

I started my new job at the Lansing State Journal. It's going well... a lot of work! The worst part is just learning how everything is organized and structured and then changing it to what I think will be successful.

Jennifer and I try and see each other every other week; and, when we're together, it's really just the two of us. Nobody else really matters during that time. She's been to Michigan once and I just got home from Rockford tonight. It is really hard not to see each other every day.

We have had a ton of traffic on our house... but, we're always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Things have really slowed down over the past two weeks. We're hoping it's due to summer vacations and will pick up over the next couple weeks.

I've met with the waiting families group in Lansing. We typically meet for breakfast one time per month. They are a good group of people and will really be instrumental in helping us settled and welcome.

Change is good, right?

We're out of review... FINALLY!

2007-06-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

Today is a reason to celebrate. We are FINALLY out of the CCAA review room.

So, what does this mean? It means that we have been approved by China to adopt a child. Can you even believe that I made it through?

What it really means is that we'll be waiting, yet again!

Now that we've been approved, our dossier will move from the review shelf to the matching shelf. Our next step is the match.

Estimated timeframe would be at the earliest November 2007; realistically, Spring 2008.

The hardest part is saying goodbye...

2007-06-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

Let the goodbye's begin!

Yesterday we spent the afternoon swimming with Vince, Dani and Katelyn and Mellissa and Sofia (Steve had to work).

This is always the hardest part about relocating... saying goodbye. We met Vince and Dani, Steve and Mellissa through the waiting families group our agency hosts. The three couples instantly bonded. We're all in our mid-30s and have been able to complain about the wait and celebrate the referrals, placement and everything beyond very easily.

We were so hoping for our daughter to meet Sofia and Katelyn. And they will! Jennifer and I are adamant about the "girls" to meet. This isn't goodbye, it's "we'll see you later!"

For sale; No news; The Gwen; Party!

2007-06-09T18:23:00.001-05:00

Our house officially hit the Rockford real estate market this past Monday. We have done an awful lot of work to this house... there's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It will be very hard to leave.

There has been some activity with our home. We've had three showings in its first week and tomorrow is the first open house. Hopefully, it will sell quickly!

=========================

The May referrals came in on Wednesday. CCAA has placed children through November 7, 2005. They only got through six days and the reviews haven't been updated yet. So it goes.

The wait has officially hit the 19-month mark with this last batch of referrals. Which means, the earliest we would get our referral would be November 2007. But as each month comes and goes, the wait gets longer and longer.

==========================

To cope with the time, I went to the Gwen Stefani concert last night. It was a blast. Nancee, Lizzie and I went to Tinley Park and had a great time. I know, I know... I'm too old. But I had a lot of fun! The Gwen was all wound up, and so was I! Too much fun!

==========================

My last day at the Rockford Register Star was Friday. That wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. It is time to move on and face new challenges. I am on vacation for the next two weeks and will move to Lansing, MI on June 23. Jenn thinks that the reality hasn't hit me yet and probably will sometime next week. I have a lot of goodbye lunches scheduled... let's hope those I'm having lunch with will buy! My officially going away roast will be next Friday. God be with me (and them).

Decisions decisions

2007-06-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

Just an update...sorry it has taken so long to post, but we've been busy making some decisions.

We officially hit the 13-month mark on 5/24/07. This wait has been getting on our nerves and we have had discussions of switching to Vietnam. We requested some information from an agency that works directly with Vietnam so we could learn more about that program. The switching of countries has been discussed at great length on various sites we review - so we aren't the only ones thinking about it.

Another decision we have made is to move to Lansing, Michigan. Kevin has accepted a job with Gannett Michigan as the Regional Digital Director for five properties in Michigan.

We are in the midst of preparing our home to be placed on the market. It has only been six months since our kitchen was completed and two months since our family room was completed. As much as we will miss our home, we will miss our neighborhood more. We have only lived here just shy of three years and have met some wonderful people that live up the street. Kevin and I can only hope we end up in a similar neighborhood situation in Michigan. We will miss Brian and Jenny (and kids), Lance and Karen (and Jenna) and Mark and Nancee (and kids).

This decision was not an easy one for us as we are really quite invested in the area/community. We met Steve and Mellissa (daughter, Sofia) and Dani and Vince (daughter, Katelyn) through our waiting families group and have been friends ever since. These are two families that keep us hopeful for our adoption with China. It is wonderful to spend time with their girls and see the end result - it will happen. Since we are moving out-of-state, we will not be switching countries. We will do everything we can to introduce our child to Sofia, Katelyn and the Brigadoon clan.

This move has sparked questions about the adoption process and what does this mean for us? Our place in line remains the same. We will travel with the same group we have been with from the beginning - we haven't met any of them yet. One couple is from the Chicago area and it is our intention to connect with them before we travel and meet for dinner. We have to find an agency in Michigan that will update our home study once we find a home, they will update our financial information, guide us through any requirements the state of Michigan requires of adoptive parents and serve as post-placement agent. Post-placement is the follow-up with our child once we are home. This will go on for one year once we arrive home from China.

So, we may have to get fingerprinted---WOO HOO (I think this would be the fifth time) - again for DCFS, etc. We will be learning more as the summer goes on. The next batch of referrals from China should be arriving in the US next week... we are hoping to see that we are officially out of the review room and heading into the matching room. This will be the next milestone for us.

Fees for Immigration items go up officially on 7/30/07 and we have an item that we need to renew in Aug/Sept - this is the form that allows us to bring our child(ren) home. There was a petition to sign in April to plead our case with Immigration as to the rising costs of paperwork for something that is completely out of our control (THE WAIT). Kevin and I both signed the petition and wrote letters to the "powers that be"--and it was approved this week that those of us that are renewing this form will be allowed a one-time free renewal. Kevin thinks that the savings should go towards his FIRST CLASS TICKET TO HONG KONG.

This will be a busy summer for us with all of the changes coming our way.

We will blog soon when we know we are out of review - a huge reason to celebrate in our opinion.

One year ago today...

2007-04-24T19:35:00.000-05:00

One year ago today someone in China received our dossier and logged it in... that's the day we got in line.

What we knew then...
1. We would get our referral in February 2007.
2. Travel in March/April 2007.
3. The name.
4. Thoughts of our first Christmas as a family.
5. We met the Tallacksens and the Venturas. Here's to good friends...
6. The Ventura's received their referral photo of Katelyn.
7. We stayed out of the chat rooms, but got info from the Tallacksens. Mellissa was very angry.
8. We needed to attend our parent training course.
9. The wait was getting longer and Mellissa was even more angry.
10. The Pfeifer's brought their daughter, Allison, home.

What we know now...
1. We have no idea when we will get our referral.
2. We have no idea when we will travel (see number one).
3. The name.
4. Anticipating our first Christmas as a family.
5. The Tallacksens and Venturas have come and gone. No not really, we still see them with THEIR children!
6. Katelyn is a ham.
7. We're now in the chat rooms (thanks, Mellissa). Now we're angry.
8. We attended our parent training course.
9. The wait is getting TREMENDOUSLY longer and we're getting even more angry.
10. The Tallacksen's brought their daughter, Sofia, home. Sofia is precious.

We celebrated our year wait by seeing Billy Joel in concert last night in Chicago. Today, we had Chinese food. Here are our fortunes:
Jennifer: You are going to have a very comfortable retirement.
Kevin: It is better to get something done late than never.

Not exactly the fortunes we were hoping to receive.

Here's what we've done in the past year:
1. Remodeled our kitchen.
2. Installed new windows.
3. Finished the landscaping.
4. Installed new flooring in our family room.
5. Painted the family room and kitchen.
6. Bought a crib.
7. Bought a dresser.
8. Bought a bookcase.
9. Bought girlie clothes.
10. Bought books.
11. Bought diapers (yes, we're stocking up).
12. Bought art.
13. Jenn got a new job.
14. Move Jenn's dad to Rockford.
15. Drank.
16. Went to Colorado to visit the Taulmans.
17. Started the blog.
18. Started the 100 wishes quilt.
19. Bought a camcorder.
20. Bought a king-size bed.
21. Jenn had knee surgery.
22. Started and finished our travel immunizations.
23. Celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss.
24. Celebrated our first Chinese New Year.
25. Read about the new CCAA rules (which will not impact us).

That's about it for us. Will post soon!

What can we say???

2007-04-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

This just sucks. Can you even believe it? CCAA got through two days of LIDs. That's right... TWO days.

It's pretty much official... our child will come next year.

What the #$%^&*?

.

CCAA, throw us a bone, will ya?

2007-03-17T19:21:00.000-05:00

It's March and we keep wondering if our child has been born yet. This is when the wait begins to get tough for us. All along, we've been busy remodeling, working, and planning. Now that we feel as though we have a lot accomplished, we now keep thinking about "starting" our family.

Our frustration continues to grow since CCAA announced the latest round of referrals. If you haven't heard or seen, they matched families with orphans through LIDs of October 24, 2005. The prior round of matches ended on October 13, 2005 -- which means CCAA only got through 11 days of referrals. The reason why our frustration is growing is because referrals typically only happen once a month. October 2005 will take three months to complete. Our LID is April 24, 2006 -- which is six months from October 2005. If you have already done the math, you'll know that would be another 18 months until we get our referral. UGH! UGH! UGH!

We hate to keep bringing this up, but when we began this process we were told the wait was six months from LID -- which means we would have had our referral in October 2006; and traveled in November or December 2006. But, we completely understand that this is not Lifelink's fault as that was the expected wait at the time of application. As the demand/popularity grew for China adoptions, so did the wait. Of course, it also didn't help that there aren't enough children to be adopted at this present time.

So, what's our best guess for referral/travel? We absolutely have no idea. We have been told that this is a cyclical process and should (emphasis, should) speed up. We are still hopeful that our referral will come this year. We're still hoping for the Fall. But, you never know. If things speed up enough, it could be summer. You just never know.

But we do wonder if our child has been born or conceived.

Not the best of news, but since the wait has gotten as long as it has, our fingerprints with Immigration expire on May 11, 2007. Which means, we have to request for an invitation to get re-fingerprinted. This request also includes a cashiers check of $140. Additionally, our I600A expires September 24, 2007. This form allows us to bring our child home -- into the United States of America. If we do not travel by the end of July, we will have to renew this form. Which means, we have to send a cashiers check for $545 to the Department of Homeland Security -- thank you President Bush! Let's hope when Hillary gets into the Oval Office, this will change! I'm sure it will as she is all about the people... not the money.

Now that I've got that out of my system... we have been busy purchasing furniture for her room. We did buy the crib and bedding a few months back as they were on clearance (bargain shoppers extraordinaire!). We have recently purchased a bookcase and dresser from the Land of Nod.

The flooring in our family room will be installed on Friday, April 6 -- that is if the floor is not on backorder any more. We are extending the kitchen wood laminate flooring. We found an almost perfect match, so we're thrilled.

We thought we'd leave you with two images... we have talked about the turkeys that roam our neighborhood. Thanks to cellular technology, we were able to snap a couple of photos, proving that there are a flock of turkeys in our neighborhood...

Happy New Year!

2007-02-17T17:51:00.000-06:00

Chinese New Year, that is.

Beginning today, 2007 is the Year of the Pig.

According to the Chinese Culture Center, people born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don't make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don't talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well informed. Boar people are quick tempered, yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep.

==========================================

Click here to read more about how China celebrated the new year.

Click here to watch a video as to why this is the Year of the Golden Pig.

Getting closer... sort of

2007-02-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

We're getting closer to the review room.

Our LID was April 24, 2006 and CCAA has approved those dossiers with a LID up to March 22, 2006. It took CCAA three months to review dossiers from February 1, 2006 to March 22, 2006.

CCAA has also matched families with LIDs through October 13, 2005.

Congratulations to those who have received their referrals...

kb8wfh
Katiebugs Journey
Natalie
Jessica Faith
Frostography
Our Journey to Marlee
Three Peanuts
Belzma
Journey to Jaci
Granola Girl
Luckiest Mama
Jonna & Joelle
Red Thread Kid
and Autumn makes six
MUSIC Journey to Ainsley
Our Adoption Blessings
A China Journey
Katie Mei
Eliana Joy
Emmalis
Karenca
It’s time to fly….
Born in Our Hearts
Kimber
Hope in China
Mia2me
Baby Venn
Bringing Home Hua Feng
Thomas Blog
MUSIC China Stork
Bottles and Bones
Kaffee Klatsch
Bringing home Hannah
The Stephensons
Bringing Libby Home
Adoption Journey
Bamps_poelmans
China or Bust
Kristinsiemon
Silk Road to Siena
Love Internationale

You may have also heard about the new China adoption rules. Luckily for us, we are grandfathered in. The only new rule that would affect us is the BMI issue -- we'd have to lose a few lbs. The official rules are:

-- At present, the number of adoption application documents that the China Centre of Adoption Affairs (hereafter referred to as CCAA) receives is increasing very fast. However, the limited number of Chinese children available for inter-country adoption is far from being able to meet the demand of families from overseas. The CCAA maintains, in accordance with the principle of protecting the best interests of children in the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (hereafter referred to as Hague Adoption Convention), that adopters in the following conditions answer better to the spirit of Hague Adoption Convention and the provisions of adoption law in both China and your country, and are able to offer the Chinese children adopted the best possible environment to grow in. It is our hope that you read this letter attentively, screen the families and give priority to those in the following conditions, and submit the adoption application
documents for them:

--The CCAA first accepts and reviews adoption applications of foreign adopters who are qualified with the following conditions from the day of 1st May 2007, and then makes placement of adoptees with them. Adoption applications of the other adopters who are not qualified will be put into considerations after all the cases of the qualified have already been dealt with.

I. The adopters are a couple of one male and one female with a stable marital relationship. In case that both the husband and the wife do not have any ex-marriage, the length of marriage has to reach two years. In the case either the husband or wife has ex-marriages (not more than 2), the length of the current marriage has to reach 5 years.

II. Both the husband and wife have reached the age of 30 and are under 50. For adoption of special needs child, both of them should have reached the age of 30 and are under 55.

III. Both the husband and wife are fully healthy physically and mentally, and do not have the following conditions:

1. AIDS;
2. Mental handicap;
3. Infectious disease within infective stage;
4. Binocular blind or binocular parallax or monocular blind and with no ocular prosthesis;
5. Binaural hearing loss or language function loss; adoption of special needs children who have identical conditions will be exempt from this limitation;
6. Afunction or dysfunction of limbs or trunk caused by impairment, incompleteness, numbness or deformation; severe facial deformation;
7. Severe diseases which require long term treatment and which affect life expectancy, like malignant tumor, lupus erythematosus, nephrosis, epilepsy, and ect.;
8. Post-surgery of major organs transplantation, not yet 10 years;
9. Schizophrenia;
10. Medication for severe mental disorders, like depression, mania, or anxiety neurosis and etc. stopped not more than 2 years;
11. BMI > or = 40.

IV. Either the husband or wife holds a stable occupation. The family annual income reaches $10,000 for each family member including the prospective adoptee and the family net assets value should reach $80,000. The family annual income does not include welfare income, like relief fund, pension, unemployment insurance, or government subsidy, and etc.

V. Both the husband and wife have received education of or above the level of senior high school, or vocational skills training of the same level.

VI. The number of children in family under the age of 18 years does not reach 5, and the youngest one should have reached the age of 1 year. Adoption of special needs children will be exempt from the limitation of “the number of children in family under the age of 18 years does not reach 5″.

VII. Both the husband and wife have never come under any criminal sanction. And they behave honorably with good moral characters and abide by regulations and laws. Both of them do not accord with the following situations:
1. Have a history of domestic violence, sex abuse, abandonment or abuse of children (even if they are not consequently arrested or criminated);
2. Have a history of taking narcotics like opium, morphine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and etc. and medication for mental diseases, with are able to arouse addiction among human beings;
3. Have a history of alcohol abuse and have given up drinking not more than 10 years ago.

Adoption application will be given consideration on a case by case basis when either the husband or wife has less than 3 criminal records of slight severity with no severe outcomes, and the time for correction of wrong has reached 10 years, or has less than 5 records of traffic law violation with no severe outcomes.

VIII. The adopters are able to have a correct cognition of adoption, and expect to provide a warm family for the orphaned children (or children with handicap and disability) via adoption and to meet the needs of the children adopted for the sake of a good development of them. They have a correct cognition of inter-country adoption as well, and are fully mentally-prepared for the potential risks within inter-country adoption and for the situations of children adopted as potential diseases, developmental delays, post-placement maladjustment, and etc.

IX. The adopters make in the adoption application letter clear promise of being able to accept post-placement follow-ups and offer post-placement reports as required.

X. The fixed number of year or age that appears in this letter shall be dated from the day when the adoption application documents are logged in at the CCAA.

The CCAA expects sincerely to cooperate with you and to provide better services for the adopters and children adopted and to help the Chinese children adopted develop in a family full of happiness, love and understanding. Thank you very much for your understanding and assistance.

The CCAA is responsible for the interpretation of this letter. Agencies should direct any specific questions to China Centre of Adoption Affairs

2007 is full of changes... already!

2007-02-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's apparent that 2007 will be big changes for the McFatridge household.

Jenn started a new job as an accountant at the Johnson Group. The Johnson Group is a local printing company in Rockford that was just purchased by Deluxe - famous for their check printing operation. They are a publicly traded company and part of Jennifer's role is to help them become SOX compliant. This is a much more family-friendly environment for her as compared to where she was before. A much more relaxed atmosphere while still being challenged. So far, she is very happy.

Also new in 2007 is the fact that we moved her father to Rockford. It was becoming too inconvenient for her to drive two to three hours to NW Indiana and make sure he was doing what he was supposed to do; getting the attention he was needing. He is now in a great independent living facility in Rockford that is about two miles from our home. So far, he is very happy. This place is also serving as a social-outlet for him -- something he was really lacking in NW Indiana. He plays bingo on Mondays, watches movies on Fridays and eats whenever he wants. It's almost like being on a cruise ship.

We're hoping that 2007 will continue with major changes with the addition of our daughter(s). I say that with hesitancy because the wait is continuing to get longer. For me, frustratingly longer. When we started the process, it was a six-month wait (that would have been last October). Now it's up to a 16-month wait -- which is now the end of August, beginning of September. With travel in November or December. We're expecting the wait to become even longer than that. But still hoping that we will end our year as a completed family. But, who knows.

January referrals...

2007-01-07T16:30:00.000-06:00

We're a little past due, but there have been more referrals this past week.

Below are links of blogs with photos that you may visit:

Sink or Swim
My baby Ava
An Invisible Thread
Waiting for Emma
Our Journey to Margaret
On our way to China
The Story of Gracie
Gleason Journal
A Daughter
Eliana
Miah Miah Miah
Bringing Home Sophie
Adopting Mia
Goliath Family
Our Journey to Mylia
Waiting for Ping
Journey to Zoe
Journey to Kenzie
Journey to Elizabeth
Journey for Maggie
McFees Girl
Journey to Grace
Adopting Mia
Our Family Journal
Margaux
Jade Lin
Green Wooden Rooster

One of the blogs posted a photo of the newspaper's finding ads. Here's what it looks like:

In China, when a child is found, the orphanage must place what is called a finding ad in the local newspaper. This is used to, hopefully, find the birth parent(s). If the birth parent(s) do not come forward in a certain amount of time then that child is put up for adoption.

For adoptive parents, the finding ad is precious as it is the very first photo of the adopted child. There is even a store in Guangzhou that offers a service to get the finding ad.

Jenn made the Chicago Tribune...

2006-12-17T22:00:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know, we've been following Kelly Haramis' column on her - and her husband's - journey to adoption. Her latest story published last Sunday in the Trib and it focused on her referral. She finally knows what her daughter looks like!

Anyway, Jennifer emailed her a letter of congratulations and it published in today's Chicago Trib.

VERY COOL!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-17T21:20:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it's a week before Christmas! Where has the year gone?

We started 2006 in the process of filling out our paperwork and getting fingerprinted for our adpotion process. At that time, we were thinking we would have our child(ren) by now. My how things change.

We realized over the weekend how we haven't done any new updates in regards to adoption -- the original purpose of this blog. We got sidetracked with remodeling our kitchen. So, we wanted to take this opportunity to get back to the heart of our blog.

We're waiting! We're waiting! We're waiting!

We don't really know what else to say.

It's also hard for people who are not going or have not gone through this process to understand the issue with the waiting process.

So we want to try to explain...

It all boils down to one thing: there isn't enough supply to meet the demand. We've been told by our social worker that there are two families for every paperwork-ready child.

We were originally told that our wait would be six-to-seven months from our LID. Now, it's nearing the 15-month mark. We've also read on various blogs that it will approach 18-months from LIDs by Spring/Summer 2007.

In fact, we still haven't been approved by CCAA as they have only gotten through DTCs through January 2006 (we're April).

Our LID is April 24, 2006. At best, we'll get our referral toward the end of June/early July of 2007. At worst, it will be toward the end of October/early November of 2007. Obviously, we're hoping for the summer! We would really like to have our child(ren) home for the holidays. The 2007 holidays, that is.

It's now starting to get hard. The two couples that we met through our waiting families group have both received their daughters this year; and, we're the last of our inner-sanctum. While it's great to see up-close-and-personal how their daughter's have affected their lives positively, we're still pining away for our child(ren).

We're trying to keep a positive outlook. We will get the child(ren) that is(are) meant for us. As a matter of fact, that's one of the greatest [and weirdest] thing we see... how the children are matched perfectly with their parents. It seems as though they have the exact same personality traits as their adoptive parents. The kids haven't even been home or with their adoptive parents for six weeks and they are just the perfect match. It's so cool.

On Christmas Eve, we will have officially waited eight months, which is over the half-way point. And, if you get deeper into the thought process, our child(ren) have probably been born.

Here's hoping she's safe, warm and being well cared for...

It's done! It's done! We can't believe it's done!

2006-12-09T17:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's been more than two years in the making and three months of Hell! But, our kitchen is finally completed.

Check out the photos below...

Here is a look at our family room. The only things left to do in here are to convert the fireplace so you can see the arch, replace the ugly blue carpet with the wood laminate that's in the kitchen and hang drapes.

Only nine more days...

2006-11-26T17:54:00.000-06:00

and the kitchen project will be done. We think.

We expanded the kitchen project into our family room and spent the past four days painting the family room.

Our family room has cedar paneling that had been painted a stark white. We wanted to warm it up by painting it a tan color. We also had beams that are now painted a deep, dark brown. The room is finally warmed up and looks like a lodge. There are two things left to do to our family room: 1) flooring; 2) fireplace -- convert to gas and purchase a new screen. We've discovered that our fireplace opening is curved and not square; so we would like to enhance that feature.

Below are pictures of both our family room and kitchen. Our countertops, sink and faucet will be installed on Dec. 5. It will be a glorious day in the McFatridge household so that we will get our half bath back to its regular function.

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

So close...

2006-11-11T17:26:00.000-06:00

Well, our kitchen is nearing completion.

It has been two years in the making. In the Fall of 2004, Kevin Taulman and I began the process when we removed the drop-ceiling the previous owners installed.

I took the first step in becoming a man by purchasing a sawzall from Home Depot. I removed the hanging cabinets over the peninsula and its soffit with my new sawzall.

Then it sat for a year.

We bought lights and went to three different remodeling companies. Finally, we decided on Benson Stone. We worked with Kelly to design our new kitchen -- picked out cabinets and granite.

Hired a contractor.

Bought a faucet.

Hired an electrician.

Hired a second contractor.

Fired our first contractor.

Bought hardware for the doors.

Everything should be completed next week. THANK GOD!

We are so tired of the dust, everything on our dining room tables collecting dust, and cooking only with a microwave -- something my mother has mastered. Did I mention that we have to wash our dishes in the bathroom sink?

That just isn't right.

To view the photos, click HERE to view the slideshow.

Keeping you in the loop...

2006-11-03T21:24:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we picked up our 4-n-1 convertible crib we purchased back in July. (I know, it's too early, but we're having fun so leave us alone.) The local company has been holding it for us until we, well, actually Kevin, was ready to bring it home. The idea of purchasing it and bringing it home in the same day gave him some anxiety, so we waited for a while.

This whole process is strange at times. A lot of people become pregnant and have a rough idea of when the bundle of joy will arrive to sleep in the crib. So they can plan accordingly to get the room ready. We, on the other hand, really have no control over the timeframe.

Not that we don't have an idea, if we follow the most recent group of referrals time frame (13-14 months), we should find out who our child is sometime in the early Summer of 2007. But as we have been told... the wait could speed up as it is known for doing... so we could find out earlier.

A little adoption lesson for you... referral's (photo/name/estimated date of birth/basic medical information) come in based on LID (log-in date). We are logged in on 4/24/06. Everyone that has a LID between 8/10/05-8/25/05 was issued their referral on November 2, 2006. It is estimated that these folks who found out about their children this week will travel to China middle to end of December of 2006.

Most of these people have the rooms ready. We are following the timeframe Web sites that we use for information to help determine when we will start the room. As of today, the room will be set up probably in April (a one year anniversary of officially being "paperwork pregnant"). So for now, the box will remain closed and leaning against the wall of the designated room. It will give us something to look forward to doing in the Spring. So for now we will share photos of the boxes in the room. Click here to see what the finish looks like. They actually discontinued our model, which is why we got a deal on it... which is why we purchased it.

Another adoption update for you is that all paperwork has been reviewed for those with LID's through 1/31/06. This is an update we look forward to at the moment as it means they are only three months away from viewing our dossier.

Kevin made his first clothing purchase all on his own. They are brown camo pants that he thought this little one needed to have.

I have made a purchase of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish shirt as I would hope this little one will be an Irish football fan like me, Auntie Monica, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Jason and Papaw Dunn.

Congratulations to the following folks for their referrals...

Our next adventure

Are They All Yours

Our Journey to Madison Mei

San Diego Seigels

Our Daughter

Amy’s Space

Sebago Girl

The Three Miracles

Camille Chronicles

Three’s a Charm

Waiting for Michella

Lindsey’s MeiMei (Music)

Our Journey to Abbey Road

Journey to Emilia

Emily

To Tess & Back

Moon Pies and Moon Cakes

Our Family Journey (Music)

Malia

Caroline on my Mind

Our Journey to Baby Shanahan

Sara

Anniversary celebration...

2006-10-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary by the demolition of our wall between the kitchen and the family room. Let me tell you, this is a great way to really get your aggression out.

The first photo is of the back of the kitchen where we tore out our final soffit.

The second photo is of the the family room side of the wall where the pocket door is now exposed from the removal of the panelling.

The third photo is with all the panelling off the family room side of the wall.

Here is the wall with the panelling and the drywall off.

And the final two photos are with the framing around the pocket door completely gone. Such a difference.

It's quite amazing not having that wall there any more. It looks so different and really opens up the rooms into one big family area -- just in time for our family!

The electrician has installd three of the four can lights and the two lights over the peninsula. It's pretty cool to have more light in the kitchen. I can't wait to see the difference tomorrow after he finalizes everything.

I've now become the man on the "call a man" list.

Gobbledeegook

2006-10-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Jennifer and I went and received our first round of immunizations. We got Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Tetanus shots. WHOOPEE!

Needless to say, our arms hurt.

In 30 days we go for our next round of Hepatitis B and then five months from that date, we finish our Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B rounds.

Hopefully by then the wait may have sped up and we may know if we have to go for Typhoid and/or Malaria treatments.

We're still waiting to hear if I have to go for MMR -- mumps, measles and rubella. We've heard that children born in the early '70s didn't get the two shot treatment. I s'pose it's necessary to get the second shot now that we'll be going to China. So, I placed a phone call to my mother to find out who I should call as I knew she wouldn't remember. After a week, I should hear back from my pediatrician's office.

That's the latest adoption update.

The latest on the kitchen: Jenn and I finished tearing down our last soffit Thursday and Friday night -- with NO injuries to report. The electrician showed up yesterday and is finishing today. It's very nice to have more light already and he'll be adding four can lights today. CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT! It will certainly be a bright room once that's done. Next week the contractor comes to give the official start date.

Jenn and I will begin the wall-removal this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, tomorrow is our 12th wedding anniversary... my how time flies.

That's it for now...
Kev & Jenn

Never laugh at your husband getting hit...

2006-10-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

Another weekend of demo on Brigadoon. We are working on this kitchen in segments as we move towards our start date. Our contractor is going to stop by this week to take a look at the conduit we discovered in the soffits and to hopefully reveal our start date. The living with a kitchen that is spread out over 2.5 tables is getting old and I know I have a minimum of eight more weeks of this.

This weekend we finished removing the last of the upper cabinets and the soffit along the back wall and stove wall. As Kevin was pulling on some of the soffit over the stove, a large piece of it fell down from the ceiling and smacked him across the forehead. I asked if he was ok and he was, but I looked at him and told him that it was going to leave a mark. This made me think to Monday when everyone at work would be inquiring "What happened?" which made me laugh. He of course took it as though I was laughing "AT" him and I wasn't.

Anywho.

As we continued working to clean up as much as possible, we started using wire cutters to cut at the plaster grids along the wall and ceiling. Kevin decided to mow the lawn and left me to continue working with the plaster grids.
I was standing on a step stool in front of the sink and began to pull at some of the grid I had just cut when I lost my balance.

I fell and hit the countertop with the side of my face and chin, I landed on the floor supported by my right knee (the one I had surgery on eight weeks ago). Upon feeling that surge of pain, I ended up somehow having the right side of my head hit the handle on one of the cabinets which led to an immediate cone-shaped knot protruding from my head.

Surprisingly, you can only see a bruise on my knee just above the incision marks and one on my right arm. There are no bruises on my face, yet I have the sensation that someone struck the side of my face with a board and it is very sore. Kevin keeps testing me with questions such as "What year is it?", "Who is the President?", etc.

So, our plans for next weekend...remove this set of cabinets...which means more stuff to put on the table.

And if we can get to it..start the demo on the wall between the kitchen table and family room.

I often think back to almost 12 years ago when Kevin and I got married. He basically had little to no skills in the home improvement department and he will readily admit it. I tell the story every so often...when we lived in our duplex in Highland, IN when we first got married, he literally used a Hot Glue gun to hang up our current rods. Now look at him. He is equipped with a Sawzall, crow bar and a hammer among many other tools. He doesn't have a tool belt, but I think through this kitchen project, he certainly has earned one.

So the title of this post is correct...Never laugh at your spouse getting hit as it will come back to bite you in the a$$.

Email notifications...

2006-09-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

You now have the option to "subscribe" to our blog. Simply enter your email address to the left and you will receive our updates by email. This way you won't have to always check back and, perhaps, forget.

Have fun!

Referrals, referrals, everywhere...

2006-09-26T19:06:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all the families who have received their referrals this week!

Those that received there referrals...
1. Miya's Memoirs
2. Elsie Elsewhere
3. Waiting for Jade Eden
4. The Rachel Chronicles
5. Our Journey to China for Mia
6. Jean & Christopher's Baby Girl
7. Just Call Me Mama
8. Ladybug
9. Our Journey to Katelyn
10. Journey to Jinji
11. Journey to Dani
12. Pomegranate
13. Journey to Faith
14. David Kawada's Home Page
15. Journey to Mylee
16. Eliza's Story
17. Waiting for Lela Rose
18. Journey to Our Little Ladybug
19. Journey to Lauren
20. Kylie's web page
21. Waiting for Paige

This referral group includes LIDs from July 23 through August 9.

Shots, immunizations and disease... oh my

2006-09-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

It's at the point that we must start getting our immunizations for our trip to Hong Kong. Those include:

- Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
- Hepatitis B
- Malaria: - depending on which Province she's living.
- Typhoid - depending on which Province she's living.
- Tetanus

We're working with our insurance to find out what's covered and what's not. Most of them are NOT covered. The only ones that are covered are Tetanus and Hepatitis A.

Now, we're price shopping as to the cost of the others.

Right now the Hep B is $40 per shot and it's two shots; so a total of $160 for the both of us.

Hep A takes a little more than six months to complete -- which is why we need to start now.

Neither of us have had a Tetanus shot in years... so, it's time.

I'm thinking we'll take pictures of our shots and then post to the blog.

Tell us what you think?

And so it goes...

2006-09-16T17:33:00.000-05:00

We've been keeping ourselves rather busy lately... Kevin's been traveling for work a lot more than what he typically does. Jenn's been taking classes this summer to brush up on payroll laws and healing her knee from surgery.

We had five cubic yards of dirt delivered yesterday for our "hole" in the backyard. We've moved about half of it and we think the hole's filled. Who knows what we're going to do with the rest of it. Maybe we'll sell it on eBay?

We have had several adoption events lately... our adoption agency's and FCCs (Families with Children from China) picnics and our Waiting Families group. All were a lot of fun keeping up with where everybody is in their own process and, of course, googooing over the babies that have come home from overseas. It was really great to go to our adoption agency's picnic as we met other couples that were adopting from Korea, Haiti and other countries. It's just amazing how each country has the same but different process. Some require travel over to the country, others will fly into O'Hare. We just can't imagine driving to O'Hare and getting a child. As much as we are dreading the flight to China, we are excited about visiting that country.

We have received ten pieces for our 100 Wishes Quilt so far. I encourage you to take a sneak peak at them by clicking the link here or the static link under "Our Stats" on the left side of our site. We have set up a separate blog that is specific to the Quilt. This way, you will be able to visit it as often as you like for updates.

The wait for our referral is still rather long. We are nearly six months into our wait and have about six to eight more to go. Boy has it gone fast. But, again, we're trying to keep ourselves busy planning (and shopping) for her room. We are still working on finalizing our house. We have planted various things off our patio that my parents gave us from their house; our kitchen is officially a disaster area as I'm beginning the tear-out process; and we've gotten our yard somewhat in order. Next year it should really be nice!

Other than that... it's old news.

Referrals, referrals, everywhere...

2006-08-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the month when CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) places their kids with their new parents. It's really a fun time every month for us to watch those folks getting their matches. For example, good friends of ours (Steve and Mellissa) received their referral/match this past Friday. She is beautiful! Check out their blog with photos.

Another blog we read regularly (Do they have Salsa in China) received their referral today. They received twins! Check out their blog with photos.

All three girls are absolutely beautiful. We are so happy for them.

The question we tend to get all the time is: so, when will you get your referral? Well it's a very complicated question to answer. First of all, it is completely out of our control. We are simply waiting on CCAA. Truthfully, they haven't even reviewed our adoption application yet.

If you look at the image to the left, you'll notice that they have reviewed documents through October 31, 2005. Our documents were logged in April 24, 2006. So, we have a ways to go. The rumor is they should be through November 2005, but they haven't updated that portion yet.

The other thing to note on the graphic image above is the placement of children date, which is July 22, 2005. Our friends Steve and Mellissa were logged in July 19, 2005. So, they placed children to those people that were logged-in from July 14, 2005 through July 22, 2005. They only placed eight days of LIDs.

This is why our LID of April 24, 2006 is extremely important. Basically, at this rate, it will be two years before we get our child(ren). It's been told to us many times that this is a cyclical process and that it slows down and then speeds up. It's been very slow for about eight months now. So, hopefully, it will speed back up shortly.

The graphic to the right gives you the historical detail. The first column is the date the CCAA Web page was updated, the second column is the review of adoption applications and the third column is the dates of placements. If you look closely you'll notice that from December to January, they placed about 20 days of referrals. It began slowing down right after that. From January 23, 2006 through today, the average placement of children by LIDs is only 10 days. So, that would, again, put us somewhere in the two year mark. But, that's if you have an analytical mind. We do not believe it will be two years. We believe next summer. But, you never know.

So is that clear as mud?

We've been keeping ourselves busy, however. I've been updating the blog's features practically every day. If you haven't noticed there are a lot of links to the left that include the CCAA Web site, other blogs we follow and just a lot of cool things we use. We have basically become an aggregator for all things China-adoptions, finalizing our kitchen plans and working.

Do you think we should photograph our immunizations?
	Yes
	No