Friday, and nary a word...

First off, thank the LORD it is Friday. This week has been brutal, emotionally, for me. I’m ready for a weekend!!   I guess the truth is that I was sort of hoping they would get to my date this time. I knew it was really really unlikely, but I was sort of hoping for a surprise.  Anyways, now the rumors have me bummed out. It seems that certain agencies think they won’t even get into December AT ALL. How freaking irritating is that?!? Only 5 more measly days again?  I’m not saying this is for SURE what is going to happen, but I’ve definitely decided there are going to be no happy surprises for me this month. And, I’ve put back in my head the possibility that I might not even get my referral until December.  It’s hard to even write that down. But, I need to accept the possibility. If I start working on it now, maybe by next week I won’t be so miserable about it.

 

Also, a big shout out to all the new folks reading my blog! Hello and welcome! And a special big shout out to Anne, who says she spent 4 hours reading and catching up! I feel like a SUPERSTAR! WOW! That’s dedication right there!  Also a big YAY to Sara, who after reading my blog for almost 2 years, finally got a blogger log in to leave a comment!!! Ha ha ha…and also a thank you to her for getting me a “who loves baby” photo book to send in Emily’s care package.  Sara and I lived together a long time ago in Spain. She has been so super through this whole adoption waiting game. I think she might be more excited to seem Emily than I am!!

 

And speaking of Thank Yous, a great big thank you to Karen (from Gwenblog). Karen sent the coolest “baby shower in a box” to me last week. It had all sorts of good stuff like bottles and safety caps for the outlets. It was very generous and much appreciated!  

 

Finally in other good news, my sister is having a baby shower for me tomorrow!  I can’t believe it’s time for a baby shower, but it really is. I’m pretty excited, and we are going to have such a good time! I’m really looking forward to it! 

 

Everyone keep your fingers crossed that we hear good rumors today or this weekend. I really want them to do more than 5 days. Even if it’s only 7 days, it would make me feel better!   Come on December!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't THINK anymore!

I admit it. I’m losing my mind. I can’t think anymore about anything except referrals.  I think about it ALL DAY LONG! I’m making myself bonkers.  I must check the RQ, honestly, every single hour that I am awake.  It’s ridiculous. I am even getting up early (at 630) so I can scoot over to my computer just to see if CCAA updated their website while I was sleeping. While I’m sleeping, I’m dreaming of Emily, or “the call” or packing.   All this because I am just dying for some kind of indication as to how far CCAA will match this month. This not hearing anything AT ALL is what is pushing me over the edge.   Tony and I were talking last night and I told him that just mentally, as long as they make it into Dec, I would feel such a sense of relief. If they get to Dec 2^nd or 3^rd, I would feel reasonably confident that I am, in fact, next.  He is such a good guy. He goes, well, what if they only make it to Nov 29^th or 30^th? Will you be devastated?  I don’t know. I think I’ll be pretty upset. I’ll have at least one really lousy day/cry-fest.   

 

All I keep thinking is, if I’m this obsessed now, how on earth will I get through the whole giant month of October? 

 

 

HO! HO! HO! Project

My friend Susan is doing this awesome project.  I already pimped it out to some of my friends via email, but I thought, why not share with everyone.  Not to guilt you in to it, but I already have signed 20 cards. And my sister is having my nephew “color” some Christmas pictures, so we are going to include those in the cards too.  It was fun. I did them while I watched a movie Sunday.   I left off Susan’s address, in case you are weirdo’s, but if you want it, I think you can leave a comment on her blog and she’ll get it to you. It could be your good deed for the month.   (HINT HINT!) 

 

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I know it's only September but it's not too early to starting thinking about Christmas cards!  This is going to everyone in my address book so if you don't want to participate, please delete the email and sorry for the trouble.  If you would like to, please email me and let me know you're a go for spreading a HO-lotta Christmas cheer.

You may or may not know that I'm on a NATIONWIDE request for letters for our troops.  I have emailed every school system nationwide and am getting a lot of good feedback and commitments for letters.  Well, when sending out my request, I did not specifically ask for Christmas cards due to possible religious issues.  Some teachers have asked about it and I've told them yes, it's fine.  So, now I'm reaching out to all of you for some additional Christmas cheer.  There are going to be approximately 150,000 troops deployed over the Christmas season PLUS those who are being treated at various VA hospitals throughout the country and overseas. If everyone I've sent this to will go to the dollar store and buy one box of 20 cards, sign them and send them to me, I will have received over 1600 cards!  If you don't want to sign any, that's fine.  You can still participate by sending me UNSIGNED cards to send to the soldiers for THEM to sign and mail back home.  Better yet, do both :)

The note is simple: Thanking them for their service and wishing them a Merry Christmas.  The best thing: You can put the same thing in every card.

I will challenge you...I have 250 Christmas cards on order for me to sign and mail.  If everyone sends me 20 plus my 250 that will put us at over 1,900 cards!  That's 1,900 service members who will have a special note at Christmas time. 

Buying the cards at the dollar store will cost you $1, maybe $2 for postage and 30 minutes of time...how can you say no?

For UNSIGNED cards, I need them no later than October 10.  It takes 2-3 weeks to reach the soldiers and then probably 3 weeks to get them back to the U.S. due holiday mail slow downs.

SIGNED cards I will need no later than November 10 to sort and get mailed by the end of November.  Don't forget to have your kids draw pictures, too!  If you include your address in the card, you may get a reply back!  I can't guarantee it but it's a possibility. It's fabulous to get a letter back from them.  Makes my heart skip a beat every time.

Send them to:

Susan Laukat

I look forward to a HO-lotta "YES, COUNT ME IN" replies. 

Thanks in advance -

Susan

How Cute?

How cute is this doll?  It’s for 2+ and it looks like you can buy multiple outfits that snap on and off.  I think they sell it at Target, so I’m going to be on the lookout for it. It’s surprising to me how few Asian dolls are available at every day places.  I know a few months ago Kmart launched an “ethnic” doll explosion, and had a lot more dollies with different skin tones and hair. Dolls that looked more “normal” not just like white baby dolls painted brown.  So this is good. I want Emily to have options. If she wants to pick out a blonde baby doll that’s fine too. But anytime she gets to choose, that’s what is good, ya know?  I already have some cloth Asian baby dolls that I got from Asia For Kids, which is a fabulous catalog. They sell the coolest stuff.  I got a boy dressed in Tae Kwon Do gear (of course!) and a pretty girl in a traditional Chinese pants/jacket outfit.  And you can throw them in the wash. What’s better for a young child then that? But this Snap & Play doll looks really good for when Em is a bit older.

 

 

I almost feel bad for boys. They don’t get to have nearly as much fun as girls do, you think?  Do they make boy dollies? I don’t know why they wouldn’t. I mean, boys need to learn how to snap and zip too, right?  

 

 

 

 

Friday Again

These weeks are FLYING by. I’m not sure how that happened. For awhile it felt like time was standing still and now it’s like I can’t keep up with how fast time is going by!

We did get the crib ordered this last week (on Tuesday actually) so that’s good. Actually it’s great. It should be in next week. PLUS, my super, wonderful,l most delightful friends Jeff & Jill are going to help us lug it home and put it together. (see Jeff, I even did put your name in Jets colors, am I good or what?)   Anyways, they are really saving our mechanically UNinclined butts over here.

 

Now, I have more questions for the been there done that people.  I’m wanting to put together a little photo album to either send ahead to Emily after we get her referral in a care package, or just bring with us to China - something that Emily could flip through (and not destroy) that has pics of me and her room and the rest of her soon to be family.  Someone mentioned some labels (in Chinese) that would say things like Mommy or Doggie.  Does anyone know where I could get a copy of these? I’m not really sure yet about my agency’s policy on sending a care package ahead of time, but I want to do the photo album regardless.  Suggestions?

 

Only 7 weeks (hopefully) until my referral. WOOHOO!

 

My sis, Erin, Chilling out in the water.



Me and T


Colin and his Dad, in their matching trunks. How cute is that?!


Playing in the sand.


Blankie a la cape style.

Beach pics, Finally!

The beautiful view of the beach



Me and Tony. Yes, I know how ridiculous I look in that hat. But, I burn like toast. The hat helps a great deal.


My nephew, checking out this "ocean" thing.

Just call me Nancy Drew!

Well I have solved the mystery of the Camera Cord! I have spent the last 2 days tearing up my bedroom looking for this darn cord. I know I had it there last. I looked under the bed. I looked in all my drawers. I looked behind the dresser. Nothing. I opened all the secret zip compartments on the suitcase I brought to the beach. Nothing. Tonight, I'm upstairs, and I was walking by the TV and I looked down at the tumble of cords that were there. I was like, why are there so many extra cords all of a sudden? You know why? My genius fiance was trying to plug in the Wii to the back of the TV using my camera cords!! He's been after me for days complaining he couldn't get the Wii to work. The Wii is litterally 2 cords, but Tony, bless him, isn't very...mechanically inclined. Whatever. he has lots of other wonderful qualities. But I will never go away for a weekend and come back and have my house suddenly wired for surround sound or a new set of kitchen cabinets installed!! SOOO Now I have my camera cord. YAY! And Tony has his beloved Wii working. YAY! He claims that "you must have put the camera cord in the Wii case" Ah ya. Cause I'd do that. More likely I just took it out of the camera case NEAR the television, and he thinks all things in the back of the TV must be plugged into something. Still, alls well that ends well, right?

So now, I'm recharging my camera batteries. Apparently, I left the camera on the last time I went in search of the cord. And ya, I'm the "mechanically inclined" one in our relationship. Isn't THAT a scary thought? HA HA HA

Pics from the beach to come!! WOO HOO!!!

It's Friday!

It’s Friday, it’s Friday! Happy Dance time!

 

This week has been long. Coming back to work after a week off, really REALLY makes me want to win the lottery. Way too much to catch up on here. ugh!

Tonight Tony and I are headed over to Babies R Us to buy Emily a crib. OOOH AHHHH.  Oh, and a mattress. Very exciting stuff. Last time we were there, they said it would take about 7 to 10 days to come in, so I suppose in theory we could have it next weekend.   I think having the crib will make it a lot more concrete. We are also going to look at the rocker gliders. They are pretty comfortable the few times I’ve sat in them. It would be a great chair to have, even if you didn’t have a baby. I could totally see me sitting in a chair like that for hours reading a book. Glide, glide, glide.  *sigh*  Sounds relaxing, no?   

 

This week I’ve been pretty pumped up about getting “the call”  Even though it’s 8 weeks away still (at least) it is feeling a lot more real to me these days than it did 2 months ago. And have you looked at the calendar? It’s already the middle of September!!!  Holy Moly!

 

Also I can not find that stupid cord that hooks my camera to my computer to save my life. I tore up the house yesterday looking for it, and nothing. I’m getting pretty upset about it. I have all these great pictures from the beach, and no way to share them with anyone. GROAN!  I’m going to look again tonight, but if I can’t find it, I’m going to have to go buy one I guess. Stupid, but you have to have that. What is the point of a digital camera if you have no way to look at the photos!?! 

 

Hope everyone’s Friday is Fabulous. Wish me luck in finding the camera cord!

 

 

 

 

 

Such a Geek

I’m so excited. Want to know the geeky reason why??   Tony and I went to a SPAFA meeting this past Tues. This is a local adoption organization that meets about once a month and talks about various issues relevant to adoptive parents, or people wishing to become adoptive parents.  This months’ meeting was on early childhood language development.  I didn’t realize until they started talking that, DUH, my whole degree in college was in teaching children language. Now, it was Spanish I was going to teach, but the principles are the same. DUH. I even learned about English as a second language, so I think we’ll be fine if Emily does have some delays.  

 

ANYWAYS, while we were at the meeting Tony started asking folks about which pediatrician they recommend. We got the name of 2 supposedly fabulous doctors in our area who specialize on internationally adopted children. And get this, both of them have daughters from China themselves!  So why am I super excited? Because I have a consult appointment with one of them in a few weeks. YAY!  It’s like really real, when you have doctor appointments, right?! Plus, I’m hoping that when my referral actually arrives, I can send it to her to review. If there is anything really odd, I would have the chance to know about it BEFORE we go to China.  I can’t tell you what a relief that will be. Now, I know, there could be things that have happened since the report was written, but still. It’s just going to be a comfort to know that Emily’s doctor will know what to look for and when we first get back home, will be able to treat her with the special handling required for a child that is post intuitional.  

 

HAPPY DANCE!!

 

 

 

No Pics Yet

I can’t find the cord that connects my camera to my computer. I distinctly remember wrapping it up and putting it in my camera case, so I wouldn’t lose it. And yet, it’s not there. *sigh*  I hate when I put something somewhere “safe” so I won’t lose it, and then I can’t remember where that place is. It makes me insane! It will turn up, just not when I’m looking for it. You know how it goes.

 

 

Meanwhile, I’m trying to make a TO DO list of things I have to get done before the end of Oct. Here is what I have so far.

1)  Order the crib.  Jeff & Jill are my very cool friends who offered to help us get the thing home and put together. They don’t know it yet, but I will be cooking them dinner.    Tony and I are actually planning on doing this Friday night. (the ordering part) Putting it together will be a few weeks from now, when it comes in.

 

2)  Get to my agency’s travel meeting. Which looks like it will be the end of Oct.  I have no idea what they are going to tell me that I don’t already know, but whatever.

 

3) Finalize a packing list

 

4) Buy a few last minute things

 

5) Put together a list of questions to ask when my referral call actually happens. And make a bunch of copies of them so when the time gets closer, I can keep them by all the phones in my life. Ha ha ha

 

6) Put her room together, for real. Not just throw everything into her closet, which is how it is organized now!

 

6) Calm Down!  This is all really going to happen!

 

Anything else y’all can think of for me to do?  Cause now is the time for me to make my list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm BACK

Vacation was wonderful!  The beach was beautiful and there were hardly any other people there, which was fabulous. The weather was great, sunny and clear most days. No rain at all. I didn’t get sunburned. It was darn close to perfect.  I will post some pics later tonight.

 

Meanwhile, so much to catch up on, so I’m going with the bullet system.

 

• My sister volunteered her “manly” diaper bag for my Dad or Tony to use while we are in China. It is a backpack style bag, which is gray and not pink or purple with flowers on it, which apparently is key to maintaining your man card.  and I’m sure will come in handy, which is also nice!
• Erin also lent me her baby bjorn thingy. I fully intend to strap it on with a bag of flour or something and walk around the block to see how I like it. As soon as I figure out how all those straps work! I asked Erin how to do it, and she informed me that there were directions on it. HA HA HA…I guess it’s too complicated to explain!!
• I have hit the 21 month mark for waiting for my referral.  Can you even believe that?
• They sent out referrals while I was gone. They did a stinky 4 days. FOUR DAYS!  I understand it was a lot of matches but come on people!  4 days is embarrassing.
• I have figured out that I will most likely get a referral in Nov. That is only 8 weeks away!  8 weeks is not very long. Suddenly it seems that there about 1000 things I have left to do.
• We have had offers from several friends to help deliver a crib to my house. Friends with trucks or SUVs. I like those friends. I am planning on keeping them. J and taking them up on the offer. Soon. (hint hint)
• Coming back to work after a week’s vacation sucks. But the paycheck part is pretty groovy, so I’m learning to live with it.

 

 

That’s it for now. Pics tonight, I promise!