Home With Baby

To end this blog, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are home with our baby girl.

Leaving April 2, 2010

Well, we leave next Friday for China to get our sweet baby girl! We received updated pictures and we know she got her care package we sent because in one of the pictures she is holding the stuffed rabbit we sent her and just smiling!
I will be documenting our trip on the babyjellybeans website like I've been doing. It is password protected and we feel better about putting our thoughts, feelings, etc. on there instead of here. In fact, I think this might be the end of this blog. Once we get our baby, we won't have time to blog much.....I'd much rather play with her and just be "Mommy." We will update the other site from time to time and then get the free CD and order a book for her to have showing her the journey to us all becoming a family. Thank you to all of the sweet online friends who have cheered us on during this long process. Our hearts are so full of love, excitement, nervousness, etc. as we will shortly become parents to a little girl! YIPPEE!

Waiting For Travel Approval/The Finished 100 Wishes Quilt!

Hello everyone! We got our Visas yesterday for China and today we got our renewed fingerprints from January. Things are falling right into place as we prepare to go get our sweet baby. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and kind words of congratulations and sweet prayers! We're not posting as much on this website because we have our own password protected website for when we travel to China. After the negative comments on referral day, we just decided to protect our baby and ourselves a little more. We've printed the HUGE volume of entries that we made on this website so that our child will have a record of the time we waited and prayed for her....and YES, the times we cried out in frustration as our hearts longed for her. She WILL know that she was wanted and loved for many many years before she was matched to us.
Anyhow, life is good, work is busy, preparations for travel to China continue as we await our travel approval and Consulate appointment. Oh, I picked up baby's 100 Wishes Quilt today! It is HUGE!!!!! And so very very beautiful!

Where We Are Going Soon

Don't Leave Comments On MY Blog If You're Going To Be A Big Ol Negative Nellie!

I have gotten a couple of comments from people who are too chicken to leave their names saying that they are glad I finally got my referral so I will quit complaining and that I have been horrible during this whole waiting for 4 LONG years. OH POO POO on you Negative Nellie! And YES, I know who you are because our site is encrypted and traces people who log in on it but you know what? I have chosen to take the high ground because that's the kind of person I am. Yes, I complained during the wait and HATED every minute of it because my heart has been longing for this sweet baby. Some people apparently didn't understand that and I'm sorry that they had NO empathy for how I felt and how sad the wait made me. So......I'm sitting here laughing at your silly little immature comments because it truly confirms the kind of person that I knew you were and I find amusing that you now have your baby and continue to lash out at me. This is the most joyful moment of our lives and there is NO WAY I'm going to let you bring me down! Everyone who truly knows me, knows that I am a good Christian woman who is going to love this baby so much and those are the people that count! So, NO your comments did not hurt me....they hurt you and I am going to be the bigger person and not tell the everyone who you are, BUT if you continue to do this, I WILL report it to our yahoo group and let the cat out of the bag......so yes, I forgive you Negative Nellie, now get over yourself!

WE HAVE A MATCH!!!!!!!!

We got "THE CALL" tonight a little after 10:30 pm. We have been matched with a beautiful little baby from Jiangxi Province. Her birthday is June 17, 2009 so she is just a little over 7 months old. Her Chinese name is Xin Ren Du (Du is the last name and all the babies are named that because they are from Duchang County SWI). That's all we know except we are IN LOVE......head over heels in love! We are now going to be posting information on our babyjellybeans site for privacy issues but if you are a good friend and want to follow our journey there, just email me at mommychinaadopt@yahoo.com and I will give you the log-in information. We have a little fuzzy picture of her posted on that website and you can see the cutest little face! Just wanted to let everyone know our joy!!!!! Now the wait begins until we travel to get our little peanut!

STILL WAITING at 9:45 PM!!!!!!!!!!

Well we went out to eat because we hadn't heard from our agency by 6:00 and we were STARVING. Came home and there was a message from our social worker, Carol, who said that Sabrina (out in California) had JUST gotten the referral package from the DHL truck and was busily translating it into English. She is going to then fax it to Carol who will call us TONIGHT and tell us about the baby! WOOHOO!!!!! She just called back about 10 minutes ago and said she is still working on it and it should be within the hour that she calls. She just wanted to make sure that it was ok to call us so late......ARE YOU KIDDING????????? OH MY GOSH! I would stay up all freaking night to get this news! And honestly, HOW CAN I SLEEP NOW??????? So, we have the video camera ready to tape THE CALL and we're still bouncing off the walls here! COME ON STORK!!!!!!!!

5:25 PM And No Referral Yet!

Well I have been GLUED to the computer and the phone all day long! I am so glad that we did not have school today so I could just be "in the zone" about the adoption news. This is what we know right now....
1. People in the U.S. are getting referrals. There have been people in Texas and Colorado that I've seen so far.
2. The CCAA DID match through April 5th so we are IN this batch.
3. Our China Coordinator called our China coordinator in California who said she was expecting a package from China today at noon (which would be 3 PM OUR time here on the east coast.) Now when they do get the referral, they have to translate it into English and so Sabrina (the one in California) will have to do that and then call Carol (the one in VA) who PROMISED me that she will call me as soon as she knows something. Of course we DID ask her not to call until the evening so that Doug would be home too and we could videotape it all while each of us is on a different phone.
4. So........maybe they have translated it and Carol is just waiting for Doug to be home too.
5. I have gotten emails, Facebook letters, etc. from soooooooooooooo many people that it just blows my mind. There are so many people who have been praying for us and are now waiting to here our good news.
6. I have cried so much that I've used 1/2 a box of Kleenex just TODAY!
7. It is possible to get so excited and worked up that you can't remember how to work a video camera, or what your log-in-date is, and give yourself a HUGE headache!
Anyhow....that's where we stand right now. No referral yet, but hopeful that it will happen soon! KEEP PRAYING!

APRIL 5th Is IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my GOSH! I woke up this morning after a restless night of very little sleep to read the following news on the Rumor Queen:
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R5


We’ve got seven agencies confirming the cut off date as April 5th. I believe that calls for an R5.

Congrats to those families included in this batch!!!
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CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??????????????????????????????????????????????????? WE ARE FINALLY IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BREATHE SUSAN BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now.........WHEN WILL GET OUR REFERRAL????????????????? OH MY GOSH WE'RE GOING TO SEE OUR BABY'S FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FLY STORK FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET THOSE WINGS FLAPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow Is Coming?????????

I've been so caught up in thinking ONLY about the adoption that I haven't paid much attention to the fact that we have a major snow storm headed our way tomorrow and Saturday........
10-18 inches here in DANVILLE! WOW!

Fingerprints Renewed Today!

Well hubs and I drove down to Raleigh, NC to renew our fingerprints for the 4th time today. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive.....so sunny and slightly cool.....just great weather for a drive! The process was quick and now we are ok for fingerprints for the next 15 months! Hopefully THIS is the last time we have to do this......but we've said that before too, right? Seriously I think THIS will be the last time.
No news on referrals but we did hear last night online that one agency is saying that CCAA is matching and last month when they did that on Dec. 23rd, referrals were in the U.S. by Dec. 27th..........so..........we really hope that we will be in this batch this time! Saying prayers and hoping beyond hope that is finally going to be OUR TURN!

Waterworks At The Walmart!

Well, this morning I got up and saw where one lady online had posted that her agency said they are expecting referrals next week! Oh I hope we are in that bunch this time! It just blows my mind that we might actually see our baby's face by this time next week! How UNREAL is that????????????? WOW! Anyway, after I read that, I had to run over to Walmart for a few things and got the bright idea to go browsing in the baby department. I was looking at all the little clothes and blankets and toys and all of a sudden I just BURST INTO TEARS! It was NOT what I had planned to do in the middle of the Walmart baby section on a busy Saturday morning. Oh my gosh, I was so embarrassed and quickly went to the far corner of the section where I tried to call Doug on the cell phone to let him know his wife was having an emotional moment. I got his voice mail and was sniffling and trying to be really quiet and then I just busted out laughing! It was so darn funny! I am going to be a complete basketcase by the time we get the referral and then FINALLY get to that point where they hand us this baby! If I can't even take looking at baby supplies, what am I going to be like when I have the REAL BABY?????????? hahahahahahahahahaha I'm choosing to chalk it all up to the excitement of this thing really and finally happening for us! IT'S REALLY OUR TURN!!!!!!!!!!! AFTER 4 LONG FREAKING YEARS! hahahahahahahahahahahaha Gosh, that's enough to drive someone crazy.....crazy enough to bawl their eyes out in the Walmart! hahahahahahaha

Little Bits of Excitement......

I was talking to a friend of mine at school today and she was asking about the adoption........I was telling her that we could get our referral THIS month and I just had a picture in my head of someone in China holding our dossier and matching us with our baby......looking at our pictures and deciding which baby is to be ours.....
All of a sudden I got a shiver down my spine and it just felt so real and so exciting!!! I get those little spurts of excitement every now and then and I check Rumor Queen's website all the time just hoping for some rumors that they are sending referrals soon, but I will admit that most of the time I don't feel excited too much yet. It's like "the calm before the storm!" hahahahahahahahaha I know that once we get the referral we will have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to do and get and organize and it will be CRAZY so I guess I'm just enjoying my last little bit of calm before everything goes NUTS! hahahahahahahaha
But I have to think of this little Red Thread Poem that is part of the Chinese Adoption Community. Our baby's life is about to become a part of our life and the lives of our friends and family. But I know that she is meant to be a part of us and we are meant to be a part of her. Heavenly Father has a very special child to send to us and it will be our job to raise her and teach her and help her to become the person she is supposed to be in life. WOW, that can be overwhelming when you think about it..........this little life is going to be OUR responsibility.......a responsibility that Heavenly Father is entrusting to US!

January Is Dragging By.........

Can we say SLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWW? Wow, I've never seen a month move by so slow until now. Here we are HOPING that our log in date will be included in the referral batch this time and we can't believe how LONG this month seems to be! Usually the months move by at a pretty steady pace, but I guess since we are watching the days, and on pins and needles just waiting for ANY rumors, it is dddddrrrrraaaagggggiiiiiinnnnnnnggggg by.........oh well...nothing to do but stay busy and QUIT looking for rumors online! hahahahhahahaha

Baby Registries and Crib Sheets!

Well, today was fun. Doug and I did the baby registries at Target and Toys R Us. It was so neat thinking about our baby and picking out little things that we still need for her. Some friends and family members had asked us about our registries so we figured that we'd get those done today. We don't know what size the baby will be so we couldn't add clothes or anything like that. Everyone will have to wait to find out how big she is when we find out. But it was neat to go in there together and look at all of that baby stuff and talk about OUR baby coming soon! We also bought a couple of little crib sheets that were so darn cute! They have flowery little patterns and are just precious! It's fun thinking about all of this and making some plans now!
We are also waiting on Immigration to send us a date to redo our fingerprints....they are dragging their heels and I'm hoping they get their act together so this won't be something that holds up the process any further.....that would be horrible if our OWN government threw a wrench into everything!

Great Organization!

Check out their website to see how YOU can help orphans who need our help!
www.lovewithoutboundaries.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome 2010!!!!!!!

Well, another year started today! SURELY this WILL be the year we get our baby! Geez, I've said that how many years???????? 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and now 2010! Hope springs eternal, right? Anyhow, here's to a new year and new blessings to receive! We send our friends and family the following wishes for this new year:
May you be happy, healthy, surrounded by those who love you the most, prosper in whatever you do, and always meet the challenges in life knowing how special you are and that others love you!