Some news... Any news.... please?

I know I am probably being impatient. I am on pins and needles waiting to hear if our Letter of Intent has been officially submitted to the CCAA yet. I am seeing where some folks referred at the same time as us, getting their *pre-approval* from China within 24hours! That would be so amazing!!!!!! I have emailed our social worker for the second time today- she seems to understand my nerves are on edge. With a holiday lurking around the corner- I am just worried. Everything seems to *shut down* when holidays hit. Will I ever survive this adoption and keep my sanity?

Letter of Intent

We sent our letter of intent to Bethany today. Hopefully they will get it on Monday. The "China Team" has agreed to let me know once our information has been officially submitted. Yes, a little hand holding is OK I think, given what we have been through.

Smile Train

Ok - it has been such a whirlwind of a week- I forgot to mention one very important detail!!
I had mentioned sponsoring a child with this organization to pay for a cleft repair. I just found out this week that our donation was received, and a child will be helped with a cleft repair in the next few weeks! I am so happy!
I can't wait to get an update on the child we are able to help! I will post here when I get that information.

Immigration, Arrrgggg!

So, I found out today that Mike and I are only approved by immigration to adopt a fifteen month old child or younger!!! Our match is seventeen months old! So, we have to submit a new home study to Immigration- and wait for a new approval! YIKES- another wait from immigration! I hope this does not take long.
We also have found a very minor discrepancy with her paperwork- I think this is a non-issue, but it has delayed us a day or two in submitting our intent to adopt to China. In retrospect, it is good we waited a day because we need a new home study report to go with it, which has to be up to date for the seventeen month old. So complicated! To add to the complication- our international social worker is getting married! I am so happy for her, but, it scares me not having her around to help me at the exact second I need her! Our local social worker has been wonderful, so I think I am going to survive.
Lastly, I am trying to hold it together because I am so scared of losing her! I think that I will feel better once we get a little further with the paperwork. I have asked for some extra hand holding during this process from the staff at Bethany. I hope I am not driving Mike too crazy! Anyway, one day at a time, right?

Finally matched!

Well- after 3 months, we FINALLY have some news!
Mike and and I have accepted a new referral today! She was born January 28, 2009. She is currently in Guandong Province, China. I am cautiously optimistic, but a little terrified after the loss of our first referral. This little girl is a cutie pie- I hope that she is the one. I don't think I will be fully happy until her little feet take their first steps onto our front porch. So it is going to be a long wait now to get our approvals and be able to travel. I am hoping if all works out, perhaps we will spend our ten year anniversary in China? We'll see. Will update as I know more.

Living for Mondays!

I remember a simpler life, when I worked during the week, and lived for the weekend! Sleeping in on Saturdays - still like to sleep in. However, since we started this adoption journey to China, I find myself longing for Monday mornings! What? Mondays are usually full of updates on what the latest is out of China regarding adoptions. So here I sit, another Sunday night, counting down the hours until Monday morning so I can know what is going on. What is going on? Truthfully, I don't know. We are still waiting. Father's day is coming up- wouldn't it be a wonderful gift to Mike (and me too!) if we were matched again this month! A happy Father's day indeed! All I can do is say my prayers, and wait 'til Monday.



Today was a hard day. I made the journey to Asheboro, to memorialize the daddy I lost just four years ago. I miss Bill so much! I wish he were around to share this adoption with us, or at least give me some of that good advice! The engineer without a degree. He would be mesmerized that my upside down tomato plant has 27 small tomatoes right now! If anyone needs tomatoes, let me know. I am sure they won't be as good as Bill's though. :)

Obtaining Goals

So Mike and I have been going to the YMCA for a REALLY long time now. I usually work out about 30minutes, sometimes more, about 3-4 days per week. Not really making much progress in the weight loss department, but I can say I have no problems with cholesterol. Anyway, I set a goal for myself, to step it up. I have been scared to death of running- fear of injury, fear I can't do it, and it has always seemed so hard. I hate it with a passion. BUT, tonight, I finally conquered my goal- I ran one mile. That does not seem like much, but to me, it is HUGE! I am going to try to keep it up! I'd love to be able to do more.

Other news- I have been trying to work on myself, and find some kind of closure with our lost China referral. There are 25,000 children in china- all ages, that suffer with Cleft Lip/Palate issues, of varying degree. Smile train is a wonderful organization, that helps repair and restore these children to be able to *smile* again. Anyway, in researching this organization, I realize that their work is so important, and the impact for these children must be incredible. Our lost referral has a cleft. Anyway, I made a donation, Mike and I, in the name of our lost referral to help one of these children. I hope that we will get an update in the next several months regarding the exact child we were able to help.