Journey to Mia Jade

2011 was great...2012 will be even better

2011-12-31T22:34:00.003-05:00

2011 has really been great. Zane of course is the center of my life and he was of course the center of 2011. He got glasses this year and his first bicycle (although we still have a lot of work on both). We had Zane's first birthday party (age 4) with friends, bouncy house and all; it was a blast. And Zane started karate, something I think he will be doing for a while. He has drifted slightly from pirates, is full force on to Star Wars and his favorite toy is no doubt Legos. He is in the 3 to 4 year old class three days a week at our church and does well in school and has been mentioned by his teacher as being "all boy" but also compassionate to his classmates. What else could a mom ask for?

Mike and I went on our first weekend trip out of town without Zane this year. We went to Charleston, one of our favorite places to go, and we had a nice time but thought how we look forward to bringing Zane next time. We went on a family vacation with my SIL & BIL and Zane's cousins. It was a good time for them to spend together. We also took Zane to Disney for the first time this year and he loved it.

Zane is so amazing. He is smart and funny, very entertaining and dramatic. He makes everyone laugh with the crazy little things he says. He loves to be the director and the lead actor in our make-believe plays.

So on to Mia. We passed our 5 year LID mark but I am pretty confident in saying 2012 will be the year that we get our referral and bring her home. We have begun the process of renewing all our paperwork that is required by the US government and I am closely watching the referral batches, which once again have gotten smaller. The good news one of my best online buddies finally brought her baby home, so I know it does happen....and it will happen for us.

Hopefully with good referral news, I will post much more often this year. Year of the Dragon, I welcome you!

Happy New Year and Welcome 2011

2011-01-01T18:22:00.006-05:00

Of course 2010 did not bring Mia home but we didn't expect it to when the year began. Never the less, it has been a wonderful year. Zane has changed so much this year. The age going from 2 to 3 is amazing! He has gone from a toddler to a little boy - a very independent, spirited boy! He is friendly to everyone and has no problem going up to adults and starting a conversation with them. It cracks me up! He had his tonsils and adenoids out this year which he did so easily and it has made a big difference in his health, his eating and his growth. He has taken off like a weed this year, especially since the surgery. People constantly think he is 5, then I have to explain his 3 year old behavior.

Zane LOVES pirates and we converted his room from a nursery to a big boy's room this year complete with a pirate boat bed. Another big boy change was potty training...and I can thank his teacher for that. We had been working on it but his teacher said he was ready so we tossed the pull-ups for good and there was no looking back! How nice is that! He also started his first organized sports - a 10 week soccer program for 3-5 year olds! He loved it so I see more soccer in our future.

Personally I met a long term goal and was accepted into graduate school at University of Central Florida into the Nurse Educator program. It will take years because I'm doing it one class at a time so not to interfere too much with family and work, but I'm on the road. Like our China adoption, slow and steady!

So speaking of China, this year's progress was better than last year's. They completed nearly two months of LID applications taking them to May 29, 2006....we still have 106 LID days to go (I think that's right). So they have to complete 3 1/2 months this year for us to get a referral in 2011. With the drop in number of applicants for the months of June, July, & August, it is a possibility we will see Mia's face this year. In the very least, she will be born this year if she has not already been born.

I hope to post more this year, sharing progress on our China journey. About 6 months before we expect a referral we have to start renewing our paperwork - more fingerprints, more social worker visits (although I love our social worker!) and more paperwork, but as long as we are getting closer, I'm ready to do the paperchase again!

Happy New Year to you all and t0 my fellow Sept LIDers, I pray for this to be all "our year"!

Stiiiiil waiting patiently

2010-06-11T19:16:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since I have posted. Not really much to post about regarding 'the wait' but things are moving along. April '06 referrals have gone almost twice as quickly as March '06 so hopefully that's a good sign. Maybe even a referral late next year but I've said that before. Zane is doing great. Two is fun, crazy and challenging! He is so smart (if I may say so) and very independent, but we saw that coming! I am still amazed by him EVERY day. Truly a gift from God. But life is busy, with Zane, work, and I just started graduate school! Am I crazy to take that on right now?! Maybe, but at least I may get a few classes in before I'm a mother of two. Wow, that sounds funny. I kind of feel this next year will go by quickly because this last year has FLOWN by. I hope Mia is 'brewing' right now and that we will have at least a referral next year and maybe even have her in our arms. That would be wonderful but either way, each month we are a little closer. And each month with Zane as the center of existence is wonderful.

2010 is on it's way

2009-12-31T16:27:00.005-05:00

The last couple of years I have said farewell to the year with a blog posting so here it goes! Besides the continued ridiculous slowdown in China referrals and a couple trips to the ER with Zane for respiratory issues, I can't complain much about 2009 - it's been pretty kind to us. Zane of course has been the focus of life. He has changed so much in a year. His first year came with great changes but the second year is a blossoming of a personality. He is so much fun. You can have a conversation with him, he loves to do things on his own, very independent, and he is so loving as well. It sounds crazy but after over 2 years, I still can't believe he is in our life. I am in total awe of God's plan and power. This year has actually been pretty quiet, which is a good thing. Besides the daily fun stuff like bike riding, going to the park, the beach, the zoo etc we didn't have too much big stuff happen which is okay. One of my favorite things of the year was the holidays. Zane really had some understanding of Christmas and Santa which was a lot of fun. We read books about Christmas (regarding Santa and reindeer as well as the birth of Jesus), visited Santa (4 times!), Christmas parties and of course lots of presents which he enjoyed. Each day with him is more fun than the previous.

The unfortunate news is that CCAA only referred 34 days in 2009 - and I was disappointed with 71 days in 2008. We have no idea when we will see a referral for Mia Jade - some say another 3 years, ugh. Only time will tell. I hate it but I really hate it for my friends still waiting for their first child. We have Zane in our lives so the pain of waiting for Mia is greatly diminished.

2009 was the year of Facebook, Michael Jackson passed away and the Tiger Wood's scandal. It was filled with big bailouts and rising unemployment, which thankfully we have been spare of so far. But in our piece of the world, it was a good year. We can only hope 2010 will be as kind but we could also hope for better - in the form of a speed up in referrals. Happy New Year everyone! And welcome a new decade, 2010!!

Zane is Two!

2009-10-22T10:57:00.002-04:00

October 22, 2007

I can't believe today is Zane's second birthday. It was a blink of the eye that he was born. He entered our lives in a flash and has been the light of our lives since. With only 5 weeks notice that he was on the way, he arrived almost two weeks early. It was the most joyful, stressful, exciting experience of our lives. No words can express how much he is loved. We are so thankful for him each and every day. And with that, Happy Birthday Zane!

October 2009

3 Years since LID...really?!

2009-09-10T07:06:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I am posting this. It's been 3 years (on the 12th) since our paperwork was logged in to CCAA. Never did I actually believe it would take this long and still there is no end in sight. My agency even says there is no way of knowing if we will get a referral next year or not. At this point I certainly feel we have another year or two of waiting. It's very frustrating, depressing, even stressful. I'm not sure what else to say.

Summertime

2009-07-25T17:53:00.003-04:00

Zane in the Keys - July 2009

So I have been failing at blogging! In a way, I have purposely not been blogging - sort of ignoring 'the wait', in hopes it will come sooner if I not writing about it all the time. But while we continue to wait (and wait, and wait for Mia), we've been having wonderful summertime fun with Zane. We recently took him on his first vacation to the Keys. It was only a few days but we had a great time and it was nice to travel with Zane, really for the first time. He did a great job in the car and loves being in the boat and the water. He is at such a fun age right now - doing new things all the time. I love this toddler age! But of course, we continue to wait for Mia - at best, we could get a referral next fall (2010) and at worst (I think) in 2011. We have faith that God has a plan for our beautiful daughter and she will join us at the perfect time. To be honest, I couldn't imagine taking Zane on a trip around the world, literally. If we had to travel now, I think we would leave him home but we really want him to be there when we get Mia, so another year will probably be a good thing. Plus, I'm really enjoying giving him my full attention. Meanwhile, several of my friends have either brought home their daughters recently or are about to travel. It give me hope and peace when I see that it really does happen - even if it takes much longer than we ever imagined!

3 Year Mark

2009-03-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

I feel like all of my posts these days are negative news about "the wait" but "the wait" just hit the 3 year mark for those logged in March 2006 - it's looking more like we will be waiting at least 4 years. I never though that would really happen. Also, we went through all of February without any referrals. Yes, referrals just came out early in March so we may see a second set in March but who knows. And for 2 referral batches in 2009, they have covered 6 days - 2 of which fell on the weekend. So where is that positive wind that we heard was blowing?

On a good note, the little girl that we have sponsored for over 2 years through Grace & Hope has been adopted! What great news. We have watched her grow (and wondered why a non-special needs infant wasn't placed earlier) since fall 2006. I hope her adjustment to her Forever Family will go smoothly. I'm so glad she was able to be in a home setting while she waited. We look forward to our new child.

Not the start we were looking for

2009-01-23T16:42:00.004-05:00

The first referrals of the new year are out and it covers 2 days, March 1 & 2, 2006. I don't have much to say about that except I hope it's the last 2 day batch we see. I hope they can get through March within 6 months. I'm optimistic that it will pick up after March 2006 are done. From everything I have seen, it is a very big month. But then again, every time I'm optimistic, I get disappointed. Congrats to all those who have received the gift of their new child!

Goodbye 2008 - Hello 2009

2008-12-31T20:27:00.002-05:00

I'm not the party type on New Year's Eve but I do like to look back and reflect on the 12 months that have past. 2008 has been full of wonderful firsts with Zane...first tooth, first words, first steps, first haircut, first birthday and a ton of other firsts in between. This year has been so much fun! I love being a mom and love Zane more than any love than I've ever known. Zane is obviously the 'theme' of 2008. While nationally and in our own lives there has been financial struggles (we even paid for more than $4/gallon for gas!) we hardly noticed with the joy that Zane has brought us daily. We know how blessed we are and we thank and praise God every day for His gracious gift of Zane to us.

Some other wonderful news, I have seen several of my local and online friends bring home their children - by birth, by domestic adoption and international adoption from China, Taiwan and Africa - it's been so wonderful to see these families grow. Unfortunately I also have 2 good friends that had adoptions fail this year - a heart breaking experience.

The obvious sad news is that we are only 71 referral days closer to Mia than last New Year's Eve. "The wait" will reach 3 years in March. We can easily imagine it reaching 4 years by time we see our referral. Will Mia be born this year? Will she even be conceived this year? Of course we won't know these answers until a referral which we do not expect to see in 2009. Hopefully 2010? 2011!? But as I said to Mike the other day, God always had a plan for Zane to enter our lives, He has a plan for Mia and we will continue to trust (and try not to question) His plan.

For now, we celebrate the goodness of 2008 and welcome 2009. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Surprise...one more batch in 2008

2008-12-29T20:49:00.002-05:00

Today a second December batch appeared and included those through February 28, 2006! I'm so excited for these families. So that gets us to March - unfortunately a HUGE month of dossiers. It may take 6 months or more to get through all of March '06. But one step closer and the good news, we are less than 200 referral days away. Officially 196 days. One more milestone.

66 Days

2008-12-11T23:06:00.003-05:00

I make a safe assumption that the referrals for 2008 have come to an end. As I count up the number of LID days given referrals for the year, I see it is a total of 66 days - just over 2 months. Ugh. There are all kinds of ways to look at our progress (or lack of) but this is the most relatable to watch our progress toward the front of the line. We are still just over 200 referral days out. 66 days in a year... do you see where I'm going with this. It's hard not to get frustrated. Another Christmas, another birthday, another day, month, year without Mia. I continue to have faith in God's plan but it can be trying at times. I can hear myself telling people when we started about how stable China's adoption program is. Ha. I have heard so many rumors, so many theories, so many predictions and no answers. It's very defeating to know we are looking at a new year and basically zero chance of seeing Mia in 2009, even unsure it will be in 2010. But I do see beautiful new referral pictures each month, tuck my son in bed every night and know it's the right thing for us to continue this wait.

Where is any good news from China?

2008-11-18T20:33:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling a bit down about our wait for Mia. Referrals have not picked up since the Olympics, the total numbers for adoptions over the year is the lowest its been in years and we just passed 2 years waiting with no end in sight. The last batch only covered 2 days and March '06 (the month they are entering for referrals) is one of the biggest months there has been. It could take most if not all of 2009 just to get through the month. We could be waiting another 2-3 years. I never imagined this is what the wait would be. Ugh.

Oops!

2008-11-13T20:07:00.002-05:00

I just realized the long delay in posting - I've been so busy! At the same time, I'm almost ignoring "the wait" for Mia. There has been no good indication from recent referral batches that there will be any speed up in referrals. In fact, the last batch was only 2 days - a low point also seen in April 2007. So many have thought the slow down was associated with the Olympics but maybe once again that thought was wrong. We have made progress 2+ years into our wait for Mia but looking at another 2 or longer years of waiting. Ugh. But we have Zane and we are so very blessed with him in our lives - he is the center of our life!

Zane's First Birthday Party!

2008-10-19T21:08:00.003-04:00

Zane's birthday is Wednesday the 22nd but his party was this weekend. He had a great time with the smash cake as you can tell. It didn't take long to get a hang of it. He wasn't quite sure about opening gifts but I'm sure he will figure it out by next year. And now his is WORN OUT. With family and cousins in town for a couple of days, he had much fun and now some good sleeping.

Please Pray

2008-10-08T22:39:00.004-04:00

I'm sending out a prayer requests for my friend Carole's son who was in a tragic accident this past weekend. He is an adorable 3 1/2 year old that they brought home from Ethiopia just a few weeks ago. You can visit her blog at http://paul-samuelphillipson.blogspot.com. They are a wonderful family that need much support and prayers right now.

1/2 way there???

2008-10-02T07:04:00.002-04:00

With the latest referral batch, Mike and I have 209 referral days between most recent batch (2/15/06) to our LID (9/12/06). When we started, back in fall of 2006 we had 417 days between the batch and our LID. So mathematically we are half way there. Does that mean time wise we are also half way there? The big question. Either way, I know God has a plan as He did with Zane. But another milestone to mark off, we'll take it! Besides, Zane is keeping us VERY busy. I don't know if I could handle another one right now!!

2 Year LID

2008-09-14T20:53:00.002-04:00

We just pasted our 2 year 'anniversary' of our LID. Who would have known that 2 years into our wait, we still wouldn't have an end in sight. But as I have said before, if it weren't for the crazy long wait for Mia, we would not have Zane. God really knows what he's doing! This 'anniversary' passed with little to no fanfare...not sure if we should celebrate it or ignore it.

Goodbye Olympics

2008-08-27T21:01:00.002-04:00

I feel very torn about the Olympics being over. Most of me is very happy they have finally past - I pray that the theory of the Olympics slowing down referrals is true and we will see a speed up of the pace finally. But a small part of me is kind of sad. First off, I love sports and I love to see the athletes, especially the ones that are not going home to a pro career, that have spent their lives for the dream of the Olympics, lay it all out there for a once in a lifetime experience. It is all very moving to me. I loved watching all the sports and learning about the athletes. But also, I felt closer to China in a weird way watching every night. I so look forward to going to China; of course to meet our daughter but also to see her birth country. I have fallen in love with China over the last couple of years and want to be a part of it. I have loved the coverage of the Olympics as they also showed the country, the people and places around Beijing. I am proud of the great Olympics that the Chinese people put on. But now come on referrals!

Trip to the Zoo - take 2!

2008-08-12T21:40:00.012-04:00

Mike, Zane and I headed to the zoo again (the first trip was when Zane was 4 months old) and it was so much fun! Zane is getting old enough to see the animals and enjoy them. Mike and Zane feed a giraffe, which was very cool, but the winner was brushing the goats. Of all the wild beautiful animals, the goats made him laugh the most. Of course it was the one thing he could touch. What a great family day!

Mike and Zane at the same spot - what a difference 6 months make!

First Haircut

2008-07-29T21:17:00.004-04:00

Zane got his first haircut last week. He never lost all his newborn hair and it was beginning to look like a Donald Trump comb over! It looks much better now but he looks so much older - like a little boy instead of a baby! How fast it goes. I can't believe he's already 9 months. Anyway, it was another fun 'first'.

Boating baby too!

2008-07-07T21:28:00.003-04:00

Our weekend of firsts continued with Zane's first boating trip. My parents have a great boat (named Kelly Girl!) and it has created years of wonderful memories for me. I'm so excited to share that fun and joy for the water and boating with Zane. He did great - sleeping the entire trip out to our favorite spot, playing non-stop at the beach where we hung out and sleeping the entire way back...just like I did as a baby! Above is Zane and me just hanging out - it's got to be my favorite picture of the two of us. Below he is with my mom on the ride back - out cold!

Zane's first 4th!!

2008-07-04T17:46:00.006-04:00

I LOVE the 4th of July. Partly because it's summer, a lot to do with my patiotism for our wonderful country and of course I love fireworks. A year ago we were in the Keys, our normal 4th vacation spot but this year we stayed home. Some of that has to do with gas prices (gas for the car is one thing but gas for my dad's boat to go 20 miles offshore to go fishing is another) but also it would be hard to do a lot of our normal "Key's activities", fishing, scuba diving, skiing, with Zane at his age. I think we'll go next year though. But I bring it up because one year ago we were in the Keys and drove by Zane Gray Lounge at World Wide Sports, one of our favorite spots, and I said if we would have ever had a son, I really like the name Zane. Little did we know Zane would enter our lives only 3 1/2 months later! I still am amazed at how his adoption worked. God works in amazing ways when it's His timing! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Still here...

2008-06-20T19:29:00.003-04:00

I just realized how long it's been since I have posted! Life has been pleasantly quiet recently. Zane is doing new things every day, getting very close to crawling, and we continue to pray for Mia and her journey to our family. I do the math almost every day to try to figure out how long our wait will be and it just gives me a headache!

Today I had my required CPR class for my job but this year I brought my mom along. She had not done a CPR class for 15 years and now taking care of Zane, we both thought a refresher class was a good idea. If you have not taken a CPR class in a long time (like since you were in the girl scouts or for high school home economics) it's a good idea to look into it. Effective CPR can double or even triple a victim's chance of survival. They make the class much easier than in the old days so don't be intimidated. If you want to learn more, like where to find a class, go to http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011764.

Prevent Infant Drowning

2008-06-09T20:21:00.009-04:00

Zane recently completed an infant survival class through Infant Swimming Resource; you may have seen them featured on the "Today Show" a few weeks ago. I was so impressed by Zane's ability to learn to turn over and float no matter how he "fell" into the water. My parents have a pool just a few steps out their back door and I feel very strongly about protecting Zane not only by standard pool protections but by making sure he can float until help arrived. Many friends asked 'how could you do that to him' - actually Zane didn't seem too upset about it but also I feel it's the same as giving him vaccinations - protecting him against danger. Drowning is the NUMBER ONE cause of accidental death of 1-4 year olds. If you interested, their website is http://www.infantswim.com. On their website you can enter your zip code to search for an instructor near you. I encourage you to consider it, especially if you have water nearby.

My beach baby

2008-05-26T12:47:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite places in the world is the beach. We are so lucky to be able to live just a few blocks away, in walking distance. At half tide, our beach has tidal pools, perfect for a 7 month old to splash about in. I just love this photo that my mom took. It's mid-splash and Zane has learned quickly to close his eyes and mouth. I am still so amazed that this beautiful child is in our lives - heck, IS our life - and playing in the same tidal pools that I played in at his age. He brings so much joy to the smallest discoveries.

On another note, Happy Memorial Day. I am so thankful to the men and women that have ever worn a uniform in the service to our country. I am so thankful for the freedoms that my family and I enjoy. And of course thank you to all the families that also sacrifice for their loved ones' service.

Zane's Baptism & MOTHER'S DAY!!!

2008-05-11T17:45:00.005-04:00

What a wonderful day!! Zane was baptized today - a moment I have dreamed about. So long I have prayed about this day and this beautiful event. I pray I will be a good example in his faith life.

And of course it was Mother's Day. What a wonderful first one! I am so excited to be a mom to Zane and a mom in general. For so many years this has been a difficult day when my heart longed to have a child. So with my joy and excitement of my first Mother's Day, I can't help but to think of all the moms-in-waiting out there. I know the pain. Hang in there - God put it in your heart to be a mom and He gave you perseverance as a personal trait, you too will celebrate Mother's Day one day. It's worth the wait, worth every dark day to get to this moment.

Zane's first wheels

2008-04-27T20:23:00.003-04:00

My mom scored a great buy at a recent garage sale - a child bike trailer for only $10. Zane loves getting out on the road and I love an alternative to walking the stroller. We have been touring the neighborhood the last few days and they have been beautiful days here in northeast Florida! Here he is earlier in the week as he was preparing for his first ride. I though a trial run around the block would be enough but it turned out to be a hour-plus bike ride. Since then everyday we have been out on the bike. A born biker!

Did you say cupcake?

2008-04-22T21:58:00.001-04:00

I can't believe Zane turns 6 months!! Mike surprised him (and me) with cupcakes. Zane seemed to enjoy it and wanted more! It was so cute to see the discover of something so yummy! The last 6 months have been the greatest days of our lives. Every day I thank God for our son. I have enjoyed every moment - even the sleep deprived ones! Part of me still can't believe that he is here and he is ours. He is such an amazing joy! Thank you Zane for 6 amazing months!!

It's Official!!!

2008-03-27T21:16:00.003-04:00

Last week Mike and I had our final hearing in front of a judge to finalize Zane's adoption. It was a quick meeting but such a relief. He is forever and always ours! I still can't believe it some days that we have a son! God works in amazing ways to take us down a path that we never expected back when we started our journey for Mia. I just told someone the other day that from the day we got the call that we were chosen to adopt to today has been shorter than a pregnancy - just over 6 months (and Zane is 5 months old)! Crazy and wonderful!

It's Easter time!

2008-03-16T20:14:00.003-04:00

Today my mom and I went to the local candy shop where the Easter Bunny was making a stop. Zane seemed to really like him! I LOVE being a mom!! It's so much fun!!

Finally 2006

2008-03-10T18:39:00.002-04:00

I know we are still a loooong way away from our referral date but it's comforting to know that they are finally in 2006, our referral year. For the first time in a long time I feel like we are making progress. Ironically this week also marks 3 anniversaries for us - 2 years since we received our orientation paperwork from CCAI, 1 1/2 years since our LID and 6 months since we found out we were chosen for Zane! I must admit, I thank God for "the wait", thank God for Zane! He really does have a plan and it all happens in His timing!

FCC Chinese New Year Celebration

2008-02-17T17:26:00.005-05:00

Our local FCC group had our CNY celebration this weekend and it was a great event. It would be so easy to feel down about the wait and not attend but it's such a great shot in the arm of why we are doing this. The beautiful girls and boys with their families is truly a celebration. Many of the children where celebrating CNY with their "forever families" for the first time this year. It was great to see them all! Oh yeah, I sure liked showing off Zane as well! He was SO cute in his chinese outfit.

First Trip to the Zoo

2008-02-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

We took advantage of this beautiful Florida day and went to the zoo. I must say Zane didn't seem too impressed but still it was a wonderful family outing. We went to the zoo a year ago for Valinetine's Day so that's part of the reason we decided to go today - an early Valinetine's Day since we'll be working on Thursday. But it was also a day of reflecting that a year ago we knew nothing about Zane entering our lives! It was such a wonderful day to share the zoo with our son!

Happy Chinese New Year - Year Of the Rat

2008-02-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

Rats mark the commencement of the cycle of 12 Chinese zodiacs and thus are associated with enterprising and aggressive qualities. To start with listing the traits of a Rat, it is important to first know what this animal image stands for in Chinese philosophy. Rat has strong associations with material success such as wealth and other luxuries of life. It is their aggression, charm, hard work, discipline and passionate nature that gives an edge to their persona in comparison to others. There are good chances of Rats being wealthy and professionally successful in their lives. They are quick, energetic and mold themselves easily according to the situation, which makes them excellent problem solvers too. Unlike most of other zodiac signs, Rats believe in having a handful of friends, but they share a special bonding with all of them.

When it comes to competition, nobody can be as manipulative as they are. They are tactful and can go to great extents to win a battle. Yet honesty and unprejudiced attitude is something others need to learn from Rats. A heavy karma chakra may lead to inner conflicts. It is likely for them to indulge in speculation and other adventurous tasks in order to give an outlet to their emotions. If this kind of an outlet is not available, they might turn to self-destruction. The best spiritual message Chinese sages give to Rats is to observe self-control and be considerate while dealing with people around them. Their dynamism can be accessed with the diversity of professions they can choose. On one hand they can lend a perfection to works of art in literature, on the other hand they can also be excellent detectives, accountants, engineers and pathologists. Law and politics are some other areas they can try their hands on. Hope this year of Rats 2008 becomes the harbinger of health, wealth and good fortune for all of us.

(I copied the above from www.123chinesenewyear.com)

It gets better every day!

2008-01-31T18:43:00.000-05:00

I love being a mom! Zane is so amazing!! He's discovering new things almost everyday. He's holding up him head, sitting in a bouncer, smiling - so cute! Email, blogging and everything else has definitely taken a back seat! I'm still working on adjusting to being a working mom but after a long, tough day at work, there's nothing like seeing our beautiful son to make it all better!

Zane's nursery

2008-01-11T08:50:00.001-05:00

I been waiting to post pictures of Zane's nursery because I still have a few things to do but who knows when that's going to happen so here's the almost finished version! I know it's a little unusual to have a coral colored room but that's what the room was painted before and I just loved the color so we kept it. The theme is called "bubbles" and it's all kinds of fish, seahorses and octopus. I love scuba diving and under the water stuff so it was easy and fun!

Wow 2007!

2007-12-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

There is only an hour left in 2007 and what began as a year of expected hardship of waiting for Mia is ending with a goodnight kiss for our son Zane! There is no way I saw this coming! As I read my last post of 2006, just one year ago, we were excited about being logged in but had realized 2007 would not bring Mia's referral. We thought this Christmas would be the last without her and now we are sure we will be without her again next Christmas. Do I dare say we will be with her Christmas of 2009? But to have Zane for this Christmas, the joy is overwhelming!

So much has happened this year. In January, we brought JinMei here for successful heart surgery - we helped change a life and she changed mine! In March, Mike and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary; what a special feeling. In June, we gave IVF one final try - unsuccessful again. In July, we got back to the Keys (my favorite place) - an annual trip that hasn't been so annual recently; and my best friend from college (who also struggled with infertility) gave birth to a son. This was the month that we started to look into the option of a domestic adoption - a scary feeling when so much can go wrong. September, we headed to Vegas for the first time; a pretty good place to head when it's your last trip without being parents, even though we didn't know that at the time! Little did we know this very weekend a teenage girl was looking at our photo album, trying to decide between us and another couple for the placement of her son. September 17th, we met Zane - although still invitro. Meeting his birthmom was the most surreal, wonderful day. I think the only day that has beat it was Zane's actual birth day. I can't even describe the feelings we have had from September 17th to now. I do not have the words to express it all. Of course, Zane was born October 22nd - without a doubt the greatest day of my life. Since then we have celebrated his first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And in November, for our Mia news, we finally made it out of the Review Room!! The last two+ months have been a blur - a wonderful, sleep deprived, exhilarating blur!

2007 - we had no idea it would bring us a son. How wonderful it is. Yet this plan, God knew all along. He told me to be patient and have faith. I can't not try to wrap up 2007 by starting with January 2007 but I have to go back to 2001 when we first decided to try to start a family. The road has not always been easy but we did it together and with a lot of prayer. Infertility is a quiet "illness". So many feelings of embarrasment, inadequacy, jealousy; all rotten, silly feelings but they happen. My mom thanked me the other day for never giving up. I told her God made it in my heart to be a mother - giving up was never an option. So 2007 brings the end of being childless. How joyous it is. All this being said, we still have a sad place - waiting for Mia. But God told us to be patient and have faith - that patience and faith brought us Zane, it will surely bring us Mia.

Happy New Year everyone! I'm so excited about 2008!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-30T15:18:00.000-05:00

I have failed at blogging recently - this motherhood stuff is very time consuming! But, as they say, it's the best job I've ever had! Christmas was such a blessing. It is still so unbelievable that we woke up on Christmas morning and were able to celebrate it with our son! Of course he had no idea what was going on but we sure had fun opening his presents! We thought of Mia as well but it's easier knowing she probably isn't even born yet. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I'm so excited about 2008!

Out of Review - Woohoo!!!!

2007-11-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to say that our dossier is out of review! CCAA announced they are through 9/30/06. What a milestone! I never really had any fears that we would be rejected or questioned because CCAI (our agency) did such a good job getting our dossier ready but still it is a HUGE relief to know that someone in China has actually looked at and approved our dossier. Even though we still have a loooong wait ahead, at least we are moving to the matching room. I am so happy that I am in tears!!!!! We are one step closer to Mia Jade!!!

Thankful as can be

2007-11-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost is thanks to God for our son Zane. How could we possibly have known this time last year that he would be in our lives this Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the choices his birthmother made; for the support she was given. I am thankful for my husband; for his love and friendship. It was a long and difficult journey to become parents and we were together in our journey every step of the way. Thankful for our families and their endless support for us. We are so very blessed and we give great Thanks!

Congratulations Clark Family!!!

2007-11-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for my friend Donna & her family who received their referral for her beautiful daughter Lainey! To visit her blog & see her picture go to Handsful. I'm especially excited because not only is Donna in my favorite Yahoo group but she also lives in the same town as us so she can be friends with Mia Jade! Congratulations again!!

To renew or not to renew?

2007-11-11T18:38:00.000-05:00

With everything going so smoothly with Zane, we have to take a moment to focus on Mia Jade. Our all important 171H, the document from Homeland Security that says we can bring an orphan to the US, is about to expire - in January technically. Our agency says to start now if we want to renew it. The government has allowed one free renewal of the almost $700 application. But the problem is even our agency doesn't think we will get Mia within the 18 month time frame of the new form. The problem with the "free" renewal is that all the supporting documents are not free. So do we spend the money to get a free renewal that won't do us any good (probably) or let it expire and start all over when we know it will be the document that we really need? Either way will cost a lot more money! It's very frustrating to know what to do. But as I said, everything is great with Zane. We count our blessings evey day! We won't let this 171H thing get us too down!

Our beautiful Zane

2007-11-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

This beautiful photo was taken by my mom. One of our few pictures that shows those beautiful eyes. He is only 2 days old here and getting ready to come home.

Stork Alert

2007-11-02T08:03:00.000-04:00

My girlfriends at work gave us with a stork for our yard announcing Zane's birth. It really surprised our neighbors who didn't know about our domestic adoption plans nor saw me 9 months pregnant!

Zane is here!!!!

2007-10-24T20:41:00.000-04:00

Mike and I are overjoyed to announce the birth of our SON Zane!! He decided to enter the world early and was born on October 22. He is beautiful and perfect!! We were so blessed! He is truly a gracious gift from God!

I had a baby shower!!!

2007-10-14T19:10:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday my girls at work gave me a baby shower and it was a HUGE shower! There were something like 35 people there. It took me hours to go through everything once I got home to figure out what I had. I actually feel ready for a baby now - or at least as ready as you can get! It was all so moving and surreal. I still can't believe this is all happening. It is so exciting! Only 2 weeks until the due date. The nursery is almost done - just a few things left to do but it's ready for a baby.

Me and Mom on the right (I don't look 37 weeks pregnant!)
and my friends Julie & Lisa (the shower hostesses)

Baby name = Zane

2007-10-03T19:10:00.000-04:00

Oh, thank you for the comment from Joce on my last post; I forgot to share his name! We are naming him ZANE! (Middle name still to be determined.) Zane was our front runner for a name and then I picked up a baby book and they gave the meaning as "God's gracious gift". That's all it took! What else is he but our gracious gift from our gracious God! So Zane it is!

35 weeks and counting!

2007-10-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

All is going well with our domestic adoption - our birthmom is 35 and a half weeks along and is due November 3rd. That's in One Month!! I've been able to go to her last two OB/gyn appointments and the baby seems perfect. My mom was even able to go to one appointment, so she had a chance to meet her as well. She is such a sweet girl. I still can't believe this is all happening. It hasn't quite sunk in yet!

A Detour on our Journey!

2007-09-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

Mike and I are bursting! We have been chosen to adopt a baby boy through a domestic adoption! Since China is taking much longer than expected, be began looking into other options while we wait. We got "the call" on Monday and met his birth mother on Tuesday. We just adore her! She is a teenager (and that's about all I want to share about her or the birth father just to protect all involved) and she seems very prepared to put the baby up for adoption. She is due in only 6 weeks so we have a TON to do to get ready! We are so excited! Mia's going to have a big brother!

1 Year LID

2007-09-12T06:11:00.000-04:00

Today is our year anniversary of our LID. I think I would be more excited if we didn't have another 1 1/2-2 years of waiting. But it is something I guess. We are one year closer to finally having a child in our lives.

Xianbei had her surgery - in China!!

2007-09-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we heard from Matthew that the Chinese government contacted Xianbei's mother about possibly being able to help Xianbei with her surgery at home in Nanning. It seems that after they all got Visas to come here for her surgery, a government official somehow got involved and made arrangements for her care in China. She had her surgery already and is recovering well. What a blessing! We were not even close to our financial goals to have her come next month - we would have done it one way or another, but it would have been difficult. I'm so glad we agreed to help her - by just arranging to get her here, a door was opened that was closed before!

We already have another possible child that is in great need. Somehow Matthew got a letter from a mother desperate for help. Their 18 month old has had one heart surgery, which took every bit of assets this family has, and she still needs two more. Her parents were told that her other surgeries were difficult and expensive and basically to give up. We'll see if we can help her. We have contacted the medical group to see if she is a candidate.

Vegas Baby!

2007-09-05T18:45:00.000-04:00

Mike and I headed to Vegas this past weekend. It was our first trip to Vegas and we had a great time. We went with Mike's sister & husband and two other couples. We saw "Love" the Cirque du Soleil with all Beatles music, went to the club "Tao", and even sat a table over from Sarah Silverman one night at dinner. We did just a little gamble which means we didn't win much but we didn't lose much either! It was a real good time, and it's always nice to get away from the daily stress of "the wait".

Girls Gobal Education Fund

2007-08-17T23:56:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned Girls Global Education Fund in passing before but have just now gotten involved, and I am so excited. The translator that came with JinMei (and again is coming with Xianbei) is named Matthew. Although he is helping with with A Heart for China, his job is working with GGEF. It is an organization that finds sponsors to send girls that live in rural China to school who otherwise would not get any formal education. It's is amazingly cheap for us to send a girl to school and yet education is priceless to a child's future. For an elementary aged girl it is $40 a year, a middle school girl is just $80 a year and a high school is only $240 a year - yes, for a whole school year! When I first signed up last month, I chose to sponsor an elementary aged girl. When Matthew emailed me about the girl I was to sponsor, he told me that she has two middle school sisters and a high school sister that he is also looking for sponsors. He asked me to pray that all these girls will be sponsored and be able to go to school. They are a family of 6 kids - the others, a brother going to school already and an older sister that hasn't gone to school for years. She stopped going to school so she could help support the family; both of their parents died a few years ago of illness. They are living with grandmom and uncle. When I got the email, I was so moved that I called my best friend to tell her the story. That evening Mike and I talked about it and decided to sponsor the two middle school girl and my mom would sponsor the elementary age girl, our original assignment. Before I went to bed, my best friend called me back and said she would sponsor the high school girl! Within a couple hours we had all four sponsored and I was emailing Matthew back. He was so excited to get our news that he said he was immediately making the three hour round trip (on his bike - he does not have a car) to go tell the family! How amazing to have these kids so excited to have the opportunity to go to school. What a difference it will make in their lives.

If you are so moved by the ease to make such a huge impact on a child for very little financial commitment, please visit Girls Global Education Fund to learn more. There are many more girls waiting to be sponsored. If you sponsor, mention me to be the coordinator - I've volunteered to organize correspondence for those signed up through me. Thank you for your support!

Xianbei is coming in October!

2007-08-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

Last year some local volunteers joined together and started a group called A Heart for China with the goal to bring one girl named JinMei from China to Jacksonville for lifesaving heart surgery. A group called Patrons of the Heart provided all the healthcare including the surgery as long as we got her here and provided for her needs during her stay. She had successful surgery last January. (If you look back in my blog, you can see photos and my posts from that time.) We now have another girl scheduled to come in October named Xianbei (pictured here - on the right). Patrons of the Hearts once again will be providing her surgery and they (her mom and the same translator Matthew) will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House. We are currently raising funds for their travel and stay. Please visit A Heart for China for more information on how to help. We have a lot of work to do between now and October! Thank you!!

Under 300!

2007-08-02T20:32:00.000-04:00

Talk about seeking out milestones - we are finally under 300 days between the latest referral date, now November 21, 2005 and our LID of September 12, 2006. Technically 295 days. At a 7 day/month referral rate, we only have 42 more months. Just kidding; they will eventually speed up - right? Our other milestone is that it was one year ago that we were done paperchasing and sent our completed dossier to CCAI, our agency, for final review and translation. How things have changed in a year. A 14 wait a year ago has turned into 20 months and all signs are leaning to 2-3 year wait. But at least we are a year closer.

Silly Boy

2007-07-29T16:20:00.000-04:00

I may not have kids but I do have a spoiled baby - our dog! I was just saying yesterday how you can't see dogs' personalities in pictures and then I took this one today that is as close as I can get. Here is Harman. Harman loves his toys. So much so that he often walks around with more than one in his mouth but today I witnessed as he wandered around the house collecting not one, not two, not three, but four toys to carry around. It was very tricky for him to pick up each one without dropping the others but he succeeded. What a silly boy!

After collecting them, he sat over them like a hunter with his prey, licking his lips!

I'm buying stuff like I have a baby on the way!

2007-07-22T12:39:00.000-04:00

I have made a couple of fun purchases in the last few days - as if we were preparing for a baby. First, I bought a trio of baby carriers from a lady I met online. She used them with her two from China. One is a baby bjorn, one is a sling type carrier and the third, a seat to use on the plane. I will post pictures when I get them!

Next I bought a crib at a garage sale. Now this one freaked me out a little because that is for the nursery - the non-existing nursery. I purposely have not started the nursery because that would be too hard to look at with a probable two years to go. Clothes, toys, books are one thing, but a crib?! That's a bit more real. But it was too beautiful and too good of a deal to pass up. It is a beautiful cherry wood convertible crib but it will have to live in the garage for awhile.

10 months (& considering an additional adoption)

2007-07-14T10:44:00.000-04:00

This week we pasted our 10 month mark since our LID - and it's looking like it will be another 20-26 months wait. Unbelievable. I really never thought it would come to this but that's what all the signs are pointing to. Because of that, we are looking into another adoption while we wait. I am gathering a lot of information and making a lot of contacts. I'm not sure what path God will lead us but keep watching! Wouldn't it be fun to have a brother or sister waiting for Mia with us!

Cool photo

2007-07-11T06:44:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite photo that I took while in the Keys. We were watching the sunset on the bay while a storm was brewing south over near the island. We watched this water funnel grow and if you look closely you can see the funnel all the way down to the water.

Vacation, the 4th of July and Referrals!

2007-07-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

We had a great vacation at my favorite spot - the Florida Keys; specifically Key Colony off of Marathon. It was beautiful - not too hot, a few light showers, flat seas, good visibility (for snorkeling & scuba diving), the boys caught fish and loads of family fun. What else can you ask for?!

We had a great 4th of July on the boat under the fireworks. We had another family & some friends that went with us so we had a total of 14 people in two boats tied up eating BBQ, watching the sunset, listening to Jimmy Buffett, as we waited for some of the best fireworks I ever seen. What fun!

We didn't have any internet connection either so an entire week of no RQ (Rumor Queen-a website that watches "the wait") or my Yahoo groups, which was a good thing - a vacation from the wait! But I did see referrals have come out - a whopping 7 days taking referrals thru November 14, 2005. But it's about what I expected and it's bigger than the last 3 months, so not too much to complain about.

Neat email and Vacation bound!

2007-07-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

I got such a great surprise the other day when I opened my email - it was a email from a boyfriend of mine in college! Someone I haven't had any contact with for 15 years - wow, I'm getting old! In a conversation with a family member of his, my name came up, so he Googled me and found this blog! Google is amazing! He sent me the sweetest email, about how he was moved by our journey and that his prayers are with us! When I started this blog it was mostly to keep family members and friends up to date with what was going on. Little did I know how many others I would meet, or be reunited with, through this little hobby of mine! Danny, it is so great to be in contact with you again!

Now Mike and I are off to vacation in the Keys for a week. A long awaited escape. We didn't go on vacation at all last year because we were saving our money and vacation time off of work for our China trip - this year - HA! I wish we were going to China but the Keys will do!

Why?

2007-06-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been pretty tough - my office has experience two unexpected deaths of associates of our office in the span of 10 days. Both were unusual events; both made the local news. I find myself searching the internet, the newspaper, watching the news to learn about what happened. When did it happen? How did it happen? What were the circumstances that lead to both of their deaths? Both men in their early 40's. One, a bizarre car accident - sitting still at a stop sign and another driver, stone sober, took his eyes off the road for a second, ran off the road and t-boned our friend, killing him instantly. The other, an unbelievable shooting incident. I scan the newspaper for answers, as the stories literally went from headline news to the back page of the metro section in a day and I realized my questions were not going to be answered. I knew now when, pretty much how, but the answer I don't have, and won't find on First Coast News or in the Times Union is WHY. Why did both these men die in such freak incidents so suddenly. I'm not usually a why person. I believe God has a plan and things happen for a reason but sometimes you can't help but to ask, "why?" Larry & Tim, you will be missed.

Too cute to pass up!

2007-06-17T18:20:00.000-04:00

My mom went to a garage sale yesterday and just couldn't leave this there! For a total of $3, Mia has her first bike!

God Said NO!

2007-06-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

This poem was on my ladybug yahoo group board (the BEST group around) and I thought it went along very nicely with my post from June 8th. Enjoy.

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

One step forward - two steps back = 9 Months!

2007-06-12T07:54:00.000-04:00

We are at the 9 month mark since our LID. 9 months - the same time as a pregnancy. Just thought I'd point that out. There is a song by the Beatles called "Revolution 9" on The White Album - their drug days for sure. 9 is considered lucky in China, unlucky in Japan. Our solar system has 9 planets. Oh, yeah, I think they kicked Pluto out, so that makes 8 - never mind. Kasey Kahne drives the #9 car in NASCAR. And I love Nine West shoes!

Are we half way done - doubtful. A third done - possible. Only time will tell. With each month down, it seems the wait is another 1/2 month or longer than the month before, thus the one step forward, two steps back. Anyway, another month down!

I sure wanted a kid this weekend!

2007-06-10T16:49:00.000-04:00

This was such a beautiful weekend here in Florida. As Sunday is coming to an end all I can think is how much fun a kid would have been this weekend. I didn't do anything fun the past two days. A few things around the house, grocery shopping, a trip to Home Depot, but nothing really fun. I want a kid to play with! One of the things I really look forward to is waking up on a Saturday and going out to have fun with my kid!

Thank God for Unanswered Prayers

2007-06-08T10:14:00.000-04:00

Infertility is a difficult road. Not the toughest of roads for sure but a rocky one none the less. I don't know how many times I begged, prayed, asked why, but I don't anymore. Now I can see the amazing road infertilty has taken us on. Most obvious, we wouldn't be adopting from China and, even with the wait, I am loving the journey. I have learned so much, met amazing people and done some very cool stuff. I am getting more and more involved with Grace & Hope, which is the foster care program that I've spoken of before. We have sponsored a girl for a year, watched her grow in a loving home and I have encouraged at least 4 others to do the same. I love the work we are doing for A Heart for China, the group that brought JinMei to Jacksonville for heart surgery and planning to bring XianBi in November. I've had a blast collecting for Mia's 100 good wish quilt, attending my first Chinese New Year celebration, have made some of the best friends I've ever had and are meeting more all the time. How would I have known that I would be thankful for our infertility. Don't get me wrong, I have bad days and I won't be a 100% good until we have our child but this path is pretty cool. I know I have talked about some of this before but sometimes something happens that makes you reflect and you thank God for unanswered prayers. He IS listening, just sometimes He says "no, I got something else in store for you"!

Happy Memorial Day

2007-05-28T17:07:00.001-04:00

Today is Memorial Day and I am so very thankful for the country that I was born and live in. We are so lucky for the freedoms that we have and so many good men and women protect and have lost their lives for our freedoms. As Mia gets older I plan to expose her to her Chinese heritage but I also will teach her the value of being American. She will be American and she will have freedoms that she will not have had in China. I love this country - thank you to all who have, do and will serve America.

Happy Mothers Day

2007-05-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

I look forward to being a mom on Mother's Day but until then I celebrate the wonderful woman that I have as a my mom, my role model and my best friend. I pray that I will be half the mom that she is and has been to me. I also am fortunate to have a wonderful mother-in-law (here with our nephew) that I want to celebrate. Mia is going to be a lucky girl to have two wonderful women for her grandmoms! Until then, I celebrate being the lucky one to have them as my mom and mom-in-law and the fact that I'm one more Mother's Day closer to being a mom! And to all you moms and waiting moms out there, I want to wish you a Happy Mother's Day.

I feel healed... mostly

2007-04-29T14:08:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I went to my best friend from college's baby shower. She lives in NC and came down to have her shower where her parents live in Florida. It was so good to see her and to see her pregnant, that it brought tears to my eyes! There was not even a tinge of jealousy or depression. Sadly I'm guilty of those feelings over the past few years at other baby showers. (It is expecially difficult when you are going to a second (or third) shower for the same person during the same period of just trying to become a parent once) and it's still hard with the long wait but I am so happy and satisfied with our path - even though long. I feel healthier than I have been over the past - I feel healed.

7 months - so excited I could burst - not!

2007-04-12T19:17:00.000-04:00

I know we should be excited that 7 months since our LID is behind us but I'm just not getting the giddy feeling. Gee, could it be because the last batch was all of 2 days? I don't have many down days but when word got out that the most recent batch only covered 2 days, I burst into tears. It felt like a stab in the heart. I don't doubt our path but come on, 2 days? When we started the wait was 7-8 months meaning I thought we'd be looking at a photo of our daughter about now. And now I'm not sure we'll get a referral before Christmas 2008. How can this be? I guess the good news is that we have passed 7 months and some are just logging in, so we're ahead of someone. I feel like I'm in line at Disney and the sign says "1 1/2 years from this point" and yet people are still getting in line behind me - this must be a good ride!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T07:53:00.000-04:00

It's a chilly, cloudy day here in Florida but the SON has risen anyway! We sure wish Mia was here with us but it didn't stop my mom from bringing a beautiful Easter basket with a ton of stuff for her. She will know she was loved long before she joined us.

A Heart for China

2007-03-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

Great news! Two days after JinMei went home, Matthew (the translator) was contacted about another little girl named Xianbei ("Che-in-bay" - on the right) who also needs heart surgery. Well we received word yesterday that the medical group that did JinMei's surgery, Patrons of the Hearts, has agreed to take on Xianbei's surgery! We have A LOT of work to do because they have her slated for a September surgery. We are also working on turning our group "A Heart for China" into a real incorporated 501(c)(3) charity! How amazing! So keep our charity (and Xianbei of course) in your prayers that we will continue to grow and find ways to do this kind of work! Who knew God had this work lined up for me - He is awesome!

10 YEARS!!

2007-03-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

Today is Mike and my 10 year wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married for 10 years! I'm actually very proud of ourselves! It has not always been easy and the difficulty of infertility certainly did not help but in a way I almost think it has made us stronger. It really put us on the same page of wanting a child so badly to jump through all the hoops to adopt. Six years ago when we first started to try to get pregnant, it was a conversation kind of like "are we ready to try?" "sure" and then off we went. But with adoption you really need to be together and then show your social worker you are united on the issue and then she has to writes to China and tell them how you are on the same page! Talk about unity! Anyway, the first 10 years have been about ourselves and we look forward to the next 10 years being about parents!

Cyber Shower Gifts!

2007-03-14T08:42:00.000-04:00

In the past few days I have gotten 2 cyber shower gifts - one from my Ladybugs & Red Thread Believers group, from Karmen and the other from my August 2006 DTC group, Kelly. They are both so cute - I have finally posted a photo! Thank you so much to both of you guys! I had skipped the last cyber showers because they were right after Chistmas but I forgot how much fun it was to get a surprise in the mail! Thanks again guys!!

New Horizons

2007-03-13T08:46:00.000-04:00

I have been so bad about blogging! Things have been crazy since the "China Crew", JinMei, her mom and Matthew the translator, went back home to China on Feb 28th. Within 4 days of them leaving we got an email that a 17 year old girl went to Matthew to tell him that her sister needs heart surgery and she had heard he had helped JinMei! We are now gaining medical records and working on bringing her here too! The group that did the surgery, Patrons of the Heart, said they would do one surgery a year for a child from China (they do about 4-5 free surgeries a year for kids from all over the world)! This is all very exciting! We are working on turning our group "A Heart for China" into a real charity! God works in amazing ways!

The other big "news" is that we passed our 6 month anniversary of being logged in yesterday. The day came and went with mixed feelings - happy that it's already been 6 months and it seemed pretty quick, sad that it could be another 18 months. Oh well, it is what it is! Mike and I did go out to dinner to "celebrate" the milestone. And we move on....

Chinese New Year!

2007-02-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

Last night was my local FCC group's Chinese New Year celebration with almost 500 people - 150 of them kids! It was so much fun! Some of the highlights included JinMei signing a song to the whole group, ribbon dancers, fan dancers and the lion dance to finish the night. We had a silent auction, raffle prizes, kids crafts (which I was in charge of!), photographers and a sit down dinner.

I won a great raffle prize - the "waiting family" basket. It has a bunch of stuff for our travel to China including packing vacuum bags, diaper rash creme, bottle opener, a thermos, a flash light, a book light, a travel journal and it goes on and on.

I also got a beautiful gift from Matthew, the translator with JinMei. (The photo here is me, Matthew and JinMei). It's called a love ball and it's shown here. He says where he is from they do not do arranged marriages like most of China but allow the girl to choose a husband. At a certain festival at a certain time of the year everyone gets together and the girl throws the ball to the man she wants to marry. He can choose to catch it or not. It is so beautiful and a gift I will cherish forever!

I am so sad that JinMei, her mom and Matthew will be leaving on Tuesday but I know they are all ready to be home again. It has been an AMAZING experience. I am so blessed to have been a part of their trip here - I pray our paths will cross again! Have a good start! which is how Matthew says they say Happy New Year in China!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2007-02-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

Today is Chinese New Year and welcoming the Year of the Pig! If my calculations and expectations are right, Mia Jade should be born in the Year of the Pig and that's suppose to be very good luck! So here's to our pig baby! I hope this new year brings a turn around in referral times. I still think we will see an increase until they get through 2005 LID's which will probably be July but then I hope we will see a turn around at that point. I am very excited about our FCC group's celebration next Saturday where we have RSVP's for almost 500 people! I will be sure to post pictures of that! Until then, Happy New Year!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

Mike and I both took the day off of work to spend Valentine's Day together. We went to the zoo and it was a beautiful day - sunny and in the 60's! A very nice way to spend the day with my husband. Hope everyone else had an equally nice day!

Isn't this a cool picture - this giraffe was right up at the observation deck!

5 months since LID - almost 1 year from start

2007-02-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

Today marks 5 months from our LID - very exciting. If "the wait" can settle around 20 months, then we'd be 25% through. Pretty good. We are also approaching the 1 year mark from when we started this journey. We mailed our application on Feb. 20, 2006 and got our approval notice on Feb. 24th, 2006. What a year! I did think we would be much closer to our Mia Jade by now when we started but I have accepted reality and am okay with the longer wait. I think the main reason is because I still know we are on our path to our baby where as a year ago, before we agreed on the adoption, I was lost and sad. Everyday now I know Mia is in my heart and she grows everyday - she's just taking longer to cook than I originally planned! But I know she's coming! I love the journey we are on. The wonderful people I have met, the things I have learned and the culture I am experiencing. I love this journey.

JinMei's doing great!

2007-02-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

JinMei is continuing to rebound like only a kid can! I visited her yesterday and I think I impressed her by asking her in Chinese how she was doing. (That's one of about four phases I've learned so far in my attempt to learn some Chinese before our trip next year!) What she said in response I'm not sure but she smiled and nodded so I guess that's good! She then showed me a toy she was playing with that asks "show me a B" and then you push the "B" and it goes on to other letters. She was doing it! This is a kid that did not know a word of English two weeks ago! She is so smart. I was amazed! We also had a tricycle race - she beat me. The translator said there was not way she could have done that kind of activity level before her surgery. Now she looks like a regular kid just one week after open heart surgery! This has been such a cool thing to be a part of!

JinMei's surgery

2007-01-24T07:35:00.000-05:00

JinMei had her surgery yesterday and everything went as planned. She is a brave, tough little girl, as well as her mom. It is so wonderful that Patrons of the Hearts did this surgery for free. Thank you for all the prayers - keep them coming during her recovery!

It's Worth the Wait!

2007-01-21T12:26:00.000-05:00

What a Gotcha Day photo!! This is my friend Laureen who just got her baby Isabel a few hours ago. I've never seen a happier pair! Laureen has already posted on her blog that every painful moment of the wait was worth it and has been washed away! I am so happy for her and Isabel!!

JinMei is Here!

2007-01-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

She arrived Thursday morning (1-18-07) and she is even more beautiful in real life. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about, I spoke of her in a previous post on 12-8-06). She is so tiny - she looks like she's 6 or 7 instead of 9! They went to work right away - she had a 3 hour doctor appointment on Thursday (after a flight from China!) where they determined her heart condition was not as bad as they feared, which is very good news, but it is a condition that still does need surgery. Yesterday she had a cardiac cath so they could gather more information on her condition and her surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday (1-23-07). It's an amazing thing to bring a little girl half way around the world for a life saving surgery! The group doing the surgery called Patrons of the Heart said something about doing a child a year from China! Wouldn't that be incredible! Back to JinMei, there is a website and blog created that has more photos of her, updates on her progress and ways you can help; please visit A Heart for China. Please keep her in your prayers!

4 Months down - now we're talkin!

2007-01-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

So, today is 4 months since our LID and it's really gone by pretty quickly. The current wait is at 16 months. If it could stay there (or even go up and come back down to 16 months), then we are 25% through our wait. That sounds pretty good. Unfortunately the wait has been continuing to grow. I think (hope) the worst case scenario would be 20 months, which would put us at May 2008 and that would mean we are 20% through - I can handle that! So we will continue to wait and watch the wait and count the months. 4 down, ? to go! Congrats to my fellow 9/06'ers for 4 successful waiting months!

P.S. We got our 25th square & wish for our "100 good wish quilt" today which means we have 25% of our squares - could it be a good luck sign that we are 25 % through our wait - that would be nice!

I have a HAPPY husband!

2007-01-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

As you may know, we are big football fans - Mike a huge Florida Gator fan (and me a Florida State Nole). Well, last night the Florida Gators won the National Championship! I did NOT enjoy the last time, 1996, the Gators won the National Championship because they beat the Noles to do it. But last night I actually enjoyed watching the Gators prove the nation wrong, that they DID deserve to play in the championship game and they destroyed the Buckeyes! Mike is SO excited. Congrats to all you in the Gator Nation!

Goodbye 2006 - Hello 2007

2006-12-31T17:25:00.000-05:00

There is only 6 hours left in 2006 and it's been an interesting year to say the least. One year ago Mike and I had not yet agreed on adoption from China, my brother had just revealed that he was facing a major personal struggle, my cousin was anxiously waiting the birth of her first child and was devastated in January when he was born and diagnosed as having Downs Syndrome and my best friend was having major marital problems - and my mom was worrying about all of us! A year later, Mike and I are logged in with China, my brother is doing great, my cousin loves her baby and he is very healthy, and my friend is getting divorced and flourishing - and mom still is worrying about us! All of us still have bad days but it's been a year of growth. Looking back, 2005 was the bad year, 2006 has been the year of crawling out of the hole we all found ourselves in for different reasons.

I have also met amazing families locally and on-line who have adopted or are in the same process of adopting as we are. We've become involved with our local Families with Children from China group, with Grace and Hope to foster a little girl in China so she is cared for by a family instead of waiting for her "forever family" in an orphanage and I am helping to bring JinMei to Jacksonville for heart surgery. I also know what LID, DTC, CCAA, and DH mean, what a Yahoo group is and how to blog! I love the process we are in - I just wish they would speed up! Oh yeah, we have a room full a toys with a closet full of little girl clothes. Something I didn't even think about when we were struggling with infertility.

Thank you to all of my new on-line friends, my great Ladybug & Red Thread Believers group, my local friends, my FCC group, my family and my husband for all the support in our wonderful journey! (Sounds like I won an Oscar!)

Happy New Year to you all! And prayers for quicker referrals! I expect 2007 to be the birth year of Mia Jade and it would be even better if it was the year of her referral! Goodbye 2006, Hello 2007!!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today was a wonderful day with my family. We never expected Mia to with us this year so, as much as we thought of her, gave her presents and even gave presents from her, we are comfortable with the idea that she is most likely not even born yet. With that being said, we pray for her mother to be warm and healthy. We also pray for all of the children without families this Christmas. Next Christmas may be hard for us - at the referral rate next December she should be born but most likely still not with us. The good news is that 2007 should be the last Chrismas without her. But we have so much to be thankful for this Christmas - this has been a trying year for our entire family and our trust in God has brought us all a long way this year. Most to be thankful for this Christmas though is of course the gift of Christ. Merry Christmas to all!

Kelly the Elf

2006-12-22T06:32:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've seen this going around but it's so funny. So here's mine - presenting Kelly the elf

Secret Santa Gift and New Addition to my Blog

2006-12-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

I got my gift from my Secret Santa in my "Ladybugs & Red Thread Believers" Yahoo group. I will post a picture as soon as my camera battery recharges :) It's an adorable Ladybug outfit for Mia, a musical "puzzle bug" and a bracelet with, you guessed it, a ladybug (and flowers) on it. It comes from Terri (A Gift of Ruth) in Texas. Thank you Terri! My "Ladybug" group has become very special to me.

Also, I added a feature called Feed Blitz that will email you each time this blog is updated. It's a nice feature if anyone is interested. I hope I did it right! If you are interested, you can find the link on the right toolbar beneath the "Archives" section. Just enter you email address and it will take you to the Feed Blitz site. A few simple steps and you will get an email each time I add a post. And it's easy to cancel at anytime.

Living Ladybug!

2006-12-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to posting a picture of our niece Annie who dressed as a ladybug for Halloween! Nothing's cuter than a living ladybug!

Okay, Pitty Party is over (for now at least)

2006-12-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

I am feeling much better today (maybe it's the passing of the wicked PMS - sorry to say but it true!! That or the fact that I left work early yesterday and went Christmas shopping!) Either way, that is part of the ebb and flow of this crazy path.

I got a call Tuesday from a lady named Trish at our agency(CCAI)who is writing a story about our cookbook to publish in their newsletter! So cool! This cookbook project has really been a fun deal. I can't thank everyone enough for all your participation, purchases and well wishes for the cookbook and the adoption. When the story comes out, I will post a link.

3 Months since our LID

2006-12-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Today is bitter sweet. It's been three months since we were logged in but each month the wait is getting longer and word from CCAA (adoption HQ of China) is that the wait is not going to get shorter anytime soon. They stated at their annual meeting that they have twice as many dossiers (want-to-be parents) than they have "paper-ready" children. What does that mean? It means we will most likely have another Christmas (2007) without a referral. 2008 is now looking like when we'll actually get a child. What a long gestation period! It's agonizing as postive as I try to be over the whole thing. If anyone knows me or even only knows me from my blog, you know I am always the one who looks at things from the bright side. I'm not sure what the bright side of this wait is yet. I guess I am having a weak moment. It is so hard, so painful to want something so basic as to be a parent and it's just so difficult to do so. And I know we are not the only ones. I have met so many others in the same boat; slow boat to China that is. I know God has a plan, I know I trust in God, I know we will have the perfect child for us, I know friends who have "survived" the 15 month wait. The funny thing is that I decided I could "survive" a 15 month wait, that would mean we were 20% done with the wait, and we would have a referral in December of 2007. But 18-24 months sounds so much longer because that mean 2008.

I didn't mention last post that I was so happy to meet Donna of Handsful last week, one of my favorite people that I have met online since the start of this journey. She is also in Jacksonville and we met at our local FCC (Families with Children from China) group of waiting families. I look forward to knowing her, her family and her Laniey more.

Here's JinMei - Isn't she beautiful!

2006-12-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

This is the little girl that some volunteers from my local FCC (Families with Children from China) group are working to bring here to Jacksonville, Florida to have heart surgery for a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. She lives with her family (she is not an orphan) outside Nanning, China. It's been a great project and a great way to keep my mind off of "the wait". She is scheduled to come January 2nd (As of 12/9/06, her arrival has been rescheduled to Jan 17th). Patrons of Heart, a local organization, are doing her surgery for free!!! She will stay, at least for part of the stay, at the Ronald McDonald House, there are a few schools that have this project as their service project for the year and the local news is even covering the story. It is all so exciting. I can't wait to meet her! Please visit the site A Heart for China.

New Referrals!

2006-12-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for this batch of referrals because for the first time I know two people who got their referrals!! Congratulations to my friends Laureen and Tonya!

Laureen lives here in Jacksonville and I met her through our local Familes with Children for China in the waiting families group. This is her first child and she is beautiful! Her name is Isabel. She is waiting in the province of Jianxi and was born 12/8/2005.

Tonya is the sister of a friend of mine. We have "talked" via email. Tonya lives in Tampa and she and her husband's new daughter Arwen is their second daughter from China. Look at that precious face! Arwan is waiting for them in Hunan. She was born 11/2/2005.

I'm so excited for both of you - this adoption thing really does work!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

2006-11-26T13:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday (ugh, 37!!) and I wanted to share some of the kind gifts given to me.

First, my big present from Mike. If you have followed my blog at all you know I'm a huge NASCAR and Jimmie Johnson fan. So all you ladies out there don't get too jealous but I got a J.J. signed #48 car door!! Yes sheet metal and I couldn't love it more! I know it's weird but my husband knows me well! If you are wondering where you put such an item, we are working on our gameroom and it will be a very cool addition!

Next, my parents got me a beautiful picture book about China and a Precious Moment that I've never seen before - it's the little girl with a ladybug on her bow! If you look closely, she also has ladybugs printed on her dress! They also gave me some warm golf clothes since this is the first winter I've played golf - am I spoiled or what!

From my in-laws I got a ladybug bracelet - very precious.

And Mike's sister and her family gave me a memory book where you take a hand print of your child on a regular basis, like every birthday and note some of your child's favorites at that time. The entire website called Once Upon a Family has some pretty neat keepsake stuff. Also I got the new Carl Haissen book from them.

And just in time for yesterday's Florida State (my team) vs. Florida (Mike's team) game, a "house divided" flag from my wonderful brother! Perfect timing! It will also probably live in the gameroom.

I love my birthdays, except for the getting older part. I'm still such a kid, but the hardest part is another birthday without being a mother. I pray so hard that I will have a photo by next birthday!

Jimmy/ie News!!

2006-11-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

We just got back from seeing Jimmy Buffett Thursday in Tampa! We had a great time! Jimmy always puts on a great show - this was show #4 for us. We went with Mike's sister Jenn (next to Mike) and her husband Steve as well as a couple friends of theirs, Jill and Mac. The show was at the outdoor amphitheater and it was a beautiful night. Even though the temperature was a little cool, with all the people, it got so comfortable we kicked off our shoes and danced under the stars! Thanks for a great night Jimmy!

The other "Jimmy News" is that my favorite NASCAR driver, Jimmie Johnson #48 just won the NASCAR Championship! Yeah Jimmie!!!

Our First Testimonial!

2006-11-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

We have our first public testimonial for our cookbook! Theresa from Expecting from China bought our cookbook at the CCAI Reunion in Orlando last week and posted on her blog about our book - thank you Theresa! It turns out that we are in a common Yahoo group, the Red Thread and Ladybug believers! If you are interested in learning more about our cookbook, please go to our blog Cookbook for Mia Jade or email me. Thank your for all your support!

2 Months!

2006-11-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate our 2 month anniversary since our LID!
Baby steps and milestones!