Matching and nursery update...

Well, according to RQ matching has begun at the CCAA. FINALLY!!! I'm dying to know how far they will get this month. I feel like we are SO close, yet SO far at the same time. If only they could kick out an 8 day batch, that would put a nice dent in the 39 days that separates us from our referral. Come on, CCAA...you can do it!

I have a few friends from my Yahoo DTC group (Hope, Susan, and Emily) who should be getting their referral and I just can't wait to see their pics! All of them will be first time mommas and I'm SO excited for them!

Over the weekend, Joe did a little project in the nursery. Click here for an update.

Impatience...

There are 39 days separating last month's referral batch with our log in date and I'm getting more and more impatient! I knew the waiting would get harder the closer we got, but it's harder than I thought it would be.

Wren's Referral Estimator is pointing towards October for our referral and China Adoption Forecast is predicting August as their weighted average based on past statistics and December based on last month's referrals.

I've been trying to prepare myself for December and trying not to focus on referrals each month, but I'm not having much luck. I have a hard time concentrating on other things for the week or so before referrals come out...I guess I'm still holding out hope that a surprise large batch will appear out of nowhere. I know...that bubble should have burst MONTHS ago! I wish there was a way to forget about everything until our agency calls one day.

More for the closet...

I know we don't need anything else for Lauren's closet right now, but we couldn't help picking up this adorable jacket at Target today on sale for $8. It's looking like it will probably be cold in China when we travel. If so, we'll bring this...


I LOVE the colors in this pretty little dress...it matches the nursery!


Well, here's to starting our monthly roller coaster ride. Rumors should start rolling in this week! Let's all keep our fingers crossed for at least at 8 day batch.

26th LIDversary...

Well, today is our 26th LIDversary.

For some reason this milestone is hitting kind of hard. I think it's because it marks waiting exactly 20 months longer than we had expected. By the time we get Lauren, it will be close to the 3 year mark.

Also, with Joe turning 44 this coming Sunday and me right behind him, I'm just getting bummed out and feel a little cheated by the system. We should have been able to enjoy being parents at age 42 and 43 instead of waiting until 44. I'm sure others in this situation can relate.

Ok...end of whine session.

Comfort food, anyone?

Potatoes, bacon, sour cream and mayo...need I say more? Here's a good recipe to whip up if you need some comfort food with the next batch of referrals...


We had some friends over from our Waiting Families group for a bar-b-que and a couple of people asked for this recipe.

Potato Salad

2 pounds of potatoes (I use Yukon Gold for the smooth, creamy texture)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo (not miracle whip for this one)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes) Drain well and cut into small pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayo; add the potatoes when slightly cooled; add the scallions and bacon; season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least an hour for the flavors to blend. To serve, garnish with the extra bacon and scallions.

Now, get a plate and fork and enjoy!

It almost seems real...

when you put the crib up, doesn't it? It's one thing to have it in a box propped up against the wall for two years, but it's quite another thing to actually have it assembled in the room!

Click here for pics.

Is she born?

Over the past week or so I've had this feeling that Lauren may be born. I've had a passing thought of this before, but for some reason now it's seems to be sticking with me. Maybe it's because I've started working on the nursery. It will be fun to find out later that her birthday is in April. Joe's birthday is April 20th, so maybe it will be around his.

Until Forever

This morning in China a mother cries
She'll never forget her daughter's eyes
Her heart is broken and filled with pain
The tears run down like the falling rain.
She has no choice but to leave her there
The cost of keeping her is too much to bear
She hopes her daughter will one day know
True love can be found in letting her go.

This morning in China a baby cries
Hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes
Her mother has left her in this public place
Another lost daughter of the Chinese race.
Someone passing by has heard her soft moan
She's soon quickly taken to a foster home
It's there she'll reside in the care of another
Until she's adopted by a brand new mother.

That very same moment, in the U.S.A.
A women cries as she starts to pray
Her heart is heavy but filled with much love
She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of.
"Dear Jesus I ask that your arms would be
Wrapped tightly around the one picked for me
Guard her in China "til I make my way
And then in my arms forever she'll stay."

Tim Fisher
December 24, 2003

Nursery & Hummingbird update...

Check here for our latest project in Lauren's room.

Sad news on our tiny tenant, but she has abandoned her nest for some reason. A day before she left there was a wind storm and one of the tiny jelly bean sized eggs fell out and broke. It was the saddest thing to see...I even got a little teary eyed over it. That night, we checked on the other egg, which looked fine. She sat on her nest for another day and then took off and never came back. I was so worried, I e-mailed a hummingbird society I found on-line and they had confirmed that if she had been gone for more than an hour she isn't coming back. Now I'm wondering if the egg that is left will hatch. Does it need the warmth and nurturing from the momma to hatch? Anyone have a clue on this?

Cookies anyone?

Anyone care to join me for some chocolate chip cookies?

I've been in full scale funk mode since rumors of this month's referral batch started. When I'm in a funk, healthy eating tends to go out the window and sweets start looking really good. When the cravings started kicking in this evening, I thought about the I Can Make You Thin guy from the TLC show and his wacky trigger point tapping technique for about one nanosecond right before I put the cookies into the oven. Oh well, so much for that show!

So, who else is totally funked out with this month's news? Five days...give me a break! After the last two 8 day batches I was having visions of actually getting a referral in September. Ha, that vision has faded and now I'm getting a sinking feeling that October or November is looking more likely. Just thinking of getting through another Christmas without our daughter is making me nauseous...wait, or is that the plate of chocolate chip cookies. Hmmmm....