Crowd for dim sum...

Yesterday our local FCC Waiting Families group got together for dim sum. I made up little bags with those yummy peanut butter treats from our local Chinese market.

I love this poem about waiting...


These little treats were especially for the babies...



I love the adorable little smile on Ava's face in this shot...

We had a great turn out which included 11 families (22 adults and 8 kids).

Goodies from CA trip...

It's a lazy and HOT Sunday here in Phx. This is the only day of the week that we get to make a big breakfast and then we sit around reading the paper. I love Sunday mornings, but I know I'd better enjoy them while I can! The second Joe sits down on the couch, Lucy is right there by his side.


I wanted to show off my cute shopping finds from the Carlsbad trip. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't return from a trip empty handed.

Check out this adorable Crocodile Creek ladybug ball. I can just picture Joe and Lauren playing together in the backyard with this.


I also got this world map placemat (from Crocodile Creek too). I thought it would be a great way to talk about China with Lauren over dinner and show her where it is on the map.


The Bass store had these cute flip flops on sale for me and they look great with jean shorts and a red t-shirt.


Baby Gap had a great sale so I picked up a few cute outfits. I couldn't resist...I was under some kind of spell as soon as I walked into the store. I could also blame it on Christine because she kept finding cute outfits. ;)

First day back to work...

after a vacation is NEVER fun! I came back to a big old stack of miscellaneous problems in my in-box. Vacations would be much more fun if you could come back and pick up right were you left off. I know...dream on!

Christine and I had a really nice time in California. We were house and dog sitting for a friend of hers who lives in Encinitas about 5 minutes from the beach. We were there five full days and spent plenty of time lounging at the beach. We also went to Sea World, which is a nice park but I wouldn't go again in the summer...too hot and too little shade. We had Christine's teen-age son and girl friend with us, so I got a glimpse into the world of parenting a teen-ager. All I can say is I wish Lauren could stay little forever! It's sad when they get older and it's no longer cool to be around mom.

Here's a shot of Christine, her son, Colton, and his girlfriend, Alex...


and here's Christine's furbaby, Ruby, who came along with us and sat on my lap when Christine was driving...



I was pretty much detached from Blogville while on vacation, except for the occasional wi-fi signal I would get at the house. It's no fun to come back to the news that referrals are on the way and the word is out that they only got through November 14th. That means they only matched a measly seven days of LID's since last month! Since the last two batches were six days each and the one before that was two days, I think that pretty much cements the idea that it will take them two more months to get through the rest of November. So, it won't be until September that we see families with an early December 2005 LID get their referral and it may not be until November or December until all of December 2005 is matched. At that point, the wait will officially be 2 years! Pretty depressing, huh? When we applied to adopt, I had just turned 41 and I remember thinking that was so much older than I had always hoped for. Now, I'm turning 43 late this month and still have no light at the end of this really long tunnel. It's getting so discouraging. Sorry to be such a downer, but I'm riding the referral roller-coaster and we keep passing the exit with no way off! Ugh...let me off, I'm getting sick!

It's been a tuff morning...

lounging on Ponto Beach in Encinitas. Here's some pics of the view...




Here's Christine kicking back...


I had forgotten how relaxing it is to just lay back on the beach and snooze.

Back, but heading out again...

I had a really nice time up north among the pine trees. I had my bedroom window open at night and it was great to hear the wind blowing through the trees. It was pretty warm up there during the day (high 90's), but it cooled way down at night. Here in Phx it's been really HOT (112 degrees) and there is no cooling down. It's getting to that time of year when it stays hot all day and night.

I didn't really get any digital scrapbooking done. I messed around a little bit with some pages, but was having a MAJOR mental block. I think I need to sit down and really think about how I would like to set up Lauren's first year book, which will also serve as a life book. Where do I want to start? What do I want to say? I need to get my thoughts in order before I start. If anyone is putting together a similar book, I would love to hear your ideas.

This Thursday evening after work, I'm heading to Carlsbad, CA with a friend of mine. She's house sitting for a friend of hers who lives really close to the beach, so I'm hoping to get in some major relaxation and some sun. We also got tickets for Sea World, which should be fun because I haven't been there in years. I'll be there for almost a full week of fun and sun!

I hope all my Blogville friends don't think I'm constantly running off and leaving my poor hubby behind. Joe started a new job this past year and only has five vacation days left this year, which we are saving for a trip. I, on the other hand, have TONS of vacation time so I figured I might as well use some up and have some fun. Sorry, Joe!

Heading up north...

Well, tomorrow I'm taking off half day and heading up north with a couple of friends. My friend, Kim, has a cabin up in Heber, AZ (pine country). We're going to chill out, watch a couple of chick flicks on DVD, and do some scrapbooking. Since I'm into digital now, I'm taking my laptop up to start on Lauren's 1st year book. I downloaded some fun new digital kits from DigiChick and I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm leaving you with this totally adorable otter video. The otters are actually holding hands....watch all the way through cause the cutest part is towards the end.

Just like potato chips...

I can't stop at just one! Since today is Wednesday (my favorite day of the week since I'm off at 12n), I wandered into Target to pick up some basic essentials. This, of course, took me past the baby clothes section. Since I've heard of other people getting great deals there lately, I walked on through to find several clearance racks. SCORE!

I picked up this adorable Classic Pooh dress...



and these separate pieces for just $2 to $4 each. Who could pass this up, right?



I got all sizes 18 and 24 month this time. I'm taking the advise of everyone who responded to my last post and I'm returning the 6 month and the plain 9 month onesies to Carters. I am keeping the two onesies with the cute sayings on them in size 9 month since my friend Shannon, mommy to twin 2 year old boys (Jack & Palmer), turned me on to these handy little onesie extenders from One Step Ahead. These look great for extending the length and getting more use out of onesies, especially if they are worn with skirts or pants so the extenders won't be seen. Shannon, thanks for the great tip! I'm definitely ordering these.

Clothing size question...

I wandered into Carter's on Sunday afternoon (I know, dangerous thing to do) and found some really cute outfits.

I thought these two onesies where too funny to pass up...


and I thought this sleeper was pretty cute...


and I LOVE these shirts and matching curduroy skirt...


My question is I got the sleeper in 6 month and all the rest in 9 month size thinking they would fit while in China. For those who have BTDT, do you think this size will work? I figure even if Lauren is almost a year when we get her, she'll probably be pretty small and wearing smaller sizes. Was that the case in your travel groups?

16 months and fun nursery finds...

Today is our 16 month LIDversary and we are still plugging along.

There isn't much to say about the wait, except to complain and whine and I just don't feel like doing that today. I do still like to at least recognize the monthly milestones, as it does help to see that we are actually moving forward even though it sometimes doesn't feel like it.








Joe and I stopped by HomeGoods on Friday evening to check out their children's section. They only have one aisle of kids stuff, but there always seems to be a great find.

They didn't disappoint us this time either. We picked up this great wall clock for only $12.99 that totally matches our nursery decor. See how nicely it goes with the wall color?

I've got to give Joe credit for spotting this clock, since it was tucked behind a bunch of other stuff.


We also got this adorable wooden, stacking train. I love the colors and I know that kids love toys that stack. We couldn't pass this up for only $9.99.

Last, but not least, Happy Father's Day to all the new Dads out in Blogville! Hold your baby tight today and remember how blessed you are to have them in your life. Also, I'm thinking of all the waiting Dads today too and hoping your day comes soon to hold your baby for the first time. I know I can't wait to see Joe holding Lauren.

New books...

by my favorite children's author, Karen Katz. While surfing Amazon the other day (a dangerous thing), I discovered that she has a book called My First Chinese New Year. Well, of course I had to have that one. Also, this cute lift-the-flap book, What Does Baby Say, was calling Lauren's name too.



I love the illustrations in her books...they are brightly colored and so adorable.



If you search "Karen Katz" on Amazon, tons of adorable books will come up. Counting Kisses is my favorite so far, but these are really cute too.

Can't wait for our turn...

This video is making the rounds, but I thought I'd post it for those who haven't seen it yet. It's by Holt International adoption agency and it features families meeting their children for the first time. Grab a hankie...

Referrals are in...

Well, it's official...after weeks of waiting and hoping for a bigger referral batch this month, they only got through another 6 days of LID's.

This is the same amount of days they referred last month and the month before it was only 2 days. Unfortunately, we don't know how many actual matches are being made, so we can't tell if they are actually referring the same number of children each month or not.

There are 102 days between Nov 7th (where they left off this month) and our LID. If they were to continue to refer only 6 days each month, we wouldn't have our referral until December 2008. Someone PLEASE let me that's not REALLY going to happen...that would be a 34 month total wait. If they could step it up to 12 days a month, we could have our referral in March 2008. I'm trying to get it to sink in that this may be our best case scenario (a 25 month wait), which is really hard to accept.

As much as I'm happy for those who are receiving their referrals this month, it's getting harder and harder as the months tick by to keep a positive attitude and really enjoy looking at all the referral photos rolling in. Sorry to be such a bummer, but referral day just isn't as much fun as it used to be.

Duck, Duck, Goose...

No...duck, duck, duck, and GIANT duck!

I was at Bath & Body for their big sale this afternoon and got this great big rubber ducky. It's 10" long and 9" tall and totally adorable. It rang up for just $4.50, so I just had to get it for when we decorate Lauren's bathroom.

I'm wondering if Lauren will play with it in the tub or if she'll be scared of it. Guess we'll find out sooner or later.


Ok, still waiting for referrals....come on CCAA!!

Good weekend and Target find...

We had a really good, relaxing weekend. Yesterday we had dinner at Michele's place and had a great time visiting with Kim & Scott and their cuties Jenna & Jadyn, Nancy, Brian & Lily, Megan & her daughter Mia, Heather & Damon, and Laura & Dan. I had a ball with all the babies and I left thinking how much I can't wait until we have Lauren. Thank you, Michele, for such a wonderful dinner and fun night.

Today, Joe and I headed out to the movies (we haven't been to one in forever) and saw Knocked Up. This is directed by the guy who did The 40-Year Old Virgin. If you liked that movie, I think you'll like this one too. You can see a preview here. I love the characters and it's pretty darn funny too.

After the movie, we did some shopping at Target (God for bid I miss a weekend) and we found some really cute knobs for Lauren's nursery furniture. Check them out here.

Well, it's back to work tomorrow....can't wait for referrals!!!! Come on CCAA, we're ready and waiting!

Time to take control...

and kick it into high gear. I've started a new wellness blog and am hoping there are others on the same boat who would like to join me. Read on here.

Need a little cheese with my whine...

Ok, I've tried really hard to stay positive, but I'm bummed out today.

First of all...it's looking like instead of the rumored large referral batch this month, they may only get through Nov. 7th (that would be 6 days worth of LIDs). According to RQ, some people with a Nov. 8th LID are being told by their agencies that they didn't make the cut. For us to see a referral this year, they would need to make it through the end of November by next month, cover all of December in July & August and all of January in Sept & October. That would be the only way (besides them all of a sudden doing 30 days each month) that we could have our referral in December.

On top of that, the USCIS just decided to allow one free renewal of the I-600A effective July 30, 2007. I'm happy for my friends who WILL benefit from this, but it's about four months too late for us! We mailed in our new I-600A with a hefty check just last month.

Like I've said before, this is a roller coaster ride and some days are up and some days are down...this one is down.

Opinions needed...

on the paint samples we put up today. Click here to check them out.

I've been a bad girl...

on my day off today. Instead of taking care of the many things I have to do around the house, I headed off to the mall. First stop was Coach for the new ergo leather tote that I've been drooling over (note to self: unsubscribe to the Coach e-mail newsletter)...


Then to Macy's where I got sucked right into the cosmetic/fragrance area by an over zealous sales clerk. I really think when they spot someone with a Coach shopping bag in tow, they figure they have a sucker who has no problem spending money. Well, she was right...I picked up Vera Wang's Princess spray and body lotion packaged up in a cute little shopping bag with extra samples and purse size lotion. I deserve it, right? Plus I've got to smell good while sporting my new bag.


Last stop was the women's department where I got a few summer shirts...finally something I actually needed. ;)

Good things come in little packages...

like the sample size paint cans we bought to try out colors for the nursery. Check them out here.

Another month down...

and still counting!

Hopefully this month's referrals will be out soon and we can do our monthly guesstimate on when we'll get our first glimpse of Lauren. I find myself thinking more and more about what she will look like, how old she'll be and where she is.

As we get closer to referral, I feel like I'm riding a roller coaster...the same one we were on years ago when we were trying to get pregnant. I thought that ride was over when we decided to adopt, but I learned pretty quickly that we're right back on. As the months go by, it feels like the drops are steeper and the ride gets more out of control.

Run, do not walk...

to Starbucks to get this TOTALLY adorable travel friendly tic-tac-toe set. The ladybug and turtle pieces tuck away inside the bag and it folds up like a purse.


When unfolded, it makes the cutest game board with soft material that the velcro game pieces stick to. Pretty cute, huh?


By the way, how do you like my bloggy makeover? I felt it was time for a change. Miyoung, is this look easier on your eyes? ;)

The cookie knows...

that I need some major motivation to get moving on the nursery. Maybe the rumored larger than expected referral batch this month would be just what the doctor ordered.


Wouldn't it be awesome if the CCAA actually mananged to get into mid November this month?

Happy Mother's Day!

A great BIG Happy Mother's Day to all my friends celebrating their VERY FIRST Mother's Day as a new mommy (Michele, Nancy, Kim, Julie, Jacquie, Kim, Gen, Tiffany, Christi, Mary Mia, and Lisa). It's been such a pleasure to get to know all of you over the past couple of years (wow, it's been that long?) and watch you all become mommas!

Joe and I had a busy weekend. Yesterday we prepared a Chinese food dinner (kung pao beef, cashew shrimp, and egg flower soup) and brought it over to my in-laws' house to celebrate Mother's Day. Joe's mom is pretty much house-bound at this point, so we decided to bring the meal to her. It was a nice dinner and I think everyone enjoyed it.

Today, we took my mom to Macaroni Grill for an early lunch. We had great service and the food was delicious. Of course, we had to top off lunch with their wonderful chocolate cake...it's to die for!

My mom surprised me with a "mommy-to-be" card and the cutest t-shirt for Lauren (she just couldn't resist this one)!
















Here's the framed, photo collage I put together for my mom. I even left a spot for Lauren's referral photo.


When we got home, there was a rose bush planted in a hand-painted pot with a card. It turned out to be from my nieces and nephew. I love how my nephew writes his name on the card...



My brother called to tell me later that the petals of the painted flowers on the pot are actually the kids' fingerprints. Isn't this an adorable idea?? I LOVE it!



My furbabies got me something for Mother's Day too...

As much as I enjoyed this weekend, I am SO looking forward to celebrating my first Mother's Day with Lauren. Hopefully that will be this time next year!

Referrals are in...

The CCAA hasn't updated their web-site yet, but it seems they got through dossiers logged in before November 1, 2005. They left off at October 26th last month, so that's six days. This is better than the two days they did last month, but not the two-weeks we were hoping for.

If they could manage to get back to referring two weeks every month, we may see a referral this December or January '08. Here's how it would look:

May referrals through 11/11/05
June referrals through 11/25/05
July referrals through 12/9/05
August referrals through 12/23/05
Sept referrals through 1/6/06
Oct referrals through 1/20/06
Nov referrals through 2/3/06
Dec referrals through 2/17/06 (us)
Jan referrals through 3/3/06

According to the polls on RQ, November is a BIG month and it may take the CCAA three months to get through all the dossiers. If this is the case, we can add on another month or two.

This would put us at a 22-24 month wait from our LID of 2/17/06. Doesn't the CCAA realize that we're NOT getting any younger?? I would have NEVER imagined in my wildest dreams that it would take this long to get our referral...this is so frustrating!

Nursery update...

Pop on over to my nursery page and let me know what you think of my latest find and paint chip colors.

Help, I'm suffering from CHAWMS...

That's China Adoption Waiting Momma Syndrome (CHAWMS). Here's the symptoms:

• Constant, nagging feeling of being preoccupied
• Unable to concentrate on any one thing for any length of time
• Unable to focus on projects at home or at work
• Thoughts constantly drifting towards adoption related things
• Feeling like a scatter-brained fool at times
• Chronic forgetfulness
• Unable to go one day without reading blogs or checking on Yahoo groups
• Unable to go half a day without checking RQ
• Unable to go one minute without thinking about your future daughter

Does anyone else suffer any or all of these symptoms? Lately, I've found myself saying "sorry, this waiting is frying my brain" much more than I should be. It seems the closer you get, the more intense these symptoms become. Also, no matter how often non-waiting friends say they understand, they just can't. They feel bad that we have to endure the wait, but just can't really relate to the all encompassing, life on hold, don't know when it's going to end feeling of this wait. CHAWMS can only be truly understood by waiting mommas.

I've seen bloggy friends take a "break" and try to re-group, but how the heck can you just chill and forget about the adoption for a while. I just don't think I can do it. If anyone has taken "the break" and was successful at substantially reducing the CHAWMS symptoms, please let me in on your secret!