Yesterday's Fortune (I'm a bit behind)

I really need to cut back on my Chinese food consumption or at least start eating low sodium Chinese food.

Yesterday's Fortune:
You emerge victorious from the maze you've been traveling in. hmmmm, very interesting

The Day before Yesterday's Fortune (and yes I did eat Chinese food two nights in a row):
You will always have good luck in your personal affairs.

Perhaps they are correct. I have finally settled on colors for the nursery and the spare bedroom (or as I like to refer to as 'my future son's room').

I've had a couple rough days at work mostly due to the fact that I'm so stressed and tired that I've burned out. Fortunately, my new partner starts next week. Unfortunately, I was told I can't take any time off until I train her and I suspect it might take a while. Please say a prayer that I make it through the next few weeks without telling them where I really want them to put things. Also fortunately, as bad as the last few days have been, I have had baby time each night after work. On Monday I spent it with Jessica and her 6-month old son and yesterday and tonight I got to spend time loving on Rosa. Ahhhh, nothing mends a broken spirit like baby love.

The Eagle has landed and I am in Nesting Mode

Well, I'm not really sure that made any sense, but I am in nesting mode. For some reason I've had the overwhelming desire to start and finish the nursery. At this point it is unreasonable to expect referrals to speed up (although I am hopeful that it will not by a 16 month wait), but I don't want to be caught unprepared, and this written by a well known procrastinator. I have not procrastinated one part of the adoption and I'm not about to start now! Maybe I'm afraid I will lose the initiative to start the nursery once I'm midway through the long wait, but regardless, I'm starting on it now!

I'm having a party this Saturday to celebrate Chinese New Year (or in this case, the end of it), receiving my log in date AND paint the nursery. Of course the obvious decision once I paint the nursery is to BUY furniture. I have been looking since October when I began the adoption process and I have beefed up my patrols recently, but haven't found anything that I really liked. Well, I notified my FCC group (families of Children from China) that I was looking and a woman who has not participated in any of our events e-mailed me to say that her crib set was for sale. It is a convertible crib (crib, toddler bed, daybed, that converts to a full sized adult bed---just want I wanted!) and it has a dresser with a changing table. I looked at it on Saturday and it is PERFECT! I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the one. It is a rich, cherry wood and very substantial. Everything I had looked at prior to that was rather light weight. This is serious furniture. So, by Sunday MayLing's room ought to be complete. I will still have to have a friend come in paint the wall motif, but I am otherwise done. Better still, the cherry won't look bad next to the rocking chair that I inherited from my mother (she rocked me in it) and my toy chest from childhood. How exciting!

Well, Duh

Sorry I haven't posted much this week. It certainly hasn't been because I've not had anything to report, because I have, but I just haven't felt well. Tuesday I was hit with some sort of intestinal bug, but it didn't seem like the average flu bug. I've had stomach and intestinal cramping with the, uh, usual consequences (I really don't think I need to go into any more detail, folks). Today I was still feeling ill with the same problems and ibuprofen was not helping. Here's where the duh part comes in.

While I was in Bedford today checking in on one of the my hospitals, I was speaking to a case manager who was telling me that the hospital was full of pukes and poops. I then relayed to her the story of a couple of our employees who several weeks ago were enjoying their daily dip into the community vat of peanut butter and all became quite ill within a few hours. It was shortly after that that we learned that Peter Pan had recalled some of their peanut butter and our vat was one of those that was under the recall.

Are you connecting the dots.....well, keep following along

I do enjoy peanut butter and had purchased two jars of Peter Pan last November/December in anticipation of all my holiday baking. I haven't touched the jar since Christmas, but when I get low on groceries or are too lazy to cook as I was earlier this week, I just start to eat it from the jar. Well, I got home this evening and looked up the recall information and sure enough, my two precious jars of peanut butter are part of the nationwide salmonella recall. I had my last swallow of peanut butter this morning and I really hope that I start to feel better tomorrow after the ick clears through my system. So, for those of you out there who think it can't happen to you (as I thought), the recall number for the Peter Pan Peanut Butter begins with 2111. Now go check your cabinets!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome Year of the Fire Pig (first in 60 years!)

Step by Step--The Adoption Process

I've had quite a few people ask about the process and wanting to know when to expect MayLing. The quick answer is that no one knows for sure what time I will receive her referral. Based on current time frames, it is taking 16 months from the log in date before families are sent a referral. But, for a refresher here is what has happened so far and what to expect next.

October 4, 2006--FTIA opened the window for a few single applicants to China.
October 6, 2006--they receive my application.
October 9, 2006--my application is approved and I have until February 28, 2007 to submit my dossier.
November 10, 2006--Home study is completed with a social worker
November 13, 2006--application made to United States Citizenship & Immigration Services
December 21, 2006--Fingerprinting appointment with USCIS
January 24, 2007--Receive my I-171H from USCIS (clearance to adopt a foreign orphan)
January 27, 2007--Deliver my completed dossier to Kristina at FTIA
February 2, 2007--Dossier sent to China
February 12, 2007--Log in Date (LID) in the Administrative offices of the CCAA

So what happens next? Most likely my file will sit in a folder for several months and then it will be translated. After it is translated it will be sent for it's first review. In Review 1, they comb through my documents looking for any problems. If they find any, they will alert my agency or they will reject my dossier. If I clear Review 1, it will be forwarded to Review 2 and that it is where I will be matched with MayLing. Once that is completed, my agency will be notified that I have a referral. They will send me her photo and her translated medical records and some information about her "she likes cookies or she enjoys playing with toys". If I accept the referral, I will sign a letter of intent (LOI) and forward that to FTIA who sends to China. Once accepted, travel arrangements will be made. From then, it is 4-6 weeks until I meet my daughter.

The easiest way to track the progress is to check CCAA's website http://www.china.ccaa.org/frames/index_unlogin_en.jsp

On the right side of the page you will see a box called "Document Processing". The first paragraph tells you up to what date they are reviewing documents (this is why having an LID is so important...everything is chronological). In the next paragraph they tell you through what date they have placed children. For example, if the first paragraph says they are reviewing documents through March 1st, I know that I am currently in review. If it says they have placed children through February 15, 2007, I know that I should be receiving a phone call really soon!

Who's Having the Best Day Ever? (aka LID day)

What a phenomenal day! This morning a co-worker pulled me aside and said, "I had a dream about you and I really feel like I need to tell you. Normally I wouldn't share dreams, but I had two people tell me they dreamed that I was pregnant before I knew that I was pregnant. ERICA, I dreamed you were pregnant the other night. Are you dating someone?"
I looked at her not quite sure how to respond and finally said, "I'm not pregnant, but I am expecting a child." I then proceeded to tell her about my adoption plans and swore her to secrecy (I don't want my co-workers knowing because I really can not handle having 15 different people every day ask me when MayLing will arrive).

Then, two hours later I got paged to an unfamiliar number and Kristina's beautiful voice told me that I have a log in date (LID) of February 12, 2007! I thought she was going to tell me there was a problem and China was requesting more information, but I have an LID!!!!! My dossier was sent to China on February 2nd. My dossier arrived in China on February 5th and FTIA's China Team walked them into the CCAA (China Center of Adoptive Affairs) on that date. And yesterday they officially logged me into their system. Now, I am officially waiting. They are predicting families will receive referrals 16 months from the time they are LID, but with the new guidelines going into affect May 1st, I am really hopeful that I will receive a referral before that.

I am so stinkin' excited I can't even stand myself! If that wasn't great enough, as I was leaving work this afternoon I saw the Ellis Florist van pull up in front of the building....he was delivering Valentine's Day flowers for me from my parents!

Last week I was in a funk that Terri calls the Post-Dossier Blues, but now that I have my LID I finally feel free to get busy on some projects. I really felt rather paralyzed and unable to begin anything until I knew I had something to begin. First order of business, cleaning out MayLing's bedroom this weekend. I will have a Chinese New Year/LID/nursery painting party in a few weeks and then I will finally be able to get busy with baby stuff!!!

Thank you to everyone who has had to listen to complain over the last 6 weeks. All your patient smiles are greatly appreciated!

Today's Fortune

Today's Fortune Cookie Reads:

You(r) life will be happy and peaceful.

Golly, I hope so.

Rough Day

Yesterday was a challenging day. As part of the FTIA adoption services, we are all enrolled in a yahoo chat group exclusively for those adopting from China. Normally people talk about frustrations and wait for the rest of us to provide advice, but since late last week the only topic of conversation has been the referrals that were received. We received referrals on 33 girls and 1 little boy and all of this was fantastic news, but it was so hard to see all the referral photos and read people's baby announcements. I have no idea why it suddenly bothered me, but it did. I think I feel so deeply connected to my daughter that it is hard to have to wait for her. She already feels like my daughter and I'm left on this side of the ocean feeling like a childless mother. Of course, work frustrations and disappointments may have also weighed heavily on my heart. The line blurs and blends at times and I'm not always sure which one started the problem.

Introducing Tom and Betty

It's a cold day with 6 inches of snow accumulation so you'll have to forgive me for a little goofiness. I'd like you to meet Tom and Betty Flamingo, Christmas gifts from Tony and Fil. Yes, I realize they are tacky, that's half the fun. Did you happen to see the movie Amelie with the traveling gnomes? No? Well you should. I'm hoping that my new pets will have a life of travel, even if it's only to a tree in the backyard. In most neighborhoods this might be seen as tacky, but I'm in the middle of blue-hair heaven (or hell depending on your perspective) and half of my neighbors proudly display their flamingos in their yard. Hopefully I will be able to find a website that sells flamingo clothing so that I can dress them for the seasons.

To China, With Love

I got home a little after 5 pm on Friday, anxiously awaiting the e-mail that said "dossier to country" or "dossier to China". I was a bit disappointed until I remembered that we are an hour ahead of Evansville and Kristina still had nearly an hour to get it done. Minutes later there it was, "dossier sent to China on February 2nd, 2007". Wheww, what a relief. Now I just have to sit tight and wait for my LID to come in. I finally understand what Kristen meant by still feeling anxious. I certainly understand that now. I just keep reminding myself that God has this all planned out. It was He that switched my heart from adamantly against adopting as a single mom to embracing and welcoming single motherhood.
Today in church Matt asked us to bow our heads and clear our minds. We were instructed to wait for a verse that was meant to strengthen us and maybe be a blessing to someone else. As soon as he said that the words to Jeremiah 19:11 popped into my head "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future." Before I could respond someone else opened the prayer session with it. Nearly each verse that was read after that seemed directed towards me and I felt such peace. He can provide things beyond what we know to ask for. I need to have faith that He will build my family and keep us safe.
In the meantime, I'm in full nesting mode. I went to Marsh last night and bought a ton of groceries (I'm really tired of living off Lean Cuisine entrees). I made a mixed vegetable salad, party mix for the SuperBowl party, crockpot beef stroganoff, cabbage & sausage soup, mexican porkchops and lots of fresh fruit. I've also started cleaning! All I can say is it's about time. I never felt like I had the time to devote to during the paperchase. Hopefully this will keep my mind occupied and my hands busy.