Well this is our last post from China. We start the long trip home tonight. I am not looking forward to this next part at all. My sinuses are very congested - my allergy medication cannot keep up with all the mold spores here. Anyway the good part is that in 44 hours we will be meeting Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Deb and the cousins.

Yesterday we took some pictures at the hotel and then went to the consolate in the afternoon to pick up Alexa's visa. It is now official - I can take her home. Unfortunately they do not allow pictures to be taken there. We drove through a very nice area of Guangzhou to get to the consolate. It was very different than the areas we have seen before. I don't know if I have mentioned the traffic here. It is very different. I can't quite figure out how they make it work but somehow all these cars, bikes, and pedestrians seem to make it work. We have found that the best way for us to handle the traffic is not to look. It seems we are always in a near accident. I have great respect for our driver -Zhang.

Yesterday morning we went exploring on our own. We found the pharmacy and got Alexa some more vitamins. Yes I am giving my daughter Chinese medicine. I am not totally sure what she is getting but Nelson recommended it. The women in the pharmacy were surprised when I asked to take a picture. They did not speak any English - I would have loved to ask questions.

We finally found something other than formula and rice cereal that Alexa will eat - the whipped cream off a frappacino - Alexa is truly my daughter!

Today we pack up and head to the airport. I am not sure how we are going to get everything packed but somehow it will work out. The next update will be from home. I am ready for a good old American meal!

Alexa called me mama today!!!!! There were a couple times when I was not sure but today she definately said it. She came up to me and put up her arms to be picked up and looked in my face and said ma ma ma ma. It was a wonderful moment. In the picture on the right you can see her having her bottle. She prefers to have her head hanging upside down while she drinks. It looks uncomfortable to me but that is how she likes it so we do it her way.

She also had a little meltdown today. I was changing her diaper and she just started to cry. She did not want to eat. Nothing could make her happy. She was looking around like she wanted to see something or someone. I could not comfort her. I am sure she was missing her nannies and the orphanage. We will have more times like that I am sure but hopefully they will become less and less frequent. Later she checked out the newspaper. That is the English edition of the China Daily.

This afternoon we went swimming. She loved it. Absolutely loved it. She even tries to put her face in the water. I was scared to set her down after we got out of the pool because I was afraid she might run back in. I will need to see if I can sign her up for some swimming classes when we get home.

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at the Cow and Bridge - a Thai restaurant. We had Beef Satay, Sweet Green Beans with Garlic, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken Wings in Pinapple Sauce, and Bean Curd. I passed on the bean curd but everything else was delicious. I am going to miss the food we have had here - or at least some of it! - but I am ready for a big helping of mashed potatoes and gravy! And is the sweet corn going to be ready by the time we get home? That is sounding better and better!

Tomorrow we have our consolate appointment to pick up the visas for the girls. Then we need to pack up so we can leave on Friday. I need to buy a suitcase tomorrow. By the way my little girl loves shoes!

Well today started out well. Alexa put a cracker in her mouth and took a bite out of it. Of course she spit it out but she did lick some crumbs off her fingers and I think she liked it. I think we are making progress. She even touched the noodles I put in front of her.

After breakfast we headed to the porcelain factory. It was very interesting and Alexa was very good and patient as long as we stopped looking around and did a couple laps around the shop once in a while. She loves to walk around and laughs and laughs if I pick her up and spin her around. Mommy should have invested in some weights before I came to China! On the way home she fell asleep on my lap but woke when we returned to the hotel.

Of course no more nap so the rest of the day she was a little tired. She did pretty good though. We played for a while and then I explained that Aunt Jane and Mommy need to have a Frappacinno so she agreed to go to Starbucks and then a little bit of shopping. Tonight at dinner she was a little cranky but she finally settled down and Mommy was able to eat. We had some different food tonight. Just when we thought we were getting tired of Chinese food Nelson came up with some new dishes for us to try. They were wonderful. We had slices of goose and pineapple with steamed bread, a very tasty smoked pork with a honey sauce, Chinese cabbage in a broth, and fried rice with shrimp and pork (and the heads had been removed from the shrimp) and a pork pattie with lotus root. Other things we have tried include ostrich (which tastes more like beef than the Chinese beef we have had), Peking duck, squid, lychee fruit, sweet potato pancakes, sweet bean curd, dragonfruit and many more that I can't remember right now.

After dinner there was no way were were going to get any more shopping in - we headed back to the hotel and straight to the tub. Bath time is her favorite. Then some more play time and then our traumatic moment when she fell and bumped her head. She has a lump on her forehead - hopefully it will go away soon. Here she is modeling her new pajamas. The picture was taken before the fall. Now she is sound asleep. And soon I will be too.

Good night.

Yesterday we went to a beautiful garden. We could have stayed for hours looking around and taking pictures but it was very hot. We were happy to head back to the air-conditioned van after our hour was up. There were many picture taking oportunities but Alexa HauFu has not learned yet how to pose and smile for pictures. That will come soon.

I set her down on the sidewalk to take her picture with this lovely background and she just immediately starts to walk back to me with a big smile on her face. I guess that is a better picture anyway! Not to mention the fact that she wants to come to me. We are learning more about each other every day. She still will not eat any solid food but we are making some small progress. This morning at breakfast she put a cornflake in her mouth and rubbed it against her tongue. We call the picture on the right Dance of the Cornflakes.

This morning we went to a department store and Jane was finally able to purchase some underwear and a pair of shorts. She looks like a new person. We also found a couple little Chinese children's games. I bought a few and when we get home we will check to see if the directions are in English also. If they are only in Chinese then we will make up our own rules!

After a little shopping we went to McDonalds for lunch and Alexa had her first french fry. She actually held it for a minute before it went to the floor. At least it was food and she touched it. I may be the first mother who would be thrilled if her child ate a french fry! I just want her to try some solid food. She is not even drinking water unless we are in the tub. Then she will put her head down in the water and try to drink some if I don't stop her in time. She is drinking her bottle with rice cereal every couple hours so she is not going to starve.

All in all things are going well. She is a very happy girl who love to play. Mommy is getting plenty of exercise keeping up.

Our day started out with the breakfast buffet. I don't think I have mentioned yet that I am eating cornflakes for breakfast every morning. Grandpa Emry would be proud of me. Alexa is still refusing anything to eat other than her formula that has rice cereal added. I put a couple corn flakes on the table in front of her to see if she would pick them up. She has the ablilty to know if something is a food before she even touches it. She will pick up anything except food. Anyway she picked up the cornflakes and played with them. She even acted like she was going to put them in her mouth. She may have touched the edge of one to her tongue! We may be making some progress. At least she knows what we do with food!

After breakfast we went to a memorial to the first president of China. The first picture is of Alexa checking out her shadow in front of the memorial. It was very interesting but it was so hot we did not stay long.

The girls were very good though. Then it was on to Goat Park. It was

very pretty but very hot. We saw quite a few people playing this game similar to hacky sack. (I am not sure if I am spelling that one correctly). Most of the people playing were adults. It looked like fun. Then it was time to head back to the hotel for a couple minutes and we were off to have the girls get their official medical exam. The doctor said Alexa's ears both looked fine so I guess the ear infection is gone. She weighs 19.3 pounds. I did not hear what they said for her length. She decided she needed a bottle about the time the exam started so that actually worked out well that she was distracted by eating. The only thing that really bothered her was when the doctor checked her ears and throat. She did not like that one bit! But it was over quickly then we were off and are free for the rest of the day.

On the walk back to the hotel we passed by Starbucks and we decided the parents needed a refreshment. So Alexa has been in her first Starbucks. I told her to get used to it! I offered her a taste but of course she refused. Anyway the frappachino was a welcome treat on such a hot day.

Sounds like she is waking up from her nap so I had better get a bottle prepared. I am getting to be a pro at it! Diapers are also getting easier. It helps that she is so cooperative. No wiggling or anything. After the first one she hasn't objected at all.

What a day. Alexa has started to come out of her shell. Today we saw smiles and laughter, giggles and playfulness. Not to mention running down the hall and five, yes five bottles. I was suprised by how playful and active she is. We went from a little girl who would only sit and play quietly to one who was all over the room. Jane and I have now had to babyproof the room. What a change! And look at that smile!

We did some sightseeing this morning. We went to a Buddist temple that was 1000 years old. It was a beautiful place. Then we went to a museum of Chinese crafts. We saw beautiful embroidery, bone carvings, traditional furniture, puppets, olive nut carvings - all amazing things. I could have looked for hours but we had the girls with us and it was hot. And I mean hot. We stayed for forty-five minutes and headed back to the hotel. That was when Alexa started to really open up and show us her playful, cheerful side. We have seen quite a few smiles since this afternoon. We ran up and down the hallway and played airplane. It was a lot of fun. Jane and I are now exhausted but Alexa HuaFu keeps going and going and going. Last night I shared my bed with Alexa again so I didn't get much sleep.

Jane is doing well considering she still has not gotten her luggage. She is keeping a good sense of humor. She is doing a great job of taking care of me.

Well I need to update this already. Alexa just had another half bottle and I am hoping she is down for the night. She is in my bed now but hopefully I can move her soon.

We stopped in a shop tonight and bought Alexa a couple new outfits. I had brought one twelve month, several eighteen month, and one 24 month outfit with me and figured we could buy more here. Well the twelve month is plenty big. The eighteen month are not falling off her but they almost are. Hopefully the new things will fit a little better. I will try out a new outfit tomorrow.

Well she is finally asleep so it is time for me to get the dishes done and then I can go to bed too.

Until tomorrow.

We made some progress today. Alexa has had two bottles and we actually saw her smile and laugh this afternoon. She was babbling away at times too. She is a very curious little girl and can entertain herself quite well with simple things. One of her favorite toys - the cover for her bottle. She can play with it for a long time. Another favorite is the little container that mini M&M's come in. Leave a few in it and it is a great rattle!

This afternoon we went to pickup our adoption paperwork for the province office and then we went to apply for her passport. She started to fall asleep on the ride home but woke up when we reached the hotel. Things went downhill from there. She wouldn't sleep, or eat, or even play. She cried. I am not sure if it was the fact that she had an interupted nap or the fact that she saw her playmates from the orphanage that were being adopted by the families from Spain but she was upset. I think she was saying "ma" so I wonder if she was wanting her nanny. We tried to go out to eat but it didn't take long before I was leaving with her and heading back to the hotel. Jane brought me leftovers. By that time Alexa was exhausted and had fallen asleep. After she woke she finally took a bottle - three total today - we are making progress afterall!

Guangzhou is more urban looking than Guilin - at least from what we have seen. It is interesting to see the differences. Tomorrow we do some sightseeing with Nelson. Today we did a little shopping with Alexa and tomorrow maybe a little more. We want to take lots of treasures home with us!

Good night for now!

Alexa woke up this morning nice and cool and so far no sign of a fever. Yesterday she was warm several times but never quite warm enough that I wanted to give her anything for it. I was a little worried yesterday when Nelson (our guide) explained that when an infant in China has a fever they worry about pneumonia developing and if it does that means a trip to the hospital and IV antibiotics administered in the head. I did not want that to happen. I am not sure if she has an ear infection or not. If so it cannot be a bad one. We are continuing with the ear drops we got on Monday. She sleeps well. Yesterday she was not wanting anything to do with the crib and I really needed some sleep so Jane had the idea of spreading a comforter out between our beds. We put pillows at both ends. The area was a little bigger than the crib and she slept fine there and I slept pretty well in the bed by myself.

Well she just woke up and I am ecstatic to report that she had five more ounces of formula with rice cereal. She had one bottle at breakfast and then the one now. That is already more than she had all day yesterday. She is sitting on my lap now and I saw a brief smile a minute ago. Iwill try to add more later. For now I must go play with my daughter!

One more thing I have to add - I received the cameras back that I sent to the orphanage and had them developed. They took pictures of the orphanage and playroom as well as her and her nanny who we met the other day. They are precious keepsakes.

Today we went back to the province agency and I had to tell them that I wanted to adopt her. I promised that I would never abandon her. That was no problem.

Her nannies and the orphanage director were there and they told us how to make her bottle. They were very happy to see her and were very nice. When we came back to the room we fixed one up and she drank it down.

We are starting to see a little personality come out. She is happily playing now. We have had a few meltdowns but I think it is an upset stomach.

I would like to tell you more but I am finally exhausted. I will post more pictures tomorrow.

She is here. And she is even more beautiful in person.

Let me start at the beginning. We landed at Guangzhou before 9am and spent a few minutes at the airport trying to find out about Jane's luggage. It is still missing. We then headed to the hotel and checked in, headed to the store to get formula and a few supplies (much of what I had for Alexa is in Jane's luggage somewhere). Then to Lucy's for a cheeseburger and fries. Now we have enjoyed the Chinese food we have had but we decided a good ole cheeseburger, fries and Coke sounded pretty good. Then we had a few minutes to get together our things to head to the agency to get the girls. There was another group already waiting in the room. Nelson (our guide) told them we were there and got our paperwork checked out. He then told us that the Smith's baby was there but they were still waiting for the babies to come from SuiXi. A few minutes later we saw a group of nannies carrying five babies all dressed in matching white dresses with orange polka dots walk into the room and then into another room. Nelson came out and told us that they would bring Alexa out first. She didn't cry. She did not jump into my arms but she did not object. She had a very confused and a little scared look on her face. She was quiet and held tightly to a toy she was holding. I must admit I did not even see the other families get their babies. My eyes were glued to Alexa. She is perfect. She did not even cry until I tried to give her a blanket - we decided to stick with her toy keys. I found out the group that had been waiting were from Spain. They received the other four babies from SuiXi.

We then had a van ride back to the hotel. Alexa was not happy about getting in the van - and who could blame her. She had just made a seven hour trip. She quickly quieted down and just looked around during the ride back to the hotel. We had a little checkup at the clinic. She has a little ear infection so we have some eardrops to use then on the our room. Alexa did not like the room at all. I walked her up and down the halls. She screamed if I tried to put her down or take her into the room. So we walked and walked and walked. And she cried. She finally fell asleep exhausted. Getting her to eat has been a challenge. I am not sure is we are not making her formula right or if she is just too scared to eat. We finally got her to drink some water out of a spoon and later we went back to Lucy's (a little restaurant here that serves American food) and ordered her some congee. She likes it a lot but not the little pieces of chicken in it. Those she spit out if mommy forgot to remove them from the spoon.

I was getting a little concerned because her diaper had been totally dry. We undressed her and were going to give her a bath - which she made clear she did not want - so I was holding her on my lap and using a washcloth to wash her off and I no longer had to worry about her not going potty. I hear that I have been initiated as a mom now! I need to make sure I make it to the laundry today!

When it was time for bed we tried the crib and she cried. I held her until she fell asleep and tried the crib again. No. Didn't work. I held her for an hour or so then finally placed her on the bed with me and she is still asleep. It is 4am and I am awake but enjoying being here watching my daughter sleep.

I have to say that Jane has been a tremendous help. She has been the official photographer, bottle washer, bottle maker, and just has been taking really good care of me so I can take care of Alexa. When I was doing laps in the halls with Alexa she met me at our door with my Coke so mommy didn't collapse. I can never thank her enough.

So for now that is it. The adventures of Rhonda and Alexa will continue tomorrow.

Well as I mentioned in my last post we cannot see what we post. I didn't get the pictures I wanted so I will try again.

Where do I begin to describe the things we saw today? I had read many good things about the Li River Cruise and I have discovered that words cannot do justice to the beauty of the place. It is amazing. I would highly recommend it to anyone coming to China. We saw the beautiful hills and water buffalo and the local people doing their everyday business along the river. The food left a little to be desired and the only toilets were the Chinese "squatty pottys" but the view - I cannot say enough about it. I will attempt to add some pictures.

Tomorrow is the big day. I am getting a little nervous. It is hard to believe that this day is finally here. I will meet Alexa and take my daughter home. Unfortunately some of the things I had for her were in Jane's luggage which is still missing! But we will make do.

Now for some pictures. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they show up. We cannot see our blogs here when we post them. We just hope they turn out.
Tomorrow when I post I will have the pictures that everyone really wants to see - Alexa!

Today was our first full day in Guilin and we made the most of it. We started out with breakfast at the hotel. I decided that I would start with the fruit and there was some very interesting things to try. There was a white fruit that had little black seeds that looked interesting. I decided I had to take a picture of my plate before I started to eat. Of course I wanted to do it as unobtrusively as possible but that didn’t work when I dropped the camera on my plate with a bang! It was very tasty - kind of like a kiwi fruit. I later found out that it is a dragon fruit and imported from Vietnam. There were some very familiar looking things and a few other unusual items to choose from. We tried the “sweet pasties” and decided that the center tasted like a very sweet bean paste. It kind of grew on you. I tried some congee with is a very bland rice soup that is given to infants quite often. I decided if I was going to be giving it to Alexa in a few days I should try it myself.

After breakfast we met out guide Lily and went to Elephant Hill Park and Fubo Hill. They were very interesting but very hot. After those two places we went to Reed Flute Cave. The cave was much cooler and very refreshing after being out in the heat. On the drive to the cave we went by rice fields and saw many interesting sites - watching the traffic here makes me appreciate the freeway at home. I haven’t figured out how they keep from having accidents here. Everyone just seems to go where and when they want and it all works out. There were a lot of close calls though!

We had lunch at Banyon Tree Hotel. We had an onion soup that was wonderful and everything else was very good also. We are starting to get the hang of chopsticks but we really like having forks as backup! After lunch we went to the pearl factory. We saw many beautiful pearl necklaces and earrings and left with a few. Afterwards we headed to the silk factory. It was very interesting. I had never seen a silk cocoon before. Jane, Juli, and Terry had the opportunity to pull one out that could go in a silk quilt. I took pictures. We did some more shopping there.

Dinner was interesting. We played with the shrimp more than we ate it - but we had fun. Afterwards we had an evening cruise around the lakes of Guilin. It was a beautiful evening.

We have had a hard time uploading pictures but I will post this then attempt a few.

Well we finally made it to China. It was a very long trip. We made it to Guangzhou ok but Jane's suitcase didn't. They called this afternoon though and said it had been found. Hopefully they will get it to us soon.

Guilin looks beautiful. I can hardly wait to start exploring tomorrow. Tonight we are going to see a Chinese acrobatic show and hopefully get a good night sleep. It has been over forty hours since I was in a bed. I am tired.

I would love to write more but I need to take a nap.

The journey is starting. I worked this morning until noon then headed home and packed up the car and headed to Mom and Dad's. Jane, one of my best friends since high school, is going to China with me. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon then arrive in China Friday morning (which is still Thursday here). The schedule is:

Friday - arrive in Guilin,China
Saturday and Sunday - see the sights in Guilin - including the Li River Cruise which is supposed to be beautiful
Monday morning - fly to Guangzhou and then get Alexa in the afternoon

I will try to update the blog as often as I can - especially when I have Alexa.
Now I am going to head to bed. Tomorrow will be a very long day - or couple of days! Next post will be from China!

We have a tentative travel date!!! Right now it looks like we will leave on Wednesday, June 13th and Alexa will be placed in my arms on Monday, June 18th. That means I have eleven days to get ready. It is now time to get serious about the packing. The lists are out and things are going in the suitcase. My visa arrived today so I am now set to leave. START PACKING!

Travel approval arrived today. Now panic has really set in. There is so much to do - packing, organizing paperwork I will need, getting money and travelers checks, stopping the newspaper and mail, toddler-proofing the house, .... The list goes on and on. Hopefully we will find out tomorrow when we leave for China. It might be next week or the week after next. That doesn't leave a lot of time especially if it is next week! I must go pack!

Today I applied for my Visa so I can go to China! That was just one thing on my very, very long list of things to do. I have heard people say this is the hardest part - knowing who your daughter is and not being able to go get her immediately. So far I have found this time to be flying by. There are so many things to do. I am heading to Mom and Dad's this weekend. My family is organizing a little "toddler shower" for me. Alexa and I are so lucky to have so many people who care about us in our lives.

I have asked a couple people what Alexa's Chinese name means. Sui is the name of the county she lives in and that is what the orphange gives the children as their family name (in Chinese tradition the family name comes first). Hua Fu means China is rich. These are the Chinese characters for her name - Sui Hua Fu 遂华富. I was reading something the other day and I realized that someday I will have to teach her how to write her name in Chinese. I had better start practicing!

Today at work a woman asked me if I had a good Mother's Day. Then she said "you do have children, don't you?" I responded by pulling out my picture of her that we have on the pharmacy counter and showing it to her. Yes I have a daughter. This is her picture and I will get to go to China in a few weeks to get her. I still tear up when I think about it.

I received a couple Mother's Day cards and I even got a couple presents - a book "31 Uses for a Mom" and some blocks that have nursery rhymes on them. Those will come in handy. I had been worried about those. Some I remember - but others are rather fuzzy. Now if someone can help me with a good source for brushing up on children's songs - not that I can sing - but someone has to teach her Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Mary had a Little Lamb. I know there are a lot more that every child should learn but those are about the only ones I remember.

The busy work has started. I have things all over the floor in Alexa's room - checking to see what I have and what I still need for the trip - and I have to remember it has to fit in one suitcase and a carry-on! And I have to be able to pick up the suitcase! What I have been told is collect everything you think you need for the trip then throw out half! Now anyone who has seen me pack will know I am going to have a problem with this. I always go prepared for anything. I just have to remember I can buy what I need while I am there.

I talked to a pediatrician yesterday. He reviewed Alexa's medical information and says everything looks great - she is just small. I will have to have her checked out when we get home but he said maybe she was a premie - she was small to begin with. She has been growing each time she was measured and that is good.

The people speak a dialect of Cantonese where she is from (and I had been practicing a little Mandarin) so I picked up a Cantonese language tape yesterday and I am going to start with that. I want to be able to say something to her that she will understand! I can already say "bye-bye" and "very well". I am still working on "good morning" and "hello".

Well it is finally starting to settle in. There are a few more details that I can share with you now. Her adoption medical exam was done in January. At that time she had nine teeth and weighed almost 19 pounds. She loves to have people play with her. She likes music and loves to talk. She can say "mama" and "auntie" - in her native language of course. She is cooperative when it is time to change her clothes. Twinkle and Boo just want to know if she likes kitties and if she knows the meaning of the term "gentle". That we won't find out for a while!

Today I am turning in my acceptance letter. I signed it yesterday and I insisted on having a photo taken. It may be the first time that bank teller had his picture taken when notorizing something!

I want to introduce my daughter Sui Hua Fu - soon to be Alexa HuaFu Emry! She was born on August 26, 2005 and currently lives in the Sui Xi County SWI in Guangdong Province China.

I received the phone call this morning - the whole day has been a blur since then. I do remember crying when I realized why the adoption agency was calling me. I had to put them on hold for minute while I changed phones and collected myself. They were very patient with me as I made it to a computer to log in and see the picture they had emailed me. I cried some more. Then it was off to the adoption agency to find out some more details - and get a couple more pictures! Isn't she adorable!!! I can hardly wait to hold her.

I hope to have a translation of all the documents soon. I suddenly have so much to do! I AM A MOM!!!

This process has taken so long that my paperwork that allows me to bring an orphaned child into the US had expired. I was getting very nervous that it would not be updated in time but I received the updated paperwork this weekend. What a relief!

There is another week-long holiday in China the first week of May. I am hoping they send referrals out before they leave. If they do then I might have my referral in a week and a half - otherwise it will probably be mid-May. Of course it could be June if I miss the cutoff date again but one of these days I will be seeing a picture of my daughter. I have started a packing list - this takes a great deal of thought. I have to take what I need for two weeks but it all has to fit in one suitcase. Now those of you who have seen me pack are probably thinking I may have a problem. That is why I am starting my list now!

Well we are having a beautiful weekend and I am going to go out and mow the yard.

Happly Easter everyone!

I had a really rough week. I had so hoped to get my referral this last week and on Friday when it became apparent that I would not - and might not for another month - I broke down. I cried and lost my appetite. I have not felt that down for a long time. I prayed. I prayed for my daughter. I prayed for the pain I was feeling to go away. And I thought about Good Friday. What a terrible, sad day for the disciples! But after Good Friday comes Easter! What a wonderful day! Life is good and is about to get even better! Praise the Lord!

I had so hoped to have good news to post today but I guess that was not to be. There should be some news this week or next though. In the mean time I can enjoy the fact that it is spring. My daffadils are blooming and I noticed today that the tulips are going to bloom soon. Maybe in time for Easter! And I have my taxes done!!!!! That is always a relief. I am off work tomorrow and I had hoped to go shopping for my daughter but now I can concentrate on cleaning out the closets. Not nearly as much fun but it just never seems to get done. And then I can make room for some little dresses! I have to share this picture of the valance I made for her room. The windows are so close together I had to be a little creative. The curtain rods are PVC pipe and are connected with a pipe corner thing- yes I am aware that is not the name of the piece but I am a seamstress - not a plumber.

Hopefully I will have some good news by the end of the week.

The latest rumors are that referrals are on their way. I may get to see a picture of my daughter on Monday! I am getting very excited and at the same time it is kind of hard to believe it is finally going to happen. This whole process has taken three years. At times it seemed like this point would never arrive. Now it is going to happen.

You may have questions about what the referral contains. It will have the name, sex, and birthdate of my child along with some other information - for example if she has been in an orphanage or in foster care, what part of China she is from, her medical history (as much as they know) and of course a couple pictures of her. The pictures are usually a couple months old but it is something to hang on to.

After we get our referrals then the next wait begins - the wait to travel to China to bring her home. That usually happens about six to eight weeks after referral. During that time there will be lots of planning and shopping to do!

Well spring has arrived. Just look at the crocus that are blooming just outside my front door! It has put me in the mood for summer and since it is verrrry likely that I will be getting my referral in the next couple weeks I will be a MOM this summer. That means I will need a little swimming pool for the back yard - never fear, I picked it up this evening. Just a little one. I did hold off on the swimming suit for her, but I did check them out. I will wait to get some idea of the size I will need before I buy one. After the swimming pool I got practical and picked up a little comb and brush set and nail clippers. Then I saw the things to make your home childproof. I have had outlet protectors in since before my first home study visit but tonight I found this thing to put on the toilet paper roll so a child can't unroll the paper. I bought it! I am installing it tonight! Boo has this habit of unrolling the toilet paper while I am taking my shower. Hopefully this will help! Twinkle is demanding some mommy time so I had better give him some attention. I must not forget my oldest two "children".

Referrals came out last week and I am getting closer. China has now given referrals for people whose dossiers were logged in by October 24th, 2005. My log in date is October 28, 2005 ........so it looks very likely that I will get my referral in the next batch. That should be the end of March or beginning of April. Suddenly I have realized that after all this time I am not ready!!! I need to make a list of people to call when I get that important phone call! I need to make sure my cell phone is charged at all times! What if I am in the middle of the phone call and the battery goes dead? And I need to carry my camera with me so I can take pictures of what is going on when I get the phone call. And speaking of cameras they asked me at work today if I have a decent camera to take to China with me and how many memory cards I will take. I thought I had enough but I am going to take everything in tomorrow and get their advice at work.

I am also starting to think about being a parent. Now I know you may think this one is funny. I have been working on this for several years now but IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I am going to be a parent! What do I do? I have stuff - crib, toys, books, clothes, stroller, Tylenol, etc but what about being a parent! I subscribed to Parenting Magazine the other day. I may get Parents also. I have already been through What to Expect the First Year and What to Expect the Toddler Years but that was a while ago. I need a review. I have a couple months left and then as everyone is telling me - my life will never be the same!!! I can't wait!

We are having a winter storm this weekend. We had ice yesterday and then the snow started last night. I got up early so I would have plenty of time to get the driveway clear before time to leave for church but a neighbor cleaned my drive before I got out. Don't I have wonderful neighbors? I did make it to church but there were not many people there. This afternoon I am doing things around the house. I am on my third load of laundry and working my way down the chore list. I keep putting the cleaning down to the bottom of the list!!! I went out and took a couple pictures. The trees look beautiful but they are heavy with snow and ice. The lower branches of the trees in this picture from my back yard are normally high enough I walk under them when I mow! On my way to church this morning I saw many branches had broken off during the night. So far everything looks ok in my yard. I think my next step is to order plants for the garden. THINK SPRING!!!

My referral is getting closer. There is a small chance I could get my referral (picture and information about my daughter) during the first part of March but it most likely will be in April. Travel will be about six to eight weeks after referral. You may wonder about the matching process - I know I have! It happens in what is referred to as the “matching room”. The following information comes from a web site created by an adoptive mom. She is referred to as the ‘rumor queen’.

"First, they review the baby dossiers and make sure there are no issues with them. We are told that they then count up all of the baby dossiers that are eligible for matching that month and then look to see how far this stack will go in the parent dossiers without sending out a partial day, and they pull all of those parent files. That is the likely cut-off date. Sometimes something happens and they don’t get this far. Sometimes something happens and they get farther.Next they match orphanages up with agencies. This orphanage has six babies, this agency has six families. These two orphanages are in the same province and have a total of 12 babies, this agency has 12 families. When they are through with this is when (I believe) some agencies start to get information about the cut-off date. Or at least it is when they used to start getting information.And then they start matching individual babies to individual families. At some point during this part of the process most agencies used to hear from their person in the matching room to let them know how many referrals they will be receiving and from what province(s). Some agencies shared this information with their clients. Some chose not to.
Just as in the review room, each matcher is assigned certain agencies and is responsible for communicating with their agencies. Some matchers tell their agency the cut-off date, some matchers tell their agency “you have X number of referrals arriving”, some matchers give their agency a list of that agency’s families that will be receiving a referral. And some matchers don’t say anything at all to their agencies.The next question that comes up is generally how the matchers match families and babies. I’ve heard from several people who have had the opportunity to speak with someone who works in the matching room. The various conversations seem to all agree that they first look for something that stands out: a matching birthday, a baby who looks a lot like a parent, or a baby who likes music and a parent who teaches music. Several matching people have stated they match by bone structure of the baby’s face and the parent’s faces (this is why they need our passport photos, so they can compare our mug shot with the baby’s mug shot). Some have stated that they used Chinese astrology, also. Once they’ve matched the obvious matches they then start to look at things like age of child requested. The age requested is not a priority for them, they feel they are matching families and not filling orders."

There are two families from my adoption agency in our group. Hopefully we will be receiving our referrals soon.

Winter is here. We have had snow this week. My crocus and daffadils that were coming up are now buried in snow. The good news is that the snowblower works and I have plenty of projects at home to take care of so I don't need to wander far from home. I have been working on a puzzle for a while now. Boo has decided to help out as you can see from the picture. The painting projects are done - except that I have found a couple places I need to touch up next weekend - so I put some pictures back on the walls and the house is starting to look pretty good. I also had a chance to clean this weekend. And the cat door has been installed in the basement door - so no little girls will be able to fall down the stairs when mom is not looking! Twinkle is demonstrating the door. Now I think I will start to think spring and get my seed catalogs out and plan the garden. And by harvest time I should have a daughter!!!

I have to share the wishes and fabric I have received so far for the Good Wishes Quilt. These are from some of the people I work with and Mom and Dad. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends that have been so supportive during my long wait. I still need more squares and wishes before I can start the quilt.

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is tradition in some parts of northern China to make a Bai Jia Bei (Good Wishes Quilt). When a baby is born, family and friends donate fabric scraps to the child's mother and a written wish for the new child. A quilt for the baby would be made from the scraps. It is said that the luck, energy and good wishes from all of the families and friends who contributed the fabric surround the child when she is wrapped in the quilt. The quilt can then be passed down from generation to generation.

I am starting a Bai Jia Bei for my daughter. I would love for all of you to be a part of this. If you would like to contribute please send me a piece of cotton fabric at least 8 inches square. The wish can be your thoughts for my child, a prayer, a favorite Bible verse, or anything that is meaningful to you. Please put the wish on a piece of paper no bigger that 6x6 inches and put a little piece of the fabric on the paper with the wish. I will be putting the wishes in a scrapbook that my daughter can keep so she will always know what piece of the quilt represents each wish. Thank you so much for your help with this project. The picture is the wish that I made for her. (I had tears in my eyes when I signed it "Mom"). Tomorrow I will try to post some pictures of the wishes I have received so far.

Yes twice in one day. I just had to share this picture I took on Christmas of my wonderful nieces and nephew. We had so much fun together. And I had to share with them that their Aunt Rhonda has finally managed to download some music into her new MP3 player. It would have gone so much faster had they been here to help me do it. After much time and even more frustration I have some music to listen to. I was about ready to give up and smash the thing with my new rolling pin, put on my new boots, long underwear, and new green jacket and head out into the snow - of course taking my First Aid in a Bottle and my windup flashlight with me in case of an emergency. Then I could have come in and fixed some chocolate fondue using my new little bowls and fixed a cup of tea with my new teapot and then wrapped up in my cozy new blanket with my Cabbage Patch Baby. (I think I have included most of my Christmas gifts.) What a wonderful and generous family I have.

Happy New Year! I am going to get started on updating this site again. It has been months since I have posted anything - mostly because there has not been a whole lot to say. I realize every day I am getting closer to bringing my daughter home and although in many ways I am ready there is always more to do. I have been trying not to do much shopping until I find out her age and size but I could not resist buying a few books and then Julie - who I will be traveling with - shared a website with me that had these cute Asian baby dolls. Well I could not resist - after all she did need some Christmas presents, right?!!! Then I ran across this very cuddly panda bear. Well I could not resist that. Aren't they adorable?