And Mia Makes Three

Go Pats!!

2007-09-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well, today officially is Mia's first Patriots gameday! Daddy is so excited to be able to watch the games with his daughter! We hope Mia will love football as much as we do or the next several seasons will be torture for her : ) We also just got back from a trip to Grandma and Ji chan's house in Northern California which was a much needed getaway for all of us!! We just relaxed, ate, shopped, ate, played, ate.... you get the drift! Mia did great on the flights and could not have had more fun there! She still amazes us daily with how quickly she picks things up and how much she understands. She can say a few words like 'ball' 'night night' 'up' 'hi' and is still so friendly. Mia was greeting everyone waiting for our flight in Oakland like a hospitality hostess. She would walk up to them, cock her head to the side and say "HI!" then wait there until they responded. This is so out of Mommy's comfort zone, but I love her enthusiasm and independence. We were also able to meet her step-cousin Ella who is only 2 months old and adorable!! We are also quickly learning that with an outgoing child comes a very strong head : ) She is a determined, strong, alert and happy child who continues to bless us and everyone she touches!!

Mia turns One!!

2007-07-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, today, our little girl turned One! We still can hardly believe how quickly she is growing up! Mia is now walking most of the time and the most curious and observant child ever! She still only has two teeth and we are wondering 'where's the rest???'. She is talking a lot more (baby talk) and definitely getting good at pointing to show what she wants or where she wants to go. She not only points, but accompanies it with a loud yell or scream. Mia does not understand the concept of indoor voice but most people just smile or laugh (yes, most). Today I thought a lot about where she was one year ago on her "birth day" and how her birth mother must be thinking about her today. I truly hope her birth mother knows in her heart how much we love Mia and how we appreciate her unselfishness so that Mia could be with us forever. She is the greatest gift from God we could ever ask for and we are absolutely thankful everyday! People ask me all the time if I feel she has bonded. She is our daughter in every way. She knows we are Mommy and Daddy without question and we cannot imagine life without her, so I say "yes!".

Mia is a BUSY girl!!

2007-06-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

Mia has been having a great time and keeping so busy! For Father's Day, Puppa and Uncle John came all the way from Massachusetts to meet Mia for the first time! We couldn't believe how quickly she became comfortable with both of them! Uncle John was teaching her wrestling moves, and Puppa was singing to her and making her laugh so hard! The physical distance of Kevin's family has never felt greater now that we have Mia. We wish everyone were closer so they can feel the joy she brings us every day! I guess we will have to make more trips : ) We are so thankful Puppa and Uncle John were here for Mia's baptism. It was such a special day for everyone and even Grandma and Ji chan came from up north! Mia did fantastic and looked like an angel in her dress. Mia's cousin Adam came all the way from Chicago too which just made the day perfect!
Mia is growing up sooo fast we can hardly keep up. She can crawl at lightning speed but now is standing up a lot and has taken a couple of steps. She will be walking SOON! Still only two teeth, but she is trying to talk a lot more and is able to bring us things we ask for (her kitty, her baby, etc). Mia is starting to give kisses, waves hi and bye and loves music (especially ABC's) Her first birthday is coming up and the time is flying by so fast I wish I could slow it down but we are trying to savor everything going on!

Our Little Girl Has 'Personality'!!

2007-06-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, everything is going well and Mia is showing her true personality! She is still the happiest baby ever, but now is more comfortable letting us know when she doesn't like something. Really Comfortable!! Our little girl is not shy at all and has great lungs!! She is having problems understanding "NO" and just smiles and laughs as if we're saying "good girl!!" She is crawling super fast and will be walking soon! She stands without holding on if she is playing with something that requires two hands and we don't bring attention to it : ) Mia is also starting to eat more table food. She still only has two teeth, but can chew small pieces of meat and has scrambled egg for breakfast. Oh, our girl is growing up so quickly! A lot of people comment on how big her feet are so maybe she will be tall! Around the appropriate groups of people, I say "maybe she is Yao Ming's child!" Let's see....what else? well, she hates her carseat, still fights sleep like crazy and is now the public greeter. Whenever she is in public, she waves at everyone and anyone! And she definitely knows Daddy! I say "where's Daddy?" and she will look around 'til she finds him and give her heart melting smile. Papa and Uncle John will be here soon and we can't wait to see her with them!! Mia and I also had our shower and were so blessed with great friends and gifts! Auntie Lynn and Auntie Jill did a GREAT job planning!!

First trip to Chuck E Cheese!

2007-05-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it didn't take long for Mia to make her first trip to Chuck E Cheese! We took Luke, Grant and Cash and were so curious as to how she would react to all the stimulus, and she did great! Mia is more interested in the peope there than the rides and games. She enjoyed her first "rides", but mostly enjoyed people watching and trying to get people to look at her. She also loves spending time with her cousins! The bottom picture is Mia in her "1'st Red Sox hat" from Uncle Frank, Auntie Michelle, Stephen and Adam! She also received her first Patriots onesie, hat and booties! Mia is now officially 'ready' to accompany Daddy on the sofa! Funny enough, this hat stayed on a long time when she pulls all the other ones off immediately : )!

Mia continues to amaze, surprise, overjoy, and charm all of us every single day! She has been deemed very healthy by her doctor (after 5 shots and 4 vials of blood : ( ) and now has two bottom front teeth. We are so happy to be able to see so many "firsts" of hers! She is now pulling herself up, trying so hard to crawl and claps when we say "Yeah Mia!!" Our happy girl loves to go visiting and entertains everyone. Now, if we can only get her to understand that if she sleeps we promise she won't miss anything exciting!!! The great news, though is that bedtime is now 8-9pm.

Daddy has been awesome! He washes bottles, changes diapers, helps feed her and just cannot believe how we've been blessed with our gift from God! Ahhh this life is so good, I can't stand the thought of her growing up but yet cannot wait to see the wonderful woman we know she will grow up to be!

Life at home

2007-05-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I have been lagging at posting since we've gotten home. We have been doing lots of visiting, adjusting to the time change and easing ourselves back into "real life". It was so nice to be in China and not have to worry about ANYTHING except Mia : )! We love introducing her to everyone, though. She has met some of her cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, 2 grandpas and friends who have all been waiting so patiently (yeah right!) for her to come home. The resounding comment we get is "She looks exactly like you!!" I knew if the Chinese women thought we looked alike, we most likely do! We are still working on getting Mia adjusted to US time and she is almost there. She started by going to sleep at 5:30am and tonight fell asleep at 9:30pm. We always hold our breaths not knowing if she is out for the night, or just a short nap. Mia has already attended 2 of Grant's Little League games and loves being out and about. We are so proud of our little girl for being able to hold her own bottle now!! She has one brand new tooth coming in and oh my gosh is already growing up too fast!! It won't be long now before she starts to crawl and then walk. Mia already had a welcome party and is so lucky to have so many relatives who have shown her so much love!! She loves her younger cousins and Daddy has already enlisted their help to keep the boys away from her until she is 21 : ) Can't wait til she can meet the rest of the family. There could not be happier parents anywhere! Kevin says everyday that he knows she was a gift to us from God. It makes my heart happy to see him with his little girl! She already has him wrapped around her little finger!! That's all for now, but I promise I will keep posting!!

Farewell to China

2007-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

This will be our final posting from China. Today we check out at 2:30pm and go to our swearing in ceremony promising to take good care of Mia and then we are off to the airport. Yesterday we spent more time walking around the island trying to soak the last bit of China in. We were both reflecting on our trip and before we left, we just wanted to get Mia and come right home. Now, though, we are so glad we were able to spend this time in her country and so much time with just the three of us in close quarters with nothing else to worry about but our new family. We believe this has been invaluable bonding time. A few things we have learned about Mia are; she has to look at everyone and everything around her and has big smiles for anyone who will look at her : ), she is a good eater and will eat pretty much anything (so far), she fights sleep furiously (I think it's because she's afraid she will miss something), her favorite greeting is "eh" (sometimes she uses it to check in and make sure she has your attention). Of course as new parents we find every one of these things the cutest we have ever seen, but truly we are the most blessed parents in the world to be Mia's mommy and daddy. We have also met so many wonderful people here, both adopting parents and locals. We have met quite a few families on their second adoption from China and they all have great insight. We will miss China but hope to be able to bring Mia back here some day to show her where she came from. So farewell from China we will see you soon!!

We go home tomorrow!!

2007-04-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the big day. We are coming home!! No posting yesterday because the humidity is killing us and we did lots of walking around, so we just relaxed last night. The White Swan Hotel is on Shamian Island. I will make an album of the hotel and island. We walked around a lot and were able to see lots of families playing yesterday (Sunday). We also found the Catholic Church which you will see in the pictures. People on the island are so kind and everytime we tell them Mia is from the Jiangxi province, they say, "Oh Spicy Girl!" The baby doll above is from Jordan's. Jordan is in the above picture and she was so sweet to Mia! We bought her this doll then figured out since she is teething, she was trying to eat the hair so we had to take it away from her til she is done teething : ( Today we went to get her medical exam which was quick and not very invasive and she did great! It is raining today with lots of lightning and Judy is at our Consulate Appointment. Tomorrow we will have her swearing in ceremony and then come home. Judy ended up having to go back to China Southern yesterday because she had zero luck with the guy from the other day. She said we will have the bulkhead seat which will give us more space. We have run into a lot more adopting families here which is nice because we know what we have all had to go through. I guess there are a lot less families here right now, though, because of the trade fair. Today we took laundry to a place outside the hotel. The hotel charges a lot and we were not able to stretch the clothes out one more day because we have spit-up, drool and so much humidity, we really cannot fathom re-wearing anything. Then we will have the real task of re-packing with a few more things than when we left. Now, we wait for Judy's phone call to let us know the Consulate appointment went ok then it's all downhill.

In case I do not get a chance to post again, we both want to thank everyone so much for their love, prayers and support through our whole journey to meet our baby girl Mia who we already love so much! She is so lucky to have all of you sending her good thoughts and I know when she is old enough to understand, she will truly know how blessed she is to have all of you!!

Off to Guangzhou!!

2007-04-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Well, today Mia had her first plane ride and did GREAT!! Now let's hold our breath for the long flight home. We woke up early and went to the airport where we had to say goodbye to Echo. As soon as we hit security, I think my mommy hormones kicked in and tears just started pouring down my face. I couldn't really even consciously tell you why I was crying, but I was just sad. I felt like I was mourning for my little girl's past and her leaving and I couldn't help but think of her birth mom. I was a mess! Cried and cried and cried. I am so so blessed to have our perfect daughter and yet I think this made it so clear that we are taking it from her "home". The only home she has ever known. Mia on the other hand did fabulous! As soon as we took off, she fell asleep and when she woke up we were still in the air and she was happy. The biggest difference between Nanchang and Guangzhou?? The HUMIDITY!! Guangzhou is so humid, you could feel the air around you. Ick! In addition to that, our allergies have kicked into high gear so we are really out of sorts. Thank God Mia has been an angel today as mommy and daddy were very irritable : ). We met the infamous Judy who is our guide here and she got all of our paperwork in order. We went to 7-11 right next to the hotel (yes, the same 7-11) and bought a stroller at a shop since the hotel does not have any available. It was less than $20 and is really cute! Then we had to go to China Southern Airlines to see if we can secure the bulkhead seat with the bassinet for the way home. 1 1/2 hours later, we were still there because Judy was trying to deal with a man who had no idea what he was doing and the other co-workers would not help him. She felt bad and sent us in a cab with a guy who spoke NO English and she would stay to finish. About half way back to the hotel, it dawned on me that we could end up anywhere and we would be helpless. That was a bad feeling since we had Mia with us. But not to worry, we made it back safe and sound and poor Judy is probably stil l at the airlines. I will post pics of the hotel tomorrow. It is very nice and has a waterfall in it. Off to bed since Mia is sleeping.

Be Careful What You Wish For : )

2007-04-20T04:54:00.000-07:00

OK for all you who are not mom's this is your warning! Poop talk coming up!! Last night was pretty rough as actually most of the afternoon and evening yesterday as well. Our little Mia was so miserable and inconsolable. She had not pooped in 2+ days so we knew that may be one problem, and she is teething not to mention being put into a brand new environment with new people. Our instinct was to call the doctor, but of course...we are in China. We gave her small doses of baby Tylenol and decided the rice cereal/formula concoction was probably not helping her poop situation any. We consulted with the internet and Daddy was trying hard not to panic as I think at this point he would do anything not to see his baby in pain. We were a couple of wrecks and finally got her to sleep longer than 15 minutes by putting her in the Babyhawk carrier (not the one in the pic). I think it makes her feel secure and sure enough after only a few minutes crying, she gave in to sleep. I'm sure in the pictures taken today that you can see the boogers and drool : ) As for the poop situation, I tried to give her water and she did not want it. I called room service to see if they had prune juice and could not get them to understand what I was asking for, then gave her some apple/apricot jar food and said lots of prayers. "Please poop soon!" So today, this morning, she was grunting and grunting, pushing and pushing and my prayers were answered! I felt so bad for her, though because it was so hard!! Today was a resting day which worked out so well since Mia was not feeling good. Then she ate a great breakfast of steamed egg, watermelon and I watered down some apple juice which she liked. Then she was pushing, pushing, grunting, grunting and voila! Another poop!! Mommy, Daddy and Mia could not be happier!! I switched to just formula and no rice cereal since she was also eating so well. Mia had also taken 3 really good naps making up for lost time! After nap number three, we heard a loud noise and she had pooped AGAIN! So I guess case solved! Since then, our old happy, laughing Mia has returned even though she is teething. Yea!!! Well, tonight we are packing and off to Guangzhou tomorrow. Oh yeah, thank God for Echo!! She called because our flight tomorrow has been cancelled and she had booked us on another flight phew!! Overall, we have loved our time in Nanchang and hope to one day bring Mia back to visit. The hotel staff is phenomenal and Echo has truly been a blessing for us!

People's Park Outing

2007-04-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a leisurely outing to People's Park. This park was beautiful and the weather was perfect! It was sunny with a slight cool breeze....ahhh! The park is literally an oasis in the middle of the city. There were a few things that struck me while we were there. There were lots of older people walking, doing tai chi, playing chess, exercising on equipment and using the paddle boats. The people here are so active, they are an inspiration for us lazy people : ) Also, the people who trim the trees, landscape, etc. put all the brush onto big wheelwarrow carts and pull them through the park to where they dump it. We told Echo that in California, the park workers drive around on little carts to get trash. She was amazed! We put a picture of Echo above. She has been the BEST guide we could have hoped for! She is patient, understanding, speaks english very well and best of all, loves our little girl! She has made our stay here so easy and fun! Without Echo, we don't know what we would have done. I will post another album of our day. Before the park, we went to a porcelean shop. Nanchang is known for its eggshell porcelean and we were able to pick up some treasures for Mia when she gets older. After the park, we did a little more shopping then came back to the hotel. Our poor baby is teething BIG TIME!!! Poor thing! Her little nose is running non-stop and she is fighting sleep even when delirious. Last night was not a good sleep night and she has not napped for longer than 15 minutes today. Not a lot of pictures of Mia today because she is not feeling well and we thought we would spare you the booger pics. Tomorrow is a rest day, so we hope she will feel better before we have to get on the plane to go to Guangzhou on Saturday.

Sightseeing Day

2007-04-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

Isn't she so cute?? She is such a good girl we are so blessed! Last night she did cry some, but as soon as I held her tight, she really calmed down and kind of sobbed. We believe these are her mourning periods which are normal and so heartbreaking. She has been sleeping well, though waking up at midnight the past couple of nights for an hour or so. We bought her some formula and rice cereal from Wal Mart yesterday and she LOVES it! We give her the rice cereal mixed into her formula. She also like fruit, congee (watery rice) and this morning she had some of mommy's steamed egg. Mia still has no teeth and we believe she is teething. Today we went to the Tengwang Pavilion which was beautiful! There were lots of newly adopted babies there. This was the first major contact we have had with the local people and they were all so kind and curious. In the shopping area nearby, a woman stopped us because she saw Kevin and I but thought Mia was my biological child because she looks just like me : ) Next thing we know, there was a whole crowd around us looking at the similarities. Kevin had people staring at him all day which took some getting used to. They all think I am Chinese so I get none of the "glory". We purchased 2 traditional Chinese dresses for Mia and a scroll with her Chinese name, birthday, place she came from and 'good luck' characters. I will create another album so you can see all the pictures. We are staying at the Galactic Peace Hotel which is new and very nice. I will show a few pics of this too.

Civil Affairs

2007-04-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is the happy family with the orphanage directors

Day 2 and all is well!

2007-04-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

This was Mia first thing this morning! Then the inevitable happened. She ripped the bow right out of her hair! Oh well, it was cute while it lasted. Last night was not bad at all : ) Mia fell asleep about 8pm then woke at about midnight and wanted to play! She finally fell asleep again at about 1:30 and slept right til 6:30. She woke up smiling and talking! After breakfast at the hotel, we had a paperwork day. We went back to the civil affairs office where we received Mia and finalized her adoption certificate. We were able to see the 2 men who brought our little one to us yesterday. They were directors from the orphanage. We also took a picture with them which I will post. They were very nice. I will also try to fill in some blanks from yesterday. Yesterday, we got Mia as well as the things from her care package that we had sent. We sent a disposable camera that we received back as well. Can't wait to get that developed! They also gave us a gift from the orphanage. OK, so this morning we had a classic rookie parent moment. We met our guide Echo in the lobby after breakfast to go to the Civil Affairs Office. (it is almost across the street) Oh that is another story!! Well, Echo said "you need to cover her more it is windy" so I wrapped a blanket around her since I already had a jacket on her and we proceded outside. It was WINDY and cold and I should have been better prepared as it started to rain hard right before we had to go outside again...argh!! Bad Mom!! So back to the streets....I had heard about how crazy the drivers were here, but I had NO idea!! The traffic is the most chaotic yet almost orchestrated I have ever seen. There are cars, scooters, bicycles and pedestrians (even saw carts people pull) everywhere!! They all share the same road and if you don't know exactly how big your car is, you will lose parts!! I am fascinated and feel like Frogger crossing the road. So today we received Mia's adoption certificate and applied for her Passport as well as had stuff notarized. Then we went to Wal Mart!! Interesting and different, yet still has everything you could need and more! The only thing I bought for Mia was a few pairs of soft shoes. The rest was snacks, formula, rice cereal etc... Now we are resting and Mia is napping (still waiting for the tough part) She is very active and happy. She fights sleep, but eventually gives in : ) Daddy is also napping and has been so awesome!! He got up with her last night and is totally in love with his new baby girl!! Sorry not many pics, but it was the best I could do with the weather! Oh, and the hotel we are staying in is beautiful!! Will post again soon!

And now without further ado....Mia!!

2007-04-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pics. The bottom two are from right after we got her. To see more pics, click on the image to the right of us in front of the Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX. This will be a short posting since I am EXHAUSTED and little Mia is sleeping. This has been the longest best day ever! We got to LAX at 7:30pm on the 14th (thanks Lynn, Keith and boys!!) and arrived in Guangzhou at 6:30am on the 16th. Anyone ever have to take the bus to the gate?? From the time we arrived at LAX, we felt like we were in the Twilight Zone because we were clueless!! After we arrived in Guangzhou, we had a 5 hour layover and I experienced my first squatty potty(will save that one for a later post). Then we got on another plane to Nanchang. Oh and almost left our luggage in Guangzhou because we didn't realize we had to re-check it! BUT once we saw Mia, everything was ok. She has been smiling and laughing and we are just holding our breaths knowing there will be a rough patch. She got a bath tonight and liked it! OK it's 8:45 pm and I better get some rest before she wakes up. Just wanted to let everyone see her and know we made it here ok!

We leave Saturday night!

2007-04-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

We have tickets in hand and are beginning to pack...what a whirlwind!! I wanted to give everyone an idea of our itinerary:
4/14/07- Leave LA at 11:50pm
4/16/07- (yes, we miss a whole day!) arrive in Guangzhou at 6:50am
12:20pm get on another plane to Nanchang
1:45pm arrive in Nanchang
Sometime this same afternoon we receive Mia!!! (Gotcha Day)
4/17/07- Provincial Adoption Registrar (Adoption Certificate)
Provincial Notary Office (Adoption Cert, Birth Cert, Abandonment Cert)
Apply for Mia's passport
4/18/07- City Tour
4/19/07- Relax
4/20/07- Pick up Mia's passport and all adoption documents
4/21/07- 2:30pm Fly from Nanchang to Guangzhou
Arrive In Guangzhou at 3:45pm
Check in to famous White Swan Hotel, walk around Shamian Island
Photo/ Medical Exam/ Review Paperwork
4/22/07- Rest
4/23/07- 9:30am Consulate Appointment (we don't need to be there : ) )
4/24/07- 12:00pm checkout
3:00pm Go to the new US Consulate for Swearing-In Ceremony
Pick up Visa
6:00pm Arrive at Guangzhou Airport
9:00pm fly home!!!
6:50pm arrive at LAX (Yes, the same day...before we took off!!)
The time difference from US to China is 15 hours ahead! Mia will be a US Citizen as soon as we land in LA: )!

We received our Consulate Appointment!!

2007-04-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

We received the call today that our China Facilitator has confirmation for our Consulate Appointment!! What this means is that we will leave next week for sure! Our Consulate Appointment (CA) is for April 23rd which means that we will hold Mia for the first time on April 16th. Can you believe it? I'm still in half a state of shock and half panic! But 110% bliss and gratefulness for so many people including so many we have never met face to face, but who have shared the same heartache, waiting, frustration elation and the biggest lesson in patience we may ever face. Today I have also been reflecting on Mia's birth mother who has given us the greatest gift we are truly so blessed to receive. Her bravery and love for Mia has not been lost on us and we promise to teach Mia how much her birth mom loved her so that she could be with us forever. God has answered our prayers for a child to be a part of our family and like everyone says, all the waiting and sorrow just drop away the closer you get to your baby!

Getting Closer!!

2007-04-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, today we received our TA (travel approval) Yea!!! Our China facilitator has asked for a consulate appointment for April 23, 24 or 25th. As long as we get one of those dates, we will leave on April 13th. We will not know for sure for 2-3 days but we are running around anticipating leaving in less than 2 weeks! Every milestone we reach makes bringing Mia home a little more real. This is all becoming very 'real' very quickly! Just think, if we do get to travel on the 13th, then 2 weeks from now, we will have Mia in our arms!! Oh we can't wait! Just wanted to spread the good news, now off to do more preparation!!

New News!! (well, kind of...)

2007-03-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

I received a call from our China Coordinator this afternoon with news that there is a possibility that we will get our travel approval this week or next week. Once again, nothing is predictable, so we will hold our breath until we hear more. The EXCITING part is that if it comes this week, there is a chance we will leave for China on April 13th...yes I know, that is only a couple of weeks away! If the travel approval comes next week, we will probably travel April 20th. Because of the Trade Fair in China, the hotel rooms will be more expensive and she wanted to make sure we would want to go as soon as possible (as if she needed to ask : ) ) This may mean that we would have to stay a little farther, but I refuse to wait longer than I have to to hold my little girl. Panic has already set in with all the things we would need to accomplish to be ready, but if I could, we would pack up tonight and leave tomorrow. I have also posted this adorable picture of our little Mia. It was a small photo so it didn't get posted before, but I think it may be the cutest one! We are still hoping to get updated info and pictures, but once again, nothing is predictable and we are content with just rolling with the punches. I cannot believe we are nearing the end of this "ride" only to begin the best years yet!!

In Loving Memory

2007-03-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

I am sad to say my Grandpa passed early this morning in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has been in a skilled nursing facility for a short while now and this picture is from our recent trip to see him. I have so many great memories of my grandpa and am glad he will not suffer anymore. This is my mom, big brother and younger twin sisters. Tomorrow, I will leave to Idaho and return on Monday. When we were young, we would spend whole summers at Grandma's and Grandpa's on the farm and these are some of my favorite memories ever. I can still feel my grandpa's "Bear Hugs" that I thought might just squeeze me til I burst! He always had a quiet way about him not needing much in the way of conversation but I always knew he loved me as he would give advice or discipline if I needed it. He would take us camping, fishing, to the bowling alley to eat lunch, to Ada's Cafe or just around town to run errands. I know my grandpa is in a better place but I am sad he was not able to meet Mia in person. I know he will be watching over her though just as I know my grandma is. She will have some wonderful Guardians guiding her through her life. Grandpa was asking about her constantly during our trip in February and kept telling me "You take real good care of her Trishy". I promise I will.

Just Back From Meeting..

2007-03-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

We just got back from meeting with our China Coordinator to give her the "care box" for Mia (she will ship it out for us) and to sign our Visa applications . She was able to answer a few more questions we had. I had read somewhere that oftentimes, foster babies will spend their days in the orphanage then go home to the foster family at night. She does not think this is the case with Mia. The only time she would go to the orphanage is for check-ups. Also, we will be getting updated info and pictures at some point. Since the orphanage doesn't have a camera, she has to be taken to "the studio" to have her picture taken and they will also send updated info on her measurements. The best 'guess' for when we will travel is the end of April. We are still waiting for our travel approval so it is still up in the air. During April, there is a Trade Fair in Guangzhou which basically shuts down most other activity. We need to go to Guangzhou to complete the paperwork, so we would go to Mia's province first, then go to Guangzhou at the end. For her "care box", we sent a blanket, disposable camera, Classic Pooh Bear, Pooh rattle and a small photo album with pictures of us, Grandpa and Kayla.
We would like to thank everyone for being so happy for us! It is overwhelming that we have so many good friends, family as well as people we have never met wishing us well!

OK...Due to popular demand...

2007-03-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Due to popular demand I guess I should let everyone know what is next! We have accepted our referral (of course!) and our paperwork is on its way back to China. Then we wait for our TA (travel approval) which may take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. After we get our TA from China, we can make our Consulate appointment in China which ultimately is the date we will travel around. We cannot wait to go and bring our daughter home. Wow! It is still sinking in that we have a daughter! Kevin says its hard to think of anything but her. We have conversations like "where will her seat be on the sofa?" and "she will like American Idol because she likes music". OK, give us a break, we are first time parents!! We also received more info from our China Coordinator today. I think I forgot to mention she was 15 1/2lbs at the end of December. I have no idea what this means (high, low, average) and 25" long. I had them reversed and I know some people were alarmed...sorry! She is a light sleeper (uh oh), drinks about 7oz of milk per day, likes music, she can hold her head up when on her tummy, can locate the direction of sounds/ voices, distinguishes between acquaintances and strangers, is active, has a ready smile, impatient sometimes (she is Kevin's daughter!) and best of all...laughs aloud!
Doesn't she sound precious?
On Saturday, we will take our "care package " for her (a blanket we have slept with, outfit, pooh bear, rattle, disposable cameras and a small photo album) to have it sent to her. We also need to apply for our Visa's. That's all for now... more later! What a wonderful ride this is!!!

What we know so far..

2007-03-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

This is our baby girl Mia. She will be 8 months old on 3/10/07. She is from the Fengcheng Social Welfare Institute in the Jiangxi Province. Her DOB is 7/10/06 and we there could be no parents more proud than us! We are actually finally a mommy and daddy. Can you believe it? We are still reeling from the reality of it all but I wanted to fill everyone in on our day..

Couldn't sleep at all last night, I "knew" today could be the day. Woke up and checked the message boards, but still wouldn't let myself believe it would be real. I thought I should let Kevin know there was a good chance we would get the call today. After a brief moment of panic, he regained composure and said "are you sure?" I assured him anything was possible and went to work with a stern warning to Kevin "Make sure you have your phone on you all day". He looked at me like "do you think I'm stupid?" Work was very unproductive but I tried to keep busy.
At 11:50am, I received a phone call and my heart skipped a beat. It was our China Coordinator telling me there was good news and bad news. As my heart sank, she told me the good news was that she received a referral package from China. The bad news was it only contained one referral (was supposed to have 2). She then told me it was our referral that she received. I was happy yet devastated for the other family who should have gotten their referral too. I wrote down all the info she gave me on scratch paper as I was not expecting the call til after noon and we set up an appointment at the Agency for 3pm.

When we met, we signed the referral accepting Mia as our daughter and now we wait for Travel Approval. Oh, I forgot to mention she is in Foster care which is great! I will update more later. Thank you for all your wishes, love and support!!!!

We Introduce to you Mia...

2007-03-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Referrals better come soon : )

2007-03-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

I think I am going crazy! All I can think about is Mia. When I am at work, all I think about is Mia, when I am at home, all I think about is Mia... from the time I wake up til the time I go to bed, Mia, Mia, Mia.... If referrals don't come soon, I can only imagine what may happen! First of all, work may figure out I am walking around all day daydreaming AND they're paying me to do it! Secondly, the housework is not getting done which will soon become "wild cleaning woman on a rampage" (not a pretty sight I assure you). And lastly, soon no sane adult will want to talk to me because all I talk about is Mia.... So come on referrals!!! Save Me!

Pics of the "Magical" Matching Room

2007-02-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is where our paperwork sits and where they match us to our daughter...hopefully we will see her soon!!

Do's and Dont's

2007-02-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here is something I borrowed from a family travelling soon to meet their baby boy Bruce and I thought it was so helpful to educate family and friends...

We thought this would be some helpful information regarding the Do's and Don'ts for Family and Friends when we bring the baby home. Other families that have shared this information on the discussion boards we are on have mentioned that it has helped those around them undertand the attachment/bonding process a little better:
Do
1. Trust the parent's instincts. Even a first time parent may notice subtle symptoms that well-meaning family and friends attribute to "normal" behavior.2. Accept that attachment issues are difficult for anyone outside of the parents to see and understand.3. Be supportive even if you think everything looks fine to you.4. Allow the parents to be the center of the baby's world. One grandfather, when greeting his grandson, immediately turns him back to his mom and dad and says positive statements about his good mommy and daddy.5. As hard as it may be for you, abide by the requests of the parents. Even if the baby looks like he really wants to be with Grandma, for example, he needs to have a strong attachment to his parents first. Something as simple as passing the baby from one person to another or allowing others, even grandparents, to hold a baby who is not "attached" can make the attachment process that much longer and harder.6. Accept that parenting children who are at-risk for or who suffer from attachment issues goes against traditional parenting methods and beliefs. Parenting methods that work for many children can be detrimental to a child with attachment issues.7. Remember that there is often a honeymoon period after the child arrives. Many babies do not show signs of grief, distress, or anxiety until months after they come home. If the parents are taking precautions, they are smart and should be commended and supported!
Don't
1. Assume an infant is too young to suffer from emotional issues related to attachment. Babies are not immune.2. Underestimate a new parent's instincts that something isn't right.3. Judge the parent's parenting abilities. What looks like spoiling or coddling may be exactly what the child needs to overcome a serious attachment disorder. Parenting methods that work for many children can be detrimental to a child with attachment issues.4. Make excuses for the child's behaviors or try to make the parent feel better by calling certain behaviors "normal". For example, many children who suffer from attachment issues may be labeled strong-willed by well-meaning family members. While being strong-willed can be seen as a positive personality trait, this type of behavior in an attachment-impaired child may signify problems.5. Accuse the parent of being overly sensitive or neurotic. They are in a position to see subtle symptoms as no one else can.6. Take it personally if asked to step back so the parents can help their child heal and form a healthy and secure attachment. You may be asked not to hold the baby for more than a minute. This is not meant to hurt you. It is meant to help prove to the baby who his mommy and daddy are. Up until now the child's experience has been that mommies and daddies are replaceable. Allowing people to hold the baby before he has accepted his forever mommy and daddy can be detrimental to the attachment process.7. Put your own timeframes on how long attachment should take. One mother was hurt when she was chastised by a relative who couldn't understand...after all, the baby had been home six months. It could take weeks, months, even years. Every child is different.8. Offer traditional parenting advice. Some well-meaning family members will tell a new parent not to pick the baby up every time he cries because it will spoil him. A child who is at-risk or who suffers from attachment issues must be picked up every single time he cries. He needs consistent reinforcement that his mommy & daddy will always take care of him and always keep him safe.9. Fall into the appearance trap. Some babies/toddlers with attachment issues can put on a great show to those outside of the mother/father. What you see is not always a true picture of the child. Even babies as young as 6-months-old are capable of “putting on a good face” in public.10. Lose hope. With the right kind of parenting and therapy, a child with attachment issues can learn to trust and have healthy relationships. But it does take a lot of work and a good understanding of what these children need.

What "Next" Means

2007-02-25T21:21:00.000-08:00

I thought I should go back a little and let everyone know what "next" means. The CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) are the people who match the children to their new parents. They send out the referrals on average once a month. The one thing that has varied so greatly is the number of Log In Dates they include each month. The last batch of referrals were received Feb. 1, and the CCAA was closed for Chinese New Year all last week, so our best guess is we will get our referral either the first or second week of March (I Know, that is soon, huh?). After we get the "call" from our adoption agency, we will drop everything and go to the agency to see our little girl for the first time. At that time, we will accept the referral and then it will take another 4-6 weeks before we travel. We have to receive Travel Approval from China and also schedule our Consulate Appointment.
I think that is all I was missing, oh and Christy, thank you for inspiring me to start this blog. Your enthusiasm was contagious!!

One of our Dossier Pics

2007-02-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Our Attempt To Start A Blog!

2007-02-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have finally decided to come up to the 21st Century and start a blog about our adoption journey to finally meet our baby girl Mia. As most of you know, this has been an emotional, trying and lengthy journey, but one I would not trade for anything in the world! Our initial adoption journey began after failed attempts to get pregnant and the subsequent hysterectomy due to uterine cancer. In our hearts, I think we both knew we would end up building our family with adoption.
Kevin and I have been married 6 years (will be 7 in May) Wow! the time goes by so fast! We have always known we wanted at least one child but didn't really know what path we would travel to get there. I am adopted, so adoption has always been an option in our minds. We have 6 nephews and one niece. They are all so special to us and we love to spend whatever time with them that we can. We LOVE being Auntie and Uncle and cannot wait until we can introduce them all to their cousin Mia.
We chose to adopt from China for many reasons. Kevin thought she would identify with me because I am Asian, we knew we wanted a girl, the China program was very predictable at that time and the stories of the babies in China touched us tremendously. We began the adoption in January of 2005. After lots of paperwork, classes, appointments and anxiety, our paperwork was sent to China on 9/19/05. They logged our dossier in on 10/17/05 which is the magical date as it is in a sense the "day we get in line". From that point on, it has just been waiting, shopping for Mia and renewing paperwork.
The GREAT news is that China has matched babies to families who were logged in up until 10/13/05 so we are NEXT!!!