Rumors, Fumes and Butt Washing Technique....

Well, the rumors proved true.  The CCAA referred only two days this time around.  Folks with LIDs of 3/1/06 and 3/2/06 received pictures of their babies.  They will most likely travel to China in 4 to 6 weeks.  Hurrah!!! for all of those families even though this was a sickeningly small referral group.  On the other hand (isn't there always another hand?) the CCAA has referred three times in 6.5 weeks.  Thats 3 groups (not three days) worth of referrals.  I think it works out to be somewhere around 12 days-----That's pretty good considering referrals began on 12/3/08.  The most common feeling amongst posters on RQ is that the CCAA wanted to get one more group in before CNY (all of next week) and then the speed-up will come in February!!!!  All I have to say to that is AMEN and set that stork to flying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I had a wonderful visit from my friend, Meredith and her little boys this week---those are the sweetest little boys, and little TT can really put the graham crackers away!!!! Bobby and Abby had a great time playing with the little ones.  I think they are going to make the best big brother and sister.    Bobby has already asked to "borrow" the baby because "babies are chick magnets!"  What????  The child wears so much cologne the only girl that's going to be willing to come within 40 feet of him will have to be "smell blind" otherwise she may pass out.  Every morning I'm thankful for the parakeet in Bobby's room----It's like the proverbial canary in the mine shaft.  I know if I don't hear the parakeet sing I'd better haul a** because I'm about to be overcome by Axe fumes!!!   Abby just wants me to know that she will be in charge of changing the baby's clothes and pushing the stroller.  I'm sure with Abby as a model Maisy's first word will be either "go" or "Wal-Mart".  Abby also informed me that I should wash the baby's "head then butt"---Excellent Advice.   Please continue to pray for the speed-up as well as all of the children waiting for forever families---here and around the world.   May you be granted that Peace that Passes Understanding, Amy

Empty Red Sofas....

I genuinely needed new furniture.  Our green sofa had suffered through eleven years of kids, snacks, pets, spills, maybe the occasional diaper change and multitudinous other stuff---so the logical thing to do was get another one.  We went to Bob Mills Furniture (no longer the "Working Man's Friend" like he was in the early 90s---now he's your "Home's Best Friend".  My home doesn't need a "best friend", but anyway...) and walked through the entire store even though I had decided to get the sofa right inside the front door as soon as I laid eyes on it.  It's red.  In case you don't know, when adoptive parents take their new babies and children to the consulate in Guangzhou (had to stop and look up the spelling for that one) they often stay at the White Swan Hotel.  One of the "must do" things at the White Swan is to have your baby's picture taken on one of the many RED COUCHES located around the hotel-----SOOOOOOOOOOOO, I figured every year on her Gotcha Day anniversary I'd take Maisy's picture on her very own red couch.  Besides, I've always wanted a red sofa (got the love seat, too).   I got pretty teared up this evening upon reading Rumor Queen because rumor has it that the CCAA is going to refer only 2 days of LIDs this go around.  That is devastating.  If you believe in the power of prayer please join me in praying that the rumor is wrong and so many families just like mine will be joined with the babies they have waited years to hold.  I just cannot imagine waiting another two or three years before I get to put our Maisy on her own red sofa.  God help us all.   Spring Festival is coming up (known as Chinese New Year only to folks who are not Chinese).  Maybe we will go down to the Golden Palace downtown and watch the dragon dance and eat some dumplings to celebrate----wait a minute, celebrate what?---Yeah, I don't know either.   I made Maisy another bonnet and a couple of baby blankets.  Maybe I'll post pictures of them soon.  One of the blankets is pink with pandas all over it.  I couldn't bear to cut off any of the little pandas' heads---so it's a pretty big blankie!   Here's a funny I will sign off with (since I'm still pretty much reeling from the punch in the gut of the latest rumor)----Every adoptive family who stays at the White Swan gets a "Chinese Adoption Barbie".  You can't buy them anywhere or get them at any other hotel---just the White Swan.  Anyway, a woman I know who has two children from China was showing the Barbie with the Chinese baby (still in the box) to a group of folks interested in Chinese adoption (years ago, because Ben and I were in that group) and her daughter who was three at the time said "Hey, what's that?"  Her mother explained the dolls origins and that she got it when the little girl was only eighteen months old.  Of course, the child asked to play with it and her mother was aghast---(it's a keepsake, right?)  Mom refused and told the little girl that she could have it when she was grown up.  "Well fine" says the three year old, "But I'm taking it out of the box and THEN I'M GONNA PLAY WITH IT!!!"   Holding on to Hope----Because it's all we've got. Amy

I do believe in storks....I do believe in storks.......

We have been LID for 13 months now. It is better than having been LID for only 3 months, but the distance to Gotcha Day seems about the same---the wait is still LONG. Sometimes I feel as though Chinese adoption is just an urban legend---something I "believe in" but can't really say I've ever seen or experienced. I guess that's the reason I'm a blog stalker...I have to know that somewhere out there are people who have actually brought babies home from China.
Last night I was reading Rumor Queen (I know, just let it go...Laura says it's my "crack". At least I can keep my teeth!) anyway, I was reading Rumor Queen and there was just a hint of a rumor that the referrals for March would possibly surpass 3/23 for a cut-off! This would be miraculous and an answer to my prayers (and the prayers of many others, I'm sure). See, last year the CCAA referred only 2 months worth of referrals--Jan. and Feb. 2006 to be exact. Some people have surmised that it would take all of 2009 to refer just the month of March 2006---Soooooooooo, to have most of March referred in one fell swoop would be akin to the Biblical account of the parting of the Red Sea! There was also a rumor that "attitudes" have changed around the halls of the CCAA and that couldn't hurt I don't suppose.

Some folks have suggested that referrals were held back until the mandatory donation went up from 3K to 5K. I don't know if that's true or not, and frankly, I don't care. The donation has never gone up in the history of Chinese adoption until now and with the weakening USD more money is needed to take care of the children in the orphanages who will never be adopted. I'm cool with it. I'd rather give 5 grand to Chinese orphans than say, Homeland Security....

Anyway, I'm still praying for that speed-up regardless of the motivation behind it. Of course, today on Rumor Queen the nay saying has begun and once again people are saying that they won't believe a speed-up is happening until they see it with their own eyes. What I know is this---"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I have faith that the speed-up will happen, either this month or next and then everyone will attribute the Miracle to the One who made it happen!

If you are marveling at how great this blog looks now--know this--I did not do it. It is all the work of my genius sister, Laura. Don't you love all of the links and stuff? Maybe more than two people will read my rants now!

Pretty soon there will be pictures. I wish they would be referral pics---but that will be awhile off yet. I'm confident that we will hit Review this year and that referrals in general will speed up, for sure. Our I171-H is due to be renewed by June, so we'll have to get the homestudy updated and get re-fingerprinted pretty soon. Sometime around June we'll start getting our necesssary shots for traveling since the Hepatitis series takes 6 months to complete. I'm not complaining about the wait yet for two reasons: 1.) I believe the CCAA is lighting a fire under its storks and 2.) I said in a previous post that I wouldn't start seriously complaining until we hit the 18 month LID mark (June), so, I have some time....

We had a great Christmas. Keep the Faith and pray for our Maisy as we grow closer to her Gotcha Day with the passing of every moment.

Amy