Countdown to Baby Smith

Pictures

2010-06-18T08:00:00.003-05:00

Bella and I were visiting our local children's bookshop and she made herself at home....

Our neighbors gave Bella their daughter's old bike and she loves it! Here's our little easy rider...

I took this picture at the splash park near our house. This picture captures Bella's personality; she was running with a smile on her face and I happened to click at just the right time...

Hmmm, wonder if I can join Mommy's book club???

Fun With Bella

2010-06-06T12:24:00.004-05:00

Bella loves to have tea parties.... Has anyone seen Bella?
Brian and I were out shopping and we heard laughter coming from the backseat. I turned around and found a very silly girl.....

Summertime...

2010-06-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

...and the living is easy!

Another Milestone

2010-05-28T11:08:00.004-05:00

Bella grows a little each day. This week's big milestone is the loss of the tray on the booster seat. She's now eating at the table like a big girl. Enjoy a couple of pics from breakfast this morning.....

Happy Anniversary!

2010-05-21T21:12:00.005-05:00

It was one year ago today, at 3:30 pm, that we received the call we had been waiting on. I was a bundle of nerves that day and cannot express the relief I felt when the phone finally rang. It was a happy day that I'll never forget. Seeing Bella's face for the first time was one of the happiest moments of my life.

She continues to be a joy and blessing to us. This little girl, who is active, silly and spicy, continues to amaze us everyday. She is so loved and it's hard to imagine our lives without her.

First photo we received...

A few recent pics....

Happy anniversary to our travel group friends! What a special day for us all.

We're Still Here....

2010-05-20T13:32:00.011-05:00

Yes, it's been quite a while. To be honest, I just got lazy. :) Not really lazy, since I live with a VERY active toddler, but lazy with blogging. I'm promising to try to do better. Here's a few glimpses of what Miss Bella has been up to:

Trying to keep her still long enough for us all to take a picture together during Christmas.....

My New Year's Eve party possee......

Ready for a Birthday Party, Jan. 2010....

First day of school, Jan. 2010.....

Being silly at the dr's office, Jan. 2010....

Most kiddos in Louisiana are Saints fans, but not in this house! Feb. 2010....

Silliness at breakfast, Feb. 2010....

Ready for March Madness, Mar. 2010....

This shirt can get her anything, March 2010...

First Easter Egg hunt, March 2010...

Just finished helping Daddy water plants, Apr. 2010...

Learning how a spoon works, Apr. 2010...

NOT afraid of the Time Out Mat, Apr. 2010....

This little girl is the light of our lives. We still call her "Our Miracle" and we look forward to her waking up each day and giving us smiles.

Busy Season

2009-12-24T08:04:00.003-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve! It's been a while since I posted, but I've been busy keeping up with Miss Bella. Here's a small glimpse into her holiday season:

Crafts to make (with mom's help)...

New Christmas clothes to wear...

New friends to make....

Let It Snow!

2009-12-05T12:44:00.003-06:00

Something unusual happened in Louisiana yesterday....it snowed!!! It didn't stick, but we had large flakes. Since this does not happen often, we ran outside with the camera.

After our brief snow adventure, Bella and I made us all hot chocolates. Except for Bella...she enjoyed a cup of cold milk.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T20:20:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This was my first Thanksgiving with my mommy and daddy and there's so many things I'm thankful for.

Toys my mommy and daddy let me mess up the living room with...

Walking...

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Yes, my mommy tried to get me to eat a real Thanksgiving meal, but I wasn't interested.)

Cuddling under a quilt and watching Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving....

Patty cake after bathtime with mommy....

Good books and new jammies.....

Here's something I'm not so thankful for....

Here's what mommy and daddy are thankful for this year....

Hope you all had a great day!

Look Who's Walking......

2009-11-16T20:12:00.003-06:00

It's now become a whole new ballgame around here. She's not walking by herself 1o0% of the time, but she's close. Notice her hands? She always has to have something in her hands. She can now bend down by herself and pick it up. Looks like Mommy will be trailing close behind....forever.

Like Mommy, Like Daughter

2009-11-09T10:07:00.003-06:00

I love to read and am a self-proclaimed bookworm. To prove my point, I don't know how I survived before my Kindle. I've been doing all I can to make Bella a bookworm too and it seems to be working. Here's Bella enjoying her books this morning:

I love the look on her face in the second picture. It seems to be saying, "What Ma? I'm busy reading."

Here's something else I've taught Bella to love:

Grilled cheese and soup. It's one of my favorite meals and it's becoming one of hers too. Bella has become picky when it comes to vegetables, so a bowl of soup is an easy way for me to get some veggies in her. This was our lunch yesterday. I hope you can tell whose was whose. :)

Halloween Fun

2009-11-03T20:39:00.006-06:00

Brian and I got to celebrate our best Halloween yet. Our "little pumpkin" (as she was described during the referral phone call) was a Honey Bee for Halloween and melted our hearts. "Honey Bee" is Brian's nickname for Bella, so when we saw this costume we knew it was perfect. I had to be careful not to call her "bumblebee" since Brian kept pointing out she is a Honey Bee. :) Here's our girl all dressed up for the Halloween Carnival:

Playing "End of the Rainbow" with her friend, Katie:
(Around 15 years ago, Katie's mom and I would have laughed if you said we would have been having a good time at a Church Carnival on a Saturday night. That's a story for another time and not for Bella or Katie's ears.)

Pretty Bee and Pretty Minnie:

Cake Walkin':

Playing Sucker Pull and Pick Up Ducks:

Working the crowd:

And the Party Girls are ready to call it a night:

Halloween jammies and sweet dreams:

Thank you Katherine, Brian, Henry and Katie for the fun night!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T21:25:00.001-05:00

Our Bella visited the Pumpkin Patch this morning. Even though Bella had a good time being outside and walking around, I think we had a better time than she did. We've been waiting a long time to take this "little pumpkin" to the Pumpkin Patch! Enjoy the pics. :)

Good Luck Charm

2009-10-20T17:14:00.002-05:00

What pro team is 6-0??? The Broncos! Looks like our little Bella coming home brought the team some good luck! Here's the newest Broncos fan dressed out for Monday Night Football.
(For the record, I'm aware the Saints are undefeated this season too. However, Bella can't take credit for them. That credit belongs to Merrin.)

Fashion Show

2009-10-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

Rockin' her first pair of blue jeans.....Fall finally hit Louisiana, so it's time to be comfy, warm and cute while sleeping...
And here's one just because she's too cute...

Dad and Daughter...

2009-10-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

How sweet is this???

Ready or not...

2009-10-14T21:36:00.001-05:00

here she comes.....

Back to Work

2009-10-14T08:10:00.003-05:00

Monday was a big day in our house...I went back to work. I'm very, very fortunate. I work part-time and Bella will be with her dad for the next couple of weeks, but it was still hard. I can't believe my twelve week maternity leave is up. It feels like July 14th (my last day at work pre-China) just happened. It's also strange to think the adoption journey has officially closed. For so long we talked about going to China and me taking off work....and it's over...in the blink of an eye. We're now your average American family. Brian and I are just two people raising a very spicy little Hunan girl. :)

In other Bella news, poor baby has an ear infection and RSV. :( We're now masters of breathing treatments and are on house arrest until this passes. For all of our travel mates, can you imagine your little Chenzhou girl on steroids?!?! We can.

Pre-house arrest, Bella had a busy weekend playing with friends. Here's Bella and another Chenzhou girl, Ashton:

Ashton and her family have visited Chenzhou lately and have been a wealth of information for us.

Here's Bella having a good time with Marissa and Madison:

It doesn't bother Bella that they're older; she fits right in!

Greetings from my new house.....

2009-10-03T07:33:00.004-05:00

Between you and me, I thought my mommy and daddy were going crazy! They moved us all to a new house and they kept saying this was the "worst move ever". They also keep using the word "hate" a lot and they know not to say that in front of me! You all remind them about that when I start using it. To keep their minds off of whatever was driving them insane, I decided to step up my game around here.

I've decided bottles (unless I decide to be picky with my juice) are for babies.

I like to walk with someone holding me, but now I can do it with only holding one hand!

I'm toddling around too (with daddy spotting me):
I've had parties to go to. Here's me and my friend, Katie, at her party (It was also her brother Henry's birthday party.). Their party was at The Children's Museum too. It's the local hot spot for us kids.
To make sure mommy is paying attention, sometimes I like to be a picky eater. I ask you, how could you eat if you had that big mess behind you??? Let me translate this one for you, I'm asking Mommy, "You really think I'm going to eat this cheese toast?".

Here's my favorite, snack time and picnic. Yes, I know I don't match, but I don't dress myself. Can't blame me for this one.

Talk to you all again soon! Love, Bella :)

Busy Little Lady

2009-09-21T07:05:00.005-05:00

Our Bella has been one busy little lady since I last posted. Since my last post, she enjoyed her very first Century Tel picnic. The above picture shows how she enjoyed the picnic in style. (Yes, it was a game day.) In the below picture, she's relaxing after dazzling the crowd.

Enjoying ice cream....Bella's first carousel ride.....

Birthday celebration to celebrate Bella's (Sept. 9th), Poppa T's (Sept. 13th), Dad's (Sept. 13th too) birthdays. Here's our little party girl with her party hat and horn:

Posing in front of the "Three Generation" birthday cake with Daddy and Poppa T. Yes, they're all dressed out for the LSU game...another game day. Notice how Bella is being held back from the cake?

In her sassy party clothes....

Enjoying her first swim in her baby pool. She loved it!

Stay tuned....Who knows what this one year old will be up to next???

Happy

2009-09-15T07:12:00.003-05:00

Who is the happiest in this picture? Hard to tell.

Happy Birthday

2009-09-09T19:54:00.003-05:00

Why are all these people singing???
In a giant mouth with Daddy. Check out my dress. Being the diva I am, I matched the theme of my party...ladybugs and sunflowers.

Yum!

Mommy and Daddy trying to stay clean.

Forget fruits and veggies. This is what I'm talking about!

We had Bella's first birthday party this weekend at The Children's Museum in Monroe. We had several family and friends with us to celebrate and I think they all had a good time. I know Bella did. What one year old doesn't love cake, ice cream and presents! We appreciate everyone who helped us to celebrate. :)

Our little girl is now one year old. It's hard to believe and it's surreal. We have a one year old! This date last year, our friends Stephanie and Chris welcomed their son into the world. I remember being so excited for them and I remember what that day was like for me. Little did I know, in another part of the world, our daughter was being born on the same day. She has not even been with us two months and I can't remember what life was like before her. It's amazing to wake up everyday and watch her learn and watch her pesonality blossom. I can't even imagine what this next year will be like for the three of us.

One Year Portraits

2009-09-06T20:35:00.002-05:00

It's been a very busy weekend for our Bella. On Friday she had her one year portraits made. Bella is known not to smile for photos and she lived up to her reputation. The photographer did work very hard and did get some good pictures for us.

Sweet Face..

Take it quick! There's a smile!

Game Face...Watch out Alabama!

Yep, I'm gonna be one.

Mom and Dad's favorite:

I'm Back!

2009-09-05T20:51:00.003-05:00

You guys won't belive it! My mommy lost her camera cord that connects her camera to the computer. She just found it, so I can now let you all know what I've been up to. I've been a very busy girl.

One night I decided it was time to keep mommy and daddy on their toes. Enough of being an easy baby! I refused to go to sleep! Instead of sleeping, I decided I was going to play. I was having such a good time, Mommy and Daddy decided to go ahead and take pictures. I ask you, does this look like the face of someone who is tired?

Nope. Not at all.

Daddy had a business trip out of town, and when he came home mommy and I decided to surprise him at the aiport. Here I am dressed in my "I heart My Daddy" cap. Mommy put me in a dress and frilly socks because she did not want me mistaken for a boy...it happened at Toys 'r Us and she wasn't happy about it!

For all my travel friends, you'll see I'm holding my mommy's lip gloss again. She said it was lost...it wasn't! When I saw it, I started smiling and laughing like I saw an old friend.

My daddy has been busy teaching me how to play air hockey.

Don't tell him, but I think I'm better than him. :)

That's all for now. Gotta get ready to watch some football! Stay tuned...Mommy will be letting you all know about my birthday and one year old pictures soon!

Love,

Bella

First and American Baby

2009-08-24T20:27:00.004-05:00

Bella visited MeMe's this weekend (Along with her mom and dad. I'm not ready for away visits yet.) and had her first "biter biscuit". The best part? After showing her how to feed herself, she did it! This was her first time to feed herself and we were so proud. As you can tell from the pics, she thoroughly enjoyed her biscuit.

She also received an important document in the mail today. Bella received her Certificate of Citizenship. By law, she became an American Citizen the moment we landed in Los Angeles; however, we now have proof that our baby girl is an American Citizen. It was strange to open the mailbox and see an envelope addressed to "Isabella Ziyu Smith c/o Mr and Mrs Smith) from USCIS. Here's a pic of our little precious with her certifcate:

Happy One Month Gotcha Day Anniversary

2009-08-20T13:52:00.002-05:00

Today is our one month "Forever Family" anniversary. It's hard to belive Bella has only been with us for one month now; however, we've had her in our hearts for almost four years now. When we submittted our application to Harrah's, on Sept. 12, 2005, we knew our daughter was in China. We just had to go get her. We could never have imagined it would take as long as it did, but we knew she was there. We had many people offer many different solutions to our "childless" condition, but we never entertained any those; not for a moment. We knew she was out there and we just had to hold on until we could go get her. We've talked about her for almost four years now and it is surreal to actually have her here! These past several years have taught us to not take one moment with her for granted. She is truly a miracle and a gift and we are the lucky ones to actually be her parents.

We're Here

2009-08-19T18:01:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's been a few days. Very hectic around here. Not only are we busy raising our Bella, but we might be moving. (Sorry Shreveport friends. We're staying here; just going to a different neighborhood.) We put our house on the market a few months ago and I guess all the real estate market was waiting on was for Miss Bella to arrive. We received an offer Sunday morning, so we have been busy looking at homes. Wish us luck!

Mom and Dad being busy has not slowed this little one down! We've noticed she's been wanting down when we're holding her. It's as if she thinks she can walk, her body just isn't cooperating. We got her a walker Sunday and here's a pic of her first walk in it:

We think she's been in a walker before because she was MUCH more comfortable in the walker than the bouncer seat we got her. Thank goodness! I've been needing a way to cook dinner or do laundry without leaving her crying.

Not only was Sunday "walker day", it was also the PGA Championship and Bella and her dad were dressed in their Nike cheering on Tiger Woods!

As you can tell from Bella's expression, it wasn't Tiger's best day.

I also got a pic of my two favorite people I wanted to share.
It's the "Brown Eyed Smiths" as I like to call them. :)

Times Are Changing...

2009-08-15T20:38:00.003-05:00

Ten years ago, our Saturday night didn't start until around 10:00. How did we spend tonight's Saturday night? Rolling around with an 11-month old on her Rainbow Zebra quilt.....loving every minute of it. Yep, times have changed.

P.S. By 10:00 tonight, all the Smith's will be asleep.

What's a girl to do?

2009-08-15T10:35:00.001-05:00

Hmmm. What's a girl to do? I've got two toys; like them both. Quite a dilemma. Which do I play with? Wait...I can play with both at once!

Teething Tip

2009-08-12T13:42:00.002-05:00

For all of you out there that are having some pain with getting new teeth, here's a tip from Bella: When your mom gives you a bite of food, bite down on the spoon as hard as you can. Helps the food slide down, plus it feels good on your gums. Bite on the spoon as long as you like; your mom will wait.

Just Chillin'

2009-08-11T10:35:00.002-05:00

Just relaxing, throwing my gang sign and thinking of my Chenzhou Sisters. Hope they're all kicked back too!

P.S. Merrin, thanks again for the rattle. I still love it!

Eating Time

2009-08-08T09:49:00.003-05:00

Bella loves to eat! That's an understatement. Eating is her most favorite thing in the world ever....even second to thumb sucking and scratching. She enjoys it so much, as soon as we give her a bite, she immediately puts her thumb in her mouth. We think she puts it in there to save some of the taste on hand for later. This makes for an interesting dining experience. This was what she looked like after breakfast yesterday morning:

Why is her bib on sideways? She moves it to make room to suck on her thumb. The bib just slows her down.

We're all adjusting here. Poor baby has a few tummy issues we're working through and has an ear infection too. However, she's a champ. She didn't let a little sickness get in the way of her sleep last night...11 hours. Woo hoo! Sure wish Mommy and Daddy could get their time clocks adjusted too.

Geaux Tigers

2009-08-06T09:11:00.003-05:00

Hi Tiger Fans! I'm ready for my first football season...Geaux Tigers!

I'm Homesick

2009-08-05T06:21:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning (actually, I've been awake all night long thanks to a nasty cold) and it hit me...I miss China so much. I don't know if it's because I wasn't sick in China. I don't know if it's because we all knew night vs. day in China. I don't know if it's because I have a dirty house and a stack of laundry to do. I don't know if it's because Brian has to start paying attention to work today. But I do know that I want nothing more than to put my daughter in her sling, walk around gorgeous Shaiman Island and meet friends at Starbucks and then dinner. As much as I'm happy to be home and I'm happy for our friends and family to meet Bella, I really miss China.

I can't believe we've been to China and back. Almost four years of our lives were spent talking about going to China; we've now been and it was over way too soon. It was an amazing trip than can never, ever be replicated. No one prepared me for the love and respect I'd gain for Bella's birth country.

Speaking of China, enjoy a picture of the most precious little girl to ever come out of China enjoying her dinner in her new home in Louisiana.

Red Couch and Waterfall Pictures

2009-08-04T06:14:00.003-05:00

I now have the Red Couch and Group photos saved on my computer. The day we took these in China, our camera froze. I think I said this earlier, but the Red Couch photo is a tradition among adoption groups. The red couch is in the lobby of the White Swan Hotel. This used to be the only hotel adoption groups stayed at in Guangzhou. However, our group stayed at the Victory Hotel, which is now common. We all trekked over to the White Swan for these pictures.

We have these photos (or ones very similar) in 8 x 10, and I cannot tell you how many times I've looked at the Red Couch photo and started laughing. The looks on the girl's faces are priceless and it was quite a sight to see 14 parents jumping up and down and making faces to try to get their daughter to look at the camera. As you can tell it didn't work with Bella. Merrin was much more entertaining to look at.

I also love the photo of our travel group together at the waterfall. This was the perfect group of people to travel with. As some of you know, we became friends with Chris and Stephanie almost four years ago and were able to share the past almost four years with them. However, we were also sharing this journey with five other couples we had not met yet. It was amazing what a perfect fit we all were. Our guides, XiXi and Bob, (who we LOVED) told us we were all unique because we wanted to spend time together and have dinner together every night. I hope we'll all be able to keep in touch as our "Chenzhou Sisters" become young ladies.

We're Home

2009-08-03T15:19:00.003-05:00

We received the most amazing welcome home Friday night. (Pics will be posted soon.) It was amazing to see so many people waiting to welcome our little miracle home. She handled the plane rides like a champ. I've decided my 17 lb. daughter, who is almost 11 months old, is the bravest person I know.

It's surreal to think just a few days ago we were in China. I keep thinking of Bella's "Chenzhou Sisters" and hope they're all adjusting to their new lives well. No one told me how attached I'd become to the families we traveled with.

Today is our first day where it's not so rosy. Bella realized her nights and days are backwards and she has developed a little cold. To top it off, Mommy isn't feeling too good herself today. I'm sustaining myself on saltines and Sprite and Daddy is in charge of the house. He has two grumpy ladies to deal with.

Enjoy the pics of bathtime last night. Bella loves her baths and we love to see her happy and playing.

Leaving Beijing Now - Headed Home

2009-07-30T23:02:00.004-05:00

In flight now between Shanghai and Los Angeles. On time for scheduled arrival tonight of 8:50PM in Monroe. Will update blog if this changes.

Quick Message

2009-07-29T22:39:00.005-05:00

It's been a busy morning for the Smith's. Brian and I are packing because we're leaving in just a little while for Bejing. We'll fly home out of Bejing tomorrow. Bella has been busy playing with her new rattle that Merrin gave her.

Yesterday we made the traditional "red couch" photo. For those who don't know, the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou has a red couch in the lobby. It's tradition for the families to have their girl's pictures taken on the couch. As luck would have it, our camera froze up and we didn't get a shot! However, our agency arranged for a photographer and we have a professional portrait of Bella and her Chinese Sisters. The other families will be sharing their snapshots with us, so as soon as I receive it, I'll post it. We did get some of just Bella and a family photo of us on the couch. We also got Bella and Lia's photo together too. Us and the Williamson's thought it would be cute to have Bella and Merrin dressed out in LSU on the couch; Bella and Merrin didn't agree with us.

Enjoy the pics!

Blessings and Cheesecake

2009-07-28T08:29:00.004-05:00

It's been busy for our little Hunan Girl! Yesterday, she had her medical exam which she passed with flying colors. That night we had a birthday party for her friend, Elizabeth. After the party, Bella discovered splashing water and kicking her feet in the bathtub is a lot of fun! It was so much fun, she decided to give Mommy and Daddy "what for" when we took her out of the tub.

Today we went to the Six Banyan Temple.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/six_tree.htm

Bella, and 3 of her friends, received a blessing there. It was so gorgeous. We spent a little while walking around and just looking.

Following the Temple, we had our first trip to the zoo. Our guide arranged for us to ride through and it felt as if we were on display. A shuttle full of Americans with Chinese babies will definitely draw stares.

After lunch, Bella and Merrin they were up for some German food. Bella had her first taste of cheesecake, and as you can tell from the pictures, she definitely enjoyed it.

Daddy took his girls out for a date tonight at a local Italian restaurant. We met up with Merrin, Lia and their parents and had a great time. It was heartwarming to see the girls have impromptu play sessions.

We only have a couple of days left in China and I'm feeling sad. This is our daughter's birthplace and it is bittersweet to take her away from it. As excited as we are for everyone to meet our little miracle, it has been so special to have this time with her and her China Sisters. I'm hoping these little girls always stay close.

Guangzhou

2009-07-26T10:12:00.005-05:00

Our little Bella is a very busy girl! She met up with her friends, Lia and Merrin, this morning for coffee and shopping. After walking around Guangzhou for a while, the trio stopped in at Lucy's for lunch. Then there is that baby that is always in the mirror. Whenever Bella spots her she makes an effort to talk and giggle to her. She also has her hands full keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes.

Enjoy the pics. There's also one of her on her first flight yesterday.

Safe and Sound

2009-07-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

The three of us are safe and sound in Guangzhou. The plane ride here threw Bella's tummy for a loop, but she never complained once. Brian and I have a very brave girl on our hands.

I'm hoping to have some pictures uploaded today for everyone. We have computers in our room (which I'm using now), but I have to figure out how to hook up my computer so I can download pictures.

Guangzhou has been described as "Savannah, GA". We're on Shaiman Island and it's gorgeous here. Tree lined streets and flowers blooming everywhere. We've borrowed a stroller from the hotel and we're about to take our little miracle for a stroll.

I hope to be back with pictures soon!

Guangzhou Bound

2009-07-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

Just a note to let you all know we're leaving in the morning for the next stop on the Smith Family World Tour...Guangzhou China. This is where every adoptive family must come through before leaving China.

Wish us all luck and we'll post as soon as we're settled in! :)

Smiles From Changsha

2009-07-24T07:59:00.005-05:00

Not much going on here, just playing and mastering the art of Cheerio eating.

Bella's Morning

2009-07-23T06:21:00.004-05:00

Bella naps like a champ (knock on wood), so I thought I'd take this opportunity to post some pics of her day. This morning she spent the majority of her time playing with Mommy and Daddy. At lunch we tried her out with some mashed banana. She hasn't embraced the solid food idea yet, so we were excited to see her eat this banana. Enjoy!

More Pics

2009-07-22T18:17:00.004-05:00

More pics for the fans at home!

Pictures

2009-07-22T17:37:00.004-05:00

Here's a few pics of our little miracle for you all to enjoy. :)

Happy Wednesday

2009-07-22T10:02:00.001-05:00

Bella has had such a great day today! Yesterday was spent grieving; today was spent winning Mommy and Daddy over. She woke up at 6:30am and has been in a great mood ever since. In the Chinese language, "Baba" is "Daddy". We've been using Baba and Daddy to describe Brian. Today she looked at Brian and said Baba. You would think it would be Daddy who started crying, but no, Mommy started crying. She has been giving us smiles and babbling like a champ. We are so in love.

We went to a park this morning and watched the eclipse that happened in our part of the world. The park was unlike any that we have at home. It was huge and has amusement park rides. Our guide, XiXi, explained that in China it's common to have parks such as this. Most people live in 800 sq ft homes/apartments, so they have to have a place to go to visit and be with friends.

After the park we visited the Hunan Embroidery Museum. There was gorgeous work there and Bella has a souvenir to enjoy when she's older.

Please excuse the fact that there's no pictures. I've been trying to upload pics for a while now, but they're just not going through. Mommy has to get in bed because it's late here! Will upload pics in the morning (my time).

Great Wall

2009-07-21T11:30:00.006-05:00

Before we met Miss Bella, we spent time at the Great Wall and Summer Palace. I did post about this; however, the post is lost in space. I'll try to recap here: The Great Wall is truly something to behold. There were so many people there climbing the steps. Brian and I were some of these people too....for a little while. :) The heat fatigued me so I didn't make it was far as I was hoping.

Summer Palace was huge and beautiful. It was packed with people, but not all of them looked like us. Brian and I had a celebrity moment when a couple came up to us and motioned that they'd like for us to take a picture...literally. They wanted to pose with Brian and I for their camera. I also snapped one of our new friends with my camera.

Around these two spots, we made time to go to the jade and pearl market. Bella has gifts from both places, but I'm hoping she'll understand when her mommy wants to borrow her new jade bangle bracelet and necklace.

Enjoy the pics!

It's Official

2009-07-21T08:06:00.004-05:00

It's official! Chen Zi Yu is our daughter. :) We went back to the Civil Affairs office today and completed all the paperwork. Brian and I were interviewed by two government officials and we had to promise to never abandon our baby girl. We signed our paperwork and Bella put her foot print on it.

Today has been a rougher day for Bella. She has been grieiving today and has pretty much slept the entire day. We've been told this is normal behavior for a baby who has been through what she has in the last two days. She's even sleeping through her meal times, so we're having to wake her up to feed her.

One family took pictures for everyone during the adoption interviews and signing of the paperwork, so I don't have any pics to post yet, but here's a few from last night.

Another Gotcha Day Picture

2009-07-20T21:46:00.002-05:00

Pictures of Gotcha Day

2009-07-20T09:46:00.003-05:00

Gotcha!

2009-07-20T08:39:00.001-05:00

There are absolutely no words to describe today. At 11:00am, 7 babies found their way to their moms and dads. The only word you could use to describe it is "miracle".

We met our babies at the Civil Affairs office in Changsha. When we got there, they were already there, waiting on us. We immediately saw Bella sitting on a bench, with her nanny, waiting for us.

She's the most precious baby. We have not seen any tears today except for about 10 seconds before her nap. We also saw a few while she was getting her diaper changed (we've learned she does not like it). She is still very quiet, but has been entertaining us the entire day. She also took her first bath with us like a champ. We could not be more blessed than were are right now.

PS Sorry for the delay in posting. Mommy has been overwhelmed today. :)

Great Wall (again)

2009-07-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I posted a very lengthy post about the Great Wall and Summer Palace. I also included a lot of pics. However, the post never appeared. :(

I'll repost it soon; however, I can't right now because I'm getting dressed to go meet my baby! It is 8:00 AM here and we're meeting our group in the lobby at 10:30 for the drive to the Civil Affairs office. We have an 11:00 with our babies!!! Be looking for pictures of her soon!

Greetings From Changsha

2009-07-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

We are now one giant step closer to Bella. Our group left the Novotel Peace Hotel in Bejng this morning and flew to Changsha, Hunan. Bella is from Chenzhou, Hunan, but we'll meet her in Changsha. Changsha is the Hunan province's capital. We're staying at the Dolton Hotel and are very happy we decided to upgrade to a suite. This will be home sweet home for the next five days. It was surreal to walk into our hotel room and see a baby bed and bathtub. Our tour guide informed all seven families that we are to be in the hotel lobby tomorrow morning at 10:30 because we have to be at the Civil Affairs office at 11:00 to meet our babies!!! I don't know how any of us are going to sleep tonight.

On the van ride from the airport, our tour guide told us this was the "real China". Bejing is very commercial and now we'll get to really see what China is like. She warned us the only Americans that are here are the ones who are adopting. We need to be prepared for stares. We flew out of a small airport in Bejing and we could feel the stares on us. In China, it's not considered rude to stare, so it's very obvious when you're being stared at. I had quite an experience in the Shanghai Airport as I tried to knit in public. About a dozen women were standing over me and staring wihle I worked on a sock.

Will share more later, but we have to unpack because we're meeting our group in the hotel lobby at 6:00pm for a local dinner We're not in Louisiana anymore!

Will post pics later tonight.

We're Here!

2009-07-17T17:16:00.000-05:00

We are in Bejing, safe, sound and tired. I had plans to updae as soon as we wrrived; however, we had a couple of flight delays with China Easter, so we didn't make it to the hotel at 2:00am. We both collapsed when it got to the room.

During the flight over, we missed Thursday night, so we didn't see nighttime until we got into Bejing. Thas was a very strange feeling.

We're tourng the Great Wall and Summer Palace. I'll pst more about our sightseeing latetr today.

The daty after tomororw, we'll be meeting Bella!!!

Last Post From Louisiana

2009-07-15T20:44:00.002-05:00

It is now the night before we leave. We're leaving Monroe tomorrow at 7:00am. We are tired, but excited, and very ready to be there. My plan is to update our blog regularly while we're there so you will all know what's going on with us.

Please send positive thoughts and prayers our way. For our journey and for the transition our little girl is about to go through. She has no idea Mommy and Daddy are on the way.

'Til next time.....

Bella's Playroom

2009-07-14T07:44:00.003-05:00

She's not even here yet and she's taking over the house! :) That's OK though. Since Bella quickly outgrew her bedroom, we decided to make one of the guest rooms a playroom.

Nothing fancy, but I am proud of it. Only two weeks ago it was a full bedroom.

Pictures of the nursery, and my other shower, are coming soon. It's been a little hectic around here.

A Little Video

2009-07-12T22:05:00.004-05:00

I got a new computer and discovered something I can do on it. Enjoy...it's my first film. :)

If it can happen...

2009-07-11T09:38:00.004-05:00

it will happen to us. The Chinese Government has changed part of their process for adoptive families during the final and official appointment in Guangzhou (the last stop on The Smith Family World Tour). Our paperwork may now not be worded correctly to bring home our child. I've been dealing with this since Thursday. I just e-mailed the Consulate in Guangzhou with all of our information and hopefully will hear back as soon as they're open Monday (Sunday night, our time).

I am so exhausted from the prep work to travel. I'm now looking forward to the 27 hour flight. I get to sit and read and knit and nap for 27 hours and not have ANYTHING that has to be done? Heaven!

NEW PHOTOS!!!

2009-07-08T21:02:00.003-05:00

I recently heard about the most amazing company, http://ladybugsnlove.com/. It is a company that will place a phone call, on your behalf, to your child's orphanage and gather as much information as possible about them. You're limited to 10 questions, but their updated measurements are also included. They also try to get you photographs of your child. Kelly, the owner, is awesome and she worked very quickly to get information on our precious Chen Zi Yu. She is also a [recent] adoptive mommy and answered some travel questions for me.

Today, we received an e-mail from her with these priceless photos:

We believe these photos were taken this week! We know we're going to see her soon, but we both really needed to see this precious face again.

We learned she's 16.5 lbs and 27.9" long. She has two lower teeth and two upper teeth. Her head is 18.1" and her chest is 18.89". Her foot is 3.9" long.

We're just so thanksful to Ladybugs 'n Love for their service. We were talking about our angel over dinner and said we'd pay everyday is we could have photos of her.

Finding Ad

2009-07-05T20:08:00.004-05:00

In China, all abandoned children's picture and information are placed in the local newspaper. This is a way to locate the birth parents. We were fortunate enough to find a company to help us locate Bella's ad. I wanted to share her sweet picture.
It's just our guess, but we think she's a week or two in this photo. Isn't she just precious?

Updated Travel Plans

2009-07-03T13:48:00.003-05:00

Since I last posted about travel, a few things changed. For the better; no big deal. We are now officially leaving July 16th at 7:00am on American Airlines. We'll go from Monroe to Dallas to LAX to Bejing. We'll arrive in Bejing on July 17th at 11:55 pm, their time. If you figure it up, in our time, we'll be leaving July 16th at 7:00 am and arriving July 17th at 10:55am. That's a looooong time to be on planes. I guess we're going to truly learn the meaning of "cabin fever".

We'll be coming home on July 31st. We leave Bejing at 10:55am, and arrive in Monroe at 8:50pm. Somewhere in there we'll lose a day; that's why the flight home doesn't appear to be as bad. Trust me; we're sure it will be. :)

We'll be happy to have you all meet us at the airport! It's a Friday night, so there's no work the next day.

Century Tel Shower

2009-06-29T11:37:00.009-05:00

On Friday, June 26th, several of Brian's friends from work hosted a luncheon/shower for us at Century Tel.

Bella greeted everyone as they walked in the door:

This is her 100 Good Wishes Quilt with just a few of her presents:

Brian made a speech that made a few people tear up:

Here we are opening just a few presents:

It is surreal, and at times overwhelming, to see so many people who are excited about Bella's arrival. Century Tel has requested frequent, if possible, daily visits by Bella.

Smith Family World Tour '09

2009-06-27T09:08:00.002-05:00

We're booking tickets today!!! We'll be leaving on July 16th (at 6am) and touring Bejing on July 18th. The total time in air will be 24 hours, so from "doorstop to doorstop" it'll be 30+ hours. We'll fly on Continental Airlines from Monroe to Houston to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles we'll fly on China Eastern into Bejing. We'll be returning on July 31st and landing in Monroe at 8:28 pm. The flight home isn't as long, only around 20 hours. :)

We'll be very glad to have people welcome us home at the airport; however, we're asking in advance to please be respectful of our little Bella. We do know she's the most precious, beautiful baby ever, but everything we've read has said how important it is to not overwhelm her during this important moment.

It's Confirmed

2009-06-26T15:06:00.003-05:00

We received notice this morning that the US Embassy has confirmed our appointments in China! I've been busy talking w/ the travel agent to make our final plans, but here's what we know so far:

SundayJuly 19 - arrive in Province capital
MondayJuly 20 –morning - receive your child at the Civil Affairs Office
Begin adoption paperwork
FridayJuly 24- receive adoption paperwork and Chinese passport
SaturdayJuly 25 - fly to Guangzhou, Guangdong
Monday July 27 - medical exam and visa photo
TuesdayJuly 28 - Open day for provincial touring/shopping
WednesdayJuly 29 - Consulate appointment
ThursdayJuly 30- receive U. S. visa, swearing in ceremony

TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!

2009-06-25T19:28:00.002-05:00

Woo hoo!!! It finally came!!! Looks like we'll be meeting Isabella Ziyu Smith on or around July 19th!!! We'll probably be leaving around July 15th. Our agency will confirm everything with the US Consulate in China within 48 to 72 hours, but the 19th looks like our magical date!!! Stay tuned...it's about to get busy here!

Calming Down

2009-06-25T07:36:00.002-05:00

After all the hooplah the beginning of the week, we're now calm again. Just anxiously awaiting our Travel Approval. Since we are at the end of June, odds are we're going to be traveling in July. It was September 2005 when we started this process. Over half of our marriage has been spent on this wild, frustrating journey. I'm so proud of us for surviving it with some sanity in tact. :) ("Some" might be the keyword in that sentence.)

Finally....Confirmation

2009-06-23T18:39:00.002-05:00

We finally got confirmation from our agency today. If our travel approval arrives before Harrah's closes on 6/30 we'll be traveling with them to China. If not, we'll be traveling with CCAI. This is the agency Harrah's is referring their families too. We're hoping to hear something this week about our travel approval. A main reason we chose Harrah's is because we had read they were fabulous to travel with; they really hold your hand. That's what I want in a country where I cannot speak or read the language, a little hand holding. Let's face it, that's what I have wanted during this process, a little hand holding.

I'm so tired. The past 24 hours have exhausted me! Just when you think you can't be more emotionally exhausted than you have been for the past 3+ years, you realize you can be.

Small Update

2009-06-23T07:10:00.002-05:00

Someone with our agency decided to have a heart and take pity on the 8 families in limbo and post a message on our travel group board. It appears if our travel aproval comes this month we'll travel with Harrah's. If not, we'll be traveling with an agency who we do not know. We cannot believe this is happening and we cannot believe our agency is so unwilling to NOT share any information with us. They're our only link to Bella. You know those people we hired to hold our hands when we travel to China and back? They just quit...with less than a two week notice.

If you want to see God laugh....

2009-06-22T17:32:00.002-05:00

We just read a message online...our adoption agency is closing! Yep, the people who we hired to hold our hands just quit. What does this mean for us? We have no idea. Our agency has not let us know. I'm stalking the computer waiting for someone to let us know what in the world this means for us!

Where's Our Travel Approval?

2009-06-16T14:07:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping our agency knows something we don't know. We're now being told we need to go ahead and fill out paperwork for our visas. Before, this wasn't a big deal; now it's being pushed to be done. (Don't worry, the OCD Smith's have already handled this.) Maybe this is because they know travel approval is on the way? I hope so. I'm now starting to get anxious because other agencies have already received travel approval for their families. We need to go get our baby girl!

Shoes

2009-06-10T21:54:00.002-05:00

This is one reason why I will not be in flip flops during our stay in China:
http://www.renmenbi.com/split-pants-scene

Some Travel Approvals

2009-06-09T17:50:00.002-05:00

I just read that some families with a LID of 3/14/06, and who received referral on the same day as us, have already received their travel approvals. This might (hopefully) mean ours is coming soon!?!?!

Here's how it works: Once Harrah's receives our travel approval letter, they fax a copy of these letters to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China. The US Consulate is the one who actually sets up our official appointments which will decide when we'll leave.

Long story short, the sooner we receive travel approval, the better.

Happy Nine Month Birthday

2009-06-09T06:33:00.003-05:00

Happy nine month birthday, sweet baby girl.

Still Nothing New

2009-06-07T07:39:00.003-05:00

Nothing new for you guys, sorry. We're a little busy with "behind the scenes" stuff, but nothing new on Bella.

We've received some tour information from our agency and have been discussing how long we're going to tour Bejing. We've also sent our visa information to a courier and she's working on getting our visas together so we can enter Bejing. We're also discussing what vaccinations we're going to take before leaving the country. Because of my job I've had the majority of them but poor Brian hasn't.

I'm about to get started on the nursery. We've accumulated so many baby things over the past three years that it's a little overwhelming to tackle the room, but I'm up for the challenge. Gotta make the room fit for a princess!

We did hear back from our pediatrician and it they're not concerned at all about Bella's blood results. Yay!!!

Our letter is on the way....

2009-06-01T17:43:00.002-05:00

We're not on the way to China, but at least our acceptance letter is. All the families letters were received today and they're being sent to the CCAA as I type. Once the acceptance letters are received by the CCAA, it typically takes an average of 4 weeks to hear about travel plans. Of course, we're hoping for sooner rather than later.

What's New?

2009-05-31T19:55:00.003-05:00

Not a whole lot. This weekend I gathered all the information we'll need for our visas and am planning on sending that to a rep from our agency tomorrow. Since we haven't heard if all acceptance letters have been returned to the agency, we're safe to assume that they have not. I e-mailed our travel coordinator today to see what was going on with these letters. She e-mailed me back and said she has contacted the families who have not returned their acceptance letters and that they are expected to be delivered to the office tomorrow. Fingers crossed that this happens. We're ready to start our travel planning!

We met with the pediatrician on Thursday morning and loved him! He answered all our questions and even took the time to review Bella's information and called us back. He didn't have a copy of her lab results, so Brian faxed that to him yesterday and we're waiting to hear back.

News from the Orphanage

2009-05-27T20:40:00.003-05:00

We were very surprised this morning when I opened my e-mail and we had updated measurements from the orphanage! We received this information in her referral paperwork, but it was completed when Bella was 6 months old. At the time of referral, we were told she was 17 lbs, 25 inches and did not have any teeth. Today we learned she is now 18.7 lbs, 26.7 inches and has three precious teeth.

This afternoon we received another surprise from the orphanage. They've offered to take pictures of the babies...if we provide disposable cameras. Of course we will! Harrah's contacted the eight families in our travel group and told us to send money ASAP to them and they'll have the cameras to the orphanage ASAP. This is something we've never heard of happening before, so we were thrilled to have this opportunity.

Brian and I are planning on meeting with our pediatrician tomorrow morning. We're going to take all of Bella's reports and have him look over them. We're planning on gaining insight on her hernia and see what his recommendations are. We're also going to tactfully ask for medicines for the trip. Because of the stress their little bodies are going through, the babies often times become sick with common colds, etc.

We promise to keep you all updated! Exciting times for us!

What we're up to....

2009-05-26T20:27:00.002-05:00

Besides gazing at our daughter's picture, not a whole lot. :) What do you do when you're not "waiting" anymore?

On Friday, we received our packet of information from our agency. It included Bella's original photos and paperwork. A lot of the paperwork (including her medical history) was in Chinese and had to be translated. We received the translated medical history yesterday. We read at two months she had an "indirect hernia" and instantly went into worry mode. Me more so than Brian, but there was a worry mode in the house. After hearing more about what an indirect hernia is, we're a little more calm. We have our consultation with the pediatrician scheduled for Thursday where we'll find out treatment options, if they're needed.

This morning I Fed Ex'd our acceptance letter to Harrah's. All 8 families in our group must return their acceptance letters before our travel can be scheduled. Once Harrah's receives the acceptance letters, they'll send them back to the CCAA and they will set up our official appointments. Once these appointments are set up, our agency will be notified and our trip will be set up. At this point we cannot answer the question that everyone wants to know the answer to, "When are you going?". I'll update as soon as we know. :)

Orphanage Video

2009-05-22T11:52:00.002-05:00

Stephanie (aka Jackson and Lia's mommy) found this video online. It's our girl's first home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X0Xzo2UPr4

We're Parents!!!

2009-05-21T17:05:00.002-05:00

We are very happy to announce the referral of our daughter, Isabella ZiYu Smith. Born Chen ZiYu in the Hunan Province, she currently resides in the Chenzhou Orphanage. We're hoping to travel to get her in 4 to 8 weeks. We are so in love.

Maybe???

2009-05-20T07:06:00.002-05:00

I just read in rumor-land that referrals have been mailed AND the cut-off is the 14th. :) Stay tuned.....this could get interesting.

Amen!

2009-05-11T06:57:00.001-05:00

Can I get an Amen? This was on our rumor site today: Those who are next, or close to next, are probably very close to needing anesthesia soon. This really has gone on way too long.

Nothing really new to report. It appears some families did receive "travel approval" to travel and adopt their babies; however, China is not allowing them to travel right now. There's also a rumor we might see referrals this week.

Still Nothing

2009-05-04T13:19:00.003-05:00

For those following along at home, we still do not know anything. The latest we've heard is that some agencies are telling their families referrals will arrive as usual. However, some agencies are telling their families they are on hold for now. As usual, our agency is saying nothing. Stay tuned....

Talked With Our Agency

2009-04-29T15:10:00.003-05:00

I talked w/ our agency earlier today about the rumors and didn't get a clear answer. They haven't not heard anything from the CCAA, but I was told "it would not surprise them" if the CCAA puts things on hold for a while. However, there are more agencies reporting referrals and travel approvals are going to be held for a while. How long? Who knows. I've seen "20 to 30 days" to "40 to 60 days".

The worst part of all this is knowing we had a chance of being matched in March. We had reports that matching had started and some agencies had even started telling their March 14th people that they were probably in. If we were matched to our baby, that file is currently sitting in the CCAA office collecting dust.

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again..."If you want to make God laugh, make plan".

Very Bad News.....

2009-04-29T07:41:00.002-05:00

There was a chance we would be matched with our baby this month; that chance appears to be taken away.

From China Adopt Talk....
A few European agencies are reporting they have news that the CCAA is not sending referrals at this time due to the swine flu outbreak. I have not heard this from any US agencies yet, and that seems a bit odd. Even though they aren’t open, there are a few agencies who would post this information from home even during the night. This is an R2 at this time.
I would assume that, if this is true, it will also explain why there is no news of TA’s, either.

March 8th

2009-04-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

Referrals began arriving today and it looks like March 8th is going to be the cut-off. It's not definite yet, but only people with LIDs of March 7th and 8th are reporting that they've received "the call".

What's the mean for us? We're definitely on the downward slope, but still not there yet. If the CCAA refers 6 days next month, we're in. If not, we're not in. We're now at the wait and see stage. Keep fingers crossed for us! However, in order to function for the next four weeks, I'm going to tell myself it'll be June or July before we receive our call.

The Roller Coaster

2009-03-19T18:57:00.003-05:00

I just checked out the latest rumors....March 14th is included. This is an early rumor and will more than likely not pan out, but we're now close enough to be included in rumors! The adoption process has been compared to a roller coaster; a lot of up and downs. I'm now strapped in a car and on the roller coaster this month!

March 6th

2009-03-02T19:52:00.003-06:00

It's not official yet, but close enough. Looks like March 6th is the cut-off for the latest referral batch. The CCAA completed four days this month. Not a lot, but double last month's batch. :)

What's this mean for us? There are 7 days in front of us. If the CCAA continues to refer four days per month, we're looking at April/May for our referral.

Keep those fingers crossed for us!

Rumors...finally....

2009-02-26T18:55:00.002-06:00

It's been a very quiet month on the rumor front. The rumor mill finally started today and it's pointing to a March 6th cut off. I'll update again when we know more. :)

Brian called me at work and told me the rumor news. When I got in my truck to leave work, this song was playing on the radio.....perfect.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN7_qbOpuWs.

Referrals are arriving...

2009-01-22T12:27:00.002-06:00

This is why we no longer have our hopes up....this is why we no longer get excited over anything dealing with this adoption....this is why we have nothing ready for our baby's arrival...this month's cut off is March 2nd. That means only 2 days were covered. So much for those good rumors.

There are now 12 days in front of us. If the CCAA keeps referring only 2 days per month, we're looking at July '09 for our referral.

Better luck next month.

Updates

2009-01-15T12:25:00.003-06:00

eWe're moving right along on the adoption front. We're gathering papers to submit (again) to immigration and we're expecting our social worker for another homestudy update on 1/23. We were actually contacted by our agency last week because they need our phone numbers for when we receive "the call". They were clear to point out they have no idea when we'll be receiving our referral, but we are next for them.

It's also the time of month where referral rumors are beginning and they are excting. (However, we have learned to not get excited and to believe it when we see it.) The rumors are that matching has begun and that this next batch is going to be big. Huge actually. Huge enough where we would be included. If these rumors are true, we will be receiving a call in a week or two telling us about our baby.

This journey has caused us to become cynical, so we're not jumping up and down like you would think we would be. We have to remain guarded and not get our hopes up so that we can function on a daily basis. We'll save the jumping up and down for when we actually hear the phone ringing and not for rumors that it "may" be ringing.

Stay tuned....it's going to be a very interesting month.....

Surprise!

2008-12-29T20:48:00.004-06:00

What a great surprise! The CCAA sent out another batch of referrals this month!!!

The cut-off is Feb. 28th and February is now out of our way! March is "on deck". :)

What's this mean for us? There's only 13 days in front of us. If the CCAA continues to refer 5 days per month, we're looking at March for our referral. That's right...March 2009....just three months away. Fingers crossed there will be AT LEAST 5 days in the next batch!

Check out "Our Countdown With Harrah's"....we're next!

6 Days

2008-12-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

Referrals started arriving yesterday and this month's cut-off is Feb. 23rd. That means 6 days were referred. We're just excited it was more than two days.

What's this mean for us? There are now 19 days in front of us. If the CCAA continues to refer 6 days per month, we're looking at April 2009 for our referral.

What happened to the speed up that was suppose to happen after the Olympics???

Finally.....

2008-11-10T20:41:00.002-06:00

The cut-off was finally announced....Feb. 17th. Only two days. Why it took so long to match only two days? I have no idea, but it is what it is.

What's this mean for us? There are 25 days in front of us. If the CCAA continues to refer only 2 days per month, we're looking at December 2009 for our referral. I need to keep reminding myself this probably will not happen because it's too painful to think about. Better luck next month.

Finally, but confused....

2008-11-08T07:03:00.003-06:00

Referrals started arriving this week (FINALLY!), but no one is clear on the cut-off date. It is either Feb. 17th (only 2 days) or Feb. 19th (only 4 days). My fingers are crossed for the 19th, but I'm expecting it to be the 17th. I'll update when we know more.

Feb. 16th

2008-10-09T14:35:00.003-05:00

It appears some family with LID's of 2/16/08 received their referral yesterday! This is out of the blue and it's not clear what this means yet. Hopefully all of 2/16/08 [surprisingly] received their referrals and that's another day out of our way. :)

PLEASE SIGN!

2008-10-07T21:27:00.002-05:00

Please sign this position! There's been some changes in adoption laws and it negatively impacts us. Please, please, please. (The link is self-explanatory.)
http://www.gopetition.com/online/22112.html

6 days....inching closer

2008-09-29T17:39:00.002-05:00

Referrals started arriving today, and even though the cut-off date hasn't been made official, it looks like Feb. 15th will be it. 6 days...not great, but we'll definitely take it.

What does this mean for us? There are 27 days ahead of us. If the CCAA continues to refer 6 days per month, we're looking at March 2009 for our referral.

P.S. September 12th marked our 3-year anniversary of mailing our application to our adoption agency. I look good for 36-months pregnant!

It's official....

2008-09-02T17:04:00.001-05:00

Feb. 9th is the cut-off! (Funny how your perspective changes....I'm excited over 9 days of referrals.) Here's what all this means for us: There are 33 dates ahead of ours. If the CCAA continues to refer 9 days per month, we're looking at January 2009 for our referral. Looks like we've hit the stage where we need to start talking about child care arrangements.