Out of the blue

I'm finding out that I'm human, that I can't avoid thinking about our baby-to-be. What does this mean? It means I'VE GONE SHOPPING! I bought (herein for the first time revealed to my DH Chris) :

Good Fortune Wooden Blocks
In Korea, on a baby's 100th day, family and friends get a peek into the child's future. Parents spread out objects representing different professions—a calligraphy brush or a spool of thread, for example—and whatever the baby first touches is said to be his or her destiny. I've ordered colorful wooden blocks that offer a modern take on this tradition: a set of 26 blocks with each block depicting a potential life path—from astronaut to deejay to zookeeper—plus a corresponding alphabet letter and illustration, all contained in a canvas drawstring pouch embroidered with "when i grow up..."

100 Good Wishes Growth Chart

Based on the traditional Chinese "100 Good Wishes Quilt" given by friends and family to newborns, this chart marks a child's height through the years and imparts inspirational words along the way.

Musical Carousel Frame

A porcelain carousel with four frames that plays "Rock-a-Bye Baby" to lull the little one to sleep.

Oh, I also bought a shoe shine kit.

Adoption Status Update

The CCAA posted that they have finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with their office before April 30, 2006. Our application was registered with their office on June 19, 2006. Unfortunately, we have no idea how long it will take them to get to reviewing ours -- it could be two months, it could be six months...

When they review our application they will tell us if everything looks OK to proceed; it does not mean we are close to getting matched with a child. We still estimate we are a year or two away from being matched with a child.

In the meanwhile, check out this beautiful child, our great-niece Hailey, reminding us to Stop and Smell the Roses!

One Year "Anniversary"

Today marks one year since our dossier/adoption application packet was logged in at the CCAA.

One year.

The dossier still sits in the queue untouched with an expectation it will be reviewed within the upcoming months.

How can I describe what the past year was like? The excitement at sending off our dossier, the planning of what month we'd buy a crib, the putting off buying a crib because the wait continued to get longer and longer.

I believe the labor of our wait pales in comparison to what others close to us have endured: two grandparents and one uncle passed away, cancer reared its ugly head, tragedy occurred on a college campus.

And the good things that have happened around us make us smile in the meanwhile: our niece is pregnant with her first baby, our great-niece turned 3 and exclaims "Oh my goodness!" at each present she opens, jasmine blooms, and our garden bears fruits and vegetables.

Happy birthday to Chris's father!

Fathers Day Frosty Weekend

Buy a Frosty this Father's Day weekend, June 16-17, and 50 cents will go to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption!
You could be giving a child the gift of a family.

Rockin' Frosty! (Warning: Music ensues!)

One Year Ago Today

To China with love;
spring, winter, fall, summer gone
with our dossier.

Adoption Status Update

The CCAA has "finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with their office before November 7, 2005." They were only able to match 6 days worth of dossiers this past month. Everyone was hoping that they would match more days of applications. Still, because November is estimated to be a month in which the CCAA received A LOT of applications, we're thankful that they matched that many.

The CCAA hasn't updated the "finished the review of the adoption application documents" section of their web page; it still states they've "finished the review of application documents registered [logged in] with their office before March 31, 2006." Hopefully soon our application will be in (and out of!) the review room! It would be nice if our application was reviewed before more of our paperwork (immigration paperwork, fingerprinting checks) expires and needs renewal.

We've recently received our renewed homestudy; the homestudy is a document that, in Virginia, requires a yearly renewal and serves as the adoption agency's endorsement that we are mentally, physically, financially, etc. fit to be parents. No jokes about the mental aspect, please. (giggle, giggle)