An adoption video

An adoption video
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/16379

Good Luck

I’m SO excited! I’ve recently been told that I might go to China with Dad & Anne!!!!
Sure, the plane ride (20 hours, approximately) will be long, but meeting my sister is all I care about. I hope the heat won’t affect us too much, though. Hopefully, we’ll get to climb the great wall, see some temples, and statues. Also, yesterday I saw a bunch of ladybugs. A couple of them crawled on me! We even have picture proof. With the adoption from China, ladybugs are signs of good luck! YAY!!!
-Katie

The Rollercoaster Ride

I sent a email to my agency asking if they thought we would get our referrals in the beginning of June. They told me that they know group 28 (our group of two families) and group 29 are together. I am not sure what that means. Our log in date was June 13 which means we would get our referrals with this bunch. Group 29 has a June 17 log in date which means they get their referrals in the next batch.... next month (beginning of July.)

Sandy thinks we are not in this batch but in the next one. However, she still expects us to get our referrals around the second week in June. It was my understanding that the CCAA only matched once a month, towards the end of each month. What a downer. If we do not get our referral until the beginning of July we will not travel until mid to late August. I sure hope she is right about the referral coming mid June. I am going out of my mind!!!!!

Could it be?????????

The website has changed!!!!!!!! Does this mean we have been matched??
Our documents were registered (logged in) on June 13, 2005. I am trying not to get too excited seeing referrals don't always seem to match what the CCAA website states. The families that got their referrals the beginning of May should have received their the beginning of April according to the website ........ but then other groups in the past got them right on time. I am besides myself. I am so excited but trying to be realistic. The CCAA should be starting to mail out referrals at the end of the week. This may mean we will learn about Sophia at the beginning of June.

I can't even think straight right now. Please pray that we will get our referral soon.

Travel Meeting!!

We finally had our travel meeting on May 12th. It was great to see Heather and Todd, the couple we will be traveling with and a few other couples who may join us in China. Sandy explained the whole process from referral to bringing Sophie home. She told us that she hopes that we will have our referral in the beginning of June, maybe June 5th or 12th. She will call letting us know that referrals have arrived. We will go to the office the next day after the documents have been translated. We will get three pictures of the baby and her medical information. Hard to believe that this is going to happen.

We then will wait about 4-6 weeks for travel approval. Once we get our travel approval we have to be ready to go seeing once we get our Consulate appointment we will travel. We might have two weeks from our travel approval to departure. She thinks we will be traveling at the end of July. Seeing Katie will be with us during the summer she will be traveling with us to China. Flights are very expensive during the summer so Steve and I are trying to work a little extra to come up with the extra money. We are going to be checking into adoption fares with the major airlines soon.

We were told what we would be doing in China and what to expect in terms of transitioning with the baby. We will be in Beijing for three days, travel to the place where Sophie is and then end up in Guangdong. We were told it will be very HOT in China. Many places will not have air conditioning. Thank goodness all our hotel rooms will have AC. We were told about bonding and that sometimes the baby will bond with one parent (the chosen one) and cry anytime the other parent comes near. Sandy said this is normal but doesn't last long. I certainly hope I am not the unchosen one.

We will need to have our homestudy updated and our fingerprints re-done seeing both have expired. This whole process is overwhelming but we are getting closer. Keep your fingers crossed for us. I am really hoping to be included in the next referral batch that goes out the end of this month. If not, I am not sure what I am going to do.

Even the animals are waiting for Sophie to come home

Gir (on left) and Kaegogi (on right) are not unlike us. They are both longing for the day that Sophie comes home. They are in the window, on the look out. Should be soon, right?

Mother's Day

When this all started I had hoped we would have Sophia home by Mother's Day. I guess nothing goes as planned once children are involved! Katie gave me the beautiful flowers. Steve gave me a great Mother's Day card (with a note from Sophia) and T-shirt for Sophia to wear once we get her. It was a beautiful Mother's Day.