Finally, the Big Day!

We hit if off right away!

Back at the room, first of many smiles.

Brown goop on her head is treating her baby acne (like mom/like daughter) Traditional Chinese Medicine-style.

She seems to like us!

Helen ROCKS!

She has four teeth that we've seen so far and a little bit of a cold. Thanks to Tracy for teaching us the awesome "Here comes the mouse, from the barn to the house..." that ends in tickling because it has been a ginormous hit with Helen. She laughed and laughed, every single time. It's hard to put in words what it was like for us when they called our name today. She looked at us with this expression like, "Well, I guess I'll go with you guys now. Whatya got?" It seems, so far at least, like she is in favor of all this. We couldn't be happier.

It's been a whirlwind since Sunday morning

We've started a blog post about Sunday but haven't had a chance to finish it yet because it's been non-stop action here. I'll try to post it some time Monday night but for now...we're leaving for the Provincial Office in 15 minutes to get Helen! Diaper bag and camcorder have been triple checked. We are trying to stay calm but it's super hard - can't believe it's finally THE DAY.

Stay tuned...

Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Squarem, folks lined up outside to view Chairman Mao's body.

Stewart in front of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Official Countdown Clock.

Olympic topiaries and those that guard them.

Entrance to The Fobidden City.

Funky theatre people from Northwestern China posing with our guide, Peter, outside The Forbidden City.

Inside outer city of The Forbidden City.

Entering the inner city where the Emporers lived.

Only the Emporer could use yellow tiles for his roofs.

Arriving in Guangzhou from Beijing with our friends and travelmates, Vonna and Sean. Sean cracked everyone up on the plane by enthusiastically participating in the flight attendant led stretching exercises. I accidently bumped the light switch in the gangway, turning off the lights on everyone...twice. That was after I busted my seat's recline button on the flight from Tokyo to Beijing. Three mechanics were called in and the flight was delayed 30 minutes because my seat would not stay in the "upright position". I'm not kidding.

Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat

Wednesday afternoon at MSP getting busted by TSA for having too many liquids in my Ziplock bag. At least the agent had a sense of humor about it. He said,"I'm afraid you've let us down, ma'am."

Thursday night, Tokyo. Lost in Translation-style.

Friday, approach to The Great Wall.

Walking The Great Wall. The thick fog added to the whole experience.

The fog began to lift and everyone around us starting cheering and rushing to higher vantage points to take pictures.

As the fog rolled out we could see The Wall snaking up the hillside.

Here's me beginning the long, steep climb back to our meeting point.

Stew and me with wall in the background.

Saturday, Summer Palace.

Summer Palace residences.

Temple at the Summer Palace.

Lama Temple. Many people were there praying. Every building held different Buddhas, each one beautiful, amazing and HUGE (no photos allowed inside the buildings.) Monks come from all over the world to study here.

Later in the day, we went to the Pearl Market and tried our hand at shopping/negotiating. Stew got a great deal on a cool watch. I paid too much for a cute bag but it was my first time - good practice for later on.

Tomorrow morning we visit The Forbidden City and Tianneman Square (If I misspelled that, please forgive. It's the wee hourse and don't want to risk waking up Stew to check my book!)

Fly to Guangzhou in the afternoon.

Two days to Helen!

We're here!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know we've arrived safely in China. We're having some computer issues with our laptop so we're posting from the business center in our hotel in Beijing. That's great (!) but it's in Chinese so we're just winging this. We're hoping to figure out our issues tomorrow and post more info and photos soon.

Visited The Great Wall today! It was amazing, beautiful, foggy and STEEP. Oh, and AMAZING, again. Can't believe we meet Helen in THREE DAYS!

More soon...

Nursery Photos, as promised

I know, I know...finally the nursery photos!

One more day...

Stew's outside installing the carseat and I'm doing this. I'm supposed to putting everything we own in Ziplock bags right now, but I'm taking a break. Still planning on getting nursery photos up before we leave (tomorrow at 3:00!). Our friend Fred is driving us and our friend Liz will make sure our car is at the airport when we return on the 19th.

Every person we know has been so kind and so helpful, let us borrow things, given us great advice, taken care of things for us or sent us their very best wishes. We're lucky, we know it and soon Helen will know how lucky she is, too, that she gets to know all ya'll as well.

I know I just said all ya'll but I'm leaving it!

xoxoxoxo

Tick Tock

It's getting close. Today is our last day at work and then it'll be powering through the next four days, tying up all the loose ends and baby proofing the house.
I had a great lunch with my friend Deb and she set Helen up with that adorable Fisher-Price Little People Farm. I am so excited about it - gotta make sure our girl's gotta little bit of Iowa in her! When we returned to work, my friend Carl had a little bon voyage party going complete with cheesecake. Oof, I think I need a Tums...but in a good way, ya know?
Stew's already done for the day and is currently out/about running errands and enjoying the day. It feels GREAT to be this close to departure! Woo Hoo!

Another Homecoming Queen candidate!

We've heard news that we have another homecoming queen candidate in the family! Awesome niece and daughter of Stew's brother, Bruce, and his lovely wife, Sue - Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jefferson High School.

CONGRATULATIONS BRITTNY!!

ITINERARY

Wed, Oct. 3
3:05 pm Leave Mpls on NWA for Beijing via Tokyo

Thurs, Oct 4
9:30 pm Arrive in Beijing
Oriental Culture Hotel

Fri/Sat, Oct 5-6
Visit Summer Palace and Great Wall

Sun, Oct 7
Visit Forbidden City
Fly to Guangzhou - leave 3:00 pm, arrive 5:45 pm
White Swan Hotel

Mon, Oct 8
MEET HELEN!!!

Tues, Oct 9
Register, visit notary

Wed, Oct 10
Apply for Helen's passport

Thurs, Oct 11
Freetime (I think this means shopping!)

Fri, Oct 12
Freetime (More shopping?!)

Sat, Oct 13
Sightseeing

Sun, Oct 14
Sightseeing

Mon, Oct 15
Helen's Visa photo and medical check-up

Tues, Oct 16
Pick-up passport, finish lots of paperwork

Wed, Oct 17
Interview at the Consulate

Thurs, Oct 18
Take oath and receive Visa at U.S. Consulate

Fri, Oct 19
8:15 am Leave Guangzhou on NWA for Mpls via Tokyo
12:00 pm Arrive in Mpls

The brilliant student body of West High in Waterloo, Iowa

My sis, Melissa, called to share some awesome news...
my super smart, super cute niece Chelsea is a candidate for Homecoming Queen!

CONGRATULATIONS CHELSEA!!

FIFTEEN days and counting...

Planning to post some pictures of Helen's room early next week. Our rocking chair has been delayed and so the other furniture hasn't been settled into place just yet. I know - what are we waiting for?! I ordered that thing over 9 weeks ago which seemed like plenty of time...at the time. We're hoping to pick it up this weekend and if so, we'll take some photos.

It's looking so good, I told Stew we should quit our jobs and start up our own nursery decorating business. That could work, don't you think, and don't steal my idea. He squinted and reminded me how painful it is to paint baseboards when you're 40 (or 40+, in his case - ouch!). He's right, besides I totally ripped off a Martha Stewart Baby back-issue for the design in the first place. I guess I just got a little carried away because it really looks so darned cute.

Special thanks to Mike Sahr for his chair rail/crown molding/toolmaster mastery, and Lisa Sahr and Cheryl Simon for the stencil expertise, if I haven't already given them their props. Anticipatory thanks, also, to Fred Ohlerking who has promised to help Stew hang the light fixture sometime this week. I think I just have one more thing to do in there and that is to figure out how to attach a new lamp shade to a new lamp base because they don't seem to fit as is.

Last weekend, we bought toys and books. That was super fun!

Next weekend, it's pick up the rocker. Hopefully, right? And it's also finalizing our packing list and begin trying to figure out how to get everything we need for 3 people for 3 weeks packed into two bags that can't weigh over 44 lbs. I may end up having to leave my very comfy but oh, so heavy Keens at home. Anyone gotta pair of those hideous Crocs I can borrow to save a pound in my luggage? ISH.

Consulate Appointment

Our consulate appointment in October was confirmed this morning - woo hoo! Stewart's making our Beijing sightseeing plans and I'm busy making the flight arrangements. We're so excited to know that we're leaving on October 3rd, will most likely be meeting Helen October 8th and returning on October 19th.

Additionally, I met a very nice woman online about 2 weeks ago. She and her husband were preparing to go to China to get their daughter who is staying at the same orphanage as Helen. She told me that she and her husband were hoping to visit the orphanage and if it was possible, she would take a brand new photo of Helen. The referral photos we have of her are a couple of months old already and you know how babies change so quickly. Well, she emailed me with some photos - taken earlier TODAY!

She is squirmy...

and she likes her thumb!

And so the rollercoaster ride continues

Just got a call from our coordinator breaking the news that we did NOT get the U.S. consulate appointment we'd requested.

That means we can NOT leave for China next weekend.

No dates just yet but it will be a date in October. As soon as I know, I'll post it. Hopefully later today.

P.S. In case I haven't mentioned this before, I want ya'll to know that Stewart and I will blog and post photos from China during our trip. We hope you'll follow along!

WE GOT OUR TA!!

Woo Hoo!

Our travel approval arrived today!!! Our agency is requesting a Consulate Appointment for September 26. We should hear back about that within the next 24 hours or so.

We're going to China to get Helen NEXT WEEKEND!

I should have bought a lottery ticket that day

Last week I had a dentist appointment out in the boons of St. Paul and I also needed to get our care package to Helen popped in the mail. I knew there was a post office not too far off my route so took the package along, figuring I'd stop and mail it on my way back to the office. This package included some very important items like a disposable camera the orphanage staff will use to take pictures of Helen there and return to us; a soft photo album with photos of us, our families, our house, and her room all labeled in Chinese; a security blanket I slept with so it smells like me (pew); and a book of questions the orphanage staff will fill out about Helen and return to us. Very important items, very important package, very.

So I drive around this weird, totally industrial area of St. Paul - a little strip of land sandwiched between the river (Mississippi - it flows through both Minneapolis AND St. Paul because it sort of snakes around there quite a bit, did you know that? All you geography buffs out there?). Where was I? Ok, so I'm driving around this warehousey bit between the river and the huge bluffs and finally, I happen upon it after much craning of my neck and turning around of my car, etc. Walk in, very quiet for noonish, one clerk - grouchy, two others in line. As I stand there waiting for my turn, I begin to feel a little edgy. I'm not exactly asking for a book of 20 stamps, I need to send this stuff International Express Mail. I realize OTHER people do this kind of thing all the time but I'd never done it before and the list of instructions my agency had provided me, wadded in my hand, was beginning to get soggy with my unease. It's just that the package was so important to me and I didn't want to screw this up, right? So I'm standing there with the box in an unsealed padded envelope, in case they have some sort of special, fancy envelope I need to use, my list of instructions, and the orphanage's address my agency gave me with both the English version and the Chinese characters version of the address.
Wait, wait, wait, I'm waiting doot, doo-doo. "Man, this guy is grouchy," I say to myself as he rudely "assists" each patron in front of me.
Next! I tell him what I want to do and he replies that the envelope I have provided is fine. Then I lay on him that I need to afix this address label to the envelope. I hold it up, showing it to him.
"You can't do that. We have to use the airbill as the mailing label," he says.
I say, "Well then, I want to tape this to the airbill."
"You can't do that, no. It's too big and it has to go through all four copies of the airbill. You'll have to copy it. Just use the English address."
I frantically search my pages of instructions.
"Ok, so it says here that if I can't use both addresses - I should use the CHINESE address. So I'll need to tape that part to the airbill." I hold it up again.
"No way. You'll have to copy it..."
Whaaaa? Copy the Chinese characters? Ok this this what it looks like:

You can see what I'm up against, right? He hands me the Customs form, the airbill and barks out "Next!"

I wander over to the counter to start filling out the paperwork as much as I can, muttering to myself the whole time. "I'm not done with you yet, Mister. Don't mess with me. You will bend to my will if it kills me, " etc. Thankfully, while I stood at the counter filling out my paperwork, Mr. Grouchy "helped" the three or four others in line and went on lunch break. Enter Mr. Just Had Lunch, Feeling Fine. It's just him and me now, so I approach his station with my best "I know you can help little ol' me" smile. I tell him what I'd like to do and that the OTHER gentleman told me I had to copy the Chinese characters MYSELF onto the airbill (!!!), can you believe that, and where it's going they mostly don't speak any English so I must show the Chinese characters and I just can't copy the characters myself because I will no doubt make a mistake (see above) and then this very important package that I'm sending to my beloved DAUGHTER will not reach her and so on. To which he replies with a friendly smile, "Well, you're just going to have to do the best you can." No, he really said that. I kept thinking, "Why don't they just make 4 photocopies of this address and tape it to all four copies of the airbill?" Then I realized that there's this annoying gov't thing about not using office equipment and supplies in a way that would actually HELP someone. (Apologies to anyone from my office who might be reading this...)

All the while we're having this conversation, I had the vague sense another person had entered the post office and was messing with some boxes behind me, bringing the total of those present up to exactly three. Him, me and new person. "I can help you," the other person offered. Huh? I turned around to see a young Asian woman standing next to a large stack of boxes she'd schlepped in from her car. "I'm Japanese but I can write Chinese characters. If you show me the address, I can copy it to the airbill for you."

Now what are the chances of THAT?

I'm so glad I remembered, in that most beautiful of moments, my camera phone. The above photo will go in Helen's memory book. Further evidence that some things are just meant to be.

(Huge apologies to the brilliant woman pictured above, who will remain nameless, in case that when you said it was ok to take your photo, you meant that I could take your photo but NOT ok to post it on my blog.)

Crunch Time

Our China coordinators contacted us last Friday to let us know that though they are still waiting for our travel approval (TA) to arrive, they want us to be ready to travel on very short notice.

We may be leaving in about 2 1/2 weeks! Can you believe it?!

Stew and I are furiously tying up loose ends, mailing off our visa applications and a care package to Helen, and generally getting ready for the biggest trip of our lives. I'll post here as soon as we know when we're leaving and of course, we'll blog and post photos from China!

Stay tuned...

Campaign Bring Helen Home Soon

Stewart and I are waiting to receive our travel approval (TA) so we can make our flight arrangements. We're hoping to hear something very soon so our agency can try to maybe squeeze our group in at the end of September. October is a bit of a complicated month where we're going (Guangzhou) with a couple of holidays at the beginning and a big trade fair happening the last two weeks. All this making accommodations very expensive and difficult to find. If we can't get there by the end of September, October isn't looking so hot. We've decided not to go down that road and what that would mean unless it's clear that's what's going to happen. Don't like wasting a perfectly good worry on something that may not even happen. I prefer to spend my worrys on things that count, like how we're going to entertain a 10 month old on a plane for 15 hours.


And so...once again, fingers and toes crossed, please.
We want to see that TA come quickly and a September U.S. Consulate appointment!

Helen JoXian Pokorny

Let me say a little about that middle name. Xian is her given Chinese name and Stew/I felt strongly about honoring that. As some of you may know, my mom passed away a number of years ago and her name was Jo but she went by JoAnn (combining her first and middle names). It was important to me to incorporate a part of my family into Helen's name along with Stew's surname. As I repeated "Helen JoAnn Xian" to myself it seemed liked too much. So, I did some creative thinking and came up with JoXian (pronounced Jo She En), my mom's name and her Chinese name smooshed together into a cool little, unique combo. I think it's got a nice feel and we love it - Helen JoXian Pokorny.






Helen is in Guangdong Province, way down on the southern China coast. We'll be traveling to the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province to meet her. Guangzhou also happens to be the city where all Americans adopting in China have to pass through because the U.S. Consulate is located there. You can find Guangzhou on this map by locating Hong Kong in the lower right-hand corner and then moving a little bit north-west. See it?

We're busy, busy with all the preparations. This weekend we should be able to finish painting the nursery and then we can start moving everything in and setting up the crib. I'll post some pictures when it's all done. Now that we know how old and how big she is, we can get things more settled on our end and start buying clothes for her (doesn't THAT sound fun?!). I've been looking over packing lists that BTDT parents have sent me and trying to come up with my perfect hybrid list. I've promised myself that I won't pack for this trip at the last minute, which would be our usual modus operandi. Friends have recommended either just getting the suitcases out now or using the crib for the same purpose, just tossing everything in as we go and organizing it all later.

I almost forgot to mention one of the MOST important things we know about Helen...she's a "heavy sleeper"! WOO HOO!!

OUR LITTLE PEANUT!

We received a couple of additional photos and I'm not sure what to do with myself when I look at that face. We're just about ready to post her full name we've chosen but we're still discussing middle name options. Soon, very soon.

In the report we received from the orphanage, they said she "is very full of life" and has "a very good personality". She is "lively, energetic, and loves to smile. She likes to play with other children and to play outside." Perhaps we've got another triathlete in the family? She can sit alone and hold her bottle by herself, and stand with support.

We're turning in our acceptance paperwork on Monday. Our agency will then begin working on setting up all of our appointments in China. Once those are set, we'll know when we need to leave. The usual time frame is 6-8 weeks after referral.

Stew and I have received SO many kind emails, calls, and comments from friends and family. We're overwhelmed with JOY! WOO HOO!

Is she the cutest, or is it just me?

HERE SHE IS!!!

Stewart and I got THE CALL from our social worker about 4:00 on Friday afternoon! She gave us just a few bits of info to hold us until they can get everything else translated.

She's a beauty! (And she and I share the same birthday! What do you think about THAT?!)

Yang Xi Zi Xian

Born: December 6, 2006

She'll be 8 months old on Monday.

DHL where ARE you?

Our agency was closed yesterday for the day and they haven't received their DHL delivery today. I spoke to them earlier and they were very nice but said they're not expecting anything until MONDAY now.
However, it is my belief that the DHL trucks are being delayed in the area of our agency because it is located so close to the bridge collapse (not to mention the fact that Laura Bush is here visiting the site) and getting packages to where they need to be must be quite a hairy ordeal for DHL. That, or the driver is eating his sandwich right now (hey, a guy's gotta eat!).
Hope is in the air as long as there is still someone at our agency on a beautiful Friday afternoon.

I can't imagine having to wait for two more days!
In a word, torture.

Update:
Our SW just called and confirmed that the agency is open until 5:00 and
encouraged me to give it up for today.
I will not give it up until after 5:00.
(Do you think our peanut will grow up to be as stubborn as her mom?)

We're O.K.

Stew and I have been getting concerned calls so I just wanted to put up a quick post to let all of our friends and loved ones know that we're ok.

Not Yet

So those packages showed up but did NOT contain referrals. It was information related to special needs (SN) adoptions. We didn't know for sure but we hoped!

Our date, 11/21/05, is still looking good to be included when they do come. It is hard to wait what will hopefully be these last few days but honestly, at this point, hardly anything phases us. We're old pros now!

This last bit here is going to be a little bumpy. Everyone keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times and do NOT stand up until the ride comes to a complete stop.

Packages En Route

Apparently, multiple packages left Beijing yesterday and are headed to agencies! Not 100% sure yet if those packages contain referrals but it's looking good. If it turns out to be referrals and if it turns out that we're included, we could get THE CALL as soon as Tuesday! I know that's a couple of pretty big "if's" but like I said, it's looking good so we're going with it at our house. What the heck?!

When I imagined this moment, I figured we'd be COMPLETELY freaking out but we're not completely freaking out. We're just really, really happy.
It's been such a long haul and WE ARE READY!

Bring on that babe!

(fingers and toes crossed, please)

Pin drop

It's so quiet out there in Rumor Mill-ville, you could hear a pin drop. Nothing new to report about whether we will be included in the next batch of referrals but thought I'd post so you wouldn't wonder if I'd forgotten aboutcha.

I did get a new question I'd like to answer:

Will you bring toilet paper?
Yes, we will bring toilet paper. Speaking of toilets, I should start doing wall squats so I'm prepared for the squat toilets found in public restrooms in China. Reminds me of my days back in Iowa, detassling corn for the fine men (and women?) of Mellowdent Seed Corn. Doesn't take ya long to figure out how to do your thing in a corn field, that's for sure. Looks to me like wearing a skirt would be a good idea...

Nothing like a little bathroom humor to pass the time, huh?

Frequently Asked Questions

First things first; online rumors over the weekend are a bit less rosy than they were last week. I'm not going to go into the details because I don't like putting negative stuff out into the universe. Stewart and I are still very optimistic about August. Please keep the positive energy flowing as we move closer to our daughter and she to us.

As a distraction, I thought it might be fun and helpful if I answered some of the common questions I get asked. I imagine other friends and family must be wondering the same sorts of things, so here goes:

When is the next batch of referrals going to arrive?
They should be mailed anytime between July 30 and August 13, with the most likely day for them to show up in the U.S. being August 6th.

When will you know if you are included?
The day the referrals arrive at our agency, they begin making calls to their clients who were matched. We won't know anything until we know pretty much everything. We'll get THE CALL out-of-the-blueish, meaning the agency won't call ahead to tell us they'll be calling.

Do you know you will have a daughter for sure? How old will she be?
No, we don't know for sure/sure if we'll be matched with a girl but most of the children available from China are girls. My impression is that there are a couple of boys in every 600-700 girls matched. Those parents are very surprised, exchange their pinks for blues, and are very excited. We'll do the same! I've seen children, at the time of referral, as young as 6 months and as old as 17 months. Most likely, she'll be around 9-10 months.

When you get THE CALL, what will they say?
They'll say something like "You have a daughter!" and then give us basic info like name, age, weight, and what Province she's in. We'll go to the agency a couple of days later to pick up the translated packet of info which includes more detailed information.

After you get THE CALL, what happens next?
We have one week to accept. During that week, most parents send off the baby's health information to the University of Minnesota International Adoption Clinic for their input. We're so lucky to have such an amazing clinic right here in our own backyard.

When do you leave for China?
After we accept our match, we'll wait (again!) to be assigned an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. Once we have that date, all the other business we need to do in China gets back-dated from that appointment. The Chinese business is at the beginning and the U.S. Consulate business is at the end. After referral, we'll travel anywhere from 5-6 weeks to 8 weeks later.

How long will you be in China? Who will you be traveling with?
We plan to do a bit of sight-seeing, hopefully in Beijing, before we travel to the Province where we'll meet our daughter. All together, we'll most likely be in China for about 3 weeks. We'll travel with the other families from our agency with the same log-in date (11/21/05). Additionally, our agency's China staff will be with us, acting as guides and letting us know what to do and when. I'm not sure at this point if another group from our agency will travel with us.

If anybody has any other burning questions, feel free to post a comment and I'll try to answer.

We're looking good

Online indicators continue to predict (though it's still very early in the rumor cycle) we'll be within the range of dates matched for August!

It's getting very, very exciting!

Special shout-out to friends Lisa and Mike who really helped Stewart and me this past weekend with baby stuff. Crib scouting and installing a chair rail/crown molding in the nursery - two projects not for the faint of heart. Thank-you Sahr's!!!

I'll update the blog as info continues to roll in, so stay tuned...

You people are the best

Ever since I put up my last post saying that August is looking pretty good for us to get our referral, friends and loved ones have been expressing so much excitement and anticipation for the arrival of our daughter. I've also received tons of offers of cribs and highchairs and pack-n-plays and exersaucers and safety equipment and so on.

You people are the best - thank you SO much!

July Referrals Are Coming!

It's official - referrals are headed to agencies around the world and the cut-off for this batch is November 14th, 2005!

I talked with the other couples from our agency with the same log-in date as ours (11/21) and we all agree that it's looking good for August, September on the outside.

Today is going to be one of those days when I laugh, cry, laugh, cry, laugh, cry and so on. Or maybe both at once. Goofy grin with tears.

P.S. To get a good idea of how excruciating just the past six months of this wait has been, check this out: since January 3, 2007 until July, 2007 - only 1 month and 18 days of log-ins have been matched. When we started this journey, they were matching a month of log-ins every month. Can you believe that? Seriously, wow.

Kitchen Remodel Photos

Sink area, before - yes, the sink is green.

Sink area, after - new light fixture pending.

Range, before - green to match the sink. Border came with the house.

Range, after - love the built-in microwave.

Breakfast table, before - first of three layers of wall paper down.

Lots of storage, after - pull-out pantry next to fridge is genius.

Roll-away dishwasher, catch-all corner, before - ack!

There's a little bench below the upper cabinets for sitting and taking your boots off, after.

Fridge, before - green to match the range and sink.

Breakfast bar, after - lots of good storage underneath.

July Rumors

We've been hearing that the cut off for July may be November 14. That's only 7 days away from us! AND a few of the days between the 14th and the 21st (our date) have very light numbers or no one was logged-in (weekend?) at all. What that means is and hold on to your seat here...if we see matches through November 14 this month, our chances to see peanut's face in August are excellent!

I woke up hours before I had to get up this morning, going over/over/over my mental lists of all the things we still need to do. It went something like this:
"If we get our match in August, that's let's say 6 weeks away. That's only 6 weekends. If we leave for China 4 to 6 weeks after that, that's only 10 to 12 weekends..." Funny (not funny) how in the dead of winter, it never occurred to me to clean out and organize closets but at 5:30 this morning, there it was - top of my list.

Stew's response when he wandered into the kitchen this morning for his bowl of cereal and found me bug-eyed and talking 100 mph? He said we'll sit down with our to-do list and formulate a plan, actually come up with a timeline, a schedule of when we're going to do each item so that's it's not just a random list of things keeping me up at night but A Concrete Plan of Action.

Ahhhhhh, the voice of reason...
How I do lurv that man.

As it stands right now - the update

I haven't talked about this for awhile so I think it's time again:

We will most likely get THEE CALL around the beginning of the month in either July, August or September. July best case, August more likely, or September also likely.

If we know ahead of time that we'll be included in a batch of referrals, which we might, we'll take the day off and sit by the phone at home. If we don't know ahead of time, I'll get the call at work and then attempt to calmly/safely drive home. When Stew gets there...Dance Party 2007!

I'm considering setting up our video camera so that when we get the call, we'll have the experience recorded. It occurs to me that the little peanut might like to see that moment - how happy and emotional it all was.

Nineteen months and counting

Yesterday, June 21, 2007, Stew and I hit 19 MONTHS since our paperwork was logged-in half a world away. (Is it more than half the world? And if it is...then isn't it both more and less because more than half one way would be less than half the other way? Ok, forget all that. This is how my brain works, just ignore me.)

So anyway, as this drags on and I try to stay in a positive place sometimes I forget how close we really are - finally. This morning while I was getting ready for work, thinking about what we might do this weekend, something hit me hard that I haven't thought about in a long, long time. It's this - Stew and I only have a few shorts months of our lives just being the two of us. I'm reminded all the time about things like "Sleep in while you can!", "Go to the movies while you can!", "Carouse while you can!" The one thing, though, that I hear very little about is this precious time we have, these few months left, of our "just us" relationship. We have a bunch of friends who were married for quite awhile before the kids but I don't recall anyone talking openly about this part of the deal.

It's so exciting to be this close to our referral but today, I also feel a little wistful. That's gotta be normal, right?

New Links

Check out new links on the right!

Half the Sky, a nonprofit organization that provides family-like nurturing care in the lives of China's orphaned children. Their Baby Sisters Infant Nuture, Little Sisters Preschool, Big Sisters, and Family Village programs have improved the lives of over 10,000 children.

A Child's Right, a nonprofit group working to provide access to clean and safe drinking water to children living in orphanages, street shelters, etc, in impoverished urban/semi-urban areas in underdeveloped countries. They just finished up a project in China providing clean water systems to eight orphanages. The photos from their trip are really worth clicking through.

Confirmation

It's true. The cut-off is November 7th (we're November 21).
Feel free to uncross/relax those fingers and toes for a few weeks - until the next batch is headed this way.

New batch of referrals

It looks like November 7th may be the cut-off this time, but I'm waiting for final confirmation on that info. If that's the case, it would mean a pretty small batch of referrals. We'd heard a few weeks ago there was a chance this batch would be huge compared to what we've seen recently.

Yeah, not so much with the huge batch.
That's why they're called rumors? Right.

I didn't completely get on the roller coaster when the rumor about a big batch surfaced but a person does have to at least entertain the idea otherwise you wouldn't know you should get on with picking out a color to paint the nursery. The only word I can think of to describe what's happening right now is excruciating.
So close, yet so (expletive) far.

Everyone keep fingers and toes crossed November 8-10 are included this time and we just don't know it yet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my awesome, hilarious, smart and handsome husband! XOXO

Taking all tips and advice

Been adding to my list of things we need for the baby and was hoping to tap into your experiences and expertise. If there's any baby gear you can't/couldn't live without, books you or your kids loved, brands of things you found were your favorites, please share.
I'd love to hear any and all tips.

What to do, what to do?

I'm having a pushmi-pullyu week. I keep thinking "better to borrow as many items as we can and use that money for things like, oh I don't know...college", on the one hand. On the other hand, I think "we've been through so much ickiness over the past 6 years, let's get to the fun part already." Fun meaning shopping for cute, NEW, baby stuff. Nursery furniture included in that. What's more important, extra money or new stuff? Gosh, for me...today, I can't seem to choose. Is it even a question? Some people are delighted to borrow as much as they can - loving every minute of saving that money to use for other necessities. Others have reacted the opposite, deciding it's very important to get what they have personally researched and carefully chosen.
She certainly won't care a hoot if her crib and highchair used to belong to someone else.
For me, maybe it's the ritual - that nesting part. Maybe I don't want to miss out on this piece because it's something I don't have to miss out on. We'll miss her first smile, the first time she rolls over, the first time she crawls... Of course, I realize shopping for nursery furniture won't replace those precious moments in any way, but is there anything wrong with a little retail therapy? As of next week, our paperwork was submitted 18 months ago, maybe a new highchair will make me feel better.
Torn.
Anyone else felt this way? Any thoughts?
Help a sister out, wouldya.

The track

So Stew and I went to Canterbury Downs this weekend for opening day and to watch The Derby there. I'd never been before because I like my money in my pocket (or spent on shoes). Our friend John had a couple of free admission tickets and it sounded fun, so off we went. In the 8th, Stew noticed a horse called Asian Wind. It felt like a sign and I placed our bet. Simply put, Asian Wind won and we won $12 whole dollars. I think that bodes well for the future, no?

Light-headed

April/May referrals are on their way to agencies around the world. The cut-off date has been reported as November 1, 2005. Woo HOO! After the 2-day batch last time, this batch of 6 days feels like an extravagant gift.

I absolutely CAN NOT believe we're finally into November. Our month!
Can you believe it? I can't believe it.

Omigoodness, I think I need to sit down...

Moving Forward

Maybe (maybe) I've pouted enough. That's not to say I'm not deeply disappointed in what's happened with the recent referrals and what's likely to be very slow going in the months ahead but I might be almost done wallowing in the disappointment (for now). There's nothing to be done about it. Nothing we can do, nothing anyone can do so what's the point in sulking. My silent protest falls on deaf ears. They can do what ever they want and are well within their rights to do that. It's their process, not mine. It is regulated by the government, conforms to the Hague Convention and is, by and large, above board. (I only say "by and large" because as we all know, in any system there are bound to be bumps now and then.)

Major international adoption programs around the world are struggling to get this thing right. Russia just closed to the U.S. a few days ago, until further notice. The U.S. State Department is currently not recommending adoption from Guatemala. Vietnam is not accepting applications right now. China has tripled it's waiting time for families in the past year and that wait is expected to continue to lengthen. In addition to this, families just placing their applications will have to meet additional requirements relating to weight/BMI, income, antidepressant usage, length of marriage, background issues, and so on. Many countries' programs are temporarily closed as they rework their process to adhere to Hague Convention requirements. There is a bright spot, however. Ethiopia became the largest program for our agency in 2006. Read the article from Sunday's paper here.

The issue I keep coming back to: this is not a consumer transaction. While it is supply and demand, we're talking about children and families here, not widgets. While I sit here and pound my fists in frustration, there is a family in China making one of, if not the most difficult decision of their lives. The decision, which is often times not really a decision so much as a mandate, (see Lost Daughters of China) that they can not parent this child. They love this baby but there's just no way, either economically or politically, that they can raise this child. The only way to avoid penalty is to anonymously place the child somewhere safe where they know a passer-by will quickly find her. A birth family and a baby, all having to live through such a thing. While I sit here and what? Sulk?

It's not that I don't think I get to be frustrated and anxious. When Stewart and I made up our minds to build our family through adoption, it was taking about 6 months from LID. So while we knew adoption can be unpredictable, we had an expectation going in. Had we known it would take this long, we may well have chosen to place our application with a different country. But we didn't know and so here we are with our expectations handed to us and told to wait with very little information. There's no customer service rep to complain to, no manager to speak to. We can not apply our western way of reasoning to this situation. We are at their mercy for lack of a better word. But here's the thing - it's not about us, it's about her.

We have not thought about "switching" countries, as some have asked. We wouldn't even if we could. We are committed, invested. We love our daughter and can't wait to bring her home with us even though we don't know who she is. That may sound bizarre to all the bio-parents in the crowd but it's the complete truth. We have made room for her in our lives. We have dreamed of her face and her giggle. There's no way we're going to turn back now. And so we wait.

Bad news bears

It's official. This month's batch of referrals are in and only cover TWO DAYS - October 25 and 26, 2005. Online predictions were showing October 30 as the "bad case scenario". So I guess this would be the "heinous scenario"? I'm going to go crawl under a rock. Someone come and poke me when this is over...

Referrals arrive in March

The last batch of referrals have arrived this month and include families logged-in between October 14 and the 24th. Congratulations to all these new families!

Apparently some agencies received referrals for dates further out, as far out as 10/31, but this was not widespread. What THIS means is the cut-off date for a referral batch isn't necessarily in stone anymore. What THAT means is this process is becoming even more mysterious. Up side is, it's more mysterious in a positive way. There are speculations regarding why this happened and whether or not it will continue but I don't think you need to get involved in all that. The bottom line for me is at the end of the day it doesn't really matter why. It is good news and I'm in the mood to bask in the glow of that good news.
Everyone bask with me.

Based on this latest batch, we continue to be on track for getting our referral in June. We were hoping, and still are a tiny tiny tiny bit, to see it in May but... Let's focus on June. June is nice, it's only, let's see, just 3 months away. June is beautiful, really. Say it to yourself. Let it roll around in your mouth. June. June. June. It has a nice feel to it, no?

Big news - we picked a name! We did. We picked a name. I KNOW, exciting!
I talked it over with my bff Allyson and it seems best to keep it a secret for now.
People have so many strong feelings about names, I decided to wait and share it when I post our referral. You'll see "Meet so-and-so!" or whatever here on the blog. You'll say to yourself "There she is! There's so-and-so!" You'll be happy, over-joyed, and think what a beauty. If I tell you now, you might think to yourself "Huh. Well, ok. I guess." You might totally dig the name. Either way, you won't have a cute little face to put with it so I'd rather just hold it until the end. Ginormous thanks to all who made suggestions. They were lovely and carefully considered.

The Scientist

I guess the CCAA often times sends out a "surprise" small batch of referrals before they all take off for a few weeks to celebrate Chinese New Year. They would've mailed them out by now because Sunday is New Year's. Someone, somewhere in the world, would know they were mailed and the Chinese adoption web community would be abuzz. As I search around the web for rumors to this effect, I can practically hear the crickets chirping so, you know, this year...not so much with the "surprise" referrals. Um... what's up with that? In a word - discouraging. Brings to mind the lyrics of a Coldplay song. Do you know the one I mean?
(For those of you who don't follow pop music, Coldplay's lead singer , Chris Martin, is married to Gwyneth Paltrow. Apple? Moses? Do you know who I mean now? Yeah, they're a bunch of sad-sacks but I'm a sad sack at heart, so I heart them.)
Ok, so anyway - here's the lyric straight from their website:

Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said that it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start

Referrals are here, referrals are here!

February's referrals have hit the shores of the U.S. and families are posting their baby pictures all over the web! Always a very happy and exciting time, though bitter sweet for us, as you might suspect. Our good news is that the numbers seem to be in line with what we've been thinking for awhile now in terms of when we might get our referral. A smaller batch might have pushed things back even further, while a larger number may have lessened our wait. As is, we're still on target for May/June to see our baby's face.

*Speaking of, many people ask me if we know that we will be matched with a girl. Good question. Referral batches from the CCAA are generally about 98% girls. Pretty much everyone in this process assumes they're going to be referred a girl because of that, but a few boys show up in each batch, so ya never know... *

Okay, so we're up to Oct 13! Doesn't that seem so close to Nov 21? Hard to believe it will take at least 3-4 more months! There were so many applications turned in during Oct and Nov of 2005, that this time frame is the best we can hope for. It is finally getting close enough, though, that we're starting to feel the pressure of getting ready. On February 17th, we'll attend a child care class at our agency that specifically prepares adoptive parents for caring for an adopted infant/toddler with their specific needs as opposed to a biological child with you from birth. I am excited to have someone tell me what to do! We're thinking of insisting that Missy (my sister) Barb, and Mary (Stew's sisters) carry their cell phones with them at ALL times from the moment the three of us land in the U.S.!!!

*Kitchen remodel is finally complete with just 1 or 2 final details left. We're so happy with the way it looks and feels - totally worth the hassle. I'll post some Before's and After's as soon as those final details are wrapped up.*

Latest batch of referrals - January

The most recent referrals are starting to show up today (1/3/07)! This batch covers log-in dates from September 9, 2005, through September 27, 2005, for sure, with the possibility of the 28th being included as well. Still waiting for confirmation on the 28th. We were hoping the 29th would be included because there were a lot of families logged-in that day and if they were included, it would have been quite a nice sized batch. The way it stands, with the 27-28th as the cut-off, the batch is fairly small. Everyone is predicting that it may take months, at least three, to get through October '05 log-ins because so many people sent in their dossiers that month. November is reported to be even larger, but I still think we're looking at maybe May to see our referral. I was just talking about it with Stewart and realized that if we get our referral in May, we'll most likely travel to China in July. Just for the heck of it, I checked out weather.com for the average July temp for Guangzhou (where the U.C. Consulate is located) and it said 90 degrees. Yeeow! I mentioned this to Stew and his reply was, "That is the least of our worries, honey."
Word.
Even though July seems so far away right now, today, the third of January, 2007 - I know those weeks between referral and travel will fly by in a haze of packing and trips to Target. The important timing for us to focus on is what needs to happen between now and let's say...May. Well, I might need to read a book or two about how to take care of a baby, for instance. I'm just thinking out loud here, stay with me. We might need to get a crib and a car seat and a highchair and all that good stuff. We may need some toys, outfits, and diapers. Sure, we'll have to wait on some of that until we know how old she is and how big she is but some things we will need for sure, right? We need to paint her room, find a place for all the furniture that's currently in her room, buy a stroller...oh, goodness. I feel stressed all of a sudden. How did that happen?!?!

Congratulations to all the September families included this month! WOo HOo!

2006 compared to 2005

The U.S. State Department just released their 2006 numbers regarding International Adoption. Below, you'll find the Top 5 Countries of Origin:


IMMIGRANT VISAS ISSUED TO ORPHANS COMING TO THE U.S.

FY2006 compared to FY2005

1) 6,493 CHINA (Mainland) versus 7,906 - CHINA (Mainland)

2) 4,135 - GUATEMALA versus 4,639 - RUSSIA

3) 3,706 - RUSSIA versus 3,783 - GUATEMALA

4) 1,376 - S. KOREA versus 1,630 - S. KOREA

5) 732 - ETHIOPIA versus 821 - UKRAINE

World Total for Fiscal Year 2006 - 20,679

What's been going on?

The most recent batch of referrals showed up late last month and covered families logged-in between August 26 and September 8, 2005. This batch represented approximately the same-ish total number of families as we've seen matched in each bunch received over the past year, so the rumored increase did not happen.

You may recall the batch before (Oct) SEEMED larger but when all information came to light, it appeared to be inline with what they had been matching. The reason why there was some confusion about it was that the number of families logged-in for the days covered in the Oct batch WOULD have represented an increase but a fair number of families ended up not actually getting a referral, though their day was included.

There's been some talk about why and how this could happen, etc, but it remains mostly unclear. Allegedly, families that had follow-up questions asked of them while their paperwork was in the Review stage, did not receive referrals with their group and have been delayed. Subtract those families from the total for the Oct batch of referrals and we get around the same number as we've seen. So a further indication that an increase/a speed up is NOT happening.

Every month we hear rumors that "this is going to be the month when things pick up" and it's yet to be the case. I'm convinced what we've been seeing is the "new normal" and we should not continue on the emotional roller-coaster of hoping things are going to change. Apparently, October and November of 2005 were absolute monster months, in terms of the number of families having sent their paperwork to China. The "new normal" time frame has us waiting at least 6-7 more months, conceivably. By the by, our agency has maintained that they expect the wait to continue to lengthen and have never indicated that things are going to speed-up. The rumors we hear and see are online among the thousands of families worldwide, who are waiting for China. While it's always smart of take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt, when it's good news and news that you want to hear, it can be almost irresistible!

The very latest indications are that the next batch of referrals may show up before Christmas and if not, then shortly after. What a wonderful moment it will be for those families to receive the precious gift of a photograph of their long-awaited child! We wish all of them the very best and continue to look forward to the day when it is our turn!

"The cat that came with the sublet "-- A. Adley

I'm sad to report that though we did everything we could for our beloved kitty, Czar, we lost her on November 15th.

In 1993, I sublet an apartment in Minneapolis from a friend of a friend, Melanie. Little did I know, she would end up giving me the gift of a lifetime. Melanie couldn't take Czar on her trip to the UK, so she asked if I would look after her. Around day 5, I decided I was never giving Czar back. She was that special, that sweet. Turned out Melanie decided to live abroad so she and I were able to avoid a nasty custody battle. The two of us were together since. That's not to say we were inseparable. When she met Stewart in 1995, she threw me over for him so fast it made my head spin. We both had a new boyfriend, the same new boyfriend. And so it went. Stew and I loved her dearly, and she returned that love every day, even the days she peed on our bed, always on my side. I want to go on and on, regale you with cute anecdotes and silly memories of all our years together but it feels too soon and besides that, I'm at work and the boss and there would be tears, so... Just know that I could go on, there are many stories, but mostly it was just three friends hanging out every day, digging each other.

The house feels blank when I come home. I'm told that feeling will pass but I have to say, I'm skeptical.

Czar

1990(ish) - 2006

Incommunicado

Hey friends, sorry I've been incommunicado recently. The term "perfect storm" has frequently come to mind over the past few weeks as work, home and personal issues have all hit the fan at the same time. Work = tying up a 5 months long project while trying to interview candidates / hire for an open position in my department, home = kitchen remodeling project gone awry due to (gasp) asbestos in the old flooring that HAD to be abated (don't ask), and personal = our much loved 16 year old kitty, Czar, has taken quite ill and requires many trips to the vet. All that and more over just the past few weeks.
Good times.

We are busy digging our way out and I'll resume regular blogging soon.
Send those good vibes our way, will ya?! We certainly could use 'em!

P.S. The latest batch of adoption referrals from China has arrived in the U.S. and covers people logged-in from August 10-August 25! This represents a 15% increase over recent volume, according to online analysis. Woo Hoo! No way to tell if this rate of referral will continue to increase, remain the same, or return to previous levels. If we see another jump with the next batch, perhaps we can be hopeful that things are finally speeding up. If this is the case, we're looking at maybe March/April to see our daughter's face! Stay tuned...

Babies, babies, babies! Everywhere babies!

I was so excited when Tracy emailed me from China saying that it would be ok if I met her at the airport. She and some other friends were returning with their daughters a few weeks ago, and Stew and I had been faithfully following their trips via their blogs and webpages. I jumped at the chance to meet them - too bad the main road to the airport was closed that day and I missed them coming through customs! Dang.
(A heartfelt sorry shoutout to my bff, Cher, for all the crazy driving and loud cursing I did trying to make it to the airport on time. Sorry, Sugar. :)
My other bff, Lisa S, met us there and took this photo of me with Tracy and her awesome kidlet, Muriel. Behold the cuteness! That face, her thumb, the cheeks, those toes - oh my! I can barely look at this photo straight on. No, not because of my double chin - it's the sheer beauty of this child. There were other beautiful children that day at the airport, to be sure (Lilly, Emmy, Faith - yeah, I'm talking about you)! This particular photo turned out so well I just had to share it.
Lisa had arrived at the airport before Cher and I were able to (see above, road construction) and kept us posted while I juked and jived around S Minneapolis trying to find an alternative route. Etched in my memory: the moment I realized I'd exited at the CHARTER terminal instead of the INTERNATIONAL terminal (ARGH!!! Why can't I ever remember if the international terminal is the Humphrey or the Lindberg Terminal? Why?) just as Lisa called to tell us she'd overheard someone say "HERE THEY COME!!!"
***Always with the drama! It occurs to me now and then, and I can't be the only one on this...but maybe, just maybe, a lot of drama in many arenas of my life could be averted if I'd only leave my house 20 minutes earlier then I think I should. I don't know that for sure but I have my suspicions.***
Anyhoo, it was a real happy/sad to be there. The love and happiness of these new families, with their friends and loved ones, was an amazing thing to be a part of and I thank them for letting me share those precious moments. The children, all girls in this group, were amazing to behold. Really unforgettable. And yet, our house is empty with no end to this wait in sight so my joy was tempered by my sadness for Stew and me. The waiting continues.
HOWEVER -
Two nights ago, bff Lisa called to tell us that her mother AND her mother-in-law (Hey Norma and Sharon, You guys rock!) BOTH had a dream, on the SAME night mind you, that Stew and I were united with our daughter sooner then expected. Perhaps we've got some seriously good mojo working right now, suddenly?! I'm not saying, I'm just saying. So, though I've been hearing nothing but terrible rumors related to the wait for the past week or so, I will hang onto that dream as if I'd had it myself and it was a direct message from on high.

Also, thanks to you guys! You all are so lovely to keep track of us here on our blog and leaving your funny, sweet, loving, supportive comments. It certainly helps to know our loved ones are pulling for us - keep those good vibes coming!

P.S. Stew and I started our Mandarin class this week, so Ni Hao! (Pronounced - "nee how" and means "Hello!")
P.P.S. Cher, I posted a photo! WOO HOO!

Why I Cried at Rudy Luther's Westside Volkswagen

The nice woman from our agency and I finally connected the other day and had a good chat. I hoped if I kept her on the phone long enough, distracting her with my charm and wit, she might let something slip about our referral.
No such luck. It's sad that I've resorted to trickery, is it not?
Anyhoo, she was able to make me feel better without telling me anything new. Hearing her say things like "Try to keep yourself busy" in a calm and soothing voice felt helpful and comforting. This is a real talent and I hope she gets paid accordingly, she sincerely deserves it.

See, I was all a tither because we hadn't heard anything new in a really long time until one day, the message on our agency's weekly hotline was changed to say that referral batches would now be coming at the beginning of each month instead of at the end, as they had been. This was due to the CCAA having moved to a new building and resulting delay. Well, the very next batch of referrals showed up at the end of the month, NOT at the beginning per the new info. I suspect ya'll are reading that and saying to yourselves, "So?" - and I'm telling you, when the only bit of new information we received in months turned out to be WRONG...well it was, quite frankly, upsetting. In addition, the referral batch only covered a handful of LIDs (see below), July 14 - July 22. At that rate, we'll be getting an invitation to join the AARP in the mail before we see a package from China.
We are November 21, people!
I was so frustrated I had to call our agency right away for some answers 'cuz that usually works so well. As I sat waiting for my Jetta to have her oil changed, I could feel a melt-down coming and I didn't want to be all weepy and gross on the phone. Rumaging through my purse, I scrounged up the change for M & M's (peanut, although plain are underrated).
**Ever wonder if you are stress eating because you think that's what women are supposed to do when they are upset. I never used to stress eat but lately when I don't know how to cope, I hear a voice in my head shouting "We eat when we are stressed, lady! Get with the program!"
Note to self - don't pass on food issues to daughter.**
Anyway, I digress.
So I slump over to the vending machine for my M & M's, barely holding it together in front of the other VW owners (a nice looking bunch, by the way) and...can you see where this is going? I put my money in and the little coil thingy that turns to allow the inviting yellow package to fall into the retrieval bin, only turns 3/4 of the way necessary and my friends are trapped, dangling 1/2 on and 1/2 off the shelf.
This did not help with the being upset.
I march over to the CUSTOMER SERVICE counter and wait for the next available clerk, with...tears in my eyes. I know, you can't believe the drama! You will also not believe it when I tell you what I saw on the clerk's desk. A FAMILY SIZE bag of peanut M & M's. I'm not kidding. This woman was a friend of the M & M's and a friend of mine, I could see that. I was barely able to explain what happened through my tears when she grabbed her bag and pushed it over to me. "You can have some of mine," she said in an incredibly understanding tone. Under usual circumstances, I would have declined, but I was beside myself.
**Pause...How nice was that lady to let a soggy, sobbing, complete stanger stick a paw in her bag o' snacks? Ever hear of Minnesota Nice? Alive and well.**
The best part of this whole encounter is still to come. When I tried my luck at the vending machine with my refunded change, I got TWO bags. Mr. Dangly, from before, and his brother Uncle BOGO (that's Buy One, Get One for the non-shoppers in the group).
DEE-LIGHTED.
Don't think I didn't take that second bag back over to MN Nice M&M VW Lady, 'cuz I did. Don't just pay it forward, I say. Pay it back, too. I handed it to her and said "Two bags dropped. Now you have a bag for later."
She was pleased, I was pleased and those M & M's were some of the best I'd tasted. Real fresh. Bolstered by the chocolate, the resulting caffeine, and the feel-good interaction I had with VW lady, I called my agency and left a message. I was able to make it through the whole thing without crying. Well, until the very end when I started going on about how the uncertainty with this wait is so difficult to deal with and if we could just know if would 4 months or 12 months...

Agency lady called me back, was so nice, made me feel better and more importantly helped me see I needed to make a decision. I could either stay on the path I was on called "Drive yourself so insane that you end up crying at Rudy Luther's Westside Volkswagen" or I could choose a new path. I chose a new path and it's called "Do something productive while you wait for a photo of your beloved child". That path is serving me well so far and Stewart/I begin a basic Mandarin class on October 2nd. Wish us luck, we hear it's very challenging, but we're excited!