First day of Kindergarten

My baby went to Kindergarten today! I thought I would be a little sad, but instead, I felt something akin to, "Go forth and conquer." Each new milestone brings nostalgia for the days gone by, but excitement for the things ahead.

Come and play the referral game! (Really, it will be fun!)

I am officially waiting for a referral from Taiwan. It's important to wait gracefully when you are adopting, and I am the first to admit that I waited very poorly when I was in process for Amelia. I am determined to be merrier (and calmer)about the whole thing this time around - which leads to this post.

To make the “waiting” phase fun, I have decided to host a little bloggy game, and I will make it worth your time to play along!

Here’s how it will work: You select any date from today’s date to December 31 to choose when you think I will receive my referral. Whoever is closest to the right date, without going past that date, is the winner. So, for example, if you pick September 1, and someone else picks September 3, and the referral comes on September 2 (picked by nobody), then the winner would be the person who picked September 1. If, for some reason, my referral does not come by December 31, the winner will be the person who picks December 31, and we will play again in January with a new date range.

The prize: I will make a $100 donation to the adoption/orphan charity of your choice or to a family of your choice who is in the process of adopting a child (any country). If there is more than one winner (i.e., more than one person picks the same date, and that date is the winning date), I will split the prize among the winners.

How to play: Leave a comment with the date you think the referral will come. Leave the name or website of the charity or family of your choice (yes, it can be your own family if you are adopting!)

To help you narrow down your date selection, here are some “helpful” hints: I am currently sitting at #2 on the waitlist. My dossier was approved on April 29, so as of right now, I am 3+ months into the waiting phase. In March-April-May, there were several (5-7) referrals made. Those families had waited anywhere from a few weeks to a few months on the waitlist. There have been no referrals during June or July. My agency told me in June that it mights take 9-12 months for a referral (and they usually estimate conservatively), but just this week, they told me that they were hopeful to be able to make some referrals “in the fall.” So...no guarantees that it will be before the end of the year...just hopes!

Happy date-picking!

Amy

My, how the summer has flown!

I can't believe it's been Easter since I last blogged. We have been very busy, but I promise that I am going to be better about blogging. Amelia completed Pre-K with gusto, and the Pre-K class partied like it was 1999 at Chuck E. Cheese. Shortly after the end of school, we headed to Atlanta for a short get-away, and we were so thrilled to meet some cyber-friends in person. We also got to have a little beach time, which is always a good thing. Amelia had another eye surgery this summer, so she had a brief period of sunglasses and indoor activities. We said goodbye to Grandmama and Papa as they headed to Africa for a few weeks to do some mission work, and we welcomed them home when they returned. Amelia also resumed Chinese lessons and enjoyed summer ballet camp. Enjoy the summer photos!

Easter fun

A whole week of Easter fun...

Sunday - an Easter egg hunt and picnic with our church
Wednesday - A visit with the Cubbies' class to a life-size version of the empty tomb
Saturday - dying Easter eggs and hopping around the house in bunny ears
Sunday - HAPPY EASTER! Church, a family picnic, kite flying, and an egg hunt

"WHY do you search for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen."

The LORD is risen indeed! We hope you had a blessed Easter.

Amy & Amelia

A weekend with friends

Amelia and I made the trek to Dallas last weekend to meet new (or is it old?!) friends. We met up with two families whom we have known via our adoption agency's chatgroup for the past 4 years. For the past 4 years, we have chatted via e-mail, shared laughter and joy, sorrow and loss, prayer requests, and stories about our beloved babies, but this was the first time we met in person. Both families live in other states, and we finally got our schedules coordinated for a weekend of togetherness. We had SOOOO much fun! We laughed and visited and shopped and even braved the American Girl store on Spring Break weekend. Clara, Dayna, and Amelia had a blast together.

The very best thing about adoption, aside from the children that bless our lives, are the wonderful friends you make along the way. I have met so many amazing and special families since joining the adoption community a few years ago. I can't imagine my life without these special friends.

Amy

Happy Chinese New Year

When you travel China with your newly adopted child, you hear a lot of "oooh, lucky baby!" comments. Well, let me tell you, she IS. When I was a kid, I remember winning one drawing ever, at the opening of a new store (I won a flashlight). Amelia wins things everywhere she goes. On Halloween, she won a door prize (random drawing) at a local church's widely-attended festival. Right after she won the door prize, she stepped into the cake walk and won her first time around the circle. This happens to us A LOT. So, it was really no surprise that she won a door prize at our first Chinese New Year event (she won a free dinner buffet at a local restaurant.) What WAS a surprise was when I handed her my ticket (after she won using her ticket), and she won again! Then, a week later, we attended another Chinese New Year event, where Amelia won a can opener. Again, I handed her my ticket, and she proceeded to win a new sheet/comforter set. Seriously, I need to take this kid to Vegas. Could it be because she prays for favor daily? She ends every prayer with "And Lord, please let everyone be so nice to me." There is a spiritual principle at work here, folks. I am convinced of it!

What Chunie's been up to

Naming the new sibling....



Yes, I walked into my room to see her perched in my bed, reviewing "The Baby Name Wizard" - a book that promises to help you find that perfect baby name. There are no photos in that book, and Amelia is not officially reading yet, so I have no idea what she was doing, except assuring herself of her stance on the issue of naming.

Amelia thinks the one and only name for a baby girl is Ava. The only problem is she loves this name so much, she has named a doll Ava, a Barbie Ava, and the stray cat who eats in our backyard Ava. (She did offer to re-name to cat if I would agree to consider Ava as a baby name.) I think we might be a little Ava-ed out.

My pick: Louisa. See how gentle and refined it feels? How it is almost a whisper of a name? How full of history and dignity it is without being a bit flashy? I love it. Too bad I can't get anyone else on the Louisa bandwagon. My second favorite is Lucy, which is cute and unpretentious with plenty of spunk. Plus, Lucy has the added bonus of not being a name that the rest of the family balks at.

Other top contenders: Annabet, Noelle, Miriam, or Eliza.

For boys, I like James, Benjamin, Owen or Asher. Amelia hates all of these suggestions, but offers no viable alternatives. (Note: Ava is not being considered a viable alternative for a male child.)

So, the naming debate continues in our household. From what I am hearing, a referral may take quite awhile, so we have plenty of time to find a name we all can love. The good news is the homestudy has been completed by the social worker and is on its way for finalization/approval by the international agency. Progress is good!