Our Journey (Part 5)

We took our bus to the orphanage for a visit. I was nervous about going because I wasn't sure how Jessica would be. She'd had a bad night the night before so we were all pretty tired. When we got there, we went to the adoption director's office. Jess went to the women who held their arms out to her but almost immediately would hold her arms back out to me. The orphanage was very clean. The little ones sleep in a room with about 12 cribs in it but the older ones sleep in rooms with 2 children. We saw the playroom which had some climbing equipment and a lot of walkers, the lunchroom, the classroom, and Jess's bedroom. I was able to take pictures of two other children whose prospective adoptive parents had emailed me earlier. I dropped off care packages for two children, one of whom had just been moved into foster care which we hadn't known before.

When we got back, we had some free time before touring Old Jinan, so Mike, Jason, Jess & I took a walk to the Black Tiger Spring which was near the hotel. People were filling all types of containers from the spring. While I wouldn't drink it, I could sort of understand those getting the water out of the spout, but some were filling out of the pool of water and it didn't look very clean.

When we met up with everyone at the hotel, John led us on a walk to Old Jinan. He said it's a preserved area for tourists so we can see what it was like before it was built up. On the way, we passed a park where the kids wanted to play a bit. It was interesting to see the different types of equipment they have. Jason loved the version of swings they had.

Some of the streets had signs that told about them. This is Xiangfeng Alley which is the narrowest street in Jinan.

There are springs all over Jinan. Some are right outside people's homes and they wash their clothes in them. There were some very, very small springs and some which were quite large.

Men playing chinese chess. The playing pieces are flat disks with characters painted on rather than the different forms (horse, queen, etc) that we use.

Many of the houses had couplets hanging outside. Some were painted and others are printed onto the cloth. John said that he painted the one that hangs on his home. This couplet had to do with spring.

A hu tong is a small street. When we were in Beijing, Candy told us that there are only hu tongs in Beijing and that if we called a small street a hu tong in any other city, the people would laugh at us. Obviously she was wrong because this picture was taken in Jinan.

While there are a lot of cars in China, many people still ride bikes. You really need to watch out for the bikes because they are everywhere and don't follow all the traffic rules. They are supposed to follow the same rules as the cars but because they don't get ticketed, they frequently don't obey the rules such as stopping at lights.

Our Journey (part 4)

We went to Mt. Tai'Shan which is one of the five sacred mountains. We were going to take the cable car to the top (some of us were anyway - not me!) but it was closed due to fog. We went to a nearby temple for a while to see if the cable car would open later.

Here is our guide tickling a tree. He said if you tickle this tree all the branches move.

Here is Jason with what John called a Chinese Tie. He said they were used before there was writing to tell people things. I'm not sure how it's supposed to work.

After going to the temple, we went back to the mountain. The cable car still wasn't working so we decided to take the bus to the halfway point and walk around. Before going up on the bus, I had to go to the bathroom. This was my only interaction with a squatty potty. I'd seen others but there'd always been western toilets as well; there weren't any western toilets here and I couldn't wait. This one didn't even have hand rails or the marks of where to put your feet. I'd left Jess with Mike because I knew I wouldn't be able to balance her there and there was no way I was putting her on that floor.

We had lunch at a tea house. I don't normally like tea but I really liked the one we had here so I bought a package. We had to haggle; when we first asked the price we were told 80 yuan which was fine; then suddenly it was part of a package and much more expensive. We weren't going for that so we said no. The owner came back and went back down in his price. At the tea house, we tried these large pancakes that are folded up over an egg. We added soy sauce and spring onions to them; I avoided the egg part as I can't stand eggs. Jason tried the pancake which was good since he rarely tries anything new to eat. Bea (the other baby in our group) and Jess needed to be changed so our guide asked the waiter where we could change them. He led us through some sort of hotel (rooms with bunk beds) and out the backdoor and showed us a very dirty, little room with a squatty potty in it. There was no way I was laying Jess down in that room and she can't stand while I change her yet. We changed the girls on the bench outside the bathroom. It was a little cold since we were outside but much better than the alternative.

After we finished eating, we walked around for a bit. There were a good deal of stairs going up the mountain. I went up for a while and then couldn't walk anymore so Jess and I waited on a landing while the others continued to climb up. We checked out some of the stores that were on the side of the stairs and watched someone make some pancakes like we'd just had. Afterward, we sat doing fingerplays and nursery songs. A man came up to me and asked if she was my daughter. I said yes and he asked if my husband was Chinese. I said no and he said "So she's not your daughter?" Again, I said yes she was and he wanted to know how she could be if we're not Chinese and she is. I told him she was adopted. There's only one way up and down the stairs so when I got tired of waiting, Jess and I went up some more figuring we'd meet up with the others.

When we got back from the mountain, we went to the park and watched the watershow at the Lotus Flower.

It's 3 AM, what are you doing?

Jess is sleeping but I'm wide awake so I thought I'd post a bit more of our trip.

Our Journey (part 3)

We spent a good deal of time at the park near the hotel. There was always something going on. We watched children practicing martial arts, women doing a dance that resembled Irish Step, and a woman singing. Around here, when people dance or sing on a public street, there's usually a cup out for tips. I asked our guide about that because I didn't see any cup and he said they do it strictly for fun and are not looking for money.

Jason was intrigued about why some trees are wrapped in rope and some are painted white on the trunks. The ones wrapped in rope are newer trees and the rope keeps them warm. The white that's painted on some is primer and acts as a bug repellent. A lot of the trees had bird cages hanging in them. Elderly men meet to talk in the park and hang their pet birds in the trees. Mike and Jason bought a kite and joined the locals in kite flying. Thankfully, a helpful guy showed Mike how to attach the string to the kite.

We drew quite the crowd one day at the park's fountain. One woman started talking to us in Chinese and another woman began translating. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by a large circle of people all looking at us and taking pictures.

We felt like celebrities. Jason loved it.

We went to Daming Lake which is a natural spring in Jinan. There were amusement rides which the kids, of course, had to go on*S* Jason went on the bumper cars, ferris wheel, and pirate ship. Some of the other family went on the roller coaster but I wasn't comfortable with that.

Jess fell asleep so Mike got a chance to carry her.

We also went to a park that was decorated for the Lantern Festival which falls on the 15th day of the New Year. In the first pic, the golden pig is racing the dog; in the second you can see some (blurry) lanterns, and in the third the Five Friendlies are showing up on a float that says 2008 in honor of the Olympics.

Busy Day

We never got our nap yesterday so both Jess and I were exhausted by the end of the day. We went to pick up Jason at school and visited with some of the people I worked with last year (I transferred to a new school this year). Jess was most enthralled by Neil's voice, one of the two male teachers in the school. She'd been asleep when I got to the school and was very drowsy when we were talking to her until Neil came by. After picking up Jason, we met Mike at the doctor's office for her first physical. It was a pretty brief physical and I'm thinking we may go to an international doctor who's used to issues from different countries for an eval. I did get a referral to go to a pediatric cardiologist for a follow-up. They tried to get blood for a titer but nothing came out. The technician said it could be because Jess was so stressed (she didn't like the band wrapped around her arm). We went home and Mike took Jason to karate. We were asleep on the couch in seconds. When Mike came home, we put Jess to bed, I ate some pizza Mike had brought, and then I went to bed at 7:30. Jess slept through the night until 5 this morning which was great. I was wide awake so we got up, ate and now she's playing with blocks while we wait to wake up Jason.

Our Journey (Part 2)

I posted the last part because I was afraid of losing it again after the internet went down the last time. So, after going to the Forbidden City, we dropped Sharon and Dan off at the hotel because they were going to a different province and had a later flight and we went to the airport with Debbie and Chris, the other couple who adopted a child from the same orphanage as we did.

Jinan

Our flight to Jinan was a little delayed but the ride itself was only about 45 minutes which was great. We met up with our guide, John and started off for the hotel. We stayed at the Silver Plaze Hotel and it was great! They upgraded our rooms to suites which was wonderful! We had a large bedroom with two double beds and a private bathroom, a sitting room, a smaller bedroom with a single bed and another bathroom off the hall. It was very luxurious having so much room.

Here's the front of our hotel. When we go back for a homeland tour (maybe when Jess is 10 or so), I definitely want to stay here again. They were so nice and it was a beautiful place. A lot of the staff couldn't speak English but they'd find someone who could so they could help. When I was looking for a crib, I drew a picture and brought it to the front desk. It turned out that they didn't have any more but sent some people to make a cot out of two upholstered chairs for us. The workers refused a tip when it was offered. We tried to tip at the restaurant as well and that was refused.

On the bus from the airport, our guide told us that we would be meeting the babies that afternoon. Our itinerary had said the following day so we were all shocked and very excited! When we got to the hotel, the babies weren't there yet so we started to check in. Mike and Jason went to the bathroom and I saw a woman walk into the hotel lobby. She was by herself with a baby so we didn't think it was the nanny because we were expecting two babies to be coming. John went to talk to her and another woman walked in carrying a toddler. It was them!!! Thankfully, Mike and Jason were coming out of the bathroom so we were all there. Jess was quiet at first but then started to cry. The nanny showed me some pictures on her digital camera and gave me the cameras back that I had sent in the care package. I can't wait to get them developed! She was wearing pajamas and a dress that I'd sent as well as tights, socks, shoes, and a winter coat. The clothing police are out in full force.

Our guide told me she was hungry and asked why I didn't have any food out. Hmm...maybe because we'd been told we wouldn't meet the babies until the next day so I'd packed all the food in the suitcases rather than my carryon? I got some cheerios out and Jason fed her them.

We went up to the room to have some time with the kids before meeting up to get their passport photos taken.

Here's a pic of Mike and Jess just after going upstairs. She didn't let him hold her again willingly until the day we left Hong Kong. She's definitely a mama's girl. They told me Jess was able to walk. I'm not sure what their definition of walking is but she can stand and walk holding onto hands. She cannot walk independently. It's obvious she's spent time in a walker; she has a wide stance. My mom is buying me a high chair and wanted to know if I wanted a feed and play table instead so she could play in it. I said no because I think Jess needs more time either being held or playing on the floor, not in a stabilized seat where she won't build her coordination and muscles.

Here she is dancing with Jason.

Jinan is the city of springs. There are springs everywhere, from very small ones to large ones. This sculpture is in the park near our hotel and represents Jinan. It represents a spring coming up from the ground.

Outside the supermarket, there wa s a sculpture made entirely of Pepsi cans. Instead of Diet Pepsi, they have Pepsi Light here.

Gotta go get Jess up. I'll post more later.

I tried to post yesterday but the internet went down as I tried to publish it so I'll try again. First off, here's a picture of Jess. She smiles and laughs a lot but doesn't really like her picture being taken so it's hard to get one of her smiling. She was in an especially happy mood here. These pictures were taken in Jinan at our hotel.

Our Journey

Flight to China

Our flight wasn't too bad. We caught an early flight out of Boston (8 am opposed to 9) and had lunch at the Chicago Airport. Our Chicago-Beijing flight was a little delayed. We met up with the other family from MA that we'll be traveling with there. Boston-Chicago we went economy but Chicago-Beijing, we got to go economy plus thanks to Nicky. Those extra five inches make a huge deal!! We slept a little but it wasn't easy.

We flew over the Arctic Circle; I was able to get a pic of the cracks in the ice.

Beijing

What an awesome place! We met our guide at the airport. Her name's Candy; she said she chose her English name because it's sweet and everyone loves candy. We waited a little for the other couple traveling with us who were flying in from CA. When they came through security, we all yelled and waved so that they'd see us. We stayed at the Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel. It's close to the Forbidden City. It was very nice. Here's a pic of Jason in the lobby.

We visited the jade factory, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I bought a ball in a ball at the jade factory; it's amazing how someone can carve a ball within a ball from a single piece of jade. The tour guide was interesting but moved very quickly and didn't want anyone lingering. She told us that people rub different parts of the jade buddha - ears for long life, head for knowledge, and belly for health. The Great Wall was amazing. I'd seen pictures, of course, before but nothing can compare to seeing it in person. I can't even phathom how those poor people were able to build it. The stairs are very uneven - some only an inch or so high and others half a foot or so. There are indentations from the thousands of people walking on them. Mike and Jason made it to the top of the area we went to (Ba Da Ling). I made it to the second tower only having to use my inhaler once. I walked back down and waited with Sharon (another woman in our adoption group). Going up was hard on the lungs; going down was hard on the knees. My legs shook for several minutes after I was finished. Jason was stopped three times to get his picture taken with people. He loved the attention although it did seem a bit strange to have his picture taken with strangers. The locks on the wall are put their by couples who want their love to last as long as the Wall.

We went to an acrobat show one night. It was awesome!! I can't believe how flexible these people are and how they can move their bodies.

It's hard to get a good pic but this is of a girl who is lying on her belly with her arms and legs extended behind her and her head up. She has these chandelier-type objects balanced on her head and each hand and foot.

The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms. Our guide said that if someone slept in one room each night, it'd taken 27 years to go through each room! There were 5 doors leading into the City. The middle one is the biggest and is where the Emperor enters. The Emperor's wife only gets to go through this door on her wedding day. The doors on either side of the middle one are for royalty and the outer doors on either side are for high ranking officials. Low ranking officials and commoners weren't allowed in.

A lot of restoration is being done in preparation for the Olympics. Here's a pic of an area of the palace undergoing renovation. There's a painted screen in front showing what it will look like.

China is getting ready for the 2008 Olympics. The mascots for the Olympics are the Five Friendlies. Their names are Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying, and Ni Ni. If you take the first syllable of each name, it says “Beijing welcomes you in Mandarin Chinese. The Five Friendlies are a panda, a Tibetan antelope, a swallow, a fish and the spirit of the Olympic flame. There’s a mascot for each color of the Olympic rings and they stand for the sea, forests, fire, earth and air. There's merchandise everywhere with these little guys on it.

Checking in once more

I still need to do a day by day post but not for the price this hotel charges. I had to get a quick computer fix but it's going to be a short one. Updates- we're at the White Swan. It's a beautiful hotel but I miss Jinan. We were a bit spoiled there. The difference in prices is amazing. The last night in Jinan, we along with the other family took our guide out for dinner. For 9 people and 2 babies, it came out to 216 yuan which is about 30 or so dollars. Last night, Mike, Jason and I went out to dinner at the White Swan and dinner was over $100 American - ouch!!!! We started looking for cheaper places today*S* I need to save that money for souvenirs. Jason's been adventurous and tried shrimp, fried leaves, and chocolate mousse -didn't like any of it. He loves the chicken nuggets, doughy pretzels and the bread. Jess is doing awesome! She's sitting for a short period of time in a stroller that we borrowed from Sherry's Place (store near hotel), sleeps through the night, eats almost everything, is getting better about Mike getting closer to her (still can't hold her without her screaming), and is playing with Jason. She's still a Mama's girl for sure but I can at least walk a couple of inches away. When I get back, I'll update my packing list with notes for people who may travel the same places we did. For those going to Beijing, Jinan and White Swan in Guangzhou, you really don't need a lot of stuff (of course it also depends on the age of the baby). I had to buy some summer clothes because I wasn't expecting it to be quite so hot here - high 70's. I sent my jeans to the cleaners. I'd always heard that the clothes could be shrunk because they use hot water so you need to be careful - well, either they stretched my jeans or I lost some weight because the darn things are falling off me. Guess I shouldn't complain about that *S*

Checking in from China

This will have to be quick because I'm using the business center and hoping that Jess isn't waking up in the room with Mike & Jason. I'll do a day by day post later but wanted to let everyone know that we have Jess and she is wonderful! We got her a day earlier than we'd thought which was exciting and a bit overwhelming. I can't believe the improvements we've seen in just a couple of days. She wasn't walking at all but could stand. The next day she walked holding 2 hands and now she'll walk holding one. She's mastered the bottle (wasn't able to hold it herself the first day) and her hand:eye coordination has gotten better with all the cheerios she's been eating. She is very attached to me but won't let Mike or Jason near her. When we visited the orphanage, she let the nannies hold her for a minute but almost immediately held her arms out to me - she knows her mama!!! She fits perfectly into the 9 month clothing I brought but the 12 months fits if I roll the pants up. She crawls around mostly, has mastered peek a boo and loves to clap. She's always holding her hands up for kisses. I can't post pictures yet since this isn't my computer and I can't download from my camera. As soon as I'm home I will share. She's beautiful. Well, I'd better get upstairs before she wakes up and finds me missing. The whole floor will be woken up-she has quite the pair of lungs.

Countdown!!!

We're leaving tomorrow! I can't believe it's finally time!!! Mike and I spent a long time packing last night. He brought what felt like the heaviest suitcase to UPS to weigh and it was 27 pounds - plenty of room left!!! Looks like JJ wants to come with us. I'm psyched Lynn is able to join us for part of our trip. She'll be meeting us in Hong Kong. We get to finally see Jessica on Monday. No more time to write - gotta finish getting ready.

Counting down
The countdown is on and of course I get sick. Well, at least it's now and not 2 weeks from now when we'll be traveling. I've rearranged my facial, eyebrow waxing and hair appointments. I didn't think they'd send us at the end of February so when I made all my appointments, I thought I'd have plenty of time. Next week is going to be super busy. I set up a time at Make and Take Kitchen so I could assemble some meals to have frozen when we get back. I called and let our credit card company know we'd be traveling as others have said it's good to do. Some people really don't think before they speak. The guy at the credit card company asked me if it were cheaper to "buy" a child in a foreign country that it is in the US. Sorry, I am not buying a child. I would have gotten into it more but I'm sick and my throat hurts so it's really difficult to talk. I just wanted to scream.

I found out from Lynn she may not be able to come with us which is really disappointing. I know she'd been really looking forward to it and I know Jason was also really looking forward to someone being there to hang with him. I haven't broken the news to him yet. I've been friends with Lynn for a long time (in deference to her, I won't say how long *S*) and I was looking forward to sharing this experience with her.

Travel Plans!!!!!



We got our itinerary from our agency. There are 3 families in total in our group. One family is going to the same province we are; the other family we'll meet in Beijing and then again in Guangzhou.



Day 1: Fly to Beijing from Boston through Chicago. We stay at the Wang Fu Jing Hotel. It's right outside Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City.

Day 2: Sightseeing at the Great Wall and going to see an acrobatic show.

Day 3: Morning sightseeing the Summer Palace and off to Jinan in the afternoon. We're staying at the Quancheng Hotel.

Day 4: MEET THE CHILDREN!!!!!!!!! Registration and notarization. I don't see a lot of sleep coming my way the night before*S*

Day 5 & 6: Local sightseeing.

Day 7: Vist the SWI. I am very thankful that we are able to do this. I know so many SWIs don't allow it and I think this one even allows pictures to be taken.

Day 8: Get legal documents

Day 9: Fly to Guangzhou. Staying at the White Swan

Day 10: Local sightseeing

Day 11: Photos and physicals

Day 12: visa

Day 13: Swearing in ceremony, get visas. The rest of the group is flying back to Beijing this day. We're staying an extra night at the White Swan.

Day 14: Take train to Hong Kong. Staying at Hollywood Hotel, Disneyland.

Day 15: Hong Kong

Day 16: Hong Kong

Day 17: Fly home. We fly out on March 11 at around 6 pm and arrive in Boston on March 11 around midnight - sounds like a short trip instead of the 18 hours it really is. We're going to stay in a hotel near the airport that night rather than try to get through customs, get a cab, get to the in-laws where our car is and drive home.

Shopping, shopping, shopping!!!

I bought a carseat at Babies R Us. I'd looked at so many and heard good things about Britax so that's what I went with. I don't think Mike was thrilled that I chose the pink "Olivia" version but I had offered him the chance to come shopping with me*S* I also bought a pack and play for when we travel. We had one for Jason that we used a lot. Not so much to be used as a playpen but for somewhere to sleep when at Nana's or in hotels.

I found the Easter dress I want to buy but I need to wait until she is home to get it because we won't be getting an updated height/weight so I have no idea what will fit her. I'm going shopping with a friend while our kids are at karate. I'm going to buy some basics for the trip (onesies, socks, pants, sleepers) in different sizes and just keep the receipts.

We have TA!!!!!

We received travel approval yesterday and will be traveling either late February or early March. We were given the option of going with the next larger group in April but I don't have any intention of waiting that long! There will be another family traveling with us to the same SWI and another with us for part of the trip as they're going to a different province. We're going in next week to sign the referral packet. I am hoping that we get updated height and weight so I can do some more shopping!!! I bought two books about attachment in adoptive parenting. I should probably get cracking on those*S* Now that I have TA, we're allowed to share more info so here goes:

Chinese name: Fu Kang Chan

Name will be Jessica Kangchan

Birthdate: 9/23/05

Province: Jinan

SWI: Jinan

I'll put the height and weight once we get the updated (if we do). The info I have is from when she was 8 months old.

My Baby Shower

My mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law threw me a shower at my in-laws' house yesterday. I had a great time and Jessica has some wonderful things to come home to. I got to see some friends that I don't get to see often which was really nice.

The cake was awesome! It was a white cake with strawberry filling.

I love Edible Arrangements. The strawberries were really juice and sweet.

Present time! For anyone who knows me, they'll see that I took this picture at my home instead of at the shower. While I'm usually the picture taker, I didn't take many pics yesterday as I was too busy talking, eating and opening presents. One of my friends took a lot and she'll send them to me.

ABC's
I saw this on another blog and the owner said that people could steal it for themselves so I did.

A is for age: 39
B is for Beer: Yuck, can't get past the smell.
C is for Career: Special Needs Teacher. I'm currently working with preschoolers who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders
D is for my Dog’s Name: I have a stuffed dog named Fluffy. We're (or rather I'm since DS would love a dog) not dog people; I'm strictly a cat person. DH would rather have no pets.
E is for Essential Item I Use Everyday: computer
F is for Favorite T.V. Show:Desperate Housewives, Days of Our Lives
G is for Favorite Game:Disney Scene It.
H is for Hometown: Melrose, MA
I is for Instruments I Play: none :( I took guitar for a little bit but didn't stick with it. I really wish I had.
J is for Favorite Juice: mango
K is for Whose Butt I’d Like To Kick: people who think teachers are overpaid and underworked
L is for the Last Place I Ate: Percy's Place
M is for Marriage:11 years in March
N is for my Name:Paula
O is for Overnight Hospital Stays: 1969? asthma attack, 1998 - c-section
P is for People I was With Today: Jason, Mike
Q is for Quote: "Life is a celebration"
R is for Biggest Regret: Not going away to college
S is for Sport: gymnastics
Tis for Time I Woke Up Today:8:90
U is for Current Underwear:Hanes
V is for Vegetable You Love:red peppers
W is for Worst Habit:Junk food.
X is for X-rays I Have Had:neck for injury in high school, foot for heel spur, chest for pneumonia
Y is for Yummy Food You Ate Today:homemade chicken cordon bleu
Z is for Zodiac:Cancer

Merry Christmas!!

We've had a wonderful Christmas but I am a little sad that our daughter isn't home yet. Mike had to work today so we opened all the non-Santa presents last night. We got up at 5:30 to watch Jason open Santa's presents and then Mike went to work, I went to bed and Jason stayed up and played. Next year, Mike's not scheduled to work which is great since it'll be Jessica's first Christmas with us. Christmas day is almost over in China now.

Merry Christmas!!

We've had a wonderful Christmas but I am a little sad that our daughter isn't home yet. Mike had to work today so we opened all the non-Santa presents last night. We got up at 5:30 to watch Jason open Santa's presents and then Mike went to work, I went to bed and Jason stayed up and played. Next year, Mike's not scheduled to work which is great since it'll be Jessica's first Christmas with us. Christmas day is almost over in China now.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We truly have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. On 11/9, our agency got a new list of waiting children. Although we were close to referral, I took a look and fell in love with a little girl. I called Mike to the computer room to see her picture and asked if he thought we should request her file. I called the agency and was emailed her file. We brought her file to our doctor the following week, decided to ask for a match and let our social worker know. The next day (Friday), I got a call at work telling me we'd been matched! It was 2:00 and the OT was leading a group in my class. The secretary asked if I could take a call and I did since no one calls me at work if it's not important. I was so shocked! I knew that they had to have a matching meeting internally so I hadn't thought I'd hear that quickly. I think I said "awesome" and "thankyou" 100 times. Of course, I didn't think of the questions to ask until after we'd hung up*S* I went back into the classroom and told them that I have a baby girl. I went to call Mike and my mom. Mike picked up our paperwork to fill out the LOI (letter of intent) on Monday. I sent it back on Tuesday by UPS. Hopefully, the LOI will be sent to China very, very soon so we can get to the next stage (travel approval!). When I got home from school on Friday after getting the phone call, Jason asked me if he could go to his friend's house. I said that he had to see something first and showed him her picture. He was so excited! I hadn't told him we were asking to be matched before the call in case we weren't matched by our agency. I can't say very much about our daughter until we get TA (or PA but I've heard we may not get an official preapproval since we'd already gone through the review room). All I can say is that I saw this little girl, knew she was our daughter, and thank God for answering our prayers.

We're Next!!
The CCAA page finally was updated last night and the cut-off date is August 25, 2005. We're August 30 so we will get ours next month. Although I wasn't expecting one this month, I am a bit disappointed because I'd really wanted to travel at Christmas. Oh well, that's not really important; what is important is getting there and getting our daughter. There were no referrals in October - we kept waiting and waiting - so I'm thinking ours probably won't come through until December but I'll cross my fingers they'll be a little (lot) quicker. I really need to get working on finishing our projects because time is getting shorter even when it doesn't feel like it.

Chinese Adoption Vocabulary
I've found that the Chinese Adoption Community has its own vocabulary. Here are some of the terms I've come across on blogs, forums, and message boards.

Dossier - The completed certified and notarized documents that are submitted by the prospective adoptive parents to their adoption agency.

Dossier to (DTC) - The day that the adoption agency sends the completed dossier to China. This is an important day because it means that the paperchase is over and you are officially "waiting".

Gotcha Day - The day adoptive parents get to hold their child in their arms for the first time; some families call this Forever Family Day.

Ladybugs - Believed to be good luck by the Chinese adoption community. According to the story, while everyone was waiting for their referrals one spring, there were sightings across teh country of ladybugs and immediately afteward the referrals came.

Log-In Date (LID) - The log-in date is the date that the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) receives your dossier, translates it, and puts you on the wait list.

The Red Thread - An ancient Chinese belief, "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break”.

Home Study (HS) - A home study is a report that is written by a social worker who meets with the prospective adoptive parents and visits their home to determine if they are qualified to adopt.

100 Good Wishes Quilt - It is a northern China tradition for mothers to make a Bai Jia Bei (aka 100 Good Wishes Qult) from squares of fabric given by friends and family to welcome the child. The friends and family also send a wish for the baby. It is said that the quilt contains the luck and energy from everyone who contributed a piece of fabric. The adoption community has taken on this tradition for our own daughters.

Social Welfare Institute (SWI) - Orphanage

Letter of Intent (LOI) - This is a letter that accepts the referral of their child.

Travel Authorization (TA) - This is received when China approves the family to travel to China.

ACR - Age of Child Requested

AYAP - As Young As Possible

BCIS - Bureau of Citizens and Immigration Services

DOR - Date of Referral

DOT - Date of Travel

NSN - No special needs

SN - Special needs child

SW - Social worker