Binding is (mostly) attached!

After a bit of a rough start, we finally got the binding attached to the 100 Good Wishes Quilt. We're getting to be old pros at this now. All that's left for me to do is to hand sew the binding to the back of the quilt (that's going to take a while!). I think you know what I'll be doing over the next few weeks in the evenings!

I just stare at the quilt in utter amazement and the tears just start to flow - knowing that some day soon our daughter will be snuggling underneath it wrapped in all the warmth and love from everyone who helped to make it happen. And the biggest thank you goes to my mom without whom this quilt would not exist. I love you!

Referrals are in

On Friday, calls started being made and matches are in. I'm still waiting for the official notice to come from the CCCWA (will probably come on Monday), but from the calls that have been made they only matched through June 20, 2006. A 5-day referral batch. We were expecting a better showing for this batch, but I'm waiting to see if maybe expedited families got their referrals in this batch to help explain it. Well, we're still that much closer to our daughter.

Only 24 more referral days to go until we're matched with our daughter! Yeah!

Happy Passover

Wishing my Jewish friends and family a Happy Passover!

It's no joke...

Happy April Fools Day! This is NOT a joke. According to a few European agencies the next batch of referrals are on their way and the cut-off is June 15, 2006. A 6-day referral batch. Only 29 more referral days to go until we're matched with our daughter. Yeah!

UPDATE: IT IS OFFICIAL!! I'm too excited for words.

What's in a name?

Well, apparently the CCAA is now the CCCWA which has been a work-in-progress for a while. This was just posted on their website. I just hope that with this new name comes more referrals... a girl can dream...

As approved by the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform of the People’s Republic of China and upon the decision made by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the China Centre of Adoption Affairs changed its name into China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (hereinafter referred to as CCCWA) on 15 Feb., 2011. The CCCWA will continue to be responsible for dealing with inter-country adoptions and will assume the responsibility of developing, managing and maintaining the National System of Information Management for Child Welfare. Moreover, the CCCWA will also undertake tasks in relation to child welfare and domestic adoption that the MCA entrusts as well as other assigned missions.

Finding the Humor

When you wait as long as we have for this adoption to be completed, you kind of have to have a thick skin to make it through. You have to find the humor in the little things and enjoy each day. So, when I came across this illustration, it just tickled my funny bone - I mean how can our adoption journey match more closely than this?! (for those who don't know: for some reason the ladybug has taken on the symbology that a child match is imminent). And the snail, well let's just say that this wait hasn't been quick...

The Stars Must Be Aligning

Well, the stars must be aligning because it's only been 3 weeks since the last batch of referrals and they are already out with the next batch. Our agency should be making their calls tomorrow to those lucky families. On the other hand, the last batch took forever to get here and was very low in numbers, so this evens things out a bit.

The good news is that they made it through June 9, 2006 (7 LID dates). So now we're down to 35 more LIDs to go before we're matched with our daughter. Yeah! I got to cross off a few more days on the ol' calendar. Let's keep 'em coming!

Madison Protests

Well, you'd have to be living in a bubble these days to not have heard about the protests going on in Madison. No matter what your political viewpoint is, this story is HUGE. Governor Walker is trying to take away the right to collectively bargain for union workers. It's been just crazy nuts around here. On Saturday, there were any where from 70,000 to 100,000 (depending on who you talk to) people who took to the streets in protest. Most were anti-Walker protesters, but there were also pro-Walker protesters as well.

While many of our friends have gone down to the capital building to be part of history in the making, Robert and I decided to take a view from another perspective - from above in a Cessna 172. Robert flew the plane and I shot the photos. It was amazing to witness. We were also lucky that Madison Approach had several planes circling the capital at the same time with each plane being given different altitudes. We were lucky to be the lowest.

Back from the Quilter!

Got a surprise phone call this afternoon - the lady doing the long arm quilting of our 100 Good Wishes Quilt called and said it was ready and when would you like to come by to pick it up? Needing instant gratification, we rushed over this evening and picked it up. I just love it! She did a wonderful job. Her place is a bit barren in the photos as she just moved a few days ago. I can't wait for my mom to see the quilt. And even more so - our future daughter who will sleep tight under it.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing all a very Happy Valentine's Day - especially my wonderful husband Robert - I love you more than I can say. And to my parents - thank you for always being there for me when I've needed it.

Hopefully we'll have our own little Valentine by this time next year.