Waiting

Waiting
By Karen Cooper

I haven't met you yet or seen your face,
but in my heart you hold a place.
My hopes grow with each passing day,
even though you're miles away.
I know you're there waiting for me,
As I am here waiting to see,
the child God has sent from above,
to make me a mother and share all my love.

Nashville Get-Together

Well, after close to 3 years of waiting for our daughter and about 2.5 years of "chatting" daily over the internet, we decided we needed to meet face-to-face. There are about a dozen of us who have become very close since our chat group started in January 2007. As the wait has become longer and longer, we have become closer and closer. There were 5 of us who met for the weekend (Autumn and family surprised us for lunch on Friday) These ladies are all logged-in during July 2006 and using the same agency as we are, so many of them may actually get to travel to China with us (I do hope it's all of them - it's going to be hard to not have them nearby for support). We have become eachother's support system - getting through the good and the bad days that we all have. I am very lucky to have them all!

Here are a few snapshots of the weekend

Our Hotel: Gaylord Opryland Hotel


The "Ma Ma Sisterhood" (the name we call our little group)
Charity, Beth, Lori, Autumn, Sue, and Cary


The whole gang including kids and dads


Eating dinner at the Rainforest Cafe

Charity and I


Cary and I onstage at the Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry)

Pink Ladybug Sighting!

In the Chinese adoption community, a ladybug sighting is a sign your referral is quickly approaching. To help things along, I've added another store to my CafePress line-up. I decided I needed some cute pink ladybugs (and a speed-up in the referral process!).

100% of all proceeds go to support the needs of Chinese children who are waiting to be adopted through such charities as Love Without Boundaries, Half the Sky Foundation, and CCAI's charities.

http://www.cafepress.com/pinkladybugshop

June Referrals Are In!

Well, it looks like the June referrals are in! Still waiting on the official cut-off, but it looks like it is going to be March 20, 2006. So, those whose Log-In dates were from 3/15/06 thru 3/20/06 are getting "the call" right now!

This means that we have 116 more Log-In Dates to go until we're referred our daughter. Getting closer...

Official Notice:

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before June 30, 2007.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before March 20, 2006.

Father's Day and Anniversary Wishes...

Wishing all Fathers and Fathers-to-be a Happy Father's Day!

Also, a Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary to my wonderful parents!
I LOVE YOU!!

Good things come to those who wait...

I have been waiting many years for our refrigerator to "die" so I could get my french door style refrigerator that I had been eying... Well, it finally happened. I noticed the gasket around the refrigerator section had a crack in it - and so, it has come to pass that it needed to be replaced. Well, after much research and driving myself totally crazy, we went out and bought the Samsung French Door refrigerator (26 cu. ft). I will be able to fit lots of food in here! Oh, goodie! It's going to get delivered in about a week or so. I feel as giddy as a school-girl! It's the little things in life that make us so happy!

Next in line are our stove (we've already tried to break that one twice) and our noisy, but still working dishwasher. It's only a matter of time... Hope it's sooner than later. We hate them both, but can't see spending the money if they aren't broke. You know the saying "if it aint broke, don't fix it!"

Tuberculin Test Required for Adoptees

The US Consulate in Guangzhou has sent out a notice that in order to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immigration requirements (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/ti_tb_8_9_2007.pdf), all Chinese immigrants, including adopted children, 2-14 years old must have a tuberculin test completed before the visa appointment at the US Consulate in Guangzhou. (Note: this does affect those adopting from other countries as well...)

Effective July 1, 2009, the tuberculin skin test will be completed for adoptive children ages 2-14 during the regular medical examination in Guangzhou, and results will be read within 48 to 72 hours. If the skin test result is positive, a chest x-ray will be performed. Based upon the results of the chest x-ray, a physical exam and the child’s medical history, the panel physician will determine the appropriate classification of tuberculosis, if any. Further testing and treatment prior to immigration may be required. Our agency, CCAI, does not anticipate this new procedure will create significant delays to adoption travel groups.

Got Our New I-171H Form

Well, we got our newest I-171H form in the mail on Saturday!
I-171H expires on 10/22/2010
Fingerprints expire on 8/27/2010

Let's hope we don't have to go through this one more time... Keep those fingers and toes crossed!

My Hubby, the Pilot

His lifelong ambition to get his private pilot license has finally come true. He passed his oral exam and the flight check with the FAA examiner today. Now he can fly planes on his own. I am so proud of him!

UPDATE: We just received some photos from the day, so here are a couple...

Robert right after passing his check ride with Examiner "Duffy" Gaier.
Robert on his way home after getting his license!

My Fortune Cookie

Today I opened up a fortune cookie and got this for my fortune. It made me think about this wait for our daughter. I've really learned the word "patience" and maybe it's made me stronger for it. Through all the difficulties that this wait has caused, I have found an equal number of blessings - I've been able to make some wonderful friends who are also (or have already) adopted a child from China (as they truly understand what we're going through), a wonderful husband and extended family, and have gotten lots of "last trips before our child arrives" in (I am a travel addict!)