Little Peapod

Baby Bunny Funny

2007-05-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

My favorite part is the very end.

The Long Wait

2007-05-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well the wait rumors have become downright scary. The Rumor Queen has had reports that 2007 parents may not get a referral unto 2009 or later. We had expected to travel during the Olympics at the LATEST and now this. The last two batches of referrals covered 2 days and 3 days. At this rate China is taking four to five months to complete one month worth of applicants. Jeff and I still have a smidge of hope that the whole thing could turn around. In the meantime we have asked our Home Study Agency to give us two new copies of our home study. One for Ethiopian Adoption and one for Domestic Adoption. They agreed to do both for
free because our original home study is not that
old. So we are prepared to take action in a few
different directions. Surrogacy is even still on
the table. We just know that in the end there
will be a person in our house that drools!
And it won't be Jeff or I!

Liki Tiki 2007

2007-04-15T22:03:00.001-07:00

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2007-04-02T06:32:00.001-07:00

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Spring Training

2007-03-25T21:05:00.001-07:00

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Wild West Murder Party 2006

2007-03-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

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Summer 2006

2007-03-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

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Panda Sneeze!!!!

2007-03-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

One more Ladybug sighting......

2007-03-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Oh and one more....
this morning when Jeff and I went to drop off the van to have some work done there was an old golden retriever at the shop. I asked the woman working there what the dogs name was and she said, "Ladybug." So there...that makes three ladybug sightings in a 24 hour period.

Ladybug sightings

2007-03-01T06:48:00.003-08:00

So in the Chinese Adoption community Ladybug sightings are considered a sign...or good luck. Yesterday I had two. One of the real variety and one embroidered on a hat which I then had to purchase. The first one was while I was working in the yard. Generally when I am in Florida and I feel a bug land on me it is reason to scream and flail and run in circles. When I looked down at this tickly thing on my hand I saw the tiniest ladybug I have ever seen. She was perfectly round and her red was bright and her black circles really stood out. I watched her for a minute and then blew on her and she flew away. Later that evening I was at a Red Sox game and decided to check out the gift shop. When I walked into the little kids clothing area there was this hat. It is not ONLY a Red Sox hat but it has Ladybugs and a red thread twirling around indicating her meandering path. Perfect. It was a must have. So my little pile of Pia clothes keeps growing.

Year of the Golden Pig and LID

2007-02-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

We got an e-mail from our agency today saying we are LID! This stands for "Log in Date" and it is the day the Chinese Government officially logs us in as an adoptive applicant. The current estimated wait time from LID is 16 months. This is a hotly debated topic. There are folks who are saying that the wait will stretch out to two years or beyond. There are folks who believe that the wait will shorten up considerably after May. 1 of this year. May 1st is the day that the new applicant rules go into effect. Everyone here has heard about the new rules I'm sure as it was plastered all over the news for a while. It involved things like income requirements, education requirements, # of marriages, # of children , NO medical issues, NO criminal history, No history of depression and so on. Pretty strict stuff. All applicant who are LID after May 1 will have to meet these new requirements. We are lucky enough to be LID before then even though we meet or exceed most of the new rules. After May 1 a "priority" system will be implemented giving people who meet more of the criteria a place ahead of those who don't. It is possible that even though we were LID way ahead of the deadline that we may benefit from this priority thing by the time the Chinese are reviewing our application. We just don't know. Anyway, the new rules basically knocked out about 40% of potential applications. So there will be a mad rush for folks to get LID before May 1 and then a big time decrease in number of applicants. This will hopefully lead to a speedup but not for a while. Last year when there were just rumors of a rules change the number of adoption application decreased. So despite the gloom and doom some are predicting....many say it just makes sense that things will speed up. ALSO adding to the whole issue is that this year is the Year of the Golden Pig. It only happens once every 60 years and women in China are scrambling to have babies this year as the babies will always have a blessed life. So from that I think there could be an increase in abandonment as unwanted Piglet girls are born to mothers who badly wanted piglet boys. The one child policy is still in effect. Maybe I'm wrong...maybe piglet babies are so desirable that they keep them no matter what the gender but I think that the societal preference for boys is so strong that even piglet girls will be cast aside. Anyway, the odds that Pia is going to be born during this year (Chinese New Year is Feb. 18th this year) is pretty darned good! I would be very happy with a Golden Pig baby and she runs a very high risk of being called piglet for the rest of her life! So anyway, in summary, we are LID!

Red Thread

2007-01-24T06:14:00.001-08:00

“There is an invisible red thread that connects a newborn child’s spirit to all who will be important in her life. The thread may stretch and even tangle, but will never break. As the child grows, the thread will shorten—drawing closer those people who are destined to be together.”—Ancient Chinese Belief

2007-01-18T19:17:00.001-08:00

2007-01-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that we are DTC (Dossier to China) today, January 8th, 2007. We are so pleased that our Dossier is finally out of this country and on it's way to China!

Now we wait for China to give us our LID (Log in Date) then we proceed to the Review Room where they will deem us the most magnificent potential parents they have EVER seen. :)

Our Nephew Jamel

2007-01-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

We dreamed of you and of your life
And all that it would be.
We waited and longed for you to come.
And join our family.
Just know our love goes deep and strong
We'll forget you never--
The nephew we had but never had
And yet will have forever.

Signs...they are EVERYWHERE!

2007-01-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Jeff and I went biking on Sanibel. We had had our New Years plans cancelled so we decided on a whim to drive out and do a little geocaching. As I was biking around we passed oodles of kids and people. As we approached a store a little girl popped out through the bushes with her Dad. She was a little Asian girl with a Caucasion Daddy. She looked at my bike and loudly exclaimed, "COOL!"
:)
She thought my odd bike ( a recumbent trike) was cool.
Of all the kids we passed that day she was the one who said something.
Even Jeff can't deny that it was, in fact, cool.

Wonderful New Adoption Video

2006-12-10T19:20:00.001-08:00

2006-12-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Our I 797C from immigration has finally arrived!
It is the final approval from the United States to adopt from China. It took exactly 40 days from start to finish. The approval was issued on Dec. 5th and arrived with Jamie up in N.H. today. He immediately called and then did us a big favor by faxing it directly to our adoption agenct. We bugged him almost everyday with , "did it come yet?" and today it finally came. Our agency received it and sent us a confirmation e-mail to congratulate us and state that our dossier was on it's way to be authenticated and translated at the Chinese embassy here in the states. The estimate that we will be DTC (Dossier to China) just on or slightly after the new year. The current wait from that point on is (at this time) 15 months. Today there is major rumors abuzz about China Adoptive Affairs instituting new requirements for international adoptions that will eliminate a large percentage of potential adoptive parents. New orphanages are being brought online and the new requirements are strict. You can read about this here http://chinaadopttalk.com/2006/12/08/the-big-meeting/
Anything we need to know about China adoption rumors we go to this page. China Adoption Affairs is kind of tight lipped about stuff so we have to rely upon moles within the adoption world.
So this is it folks. Another HUGE milestone. If the rumors prove to be true we could be parents just before the Olympics. :) We are also considering opening our request to twins. We will ask our agency if we can state that we will accept a referral of one or two children, whichever comes first. Then we will wait to see what the stork brings us. It may be too late to add this to our dossier but you never know.

What's in a name?

2006-12-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

We have , for a while now, been very attached to the name Olympia or "pia" for short. The story of how this name came to be is not very grand but it is kind of sweet. I was having a pedicure with my mother in law, June, and my sister in law, Holly, after a perfect day of shopping and yummy food. The three of us were all settled into the pedicure chairs and were happily having our toes painted and discussing the babies that were soon to join our family. Holly, is preggers with her third son and we are going to China for a little girl. So we we chatting away and I mentioned that we would likely be picking our little girl up during an Olympic year and my pedicurist, Aubrey, says, "oh, you should call her Olympia!". June, Holly and I just looked at each other and something about it just seemed right. And ever since then it has just seemed to stick. Almost everyone is referring to this mystery child as "Pia". Once in a while I hear other names that I just love and it makes me second guess our first choice. Like, Marina or Josephine. It's hard. Maybe I'll have to go get two more girls just so I can use them all.
Olympia, Marina and Josephine. I like that.

A French Family Adoption

2006-11-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

2006-11-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter, the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry.
"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't You do something?"
God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke softly. "I have done something," He replied.
"I created you."

Copenhagen and Heidi

2006-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

There was no love more genuine than mine
In giving and receiving it was pure.
Grieve not
for my legacy is pleasure
Each memory a gift that will endure
Returning you to moments fair and fine.

Maybe Copenhagen and Heidi are keeping company up above? :)
They were good dogs and they will be missed.

Christmas Wish

2006-11-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine
It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you a Merry Christmas

November 7th 2006

2006-11-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day. First and most importantly we got fingerprinted by immigration in Tampa. Now we wait for them to send us our I179 and then we fed ex it to our agency. They will take care of authentication and translation then we will be DTC (dossier to China). We had a goal to be DTC in Dec. and I really think we will make it. Then we wait to clear the review room in China Adoptive Affairs. We need to pass their standards and they are meticulous. I am starting to get more excited. It's still a long way off. I have decided to hold off on any attempts to decorate the nursery here in Florida until next year. It just seems like it's too soon.

Also today is election day! YAY! It's now 10:30 pm and we are sitting up waiting for all the polls to close. I can't wait to see all the blue states. :) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Who can resist this?

2006-11-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous collage .

After an hour...I'm hungry again!

2006-11-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Daughters of China

2006-10-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

There’s an unseen tie that binds them
A red thread that will not break.
They are woven in a tapestry
It took five thousand years to make.

Their eyes are wide with wonder
Tiny hands reach out to touch
The faces of the families
Who have wanted them so much.

The daughters of China now fly across the seas,
Off to unseen places and possibilities.
They are gifts to those who cherish them
By those who just could not.
Acts of hope and faith and love
That we never will forget.

They were given up for reasons
That most will never know.
Now they are daughters to the families
Who have come to take them home.

And someday they’ll too be mothers
And have children and a home.
Thread by thread they will tie the knots
To weave new tapestries all their own.

written by Tim Chauvin

A Banner Weekend

2006-10-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

On friday we mailed our 1600A to immigration. The turn around for that may be as little as two weeks in we are lucky. On Monday we are paper complete. We will send our photos and autobiographies to the agency in Boston. Then once immigration turns our 1600A into an I171H. Then we send our I171H into our agency. During this time our documents will be authenticated. I don't know how long this takes. I have heard four weeks. Let's hope it's faster. Then our dossier will be complete and will be sent to China. Once there it will be translated (unless the agency does this beforehand) and logged in. This is our DTC ....Dossier to China milestone. Then it gets sent to another department with China Adoptive Affairs and they will begin to review and approve us. If that goes smoothly then our dossier will be sent to the "matching room" where we will be matched to our child using any number of mysterious criteria. We have heard they match based on the mothers face but who knows how true that really is. All we care about is that she is happy and healthy. So that is where we are at in our process. As far as I can tell this is an accurate description.

Signs....yeah baby!

2006-10-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

OK....whether you believe in signs or not.... Back in August Jeff and I were out running errands the day after he told me he wanted to adopt. I was so scared and filled with fear about whether or not I was ready to be a parent. We were driving and talking about our concerns regarding being "older" parents and whether or not we could handle the lifestyle changes. We decided to stop at a yard sale where we saw a little boy selling lemonade. As I was browsing I saw a book titled , Planning a Wedding for Older Couples. I laughed and said, "Geez we could have used this." The lady hosting the yard sale said, "Well, becoming a parent at 40...now that's a real challenge." Then she went on to say how much she loved it and how she had been afraid but it was totally worth it. I was sort of gobsmacked since we had just been discussing that very thing. I told her of our possible adoption decision and she handed me six huge baby rearing books! She said, " I want you to have these." and she refused to let me pay her the 25 cents per book. Jeffrey and I got in the car and I was smiling from ear to ear because I KNEW it was a sign. He was more reserved but he did own up to the coincidence of the timing. So on we went to Walmart. While we were at walmart we entered the baby section for the first time as a couple or with any sense of purpose. Jeffrey was determined to buy a pink Red Sox uniform, size 12 months. We figured 12 months was about what our mysterious future daughter would be. I had alot of fear about buying ANYTHING because then it would be real. I would really have to be a parent. I would really have to stop sleeping in and be responsible and change diapers. So he searched and searched and found nothing. Then as we were walking away there it was...hanging on the end of an oddball rack. The only one. A size 12 months. He was super pleased with himself but yet did not want to admit that this was another sign.

OK....so two weeks later I am sick as a dog. I took some cold medicine and it caused my heart to go way too fast for several hours. My heart is the reason pregnancy may be too high risk and it is a very discouraging part of my life. The meds to control my heart should I have issues during pregnancy present very serious risks to a fetus. My options presented by my DR. seem very "lose/lose" hence the decision to adopt. Anyway, I wound up in the ER and they had to cardio convert me which means they shot medincine into my heart which is supposed to breifly stop your heart, breaking the abnormal rhythm and then your heart will restart at a more normal pace . It was a terrifying experience and just reminded me how messed up my heart can be. The next day I was driving to my DR. to make sure everything was back to normal. I was so sad at how unfit I was and so discouraged by how hard it is to exercise with an arrhythmia. I was doubting my ability to keep up with a child and just plain bummed out. On the side of the road was this gorgeous couple jogging along with a stroller and I was envious of the ease of their fitness and health. They were my age, they had a baby, they didn't worry about their tickers. I hated them. They looked like an LL Bean advertisement. I glanced at the jogging stroller and there was a little chinese face looking right at me. Even though I felt like I was whizzing by... time stood still and she smiled at me and then she waved.
Now that's a sign! Even Jeff had to agree.
Go ahead.....make fun of me. I don't care! :)

2006-10-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our adoption photo. Not too shabby considering we did it ourselves.

Busy paperchase

2006-10-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Oct. 3 we went to Boston to interview at the offices of China Adoption with Love. We made our way to Brookline just on the outskirts of the city. The area was close to where Jeff used to work and live so he got us there easily enough. I had never been to that part of town and it was very interesting and cool to drive through. We found parking at a grocery and found the office tucked away on a second floor above the shops. The office had the feel of an old elementary school. Very modest and small. They seemed to be focused on the kids as little happy faces lined their walls. Money was not being spend on office furnishings. We felt welcome and comfortable. Our interview went well. I think the CAWLI representative got a good feel for us and we for her. She was very open and helpful. When we couldn't think of just the right questions to ask she guided us and kept the information coming. It was generous and reassuring. We could not be happier with our decision to switch agencies. It's a very serious relationship and if trust is not there then you have to do what is right for your future family.

On wednesday we met Jamie at the Raymond Town hall to get a number of documents notarized. I got my first insensitive comment at the town hall. A woman said,"China...what a barbaric country. They kill children." Ummm.... not sure how to respond so we just stood quietly while the documents were finished. On Thursday Jeff got up at 6AM to drive to Windham to get his adoption physical and to Derry to get a blood draw. Poor guy had to fly home to be at work. That same day I went to Concord to deliver the notarized Documents to DCYF and the State Police. While I was at the state police they ran Jeff, Jamies and my police records and cleared us. Then I went and had my blood drawn. It was a hectic week. Saturday we went leaf peeping and to the fryburg fair. The weather was incredible. Sunday we went to Jamies store and shopping in Newington. We took the remainder of our adoption photos in the beautiful foliage. We need five pictures of Jeff and I both seperate and together. We need pics of the inside and outside of this house as well as the outside of the southern house. And tonight we have to write our autobiographies!!!! The paperchase is hectic!

Little Peapod Shoes!

2006-09-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Little Peapod shoes for Miss Pia

Lessons I've Learned About Adoption So Far

2006-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading my earlier posts when we were trying to choose an agency. Ah.....I was so foolish. I chose my agency based on how friendly the people on the phone were and the quality of the materials they sent. Little did I know that you choose your agency based on things like
1) Researching the agency on yahoo groups. Many opinions...very helpful.
2) Thinking about how important it is to have a local agency. So that you have a close network of families with children from China to socialize with.
3) Cost. Yes...it's ok to comparison shop. You are not BUYING a child. But you are paying for a service and the agency fees can vary wildly and for no good reason!
4) China specific agency. We initially thought a multi-nation agency would be a good thing. We thought that if the China adoption fell through we could just switch our funds to another country. Well, having a China specific agency provides with a level of service that the other agency could not. EAC services 100 China parents a year but only has three employees assigned to the China desks. CAWLI has lots of employees who are all experts on china adoption.
5) Medical advice and assistance on the trip. CAWLI sends a Dr. on the trip with you.

So....we are learning as we go and getting smarter every day.

September 2006

2006-09-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

We are in the thick of the paperchase! I have so much to do before we can leave the state to go to Florida. Our home study interviews are over and it was so easy. I had been so anxious for this and I really had nothing to worry about. Our social worker, Allison, was the most professional and kind person to work with. She gave us good advice and encouragement and was so tactful in her questions. Some of the home study questions can be pretty thought provoking and all you can do is take your time and answer them honestly. It's funny how a question like, "What is your spouses greatest strength and weakness?" can catch you off guard. Sounds like an easy question, right? But when you complicate your thinking by trying to gear your answer towards looking like attractive potential parents it can get all muddled. So I just tried to answer those questions with out working any angles and tried to relax. So now we are waiting to go have our Dr. appointments to certify our health. We have also decided to switch agencies. I won't get into it too much here but if any adoptive parents ever ask me in private e-mail I will respond. We are so happy to be working with CAWLI out of Brookline, MA. They seem helpful and responsive and very interested in making sure we are quality people rather than just able to pay them. This past weekend we decided to take a week off and go up Maine. It was really nice. I have been really sick with a nasty bug and needed to get out of the house. We found some super sweet things for little "Pia". Pia is from Olympia which is our current name for our baby. We'll see if it lasts. It really seems to be sticking. :)

2006-08-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Adoption1
Uploaded by ludo

The Day we Decided

2006-08-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

It's more like the Day my husband decided to become a father. We have struggled with the idea of becoming parents but never quite finished the discussion. One day I said to him....so what about kids and he said, " I'm ready. Let's adopt." I blustered and hemmed and hawed and didn't think he was serious. He said he was sure and that we should start investigating it right away because it would probably take a while. So for the last three days we have gotten oodles of packets from agencies and I have fluctuated from panic to fear to happiness. I'm very confused. And everytime I approach Jeff and say, " Are you sure about this?" I expect him to reply, "I think so." or something equally wishy washy (like me) but instead he says "Yes, I'm sure." Freaky.
I think we have decided to go with Great Wall of China Adoption Agency. Their DVD was outstanding and they have had alot of positive press. I only found one negative review of them on the internet and all it said was that Great Wall was only interested in money. Hmmm. They are a non-profit. I hope we are making the right choice. Anyway, we are attending an adoption seminar tonight at the Library for another agency. We'll see how that goes. I'm greatly intimidated by the paperchase aspect of it all. Great Wall does all of your paperwork authentication for you. That would be helpful.
So to sum it all up.....on August 12, 2006 Jeffrey decided we were going to become parents.