31 Months and still waiting...

Yesterday was our LID Anniversary... 31 months of waiting. Here's hoping that the end is in sight... The weekend has been good for me. I'm feeling better and am hopeful that referrals will be here early this week and will cover through the 17th!

And while I'm posting, I thought I'd share some Brennen cuteness. This picture was taken a few weekends ago when he spent the night. It's so cute! When he finished with breakfast, he got down and got his book and started reading. He really loves books! He flips through the pages and chatters his baby chatter! I love this little guy so much!!!

Growing My Own Ladybug Luck????

Without a doubt this has been a sad week for me. I have cried more this week over this adoption than I have in a LONG, LONG time. I don't really understand my super emotional state of being. I just know that I can barely say "China" without crying. I feel hopeful, anxious, worried, restless, and just plain fearful. This many emotions at once are hard to sort out. I can only imagine how I will feel when we get even closer. And I hope this passes soon! A girl can only tear up so many times! Today's news is that referrals will be mailed over the weekend and will most likely appear early in the week AND that the formula issue will not affect them. This is good news! I know that much lies ahead of us and I'm very anxious but am trying so hard to refind that patient happy person inside of me. One of the ways I have occupied myself this year has been through my teaching. So I decided to share this little tidbit below.... Hopefully, I won't appear to be too much of a crazy woman!



This may be a first for the adoption community... The picture above is a small container that has various stages of ladybugs. Ladybugs in the adoption community are believed to be a sign of good things... referrals. Well, with my Outdoor classroom activities at school we have grown Milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies and at this very moment have 60 Monarch Chrysalis' in our computer lab. We've hatched and released 29 already! Well, with Milkweed comes aphids and aphids attract ladybugs. So I've had my classes going on ladybug hunts in the Butterfly garden. We have now successfully found ladybug eggs, watched them hatch under a digital microscope and even have witnessed them changing from the larva stage to the pupa. The final stage we are hoping to view is the hatching of the brand new ladybug! So here is my container that i will be watching this weekend. As I look at it, I wonder how many others in the Chinese Adoption Community have ever grown their own luck! I know it's just a legend but I've had an amazing time teaching my students in the computer lab about the metamorphosis of both the butterfly and the ladybug. We're building projects about them both and have witnessed some of Mother Natures miracles right before our eyes. I really would love to see referrals come next week and I pray they will go through the 17th so that many of my Precious Panda friends will get their referrals. Then that will leave just me and one more. It's time for our little miracle to show her pretty little face! So come on referrals!!

Sad... just sad.

My heart is so sad over the formula crisis in China. I don't for personal reasons post often about things in China that upset me but this time is different. Recently it has come to light that the many babies in China are suffering from Kidney stones and kidney failure. Long story short is that the substance Melamine has been put into the powdered formula. This is the same substance that caused such a controversy a few years ago in the US because pets were dying from eating tainted dog food. This is a substance that when used causes the protein levels appear to be higher. It breaks my heart to know so many Chinese babies have been effected! As of Sept. 24th the were 53,000 sickened infants, nearly 13,000 hospitalizations, and four infant deaths, according to the Associated Press.

I'm worried that Lexi is one of the babies that have ingested the formula. No one really knows the long term effects these babies may suffer. I am also worried that this will effect upcoming referrals. Of course the Chinese government is now investigating. Formula and milk products have been pulled from the shelves and are being tested. Orphanages are testing the babies. There have been "rumors" that this crisis could slow referrals while they test babies. I may be wrong but I see no need to delay referrals. Any damage has been done. If Lexi has been exposed, I would like to get her home and begin whatever medical treatment that needs to be done. We are praying that our daughter is safe. We have been patient and have learned to handle the long, slow wait but this latest crisis is making my patience grow thin and I'm beginning to wonder if our recent confidence that our referral will be soon was false hope. We need prayer. We need some hope. We need our Lexi.

Fun With Brennen!

We got to babysit Brennen this weekend. It was long overdue! I don't know if I posted this or not but the last overnight babysitting attempt ended with us taking Brennen to his Mommy and Daddy at about mid-night because he couldn't go to sleep and I couldn't bare to let him cry for his parents. I SAY we kept him overnight but Sara was here to put him to bed and spent the night with us. Being 6 months pregnant, she decided to not go camping with Chris and came home to stay with us. We had him by ourselves though for about 6 hours. He was awesome! We had my parents and brother over for dinner so they could enjoy him as well and we all just tried to enjoy him as much as possible! He is growing up so quickly! I just can't believe how fast it happens!!! We just marvel over his energy and how easily he entertains us! He is such a happy little boy and just wants to do STUFF! He loves his books, toys and loves to be played with.

This morning I heard that Sara had gotten up with him so I jumped out of bed and asked her if she wanted to sleep some more and I took over. It was not long before Geoff was up too and as he cooked breakfast, we played and played. We made forts out of blankets and danced in the kitchen and annoyed (jealous... jealous!!!) the dogs to no end! It was too much fun! I have missed him staying with us (it's been since July!!)

Sara!

She's a mommy... a granddaughter... a great-granddaughter... a cousin... an aunt... a friend to many (including me)... a step-daughter (even though Geoff proudly says he sees her as a daughter not a step child)... but most of all she is my daughter and I love her very much! And of course, she will very soon add sister to this list of who she is!

Happy Birthday Sara! I love you sweetie!

Who needs some Brennen Cuteness??

It's been awhile since I've posted about my dear little Brennen and since I have some new photos of him taken on Labor Day weekend, I thought I'd share...



BUT FIRST....

An ADOPTION UPDATE!



This week we got news that CCAA made referrals ALL THE WAY THROUGH February 9th, 2006. This means to US... 18 more days! Of course, 18 days in China Adoption could mean many months but it also could mean a referral very soon! This month they went through 9 days. If they continue at this rate of 9 days a month, we could be looking at a November referral. I shutter to get my hopes up on this but there is always a small part of me that does! But to be honest, I'll be happy with November or December... as long as it happens! This does pretty much mean that we will most likely be traveling to China during season but THANKFULLY, Geoff now works with a company that understands and has already begun to tell him that they don't want him to worry about returning to work the day after we get home! His vacation from this year will pretty much roll over into next year so possibly he will have some time at home with me and Lexi upon our return. I'm really hoping that maybe he can arrange to work some from home because babies do sleep from time and time and maybe he could do some work via the Internet. After referrals came out this week, I had a new found hope and stepped up my plans at work. I'm working NOW towards completing media festival projects with the kids as opposed to waiting to last minute like usual and doing it in January and February. I've got the entire population of 604 students thinking of projects for us to do in the lab. I've also brought in my "cats" (aka monarch caterpillars) and am trying to get them interested in doing stuff around the entire monarch/milkweed habitat. I love teaching science/language arts/computers all at the same time! I have to admit though, I'm still pretty overwhelmed with the beginning of the year lab set-up. I'm still working every night doing things to get caught up but at least the year is already flying by! Next week the teachers will be sending home the mid-term 9 weeks progress reports! Imagine that! We're almost already half through the first of the 4 nine weeks of the school year!



So on to my original point of this post... Brennen.







Brennen taking a swim... "not too sure of this Grammie!"



"Ohhh... Grammie... I can splash!"



"Watch me doggie paddle!"



"Ah... Grammie, it's TIME for you realize that I'm getting to be a big boy now!"


"Hey Grammie, let me sit on your shoulder and watch my favorite movie... Shrek! He's so silly!"



"This is serious stuff Grammie!"





"Hey Now... I'm a ROCK STAR, get your game on.. let's play!"