I don’t look like my mommy
People have started to say
I don’t look like my mommy
So I asked her why one day
"Some babies are so special,
They come in different ways
Some must wait for their babies
For days and days and days
Some babies come from close by
The Mom who had them could not stay
Other Mommies are waiting for them
For a baby they pray and pray and pray
Other babies are born in a far-away land
The mommy who had them no longer there
But some Mommies fly across the sea
A baby’s love to share
You may have a different skin color
Or a different kind of hair
But the love Mommy has for her baby
Will truly always be there
No matter how you or I look
One thing will always be true
You are my precious baby
And I will always love you"
~ Victoria Carrington
I bought these Gymboree pants from the sunflower fields line on eBay gently used. I got as excited about these pants as Sedona does for doggy treats! The paper lanterns pattern onesie and baby blanket packages arrived today too. They are lovely, and make me want to go out and buy some Dreft.
Tonight at Barnes and Noble I was blissfully browsing the International Cooking section when my happy thoughts of steamed dumplings and moon cakes were interrupted. A couple looking about 19 years old were looking at What to Expect When You're Expecting, whispering about what's going on in their 7.5 week old pregnancy. I started to turn a little green with envy until I began thinking of this cartoon, an amused grin appeared on my face, and the interruption became much more bearable!
Here's a project to keep pre-adoptive mommas busy. I've been browsing Etsy lately and looking at all of the beautiful handmade items that people have for sale. I've seen so many people on Etsy selling burp cloths and bibs. I've been thinking, "You know, with some instructions... surely even I could do this." Well, I found some instructions and it's a go! I've got the cloth diapers, my sewing machine is out, and I'm just waiting for the fabric to arrive. Here's a neat site with lots of beautiful Asian fabrics. I'll start with simple burp cloths first and see how it goes before I take on a bib. I've ordered some fabrics online today and can't wait to start!
Here we are at six months on the waiting list for a referral. This was to be our average anticipated wait time. We're looking for you, little one... wherever you are.
"If I keep a green bough in my heart,then the singing bird will come." - Chinese proverb
When we prepare to succeed and believe in our goals,
it’s almost inevitable that we will accomplish them.
What we think about comes about.
No more crying. It doesn't help, just drives me nuts. I'm working on my chi this week, needing some positive energy as I wait, and wait, for news. Retail therapy to the rescue! I've discovered gently used and NWT (new with tags) Gymboree on eBay, and have bought some items from the retired paper lanterns line that I'm very excited about. I also found this bird and blossoms art print on Etsy. It's my inspiration for the week, and I will frame it with this Chinese proverb for Hannah Claire's nursery.
My bloggy friends Jeff and Abbey have got word of their final ruling today and are ready to travel! Just three weeks until they are in Taiwan taking pictures all around town and in the hotel room with the real Reed. Who is going to watch Flat Reed while Jeff and Abbey are away in Taiwan? I am so excited for this little family and their blessings!
I'm feeling a little better this weekend. I've been anxious last week about getting our family approved by St. Lucy's Center or Chung Yi. I'm trying not to think about it, and work doing all of the house cleaning and laundry that I didn't do while I was in my funk. An update from our agency is supposed to come this week. I don't think I want to know when our info is in Taiwan for approval then matching with a child, because I know it will really stress me out. Ignorance isn't bliss, but it's much less stressful.
We heard today our update will come Wednesday or Thursday. Today at work I decided that I'm done putting in overtime. My nerves can't take waiting for adoption news AND working 10-15 hours overtime every single week. Summer is nearly over and I feel like I missed it. Kevin's taking me out for dinner now. I think it's a two margarita night. "Yes, Sir. I'll have another. Thank you." That reminds me of a t-shirt for sale. Maybe I need one of these???
I stare at the phone, then check the dial tone. I hit the send/receive button once, twice, three times. No mail. Just eager for news tonight and suffering from tension headaches. Can't seem to concentrate and get it together to do all of the other things I need to get accomplished. I want news so badly I'd even eat canned fermented raw salted pork in return for adoption news. That's right, ewwwww! Send/receive again. No mail. Sigh.
We checked out a few books on Taiwan today at the library, and I read that the plum blossom is the national flower of Taiwan. Now I'm thinking I'd like to paint a mural of a plum blossom tree in a corner of the nursery arching up over the window and maybe growing up on part of the ceiling too. Pretty, symbolic, and not so babyish as Hannah Claire grows up!
After posting this picture from Sedona's birthday, my neighbors brought Sedona over a birthday present. Does Sedona have the best neighbors in the world, or what? Frozen doggy ice cream treats! She liked it as much as ice cream, and there's not so much sticky face syndrome when she's done.
We went to my grandparents' lake home as family friends from Germany are visiting this week. Mmmmm. Our friends brought lots of German chocolate! The weather was sunny but not too hot... just right for cat napping on a blanket in the grass watching boats go by. Many went innertubing on Sunday as the lake wasn't very crowded. Sedona got to go on a boat ride in my dad's fishing boat and seemed to enjoy it as long as she was in my arms. She slept with us nicely in a camper, but only after growling at a huge German shepherd outside. I can't believe she "talked back" at a big dog that was many, many, many times bigger than our little 10 pound squirt is! We also visited my other grandma in the nursing home. The babydog sat on laps and gave kisses to some people who really enjoyed a little doggy lovin'. That's my good girl!
We're at the 5 month mark today. The waiting has gotten easier and easier lately. I think it's gotten easier for several reasons: the answer to my prayers, from the support we've gotten from family and friends in our local community and Taiwan adoption community, and of course the growing pile of "retail therapy" from Gymboree helps me smile and think about fun things to come.
Friday morning as I was hurriedly getting into my car to go to work, I saw my neighbors across the street setting up for a garage sale. I spied not one but two strollers in their driveway! I ran back inside and woke Kevin up. "Kevin, the neighbors are setting up for a garage sale and they have strollers. Get up quick before the sale starts and someone buys them! If you like one, buy it!" Now, take in mind Kevin is not a morning person... and does not wake up nicely. He's a grouchy bear! I was pleasantly surprised that Kevin rubbed his eyes, got dressed appropriately for 7:45am on a Saturday morning, and went over and checked them out. The neighbors had a single and a double. The momma neighbor teased Kevin and tried to get him to take the double too! When filling out immigration paperwork for our adoption, people often tell you to list 2 children so that way you can get a referral for twins if they come along. We very purposely wrote a 1 on our form so that there's no way we could be tempted into 2. One is all we can handle! If Sedona doggie gets tired of walking, there's plenty of room for her to ride in the bottom stroller basket.
Great Grandma Marjorie sent a gift home from Florida with Kevin. She knitted Hannah a poncho. Isn't that sweet? Thanks, Marjorie! It's beautiful.
Nick Jr. has announced that Ni Hao, Kai-Lan will premier on Monday, October 22nd. I'm putting it on my calendar to remind Kevin to program the Tivo. We'll start saving episodes and burn them to a DVD for Hannah. I really hope it's a cute show!
Last weekend when I went shopping with another Taiwan PAP (that's adoption lingo for pre-adoptive parent), I took her to an Asian grocery that I like to explore. We both chose some drinks from the refrigerator as it was a nice hot summer day. I picked out a can of "Chin Chin Grass Jelly Drink" because A) oh so weird! B) it was made in Taiwan and C) the jelly factor made me think it might be something like bubble/boba tea. Well, after we left the store we started girl talk and I half forgot about my drink and half was a little scared to try something that might turn out to be totally gross in front of someone I just met. So, I didn't open the drink. When I got home, I decided to save it for when Kevin got home from his trip. Yeah, make Kevin try it first!
Tonight I'm googling the words Taiwan and Indiana and learned that Indiana exports a huge amount of food soybeans to Taiwan. Thanks, Taiwan, for buying my community's soybeans for your tofu!
eBay is a source for wonderful things. I've been planning on hanging paper lanterns in Hannah Claire's nursery for a long time. I found some online stores that had several designs that are simply amazing, but tonight I found the lanterns I want on eBay. Here I could buy 10 for the price that I'd pay for 3 from a regular retail website. This way I won't have to worry about the lanterns falling down and breaking. I'll have backups!
I've been thinking and praying a lot about the different ways families are formed. Our family's future is being stitched together by God through birth family, social workers, loving nannies, governments, judges, and notaries. Thank you to every one who is helping us and praying for us down the road to grow a family.
Today I received the e-mail from our agency that I've been waiting for. The conservative estimate is that it will be two to four more months for our referral of a healthy infant girl. The storks have been delivering a lot of baby boys lately, so the "blue list" has been moving much more quickly than the "pink list." This news is pretty much exactly what I expected to hear.
I first heard of Bubble Tea (also called Boba tea) while reading a Taiwan adoption blog. (Obviously, I do a lot of that nowadays.) Anyway, I've always wanted to try it, and decided to order an at home kit that we'll make when we celebrate our referral. Never heard of bubble tea or boba tea before?According to Wikipedia: Bubble tea is a tea beverage that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. The term "bubble" refers to the tapioca balls in the drink. These chewy tapioca balls, or "pearls," are consumed along with the beverage through a wide straw. Bubble tea is extremely popular in Asia, California, and Canada.I've purchased two bubble tea kits, one for our family, and one for the gift basket for the winner in our "guess our referral date" game. That way, you can celebrate along with us from wherever you are. You'll have everything you need for a little bubble tea party: flavored mixes, two kids of tapioca balls, special cups, and wide straws.
I called our agency this week. All families are supposed to be getting updates soon. I've read on message boards that there's been a lot of infant boy referrals lately. That could push our time line back a little bit. We'll see. The waiting stage now is fine. I'm sure it's much worse for families after referral when you have those baby pictures and just want to hop on an airplane now to go see her/him and kiss those sweet baby cheeks.
The polls will close at midnight this Monday, June 25th in the "guess our referral date" game. I've made a calendar that you can click on to see where everyone's guesses fall. Just click on the image to see a larger size. I'll post a picture of the prize after the polls close... but let's just say it contains a bottle of wine and other food goodies from Indiana, and a children's book with a Taiwan theme. Something for adults and little ones! If you can't figure out how to post a message in the comments section (That's you, Dana! *haha*), then send me an e-mail at journeytohannahclaire@gmail.com and I'll add your date to the calendar. Locals can just tell me at work too. You know where to find me at work this weekend!
"No licks!" is a phrase that you'll hear around our house a lot these days. We're trying to break Sedona of her licking obsession. She doesn't lick herself, just people. She'll lick your toes, your face, your ankle, your hand, and even the pillow that you sleep on because it smells like you. If you lay down on the floor, she thinks it's time for a "lick fest" and that you laid down just so that she could lick you all over. I really don't want our baby learning to crawl, walk, etc. to be subjected to these "lick fests." Sedona is really a good little dog, minus the never ending supply of kisses. We're just too well loved by our dog. Suggestions welcome.
Our next door neighbors have four wiener dogs. Well, they did have four daschunds until yesterday when Moo their long-haired had four puppies, three girls and a boy... now totaling eight wiener dogs under one roof. Moo's a first time mother and freaked out a little bit when she went into labor, but those mothering instincts kicked in full gear between delivering puppy 1 and puppy 2. She cleaned them all up and is very protective, growling when the other adult dogs come near their pen. Moo hates going outside to do her business, wanting back into the house and back to her babies right now! What's really interesting is that Annabelle, one of the other dogs, is pregnant too. Annabelle has a huge belly, and should be due in a few weeks. Annabelle wants Moo's babies. Annabelle would steal them if she could... wanting to run off with Moo's babies and mother them. What do breeding wiener dogs have to do with adoptions from Taiwan? I'm not sure... but I found their behavior pretty interesting! I haven't started barking at other people's children wanting to carry them off in my mouth... yet. And if you know anyone that wants a daschund puppy, let me know!
We went out to dinner last week with a family with two cuties from China, ages 4 and 5. The little girls wanted to go to the local Chinese buffet. We discovered that both of our families are very fortunate to developed great friendships with the owner, Susan. My favorite parts of the evening involved talking with their youngest. She told me, "I like Tigers! Roarrrrrr!" and showed me her tiger claws. I asked the girls if they helped their mommy out at home. Here's the reply: "Yes." What do you do? "We polish the floors." Oh, really? Do you do them by hand or help mommy with a machine? She gives me a funny look and replies, "We don't use our hands, we use a cloth!"
I would like to dedicate the 100th post of our adoption blog to my husband and best friend, Kevin. You're going to be such a great dad to our child. Sedona and I love you!
In order to play, just post a date as a comment to this post with the date that you've selected as the big day. If you don't have a blogger account, be sure you leave your name and e-mail address. I will send a special care package prize to the person who selects the closest date. Entries must be submitted in the next two weeks, by June 25th. No cash value, and need not be present to win. (joke) I'll e-mail you to let you know that you've won, and to get your snail mail (real) address to send you your prize.
This is it, the Hannah Banana onesie. Well, Gymboree calls it Monkey Island - Tropical Monkey bodysuit, but I know it's really the Hannah Banana onesie that they made just for me. It's inevitable that anyone named Hannah will be called "Hannah Banana", right? How many words can you think of that rhyme with Hannah? I've been wanting some clothing with bananas on it too. Even better... my dad used to turn my plain white 70s disposable diapers into my "monkey pants" with little Sharpie marker and a whole lot of humor. I have a feeling that Grandpa Roy still has talent to make more pairs of monkey pants for Hannah Claire.
I've been thinking a lot about our daughter... at the stop light, as I lie in bed trying to go to sleep at night, and as I pull grassy weeds that creep into the mulch. Has she been born into this world? It's likely... but maybe not quite yet. I look at cans of formula at the grocery store and wonder what kind she's eating... milk based, soy? Does she have reflux and spit up a lot? What does her birth name mean? What things do her nannies whisper into her ear and sing to her as they comfort her cries?
