OMG!!! ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT!!!!

Well, according to the Rumor Queen there are referral phone calls being made in Europe today...if they really made it through 2/28/06 then that means there are only 7 days left!! We've been waiting so long and taking our time about so many things...we're really not ready...don't get me wrong we're ready for her tomorrow if they will give her to us! but our home isn't!!! We need carpet in her room, wires organized and hidden, safety latches put on, shelves put up, bathrooms renovated, and the list goes on...we're just so clueless we have no idea how to do any of it! I have the next week off...I think I'm going to learn as I go and just start doing some things starting with my shower. I'm going to tear out the old tile and just figure it out as I go...how hard can it be?? Of course Dan is doing his share, like right now he's setting up his blu ray player that Santa gave him because what baby doesn't need a blu ray player in their nursery!! LOL!! That's about the extent of his handy man abilities...but I know he will be the best Daddy ever so that's ok with me! Well, lots to do so I'm signing off...we are hoping that since they did two batches of referrals this month it was because they want to get another in before the Chinese New Year celebration which begins 1/26/09. I hope that's true!! OMG, they only have to get through 7 more days 'til we see our beautiful baby!!! WOOHOO!!!

Merry Christmas!

To all of our friends and family we wish you a very Merry Christmas and the best new year of your life! We are certain that it will be our best ever!! There are no new rumors out there but we are keeping our hopes up that the CCAA will finish out February this month. Wow! that would be great!!! Oh boy would that be a super great Christmas gift!! As soon as we hear anything we'll let you know!

12 Drummers Drumming!!!

Oh my goodness!!! We are beside ourselves with excitement! The new cut off date is 2/23/06. That means China moved through 6 days last month and we only have 12 more to go!! It's hard to believe how close we are. We can do 12 days with our eyes closed, after all we've already gotten through 274, what's 12 more!!! Yippee!!! Hooray!!! Woohoo!!! YES!!!

Nothing Solid Yet...

Well, Rumor Queen has her first rumor posted but it's not solid yet. She's hearing 2/23 or 2/24 as the next cut off date. We were, of course, hoping for more days but if they get through 2/24 that would be really great too! Now we just have to be patient over the next few days until the CCAA lets us know what date they got to this month. It's hard finding patience every month especially when we will soon be approaching 3 years of waiting!! Ugh!! Keep thinking 3/7/06 for the next cut off...eventually we'll get there!

Twelve

So, since we are a couple of weeks into this month and probably a couple of weeks until the next batch of referrals, I got to thinking about our wait (imagine that) and how, even at this incredibly sloooooooww rate, we are getting awfully close.

We started with 286 log-in dates before us. There are now 18. 18 days left. Of those, 6 are weekend days and, usually, there are no log-ins on the weekends, so technically, there are 12 more log-in dates before us. TWELVE!! If the CCAA can speed up just a little tiny bit, they could get through that in just 2-3 months. Of course they could also slow down, but let's not even think about that. Twelve actually days of people logged in before us.

As of today, we are at 988 days since we logged in (give or take a few hours and such). Don't believe me? Check the bottom of the page!! (I'll pause a moment while you check...see!!). (Actually, it occurs to me that that will only work if you are reading this the day I post it...oh, well). In any case, this means that we are 12 days from reaching 1000 days since we were logged in. TWELVE!!

When we started this process, we never dreamed we would be waiting more than 1000 days, but there it is!! March 7th (our log-in day in 2006) has come and gone twice since we were first logged in and there is a very real possiblity (or likelihood depending on how you look at the numbers) that it will pass one more time before we get our referral. I am hoping that we have the referral long before then. Hopefully by my birthday or, at the latest, Denise's, which is MArch 2nd. IF we had the referral by her birthday, there would be roughly 4 more referrals. This is an average of only 4.5 days (including those weekend days) per month. Very do-able!!

Of course, it would be very exciting if they could go a bit faster than that. All it would take is 1-2 larger batches, not even ridiculously large, just larger than normal. Just a couple of months ago they moved about 9 days. If they did that this month, it would be half of our wait. If it happened twice, we would have a referral before the end of the year. Not likely, but possible!!

In any case, unless the entire adoption process just freezes, this is the last Christmas Denise and I will spend as a 2-person family. Last month is the last Halloween we will not have someone to take trick-or-treating. Next week is our last Thanksgiving that Denise will prepare a meal without a little girl helping, watching, or playing nearby. 42 days from now is the last time the ball will drop on another year that Denise and I did not have a child. There is not only a possiblity, but a strong likelihood that we will be celebrating Mothers Day and Fathers Day 2009 not as expecting parents, but as current parents.

Who could be upset with that exciting news brewing?? Gigi is almost here!!

Yep! 2 Days!

Well, it's official...the cut off for October was 2/17/06. As sad as we are that it was only 2 days of LIDs we're still celebrating that we only have 18 days to go!!! Especially when we think about when we started we had 286 days to go, 18 is a piece of cake!! Plus we have the holidays to distract us and they always go fast...so hopefully Santa will bring us some very large matches for the next few months!!

Still Nothing Official...

Well, it's not official yet but it seems that they only moved two days this month. Ugh!! It looks like 2/17/06 is the cut off and not 2/20! Sad!!! This will take our wait down to 18 more days which every little bit helps of course but it is very frustrating!!! I hope this isn't the newest trend. The average of 5-6 days a month was tough enough but 2 days is just insane!! I guess Dan really will be 40 before we get Gigi and I'll be shortly behind him! Well, i guess it's meant to be this way and I have no control over the matter so I'm just going to be thrilled to be two days closer to my little princess! I'll write again when it's official.

Still No Word...

There was one rumor that the cut off will be 2/20 which is 5 days. This is the only rumor out there other than the CCAA is still matching. We hope to hear more tomorrow, 11/2. I can't believe there's only 2 months left to 2008! This year went by super fast. The holidays always zip by too. In a way that's good for us because all this waiting is making us crazy!! I just hope after Gigi comes home time slows down a bit so we can really enjoy each other and not be amazed that she's about to start college while we wonder where the time went!! LOL! Thanks for checking in...I'll post the cut off date as soon as we have one! Hopefully it will be more than the 5 days predicted.

Waiting for the Rumors!!

It's our favorite time of the month...rumor time! We're just waiting to hear how much closer October will bring us to our little princess! We'll post something as soon as we hear something...meanwhile, keep thinking positive thoughts for a big number of matches this month!!! Big Number! A double digit would be amazing!!!

September Rumor...

Well, it's unofficially official...September has brought us 6 days closer to our princess! Babies were matched with log in dates through 2/15/06!!! That means there are only 20 more days to go for us!! Woohoo!! That's so wonderful! If they keep up with matching 6 days a month that means only 4 more months for us! Let's hope for more than 6 days over the next couple of months and it could be even sooner!!!

What a difference 1 day makes

Still waiting on this month's referrals. Last month proved to be exceptional as they got all the way to February 9th. Earlier this week there were BAD rumors that they may only refer 1 day this month due to concerns regarding the recent "fake formula" scare. While this would have been understandable, it would have been disheartening after the (relatively) large batches of the last 2 months. Luckily, rumors now sound a bit more optimistic, with most stating they should get through around the 15th or more. Hopefully, referrals will be sent out early next week and we will get a confirmation of how far they get. Most online sites are optomistic they will get through the end of February before the end of this year. I am hoping they get about a week further since we are March 7th. Still hoping (if not completely confidently) for a referral and picture for Christmas!!

More details, of course, as we get them.

Yes!!!!!

Just a quick update to yesterday's post from Denise. The cut-off date is officially 2/9/06, which means only 26 more log-in dates until our date of March 7, 2006. Hopefully we will have a few large months, but even if they stick with the pattern of the last several months and only have 2-4 days per month, we could still see a referral before the end of the year.

Even if we do not have a referral, it should be awfully close. And with the busy schedules both of our jobs have the next several months, not to mention our impending vacation and the hectic holiday season, time should stop standing still and actually move for a while.

Please Santa...all I want for Christmas is to see Gigi (at least in the referral photo)!! Everybody keep praying for LARGE BATCHES!!!

Talk to you again soon!!

OMG!!!! It might be 2/9/06!!

The Rumor Queen is reporting that half a dozen agencies are reporting 2/9/06 as the next cut off date!!!! Woohoo!! I hope this is true! 2/1-2/5 was part of the Chinese New Year in 2006 so there shouldn't have been anyone logged in during that time so technically if they went through 2/9 that is 4 days of referrals. That doesn't sound like a lot but some months we've seen as few as 2 so we're very excited. I'm not going to count my chickens yet but this would be really great news if it was true!

Where are the rumors?

As we come to the close of another month I'm anxiously waiting to hear rumors about this month's cut off date. Please let it be double digits!!! I hope everyone enjoyed this month as much as I have. Thanks to our DVR I was able to be immersed in the Olympics and what an incredible and exuberating time that was! From the awesome opening ceremony all the way through the fun of the closing ceremony I thorougly enjoyed every moment....I felt like I was part of the excitement while watching Michael Phelps accomplish world records, Nastia and Shawn take gold in gymnastics, the Redeem team make basket after basket, Turner and Walsh owning beach volleyball, and the list goes on. But the best experience that I am so grateful for is getting to see a glimse of my daughter's beautiful country. Dan and I are looking forward to visiting China and experiencing it first hand...with the exception of eating bugs on a stick! but we'll take lots of pictures for everyone to see! Of course, we'll treasure our "souvenir" more than words can express...only 35 more days!!! and hopefully soon to be much less!

Goodbye January (and good riddance!!)

So the roller coaster continues. After waiting and waiting for a big batch this month, we were advised by every online site possible that the CCAA had only referred through January 27th (2 whole days in a month) which, after only getting 3 days the month before was understandably disappointing. Even our agency advised us that it appeared that the 27th was the cut-off. We moved on, hoping for a post-Olympics surge next month.

Flash forward to this morning, I open my email and there is an update from our agency stating that the CCAA actually referred through January 31st!!! FOUR MORE DAYS for a total of SIX DAYS THIS MONTH!! This is somewhat strange because everything we have heard has told us that the CCAA, along with all other Chinese Government Agencies, was closed from Jan. 28-Feb 5 of 2006 for the Chinese New Year. Apparently there may be some folks who were logged in during that period. Very odd!!

In any case, the big news in the middle of this confusion is that finally, FINALLY, China has completely referred January of 2006. It has taken them about seven months to do so, but next month we are essentially guaranteed to see February dates. If they can at least get to February 7th (which if there was any truth to those closure dates for the Chinese New Years should not be out of the realm of possibility) we would be one month (the short month of February at that) away from Gigi!!

WOO to the HOO!!!!

Ugh!!

Two days is indeed better than nothing which is what we expected around the Olympics but it's just hard to swallow when you're in the thick of it!

Someone posted this link on the Rumor Queen site. I thought it was interesting. NBC aired it Saturday morning. The host is Lester Holt and he discusses the current adoption situation in China.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=39933696&searchid=f6c2f280-7ac4-40df-a920-689503f1e1ae

Still not sure

As we continue to wait for an "official" cut-off date, we have begun hearing that there may have only been 2 days of referrals this month. Odd since that would take it to January 27 2006 and there were no log-in dates between Jan. 28th and February 5th. You would think that, even if they did not get 2/6 they would make 2/5 the cut-off so it looked a bit longer. Not that it really makes a difference if they did not have that 3rd day, but it would have still been nice to get out of January. Oh, well...it is not official yet so we can keep hoping. Either way, unless they just stop completely we will definitely see a February date next month and we should only have 28 days of referrals between us and Gigi.

Latest Rumor

The latest rumor on the Rumor Queen site is that matching has begun but no word yet on a cut-off date. Think double digits...big batch!! I imagine they will get through at least 1/26 & 1/27 and with the Chinese New Year having been 1/28 - 2/5 in 2006 we should see a February date!! It won't be due to a large batch but we'll take it!! Keep those prayers and positive thoughts focussed on a big batch!!

Rumors

Well, there's nothing to report yet...the biggest concern is if China will even match babies this month because of the Olympics. There's speculation that the CCAA will be closed during the Olympics so if they don't get out a batch before the Olympics then most likely they won't have any during either. I hope this is not the case. We are very hopeful and focusing on the next set of referrals being made by early in August and it will be a big batch!! Think double digits everyone!!!

Dad Update

Thank you and keep those prayers coming!! My Dad is doing better this morning. The doctor went down his throat with a scope and found a "naked" blood vessel which he took care of at the time. He lost a lot of blood so they're giving him blood to help him get his strength back. Now he just needs to recover...please keep sending those positive thoughts and prayers his way and my mom's too! thank you!!!

Please Say a Prayer for My Dad

My Dad is not feeling well and I would appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers to help him get better. We're at the hospital now and they're doing tests to see what they can do to help him. I know he will get better and be back home soon. Please pray for him and my mom too! Thank you!!

June Rumor

Well, it's not official yet but from what we've been told by our agency and from the Rumor Queen it's pretty safe to say referrals made in June were made through 1/25/06. That's only 3 days of referrals since the 21st & 22nd were weekend days in '06. But I guess we'll take what we can get! At the rate the referrals have been going so far this year we expect our referral in either February or March of 2009 which will mark 3 years from our log in date! Ugh!! We were hoping they would have finished January this month! It's taking a long time to get through January!! Fortunately the Chinese New Year celebration in 2006 was from 1/28-2/5 that year so we will fly past those dates as there should not be anyone logged in! So if they can get through at least 2 days of referrals this month we'll be technically into February...that will be great!

Technically - Only 8

Well, I'm sad to say that technically they really only did 8 days of matching so we have 46 days left. They really only matched through 1/20/06 but 1/21 &1/22 of 2006 was a Saturday/Sunday so they shouldn't have anyone logged in on those days so they don't really count...but it still would have been nice to get into the double digits for matching!! I guess we won't count our eggs quite so quickly next month until it is officially from China! Ok, so for the next few weeks...think double digits...believe that it will be a big batch...and it will be!!

I second that Holy Cow!!

So I logged on to state the wonderful news that there were 10 days of referrals this month and, wouldn't you know it, my lovely wife beat me to the punch. I am giddy (as is she) and it is amazing that we are TEN DAYS CLOSER!! Our agency actually emailed us today and advised us that they had confirmation of January 22nd as the official date the CCAA stated they have matched through. Only 44 more days!! You never know if things will speed up or slow down, but we will continue praying for giant batches EVERY month (won't you join us??).

One last thing...the next group that our agency has is LID 1/26/06, so they are only 4 days from matches (hopefully for them, and us, China will match that and more next month). Once they have received their referrals...WE ARE THE NEXT GROUP (from our agency) with our LID of 3/7/06.

Woo to the Hoo!!

Holy Cow!!!

There are RUMORS flying that referalls made it to 1/22/06!!!!! That's a 10 day batch!! Woohoo!!! Keep praying for those double digits and that this rumor is true!!! This would take our count down from 54 days to 44 until we get Gigi!!! Yay!!

Any Day Now...

We should be hearing how many referrals were made in May any day now. Pray for a big batch!! April brought us to 1/12/06. We need to get to 3/7/06! We're hopeful that it will be more days than last month which was 3. Think big numbers!! Double digits would be wonderful!!

Click on the link to the rumor queen to check out the rumors floating around. As soon as we hear anything we'll be sure to post it here too!!

Earth Quake Updates

Here are two more websites about the earth quakes and help being given and still needed if you wish to donate...

http://www.melodyzhangorphans.blogspot.com/

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm

Half the Sky Foundation Website

For updates and a place to donate for those in need it China visit the following website.
http://halfthesky.org/work/earthquake08.php

May 8th - Our Un-anniversary!

May 8th is the day Dan proposed to me 17 years ago and, of course, I said yes. It was a very romantic night. Dan picked me up from dance class and we went to the Rustic Inn to pick up a bucket of garlic crabs. We were living in Bill & Evelyn’s apartment at the time and we had a picnic in the living room. I thought it was just a celebration of May 8th which was technically already our un-anniversary but Dan had more planned than I realized. Actually more than he realized too. You see that morning we went crabbing because we wanted to catch our own crabs. My Dad used to take us crabbing when we were young. We didn’t always catch many but it was fun and my mom always had a big bowl of linguini and clam sauce ready when we got home so we were good with or without the crabs. Well, we didn’t have much luck that morning either. As a matter of fact we didn’t catch any crabs at all. Now, we thought it must not have been crab season but it turns out it was the bait we used in the crab traps. We used chicken. We were told chicken would do the trick but we weren’t the brightest stars in the sky in our youthful days and when we went to Publix to get the chicken we thought we should take care of the bait and our lunch at the same time and we got fried chicken from the deli. Yes, not only was our bait cooked but breaded and fried. What crab would pass this up? What were we thinking?? Hence the reason we went to the Rustic Inn for crabs that evening. So while I was teaching my dance classes Dan went to a movie. Imagine that! And I guess at some point between dropping me off and picking me up he decided that this was the day. I just asked him what made him decide that was the day and he said, “I thought any girl who would buy fried chicken wings to try to catch crabs had to be a perfect catch. How could I find someone more perfect for me. I loved you and it was May 8th which just happened to fall on a “Windsday” that year. It was obviously meant to be.” So he went to his mom and asked her for her engagement ring, then went to the Hallmark store to get the precious moments statue and waited for the perfect moment after our picnic to ask. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the precious moments statue but I recall that it was of a little boy on his knee with a ring in a box and a little girl with a paper with yes and no check boxes and she had a pen. It was really cute! He gave it to me, then the ring and gave a very romantic speech which sadly neither of us really remember the details of. It‘s funny how you think you won‘t ever forget things like that because they are so important at the time but thankfully the emotional connection will always remain. Thank goodness for that! It comes in handy when you have those moments where you think I know there‘s a reason why I stayed with you this long so I guess I’ll hang around a little longer! Well, this year we skipped tradition a little and didn’t have crabs but we had fun swimming at my parent’s pool. We went after work. It was a beautiful evening. We swam and had a good time.

A promise to Gigi

So, last Sunday we went to get some more furniture for Gigi at Ikea (where else?). We got another shelving unit, this time only one row of 5 squares instead of 2 rows of 4. This will go on the other side of the current shelves, leaving Gigi with 21 total "cubbies" for her toys and other treasures. Now, last time we built the first of the shelves within a day or so and the second one a couple of days later. This time the box has sat in the hall all week. Yesterday, Denise asked me to build the new shelf and I did not do it...all night that I was home. I was VERY tired, having been up since 5:30am and having had a very rough day. Not that I went to bed any earlier than I normally do. I did push the box inside the bedroom to do it, but I never even opened it. Just could not get the energy going.

So, I want to make a promise to my little girl. No matter how early I may get up or how hard I work, I will never be too tired to spend time with you or to do whatever it takes to make you happy. So often we find ourselves getting into a busy time in our careers where it seems we are living to work, but I know that it is supposed to be the other way around. We are supposed to work to support our lives and ensure we can attain the needs of our family. I promise I will never put my job ahead of my family and my little Gigi.

Having said that, I need to stop typing now and go take a shower. I am due in at work in less than an hour.

LOL

54 Days to Go!!

Well, it looks like referrals have been announced for this month. The cut off date was 1/12/06. Our LID is 3/7/06. It wasn't as big of a batch as we had hoped for but it does get us three days closer to our Gigi! 232 days down...54 more to go!!! Let's hope May brings a big batch along with all those May flowers!

Next Set of Referrals Coming Soon!

The next set of referrals should be announced very soon...I'm sure there will be rumors within the next few days and hopefully the referrals will be out by end of this week or next week. Send out those positive thoughts and prayers that it will be a big batch!! Last month they matched 5 days. Let's hope for double digits this month!!!!

Thank You for Your Support!

To all our friends and family...thank you for your prayers and support over the past week during this uncertain time for us. We have faith that God will bring us our little Gigi when she is ready to come home. It's hard to have patience sometimes especially when your so excited about what's about to happen but we will try. For now we will continue to prepare for Gigi and leave it in God's hands. Thanks again!! Denise & Dan

We Need Your Help!

Pray, pray, pray, please pray...we need your prayers and positive thoughts that these babies are our daughters!

Can this be it??

Is it possible? Can it be? After waiting over two years, and let's face it, waiting much, much longer than that, can we finally be close? There have been so many missed opportunities and we have followed so many promising paths only to find ourselves disappointed once again. We keep building ever-thicker skin and keep reassuring ourselves that even if we did not find her yet, every month our date gets closer. We try not to get too excited, but how can you not when you look into such beautiful, perfect eyes and wonder if these are the eyes of your daughters? There are still so many questions to be answered. Are they healthy? Can we update our information fast enough? Is everything prepared for them? Is it God's plan that Gigi have a sister? What will this wonderful surprise be named? Which of these babies is Gigi? But the biggest question remains...Can this be it?!! Please pray with us that it is!!

Thought For The Day!

When things in life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the 2 cups of coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Furniture and Fun

Today I built the second of Gigi's toy shelves for her bedroom. I built one on Monday and, despite my complete lack of any handyman skills whatsoever, it came out quite well if I do say so myself. When I got home today, I still had a good amount of time before Denise would be home and I decided to shock everyone (well...Denise anyway) and put the second one together while I waited. It went far quicker today and I did not even injure myself this time (nasty scratch on my leg while I built the first...still not sure how I did that). Now they are both sitting side by side in her room-one on its side and the other standing up straight. It looks like a "J" lying on its side and is made up of 16 squares between the two shelves. Her toys and such will go inside those squares and her TV will sit (securely) on the lower of the shelves. This will also leave room for her magic wall on the opposing wall...more on that in a future blog. In any case, the point is that, little by little, Gigi's room is starting to actually take on the characteristics of a little girl's room. I just can't wait to see how she likes it!!

229 days down 57 days to go!!!!!

March referrals have been made through 1/9/06 adding another 5 days to our countdown. It's not a very big batch but we'll take what we can get! Every day down gets us closer to our little princess!!