Little bit freakin out!

Wow, it has already been three weeks since we got our referral, and there is still so much I want to get done! Slowly I am getting there.
I have applied for our Visas, and made copies of everything that I know of so far to take with us, and printed out all of the forms our agency has sent, to be filled out there.
The last time I talked with our travel coordinator, she was saying the end part of March, but I have found out through others in my travel group that they gave them the estimate of March 12th. That is like IN THREE WEEKS!
I have also been very worried about our fingerprints with USC*S. They expire on March 30th. According to our agency they usually won't let you apply to renew until 30 days before, which would be Feb. 30th. I went ahead and sent a letter along with another check (that is a whole other story) a few weeks ago. They called this morning saying that our office does not do Saturday appt's anymore. GREAT! And she said the earliest appt they did have was Tues, March 9th. Um, if we do end up leaving on or even around the 12th, I don't know if that would give them enough time to forward the prints to Guangzhou. But, if we do get to leave on or close to the 12th, then we may be good with our old set, cause we would probably be back home by the 3oth. I'm just stressed thinking of all the possibilities of something going wrong.
I made a trip to the bank today to order my brand spanking new bills, it will be ready next week!
I also sent off Tessa's care package today. $72.00
I knew it was gonna be expensive, but was not thinking it would be that high.
I would pay much more than that if I knew I was going to get updates, and possibly more photos!
I like shopping (which I'm sure most of you know) so I wanted to pick out everthing that went into it. I did send it through Ann at Red Thread, so many people has said she is wonderful, and so far has been great with contacting me. I totally forgot to take a picture of what I sent. I was too much in a rush to get it out as soon as possible. I sent a letter to the orphanage director (Ann will translate it for me) and some chocolates for the director and nannies. Also some lotion for them too. For Tessa I sent a soft photo album with pictures of us and our pets, a sweet little outfit (I hope they have her in it at gotcha) a baby blanket, a rattle, stacking cups, a plush ladybug, and also a disposable camera asking them to take some pictures of our baby girl with her nannies, and little friends.
From what I have read about her orphanage, and from people who have sent a care package before, the only thing they got back was the disposable camera, and sometimes they had the babies dressed in clothing that was sent, but nothing else. I'm fine with that actually, I really just want them to take some photos of our girl to put in her lifebook!
I have also heard that she is coming from a great orphanage. When I first researched it, I saw photos that made me sad. The building looks old, the babies sleep on wood boards in their cribs. No mattresses. But everybody says that they really take care of and love the babies. I found photos with babies playing on the floor, they all looked to be about Tessa's age, and in one picture there were 15 babies all on their tummies playing together. So I do know that they let the babies out of their cribs some. Of course I don't know how much though, and of course it is not enough, but they do their best with what they've got.
To top of all my stress levels, I somehow have hurt my knee. I was sewing the other night, I am almost done re-upholstering a chair, so I had the machine on the floor, and was sitting on the floor with my legs straight. All of the sudden I moved just a little, and my right knee just had this sharp pain for just a minute, and then it seemed fine. UNTIL the next day. It got more an more sore over the weekend, and I noticed Saturday night, that I can not straighten my leg. It's not that it hurts too bad to straighten it. IT WON'T GO!
So now along with all the other stuff to be done I am hobbling around like a 90 year old.
I've made an appt to see a doctor on Wednesday, I needed to go anyway, cause I need to get a Tetnis shot, it's be about 20 or so years since I had one.
I'M GOING TO CHINA! Even if I shuffle the whole way, it's not gonna stop me now!
I'll leave you with some fun photos from the snow we've had already this year.

The Call!

This was one phone call I will never forget. Or the whole day for that matter.

We received this call only a couple of hours after we knew that referrals were arriving in the U.S.

We didn't even know that they were coming.

Monday morning, there was just a few posts about European Agencies reporting that they got information from the CC@@ saying that the cut off date was April 5th. Still no word about when they might be mailed. Then only a short time later, and agency in Colorado starting calling their people with referral info.

I really started to panic! I figured we still had a few days before referrals would arrive.

I didn't want to bother my agency, but usually they email the people and let them know that they were expecting a package, nothing.

So I called them. I told them that I had heard that an agency here in the U.S. was making calls, and I was trying to find out if they were expecting anything. Well, she said "If I told you that we received a package, and if I told you you were in there" this is were my mind went blank and I could not comprehend anything beyond that, I asked "So you did get a package?" and she said "yes, and you were in there, I recognized your name." I didn't tell her who I was, so I guess they have caller I.D.

This is when I lost all rational thoughts. My first thought was, I don't have any makeup on. I had planned on video taping this very important phone call, and by golly I was not gonna look like the sleep deprived fool that I am. I had to go pick Madilyn up from school soon, so I ran and grabbed my makeup case (while calling DH to get home) then jumped in the car. I usually do not put my makeup on while driving, but I thought today was as good of an excuse as any.

As soon as we got back home, I ran and washed my hair, cause well honestly I had not showered in a few days either.

Shortly after I dried my hair a little bit, I decided I had to go ahead and go get Lily from school, cause I didn't want to miss the call.

I went and checked her out, and on the way home DH calls from home, and said that they already tried to call twice back to back. He goes "What do we do now?" I said that I would call them back. A few minutes later and only a few minutes before getting home (I have to stop my train of thought for a minute, before I left to get Madilyn, I set up the video camera in the kitchen) my cell phone rings, I didn't want to take the call in the car, but I answered it anyway. I asked her if she could give me five minutes to get home, and then call me on my home phone. She said she would give me ten. But I stopped her before she hung up, I just had to know, was it a girl? You see, I have four sisters in law who have been pregnant this year, all were boys, everybody that I know of that has had a baby in the past year, they were also all boys. So I was starting to panic a little, thinking of all the cute baby girl clothes that I have collected over the years. Plus, my Mother in law has been kidding me about it being a boy. And she said, yes.

That's all I needed to hear, to start tearing up!

When I got home I ran in the house and told DH that they called, and were about to call back, so we had to get ready. Plus, I told him it was a girl.

Now you can watch the rest for yourself. (Unless you already did, which I'm sure was most of you)

One way to waist a perfectly good day

So our Fed Ex package is suppose to arrive today with all documents that we have to look over and sign. Usually it is early/mid morning when the truck comes through here. I was wanting to take a photo of the guy delivering our package, and I was so scarred that he would come when I took Madilyn to school, so I left a little early, and then hurried straight back home. It is now 1:37, and I have sat in this chair in front of my computer, and right beside the front windows so I could get a good clear view oh, for only about 4 1/2 hours. I only got up to pee, and to fix a sandwich, and to grab two cookies. I have sat and starred at her picture, done research on her orphanage, joined the orphanage yahoo group, emailed, ordered luggage, cyber window shopped for cute baby things, checked RQ's babies post, of course we think ours is the cutest ever! Just as any parent would.
So I'm about at the point where I'm beginning to get really tired of sitting here. I had a good plan for today. I was going to come home after taking Madilyn, be here to get our package, go scan her pictures and make copies, go to the bank

(quickly jump up)
(run to the door, camera in hand)

It's here, I'll be back to finish this post in a little while!

(8 hours later)

Wow, sorry about that!
Anyway, where was I?
Oh well, it doesn't matter now, we have her file!
I opened it with the Fed Ex lady, to show her I was not nuts.
I had raced over and opened the door with my camera, and as soon as she got off the truck, I said, "wait a minute can I take your picture, and then I'll explain"
I didn't want her getting too close, anyway I told her that my baby was in that envelope. She looked as if she was about to turn and jump back in the truck. So I yelled out that we were adopting from China, and our baby's info is in there. So I took the picture
(she posed perfectly)



















and then I opened it, and showed her the pics.
By the way, Oh my, how can she get any cuter than the pictures on the screen. They are so much better in person!
So I started to read through the documents, and my heart broke. On the very first page, in the very first sentence it lists were she was found. I'm not going to list the info here, just for privacy reasons, but I was just not expecting that to be the first thing I read. Then it states the date that she was found. My baby girl was only 4 days old. She was a tiny thing weighing only 5.5 pounds. :(
What was I expecting? I knew her story would make me sad, but it makes me more than that, it makes me want to jump on a plane and go get her right this second.
It also makes me wonder how on this earth could somebody leave a tiny baby like that. I know I couldn't! But then again, I don't live in the same kind of world, with the same kind of beliefs that someone who could do that does.
I often wondered and worried about how I would feel toward this baby. Even before I met her. I worried that I wouldn't be able to get attached to her, or that I may not bond with her, I'm sure everybody who has adopted somewhat worried about that.
But I don't have those fears anymore. I've looked at referral pictures of babies for over four years now, and I did not expect to get attached to her just with a picture. But it has happened, she is MY LITTLE GIRL! I study her face, her tiny fingers and toes. I wonder what goes on in her little mind.
Oh, I can not wait to kiss those cheeks, to feel her soft little head.

We have signed all the paperwork, and I will try my best to send it off to our agency tomorrow.

It's getting late, and I wanted to post "The Call" video, but it will have to wait till tomorrow, if I can wait, y'all can too!

Introducing Miss Tessa Rose

Thanks to my friend's hubby for converting our photo to the right kind of file type, I REALLY appriciate it!
I was suprised to be one of the peeps who get all emotional when they get "The Call"
did not think I would be, but yeah, I shed a few tears.
We are so in love with this little baby girl, and just can't wait to go get her!
We were undecided about her name at first. I loved the name Tessa Rose, it was just convincing DH about the Rose part, and then trying to decide which of her Chinese names to keep. Even though I loved the name Song, that is her last name, and they name all the babies in the orphanage with it. Also liked the name Zi, but I found out that they also name all the babies that were born in the same year this, so we wanted to keep the name that was just hers, so her full name is Tessa Rose Min (last name)
I have tried to do some research on her orphanage, and what I found was just kind of sad, nothing bad, just sad. A few years ago, someone went in (someone who was also adopting, to visit) and took picutes of the babies room, they have metal cribs with no mattress. The babies sleep on wood planks with just a towel for a blanket. Supposedly a lot of chinese people have their babies sleep on wood, because they believe it will make their bones grow strong. But still it's kind of sad. But this person also said that they were trying to buy mattresses for all the cribs, so it may be different now. I hope to find out more info when we get our package with all the documents in it.
I will update any new info as I get it.
I'm going to stare at her face again for now!

We got the call!!!

I am finally typing correctly after a nerve wracking day. It was quite a whirlwind.
Our agency usually sends out emails when they have a package on the way, and they also usually email us when they received the package to let us know that referrals arrived and to stay by the phone. But after reading rumors this morning about people here in the states getting the call, I was about at my limit, so I called them. I told them that I had heard that some agencies got referrals today, and she said in a round about way that yes they got them in, and yes ours was in there. But, I had to wait for them to call me in a little while. So I called dear hubby and told him to get home. Then I went to pick up Lily from school, early, I checked her out, I wanted to be home for the call.
I'm really sorry, I'm trying my hardest to post her cute little mug, but I am not very tech savvy, and don't know how to convert it from a PDF file to a Jpeg file.
Anyway here is what info we have so far:

She is from Guangdong province
She is in the Yangxi SWI
her name is (last name first) Song, Zi Min
her birthdate is 7-08-09 (funny how our LID was 04-05-06 and she was born 07-08-09)
she is almost 23 inches long
weighs almost 14 pounds
she has a little fuzz on her head for hair
developementally she is on track for a 6 month old
she can hold her head up, can roll over by herself
she can grasp things with her hands
SHE IS A DEEP SLEEPER
she follows with her eyes
she laughs out loud
she follows voices
she knows her name and responds
she likes music and games
and she is attached to her care taker (this is good because it shows that she can attach to someone)
she is in the orphanage, and not in foster care.
We are just on cloud 9 right now, and are just smitten with her. I will post her pictures as soon as I can!
Now, we wait again!

Early morning news!

Some one posted this in one of my Yahoo groups:

CCAA website has been updated and it's now on RQ under rumours.
Norway and Netherlands have confirmed site has been updated.
Cut off April 5th.

Wooo Hooo to all us 5th gals.

I am shaking, and can't breath!

Here we go!!!