Three weeks home!

Wow. 

I didn't mean to take a big break from blogging. Facebook of course is an easier way to document everything and so often the short, easy snippets of life go on Facebook. But here's a little bit of the happenings over the last few weeks...

We've been getting accustomed to life at home with a toddler and pets. Ella loves the dogs. Loves them. They tolerate her. Seeley (my dog) loves to help me go get her out of bed in the morning. And just to prove he hasn't been completely neglected, photographic evidence of his haircut yesterday:

Life at home has definitely come with some changes; Ella has handled them with incredible flexibility. She loves to try new foods, go for walks, play with her toys, and read books. 

I have been trying to keep her world somewhat small, although she's handled meeting new people mostly very well. She tends to be shy at first but warms up. She prefers me over others - which is a very good thing. That indicates that she identifies me as the primary caregiver and comforter in her life right now, and that's exactly what she needs to do. That also means that I'm the one she pushes boundaries with, and that's okay. We are working on setting boundaries but also giving her grace. She's been through the biggest transition and yet is handling it extremely well. 

Ella has a very playful and funny personality. She loves to interact with and entertain people. She's also picking things up pretty quickly. She doesn't say many words, but she signs please, all done, help, eat, and gentle, and gestures for a lot of things as well. She remembers everything and loves to copy. 

This has been a challenging month, an exciting month, and an exhausting month, but in all the best ways. I am so grateful to be home with Ella. She's a pretty great kid. 

Shamian Island and Consulate Appointment

Tuesday morning we got up And went by taxi to the Pearl Market. It's basically a big mall full of jewelry stores. I bought myself a pearl necklace full of irregular pearls (I just like them!) and Ella a nice necklace for when she's older. Next we went by taxi to Shamian Island. It's a small island that was colonized by Europeans at one point in history. I should know more. But two things are important about Shamian Island. Lucy's is an American restaurant on the island. It was so good. We all had fish and chips and iced tea. Emphasis on the iced. 

The other important thing (to me) about the island was this one particular statue. Some adoptive parent at some point started putting their child in the space in line and now it's a tradition. Ella got a kick out of it. 

Today (Wednesday) was our Consulate Appointment. I had to wake Ella up as she for once slept through me getting ready (she's still not feeling super great). We went to the beautiful Consulate that is in a newer part of Guangzhou city. There is a huge line outside of Chinese citizens waiting to get in, but because we had American passports we just zipped right past. (First we stopped for a picture outside - no cameras inside!)

Maw-Maw came but Paw-Paw stayed back. 

Once we got through we took a number and waited. Then we as a group swore an oath that everything in our child's visa application and documents was true. Individually they looked through some papers and then we were done! We should get the kid's visas tomorrow, then we are free to leave the country. Adopted kids are unique travelers in that they only have permission to enter the US. Once we do and go through immigration at the airport, Ella will be an American citizen and her Chinese passport will be null and void. 

Tonight we have a group dinner at a local restaurant and then tomorrow we will spend some time preparing to go home! We are very, very ready. 

Medical Appointment

Ella had her medical appointment/physical for her visa application today. Basically any immigrant coming in to the US has to pass a physical before they can be granted a visa. I had some concerns because she's had a little cough. But she passed with flying colors. The doctor even said, "Oh goodness she's cute!" And he sees babies all the time. 

Ella also had her visa photo taken. I've only noticed this when it comes time for her to sit on a stool for these types of photos, but when she's unsupported her head leans to the right. This bothers them to no end. I kept telling them today "She can't hold it upright!" Nicely of course. Finally they got an acceptable picture. (This is just a muscle tone issue and will be addressed. No biggie. Except for official photos.)

Ella has seen lots of doctors and hospitals in her little life so she knew what was up and she wasn't super thrilled. She didn't howl or scream, she just whined and buried her head in my shoulder. Puffs and board books however cured everything. 

The lobby of this building has a wine vending machine that has become quite famous with adoptive parents. I don't know anyone who has used it but I had to snap a picture. 

Tuesday is a free day and Wednesday is our Consulate Appointment. Please pray that the computer system will be working correctly and that we will receive Ella's visa on Thursday. We are very excited to get home, see everyone we love, eat our own food, and get back on a schedule. 

First Day in Guangzhou

We made it to Guangzhou! 

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province and is in southern China. It's a port city and is very different than the city/province we just left. Henan is a very industrial province, and Guangzhou has some laws in place to prevent some of the industrial pollution like you'd see in Henan province. Like no scooters. That's nice!

We got in late last night and Ella had had it! Luckily she slept well. She has been eating/drinking a little better today than she has the last couple of days so I'm glad for that! This morning we had to be downstairs for a group outing at 9:20. It was optional, but when in China...

Our first stop was the Six Banyan Temple (a Buddhist Temple).

It was a beautiful place but felt very sad to me. It was rather poignant to be at a Buddhist place of worship on a Sunday morning. I was definitely missing 9th & O! (Even though I know it was Saturday late when we were there, I kept picturing church happening at the same time.) 

This was how Ella felt about it. 

OVER it. She wasn't thrilled there but she was hungry. Anyway. Aside from the faith part of it, it's a beautiful building filled with impressive sculptures. And it's just right in the middle of a city street. It always impresses me that everything just builds up around these old, old places. 

The three big Buddhas:

After we left here we went to the Guangdong Folk Art Museum. It has several different names so hopefully I'm remembering this one correctly. :) It was beautiful. The building itself is incredibly impressive and it houses some amazing art. 

These are all carved in.

A beautiful embroidery. 

Here I got for Ella a scroll with a picture of a lotus, her Chinese name, and her new name written on it by "Mr. Chen." The Chen family owned the building and the grounds and sold it to the government for the museum at some point. 

The last stop was shopping! I got myself a jade pendant, a silk outfit for Ella for Chinese New Year, a little doll wearing red silks, and a magnet. It was a cool place. 

We have a paperwork meeting at 4 and then the big debate is what's for dinner. We have options here so it's either Mexican or American. :) We are all excited for variety. Tomorrow morning is the medical appointment for all the kids, and then Wednesday we have our Consulate appointment. Super exciting! We are ready to be done but not ready to fly 15 hours to be done. :)

The Rest of Zhengzhou

I would apologize for not updating but I have a good excuse. :) I don't know how other parents do it. Jet lag combined with instant toddler parenting plus me not feeling well have me barely keeping my eyes open by the time Ella goes to bed. But I'm going to try to update quickly. She's stirring so we'll see. 

Tuesday:

Tuesday was the official adoption day. We went back to the civil affairs office and waited for paperwork to be done. After 30-45 min, they came out, handed us our adoption certificates and "blue papers," and we were official!

Then we had to go to the notary office to get stuff...notarized. Do you watch Parks and Recreation? Imagine the fourth floor, but it's on the sixth floor and no stairs.  Ella weighs about 28 lbs. It was a workout. But we paid a fee, got something notarized, and back to the hotel we came. 

We had an hour to get ready to leave for Anyang, the city where Ella was born. It was a three hour drive in the rain for a 20 minute passport application visit. Because of the weather, we would have arrived home two hours later (and past Ella's bedtime) if we did the orphanage visit, so I elected not to go. I feel bad because I have friends whose babies I really wanted to check on. But someone needs her sleep. 

Wednesday:

Wednesday was a free day but it was rainy. We decided to play in the hotel. We had fun playing with friends, getting to know them, and being on a leisurely schedule. It is safe to say we are all getting tired of hotel food, but no agenda was nice. 

Thursday:

Thursday was another free day and it finally stopped raining so as a group we went to the aquarium. It was just okay as far as aquariums go. 

There was a cute sea lion show and a slightly disturbing mermaid show. But it was nice to get out. Ella had a very slight fever and wasn't feeling super awesome, and then fell asleep on the bus and missed her nap at the hotel. So the afternoon was full of trying to entertain a child who needed a longer nap. You all are probably laughing at me right now because you've been there. 

Friday:

Friday morning we made a Walmart run. It was interesting. We bought a stroller and we are all happier. I'm still feeling a little yucky so my parents took Ella for a couple of hours while I napped. This was helpful. 

Ella came with a suitcase full of toys. She thinks this IKEA veggie basket makes a much better hat:

We were going to go out to dinner but Ella wasn't having it. So we ate fried rice at the hotel restaurant and went to bed. 

This morning we are packing up and leaving for Guangzhou, which is in southern China (think Florida). We are excited for the change in scenery and the Mexican restaurant close to the hotel. We are also thankful to be one step closer to home! 

I've been caught awake. :) Gotta run!

A Little Catch Up

Sorry for the delay in posting.  To say it has been a long, draining few days (I don't really know what day it is - the 17th?  So I guess 5 days) would be an understatement.  

We made it into Beijing for one night and left early the next morning (Sunday 9/14) for the airport.  Once we got through what could only be described as intense security in Beijing, we flew to Zhengzhou.  Sort of.  We tried to land in Zhengzhou amidst terrible, terrible rain, and the pilot did an abrupt re-ascent.  My dad is a pilot and I have flown many flights with him.  "Touch and gos" were my least favorite thing ever, but there is a reason they teach pilots to do them and that is why, I guess.  Anyway.  We ended up having to fly to Wuhan, Hubei province (the next closest major airport) to wait out the weather.  So what should have been a 90 minute flight ended up being us on a plane until 2:00.  We arrived at the hotel at 4:00 and had to rush to change enough money for the adoption fees as the bank closed at 5:00.  Finally Mom, Dad, and I found some dinner and went to bed.

I slept really well but woke up at 4:30 Monday morning (jet lag, I wish I could quit you).  I finally got up around 7:15, got ready, ate breakfast, and we had to be in the lobby at 9:30.

An aside.  We are one of the largest groups CCAI has had.  We are very thankful they crammed us all in before the National Day holiday October 1-7, but that means we have 16 families adopting 17 kids.  Plus all their travel companions.  It's so large they've divided us into two groups for logistical purposes.  

The time came to board buses.  Group 2131 boarded their bus.  Then those of us in Group 2132 were told that our bus was stuck in traffic, and that it might be 20 minutes, might be an hour.  (It has rained NON STOP since we arrived in Zhengzhou.  Apparently this causes more traffic issues because people who would normally walk or take a scooter drive or take a taxi.)  I don't know how long we waited.  I think it was an hour, but I was chatting with a friend about our adoption processes when they said, "Okay, it's time!"

The drive to the Civil Affairs office is supposedly 20 minutes.  On Monday it felt like five. Suddently we were there, and because we were so late, most of the babies were already there, Ella included.  

I will have to write a whole other post about the amazing people who cared for Ella before she came to me, but she was with two volunteers from the Baobei Foundation and someone from the Anyang SWI. She was very quiet and shy but she did let me take her and snuggled in.  It was BUSY in that room.  I cannot imagine how completely intimidating that was for her.  Thirty families (other agencies included) were getting their babies/kids.  Crazy.

The first thing I said to her was, "You're SO big!" I knew her weight, but she's just heavier than I thought.  She's got a little less muscle tone than I expected, so I think that is part of it too.  

Anyway.  I had to immediately sign some papers (I assume it was the guardianship agreement, although they didn't tell me that), and then we just sort of chilled until it was time to go back to the hotel.  

The afternoon/evening was full of paperwork, and Ella is used to an early bedtime, and jet lag was hitting me hard, so we went with it.  Bedtime for all.  It was great.  

Speaking of, she is napping now so I am going to rest.  She's a pretty happy, well adjusted, playful baby, as long as she gets her rest. And that rest had best be in a crib or she's not really thrilled.  

I'll try to update more soon and more frequently.  But we are well.  Send sunshine though.  Please and thanks. :)

It's time!

Dear Ella,

Let's do this.

Love,

Mommy

We made it!

Just a quick post to say that after a very long day of traveling, my parents and I made it to Beijing. I just kept taking in the beauty as we drove to the hotel. It's like this crazy combination of NYC and Chicago but with much better landscaping/natural vegetation and far more interesting traffic. The traffic at 4:00 pm on a Saturday was far, far thicker than rush hour traffic in Louisville ever dreams of being, but yet it ran much more smoothly than our traffic does. (It probably closely compares to Chicago or LA traffic? But still far smoother and more chaotic all at once.)

The Internet at this hotel is a little wonky but I think it's because everyone is getting settled in for the night and using it more. Tomorrow it's up very early for a quick breakfast then back to the airport to fly to Zhengzhou, Henan, which is the province Ella is from. 

I meet her in 36 hours!

{Less Than} Four Days!

In under four days, I will be in the middle...fine, the beginning of a very long flight to Beijing.  I am very excited but am also uncharacteristically calm.  I am actually very grateful for the calm, as it seems to be helping me make quick(ish - it's still me!) decisions and get things done.  I have a lot to do for work and home and the trip before I leave, so I am trying to keep work at work and do trip stuff at home.  It helps that I am teaching the most amazing class with some really wonderful assistants this year, so I can prioritize and get things done that need to be done while I am there.  I am mostly packed except for my clothes, and in a bout of organizational inspiration, I decided I wanted to try to pack my clothes tonight AND lay out my clothes for the week so I don't have to decide what to wear all week, it's just done.  We'll see if it happens.

It seems like this process has flown by and dragged on all at the same time, and then that the end of the process is suddenly here.  I am so grateful to have made some incredible friends along the way.  In reality, an adoption that takes just a little under 11 months from the start to finish is really, really fast.  But when I think about the fact that I have friends who have gotten pregnant and had babies in that time or who got pregnant well into my process (or so I feel!) who are due any day - that seems long.  Ella has doubled in age since I received her referral - thankfully she was very very young when I got her referral (she was just shy of 11 months).  Believe me - I am not complaining about my timeline!  One of my dear friends logged in the same day I was is still waiting on a match.  It's the nature of adoption. It's more just an observation that time in adoption seems to move quickly and slowly all at once.  

On the practical side of things, I am ready to go, I think.  There are always more things you could need but ultimately I think we are in good shape.  She has a bed, she has a rocking chair, she has clothes (cute, cute clothes!), she has diapers and wipes.  I am ready to get her home and let her play with all her fun stuff!

I hope to post again before I leave, but if I don't, I will be doing my very best to post and keep people updated while in China!  I am so excited to see this beautiful, incredible country, experience another culture, and of course meet Ella! :)  

This is only a test.

Hi all!

I'm just testing out posting from my mobile device to see how it'll work when I travel. 

One week!!!

Travel Approval! Consulate Appointment! Travel Plans! Pirates!

I can't remember where I left off.

My Article 5 was dropped off on August 5 and picked up right on time on August 19.  I knew that Travel Approvals (TAs) for Tuesday pickups had been running 6 days, but I also know that in adoption nothing is ever, ever certain.  So I was hoping for TA on Monday, but I knew it was possible it wouldn't happen.

{As an aside, my students start tomorrow.  So in the midst of all this, I am trying to get my classroom ready to go for the first day.  It's been difficult to focus...}

So I heard nothing yesterday.  Nothing nothing nothing.  Finally about 6:45 pm I gave up and decided it wouldn't happen, and decided to move on (HA!) with my day.  I had some stuff I needed to do and I figured I could get to work and get that done and eat some dinner and all would be well in the morning.

Naturally at 6:53, I received an email with my Travel Approval!  I was so incredibly grateful that it came yesterday.  For a multitude of reasons, including the fact that I need to be ready to go Wednesday for work, and if I am still waiting on pins and needles for my email to ding, I am useless. At any rate.  I immediately emailed my agency back with my preferred travel dates, and received confirmation of my Consulate appointment (September 24th, for those playing along at home) this morning.

This means that I am officially traveling in September.  

AAHHHHHH!

I leave September 12, meet Ella on September 15 (after which point she is with me the entire time), finalize the adoption on September 16, have my Consulate appointment on the 24th, and return home on the 26th.  

So what now?  GREAT question.  Booking travel, getting her room ready, packing (no, I really haven't started), and oh yeah, working.  :)  I have lots to do.  Tonight, I have to make pirates for work tomorrow.  So I should get cracking.  :)

Thanks for all the excitement!  19 days till Ella Day!

Where Things Stand

I really don't mean to leave people hanging...things are either moving really fast or really slowly and either way it seems like another day is good for an update.  But today is as good as any!

After I received my LOA, my agency filed an I-800 application on my behalf, which was a petition to classify Ella as my immediate relative.  That was approved about 9 business days later.  After that my approval was sent to the National Visa Center, where it was assigned to the appropriate Consulate (in this case, the US Consulate in China).  Those next steps are important but not very interesting to the outsider (I was assigned a case number, then had to fill out her visa application, then receive confirmation that her case had been forwarded to the Consulate).  All of that happened blessedly quickly for me.  My paperwork was all dropped off at the Consulate in China on August 5 (my birthday!), and should be picked up on the 19th.  After that I will be waiting for travel approval, which can range from a 2-4 week wait.

TRAVEL APPROVAL.

I get a little panicky just typing that.  So that is where things stand.  IF I am able to travel when I would like, I am just about five weeks away from travel.  If not, then I'm about 8-9 weeks away.  Still not long.  What it will depend on is the length of my wait for travel approval, and then if there are consulate appointments (our last stop out of China) available before the Oct. 1-7 holiday in China when I receive travel approval.  We'll see.  I am hoping for September!

I received a little update on Ella today, but sadly, it had no pictures attached.  She's stayed the same weight wise (27 lbs) and has grown a couple of inches.  She's crawling, and it sounds like she might be pulling up?  Hard to read between the lines but I think that is what it is saying.  She also likes chicken, meat, eggs, cooked fruits and vegetables...but NOT fresh fruits and veggies or cheese.  Too funny.  I am not a huge cheese fan (it has to be the right cheese and the right context...) so I understand.  We'll work on the fresh fruits and veggies.  So ready to meet this little girl and get things started!

I have a lot of things I'd love to update on.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I can knock some blog posts out!  I have a feeling I'll be pretty busy after that!

LOA!

I don't have any brain power left tonight to come up with a more creative post, so I will just say that I received my Letter of Acceptance/Letter Seeking Confirmation of Adopter today!

In less fancy terms, China officially approved me to adopt and officially approved me to adopt Ella!

The wait for my LOA was longer than I was expecting, if I am being perfectly honest.  I thought I would have it before the end of June.  So when the end of June began approaching and the wait was looming on, and I was being told it might be August before I received my LOA...it was hard.  Waiting is hard.  But the beauty of waiting is that just like *that*, it's over.  Late last week I received word that my agency was expecting my LOA in the next 1-2 weeks.  I was expecting it tomorrow, to be honest, so I was pleasantly surprised (delighted, thrilled, overjoyed) when I got the email TODAY that it was here!

It has been signed (saying I accept Ella's referral) and sent back to my agency.  They will then file more immigration paperwork on my behalf.

On to the next step!

The question everyone asks is "When will you travel?"  The estimate is within 10-14 weeks.  I am hoping for a little sooner, but obviously I will be very pleased if I travel in three months.  That's sooner than you'd think!

I'm so happy, and my head is still spinning!

Some of my Favorite Reads

I have always been a reader.  So naturally, one of the things I have been doing during this period of waiting is reading as much as I can about the adoption process, adoption adjustment, the trip to China, and adoption attachment.  I still need to formulate my own thoughts and my own "attachment plan," which people often post about before they travel.  This is not that post.  But there is a wealth of information out there that has been so valuable to me, and I thought it might be at the very least interesting for you all!

First, Love Without Boundaries has a wonderful, wonderful blog series called "Realistic Expectations."  This entire series is so thoughtfully written and useful to parents.  Some of it may not pertain to each individual child, but it is a worthwhile read.  It helps put in perspective some of the cultural differences that are faced in Chinese adoption, as well as ways that we can love our kids well by respecting their culture and their past.  I recommend that whole series.

Love Without Boundaries - Realistic Expectations:  Clothing

Every child handles this day differently, of course, but just remind yourself before you walk into the building to meet him or her for the first time that your child is about to lose everything they have known.   The only concrete and material thing from her past life could very well be the clothing on her back or the shoes upon his feet.    Watch their cues carefully on how important those items might be to them.  If  having to snuggle your new child in a stinky sweater is all that your child asks of you in those first few days together, then just take a deep breath and give thanks.  

Love Without Boundaries - Realistic Expectations:  Child Preparation

Remind yourself that you had a really long time to prepare your heart and mind for this adoption, and chances are you had your own moments of pure panic along the way. Your child certainly deserves at least as long to process and come to terms with the possibly brand new concept of “adoption.” As mentioned above, the orphanage or foster parents might have had their own reasons for wondering if you were actually going to step through that government door as well.

No Hands But Ours - The Best Mama

I can’t even begin to compare myself with the mothers who loved Cora so sacrificially. I often say that adopting Cora was the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. We pursued her adoption for no other reason than simply loving her and wanting her. Our motive was not to “help” her, but to fill a void in our hearts that only she could fill. And we have been so incredibly blessed by the sweet little firecracker who finds new and creative ways to turn our world upside down on a daily basis. Yet…by a sovereign act of God’s grace I’m not only Cora’s third mama, but her forever mama.

And on my nightstand:

The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis
Toddler Adoption:  The Weaver's Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best

These are just a few of the things I have read that have been extremely helpful in shaping me as I prepare for Ella to come home.  Anything exciting you have read?  Any recommendations?

Day 12 of LOA wait...

and nothing is happening.

Sorry to get hopes up!

I mean, lots of things are happening!  My dossier was logged in to CCCWA on May 7 (giving me a Log-In Date, or LID, of May 7).  From there, it goes through translation, then review, then match review.  When these steps are complete, then they will issue a Letter of Approval (sometimes called a Letter Seeking Confirmation).  These are running around two months, so hopefully sometime around the first week of July I'll have this document.

The school year is winding down, and I am so excited.  I have a lot of things I want to do to prepare for Ella (little things, like making stuff for her room) that I feel like need to wait until Summer.  We have 24 days (calendar days, not working days) until we are free for Summer!  I am very excited.  This will be my first summer in a long time not working summer school, and I am really excited about that.

No new updates on Ella.  When my LOA comes, they will request an update, so I am hopeful that in another couple of months I will get a good solid update on her.  I can't wait to see how she's grown and what progress she has made!

DTC!!

So it's been a little while since I've posted because there wasn't a lot to post.  Well, now there is!  I am officially Dossier to China!

The dossier is the big pile of paperwork I have been working on since November/December.  It's the piece that HAD to be to China by May 27.  It's on it's way to China 25 days early.  (Yay!)  First, of course, it went through the notarization and authentication process.  Then my agency did a critical review in which three separate people read each piece and checked it for accuracy.  Then they bound it and sent it on its way today!  

There is a tradition in one of my adoption groups of coming up with cute photos to announce that you are DTC.  I decided to paint it on the wall, since I am painting Ella's room tomorrow.  (With help.  LOTS of help.)

The next steps will be (hopefully) quick.  The dossier goes to the CCCWA and gets logged in.  Then I wait some more for my Letter of Approval.  I am so hopeful that it will only be a 60 day wait.  After that, there are a bunch of little steps.  Travel is still 4-6 months away (hopefully closer to 4 than 6!), but this was a huge hurdle to clear.  I get to skip the step of waiting after LID for a match, because I am already matched with precious Ella.  As one friend said a couple of weeks ago, if you break adoption up into trimesters, I am basically skipping the second trimester.  :)  

Just in case anyone needed a refresher on the cuteness...

I am so grateful to each and every one of you for your support over the last 5 months.  This process has been fun because I have the support of wonderful family and friends.  I am thankful.  

Potpourri

(Did you know that's how you spell potpourri?  I don't think I've ever typed it before.  Anyway.)

This is going to be kind of a catch all post.  So here goes.

T-Shirt Fundraiser:
I decided to jump on board the t-shirt fundraiser bandwagon and do a fundraiser through Bonfire Funds.  It is a wonderful site that allows you to use their stock designs or upload one of your own, and then if you sell a certain number of shirts (in my case, 50) they handle collecting the money, printing, and shipping of the shirts.  And the shirts are really nice quality (I have a few, thanks to some other adoptive families!).  Here is the design I am using:

This design was created by my amazingly talented friend Candace, who also designed Ella's puzzle.  I wanted a design that encompassed multiple languages/cultures, not just Chinese.  There are many, many adoptive parents in my little circle of friends, and (shockingly, ha ha!) not all of their kids came from China.  I also wanted a shirt that wasn't just specific to Ella's adoption, but was a cool shirt that people would wear, no matter what.  I think Candace accomplished that.  Plus I really love the color and I think the design is just awesome.  So far, 22 shirts have been sold, so 28 more need to be sold for the sale to be considered "successful" and the shirts to be printed!  You do have to purchase them through this website, but you are not charged until the fund is successful.  About half of each shirt sold goes to Ella's adoption fund.  And of course, it's fine to sell over 50 shirts - that's just a bonus!  The money from this (and from other fundraisers, such as the envelope fundraiser) will go toward Ella's orphanage fee, fees for finalizing her adoption in China, and post-adoption service fees.  If you are interested in purchasing a shirt, click the link {here}.

Paperwork:

So I sort of skipped a celebration in my last post.  When I mentioned that my last two documents were on their way to China, I failed to celebrate the fact that one of those last two documents was my I-800a approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  That approval can take up to 90 days (that is how long they have to approve it); mine was approved on day 37 and I had the approval in hand on day 40.  This was a HUGE blessing.  My goal when starting my paperwork was to file that before February 28, and I had it filed February 26.  I was trying to leave 60 days for approval so I could have the entire month of May to get the sealing done; as it stands, it should be done before the end of April (Lord willing!).  I am incredibly thankful that the good folks at USCIS are moving more quickly (and that my really great, motivated social worker does not drag her feet).  I know there are paperwork steps to complete after my dossier is to China, but I don't really know MUCH about them yet, so I try not to get ahead of myself.  (Let's just say there are a lot more initials to learn!)

Preparing for Ella:

I didn't want to get ahead of myself in preparing Ella's room, but early on when looking at bedding I decided I didn't really like anything in the stores and I wanted to make her quilt myself.  So I set off to find some fabric that I liked in colors that I liked (I kind of followed this tutorial I found on Pinterest).  I made the quilt top in February/early March, but waited until Spring Break to finish it.  I used my dear friend's quilting machine and her seriously incredible quilting expertise to get it done.  I am really proud of how it turned out.  It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it turned out really well.  

On the machine!  The quilting is large interlocking circles, so it gives a flower pattern in the middle.  

The finished product.  I love it!

The quilt isn't what I would have thought I'd choose for my hypothetical child's room even six months or a year ago, but one thing I have found throughout this process is what you think you'd do and what you actually choose to do can be two very different things.  :)

SO, when do you think you'll travel?

This is the question I am most commonly asked.  Right now I am thinking sometime in September.  It could be early September, it could be late September.  It depends on how long the wait for my letter of approval (LOA) is.  Right now lots of people in the same situation as me (who have had pre-approval for several months) have been getting them in less than two months, but the LOA wait is not standard at all.  Some people get them in 40, some get them in 80+.  Right now I am just assuming September and remaining noncommittal.  Once the LOA comes, it give a more concrete wait time and I can answer with more confidence.  :)

I think that's it for now!  I am really enjoying the Spring weather - it makes it sink in a little more that this is actually happening and that I don't have too much longer before Ella arrives on the scene.  I am very excited!

Paper Chasing. Literally.

(Alternately titled:  How Governor Steve Beshear Became a Part of Ella's Adoption Story)

This is a story about my plan and reality.  So you know it's going to go perfectly smoothly, right? :)

My plan:
Took today off.  I was going to get up early, drive my last two documents to the County Clerk Notary Office, get them certified, pick up my friend Stephanie, drive to Frankfort to get my last two documents certified at the state level, come home, grab some lunch, make my copies, overnight my last two documents to the courier in DC, maybe take a nap, take my rental car back to the place, pick up my car, go to church, so on and so forth.

So what actually happened?

I woke up a little late, sat in traffic, got to the County Clerk Notary Office.  The lady seemed a bit unsure of what she was doing but people were helping her and in the end it seemed okay.  So I left, picked up Steph at McDonald's, and off we went.  We got to Frankfort, parked, and headed in.

I noticed some people walking out of the Capitol building but didn't notice who.  I hear Stephanie say, "Hi!"  I turned my head because it sounded like a familiar "Hi."

Yeah, we walked right past the Governor.  Later we lamented not getting our pictures taken with him, so we took a selfie right where we passed him.

We were so close.  Just pretend he's there.

We went in, went to the Secretary of State, and were out in no time.  Stephanie did pick up a sucker and added her date-stamped sticker so that Ella will have it someday.  :)  Not that Ella will get to eat that particular sucker, but you know.  It's a keepsake.  We wandered outside in the sunshine to take a couple of fun pictures of me with my fancy documents.  Did I mention they were the last two?  I am a bit excited about that.

SO OFFICIAL.  (Sense the foreboding.)

So I get home with my lunch and my documents, sit down to eat, and my sweet friend Laura calls.  She was in town for a conference with her husband and kids, and invited me to dinner with several other friends tonight.  YES!  Absolutely.  Let me just ask to be relieved from the church nursery.  (That was no issue, thanks to our amazing Preschool Director at church.)  

I sat down around 1:15 to start making copies.  My computer was out of ink, which was a minor issue.  I looked at the seals on my documents one more time and I am glad I did.  Because the County notary seal on my home study was wrong.  They misspelled the notary's name.  

I called my agency, who very quickly recommended to go ahead and get it fixed if I could.  I called the Notary office, and they checked and confirmed it was spelled wrong.  They said I could come on in and get it fixed, no worries.  Which would be fine and no problem, except of course it had already been certified by the State.  

(A side note.  Staples are a big deal when compiling an adoption dossier.  Once the State's seal has been stapled onto the document, you cannot remove them.  If you do, the Chinese Embassy will not accept the documents and you have to go through the whole process again with that document.  So I knew fixing the County seal would nullify the State seal.  But it had to be done.) 

So basically I repeated my trip back downtown and back to Frankfort in one day.  I nearly literally chased these documents up and down I-64.  

When you get the documents, you have to make copies to send to the Embassy (you also need a set to send to the agency and a set to keep).  So I had to find a copy place since my home printer wasn't working.  It worked out that there was a FedEx close to the Post Office close to where I was to meet my friends for dinner...this feels like a version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  If I wasn't so tired, I would change this and make it so. :)

At any rate.  at 4:58 the Post Office accepted my documents, so they are back on track, my day off was certainly used well, and all's well that ends well.   I was blessed to have dinner with some very dear friends (some of whom I haven't seen in three years!) and enjoy some special conversations with people who are dear and special to me.  

So at the end of the long day, while I am certainly tired and spent more time driving than I intended, my original goals (minus picking up the car, but I worked that out to do tomorrow) were accomplished.  My LAST. TWO. DOCUMENTS.* are in the mail to the courier.  I got to spend the morning enjoying the sunshine and laughing with a good friend.  I ended the day with dinner with dear friends of mine.  It's been a great day.

And hey, my friend Stephanie said hi to the Governor.  So there's always that.

* - These are my last two dossier documents.  There will be other documents, but the big dossier document compiling is nearing its completion.  Which is exciting.  Hooray!

Ella's First 10 Books*

As most of you know, I am a teacher.  And as many of you know, I also love to read.  I have said many times (and said to my mom again last night) that if Ella ends up with an overabundance of anything, I want it to be books.  So from the beginning of this process, I have been picking up a book here and there for Ella's library.  I didn't want to go bananas, because I know she will receive some as gifts, but I had some that I specifically wanted to get for her myself.

Without further adieu, Ella's first 10 books (all links are from Amazon.com, and this is not a sponsored post, I just figured they were the easiest to link to!):

1.  On the Night You Were Born, by Nancy Tillman

I really, really love this book.  It is great for kids who have been adopted, as it is not a typical "the night I was born" story, and it is such a beautiful story about how special each child is and how the night they were born is magical.  (When I read it to my nephew I told him that he was born in the morning and it was just as magical, and he could just change the words.)

2.  Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You, by Nancy Tillman

Another really great book about loving your kid.  It's a sweet, whimsical story told in fun language and with great pictures.  Who doesn't love great pictures?

3. The Monster at the End of this Book, starring lovable, furry old Grover

In the interest of full disclosure, I bought this book a couple of years ago.  I can't remember why, but I think it was because maybe my nieces and nephew had never read it?  At any rate.  I decided to be nice and put it in Ella's pile.  It was one of my favorites when I was little.  I have a lot of memories of my mom reading this book to me.  She was (and I imagine still is) great at reading this book!

4. The Very Cranky Bear, by Nick Bland

I bought this book probably my first or second year of teaching from the Scholastic Book Fair at school.  It is my favorite fun kids' book.  And if I'm being honest, I really debated giving this to Ella.  Okay, not really.  But seriously.  It's the best book ever.  I keep saying I am going to be the Very Cranky Bear for Halloween one year.  Maybe this year...

5.  My First Chinese New Year, by Karen Katz

This is a great little book that helped me learn about Chinese New Year this year.  I know it will help me teach Ella in the future.  Plus, the pictures are really cute.  

6.  Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker, by James Mayhew

This book was on sale after Christmas, and it looked cute.  It's more young elementary than toddler, as far as number of words and the attention span it will require to get through it, but it is a sweet little story about a ballerina named Ella who enters the world of the Nutcracker.  And who doesn't love a book with their own name in it?

7.-9. Ella the Elegant Elephant, Ella Sets Sail, and Ella Sets the Stage, by Carmela and Steven D'Amico

These were gifts from my mom for Christmas.  I knew she wanted to do gifts for Ella, but I didn't really know what she might need yet, so I mentioned the first book, and my mom was able to find all three!  They are just really cute books about an elephant named Ella with an elegant hat, and all the adventures she has.  Apparently there is a Disney Junior TV show too.  Which hey, maybe that means there's birthday party themed materials?  :)

10.  Humpty Dumpty (Indestructibles book), by Jonas Sickler

This book is really cool.  It's a picture only book, but it is the story of Humpty Dumpty set on the Great Wall of China!  I thought it was neat to take a classic nursery rhyme and put a spin on it that includes Ella's home country.  This company makes a lot of really neat stories, and all of their nursery rhymes are set in other countries (Hickory Dickory Dock is set in London, England; Mary Had a Little Lamb is set in Africa).  I am excited about this book.  

So there you have it!  Ella's first ten books.  I hope she has many, many more to read soon!

*Not to be confused with Ella's Top 10 Books, because those may end up being completely different.

Happenings around Here

I think I've used this phrase before, but a lot of the adoption process is hurry up and wait.  I am gearing up to a hurry up phase, which will then lead to a relatively long wait phase.

On Thursday of last week, I received back all of the documents that I sent to the Embassy in Washington, D.C. two weeks prior.  They had seals from the U.S. State Department and the Chinese Embassy.  Definitely the most official looking documents I've ever held.

So I put those, along with some pictures and a few other documents in the mail yesterday, and at 10:34 this morning, Colorado time, they arrived at my agency.  Because it is an incomplete dossier, there is no guarantee that it will go through critical review (where it is read three times!), but I am hopeful it will.  Either way, when the other documents get there, it will go through critical review then off to China it goes!

So now I just wait, wait, wait for my I-800a approval.  That should come in the next couple of weeks.  After that, it is mad dash to get that authenticated!

I am getting so much closer to Ella.  Some days, it seems like it's SO close and I have to get things done NOW.  Some days, it seems like it couldn't possibly be farther away.  Today I am kind of in the middle.  Most days it just doesn't feel real.  But I am getting there, slowly but surely!  I'm ready to get this girl home!