Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I wouldn't use the word bored . . .

Daunted might be a better word. There is so much to do that all I find myself doing is watching T.V. This is my 2nd full day off and I am feeling the pressures of having an open schedule. There is so much that I want/need/have to do that it can feel a bit overwhelming. Watching soap operas and Titanic for the 500th time would be so much easier! (Thank God for HBO!!) I know a healthy amount of vegging is OK but there are things I actually need to do and I think that Todd is counting on me to do. This is sad, I know, but I don't like to do stuff around the house alone. Sounds corny, but it is true. I like it when we (Todd and I) work in the yard together or clean house or whatever. I know Todd doesn't begrudge me the time off that I have; I completely earn everyday I have off in the summer. I also know that he doesn't mind if I stay in bed all day every once in awhile. It's just that right now we have A LOT going on. If he comes home from work and I haven't done anything he will be disappointed. Not mad, just disappointed that an entire day has been wasted. I think some of that stems from my previous mental state as well. He worries that I will have a "relapse" if I am sitting on my bum all day doing nothing. So, when he comes home today he will find the house cleaned, two new posts on our blog, laundry going, and dinner plans in the making. I don't guarantee that I will be this productive every day, but I am making an attempt.

OK, so I am bored already!!!! Cut me some slack! It will take me a few days to get into a routine and then when Lil comes home I'll have to readjust again!

Still floating!

We are still on cloud nine! We have pictures of Lilliana EVERYWHERE!!! I am a complete mess. I went to lunch with my good friend Amy yesterday and she asked if I was "on" something! I've completely lost my mind. I'm scatterbrained, punchy, etc. It is really crazy. We sent our acceptance letter to China that we will indeed adopt Lilliana. Things are rolling in the right direction.

Well, nothing much to report. We are beginning the task of babyproofing, finishing the baby room and doing LOTS of shopping. I went to Target Friday afternoon and spent over $200 on baby stuff. One thing is for sure, we are going to get Lil out of those pink pants and blue shoes and into something more suitable for an angel! I can't wait to have her here!

Monday, May 29, 2006

Hubei Province



Our little beauty is from the Hubei Province in China. Here is a map of the province.
The orphanage is in a town called Wuhan. It is apparently the biggest city in the province. I've also included a picture map of
China to see where Hubei is located in the country. I totally jacked these pictures from the June DTC Yahoo group! Anyway, we will know when we travel in another 3-4 weeks. Hopefully it will be soon after that time frame! I can't wait!

P.S. There are only 6 people in front of us to have their pool installed! Woo-hoo!

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Lilliana Li Ting Hollis

I forgot to include her name! She is going to be Lilliana Li Ting Hollis and we are going to call her Lilly.

Here she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


That wasn't so hard. This is our little beauty! I get giddy looking at her--I can't believe she's mine! We got a message from our agency saying that they believe we will have completed our travels by July 31! Things are moving so fast! We also found out that she is a little stubborn and high-spirited! I'm so excited to hear that. I thought I saw a little bit of mischief in those eyes! Anyway, if you look at the middle picture you will see a flying hamburger. We have no idea what that is all about but we have had such a laugh over it. We also think she looks like a linebacker in the middle picture because they have so many layers of clothing on her! It is hysterical! The toy she is riding on also has a moustache! Where do they come up with these things?! My mom said we will have to giver her some fashion lessons. Don't they know that hot pink and red don't match? LOL!

We are just completely in love with this little baby! I get goosebumps every time I look at her!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

What a day!

Today has been a whirlwind of activity! We have been on the phone for the last six hours and have had a constant flow of people at our house. I must say that I am completely exhausted! We have been going nonstop since I got home this afternoon.

I was so amped up when I got home that I had to put on workout videos to deal with the stress and energy. Then I tried to lay down for awhile--still couldn't calm down. Finally I took a book out on the deck to read. I was getting comfortable when Todd yells from the upstairs window that I needed to get my butt back in the house. I grabbed my book and ran upstairs to the computer. There it was, the referral e-mail. We did a 1-2 click and up popped an e-mail saying we have a daughter. We clicked on the pictures and this little cheeky girl is looking at me. It has taken me awhile to absorb everything but I can't stop thinking about her! I think she might possibly be the most beautiful baby in the world.

Still haven't figured out this picture thing . . .

We have a daughter!!!!!!!!!

Her name is Han Li Ting. She is 14 months old and has black fuzzy hair! I think she is quite a beauty! We will receive the rest of her information tomorrow. I'm going to work on posting pictures tonight!

Bingo was his/her name-o

Bingo may end up being his/her name-o if we change our minds one more time! I do think we have come to a decision about the name. We will post it as soon as we know the sex.

Non-adoption related items: We had our trees serviced yesterday. What a hoot. There are three HUGE maple trees in the back yard that provide lots of shade (and helicopters). The problem is that one of the trees provides shade for our pool and garden. We don't want shade in those two areas. I couldn't bring myself to cut it down (nature lover) so we decided to have it "topped". The treeman said he would take a third of the tree--I heard a third of the branches. It looks like a really bad haircut. There are NO branches whatsoever. It is little more than a naked stump. But, I got what I wished for--no shade for the pool or garden.

Nothing much else to write about. It is 4:21 A.M. -- having a little trouble sleeping. Today is our day!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Still matched!

I must correct a mistake I made in a previous update. It was actually Judy who decorated our house! Both she and Karen have been extremely helpful throughout this whole process. We would not be where we are today if it hadn't been for them. I still remember when we went to the Great Wall seminar at the library. I will never forget when Todd looked over at me and said, "You know we're doing this." Of course this was after Karen and Judy brought in their beautiful babies for us to see!

It looks like our paperwork is getting closer to being here. We cannot wait to see our little one's face!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Busy, busy, busy

Today has been a whirlwind of activity! We have had so many phone calls and visits--I'm feelin' the love! My sil, Angela, stopped by this afternoon--she is so excited! When I got home,
Todd was waiting under the carport. The first thing I saw was pink balloons on our mailbox. Then I saw the streamers and balloons on our front door with a note; all the while
Todd is snapping pictures. Our EXCELLENT friends, Karen and Judy, had stopped by to decorate our house and wish us congratulations. They have both adopted from China. Judy has two beautiful daughters and Karen has one gorgeous beauty and is waiting for #2--she is LID 6/20! I'm going to work on posting pictures tonight since I will get to post the photos of our little angel soon! The reality of it all STILL hasn't sunk in!

Stay tuned for photos!

We're MATCHED!!

At 6:45 this morning we got a call from Karen, our regional office representative, saying that the CCAA had matched through June 15. We are JUNE 9!!!!!!!!! We have a baby--the stork is flying over the Pacific right now!! Our agency e-mailed us this morning to let us know that they expect to receive referrals on Thursday or Friday of this week! They said they would call us when they have them in hand and e-mail pictures and everything else we needed to know. Then they will make copies of everything and send us the original. We should have that next Tuesday.

I was pretty much in shock this morning. I was fine until I called my brother and talked to his wife, Melissa. I started boo-hooing when I told my good friend Amy. I've been fine otherwise. I don't think the reality has hit me yet.

We'll keep ya posted!

Friday, May 19, 2006

New rumors

First of all, I am going to blow a gasket today. My students are being poop-heads. I know they're just excited about the end of school, but so am I and I don't want to put up with their BS. Boo-hoo, I know. Cry like a baby!

On to more important things--the latest rumor from Spain is saying that the cutoff date for referrals is June 15. They are also stating that referrals will be mailed next Friday and we should know something the first week of June. I want everyone to remain calm!!!! Most rumors from Spain have not panned out. I'm about 90% certain that we are going to be in the group, but I don't want to count my chickens just yet. Lots of people are upset on the June board. I wish they would remember that the Spain rumors are not that reliable and to give it a few days! The next week is sure going to be interesting!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

6 days of school . . .

6 more days! I couldn't be more excited. I think I'm worse than the kids right now! We got a call from Walnut Ridge today saying that there were 34 people in front of us to have their pool installed. All I can say is that they better get crackin'! I'm not too worried. I'll have most of July, some of August and almost all of September to enjoy the pool. Heck if it's a warm year I may even get into October.

On the adoption front there is still NOTHING! Everything, all the boards and even our agency is being VERY, VERY quiet. It is almost scary. By this time last month there were lots of rumors flying around. I checked the Rumor Queen and she did not have much to say that would affect me. She did say that one agency told people who were logged in in October of 2005 could expect their referrals sometime in May of 2007! May of 2007!!! That is PURE INSANITY!!!! The Rumor Queen is not happy as she was logged in in September of 2005. I have decided that our next child will NOT be from China unless they can get things going a little faster. We were actually talking about #2 today. I think we have set our sights on Viet Nam. The wait is shorter and the babies are younger. I have a feeling that when we get #1 we will begin the paperchase for #2. I think I want another girl and then #3 will be a boy. Todd wants a son. We may try In-Vitro for that one or maybe for #2. I think we ought to get #1 before we make any big decisions.

We still haven't decided on a name. Lilly is Todd's favorite. I like Sophia. We both like Lucie. Lilly is REALLY popular among Chinese-American children. I have other names that I like, but Todd is pretty dead-set on Lilly. He is being quite inflexible with the name. I mentioned pairing Lillian with Abigail to make Lillian Abigail _____ (chinese name) Hollis, but he poo-pooed that idea. We are going to have to come to some kind of decision. I think it would be much easier if Todd would just let me pick the name!

Well, my spirits are high (could be the beer I had earlier) and I'm just waiting for "the call". Hope I have good news to report soon!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

15 more days of May

Sometime in the next 15 days I am going to get a call saying, "Congratulations! You have a _____ (probably daughter)." I will know how old my child is, I will know what he/she weighs, and I will have a photo. All of this agonizing waiting will be over! Then the real fun begins. I'm starting to get cautiously excited. There is still a part of me that thinks we will miss the cutoff again this month; that is the cautious part.

I checked the Rumor Queen a moment ago and it doesn't look good for families who logged in after us. One agency is telling their July people to plan on an October referral. OCTOBER!!!! I would absolutely hurt someone. Another agency is saying that they expect this next batch to get most of June. Good ol' Great Wall says the CCAA has the potential to complete two weeks worth of referrals (a very political and noncommittal answer.) That is kind of a good thing about GW. They are extremely cautious about what they say and how they say it. They also said that they expect referrals to be mailed the week of May 29. Again, they really don't know this for sure they are simply speculating based on the previous months. If may 29th is the case, I will probably know which child we have been matched with during the first couple of days in June. I can wait--heck, I've already waited an extra 6 months! What's another few days?!

Please keep us in your prayers that we make the cutoff this month! I really think Todd is going to go insane if we don't get our referral. Remember that last month they went through June 6 and we were logged in on June 9!

Until later . . .

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

11 days and counting

Only 11 school days left. I am so ready! I don't think I've ever been this pumped about the summer. I think it is because I have NEVER taken off an entire summer. I have always worked at least one summer school session and last summer I worked both sessions. Essentially I did not get any time off last summer at all which means I have worked for a solid year. I know the people with "real" jobs have no sympathy for me (mom), but I am so burnt out and so over being a teacher for this year. The awesome thing is that I will leave NAHS on Friday, May 26, and not go back as a teacher until January 2007 (most likely).

No new rumors. I think I reported that Spain is saying the cutoff date will be June 20. If that is true, then our friends Tom and Karen will be traveling with us. Their LID is June 20. I hope that happens for them and for us. It would be nice to be in a foreign country with people we know, especially someone who has already been to China. I'm not getting too excited yet because Spain has not been correct with any piece of information. We'll see.

I keep trying to imagine what it will be like to be on a plane for 16 hours. I am wondering how I will handle the enclosed space of the plane. I'm not claustrophobic, but I can see myself freaking out on about hour 5 or 6. The longest flight I've been on is 4 hours to Las Vegas. I think I will ask my doctor to prescribe me some Xanax or Valium or some kind of mood altering drug to get me through the long flight. I've also been wondering about going over a couple of days earlier than needed to get used to the time change before we turn our world upside down. Lots to think about!

That's all I've got.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Still nothing newsworthy

Another week and nothing new. It was Derby this weekend and that is always fun. I picked the winning horse and the horse that came in second. That was worth a whopping $60!

I was reading the June DTC board tonight and someone said their agency expects referrals to go through June 21. I don't really care how far they go as long as they get through June 9! I've had several freak-out moments in the last couple days thinking that I may be a mom in a few short weeks. Eek! I still don't know how I am going to handle that. The word "mom" still scares me a little bit. I guess that is what pregnant women go through as well. It is interesting how many parallels there are between adopting and pregnancy (with the exception that my pregnancy is about to enter its 12th month!) Ha!

I planted my garden tonight. I am trying several new things this year. I'm growing cucumbers and watermelons. I hope I am successful. We had to build some type of deterrent for Boomer so he won't trample the garden. I knew the task was beginning to get on Todd's nerves. One of the funniest things about Todd is that he gets angry so quickly. It is never targeted at me, but he gets angry at inanimate objects that won't cooperate. I always know when he is about to blow a gasket: he makes this face and starts taunting the object. It used to really bother me but now I think it is H-I-larious! If the taunting and face making doesn't work he begins to "rough" up the object and treats it quite sternly. Lastly, if all else fails, it seems that throwing the object and cussing at it might make it come together. It is at this point that I have to turn around and pretend to be doing something else or else I might laugh and make him angrier. Sometimes after I have given him a sufficient cooling off period I can kid him about his temper and we have a good laugh. Then we have to go and look at the object to see if it is still useful. (Often, the fit of anger renders the item useless.) Tonight it was the fence we were putting up around the garden to keep out the dogs. We'll see how well it keeps out Boom. That dog is a crafty one!

So, we're still waiting.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Nothing new

There has been no activity since referrals came in last month. At this time, there aren't even any rumors to speculate about. It is only May 1st, but I can't help but think that this is MY month. Only 30 days left of May and only 17 days of school left. How sad! I haven't really had to work in the last 2 months due to my student teacher. There had better be some good news before the school year is over. I so badly want to stand up at our final faculty meeting and share my "celebration"! Hopefully I will have something to share!