Happy New Year!

Well, it's that time again. Time to say good-bye to 2008 and welcome 2009. Charlie and I are so happy to start this new year! This is the year that we hope to see our child's face and hold her for the first time. We are closer than ever, and with this week's batch of referrals that went through February 28, 2006, we have only 7 days of families in front of us! Turns out we are the next group that our agency has...unbelievable! China and Baby Brown, here we come.

Happy 2009!

Am I losing my mind? Or is this just part of the process...

While we have a nursery finished, a name picked out, and the paper cut scars to always remember the joys of paperchasing, I have somehow (unbeknownst to me) compartmentalized this adoption in my head. I am 100% fine about 99% of the time. It's that 1% that seems to be growing and taking on more importance in my life. I have more work than I can handle, but I still find myself spending hours on the Internet reading RQ and other sites. Charlie and I spent a lot of time when we first started this process dreaming about our future as a family; that slowed down after we realized that it wasn't the 6-8 month process of which we were told. We still talk about "her", but it is more about baby stuff than the actual baby now. This will be our 4th Christmas in this process with only a smaller bank account to show for it. I was holding it together just fine and looking forward to taking a week off work over Christmas when I took someone's advice from RQ and downloaded a song. It is called "Merry Christmas" by Third Day and while the poster said to get a box of tissues, I didn't heed the warning. All of my (apparently) pent-up emotions are now showing on my face. Ugh! Just in time for me to head into the office!

I made a conscious decision a couple of years back to live my life and just hope for the best with the adoption. We adopted a couple of dogs, started participating in our new community, threw ourselves into work, and updated our paperwork as necessary. We are so fortunate to be so close compared to those who are years behind us. We really are very close; obviously closer than we've ever been. I am definitely close to my breaking point though - referrals are due out any day and my fingers are crossed (as are Scout and Boo's!) that it is for more than 2 days like last month! It is completely out of my hands, but a girl can hope, can't she?

Another round of referrals...

Referrals started streaming in today...looks like there are now only 15 days of families ahead of us! It might be 16, as the cut off date isn't confirmed, but I'll go with 15 for now.

It is so exciting to see all of the newly matched families and hear their excitement. Our agency was referred 13 beauties this month from their Feb 17, 2006 group. For our agency, there is only one group in front of us! Woohoo...China here we come! It might be several more months, but we are ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Ready for the journey...

20 to go...

China sent out referrals yesterday through February 15, 2008. There are officially only 20 days of families in front of us. We are thrilled that we are that much closer. The best prediction is to go with the typical average, which is 6 days of referrals a month. That would put us in February 2009 with travel 1-2 months later. Woohoo! Only a few more months of watching whatever television suits our moods and only doing laundry twice a week! We can't wait for the change! I even got my hair chopped off yesterday in honor of the coming change in our lives!

An Update (yes, I know, finally!)

All is well on the Brown front. We are so excited to say that there are only 27 days worth of families ahead of us in our China adoption quest. This month they referred families through February 9, 2006 and we are logged in on March 8, 2006. Officially less than a month, although it could take them 6 months or longer to get through that month...

We are so excited at the prospect. We even opened the room to our future daughter's room the other day (it's been closed for a while). Charlie and I are both traveling like crazy these days, so time is going quickly. We can't wait for the real countdown!

Tag - I'm it!

Rebecca tagged me...so here it goes!

10 Years Ago...
I had just moved to Los Angeles from Baltimore. I was working for an educational initiative and barely scraping by. I didn't know it at the time, but I would lose my mom within the year.

5 Years Ago...
I was living in Los Angeles as a newlywed and driving four or so hours a day to get to the office and home. Charlie and I were enjoying our home and our friends, but looking back, what I really enjoyed was the weather! Five years ago this month, we traveled to Tahiti for my 30th birthday! This year it is Turks and Caicos...

5 Months Ago...
I was doing exactly what I am doing now, only wearing warmer clothes! I was also thinking that our adoption might come through this summer (five months later that is not the case).

5 Things on my To-Do List...
Find paintings for the dining room
Install our new solar outside lights
Look for a new sofa
Walk the dogs (this is always on the list...)
Find a billion dollars (see below...)

5 Snacks I Enjoy...
Edamame
Hummus and pita
Air-popped popcorn
Strawberry yogurt
Almonds

5 Things I Would do if I had a Billion Dollars...
Travel the world and take everyone with us
Work to fix the domestic adoption system
Move to a new place
Send our kids/siblings/nieces/nephews/us to (or back to) college
Retire!

5 of my Bad Habits...
Procrastinating things at work
Letting the Internet hog all my time
Not returning things to the store when I should
Grocery shopping the European way...shopping for one meal at a time
Not listening to voice mails right away

5 Places I have Lived...
Greensboro, North Carolina
Santa Clarita, California
Los Angeles, California
Columbia, Maryland
Evansville, Indiana

5 Jobs I have had...
High School Teacher
Program Manager
Technical Writer
Training Manager
Technical Communicator

5 Things most People don't know about me...
I work out with a personal trainer 3 times a week
Charlie and I don't exchange gifts for any holiday (except every 5 years of marriage)
Our to-be adopted daughter already has a room with furniture and clothes
Sunglasses are my favorite accessory - if I could have a hundred pairs I would!
I hate going to the doctor and only go when I absolutely have to

I tag...Robyn (if you are reading this!)

Referrals are out...47 days to go!

Okay, it isn't a literal 47 days, but instead is 47 days worth of families are now ahead of us. This is great news! Referrals came out yesterday through January 20, 2006. Hopefully the Olympics are not too much of a hindrance in the adoption process. My girlfriend, Kate, thinks that the process is going to speed up more quickly than we expect...Kate, I hope you are right! Charlie and I are ready. Scout & Boo might not be, but we'll work on that...hugs to everyone!

Our 2-year LID-versary

Well, we officially entered year two. March 8, 2006 is the date that China logged in all of our finished paperwork. The good news is that they just referred through January 4, 2006! Woohoo...finally! It's great to see "our" year on the list!

We'll keep you posted!

A little bit of math...

The most recent set of referrals covered through December 19, 2005. Being March 8, 2006, that puts 80 LID days between the current referrals and us. For clarification, that isn't actual days; it is days of families ahead of us. Recent referrals included five days a month. The rumor right now is that the latest batch of referrals will be through December 27, 2005. That puts us at 73 LID days to referral...my lucky number!

Woohoo...it might be 2008 after all!

Skip forward again to 2008

I've been on an unexpected hiatus since the last post. While we were incredibly excited and anxious when we began our Chinese adoption, we are now a bit frustrated and sad. The CCAA referred 3.5 months total during 2007; 80 LID days remain between the current referrals and our LID. To demonstrate how slow the process is right now, they referred only five days each month over the last quarter. We must remain positive and are determined to wait it out, but it seems to jump into our daily routine causing normal activities to seem difficult.

Although we're only 22 days into the new year, I am proud to say that my resolutions are all still in tact. I am also adding a new one today. To add to this blog on a (semi-) regular basis! So much goes on in our daily lives and neither Charlie nor I take the time to document anything! A lot of it is baby related, like our quest for the Porsche stroller!

Blog you soon...