Sept. Secret Pal Gift (CCAI)

I received one of my secret pal gifts for this month already. An adorable panda rattle/toy, a Panda-Z Japanese Anime (which Freddy loved of course!) and a panda notepad. Also love the Hello Kitty card! Thank you CCAIMarchApril Secret Pal if you are reading this!! You're a great secret pal and I can't wait to find out who you are next month!

I'm starting to really have a thing for all things panda and ladybug related!

Books & Making Money!

As I mentioned in previous posts, I LOVE BOOKS! I also love money! LOL But hardly have any money these days... LOL In an attempt to make a little extra money (probably very little) one thing I did was to add some Amazon links to books about either China, adoption or children's books and if you scroll through the pages and find a book you want to buy and click on the link, it'll bring you to Amazon.com and if you decide to actually purchase that book, I get a very small percentage. Hey, every little bit helps!! LOL Heck, I am even going to click on my own links if I decided to purchase any of these books, which of course, I WANT THEM ALL!! I doubt this is really going to drastically increase my income, and I have some time but one of the big things we have to save for is money for the Leave of Absences that we both need to take when we go to China and after. I'd love to take off at least 2 months and I think Freddy can only take off 1 month, but unfortunately, we don't get paid for that time so it's something to save for.

Anyway, this is a new book out that I am trying to hold off buying (with the whole saving money thing..LOL) but I may have to break down and buy it.. LOL If you wanna check it out (and maybe even purchase it, I've included a convenient link for you! LOL Oh come on, I'm trying here!! LOL



What I am going to try to do is provide a little review from time to time on something I've read or something new I find with a new link from time to time, but on the right-hand side of this blog I added a complete list of all the books I either have, want or just came across so you can click on those links too.

I think I'm also going to see what stuff I can put on Ebay. I definetly could work on reorganizing the house and getting rid of a few things!

5 Months Down!

As long as I don't think about how long it's going to take before we go get Raven, I'm good. LOL The months are still going by pretty fast. I'm trying to keep busy with everyday life, Secret Pal shopping and projects around the house. So 5 months really did seem to fly by. Once in a while I feel like life is on hold, but as long as the time doesn't start dragging too much it'll be ok. A few things we kind of put on hold are buying a new car for me (not sure if we'll need to provided updated financials when we hit the Review Room), getting another dog, a companion for Yoshi, but then that is 2 dogs we'll probably have to board when we go to China, anything involving spending money.. LOL

Anyway, I'm happy with the 5 months! Let's keep it moving! Hopefully the CCAA will also start referring more LID days in the next couple of months as well. Hopefully the wait won't extend to more than 3 years.

Under BMI 40!

For those non-China adopters, China had changed some of their requirements to adopt from China after May 1st (Doesn't apply to us this time around because our paperwork was in before May 1st, so we're good), one of which is the adoptive parents must have a BMI lower than 40. We were both over the 40, but as of today my BMI is officially under 40! That was my first weight loss goal, which amounts to 8.6lbs lost so far. The next weight loss goal is a bit more, 31 more lbs. Piece of cake! Well, ummm... maybe not cake.. LOL Piece of carrot just doesn't sound right though!

My system has been pretty simple really, and I always knew that this would work (so far so good anyway). Eat less (and better), work out more. Pretty easy right? LOL NOT! I'm at least trying to eat 3 meals a day even if one of them is a SlimFast shake. I'm used to not eating breakfast so now I am eating something for breakfast. Sometimes I have cereal for lunch. No, not Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops.. lol something a little less sugary. I already eat whole grain bread (most of the time). And I TRY to work out on the stationary bike and/or treadmill everyday for at least 30 minutes. Most of the time I drink water or seltzer. Hopefully I can keep up this momentum. 8.6 pounds in 7 weeks isn't bad at all. I'll take it!

Books! Books! Books!

I love books! I bought these today (Well I bought them a few days ago online, they came in the mail today..LOL). Both are board books, one is a book of babies smiling, the other is a cute little panda book with cutouts! I think I'll have to ban myself from all bookstores for a while!

I Have A Second Secret Pal!

I'm in a second Yahoo Group called April2007DTC which just started exchanging Secret Pal gifts this month. Yesterday I received a package from my new Secret Pal for this group! It is 2 adorable children's books, My First Counting Book and Dr. Seuss's A B C, a pretty card and a Sing-Along Microphone! The microphone has a recording on my Secret Pal's daughter on it! It's soooo cute! I think I'll have listen to that from time to time during this long wait to keep my spirits up! The mike also plays songs to sing along to. Too cute! I love it! Thank you April2007DTC Secret Pal!!

4 Months Down!

Not alot, but if you think about it terms of months and not years, 4 months is a nice little dent. Say the wait is 36 months total (which noone really knows and it could be more or less), then 4 months down leaves only 32 months left! LOL Ok so that is stretching the enthusiasm a bit, but that's getting closer to being under 30 months! LOL I was thinking last night, I keep saying that the wait could be 3 years and I was saying that months ago, so it seems like the wait will still be 3 years, BUT we've already waited 4 so we could technically have LESS than 3 years left! I put WAY TOO MUCH thought into this! But whatever makes the wait not seem as long as it is!

This is a short post since it's very dark out and there is thunder and lightning so I should turn off the PC.

August Secret Pal Gift is here!

I'm really enjoying this secret pal swap! Another group I'm in has just started a secret pal swap too so I'll be doing 2 swaps a month. It's so much fun shopping for my pals and of course it's fun to receive gifts from my secret pal each month! Each month the group has a theme for the gift, like this month was children's books for one group and children's music for the other group. It's funwhen shopping trying to find things to fit the themes.



I love checking the mail! I received a gift from my CCAI March/April Secret Pal today. It included a VERY cute toy that plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, some scrapbooking stuff and a Baby Einstein music CD! Even the card was cute! Where do people find these cute things??

This definetly reminds us what we are waiting for and makes the wait not as bad. Now when I go shopping, if I find something for my secret pal, I've been buying one for Raven too! LOL Especially if I find a good sale. I would post some of the pics of cute things I've bought recently, but then my secret pals could probably figure out who I am.. and it's a secret, remember? LOL Shhhhhh! LOL

An Interesting "Theory"...

I figured I'd post this since this is the second time this week I've heard this "theory" although it was only directed at me once. This would be the idea other people have that once you decided to adopt, you're bound to get pregnant. I've been told this a few times before but after hearing it 2 times in one week I figure I'd post about it. First time was said to me by my GYN. She knows I've stopped seeing the specialist and was just there for a regular exam. I told her we decided to adopt and she asked some questions and all was good. Then of course she just had to end it with "Now that you're adopting, who knows, you'll probably get pregnant." I just laughed. Is it possible, yea sure. Is it likely, probably not without medication, which I reminded her of. LOL

Then today I heard Oprah say it to a woman on her show who was stuggling with infertility and had done IVF only to miscarry later. Well, she didn't really say it as her belief, but she said that she had heard that many times people that want to have children so bad and can't have children go and adopt children and then the end up pregnant. The woman said that she hates that statement the most because it's physically impossible without medical intervention to get and stay pregnant and she'd wish people didn't tell her to "take a vacation" or "it'll just happen". She seemed in pretty bad shape. I'm so glad I'm not in that place anymore..and wasn't there for too long in the grand scheme of things. What's interesting is that I don't necessarily want to get pregnant now that we're in the process of adopting. I mean if it happens great, but now that we are doing the adoption, that is my focus. I think I've posted before how if we are able to have a second child I'd like to go back to China. I'd like my daughter to have a sibling that is also adopted, and ideally would like her to have a Chinese sibling, so they'd share that heritage. If I got pregnant, then we'd most likely just have 1 bio child and 1 adopted child, which is fine too, if it were to spontaneously happen, but we're not trying for that. Plus money-wise it's enough that we are going to prepare for Raven's arrival 2-3 years from now. We have time to save, time to get some things done around here, etc. Always the planner! LOL Anyway, that's how I feel about it right now.

Fortunatley, I'm not even overly sensitive (yet) by those type of remarks (and there are many others, but that's another post). In the adoption community I get the sense that alot of people are very offended by these types of comments. I guess it all depends on the person, and the comment. I've definetely read about some interesting things that have been said to waiting families, some said innocently and some said out of ignorance. It's very interesting this world I've gotten into... LOL I've also heard that once you get your child you feel diferently about the comments, so we'll see what happens. I'll have to post more about the types of comments adoptive families get at another time.

New Years Resolution

Ok, so I'm a little late, but hey, better late than never right? So, I've decided today, I will NOT be overweight when I turn 40 next year. I've been doing the on again off again exercising thing for a while now. Not working too well! I've been doing alot of work in the yard but it's really not the same thing. I've been trying not to eat crap "most" of the time. I'm doing a real good job of maintaining my current weight...BIG! LOL Anyway, I once again started getting on the treadmill this past Monday, walked a mile. Then again yesterday I did 1.75 miles. Today, I was just thinking this morning how I am going to turn 40 in less than a year. I will NOT start off my 40's overwieght. I just won't do it. That's what my 30's were for.. been there done that. And now that I've put all my business out there, I'm going to have to stick to it, make it happen. Not sure why it hit me today, but it did and that is the goal.

Another reason for the new found determination is for the adoption. #1 - I don't want to be an overweight mom if I can help it. I want to be able to keep up with a toddler.. lol #2 - I don't want to be squished on the plane for 15 hours approx. each way to and from China. #3 - In about a year or so, our Dossier will hit the Review Room in China. This is where they review all of your paperwork and will ask questions if they have any or request updated medical forms or whatever it is they are questioning. I didn't have to provided a separate letter from my doctor in addition to the medical form because I'm not on any meds, but hubby had to and from what I understand they will most likey require and update from him. But just in case, I want to be in better shape than when we did the Dossier. Hubby really needs to get on board with this goal as well but that's another post..LOL. #4 Should we decide to adopt a second child in the future, we'd like to go back to China, but with our weights right now, we won't be eligible.

So those are my key reasons for wanting to loose the weight, finally. As if I really need reasons to loose weight. LOL Those are just the reasons for doing it NOW!

July's Secret Pal Gift!

My CCAI March/April 2007 LID Secret Pal went all out this month!! I got a big box in the mail today from my secret pal and opened it immediately! First, the card was a very encouraging card with the Chinese proverb "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" with a great note inside from her. Then inside was a beautiful decorative box that looks like a little suitcase with different Asian tea labels on it. I LOVE decorative boxes! I love to put all sorts of keepsakes in them to save and look through them from time to time, like a memory box. Definetly something I want to share with my daughter so she can have her own little memory box to put her keepsakes and memories in. This is perfect for that! Then more goodies inside. A cute rattle that I really wanted to take out of the package and play with, but I restrained myself...LOL. A little 9-12mos white t-shirt with a firecracker on it and a beautiful bracelet of Chinese beads with a "red thread" thru it with a little ladybug at the end of the red thread.. very symbolic, very thoughtful. I love it! Also there is a red thread saying with a picture of what I think are Chinese firecrackers (I've never actually seen one so I'm not sure).

"Chinese folklore says that there are invisible red threads that connect a newborn child's spirit to all the people that will be important in her life. As the child grows, the threads shorten to bring these people closer together."

I love it all! Thank you Secret Pal!

To All My Infertility/Adoption Homies...

Need a good cry? Well this video (Kellie Coffey) was posted on one of the message boards I frequent and it's not the kind of music I listen to, but get out the tissues people.



You can also just click on this link to go to YouTube to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ

I'm not posting this to be depressing...actually the opposite. At the end of the video she is actually holding her bio son (I read her website), so by either pregnancy (not likely) or adoption (already on the path) it will happen one day. Sometimes thinking that the wait time could take 3 years is frustrating. I never wanted to be an "older" parent. But there are plenty of people on the groups I'm in that say you'll forget about the wait time once you hold your child (maybe like you forget about the pain once you give birth), so I am looking forward to that day. The video was touching to me because many of the signs they were holding up apply to me.

3 Month LID Anniversary!!

Three months down... how many more to go??? LOL MANY! But at least I am still in excited mode! Glass is half full and all of that. People who just received referrals in July I believe have waited 20 months and I am sure the wait time is going to increase. Everything is pointing to a 36 month wait time. Anyway, nothing much new here, as usual.

We bought a freezer which we put in the basement to store meat and frozen goods. Trying to buy in bulk and save a little money. Of course in order to do that we had to spend money on the freezer.. the first bulk shopping run and then of course we needed one of those Food Saver machines that packs the meat in air tight baggies. So EVENTUALLY we'll start to see the savings from this! LOL

I've updated the counter because it wasn't counting anymore.. you'd get a random number everytime the page is refreshed.. interesting. Plus, it took me a while to make this post. I don't know if it's Blogger or the graphic I was using, but hopefully it will work now!

Happy Early 4th!

Ok so I know I haven't been posting much and I'm a little early with the Happy 4th pic..lol I just figured I'd post something now while I am thinking of it, although I don't really have anything much to post about. Some of the things I've been up to... I'm still working on one section of the garden I am putting alongside our new fence. The other sections will have to get done in the coming years, since I #1 don't have that kind of money to do it all at once and #2 I don't have that kind of energy! I've also been trying to spend more time training the dog. He needs all the training he can get! Here's a updated pic of Pyscho Puppy.

I try to practice with him a little each day. He's in an intermediate training class, once a week for 8 weeks. He's learning to "heel", "stay" (with distractions) and "on your bed". He does ok as long as he knows you have treats to give him! LOL

Let's see, not much else happening. I read alot of other blogs, especially the ones of other families who are currently in China meeting their children, or waiting to get their referral and some people just have so much to say and it's very interesting to take a glimpse into their lives. Kinda makes me feel like I have nothing to say compared to some of these blogs I've read.. LOL but that's OK, I'll continue to just journal from time to time to keep a record of this very long journey!

I don't know if I've posted before about this but there is a rumor that the wait time could reach 3 years. That's just crazy! The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) was here in the US recently visiting some of the agencies and I believe they actually said that the can see the wait time getting to 2.5-3 years. Hopefully it won't go any longer than that! I'll be 42 by the time we get our child! We'll see what happens in the next year. Still, China adoption is a pretty reliable program (except for the wait time!), which is why we chose China in the first place. For those of you who are not familiar with the program, the costs are pretty much spelled out, the program is the same for everyone requesting a non-special needs child, the travel is relatively short (about 2 weeks), there isn't too many unknowns with Chinese adoption, except for the wait now. CCAA says there are just way more dossiers than there are paper-ready babies available for International Adoption. If in a year or so it looks like it's going to go longer than 3 years, tehn I guess we might have to look into other countries again. I've briefly looked at some others already and either we don't qualify because we haven't been married long enough or we weigh too much or the length of travel is just too long or multiple trips are required or it's just way to much money. We might have to just stick it out with China now that we are about $9000 down. I really hope we don't have to change countries because I already feel as though our daughter will be born in China.

2 Months LID!

Haven't been posting much, but just realized it's been a little over 2 months now since LID! I'm surprised that time seems to be flying but maybe that's because I am keeping busy with doing things around the house and trying not to spend all my time focused on the adoption or anything adoption or China related. I'm sure when I'm at 13, 14 months LID it won't seem like time is flying anymore.

June Secret Pal Gift

Just wanted to post a pic of the gift I received yesterday from my Secret Pal from the CCAI March/April 2007 LID group. June's swap theme was books. I love books so this was great. It's a book called "My Friends" and it's in Chinese and english. It's really cute! Raven already has a small collection in the bookcase that I made so this is perfect! Thank you Secret Pal!

Shopaholic!

Ok... I admit it. Hi, my name is Chris and I'm a shopaholic! LOL Although, it's not so much the buying as it is the looking for something to buy..haha. And I am trying to only buy things on sale so it's not too bad. Plus I signed up for a couple of Secret Pal swaps so I get to buy things for other people too, which is fun!

I got this little dress last week on sale, of course. It's 12 months. I didn't think I'd be a big pink person but looks like I might be after all.






I was originally thinking about painting the nursey pink, but the pinks I like will end up looking like Pepto Bismol, so I am thinking about purple. Still trying to decide, but I have time. Maybe we'll do a mural or just some simple things like a cherry blossom tree (to go with the purple walls..lol) or maybe just flowers all over the place.

I've also received more squishes (squares/wishes) for the 100 Good Wishes quilt which I've posted to the other blog.

100 Good Wishes Quilt Blog

I've received my first quilt square for the 100 Good Wishes Quilt I'll be making (or attempting to make) for our daughter once we receive 100 squares. I created another blog to document all of the great quilt squares we will receive. Wishes4Raven

Over 1 Month LID!

I just realized that we've been logged in for over a month now! If the wait time is going to be 24+ months, hopefully those go by as fast as this first one did! Here's to wishful thinking!

New Blog Look

So I've been playing around with the blog trying to make it look pretty..haha. Starting to get there. Probably some more changes to come.



I've joined several Yahoo groups for those logged in during March/April of this year to help past the time with the long wait ahead of us. Through these groups they do things like a Secret Pal Swap and 100 Good Wishes Quilt Squares Exchange, among other things. I've joined 2 of each. One secret pal swap has a gift swap every month. The other alternates between a gift every other month and a card/inspirational note or poem on the other months. Both have different time frames too. One is for a year and the other is for 6 months, then you get a new secret pal. Basically, you get the name and address of the person you will be a secret pal for and send them little gifts each month, and someone else is your secret pal who sends you gifts. I got my first card yesterday from my secret pal! It's a very nice Mother's Day card with a bookmark and some lady bug stickers. Very exciting to get mail that is not bills! haha Thank you Secret Pal!



The 100 Good Wishes Quilt Square exchange seems like it'll be fun too. Basically you get a list of everyone in the group who joined the swap and you send each of them a 8x8 square of fabric and a wish on a card for their child-to-be. Then you make a quilt out of all the different fabrics and a scrapbook of all the different wishes for the child. I'm debating whether I will attempt to make the quilt or have it made. It's a Chinese tradition when a child is born where friends and family give pieces of fabric to make the quilt. Your supposed to get 100 squares from 100 people and make the quilt. I'll try to find the details of the tradition that might explain it better. It's late and I need sleep!