Tuesday, October 31, 2006

100 Good Wishes Quilt

Yep, we're jumping in. A little like lemmings, I guess, but we've decided to follow in the footsteps of many other families adopting from China, and create a 100 Good Wishes Quilt for our daughter to be.

Stop on over to my new 100 Good Wishes Quilt blog, and if you'd like to swap squares, drop me an email or post a comment and let me know!

Monday, October 30, 2006

LID News!!!

No more waiting in line, to wait - we now have our LID - 10/27/06!!!

Finally, we are queued up for a referral, and each day brings us closer to our little girl.

It feels good. Real good.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Material Girl

A lot of folks are up in arms over this whole Madonna adoption thing. If you haven't been keeping up on it, here's the scoop: Madonna intended to adopt a 1 year old boy from Malawi. The hitch? The country allegedly expedited the adoption - waiving requirements like a period of local residency - supposedly due to Madonna's notoriety. The result? Many adoptive families are angered and have publicly expressed their outrage over their perception that Madonna "cut" in line.

Frustrated by lengthening waits to adopt, the backlash from international adoptive families has grown, escalating day by day as families find a way to come to terms with this slight of celebrity. The ironic thing is that there really wasn't a "line" to cut in - adoptions from Malawi are rarity, with only three visas granted to Malawian orphans last year.

I have mixed feelings about the fervor over Madonna's decision to adopt. In fact, I'm not really sure what all the commotion is about. Is it the fact that she may have circumvented the system that's the issue? Or is it simply an objection to celebrities toting adoptive babies like handbags that have people squirming? She's a woman who wants to provide a home to a baby who needs one. If she gets her baby sooner than I do, do I have the right to judge whether that child stays in an orphanage or joins a family sooner due to superstar connections? I'm still grappling with that one...

Now the child's father says he didn't really know what the word "adoption" meant. Articles around the world reported today that the father intended for Madonna to raise the child on his behalf until he reached adulthood, but not as "her own". As heartbreaking as this misunderstanding is for all parties involved, there is some good coming out of it. It's about time that media sources acknowledge the fact that adoptive children are a family's "own" children just as if they'd birthed them. And if takes Madonna, the father, and a child halfway around the world to get the nation talking about the crazy wonderful lifetime commitment it takes to become an adoptive parent, then I have some thanking to do to the Material Girl.

Monday, October 09, 2006

In Suspense



We had a wonderful weekend. Saturday, we got to meet a waiting family from our October2006 DTC group in town for the weekend from Oregon - Pam, Aaron, Noah, Michael and Calvin. We had a great time getting to know them over dinner and ice cream. On Sunday, we had lunch with a family who just got their referral - and to their surprise (and joy), it's twins! Check out their cute pictures of Jadyn and Jenna!

Although we had a a lot of fun all around, the best part of the weekend was yet to come. In fact, it didn't arrive until today, just in time to brighten up a tough Monday morning....
The news that we're finally DTC is shining like a beacon amongst emails of SPAM, work stuff and more Yahoo groups than I care to admit I belong to. Evidently our dossier was sent out late Friday afternoon, and was received by the CCAA this morning! Ah, it feels good. It's finally time to celebrate (and hope for a speedy LID)!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

In Translation

We're done.

After paperchasing for nearly six months, we can now say we've done everything humanly possible to make this adoption happen, and at last it's in someone else's hands. Our dossier has passed critical review and has moved on to translation!

Although I'm inclined to shout the news from the rooftops for everyone to hear and share in our joy (and relief!), in many ways reaching this milestone seems quite anti-climatic. Maybe it's because I know there is still a long row to hoe before we bring our daughter home. Our dossier will be in translation for less than a week, and then it will be sent to China to be logged in. Thanks to all who have supported us this far...dig in your heels....we're bunkering down for a long wait ahead.