Travel Approvals!

Travel Approvals arrived today. What exactly does this mean?? It means the CCAA has received our official acceptance of Olivia and has approved us to travel to China. However, we still don't have an official travel date. The TA is essentially the green light for the agency to request a appointment for us with the American Consulate in Guangzhou. This is the last thing we'll do in China...so we'll schedule this appt and then back up the timeline from there. The agency requested the appt for November 1, 2, 3, 7, or the earliest available appt in November. Obviously, we're hoping for the 1st but realize that's probably not likely. Either way, we hope to be heading to China before the end of the month. Another step closer!....

Visa applications

Nothing's easy. Yesterday, we got our passport pictures taken (these are for the Visas...obviously already have our passports), got a cashier's check for $100 to cover the Visa fees and completed the applications. But we couldn't get in touch with the courier...definitely wanted to touch base with her before we just shipped this stuff off to her. What if we were missing something?? So today Steve talked with her. Oh yea, next week, the first week of October, is a national holiday in China so the Chinese Consulate offices here in the states are all closed...ALL WEEK. So unless we pay an extra $60 for rush processing, we won't receive our Visas until around October 13. We don't have our appointment with the American Consulate in Guangzhou yet so we don't yet know our travel dates. There's an outside chance we could be heading to China around the 18th. We definitely don't want to be packed and ready to go...but biting our nails waiting for our Visas. UGH!! I sent an email to our agency with this scenario and asked if we should pay extra for the rush processing. The answer was "no". No need for rush processing. Alrighty then. That means the agency thinks there's no way we'll travel before the end of October. Great. Why don't they just SAY THAT????? So we'll mailed the applications...our approval for passage to Livie!

"Welcome to the Travel Phase"

We received our first email today about the "Travel Phase". We still don't have an official travel date but we do now have the green light to apply for our Visas. There was tons of info attached...lots of midnight reading materials on what to expect over the next several weeks.

Olivia's care package

Today we sent a care package to Olivia. We included several onesies for the other babies at the orphanage and a few things for Livie...small pink baby blanket that we've been sleeping with for a couple of weeks (so maybe it'll smell like us), a rattle toy, a board book with lots of colors (her growth report reported that she likes her foster mom to read her fairy tales), a few pictures (us, Putter, her room, our parents), and a disposable camera (asking them to please take pictures of her during her daily routine over the next few weeks). Thanks to Marie Walton for translating a note for us...with an explanation of the contents of the care package. Do you think she'll see our picture enough that we'll be familiar to her when we meet?? Is that ridiculous? The agency told us to put $0 value on the package. Otherwise, the orphanage may have to pay taxes on the value...or it will get held up in customs. So, we put $0 value. But then UPS called us tonight. "You didn't put a value on your package." I explained it was going to an orphanage and our adoption agency told us to put $0. The UPS person then explained that putting $0 as the value would definitely cause it to be held up in customs...$0 value will raise a red flag. That made sense. She went on to say the orphanage would NOT have to pay taxes on any value under $100. So I told her to put $5. I'm a bit worried. We put a value based on the recommendation of UPS...but against the recommendation of the agency. Both obviously have lots of experience with shipments to China. Did I make the right decision to take advice from UPS rather than our agency. Time will tell...

Waiting for the FedEx guy...

We're such geeks!! We've heard other people talk about the big day when the FedEx guy (AKA "The Stork") delivers the package with all the referral goodies. The sun is shining, birds are singing, all is right with the world and the doorbell rings...laughter and good times begin. A special relationship with the delivery guy is forged for life. Cameras flash and the video recorder rolls. Well, this is what we expected on delivery day. But our delivery was much less eventful. The actual "event" was non-existent. Here's how our's went!.... The video camera was carefully propped up and aimed at the front door. The digital camera battery was charged. The lighting at the front door was tested. Finally, it was nearing the expected delivery hour...11:00 a.m.-ish. Steve had to make a quick call for work so I was watching out the window. There it was!! The truck sped down our street so I knew he was making a delivery at the end of the cul-de-sac and would hit our house on his way back by. I waived & jumped frantically at Steve to GET OFF THE PHONE! I checked my hair...checked my nose...checked my teeth....added a little lipstick. I was ready! Our hearts were racing as we continued staring out the window. Then...suddenly...there he went. Speeding back by the house heading out of the neighborhood. What the hell??? What just happened? We both had a blank look on our face. "That doesn't seem right", Steve said. NO JOKE!!! HE DIDN'T STOP!! We knew it was coming today...we'd been tracking the package online. Then a silly thought suddenly occurred to Steve. He walked to the front door. Opened it. THERE IT WAS!!! On the door mat! The Stork never rang the door bell. Steve works at home so HIS SIGNATURE IS ON FILE!!!! He left it on the doormat...can you believe that??? What a "moment"! After we gathered our thoughts and read through the referral packet....all we could do was laugh. Big ole belly laughs! What a couple of goobs!

Olivia in her first dress

Just had to post this picture. Shortly after we got our referral and finally saw her precious little face, Steve went to her room and pulled out one of his favorite dresses. So...here's Livie in her first dress!....

Introducing....Olivia Lanhu Stafford!!!

Here she is!!!!!! She is so cute! Bundled up in so many layers of clothes...

REFERRALS! The Stork has landed!!

Stafford's "after the call"...with referral notes in-hand! We knew something was up today when didn't get the "no new updates" email from the agency this morning...they usually come out around 10:30. Steve called me around 1:00 to tell me he decided not to play golf because his back was hurting a bit (he plays golf every Friday afternoon with the neighborhood guys). I was on the phone with him when the "Stork Alert" message popped up...I just said "the stork has landed! The stork has landed! I'm shutting down and heading home! They'll call us this afternoon! Meet you at home!"...and I hit the door. I made several calls on the way home...asked someone at work to send out a message to everyone there telling them "my water broke" and I'd update them as soon as we heard anything. All of our friends & family were on alert. So I met Steve at home and we waited...and waited...and waited. He paced...watched TV...cooked a frozen pizza. I checked email...did a little work...dusted...cleaned the bathrooms. We talked about the possibility that the call might be to tell us we were referred twins...UGH! We'd be happy, right? We wouldn't have a nervous breakdown, right? Now that we'd talked about it, would we be disappointed if we didn't get twins? No way! We'll be happy with whatever the referral tells! How will the stars align today??? Sherry waiting... Steve waiting... Putter waiting... FINALLY...at 4:16...the phone rang. It was from Austin TX. This was it. THE CALL. Steve grabbed one phone and I grabbed the other. He answered..."Hello." "Steve?" "Yes." "Hi, this is Carrie at Great Wall and we have great news! We received your referral and it's a little girl!" OH MY GOSH...A litte girl!! That means ONE...she said "A" little girl! WHEW!! She went on with the details. She was born 12/18/04...Jiangxi Province...her name is Lin Lan Hu...she's in an orphanage. Carrie then confirmed our email and mailing address...she would email the pictures as soon as we got off the phone and we'd receive the official referral packet next Wednesday...after the Labor Day holiday. She then went on to say the baby was "so cute"...and she described her pictures. OK, OK...stop talking, hang up the phone, and hit the SEND button!!! So we said our goodbyes to Carrie...gooshes and congrats all around...and waited for the 'ding' on the email. BOOM...it was here in just a few seconds. We were so nervous! OK..."I'm about to double click"..."are you ready?"..."are you ready?"..."are you sure?"...and then I double clicked. "OH MY GOSH!!! SHE'S SO CUTE!!!" We were both totally giddy. What an unbelievable moment. It was completely surreal. We spent the next several hours calling & emailing our family and friends. What an incredible day!