Heading to China in a couple of days!!

We're so close!!...but we still have several things on the to-do list. A few last minute items to buy...get a prescription refilled, buy Deep Woods off (malaria?...no thanks!), drop clothes at the cleaners, call the credit card companies, get a bit more cash, clean the house (we had the carpets cleaned yesterday!), etc... I think I'm definitely nesting. I've had rediculous things on the list. Get teeth cleaned, go to eye doctor, wash car, clean off patio, wash outside windows, etc. Why do I think these things have to be done before we leave? Do I think there won't be even a spare second to sling a dust-rag after we get home?? Good grief! Maybe I've just been trying to stay super busy so the time will pass quickly. It really has....so I guess it's worked!! One more day and we're off!....

Care Package - DELIVERED!!!

Olivia's care package was delivered today! FINALLY!!! We're so relieved that it finally made it to the orphanage. She'll have her little pink blanket, rattle, pictures of her family in the US...and the orphanage will have the disposable camera to take pics of her during the last few days before we get her. Yea!!

Baby Shower

The folks at work threw a little surprise shower for me today...very unexpected!! Steve & I went for our final vaccination shots today (round 3 of hepatitis and a flu shot). I had just gotten back to the office and was about to head downstairs to grab a shower in the cafeteria...then Krista (gal at work) directed me to the conference room. HELLO! Lots of grinning, cheesy faces in there waiting for me. It was so nice...gifts, cake, diaper game (diapers smudged with chocolate candy bars...looks like poop...you pick the "flavor" of candy bar). Fun for all!! :-) It was great and Livie got some much needed items and some very cool toys. I've also been receiving gifts every day from other friends in the office. They all coordinated it so I'd receive a gift every day for a week. It's been very fun to come home to a gift every day!! Sheets, towels, blankets, Diaper Genie, thermometer, Leap Frog stuff, Hip Hugger, stroller, high chair, etc.... It's just gone on & on. I'm very lucky to work with so many wonderful people! It's really been overwhelming (in the best way!). Now, all we're missing is baby...

Olivia's Care Package -- Update

The care package we sent has STILL NOT BEEN DELIVERED! Great Wall sent us the phone number for Livie's orphanage last week. We gave the number to UPS. They contacted the orphanage. But the package has still not been delivered. We're not sure what to do at this point...I guess all we can do is to keep calling. There was an update on the UPS site a couple of days ago saying the recipient had made contact with UPS and they would pick up the package within 5 days. But today there was another update...generic/standard info...and was posted from Kentucky, NOT FROM CHINA. Steve is going to call UPS AGAIN tomorrow. We're losing hope that it'll ever be delivered....

Trying out the Snugli

Gotta figure out how this thing works....

Lots of toys!!!...

Our neighbors brought over a truck load of toys tonight! They have a 4 year old and a 15 month old...so they had lots of toys that had been "retired". Steve has been so worried that Livie won't have any toys...we've just been buying boring necessity items...NO FUN! Well the Anderson's (neighbors) fixed that little issue for us. Here's a special shout out to BB & Big Andy!! :-) Tomorrow we're shopping for a toy box!...

Visit to Olivia's orphanage

We found out today that we have the option to visit the Yihuang SWI (Social Welfare Institute). Not all families have this option...the Chinese gov't much grant approval for an orphanage to host visitors and this doesn't happen regularly. We fell very lucky!! This visit will be scheduled after we get Olivia, so only one of us will go...we won't take her back to the orphanage. Just based on immediate reaction, Steve is not very interested in visiting the SWI so we're planning that I will be the one to go. Of course, this could all change...depending on how she's doing...how she'd bonding...the stress/anxiety at the time of the visit... etc. So, we're definitely planning for one of us to visit the orphanage...but know that we'll have to be flexible. We'll see....

We have our Visas!!

We received our Visas today! Finally something comes early than we expected! We're packed...we have our Visas...we have our plane tickets....we're just READY TO GO!!!

Steve's poem for Livie

This is something I should have posted long ago...but thought Steve might be disown me if I publicly displayed his soft, mushy center. I'm taking my chances. On August 1, Steve couldn't sleep and got up around 2:00 a.m. He wrote a poem for Olivia. This is what he was thinking and feeling during his hours of insomnia...I melted when I read it. I think she'll be so proud of it when she's older. She's definitely going to have him wrapped around her finger...absolutely no doubt!! I think I'm in trouble. After 11 years of being the princess...the writing is on the wall....I'm about to be demoted. Here's Daddy's poem for Livie... OLIVIA Although I did not know you the night you were born, I have known you my entire life. Although your pretty face is blurred in my mind, I have seen your beautiful smile a million times. Although I have never heard your voice, I can hear you laugh and cry. Although I have never held you, I can feel your touch. Although I do not know the exact day that we will meet, I count the hours that remain. Although I do not know what the future holds, I know you will be loved.

TRAVEL DATES!!

We finally received our travel dates for China!! We’re traveling a bit later than expected but the silver lining…this timeline allows us plenty of notice to book travel and use our Delta miles. Steve booked everything last night – we’re responsible for booking the travel to and from China; the agency will book all intra-country travel…so our group is always on the same schedule. We’ll get to Beijing about 3 days early (had to do that to use our miles) but that will give us a bit more time to get settled, rested & take advantage of more touring. Here’s our general itinerary…. Oct 31 – Fly to Atlanta; spend the night (I know…Yuk!...had to do this to use our miles.) Nov 1 – Fly to Beijing (10 am) Nov 2 – Arrive Beijing (10 pm) Nov 3-6 – Rest and sightseeing on our own. Nov 6 – Our group arrives in Beijing Nov 7 – Group cultural tour (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square) Nov 8 – Travel to Olivia’s Province (Nanchang, Jiangxi). THIS IS OUR GOTCHA DAY!!! 3:00 PM Nov 8–14 – In the Province doing paperwork, getting her passport, etc. Nov 14-18 – In Guangzhou to finalize everything at the American Consulate; get her visa. Nov 18 – Fly home!!! (Arrive 5:20 pm) Even though it’s a bit later than expected, at least we do finally have a timeline! I’ve already started packing. The bag with ALL the meds we’re advised to take for her is packed, zipped, and ready to load in the car. Can you tell I’m just ready to GO??!!!

Olivia's Care Package - update

Steve has been tracking Olivia's care package. It has still not been delivered...we shipped it on September 22. He sent an email to UPS today asking if they could tell us about any problems. Hopefully we'll hear something tomorrow. UGH!!! What if the package never gets to her????

We're packing already!!

During Desperate Housewives tonight, I packed one of the small suitcases with Livie's medicine cabinet. It's unbelievable how much STUFF we're advised to take with us. Just in case she gets sick. You can't get Tylenol or Advil or antibiotics in China...so you take everything you think you might need....for both yourself and the baby. I can't believe I was able to get everything for her in a small suitcase...meds, diapers (taking about 30...we'll buy diapers in China but save the "good American" diapers for the flight home...the more "leak proof"), wipes, bottles, bath products, etc. No...her clothes are not in this bag! Those will have to go in our suitcase. We plan on taking 2 small suitcases (the 1 or 2 day size) and 1 medium suitcase...plus 2 backpacks that we'll care on the plane. I think we'll have empty space in the medium suitcase...but we'll fill it up before we head home with lots of goodies we'll buy in China. Maybe I'll get our suitcase loaded in the next week or so. Is it possible that I'll actually be THAT organized?? I'm usually all talk and no action. We'll see....

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!