So the whole "we're becoming parents in an hour!" bit was, well, a load of hooey. Turns out, there's a bit of a situation here, where students are protesting in the streets in front of government buildings--ie, in front of our hotel. Soooo, we were told to stay in our rooms as a "big parade was going by" (hmmm) and we will try to become parents tomorrow, or the next day.
We are perfectly safe, just incredibly disappointed by the day's events. We were totally ready, had everything set out as best we could, and got to call literally as we were walking out the door to meet our son. And, looking out into the streets, there really isn't any way it could have happened. So, we try again tomorrow.
We stayed in, watched HBO movies, ate some pretty darned good room service, and went to bed.
Sigh.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
T-minus 30 minutes
We are here safe and sound. Internet connection is very spotty, but the hotel is nice and the service is excellent.
We meet L in 30 minutes. I can't remotely explain how it feels, so won't try. But should all go as planned, we will be parents in about an hour :-)!!!!!
We meet L in 30 minutes. I can't remotely explain how it feels, so won't try. But should all go as planned, we will be parents in about an hour :-)!!!!!
Friday, September 14, 2012
At the airport!
Did you ever think you'd see this day??? Completely surreal. (And I'm posting from my phone so if this looks especially wacky, sorry!)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
RQ List
In the world of Chinese adoption, the Rumor Queen website, AKA ChinaAdoptTalk, is a wonderful resource for information, questions, stories, and support. There is also a thoughtfully and carefully organized spreadsheet called "Steps to TA (Travel Approval)", which we have ever-so-slowly been working our way up over the last 9 months. Today the list for this week came out, and we are at the very top, and instead of listing the next steps, it says "Safe Travels!".
That's us, MSJ2007. How awesome is that? It's going to be strange not to analyze the list every week--seeing which families have passed us by, how fast everyone is getting individual documents, and where we are in line. But I'm ok with that. Very, very ok with that.
Today is my last day of work before (dun dun dun!) maternity leave! I will be working from home part-time after L comes home, which was more than supported by my employers.
Two days and a wakeup!
That's us, MSJ2007. How awesome is that? It's going to be strange not to analyze the list every week--seeing which families have passed us by, how fast everyone is getting individual documents, and where we are in line. But I'm ok with that. Very, very ok with that.
Today is my last day of work before (dun dun dun!) maternity leave! I will be working from home part-time after L comes home, which was more than supported by my employers.
Two days and a wakeup!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Itinerary
We received our itinerary for our trip, and it's intense. Two weeks of pretty much straight meetings, appointments, medical assessments. We have one day off in the second part of the trip, and I have a feeling that will be very, very welcome.
The basics:
9/14-9/15: Travel to Xi'an (Seattle-Beijing-Xi'an)
9/16: Take temporary custody of L
9/17: Sign official adoption paperwork
9/18: Apply for L's passport
9/19: Spend time at significant places in L's life around Xi'an
9/20: Visit orphanage, pick up L's passport
9/21: Fly from Xi'an to Guangzhou. This is where the US Consulate is located, where all adoptions in China end regardless of agency.
9/22: Medical appointment for L, including TB test and all vaccinations (yikes!)
9/23: Day off
9/24: Medical clinic results
9/25: Paperwork/appointments as needed
9/26: Visa interview/oath at US Consulate
9/27: Pick up L's visa at Consulate
9/28: Fly home (Guangzhou-Beijing-Seattle)
We looked up our hotels, and they both look very nice. The hotel in Guangzhou is across the street from a Starbucks, which is a huge bonus for these overly-caffeinated Seattle-ites.
We have some luggage, and our major fees are paid. Now it's on to actual packing.
Holy freaking smokes.
6 days and a wakeup!
The basics:
9/14-9/15: Travel to Xi'an (Seattle-Beijing-Xi'an)
9/16: Take temporary custody of L
9/17: Sign official adoption paperwork
9/18: Apply for L's passport
9/19: Spend time at significant places in L's life around Xi'an
9/20: Visit orphanage, pick up L's passport
9/21: Fly from Xi'an to Guangzhou. This is where the US Consulate is located, where all adoptions in China end regardless of agency.
9/22: Medical appointment for L, including TB test and all vaccinations (yikes!)
9/23: Day off
9/24: Medical clinic results
9/25: Paperwork/appointments as needed
9/26: Visa interview/oath at US Consulate
9/27: Pick up L's visa at Consulate
9/28: Fly home (Guangzhou-Beijing-Seattle)
We looked up our hotels, and they both look very nice. The hotel in Guangzhou is across the street from a Starbucks, which is a huge bonus for these overly-caffeinated Seattle-ites.
We have some luggage, and our major fees are paid. Now it's on to actual packing.
Holy freaking smokes.
6 days and a wakeup!
Monday, September 3, 2012
His Room
Warning: Little Boy room pictures to follow. Please feel free to skip this post--I've done it plenty of times myself.
We finished L's room this weekend, and are really happy with how it turned out. We went with an under-the-sea theme--shocking, I know. We also tried for soothing colors that aren't too cold--tough with blues, but in Seattle, warmer tones can make a big difference.
I scored this crib/toddler bed from Craigslist (where has Craigslist been all my life?), which we are leaving as a crib right now, but will change to a toddler bed if that is more appropriate. We are pretty sure kiddos L's age are still in cribs in the orphanage, but he did spend some time in a foster family, so it's a bit of a mystery as to exactly how he is used to sleeping. Crib, toddler bed, co-sleeping--whatever works for him, works for us.
The duvet cover is the one thing I splurged on--it was on sale, but still pricey--it features scuba divers and brightly colored sharks wearing snorkels. It spoke to me. And the words on the wall make me happy.
We added some lanterns in the corner--
We created a nice little reading area (complete with cat, but what in our house isn't?). This chair/ottoman set is the one Cory's dad used to read to him in days of yore.
And last, but not least, is my favorite part of the room: a picture of a fish Cory drew for L. As an art school graduate, Cory is a talented artist, but has primarily worked in black-and-white. He branched out in this picture of a Moorfish, which he chose as they are the bearers of happiness.
We are feeling more and more ready to meet L and become his parents. The condo is clean as a whistle, animals bathed, freezer full, and all of the other little things that are nice to have in place before such a huge change.
We are officially leaving the 14th--8 months to the day since we got pre-approval to adopt L.
:-)
We finished L's room this weekend, and are really happy with how it turned out. We went with an under-the-sea theme--shocking, I know. We also tried for soothing colors that aren't too cold--tough with blues, but in Seattle, warmer tones can make a big difference.
I scored this crib/toddler bed from Craigslist (where has Craigslist been all my life?), which we are leaving as a crib right now, but will change to a toddler bed if that is more appropriate. We are pretty sure kiddos L's age are still in cribs in the orphanage, but he did spend some time in a foster family, so it's a bit of a mystery as to exactly how he is used to sleeping. Crib, toddler bed, co-sleeping--whatever works for him, works for us.
We added some lanterns in the corner--
This Etsy purchase was the first thing I bought for L, and is at the entrance of his room. In between the larger words "I love you from here to China" are the names of major Chinese cities. Xi'an, where L has lived most of his life, is listed, as well as the Silk Road (Xi'an was on the Silk Road in days of yore) and Guangzhou, where we will end our adoption process in China.
We created a nice little reading area (complete with cat, but what in our house isn't?). This chair/ottoman set is the one Cory's dad used to read to him in days of yore.
And last, but not least, is my favorite part of the room: a picture of a fish Cory drew for L. As an art school graduate, Cory is a talented artist, but has primarily worked in black-and-white. He branched out in this picture of a Moorfish, which he chose as they are the bearers of happiness.
We are feeling more and more ready to meet L and become his parents. The condo is clean as a whistle, animals bathed, freezer full, and all of the other little things that are nice to have in place before such a huge change.
We are officially leaving the 14th--8 months to the day since we got pre-approval to adopt L.
:-)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Consulate Appointment
We now officially have a consulate appointment! We take the oath at the consulate in Guangzhou on September 26, and head home the 28th. Which means we leave.....
September 14!
As in, 15 days from today. Within a month, we will be home with our son.
Our To-Do list has changed considerably between a few days ago and now, from "Get cars tuned up and animals vetted early" to "Buy L some more underpants and book airline tickets". And you know what? That's perfectly fine by us.
This morning I have The Maternity Leave Conversation with my work, which is such a small organization that we don't qualify for FMLA. I have one month off per the handbook, 2 weeks of which will be in China. Putting my new child in full time childcare 2 weeks after coming to the US doesn't really work for me, and I think they understand that. My bosses are very flexible and supportive, so we will see what happens there. I think they will work with me--at least, I really hope so!
The best part of this timing? We won't miss his third birthday. We get to have him in our home, make his first cake, buy him presents and wrap them in Elmo gift paper, light three candles, and sing him a song. And Cory becomes a father 24 hours before his 40th birthday.
Pretty awesome.
September 14!
As in, 15 days from today. Within a month, we will be home with our son.
Our To-Do list has changed considerably between a few days ago and now, from "Get cars tuned up and animals vetted early" to "Buy L some more underpants and book airline tickets". And you know what? That's perfectly fine by us.
This morning I have The Maternity Leave Conversation with my work, which is such a small organization that we don't qualify for FMLA. I have one month off per the handbook, 2 weeks of which will be in China. Putting my new child in full time childcare 2 weeks after coming to the US doesn't really work for me, and I think they understand that. My bosses are very flexible and supportive, so we will see what happens there. I think they will work with me--at least, I really hope so!
The best part of this timing? We won't miss his third birthday. We get to have him in our home, make his first cake, buy him presents and wrap them in Elmo gift paper, light three candles, and sing him a song. And Cory becomes a father 24 hours before his 40th birthday.
Pretty awesome.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Travel Approval!
We have travel approval! It came through yesterday, as did our visas from the consulate in SF. I'll be happy to have our passports back in hand, which should be Friday.
This is really happening!
The next step is to request a consulate appointment, which is the last thing we do in China before heading home. We put in our request yesterday, and the 5 dates we have requested are all in.....September!!! We thought this was a complete no-go, and were setting our sights much later in the year so are thrilled by the possibility. We should find out today or tomorrow what the consulate appt (CA) date is, and work backward from there (we need to be there 12 days or so in advance). There is a huge national holiday the first week of October, so we pretty much need to be in and out by then as everything is closed for celebrations. Which means that we are likely to have our son within the month. Hoooooly cow.
Cory turns the big four-oh on September 19, and it has been his dream to meet his son before then. Fingers and toes crossed that this will be the case. Here's hoping!
We just had some changes at work in regards to phone/computer systems, and had to re-format our passwords. Our admin noted that when I was emailing her about the new password formats, I kept typing passport instead of password. Can I say how out of the game my brain is right now? :-)
This is really happening!
The next step is to request a consulate appointment, which is the last thing we do in China before heading home. We put in our request yesterday, and the 5 dates we have requested are all in.....September!!! We thought this was a complete no-go, and were setting our sights much later in the year so are thrilled by the possibility. We should find out today or tomorrow what the consulate appt (CA) date is, and work backward from there (we need to be there 12 days or so in advance). There is a huge national holiday the first week of October, so we pretty much need to be in and out by then as everything is closed for celebrations. Which means that we are likely to have our son within the month. Hoooooly cow.
Cory turns the big four-oh on September 19, and it has been his dream to meet his son before then. Fingers and toes crossed that this will be the case. Here's hoping!
We just had some changes at work in regards to phone/computer systems, and had to re-format our passwords. Our admin noted that when I was emailing her about the new password formats, I kept typing passport instead of password. Can I say how out of the game my brain is right now? :-)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Clearly...
I've got this whole parenting thing licked.
 |
| Testing out the new Ergo. Goose was a trooper. |
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
True Book Title: "Cooking With Pooh"
As in Pooh Bear, who is shown on the cover making cookies. And it's still just...grody. Recently found that little gem amidst old teaching materials and all I have to say is yikes.
Anywayyyy....
We sent our little L a care package this week. It's really hard to decide what to send to prepare an almost-3-year-old for what's coming. In the end there really isn't any way to, and we know that....but we tried. So we included:
*Lil People cars--the few pictures we have of him all show him playing with various vehicles so this seemed logical.
*A recordable book called Under the Same Moon. It's a lovely book, and at least he'll hear our voices. And yes, it's in English so this idea may be moot, but it's worth a shot.
*A teddy bear--we really should have sent a black dog and three orange cats, but there's time enough for him to learn that he's moving into a virtual petting zoo.
*A picture album--including his room, toys, us, us holding his picture, Maggie, and the cats (Tripper, Dee, and Goose). I used an online translator to explain each picture, so hopefully it makes a little sense and doesn't turn "Our dog Maggie is nice and gentle!" into "Our dog Maggie has large, slavering teeth and eats little boys for breakfast!".
*Some stickers to share with his friends.
In other news:
Come onnnn, travel approval!!!
Anywayyyy....
We sent our little L a care package this week. It's really hard to decide what to send to prepare an almost-3-year-old for what's coming. In the end there really isn't any way to, and we know that....but we tried. So we included:
*Lil People cars--the few pictures we have of him all show him playing with various vehicles so this seemed logical.
*A recordable book called Under the Same Moon. It's a lovely book, and at least he'll hear our voices. And yes, it's in English so this idea may be moot, but it's worth a shot.
*A teddy bear--we really should have sent a black dog and three orange cats, but there's time enough for him to learn that he's moving into a virtual petting zoo.
*A picture album--including his room, toys, us, us holding his picture, Maggie, and the cats (Tripper, Dee, and Goose). I used an online translator to explain each picture, so hopefully it makes a little sense and doesn't turn "Our dog Maggie is nice and gentle!" into "Our dog Maggie has large, slavering teeth and eats little boys for breakfast!".
*Some stickers to share with his friends.
In other news:
- Our Article 5 was picked up today and forwarded to Beijing, so we are now officially waiting on travel approval. This should take 2-4 weeks, but as of tomorrow I will be back to checking my email roughly every 20 seconds, you know, just in case.
- Visa requirements for us to enter China have changed as of August 1. We are trying to figure out what this means, but it looks like we will need confirmed hotels and flights before we can apply for a visa (no longer available through a rush service), which will push everything out further, as we now need a visa to enter China before applying for a Consulate appointment in China (kind of a major part of the process). US embassies/consulates seem to have different information, however, so it's all a bit up in the air. There is a chance we can apply for a visa with unconfirmed travel, which is what we are attempting with our travel agent. One more set of instructions to follow and things to figure out...but it still feels pretty darned awesome to actually be talking about travel. To China. To pick up our son. Holy moly, that feels good.
- We celebrated our 5 year anniversary last week. We went diving for Dungeness crab in the beautiful, hot Seattle weather. The Pacific Northwest may actually redeem itself this year. We cooked 'em up right on the beach--very fun. I got pretty crispy, as my gleaming white skin was touched by the sun for more than 30 seconds, but it was totally worth it.
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