Mei Mei's precious great Grandma (called "Boom Boom") has been in the hospital but is due to be released today! She has been consistently saying, "Girl Power" to the doctors and nurses, and sure enough that Girl Power prevailed as she gets to go back home today! So "Mei Mei" just had to wear this today in honor of "Boom Boom"!





See ya soon Boom Boom!

We leave for Guangzhou this evening. Praying for no sandstorms there. Now that we've seen the sandstorms, we wonder maybe if that's what delayed our landing here last week. We thought it was snowflakes streaming by as we approached Hohhot, but when we landed it was 65 degrees! They say that when they wash clothes here, the water is filled with sand when they finish. Does wonders for the allergies and sinuses! :/.

Hope to post videos from Guangzhou if we have better Wifi!

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Location:Dedicated to "Boom Boom"

See Travel Page

Beginning now I'll be posting on the Travel Journal Page in the link above!
Almost time to say "Ni Hao!"

Fun Birthday Pics!

I received a WONDERFUL surprise late last night from my new Chinese friend,Ann, who lives in Guangzhou! Ann has a great business of helping adoptive parents get care packages and birthday gifts to their waiting kiddos. We ordered a birthday cake, Dum Dum lolly pops for Kaylee and all her friends, and a little jacket (yes I would've chosen pink but The jacket that Ann sent looks very authentically Chinese which I think is great!). Ann also requested pictures to be electronically sent of Kaylee's party. And oh how blessed I am that the sweet Ayis (Nannies) sent so many.

I just had to share these latest pics with all my friends here! I happen to think my girl is an absolute doll!


- 3 candles because Chinese culture says that the day you are born is your first birthday. (This is contrary to my custom of subtracting a year for every year after 30!).








Bet all her friends are glad she had a birthday! Party at the Hohhot CWI!




(I think that little one next to her is ready to dive in!)








My favorite pic




I found out today we will get to visit this orphanage while we're they're! This is a rare privilege! God opened that door for us!

8 days til "Gotcha Day", my sweet Kaylee!

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I have Consulate Appointment!!!!

I officially got my TA (Travel Approval) in the mail on Tuesday, April 10th!  And today got CA (Consulate Appointment) for May 2nd!!!!!  I truly can hardly believe all this constant waiting has come to an end!!!  All of the following of Facebook Groups, Yahoo groups, and forums designed around waiting China adoptive parents   (Couldn't have made it without all of you all as we commiserated, celebrated, and watched the charts together!).  I've hit the "refresh" button on those websites so many times it's ridiculous!  One dear waiting mom started an elaborate chart that tracked people all the way from their Dossiers being logged in through "Safe Travels".  I remember being at number 127 and thinking, "Are you kidding!  My name will never be up at the top saying "Safe Travels".  But slowly but surely, I watched my name creep up the list and I can't tell you the excitement when I saw that!  I've always loved pink, but being PINK on this chart is the best pink EVER!!!  (Identities are blurred on purpose)

                                           

Thought you might want to see how pretty China's Travel Approvals are.  Of course mine's extra pretty with that picture of little Kaylee at the bottom!

We will fly out April 19th and arrive in Hohhot on the evening of the 20th.  It will be a grueling journey with 3 layovers...one of which will be a 4 hour layover in Beijing due to the customs, etc.  But it'll all be worth it for the end result!  Gotcha Day will either be Sunday the 22nd or Monday the 23rd.  We should have a day to explore Hohhot which I hear is a great place.  The temperatures have been ranging in the 50s and 60s in the day and 30s and 40s at night.  YEAH!  I love that cool weather!  Pop Pop isn't too pleased with that part though.  ;)  We'll spend several days in Hohhot getting paperwork done and waiting on Kaylee's passport.  24 hours after "Gotcha" I'll sign official paperwork making her mine!  Then we'll fly across the country to Gaungzhou where the US consulate is.  There Kaylee will have her medical exam and I'll sign more paperwork followed by a swearing in ceremony.  The temps in Guangzhou have been in the mid to high 80s.  Now Pop Pop will be happy while Missy and Mimi will be griping about the heat and HIGH humidity.  Ugh!  But I'll have my little doll, so who cares, right!  From there we'll go to Hong Kong for a day and then back home.

It will be a high stress trip with lots of uncertainties.  No one knows ahead of time how Gotcha Day will go, how the bonding process will proceed, how much grieving the child will go through.  A lot depends on their personalities.  So, I have a ridiculous amount of toys and goodies packed.  Although with my food pickiness, I may be breaking into the Gerber Graduates myself!

When I leave, I'll begin blogging on the Travel page of the blog.  I've learned a way that this should work from China.  Really hope so!  I'll post pictures, news, and videos ASAP.

I can hardly believe it's really happening.  What's worse is it feels like someone has turned off my brain!  So much to do and yet I can't even seem to focus or think straight.  Hope I snap out of that soon!

Thank you again for all your prayers and support.  We're almost there!  Stay tuned!

TA! TA!!! TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got an email from Dillon today saying that China would not be able to email a copy of my TA ahead of time because IT'S ALREADY IN THE MAIL! Woo hoo! That means early next week I should have it in hand! Dillon will request 5 consulate appointments and hopefully we will get our first choice. This would have us leaving the 18th or 19th!!! I can hardly believe it! LOTS to do! I have, however, gotten my 6 vaccinations, gotten prescriptions as a "just in case" to take with me, packed Kaylee for the most part. Pop Pop has been talking back and forth with our travel agent who has helped with many adoption related trips. So, we're making progress! I'm finding it next to impossible to concentrate on ANYTHING else though!

My next prayer requests are that we do get our first choice appointment and then that we are able to use our flyer miles on United to upgrade our seats. There have been stories of orphanages who decided at the last minute to just go ahead and meet families at the hotel UPON ARRIVAL instead of waiting until the appointment time and giving families a couple of days to get acclimated.  For this reason, the better rested I can be, the better off I'll be upon receiving Kaylee. Therefore, we'd love to be able o upgrade to at least Economy Plus, but preferably Business Class.  It can be harder to do with this short notice, but we're praying it works out.  If anyone has any tips for helping in this matter, please comment or email me!

I found out 2 days ago that there is a precious young couple in TX who have been praying for my little Kaylee since they saw her picture on a website a year and a half ago! God has His hand on this little one for sure! And soon I'll have her in my arms.

I have so much to be thankful for. I can's say enough great things about Dillon International! If you're ever planning to consider adoption and live anywhere they provide services, please consider them. You'll be thrilled that you did! I know I am! I've learned from some very sad stories that which agency you choose to help through the process is the most critical part. I'm thankful God guided me to Dillon!

Thank you God for watching over my precious one since the very beginning with nannies who care and by raising up prayer warriors to pray specifically for her before I ever knew her. Thank you Dillon for your vigilance, organization, and great communication skills. Thank you friends and family who have supported me through this by praying, giving showers, offering words of encouragement, and being excited right along with me! And thank you to Mimi and Pop Pop for already being so crazy about Kaylee, your support in every way, and for all your help!  I love you all!

Presents from Mimi and Pop Pop

Had to show a cute pic of Mimi and Pop Pop's shopping spree for their new granddaughter for her birthday.  I heard from a little birdie that Pop Pop was not only a good sport but actually got into picking out the clothes for Kaylee!  I know this to be true because I too have witnessed it!  :)  I realized she would need a coat for the cold Hohhot weather.  I didn't know it has been in the 20s at night there.  Mimi found literally the last 2T warm coat left at Burlington Coat Factory!  GO MIMI!

Sweet friends took me out to celebrate her birthday too!  So glad Kaylee had a birthday so I could eat chocolate cake!  Mmmmmmm!  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEE YUMEI!

Well, right now I'm a very sad mommy because I'm missing my baby girl's 2nd birthday.  Not only that but because it's still "Tomb Sweeping Holiday", she will not receive her cake tonight (which is already  tomorrow in China).  However, at least she will get the cake soon and yes, logically I know that a 2 year old doesn't really have much concept of a birthday...but her mommy does!  Mimi will make her one of her most beautiful and delicious cakes when we get back and we'll celebrate it then, but for now, I'm having my own party...a pity party because I want to be with her on this very special day!

I love you Kaylee Yumei and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my China doll!

4 days into TA wait...

Well, today marks 4 days of waiting for TA.  Just sayin'!  ;)  Someone called the China Adoption Affairs offices today and found out that they actually worked through the weekend so that even though they are closed today through Wednesday for Tomb Sweeping Holiday, we really actually only will be losing ONE day!  Every day counts with this!

I reread my previous post and noticed all my typos (now corrected...because that's just the way I am).    I'm going to blame it on the 3 prescriptions I'm on in an effort to get rid of a horrendous cough I've had for EIGHT weeks due to the extremely high pollen count.  I have to be over the cough to go to China.  I'd really appreciate your prayers.  And I'll try not to post again soon after taking all the medications!  ;)