Flower cake

We're having a potluck at work tomorrow. Here is my addition. I haven't made a decorated cake in some time. Inside is a rum cake with custard and strawberries.

Is this really so wrong...

I'm at the nail salon for a pedicure. All the people that work at the salon I go to are from Vietnam. I've been going there a while so my nail girl "K" always asks about the adoption. Here's how the conversation went (after telling her that things were pretty slow right now):

K: You know, I have family in Vietnam. I'm sure they can find a baby for you. If my sister had 3 kids and I had none, she would give me one of hers- that's commonly done. It would be easy to find you a baby.
Me: Really... and how would I get her back to the US?
K: You can travel there to get her.
Me: Without a passport for her? Definitely illegal.
K: What if you travel there and take her back as your own (birth child)?
Me: YOU can travel there and possibly claim her as your own but I couldn't get away with that. Short of moving to Vietnam, I just don't see how this would work out. Even with the BM willingly giving up the baby, it would still be baby trafficing, if not kidnapping since I never legally adopted the baby. Thanks for trying to help but, no.

This had to be one on my more "interesting" conversations with K. Definitely a different perspective.

September DTC Pins

The September DTC lapel pins arrived this week. A big thank you to Jack for the ordering of the pins. And, a thanks to Phil for the design. I think they look really nice and as cloisonne pins, they will last forever.

I look forward to trying to find other September Moongazers while in China.

Good luck card

I had to share this thank you card that my niece Paige drew for me. Of course, that's me in the middle (stunning resemblence- especially the Barbie like figure) holding Paige and Bianca's hands.

The message is hard to read on this photo because it's in gold. It reads "Dear Aunti Shell, I love you so, so much. I hope you get your baby very, very soon. XOXOX Love, Paige"

Notice the ladybug and four-leaf clovers that are all around for good luck. They are just so sweet.

Stop to smell the roses

As is the case with all projects in my home, Sammy likes to play a part.
Here she is giving basic craft instructions before we get started.
Sammy is always willing to lend a hand, especially if it's sitting on top of the project you're working on.

The completed rose vases. They did a great job.

It is a craft night sleep over for my two oldest nieces, Paige and Bianca. In addition to the roses, they went on an Easter egg hunt, had their nails painted (orange), baked chocolate chip cookies, and colored Easter eggs- tomorrows lunch.

Helpful medical items for trip

The AZ FCC Waiting Families dinner was last night. Kathy, from FCCAZ , mother of two daughters from China and pharmacist, was our guest speaker. She handed out a great list of medical items to bring on the trip. Here is a shortened explanation of the items:

1. Antibiotics- 10 day supply. Some that do not require refrigeration include: Zithromax, Biaxin, Bactrim or Septra. Antibotics may be needed for ear infections, skin infections and pneumonia. Cefzil covers all three conditions.

2. Syringe- to give medications.

3. Elimite or Eurax cream- prescription cream to treat scabies.

4. Nix cream rinse or Permethin 1% - head lice. Nix is safe for children.

5. Acetaminophen drops- for an irritable child running a fever of 101 or more. Dose: 1 dropperful (1/2 tsp) for child 13 to 17 pounds. Can give every 4 to 6 hours. As a pharmacist, she DOES NOT recommend giving baby Motrin.

6. Digital Rectal thermometer- they're safer than glass and the ear thermometers are not that accurate on babies.

7. Benadryl- It is safe to give 1/4 to 1/2 tsp every 6 hours during the flight home if your child is not consolable.

8. Mylicon drops- for gas and irritability caused by stomach upset. May dose up to 20 x per day- very safe. One dropperful per dose.

9. Hydrocortisone cream 1%- may be helpful with rashes due to bug bites, new soap, clothes, etc. Do not use if rash looks infected.

10. Desitin diaper rash cream- diaper rash is dry, red, irritated skin- it's not weepy.

11. Nystatin cream or Lotrimin cream- may be used for diaper rashes that are red and weepy, often caused by a yeast infection. This often occurs when children are on antibotics.

12. Babylax or glycerin suppositories- useful for constipation. It may be helpful to try mixing apple juice in a one to one ratio with water before going to this extreme.

13. Saline nose drops- such as Ocean, Nasal or Ayr. For restoring moisture and for nasal congestion. It is especially helpful before eating or going down for a nap when the nose gets congested.

14. Pedialyte or KaoLectrolyte- formula substitute to use incase of diarrhea. NOTE: if you run out of pedialyte, you can mix a pinch of salt and 1/2 a sugar packet with water in bottle- will work the same. Kathy mentioned that she did this with all water bottles while they were in China.

15. Small ear syringe- Put one spray of saline solution in nose then suction the nose once (not repeatedly) with the ear syringe (smaller than the nose syringe) for nasal congestion.

16. Adult medications- if you are prone to sinus infections, it is suggested that you bring along a prescription sinus medication for the adults. Also, I didn't realize that prescription medications should all have a pharmacy label on them.

17. Eucerin, Cetaphil or Aveeno Baby lotion- Asian children have very dry skin so a good lotion is needed. Stay away from scented lotions.

Note: most of this list was provided by Deborah Borchers, MD

Another really helpful thing that Kathy provided was the web address for the Pediatric Medical Kit (formally the Texas Medical Kit). It costs $85 but includes presciption antibotics and scabby cream as well as a number of other over the counter items. I don't think you can order until you have a referral and some specific baby info. The address is: http://www.orphanallies.org

The last thing she handed out was a 6 page document that comes from the FCC website on "Medical testing recommended for International Adoptees" http://fwcc.org/pediatricexam.html Some really good info. Kathy suggested bringing this list to your pediatrician since most are not well versed in international adoptions and what they should be testing and vaccinating for. I've heard mixed views on re-vaccinating your child. She recommended it but this is something each family will need to decide.

6 months from LID

Tomorrow will mark the 6 month anniversary from my LID of Sept 26. The crappy thing is that I don't know if that puts me 75%, 50% or just 25% through the process. I could adjust to any timeframe if I just knew what to expect.

After spending the past four days at a Photoshop World conference in South Miami Beach with no computer access, I was looking forward to coming back to some good referral news. Instead, I'm hearing some nonsense about the next group only covering 5 days worth of LIDs- May 26 to May 30. Say it isn't so. If this turns out to be true, I can't even think about where that would put my referral timeframe.

The CCAA also posted that they've reviewed dossiers through August 31. This makes the referral rumors even more puzzling. If the reason things seem to be going slower is because there are more dossiers to process, doesn't it make sense that the back up would take place in the review room where they are actually reading and approving your dossier?? By the time a dossier goes to the referral room, it should be a pretty simple process. As far as there not being enough paper-ready babies, that seems pretty simple to fix as well. From everything I've ready, less than 10% of the babies in the SWI system are adopted. There definitely doesn't seem to be a shortage of babies.

I'm really trying to not let this bring me down but I can't help it. The process has already been so long and I need some good news for a change.

Horray for Zena!!

Three cheers for my August Secret Pal, Zena. Thank you so much for the absolutely adorable cheerleader outfit- it is so cute! The bath stuff will come in handy this evening as I sooth my sore back with a hot bath.
You have been a truly wonderful secret pal and I can't thank you enough for all the gifts you've sent over the past 8 months (has it really been that long).

Zena and I have been "chatting" since the early DTC days. We actually share the same agency, DTC day and LID day. With one big difference, Zena got an expedited referral so she already has pictures of her beautiful baby Katrena and will hopefully travel in about another month or so. I'm very happy for you and Tat. I know you guys have also waited a long time to be parents.

September Secret Pal Revealed

My wonderful September secret pal is Krista of "And baby makes three". If you haven't already, check out Krista's site to see referral pictures of her beautiful daughter, Becca.

Krista, thank you so much for all the wonderful, thoughtful gifts you have sent over the past seven months. You have been so generous and I love all the gifts you've sent. This month is no exception. Check out the adorable baby doll below. Ava is going to love her.

Close-up of the baby doll (with Sammy in the backgroud).

The Wee Sing cassette and song book have kids songs from all over the world. It also shows the words in English. I hadn't seen the Monkey King book before but look forward to reading it later on. And, the panda items are very fun. Thank you again, Krista!

Snow Day

Yesterday marked the end of 143 days of no rain in the Greater Phoenix Area (Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa). Not only did it rain all day but it actually snowed in North Scottsdale. Now, snow is no big deal for most of you out there but it generally does not snow in Scottsdale, Arizona. Yes, we'll get some snow capped moutains here and there but very rarely would you see the mountains covered in snow like this.

By Wednesday- Thursday, the temperature is supposed to be back to the normal 75 to 78 degrees.

New Secret Pal

March marks the last month of the original August Secret Pal swap and the first month of the new pal swap. So, these beautiful gifts are from my new August Secret Pal (after this month, she'll be my only secret pal with the September swap ending this month as well).

The theme this time was ABC. "Adorable" bib, bug book, and catipillar toy. Very clever. I know I'm going to love my new pal because we have the same taste. I've actually purchased one of these items for my new Aug secret pal- can't tell you which since she might see this post.

The ladybug opens up to a book. It's hard to tell from the photo but the center of the flower is a mirror. So cute.
This is Ava (top) and Michele written out in Chinese. I've been wanting to find the translations to add to Ava's scrapbook- you read my mind!!

Thank you for the wonderful presents. I really do love them.

My first baby is growing up...

This is my adorable nephew, Alex. He is 17 now and getting ready to graduate high school. I spent a lot of time with Alex as he grew up, especially when he was younger so I've always considered Alex to be my first child. These are his year book photos. We're all very proud of the sweet, generous, intelligent, loving young man he is growing into.

New timeline

With the February referrals behind us, it's time to start thinking about the March referrals. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't very disappointed with the 12 days worth of LIDs from this last batch. On the upside, there were only 3 working weeks from Jan. 23 to Feb 23 and there were more referrals assigned this time than in previous batches even though the timeframe of the LIDs doesn't reflect that.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and post my updated referral timeline (subject to change and change and then, change again). I'm sure we have at least one more batch of referrals that will cover only 2 weeks of LIDs but I do believe that some of the batches will be for 4 weeks worth of LIDs. If the CCAA produces at least 2 referral batches that cover 4 weeks worth of LIDs over the next 5 months with the remainder only covering 2 weeks worth of LIDs, then I should still be able to get an August referral.

March 24 = May 26 to June 15 LIDs
April 24 = June 16 to July 15 LIDs
May 24 = July 16 to Aug 15 LIDs
June 24 = Aug 16 to Aug 30 LIDs
July 24 = Sept 1 to Sept 15 LIDs
Aug 24 = Sept 16 to Oct 15 LIDs

Big Thanks to August Pal

A huge thank you to my August Secret Pal. I LOVE the gifts!! The ladybug bib and blanket match an outfit I received as a gift from a friend last week. Perfect! And, the little people and bunny will be great for the trip. Thanks so much and I look forward to finding out who you are - you've been a great pal!

Waiting families dinner- my home

The Arizona chapter of the FCC waiting families met at my home last night. Our featured speaker was MaLeesa and her husband Duane. MaLeesa teaches Baby Signs and is working on putting together a program to bring back to the orphanage that her daughter Zoe lived. Unfortunately, Zoe was home sick last night but I did get the opportunity to meet her at last month's dinner and she is a doll!!
Megan and Scott had to be the luckiest couple there. With a May 24 LID, they're expecting their first baby photos early this week!! How exciting for them. I can't wait to see their referral photos.
This is Miss Caeline, daughter of Lorraine. Caeline is 5 and an absolute sweetheart. Lorraine and Caeline are waiting for baby sister to come home. At some point during the evening Caeline took me by the hand and brought me over to Sammy, the cat. She then went on to quiz me about what and how often I was feeding Sammy and even after I showed her Sammy's food bowl, I'm not sure she was convinced that Sammy really didn't need to be hand fed.


In the pink shirt is Donna of Waiting for Lauren. Donna and her husband Joe were kind enough to come over early to help setup and stayed late for cleanup as well. Thanks!



After everyone left, I went in search of Sammy. It wasn't too hard to figure out where she would be relaxing. Since the nursery door remains closed most of the time, on the occassion that Sammy is allowed in, she knows right where to go. Sammy spent most of the evening sprawled across the nametag table, welcoming all the guests.

And, a big thank you to my parents, Janet & Sal, for their help with setup and cooking. I'm happy to say that there were some left over biscotti (dad's specialty) that I am now enjoying with my morning coffee.

Ladybug Sighting

What a great way to start the day. My friend, Shauna, gave me this adorable Gymboree ladybug shirt and scort outfit. She bought the same outfit for her beautiful baby girl, Shalee. I hope Ava gets home soon so that they can take a picture together in their matching outfits. Too cute. Thanks, Shauna, for your thoughtfulness. The long wait has been hard but it's friends like you that make it better. I really love the outfit!!

Referrals could be coming soon

According to one person, on one yahoo group (what do you want, it's a rumor), their agency told them that they are indeed expecting their next batch of referrals to be sent at the end of the month, February 28 (which is right in line with the table below). The big question is still the dates of the LIDs. Two weeks worth? Three or Four weeks worth? I have really high hopes for this batch so I'm going to be really disappointed if the CCAA only submits 2 weeks worth of LIDs. One more week to find out. And then, we're back to waiting for the next batch of referrals. ;)

Disturbing comment

Probably, the first of many to come. At work today, a co-worker and friend asked me if I had seen the American snowboarder in the Olympics that was adopted from Korea. We started talking about how excited his mom was watching him compete. His parents are big ski enthusiasts and had him skiing by the time he was two or three. She then went on to say "I wonder if his real mom knew that he was in the Olympics". I assured her that his "real" mom was there watching him compete and that his birth mother, the women who abandoned him, would have no reason to think that he was the child she gave birth to. She, of course, was very embarassed and apologetic but it still bothered me. I'm not mad at her because I know she wasn't intentially being unthoughtful but it did make me think about the many comments to come. I guess I'll have to grow some thicker skin.

Presents for Ava

My September secret pal has once again outdone herself. Look at all the cute gifts. I can't wait to find out next month who you are. Thanks so much for your generousity.

Here is a closeup of Sonya Lee. How cute is she. Other than her Chinese New Year's Barbie, this is Ava's first Chinese doll.

the possibilities

With weeks before the next batch of referrals, it's once again time to start spectulating about referral dates. The rumor out there today is that there will be a batch of referrals before the end of this month. Historically, there are not referrals sent in February due to the Chinese New Year. However, they did only close down for one week this year instead of the normal two week holiday.

This rumor further speculated that the next batch will go through mid-June LIDs- a four week time frame instead of the two weeks we've been seeing for months now.

So, assuming this is true and the referrals continue to come out once a month for a full months worth of LIDs, then here is where my Sept 26 LID would fall:

Feb 27 referrals = May 14 thru June 14 LIDs
Mar 27 referrals = June 15 thru July 14 LIDs
Apr 27 referrals = July 15 thru Aug 14 LIDs
May 27 referrals = Aug 15 thru Sept 14 LIDs
June 27 referrals = Sept 15 thru Oct 14 LIDs

I could definitely live with this scenario. The next few months should be very telling. If the referrals continue at only two-weeks worth of LIDs per month then I'm probably looking at October for a referral with travel between Thanksgiving and Christmas- my worst case scenario. Actually, that's not true. My biggest nightmare is not getting Ava home before 2007. Deep breaths...

Ladybug book thongs

I'm hosting the local waiting families dinner at my home in a few weeks so my mom made these ladybug book thongs for each of the families. She's very thoughtful that way. I'm going to use mine in my travel journal -when I eventually get to travel. Meanwhile, it's holding my spot in my current read, "Memoirs of a Geisha".

More clothes...

Found some good deals at Dillard's this weekend. Pink was the color of the day.

The first pink dress has layers of sheer fabric that fan out making this a real party dress.

The little pant outfit has a suede and sheepskin jacket with corduroy pants, matching turtleneck and even some suede shoes.
The velvet and cotton hot pink dress will be cute with some patterned stockings.
The pink capri pants and tank will be great for this Arizona heat. Can't wait to see Ava in each of these outfits.

Bianca turns 9!

Bianca's 9th birthday party was on Saturday. The girls started out at Libby Lu's for hair, makeup and nails. They all had a lot of fun. Pictured here are my nieces, Bianca on the left and Paige to the right. The place was fun, loud music and a sea of pink.

Their hair is done. Don't they look beautiful and much older than their 10 and 9 years, respectively.

Time for nails and makeup.

The "girls" all made up. Off to Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

Mamma Says...

Confusious has nothing on Mamma. It's clear to me, Mamma knows what she's talking about.