Advice Please

Okay Guys :) I need some help..... As a new Mom to be I am really not sure of everything that I will need to have for Abby. For those of you that are in the know please leave me comments with your suggestions of must haves for Abby. Keep in mind that she will be around 14 months old when she comes home. I would love to know what worked best for you and what didn't for that matter. I am talking anything that you can think of no matter how big or small. And how many should I have on hand for example crib sheets..... How many do I need???? Thanks oh wise ones :)

Good Friends and Family Rock!

More fun goodies to post :) I found this package at my door last night when I got home from work compliments of Liz and Ava. I love the shirt, the cute little pig. ladybug clips and ladybug cell phone charm. What I loved best was the sweet note and Christmas card with Ava's beautiful picture. It made me tear up. Little Ava is having surgery tomorrow so hop on over to their blog and wish them well. I'm sending prayers out for Mommy and daughter. I hope all goes well and Miss Ava stays comfortable and that Mommy and Ava are able to get some rest!

I also received these beautiful and thoughtful cards from Shannon and Kris :0

Uncle Hughie and Aunt Elizabeth gave Abby this perfect pillow for her room :0

Finally, EEG buddies, Teresa and Lindsey gave Abby her first Birthday present and card. The bear is so soft and in her room waiting for her hugs right now.

Everyone has just been so amazing in celebration of Abby! I thank you all for being so thoughtful :0 I truly Hope I am able to meet all of you blogger buddies someday and look foreword to watching your dreams come true :):):)

A Special Gift

Look at this wonderful package I received in the mail. A little bird told me it was on it's way and would be a way to keep Abby close to my heart until I had her in my arms. It came from these two wonderful people!



I opened it up to find this beautiful necklace. I love it! Thank you so much Julie and Tess :) I will wear this every day. Thank you for being so sweet and thoughtful and Thank you for letting me follow your journey to each other. I truly hope Abby and I are able to meet you two in person one day!

This last picture is of my first fire of the season. It's 40 degrees out (never mind that it was 78 degrees two days ago for Thanksgiving) and I still haven't turned on my heat yet. not when this crazy Virginia weather is so wishey washy :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving and you all are a huge part of it. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving :O

I'll take it!

My Uncle sent me this today :O

PARENT Job Description

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop JOB

DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION : Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE ? THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! **

If you are fortunate enough you will become grandparents!

So very Cool!

I wanted to take the time to Thank You All so very much for all of the BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY WISHES you have left for Abby on her birthday. I am saving them all for her. It is so very cool to me that on that day my baby has no idea how much her world will change and that on that special day she had so many people thinking of her.

*****

Also THANK YOU everybody for your packing tips. Please keep those coming. I love it :)

*****

Finally and unfortunately I am sick. The crud has been circling around for a couple of weeks and finally caught up with me on Friday. I managed to work 12 hours that day (with my sexy throaty cold voice as I was told) and yesterday (Saturday) 12 hours as well. I truly felt like death by yesterdays shift end. I came home and had soup and took NyQuil and was finally asleep in bed by 11pm. I slept until 5pm today and still feel rough so unfortunately I had to call in sick tomorrow. I hate to do that at this juncture because I need all of the hours I can get right now. Hopefully I can make them up later this week. I am also hoping I am not down for too long because I need to get my visa application done, send Abby's care package off to her, and also set up my Homestudy update this week. My Homestudy expires on December 18th and must be current while we are in China so unfortunately I will have to pay yet again for something I will only need another month. That's okay though, Abby is worth it :)

This and That

I had my travel meeting this past Monday night. I attended by telephone because my agency is out of state. The meeting was 2 and a half hours long! Lot's of info :) They are estimating our travel dates to be January 3rd through January 16th. I am a little bummed that I won't have Abby by Christmas. I was looking at some families that received their referrals this time last year and it looked like they received faster TA's then my agency anticipates. Maybe that will happen for us too. Either way it will happen when it is supposed to :0

I have been going through Abby's clothes and weeding out the ones she will probably never wear. I am also setting aside the special outfits that I want to bring with me for her to wear in China. It is hard to pick. I know they say to only bring around 8 outfits but I just don't see that happening. I have waited my whole life for this :) I also know that I will be able to buy baby clothing over in China verses bringing a lot with me. That is really not an option for me though. I have collected so many outfits for her during the last 30 months that she will never wear them all. The last thing I need to do is buy her more.

I am also working on her care package that I will soon send to her. I will save that for another post :)

I went to my sisters last night. She had a couple of goodies for Abby. She gave her the beautiful dress and coat pictured below. I also took a picture of Christopher and Erin with their newest Cousin :0

Look at Their Puppy Pete! Isn't he getting big?

Mel sent this cute hoodey for Abby :)

And last but not least, Mom gave me this cute cell phone holder.

Somewhere......

My baby turns one today. I wish that I could celebrate with her. I love her so much already! Happy Birthday Sweet Abby. Hang in there, Mamas coming soon......

Somewhere out there Beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me And loving me tonight

Somewhere out there Someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one another In that big somewhere out there

And even though I know How very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing On the same bright star

And when the night wind Starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping Underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there If love can see us through

Then we'll be together

Somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

And even though I know How very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind Starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping Underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there If love can see us through

Then we'll be together

Somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true...

I Remember!

A day late! I can't believe I forgot about Veterans Day. I have such a great respect for all of the Men And Women who have sacrificed so much for us to be free and live in the land we do. My THANKS to all of them past and present for all that they have done and will do for our country and for other countries as well. And my prayers that there will soon be a time when they will no longer have to be in harms way.

Presents

I just had to share these thoughtful presents I received last week in celebration of Abby :) My Aunt Debbie sent me this cute ladybug cookie cutter and a tin filled with....... You guessed it! Yummy ladybug cookies that she made herself :) Oh my gosh they were good and fresh! But the coolest thing about this gift is what Debbie enclosed in the tin with the cookies. A red ribbon strung with pictures of my whole family twisted and tangled through out the cookies. I am in awe of the thought and time that Debbie put into this creative gift. Thank you Debbie! I love it but I love you even more for doing this. I can't wait for Abby to meet you and the rest of our family :)

I brought these cookies in to work today to share! Trust me, I had to. I could have easily eaten the whole tin by myself. They were appreciated by everyone :) Some day Abby and I will make more ladybug cookies together!

This is the other gift that was given to me in celebration of Abby. Mary a coworker and friend :) presented me with a package the other day at work. She told me the gift was for story time. I opened it up to see this beautiful quilt :0 She wants me to wrap Abby up in it and read her stories :) I can't wait to do just that.

The quilt had kitties on it and if you look closely the stitching on the quilt is made up of paw prints.

Such a sweet and thoughtful gift. Thank you Mary :O Once Abby is home I will take a picture for you of Abby wrapped up in this beautiful gift

Red Thread

I would like to introduce Abby's other Grandparents so very proud of their newest Grandaughter :) My Dad and Mel. The red thread was my Dad's idea :)

No post from me in two days?? I am still on top of the world :) I just have been too tired to post. I haven't slept well all week. I have been too excited and hyped up to fall asleep. My first day back to work post Abby day was interesting. Seemed like it took me ten times longer to do anything and I had a very hard time concentrating. But I made it and Friday was a little better. It was fun to brag and show Abby off too :) I'm off today and I am totally exhausted. I think my sleep deficit has finally caught up with me. I was up early this morning to go to WW (down another 2.2 pounds!) then I went and overnighted my LOA for Abby along with the other required paperwork by my agency to them for Monday. They needed her American name so under pressure I decided she will be Abigale Pinglee . Monday I have my travel meeting that I must attend by conference call because my agency is out of state. I am hoping they might give us an idea of our possible travel dates. I just can't wait to get my hands on my little girl. I am going to put together a care package for her this week :)

My Dad sent me this the other day and I thought I would share it. I think it counts as a red thread :)

Jenny, ladybugs are natural enemies of many leaf eating insect pests and it has been demonstrated that a single ladybug may consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. In the fall South Carolina upcountry, and places elsewhere, lady bugs are sometime released by the millions to combat other insects. In fact Clemson University, near our mountain cottage, is known for releasing them around this time of year. It always causes a week or so of these little creatures by the hundreds flying around inside your house and covering window sills and counter tops. Well guess what? This past weekend when Melanie and I were up there was”the week the beginning of “lady bug” week. I wonder whether it was coincidental with the timing of your referral – or something else?? Something to thing about, huh? Love Dad

This is Emma, Melanie's daughters little girl. Isn't she adorable :) She got a hold of Abby's picture and wouldn't give it up.

LID 23 Months Today! Updated*****

* UPDATED BELOW AT POST END*

I have gotten so used to posting these milestones but I have to say that this Lidversary is the best one yet! Life is grand :) I still can't seem to get anything done though. I have a major concentration problem these days :) I have been trying to figure out what Abby's Chinese name Lin Ping An means. I know that Lin is her surname and more then likely the name of the director of Abby's SWI. I have been searching the Internet and have seen beautiful jade, Forrest and woods all as possible meanings for Lin. Ping, I have found in my searching is commonly used for females. Evidently it is considered feminine but the only meaning I have found is level? An has several different meanings such as peaceful, quiet, still, to pacify, rest, calm, and tranquil. I know I may well be totally off base with these meanings too. In my reading it seems like it is really important to actually see the Chinese characters and hear their tones when translating a Chinese name. We have a family friend who is Chinese but she is actually in China right now.

******* UPDATE

Okay I totally wasn't done with this post and I thought I had saved it as a draft. I was going to add that I received Abby's translated medical report today. She looks perfect! . It says that she is quiet, fond of listening to music, fond of playing with toys that make music, likes to watch TV, has a ready smile, is quick in reaction and is obstinate sometimes. It also says that she is closest to her caretaker, Her favorite toy is a wooden horse and her favorite activity is being held by her caretaker while she plays :)

*******

I finally return to real life again. I have to work tomorrow and Friday. I also wanted again just to thank you all for your comments, well wishes and e mails :) I have tried to respond back but I am sure that in all of the excitement I probably missed somebody. Truly though, Thank you from the bottom of my heart:) Your well wishes mean the world to me and I am saving them all for Abby :) * I will probably keep this song playing through the weekend :) Hope I don't irritate anyone away *

It still feels like Christmas!

I am still flying High :0 I got Abby's Medical report this morning along with her original referral pictures. Unfortunately the report is mostly all Chinese and won't be translated til later this week. I was able to decipher that she has 2 teeth, is crawling, a moderate sleeper, and can be obstinate at times. It also said she likes to look at picture books. :) Good thing cause she has a lot of books in her library :) I ventured out today to Wally World to make copies of her photos. When I came back these beautiful flowers were waiting for me :) Thanks S and K! I love them :) I also made the introductions today :)

The introductions seems to be going well so far don't ya think?

Finally, I have a cute little children's store right down the street from me that just opened. I went in last week and scoped it out. I told the owner about my adoption and also told her I would be back to buy a celebration outfit once I had my referral. I went back today and showed her Abby's referral pictures and then I bought the very first outfit for my little girl who now has a face :) A little girl that I can picture in the outfit and that is totally different then the outfits I already have. Right Nancy :):)

Wow :):):):)

Wow, I just keep saying Wow :) I finally went to sleep around 330 am and slept til 900am. Now I am waiting for the fed ex person to come with Abby's referral package. I found these two pictures of Abby's orphanage. I'm not sure how old they are though. This site was helpful. I also joined the yahoo group for her orphanage. Once I get the specifics from her referral packet I am going to try and get her finding ad as well.

I don't think my feet have touched down yet. I am still on cloud nine :) My stomach is still tumbling too but in a good way :) Thank you for all of your comments and emails. I have had so much fun reading them :) They are the icing on the cake for this wonderful experience :)

Last of all, I promise to only torture you with this song for the short term. I just had to play it for now :)

Referral day Recap

Today was absolutely amazing! I woke up at 7am, then 8am then finally got up at 9am. Checked my email first thing and as you know from my various posts it was a while before I heard anything. But not really just felt like it :) My Mom was on me to get over to her house so she would not miss anything. I truly did not even expect to hear anything til this afternoon so I was just hanging out. I would do one thing then check my email, check RQ and check my blog. Then do something else and run through the same checks. I showered and put on a little makeup and then heard my cell go off. Sure enough it was THE CALL. They gave me her name Lin Ping An, Birthday November 13, 2006, her Province Jiangxi and orphanage Yihuang County. Then he described her too me and told me there were pictures coming via email. I told him to describe her because I had promised my Mom I would wait to Abby's face with her. He told me she had a good amount of thin hair, said she was wearing several outfits in 3 photos. Told me she had on green shoes and was smiling and eating a cookie :) he also said he thought the pictures were about 4 months old. I am wondering if the walker picture might be more recent tho cause she looks older and has a little more hair. Anyway basically after that I brushed my hair but did not fix it hence the wild look in my pictures. And drove over to my Moms while calling people as I went. I don't know how I survived the drive cause I don't remember seeing the road. Anyhow I was able to reach my Dad and Mel (Step mother). They were in the car en route home from their cabin and Mel Had her laptop so I told them I would email the pictures as soon as I saw them. I got to my Moms and we opened up the pictures. I set my camera on record but the angle is so unflattering. It shows all 10 of my chins :) Don't know if you really want to see that. Will see. Anyway there she was! Beautiful and perfect in every way! Then basically my Mom and I split up. She was on her computer printing out the pictures and I was on Hugh's (Step dad) computer emailing and blogging and still making and taking phone calls. Dad and Mel called back multiple times :) I waited for Hugh to get home and showed him and then we took pictures. Then I headed up to work. I had called them earlier and told them I wanted to bring the pictures up in person and see their reactions. They said absolutely not. so I sent them one and listened as they opened it up. Lots of hollering went on then I told them I would bring the other two pictures up. So anyway once at work I showed off the rest of Abby's pictures. They proceeded to show them to the patients and visitors. It was fun :0 Then I went home and called my sister. i had emailed the pictures earlier that day but did not want her to show the kids until I was on the phone to hear the reaction. So My Niece Erin answered and they had just walked in the door from school. I listened for their reactions and it was priceless. I wish I could have taped it. Last I put two of Abby's pictures in frames on my mantle :) Then I checked my email and blog and had so much fun reading all of your comments :) I feel like I just won the Oscar. I just want to Hug you all and thank everybody!!!!

This day has been surreal! I am a Mommy! I didn't eat dinner til 10PM tonight. Just took some Tylenol PM too. I don't know how I am going to sleep tonight. I love her already. Those cheeks and those lips :) Her eyes speak volumes. WoW.!!!


Mom and I! She was happy I promise :)

Hugh and I.

Proud Grandparents :0

Here She Is!

Yahoo Meet my baby! Lin Ping An Born November 13, 2006 I am so happy! I will post more later but wanted you see my little girl :)

Still Waiting

I emailed my agency again a little while ago. I still have not heard anything from them. Just trying to get an idea when to be at my Moms. She wants me over there now but I can't imagine just sitting and waiting when there is stuff I can do Abby related while I wait. My stomach is still in knots but I did just eat a little something for lunch. Hopefully it stays down. I am so jumpy! A little while ago I was sitting at my laptop and all was quiet. Suddenly I heard loud singing of "This old man, He played two" I jumped out of my skin trying to decide if that was my cell phone? Turns out it was Quaker's. I had all of the stuff from Abby's closet piled in her crib and on the floor. My Mom had given me this cube that sings and makes noise. Quaker's decided to jump on it :) It didn't seem to scare her cause she was still there when I came back with the camera. Here is my call sheet ready to be filled out (Courtesy of Stephie).

My sister gave me this referral bracelet for when I got my referral way back when I started the process. I pulled it out today :) Allrighty then, I will try not and post again until I know something :)

Nothing yet

Thought I would check in with you guys. I emailed my agency last night but have not heard from them yet. Haven't seen any new referrals pop up on RQ yet either. Gosh I hope I hear something today. I have a feeling that it wont be till this afternoon sometime. My stomach is in turmoil today and I feel nauseous. I'm so glad that I did not have to work today. I am going to try and get a few things done then head over to my Moms. I promise to post as soon as I can :)

I'm in!

Yahoo!!!! The site changed and I am in :):):):) I checked RQ around 8PM and they were talking in the forum about how the site might change tonight. They said AM C*C*A*A time would be around 8 or 9PM and hoped the change would happen then. I decided I would go paint Abby's closet then would come back and check. At 10:00PM there it was! Then I went to my blog and saw all your comments telling me as well :) Thank you!! How will I sleep tonight? I am so glad they let me off tomorrow. I now know there is no way I would be able to function. It feels like there is a hamster wheel turning inside my stomach. I'm all cranked up, I feel like I could run a race or that I need to just go out and yell Thank You :) I took two Tylenol PM so hopefully that will kick in soon. I promise I will Post her picture as soon as I can. Thank you everybody :)

One More Sleep!

UPDATE : I just got the day off tomorrow :)

So are you guys getting tired of me rambling yet? I am so hoping that tonight will be my final night as a non mommy! My stomach has been in knots all day today. I have managed to keep busy with my to do list. My brother came over and helped me with a lot including hanging more shelves in Abby's closet and fixing her toy box lid. Thanks Pete :) I am dreading work tomorrow. My Mom thinks I should call in. Her rational is that, "Nobody else has to work the day they have their baby so why should you?" I won't be calling in though I can't blame her she just really wants to be with me when I first see Abby's face. I am bringing my "The Call List" (Thanks Stephie) and my camera to work. I will get someone to video me taking the call. That is if I get the call. I still don't know for sure if I am in. Plus what if my agency gets the package then makes us wait til Tuesday for the info?

Anyhoo I have been thinking a lot about this big life changing event. I can't wait to find out who Miss Abby is. Most of all I want to know how old she is. I think China considers any baby up to 18 months old an infant. I will be fine with any age in that bracket I just want to know.I truly believe and trust that God has picked out the right and perfect child for me.

Finally I also really want to Thank You All for all of the support you have given me during this wait. Especially you all in Bloggy Town. I may not have met you in person but I know you and that has been such a special part of this process. This bond that we all have is like no other! I can't wait to watch the rest of your dreams come true :)

Only one more day! (I hope)

Saw this on cafe press I think. Hopefully I am in the orange soon to be red category :) Work was hard today. I didn't expect to hear any news but I still had trouble concentrating anyway. Lucky for me our census dropped and somebody got to go home. We all put our names in a hat and the angels must have felt sorry for me cause I won :) I can't imagine how hard Monday is going to be. I will go ahead and apologise now to anyone from work that may be reading this. I just know I will be seriously wound up. My poor patients :) It will actuually be kind of cool to get my referral at work. They were there when I started this journey and have given me SOOOO MUCH support. It will be neat that they will be a part of my referral day as well. I just hope they can put up with me.

I just took some Tylenol pm. Last night I think I only slept about 3 hours. My mind just would not turn off. Monday can't come fast enough :)

Nothing yet

I haven't heard anything today from my agency. I was afraid to email my coordinator again for info. He makes me feel like I am bothering him. Looks like the storks are at least up in the air and arriving on the west coast anyway. I have seen one referral posted on the December DTC board. Also at least one person on RQ has posted that their agency has told them that they would have their referral within the hour. It is looking more and more like I won't know anything until Monday at the earliest.

What a long weekend this will be. I do have to work tomorrow which shouldn't be too hard and will make the time pass faster. Then I am off Sunday and hopefully will be able to finish some of my to do list. I haven't been able to get anything accomplished today or yesterday. I did take a three hour nap today though with the blanket and stuffed animal that I will be sending Abby in her care package. Figured I would start to work on getting my scent on them :) so maybe she will recognise me. Unfortunately I do have to work on Monday. That is going to be hard. I told my Mom that she will have to monitor RQ for me and call and give me hourly updates.

RQ still hasn't posted confirmation of the official cutoff date either. I would feel a lot safer if she had moved it up to a R5. All in all though I still feel pretty calm. I need to see Abby's face before this will seem truly real. I can't wait to find out who she is :)

Finally! I weighed in today at WW. Down another 3.4 pounds :) That makes a total of 8 pounds lost so far!