Journey To Katherine Linda

We miss you Brandy

2010-05-07T12:04:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone. It's been quite a while since our last post and a lot has happened.
We had to put our beloved Brandy down in February. I am still having a very hard time with it and miss her terribly. This was just a week after I quit smoking, and yes I am still smoke free....85 days and counting! Anyway, we couldn't take the emptiness Brandy left and adopted Chelsea shortly after. Chelsea is your typical freak puppy, we love her and she's helping with the loss of Brandy.

Katy's doing GREAT. She's smart as a whip and just awesome!

Thanks for checking in,
Dave

Katy's new skirt.

Our Baby....we love and miss her so much.

Chelsea the day we brought her home.

Chelsea today.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-28T13:28:00.012-05:00

Katy's new snowsuit. Thanks Goo Goo and Uncle Paul! Now bring on the snow!

Opening presents at Nana's house with cousins Leah and Brian.

Christmas morning......Santa came!!

Fall Happenings

2009-11-02T16:20:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween!

5 Years Ago Today

2009-10-27T22:03:00.003-04:00

The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918 at 11:40 PM on October 27, 2004.Can you believe it's been 5 years????!!!!
What an amazing night. GO SOX IN 2010!
Photo courtesy of Boston.com and the AP

Disney!

2009-09-17T22:15:00.003-04:00

We just returned from Disney World. Here's a few shots of our trip.
Thanks to G, S, and G for the BEST vacation EVER!

The Greatest Gift

2009-07-09T20:47:00.012-04:00

The Greatest Gift,Katherine Linda, was placed into Mom's arms 2 years ago today. This has been the most amazing 2 year's of our lives. We are the luckiest parents in the world. Here are some pictures from July 9, 2007.

And here is our girl 2 years later:

Boogie Down!

2009-06-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

At Last a New Post....Look what we bought!!

2009-06-04T13:50:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, D and I decided to throw caution to the wind and buy ourselves a used camper. We have wanted on for quite awhile, but have been waiting for Katy to join our family.

Well we had our first camping trip on Memorial Day weekend. I have to say, we made the right decision with this camper. We had such a great time. We went camping with a big group of our friends, who have owned campers for awhile. They were so helpful with tips and tricks on how to camp successfully. We couldn't have done it without them.

They had alot of activities for the kids, including a fireworks display that Katy loved, puppet shows, swimming pools and playgrounds. She had her first S'more, danced up a storm at the puppet show, and even braved the unheated kiddie pool.

We can't wait for our next camping trip!!!

2 Years!

2009-05-01T17:54:00.003-04:00

Two years ago today we got the call that we were finally going to be parents!
Here's Brigit's post from May 1, 2007:

Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Dreams Can Come True !!!
With great excitement, we would like to announce our Referral news. We have a daughter.

Guo Yuan Fen, soon to be Katherine Linda was born on September 3, 2006 in the Jiang Xi Province in China.

We don't have all the details yet, but should see her beautiful face either Friday or Monday. It's going to be a long week.

Words cannot express the feelings i have right now. I have been in a fog all day. The funny thing is, i was driving down the highway to visit a client, when the phone rang. I saw that it was Wide Horizons and nearly drove off the road to answer. I pulled off the highway and into some random parking lot get all the information. I was able to make about three calls when my cell phone died. Thank God one of the calls was to my husband.

I pulled myself together, visited my client for about 4 hours, drove home and have been on the phone and internet for the last hour spreading the news.

I will hopefully hold her in my arms in July.

Come back soon to see her debut.

I am off to make some more calls.

Here's the first picture we received a few days later.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T18:23:00.004-04:00

Easter Egg Hunt!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Spring Fever!

2009-03-10T13:15:00.004-04:00

What a long, cold winter it's been!
Sunday got up to about 60 so outside we went....of course Monday snowed again so it was just a tease.
Thanks to Hannah and Emily for Katy's new (to her) ride.
Legs are still too short but she had fun just the same.

Katy over the last 16 months. Enjoy!

2008-11-24T22:02:00.001-05:00

Pictures from Halloween

2008-11-03T20:09:00.007-05:00

Katy went as a puppy for Halloween. We had such fun walking around the neighborhood and seeing all the costumes. Katy was a little afraid when she saw a big group, but I think she had fun.
I also included some pictures from a play date at Perpetual Motion. Don't you just love the pigtails.

Our Annual Boo Bash

2008-10-30T19:07:00.009-04:00

We were lucky to be invited to 2 Halloween parties this year. The first was our annual Boo Bash, with our China group. What a great day outside playing, eating, catching up with good friends. The girls all looked so cute in thier costumes. Here are a couple of pictures from that day.

The girls watching Nemo at the end of the day.

Here are our two Tinkerbells

Katy is dressed as a puppy dog. Her favorite animal.

Fall Fun

2008-10-20T18:12:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts....it's been crazy busy!
Here are a few shots of Katy playing in the leaves.

NEVER FORGET

2008-09-11T15:12:00.002-04:00

Please take a moment to remember all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

God Bless America!

Happy Birthday Katy - 2 Years Old

2008-09-03T16:27:00.009-04:00

Today is my baby's 2 year birthday. Wow, did that year fly by.

We had a shared birthday party with her pal Gemma on Monday. Gemma is just 9 days younger, so we thought it would be fun to have 2 birthdays in one.
Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Just a few shots of Katy

2008-07-27T18:27:00.007-04:00

Fun with apple sauce.
Katy's new ride.

Walking her baby.

Splashing in her kitchen.

Hamming it up!

Cooling off.

Fun at the Zoo!

2008-07-21T09:55:00.014-04:00

July 20, 2008 - Our one year anniversary as a family!
Katy and Brigit landed at Logan one year ago yesterday and started the best year of our lives.
We celebrated by going to the Zoo. Katy loves all animals and had a blast!
Here are some shots of our day.

KATY

GEMMA

JAIDA

Our 1 Year Anniversary!

2008-07-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

Today, July 9, 2008 marks one year since our joy entered our lives.

Here's a couple of shots from then and now.

Katy and Mom finally meet - July 9, 2007

Celebrating Mom's Birthday - June 30, 2008

As We Near Our 1 Year Anniversary with Katy

2008-07-07T14:57:00.007-04:00

In a couple of days, it will be the one year anniversery of when she was placed in my arms. I found this beautiful poem and wanted to share it with you:

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Author Unknown

Once there were two women who never knew each other

One you do not remember

The other you call Mother

Two different lives shaped to make you one

One became your guiding star, the other became your sun

One gave you life and the second taught you to live it

The first gave you a need for love

The second was there to give it

One gave you a nationality

The other gave you a name

One gave you a talent

The other gave you aim

One gave you emotions

The other calmed your fears

One saw your first sweet smile

The other dried your tears

One sought for you a home that she could not provide

The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied

And now you ask me through your tears

The age old question unanswered through the years

Heredity or environment which are you a product of?

Neither my darling neither, just two different kinds of Love.

My Birthday Weekend

2008-07-01T20:42:00.002-04:00

We just had the best weekend in a long time. My sister and her family flew in from California and stayed with us until today.

We were a little crowded, but we all had fun. We went up to Maine, with my other sister, her family and our crew. The weather wasn't that great, but we had alot of fun just being together.

Also, this was a big birthday for me this monday, as I have turned the big 4-0. Can't believe it. I am still having a hard time saying it. But having my sisters with me made the occasion that more fun. My neice also had her birthday on July 1st so we got to celebrate together.

Here are a few pictures from our fun filled weekend.

Thank you Stephanie, Graham and Gemma for such a wonderful birthday party.

Katy with cousin Lily

Katy with cousin Katelyn

Look at those beautiful faces. I am one lucky Mom and Aunty

Trying out the new swing set that Daddy built.

Florida Fun!

2008-05-28T10:54:00.009-04:00

We recently went to the beautiful Sanibel Island to celebrate Brigit's cousin Sam's graduation from High School - Congrats Sam!
BIG THANKS to Aunt Marianne (Goo Goo)and Uncle Paul for everything. You guys are the Best!
We had a great time and believe it or not Dave actually got on a plane!
A lot of help from his Doctor was needed but he made it.
Anyway, here are a few pictures of the trip.

One Year Ago ......

2008-05-02T13:36:00.004-04:00

One year ago, i was driving on Route 3 North, heading to a client site. My cell phone rings, i answer it and it is my adoption agency.

My life has changed forever.

We are the proud parents of a baby girl. Her name is Guo Yuan Fen and she was just 8 months old.

I remember that day so vividly. I remember almost driving off the highway into the breakdown lane. Thinking better of it, i asked if i could call her back and got off the highway and found a ramdom parking lot.

I remember desperately looking for a pen and a piece of paper in my briefcase.

I remember shaking as i am writing down all her information. Her name is Guo Yuan Fen, she is 8 months old, from Guixi, Jianxi Province in China. Her birthday is September 3, 2006.

I remember calling Dave and praying i had enough battery life on my cell phone to tell him everything. (no car charger)

I remember calling my Aunt Marianne and telling her the good news and to pack her bags.

I remembered I was on my way to a client for a meeting and was already a half hour late. I called him to let him know I just had a baby on the highway and i would be there shortly. (I also remember the silence on the other end as he tried to compute what i just said)

I remember my cell phone battery dying and knowing i would have a long drive home. I cranked the music, sang, laughed and cried all the way home.

I remember hugging and kissing Dave and being the happiest i have been in a long time.

Happy Referral Day China 138.

By the way - I also remember the day was actually May 1, 2007, but forgot to blog yesterday. See how things change when you have a baby.

Referral Picture #1

Referral Picture #2

Katy today (Runny nose and all)

Crazy March

2008-03-31T23:30:00.014-04:00

I have not been a very good blogger this month. I am trying to cram in all our happenings in at the end of the month.

Katy has had her 18 month old check up and she is doing great. She is finally 20.6 lbs. and 30 inches tall. She is walking around like crazy, and also running. Still needs to work on her stopping. She is trying to say more words. As far as i can make out she says "more please", "all done", "shoes", and we even heard her say the dreaded "No".

We had a bit of a freak out tonite though. Katy was in her crib asleep (or so we thought), Dave and I were watching our favorite monday night shows. All of a sudden Katy comes walking around the corner and into the living room with a big smile on her face. We both jumped up and yelled. It was the most bizarre thing.

Well it turns out, i must have forgotten to lift the side of the crib up and low and behold, she climbed out.

We have been quite busy this month. Between birthday parties, Easter, St. Patricks day, and just plain life, this month has been a whirl wind.

Here are a few hightlights, with some pictures:

Fun at Chuck E Cheese with her "China Sisters"

You are getting very sleepy.....

Happy Easter....

Do you like Katy's new shoes?

2008-03-31T23:23:00.003-04:00

Katy is becoming quite the comedian. She loves to make people laugh. Especially her mommy and daddy.

My girl is a shoe and handbag girl. She loves her shoes. She is usually fighting me when i am trying to get her dressed, but all i have to say is "can we put on your shoes", and she sits down with her feet ready.

Well she was looking around the house and found the newest fashion in bootwear. What do you think? I especially love the "after dinner belly" sticking out.

Our Baby is 18 Months Old Today !!!!

2008-03-03T23:37:00.002-05:00

Katy turned 18 months old today. I can't believe how much she has grown in the last few months.

Some of her highlights:

--Walking
--Running - still can't stop very well.
--Says a few words (Baby, Mama, Dada, Hi, All Done)
--Peed in her new potty
--Finally fitting into 12 months clothes
--Loves to play with her babies
--Loves books
--Loves applesauce

We are so looking forward to spring and summer this year. I can't wait to introduce her to the beach, swimming, the zoo, Ice cream at Kimball's, and everything else summer brings with it.

She is growing so fast, and it only keeps getting better and better.

We love you baby,
Love Mommy and Daddy

Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Rat

2008-02-10T22:12:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful day we had for Chinese New Year. We went to our good friends/neighbors house to celebrate TET New Year. They adopted two girls from Vietnam, and we have celebrated with them for the last few years. It was so great to be there, finally, with our Katy.

Then we went out to dinner with two of our China families. The restaurant, food and company were spectacular. The restaurant staff was so excited to meet our girls. They all came out to meet us. They had lots of questions about the girls.

We look forward to many more celebrations with our friends over the years.

The Pats ;( Sledding and Bath Time Fun

2008-02-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

We can't believe they lost. At least the Red Sox play their first exhibition game in 3 short weeks!

Sledding in the Back Yard!

Tubby Time! Why are you messing with my hair!!??

Go Pats !!!!

2008-02-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

It is just about 5.5 hours until Kick off. We have our Patriots Sweatshirts, food has been bought and ready to be cooked, and now we can relax and watch the game.

Go Patriots...Let's make it 19-0

China 138 Reunion Party

2008-01-27T20:20:00.001-05:00

Patriots Party this weekend

2008-01-22T09:52:00.001-05:00

This Sunday we hosted a little party for the Patriots big game with San Diego, and Katy had her friend, Gemma, over for a playdate. This is her "China Sister" who came home the same day as she did. It is great to see how much the girls have grown over the last 6 months. They are even starting to play with each other a little more each time they see each other.

Here are a few pictures of the girls.

Gemma, we loved your Pats outfit. You gotta love a girl who dresses for a party.

Katy and her Friend

2008-01-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

My First Christmas Home

2008-01-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas with our little girl. She was such a joy and a trooper with all the activities. I hope she was happy with all she got from Santa, and Mommy and Daddy. I know i got what I wanted.

Here are a few pictures from our holiday:

Where does the time go....

2007-12-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

I just realized we have been home for 5 months today. I can't believe we have only been together for 5 months. It feels like forever.

It has been the best 5 months of my life. Dave and I are completely in love with this little girl. She makes everything happier, more exciting, and funny. I have loved introducing her to new things.

Today it started to snow and we ran to the local store after I picked her up from daycare. When we got out of the car, Katy just looked up at the sky and started to laugh. She held out her hands to feel the snow landing on her hands. It has been a long time since I have seen such excitement and wonder at something so ordinary as a snowstorm.

I have posted some pictures of back 5 months ago, and some new pictures of our Katy now.

Some of her milestones:
-She is walking. Her balance has gotten so good. She loves to walk around and look at everything
-She is saying a few words, such as, Baby, DaDa, Hi, Mama
-She is feeding herself. She can work the spoon and fork very well. Almost all the food makes it to her mouth
-No more bottles. She is a sippy cup girl now
-No more formula. She has not had any for at least a month now. Just water and milk
-We are about a half a pound from turning her car seat around. She weighed in at 19.5 pounds last week.
-She loves her shoes and handbags. She found this little handbag someone gave her and started to put her toys in. She then walked around the house with it. That is a girl after my own heart.
-She is starting to interact with other kids when playing

These are a few of her accomplishments so far.

Dave, Katy and I are gearing up for our first Christmas as a family of three. We will report all of the days events next week.

July 19, 2007

December 2007

First Snowstorm!

2007-12-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone.
Here's a few pictures of Katy enjoying her first snowstorm.
Thanks to Linda for the great snowsuit....Katy loves it!

Katy's First Trip to Chuck E Cheese

2007-11-18T21:47:00.000-05:00

Today I took Katy to Chuck E Cheese to meet my sister and her kids. We had such a fun time. Katy loved it. I was glad they had some toddler rides, which she rode. I think she was a little overwhelmed at first, but once we found her favorite ride she didn't want to get off.

Here are a few pictures from our day:

Happy Birthday Daddy !!!!!

2007-11-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish my Daddy a big Happy Birthday!!!

You are the most wonderful Daddy and I love you very much.

I am sorry we are all sick with colds on your birthday, but just having us all together makes me feel good. I promise I will "sleep like a baby" tonite so you can get some sleep to.

I love you, and Mommy loves you too.

Love Katy

Katy over the last 4 months!

2007-11-06T22:50:00.001-05:00

Here's a slide show of Katy since the beginning of July.
It's truly amazing how far she's come in such a short period.
We hope you enjoy!

Click the X to minimize the U2 video.

Katy's First Halloween

2007-11-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a few shots of the ladybug.
We took a stroll through the neighborhood and had a great time.
No candy for Katy though!

Rollin' around on the floor

Let Me Out Dad!

Playing in the leaves.

Reading one of her favorite books.

And starting to feed herself!

Katy's just days away from walking!!
She made it across the kitchen tonight without plopping on her butt.
Each day she's getting further and further.
We are scared!

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

2007-10-29T19:53:00.000-04:00

Thank You Red Sox for another Championship!
Good Times never seemed so Good!

GO SOX!

2007-10-28T14:07:00.000-04:00

Good Luck Red Sox!
Goin' for the sweep!!

GO SOX!

2007-10-23T23:06:00.000-04:00

Look at Katy's face, already a true Sox Fan.....nervous excitement!
Good Luck in the World Series to the Red Sox.
The WORLD SERIES!!!!!.....again!! Times couldn't be better!

Katy Update.....finally

2007-10-19T17:25:00.000-04:00

Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of posts. We've all been crazy busy.
Today marks 3 months since Katy came home!! Time is flying by.
Katy's doing great! Crawling around like a mad woman and very, very close to walking.
She started feeding herself with a spoon the other night.
Most of the time she's putting the wrong end in her mouth but she's got the right idea. It's pretty funny, and if you try to take the spoon out of her hand she freaks out. Anyways, here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. We hope you enjoy them.

GO SOX!!!!

Happy Birthday to cousin Brennan!

Hamming it up again!

Having a blast on Gemma's new swingset.

Katy and Gemma at Gemma' Christening.
Congrats Gemma!

I'm going to be walking any day now!

Katy with Uncle Brian

GO SOX!

2007-09-30T16:25:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Red Sox on winning the American League East AND finishing with the best record in all of baseball. It's now time to Kick some Angel butt!

My Most Favorite Gift...

2007-09-28T20:52:00.000-04:00

Dave's cousin is a photographer. She took pictures of Katy and is going to give us a set of the photos for a gift. She made these two collages of Katy and sent them to me. As you can see I am having a hard time picking them.

Can't Believe It's Been Over Two Months.....

2007-09-26T10:53:00.000-04:00

We have been home over two months and I can't believe how much life has changed. Katy is so much fun, and is learning something new everyday. Some of her accomplishments:

* She is crawling all over the place. No more belly crawls, actual crawling
* She is pulling herself up on everything. She is definitly getting ready to walk
* She waves at everyone and even says "Hi"
* She is down to 2 bottles a day, from the 5 she would have when we were in China
* She is eating babyfood, and some "real" food

I can't wait to see what the next few months are going to bring. I also can't wait to see her in her Halloween costume.

Here are a few pictures in her ballerina dress from her Aunty Cori.

Happy Birthday Gemma !!!!

2007-09-12T14:33:00.000-04:00

I want to wish my China Sister a big Happy Birthday.

I can't wait to come over and have dinner and eat more delicious cake.

Love, Katy

Katy over the last week

2007-09-07T23:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a few shots taken over the last week or so.
She is now pulling herself up and standing......with the help of what she's holding on to.
Every day brings something new. It's amazing how she's developing!

Brandy keeping watch over her little sister.

Hanging out in the back yard.

Dad told me never to brag about the Sox but this AL East race is getting boring.

GO SOX!

Happy Birthday Katy!

2007-09-04T11:53:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone for celebrating Katy's first Birthday with us and for all the wonderful gifts! Katy had a great time with all of her cousins and friends.
A little too much cake however as the sugar rush made for a rough night's sleep.
Here are some pictures of the Big Day!

Mom's masterpiece......soon to be destroyed.

Katy and G.G. (Great Grandmother) 88 years difference!

Gearing up for the cake.

Proud Mom and Dad.

Let the fun begin!

Yes....I know.....I'm a slob!

Hi Everyone!

2007-08-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

Here's a few black and white pictures of Katy.
She had another doctor's appointment today and all is great.
She gained a couple of pounds and grew one inch!
She is starting to crawl.....we are scared.

Happy Labor Day everybody!

Katy's new dresses

2007-08-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Mom's coworkers for my beautiful new dresses!
Here's a few shots of me trying them on.

My Elvis look!

Happy Birthday Hannah!!!!

2007-08-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

I want to wish my China friend a very wonderful birthday.

I hope you have lots of fun with your mommy and daddy. I hope you enjoy your first birthday cake and get lots of wonderful presents.

We have come a long way in the past couple of months and I am excited to see you again soon.

Love your friend,
Katy

Playing with Food

2007-08-21T23:09:00.001-04:00

I know you have seen these pictures before, but I am trying out this new thing called Photobucket. It allows you to make slide shows and post videos.

These pictures were taken in July. This was the first time I fed Katy "real" food. As you can see, she needs to work on her manners.

2007-08-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

This is the first time I saw Katy!

Walking through the terminal......last one's off the plane.

Playing in the sand.

Thanks to Pete, Heather, Hannah, and Emily for the sandbox!

Dinner at our friend Tracy's house.

Katy and Nana.

Take care everyone.

Dave

Our 1 Month Anniversery

2007-08-09T21:37:00.000-04:00

Today marks 1 month since I have known our beautiful child. I can't believe how fast this month has flown. I can't believe how much she has changed in the last month.

When I first met Katy, she was so little, she wouldn't smile. She cried for the whole day. I didn't know what to feed her, how to make formula, how to change her diaper, what size clothes she wore.

Today, she is thriving. She smiles and laughs all the time. She is learning alot. Everyday she does something new. In 4 short weeks she can roll over, sit by herself, wave bye bye. She is eating solid food, standing strongly on her two feet, (with our help), almost saying MaMa and DaDa and playing,

This has been the best month of my whole life. I already can't remember a time without her.

Happy 1 Month Anniversery, Sweetie.

Love Mommy

Some new pics of Katy

2007-08-07T20:13:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

Sorry we haven't posted in a while as we've been very busy.

Here are some pics of Katy....we hope you enjoy.

YANKEES YUK!

Wearing more than she's eating.

Slobby Katy!

Katy's friend T.J.

Why won't Dad wake up??!!

This is disgusting!

Take care everyone!

Another Mystery Gift

2007-07-31T20:38:00.001-04:00

Here is another gift that we received with no name. This is so great. I have been looking for one of these. It is a baby seat for the grocery cart, and highchair when you are out. It straps in baby and also keeps them away from the germs on the cart and Restaurant highchair.

This came in the mail, again with no sender, except for the company. Am I ordering things in my sleep?

Whoever sent this wonderful gift, thank you so much. We appreciate your kindness. Just please let us know who it is so we can thank you in person.

Mystery Gift

2007-07-31T14:07:00.001-04:00

I need some help her. We received this beautiful gift in the mail today, and I have no idea who it came from. It just had the company's name that sent it.

Can someone please let me know who sent this? I love it and want to Thank that person. It is a very soft bunny growth chart and pillow with Katy's name monogrammed. How thoughtful. I have already put the pillow in her crib and am going to hang the growth chart when she wakes from her nap.

Guess Who's Eating

2007-07-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

Brigit reporting:

As alot of you know, Katy does not seem to like anything but formula and banana puffs. I have tried everything to get her to eat something else.

Today I tried a new tactic. I cut up chicken and carrot ravioli, put it in a bowl and put it in front of her. I hand fed her a few, and then left it up to her. It seemed to work.

It was quite messy, but at least she got some into her mouth before she dropped the bowl and Brandy ate the rest.

Here are a few pictures to show the momentous occasion:

Katy and her friend

2007-07-30T12:42:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Katy and her friend.
There's another couple who live in our home town that also adopted at the same time.
We got together on Saturday for dinner and everyone got along great!

Notice they are both in their Red Sox attire!

Have a Great Day!

No Worries

2007-07-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

Today our social worker came and gave us a big thumbs up!
Katy was her usual jovial self and the meeting couldn't have gone better.
After a long nap we paid a short visit to Nana Shea, followed by a visit to Dr. Mike for shots.
Katy was a trooper. She screamed a little but Mom calmed her down within minutes.

When we got back from Dr. Mike's office Pete, Heather, Hannah, and Emily invited us over so Katy could splash around in their kiddie pool. Katy was a little hesitant at first but finally got her feet wet.

We hope you enjoy the pictures.

Take care everyone.

Wednesday night at the Outback........No Worries!

Katy was holding these coasters.....she loves coasters.

Mom and cousin Sam were helping her to keep them straight!

Katy's good friends Hannah and Emily.

This water isn't so bad!

Chillin'

Our Little Ham

2007-07-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

Just a few shots at Katy hamming it up.

Have a great day!

Katy's first post!

2007-07-24T14:07:00.000-04:00

Hello.....

A BIG Thanks to Hannah and Emily for the beautiful Welcome Home sign seen above.

I also want to thank all of my Mom's friends for the huge Welcome Home banner that was on the garage when I got home.

Today Mom and Dad took me shopping to Babies R Us and BJ's. I slept most of the time but they stocked up on all kinds of stuff for me. Then we went to lunch at Chilli's and I ate a little bit of french fry....it was good!

Thank You Kristen, Beth, Joann, Judy, Darlene, Jill, Jeanie, and Hope.What's on the menu?

I guess I'll settle for old faithful.

Me and my Mom.

Me and my Dad.

Thanks everyone for all the beautiful gifts you have given me over the last few days.

I love them all and am very lucky.....as are my Mom and Dad.

Love, Katy

Bye!

The Weekend

2007-07-23T09:19:00.001-04:00

We had a great weekend with Katy.
She is still sleeping great and happy 90% of the time.
Saturday was a very quiet day as Aunt Marianne and cousin Sam went into the city.
When they returned we had a cookout and Katy finally ate some solid food.
OK.....so it was little banana puffs but it's a start.

Marianne flew home Sunday morning and we all miss her. She has a sinus infection so we are sure being home in her own bed for the first time in weeks will help.
Thanks again for everything Aunt Marianne.
You are the BEST and we LOVE you.

Sunday was Dave's family day. Dave's Mom and Matt, Dad and Dianne, sister Laurie, brother Brian, brother-in-law Brian, and Katy's cousins Leah, Brian, and Brennan all came to meet Katy. Our very close friends Ron, Shirley, and Tracy also stopped by. It was hectic but Katy hung in there.

Here are a few pictures. We hope you enjoy them.

Katy's big sister Brandy.

We think Katy thinks Brandy is a big Panda Bear.

Katy loves her panda stuffed animals and giggles every time Brandy walks by.

Katy eating some banana puffs.

Katy and her cousin Sam the ham.

Katy and Nana.

Katy and Aunt Laurie

Katy and her cousins Brian, Brennan, and Leah.

Fading after a long day with the family.

Monday morning after a very busy Sunday.

Thanks for tuning in and have a great day!

Katy's first full day at home

2007-07-21T12:20:00.001-04:00

Here's a few pictures of Katy's first full day at home. It was a crazy day.
Katy had her first Doctor's appointment with Dr. Mike and everything checked out great!
We had to have blood drawn which was rather unnerving.
We then visited Katy's Great-Grandmother Nana Shea. Nana Shea was thrilled.
We came back home and Brigit and Aunt Marianne left Katy with me.......scary!
Everything was going great as Katy was napping. When she woke from her nap all heck broke loose. I changed her, fed her a bottle and then the door bell rang, home phone rang, and cell phone rang simultaneously. Anyway, Katy was screaming again with all that was happening but Brigit's sister Lisa and I got her to calm down. She had taken a large poop! That was great because Dr. Mike wanted a sample so I delivered the poop to his Office. Looked pretty funny seeing a cup of poop where my coffee cup usually sits.
We had a bunch of friends stop by during the day and Thanks for all the wonderful gifts you all brought. Katy is going to love them all. We are all so lucky to have the best friends anyone could ask for.
Katy went down around 9 pm last night and slept until around 8 am with a short feeding around 5 am. Not bad I have to say!

Bath time for her first Doctor's visit.

Katy's first ride in the truck.
Katy and Nana Shea.

Hangin' out on the back patio.

Katy and her cousins Hannah, Nick, and Christina.

The girls are all dressed in their authentic silk Chinese dresses.Katy and Dad watching the British Open this morning.

Yes, she is looking at the TV.

Thanks again for keeping up!

Talk to you soon,

Dave

Mom and Katy are Home!

2007-07-20T08:37:00.000-04:00

Katy, Brigit, and Marianne finally landed at 12:31 am Friday!
I saw Katy for the first time at 12:40 as the girls were the last ones off the plane....I was going crazy. Anyway here are some pictures from the middle of the night and early this morning.

2:30 am. - Hungry Baby

3:00 a.m. - Bed time

7:15 a.m. - Wide awake....so much for the 11 hour sleeper!

31 Hours and Counting!

2007-07-18T14:44:00.000-04:00

Well, my last parentless day is here!
I'm kinda freaking out a little bit but also very excited.
Brigit, Katy, and Marianne should be landing tomorrow night around 10.
One last night of sleep for this old man!

The girls have been extremely busy over the last few days so unfortunately Brigit hasn't been able to send any pictures. I'm not sure if she will be able to before she gets home but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully she will have time to resume her role as Blogger this weekend. I'm a two finger typer!

Brigit and I want to thank everyone for continuously checking out Katy's blog.
We are so lucky to have such good friends.

So long for now and wish me luck....I'm gonna need it!

I spoke too soon!

2007-07-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more pictures!

Latest Pics are here!

2007-07-16T10:36:00.000-04:00

Brigit has sent some pics and hopefully more to follow tonight.
They have been very busy over the last few days.
Here's a quick update.

Things are going well. Here are some pictures from the last few days. We had a big couple of days.

We visited a Buddhist temple where they blessed the babies, we went on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. We has our "red couch" picture. That was Sunday.

Today we had our Clinic visit. It's a visit to make sure they are well enough to travel. I got some stats from the visit.

96.4 F was her temp.
41.5 cm head circumference (16.5 inches)
14.8 pounds
69 cm in length (27 inches)
eyes and hearing fine

She's a peanut!

That was it.

We also went swimming, and out to dinner. Tomorrow is our big shopping day. Don't worry, i won't spend too much.

Katy and her new friend on the red couch.

China Group 138.

Check back soon.....I have been all over Brigit to send more pictures.

It's 10 p.m. China Time and Katy is still awake!

2007-07-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

Here's an email that Brigit sent a little after 10 p.m. China time.
China is 12 hours ahead of us. Maybe Katy is gearing up for the time difference??
Lord I hope so!
I was busy having the car seats put in today and moving furniture out of Nana Shea's (Katy's Great Grandmother) condo today, resulting in the late post.
Brigit had sent a couple of real good pictures of her and Katy but Mom is holding documents that have our address on them and I don't want to post them for obvious reasons. Hopefully I will have some more tomorrow.

We are finally in Guangzhou. We landed at 11:30 am, came to the White Swan hotel and got our room. We had room service as we were all to tired to go out. Then Katy and I took a nap.
We walked around the hotel today. It is beautiful. It is right on the Pearl River. They light the whole river up at night with Neon lights. I am going to try to get it on video.

Tomorrow, we are going to a Temple where the babies will be blessed by the Monks. They will bless them so they will have a beautiful life, happiness and wealth. (Let's hope that part works)

Then we go to a Jade factory. After that we are going to have the "red couch" photo. That is where they have all the babies line up on the couch in the lobby and take a picture. That should be a lot of fun.

Katy has a cold, and I think she is getting me back for all the cold medicine we gave her today. She is wide awake and ready to go. I had to bring her down here with me. I keep looking at her and she keeps giving me a toothy grin. (little rascal).

Thanks everyone for checking out our blog.

Only 5 more days till Mom and Katy are home!

I want to thank all my friends for all the wonderful meals while Brigit has been gone.

I've only called Jimmy's Pizza twice! Amazing.

I am incredibly lucky to have such good people in my life.

Also a VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Uncle Dave, Aunt Cori, and cousins Katelyn and Lilly for the Sit and Step. It is built and ready for Katy to enjoy.

And once again to Aunt Marianne....THANK YOU! You are THE BEST!

A trip to the Zoo

2007-07-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest for Mom and Katy!

We went to the zoo today. It was very small, but fun. They had alot of birds, a leopard, a tigar, and a jaguar. They also just got a Panda. I didn't like the condition of how the animals are kept. They are all in cages, not like at home where they have a nice habitat.

We also went to a porcelin store. Nanchang is known for their porcelin. I have to admit, Aunt Marianne and I are shopping way too much. But it is all very cheap. Stuff we are buying we would be paying triple in the US.

We got the silk clothes we ordered. Love them. I bought Katy two dresses. One is for her birthday, and maybe Christmas. The other is for Chinese New Year, and maybe her Christening. Wait until you see them. They are pure silk, and are traditional Chinese dresses.

We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow. I am kind of sad. This is Katy's birthplace, and this may be the last time she is here. I hope we can come back again. At least I can tell her that she came from a beautiful place, with wonderful people.

Tomorrow starts a new chapter in her life. Her first plane ride, a new city, and one step closer to home.

I am trying to save as much as I can for souveniers. Brochures, bags from Walmart, anything. I want to keep a time capsule that she will be able to open someday and see where she came from.

She is doing very well, except she is getting a cold. She has been sneezing, and coughing all day. I gave her some cold medicine, so we will see how that goes.

She is also still not taking anything but formula. We even tried to sneak some rice cereal into her formula, but she caught and would not drink it until we made her a new one. About the only thing she eats that is solid, is the biscuits she can knaw on. She is peeing and pooping up a storm (SOUNDS LIKE HER DAD!), so we are not too concerned. She also won't take any water or apple juice. I am going to try warm water tomorrow. She likes her formula warm, so i am going to try it with her water.

Finally some new Katy pics!

2007-07-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

Brigit sent these earlier today with an update on what's been going on.

We had a good day today. We went to the countryside and walked through a typical village of some Chinese families. I got a lot of it on the video camera.

We also had some Pizza Hut pizza for lunch.

Katy had a bath today. (her second.) this one wasn't so good. She cried the whole time.

Tomorrow we go to the zoo, and then hang around the rest of the afternoon. Then Saturday morning we fly to Guangzhou. It is only a 1 hour flight,and we should be at the hotel at 1:00 pm. The flight takes off at 10:15 am.

This should be interesting to see how the flight goes with all the babies. I guess it is a practice run for the big one.

Monday morning we finalize all the paperwork, and on Tuesday we have her appointment at the consulate. Then on Wednesday we go to the doctor clinic, and the swearing in.

It's about 9:00 pm now, and Katy is asleep. We went out to see the fountain show, but they didn't have it tonite. We are going to see if they have it tomorrow nite.
Whenever we go out, we feel like celebrities. People just crowd around and stare at us.

Hope you like them.

Katy and Aunt Marianne

Very unhappy baby!

I hope to have some more soon.

Thanks for checking them out.

2007-07-11T08:49:00.001-04:00

Brigit has been emailing me daily so I'm going to post her messages.
Here are a few more pictures of Katy!

We were quite busy today. We went to Walmart, had KFC chicken, dropped our laundry off, and got fitted for authentic Chinese dresses.

Katy is sleeping now and she is a very heavy sleeper. She also goes right to bed. She starts getting tired at 7:00 pm, and then is asleep by 7:30 pm. Let's hope she keeps that up when we are home.

It has been raining for the past two days, but also has been very humid. We leave for Ghauzhou on Saturday, I think. I have to check my itinerary. Tomorrow we are going to the countryside. We will be visiting a village similar to the ones the babies might have come from. Should be interesting. I am trying to take video. I will take some tomorrow.

These pictures are of Katy sitting up by herself, waiting for me to get her ready for bed. I clean her up, change her diaper and put her PJ's on right before dinner at 6:00. That way she is all ready when she falls asleep.

She is too cute for words. She had us cracking up today with some of her noises. I also got some laughs when i was doing raspberry's on her tummy. She loved it.

More tomorrow.

Cori and Katelyn are coming

2007-07-10T17:39:00.000-04:00

Hey Brigit,
If you see this post before I speak to you I wanted to let you know that Aunt Cori and Cousin Katelyn are coming on August 8.
Hope you had a good night.
Talk to you soon.

Mom and Katy's first full day together

2007-07-10T08:45:00.001-04:00

Here's an email Brigit sent me this morning.

Everything has done a complete 180. Katy is happy, talking (baby talk), smiling, and has a much better demeanor. We had the pediatrician look at her and he said she was in perfect health. He gave her some vitamins though, because her hair is a little thin.

We gave her a bath, took her for a swim in the pool. Fed her 2 bottles of formula, and she has been very happy. She also loves the stroller. She let me walk all around the inside of the hotel today. (raining outside)

Tomorrow is our big trip to Walmart. We are going to stock up on some stuff. I am going to bye a cooler to put ice in to keep water and soda cold. They have lousy refrigeration and we can't have ice cubes in our drinks because of bacteria. You know how i like my ice. Needless to say i have been unhappy with room temperature water.

Anyway, here are some great pictures of Katy. As you can see she looks much happier. I love her little teeth.

Katy and her most favorite Aunt!

A walk around the hotel!

Katy looks rather bewildered to me.

So long for now!

We are finally parents!

2007-07-10T08:14:00.000-04:00

Brigit is having some trouble posting so here is my first!

I'm hoping Brigit can resume as she does a heck of a lot better job than me.

Anyway, Katy, Brigit, and Marianne (THANKS Marianne....you are the BEST and we are forever grateful) are doing great. They are all a little tired...o.k. VERY tired but they are hangin' in there. Here are some pictures of Mom and Katy meeting, the bus ride back to the hotel, and beautiful little Katy sleeping. They will be back in 9 days! I can't wait!

Brigit and Katy finally meet!

This is one happy and proud Mom!

Katy's first bus ride? back to the hotel.

A little tear....

turns into screams! I hope this doesn't last too long!

First night - tired little baby.

Katy slept for 11 hours. Brigit actually had to wake her up!

I hope this does last!!!

Night 2 - her normal sleeping position!
How cute is this!

I'll keep the pictures coming as Brigit sends them to me.

2007-07-08T06:54:00.000-04:00

Days 1 & 2 -

Wow, what a weekend. I don't think i have ever walked so much in my life. We have been having a wonderful time in Beijing. Our group is the best. We have all gotten along so well and are having a lot of fun with each other.

Day 1, Saturday - We climbed the Great Wall of China. (ok, almost climbed) It is steep. Beautiful country side though. We walked all around the area. I took lots of pictures, but so far have not been able to upload yet. Bought a few souviniers at the stands.

Next we had lunch at a very nice Chinese restaurant. They pretty much sit everyone down, and then start loading up the table . THey have a big lazy susan in the middle. Our drink of choice have been Coke, Sprite or Beer. That is all they offer.

Next we went to the Summer Palace. What a beautiful place. It is this huge man made lake, surrounded by mountains. This have been since about 1400 BC. This lake is huge, about the size of Squam, I think. I will have to read some more about it. We walked all through the grounds, and then ended up on a boat that took us back to the docks on the other side.

The crazy thing here are the vendors. These are people that make their living following you around trying to sell things. If you look at them, beware, they will follow you all day. We have been told to ignore them, and if they won't go away we have to say Buo You (not sure on the spelling, but phonetically it is BOO YOW (rhymes with wow)) We have to be very firm and cannot smile, or they will not take you seriously. I just put my sunglasses on and keep walking. I am pretty good at ignoring people.

Next we went the the Pearl Factory. THey showed us how the pearls are taken from oysters. Then we were allowed to purchase them. They have four colors, white, black, lavender and pink. I was very good. Only bought a few.

THen we had dinner and went back to the room. THis was our day from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm. I pretty much put my pajamas on and went to bed.

Day 2, Sunday - Our itinerary was Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City. If there was time they were going to arrange a Rickshaw ride, tour of the Hutang alleys and to meet a man in his courtyard house.

We did it all. The temples were beautiful, the crowds were crazy, the vendors were non stop. I took picture after picture of everything. My battery just about died.

The highlight of the day was the Rickshaw ride, and the visit to a very nice man's house. They rickshaw ride was hilarious. THey will weave in and out of the tiny streets, or alleys. THey are no bigger than my hallway. We did have a hit with a standing bicycle. The owners came out and there was a big yelling match right in front of us. The driver tried to offer them money, but they kept yelling. There was one lady blocking our way, and when our driver asked her to please move, she started yelling at him. He started yelling back. I have no idea what they were saying, but could get the general idea from there actions.

This man opened his house to us and let us visit. He told us his story, through translation. He had worked all his life as a mechanic. He was voted one of the top 100 mechanics in Beijing. THat is pretty huge considering there is 13 million people in this city. His family has lived in the courtyard house for 4 generations. Beijing is in the process of trying to tear down these courtyard style home and replace with highrises. He was offered 36 million RMB, about 500,000 USD, but would not sell. His family home is too important.

It is now 7:15 PM, and we are getting picked up at 7:30 am tomorrow to go to the airport. We then fly to Nanchang, go to the hotel, and then meet the babies at 3:30 or 4:00. Can you believe I will be holding Katy in less than 24 hours.

They went through everything tonite on what to expect tomorrow. I am so nervous, excited, scared, happy, and calm. All at the same time.

If I wasn't so tired, i probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonite.

I promise I will post pictures of Katy tomorrow. If I can't post, I will at least send emails to Dave and he can forward.

I am now signing off tonite, for I have to get ready to be a mommy to my sweet girl tomorrow.

Good Night,
Brigit

2007-07-06T19:25:00.000-04:00

Ni Hao from China.

We arrived in Beijing at about 1:30 pm, China time on July 6th. I think that is 1:30 am EST. The flight was long and long. I had the middle of the middle and was pretty cramped most of the time. My Aunt did switch seats with me a couple of times. We ate, watched movies, tv, read, walked around.

The hotel is beautiful. It is the Capitol Hotel in Beijing. Our room is great, but the AC doesn't work very well.

It is hot and sticky, but great to be here.

Our dinner last night was wonderful. They just kept bringing us plates of food. Chicken, rice, potatoes, beef stir fry. I tried mostly everything. Some things were OK. Some i loved.

We were in bed very early, 8:30 pm i think. I don't even remember falling asleep.

Now, here we are at 7:00 am in the business center. I can't post pictures yet, but will keep trying.

We are visiting the Great Wall of China, and Summer Palace today. Should be some great sight seeing.

Less than 48 hours until I meet Katy.

Talk to you all soon.
--B

Next Stop..... Beijing, China

2007-07-04T22:04:00.000-04:00

OK , we do stop in Newark first, but then off to China.

The wait is over, the Nursery is finished, the packing is done, the paperwork is completed, the tickets and passport are ready.

Katy - Here we come!!!!

Ready, Set, Go .....

2007-07-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

OK, it's 9:35 pm right now. I am getting picked up at 5:00 am and I still have not finished packing.

I was checking out some of my other friend's blogs and they had nice pictures of everything lined up and ready to go. So I thought I would share where I am in the process.

This is my Aunt Marianne's stuff above. She just got here about 8:00 pm.

Below is Katy's bag. All ready to go. I have been packing that for about two weeks.

And of course here is my stuff, still not ready to go. I think I should be done soon, hopefully before the shuttle comes to pick me up.

Three More Days......

2007-07-02T20:33:00.000-04:00

The Countdown has begun. I will be leaving in less than 3 days. I am almost packed. Actually, I have packed, unpacked, packed again. I think i may have to do this one more time. Everytime I do that, I take out more stuff.

I have everything I need for Katy. Now the question is how do I bring my stuff. Thank God for the Space Saver bags. I have used two of them and you can fit alot into them. Then just suck the air out.

I still have a very long To Do list, but I am going to finish it tomorrow. Then I can enjoy the 4th of July and relax.

I also received Katy's finding ad. Whenever they find a child, the SWI will take out an ad in the newspaper to see if anyone will claim them. There is a soomeone in China that searches the archives and will send pictures of the ad to you. It actually looks really good. There is a picture of Katy at about 2 weeks old. This is another thing I am going to put away for her. She will be able to look at this when she is alot older.

OK, I have to go. I have to pack again.

Guess Who Is Leaving in 7 Days

2007-06-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

That would be me!!!!

I am getting closer. Two more days of work, and then it's all about the trip. I have started packing, finished the crib, and have shopped until i have dropped.

I will be posting some pictures again, as soon as i can find my cord to bring them to my computer. Probably should find that soon as I am going to need it for China.

Hold on Sweetie, 12 more days until I am holding you. I will be there soon.

I Have Met Such Wonderful People on this Journey

2007-06-20T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have met such wonderful people on this journey to bring our baby home. When we had our travel meeting today, we got to see our friends, Colleen, Shirley, Kathryn and Sam. They were so kind to give Katy the most wonderful gifts.

I snapped a few pictures:

Thank you Kathryn for the cutest picture and frame. This is going into my car on my dashboard so i can see her as i drive to work. (Actually, that might be a bad idea as i will be looking at her the whole time and not paying attention to the road. Maybe it will go on the fridge)

Thank you so much Sam, for the wonderful beach towel. I love the pink and green. It is going to match wonderfully with her bathing suit.

Shirley, this blanket is awesome. I love the color, ladybug, and it is so great to have something with her name and birthday on it. It is so soft and I can't wait to bundle Katy up in it. Thank you so much.

Colleen, I love the little onesie. The saying is absolutely true. She is worth the wait. I am going to snap one of her first pictures of her in this. Thank you so much.

We have been overwhelmed by your thoughtfullness. We are so looking forward to sharing this experience with all of you. So far it has been great, and it is only going to get better. Thanks again.

Brigit & Dave

Introducing China 138 !!!!

2007-06-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

Here we are - China 138.

Today we had our travel meeting with the whole group we will be traveling with. It was such a great meeting, and we talked about alot. I did know alot of what they were talking about, but it was nice to hear it from Wide Horizons.

It is starting to become real. We were talking about the moment when we will be meeting our children and what to expect, and i started to feel like I was going to burst into tears. Happy Tears, but still had to hold them back.

I can just imagine what that day is going to be like.

We met for about 3 hours and then headed off to lunch with some of the group. It was alot of fun to excitedly talk about what we were going to bring, about the long trip, how we picked China to adopt our babies, the heat in China, the food, and we went on and on.

It was nice to see my old friends, as well as meet new friends.

Thanks Colleen for taking the picture and sharing with everyone. I am sure this is the first of many pictures of the group. I can't wait to see the picture with us all holding our girls.

15 DAYS TO GO !!!!!!

We Have Our Travel Dates !!!!

2007-06-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

Our itinerary just came through. I will be leaving for China on July 5th. That is only 2 and a half weeks away !!!!!!!!!

I will be holding my beautiful baby exactly three weeks from now.

July 5th - Leave for China!

July 6th - Arrive Beijing

July 7th - Great Wall, and the Summer Palace.

July 8th - Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.

July 9th - leave for Nanchang. Meet Katy that afternoon !!!

July 10-13 sightseeing in the Province, legal paperwork....etc)

July 14th - leave for Guangzhou

July 15 - local sightseeing.

July 16th - photos for babies and physicals.

July 17th - Visa Appointment.

July 18th - Swearing in Ceremony at the Consulate, fly back to Beijing. Stay over in Beijing.

July 19th - leave Beijing....arrive home to start our new life as a family of 3

I am so excited. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with everything i have to do, but i just need to take a deep breath and relax. Everything will come together.

Hold on sweetie, I will be with you soon.

Survivor China Location Revealed...

2007-06-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

Just read on a fellow adoption mommy's blog that Survivor China is rumored to be at Lake Poyang. This is in Katy's province of Jiangxi and is near the capital, Nanchang.

Guess where I will be in July - Nanchang.

Check this out!!

Location of Survivor China Revealed A reliable source has revealed to SurvivorSkills that the production for Survivor 15 will be based in the Jiangxi Province of Mainland China. The filming locales, and base camp should be around 40 km (24 miles) from the capital of Nanchang.The filming will most likely be at Lake Poyang. Lake Poyang is largest freshwater lake in China. It has a surface area of 3,585 km² and a volume of 25 km³

How cool is that. I am not sure how far Guixi is from Lake Poyang, but I will be in Nanchang, and may see the Lake.

Another cool thing is my friends, who i will be traveling with, thier daughters are all from Lake Poyang Social Welfare Institute. (orphanage)

Dave and I don't miss an episode of Survivor.

We are Survivor geeks, but this season is going to be extra special. I can't wait.

Travel Approvals Are In !!!!!!

2007-06-11T18:59:00.001-04:00

I got the news today that our travel approvals are at Wide Horizons. That means they can now make the Consulate Appointments and we will be on our way.

I am guessing the second week in July. Maybe July 9th.

Wow, that is close. I am starting feel overwhelmed again. I have to start packing. I also have to finish the room.

Why is it that we have been waiting for over 19 months, and now i feel like it is coming way to fast.

I don't care. As long as i get to hold my baby in my arms by the end of next month, all will be right with the world.

We have a travel meeting on June 20th and will hopefully find out everything then.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Our Baby is 9 Months Old Today !!!!

2007-06-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

Today Katy is 9 months old.

I feel sad that I am not with her today, but we will be there soon. I am so happy we are going to be spending her 1st Birthday with her. I have already started thinking about how we will celebrate her big day.

I am sending wonderful thoughts to you sweetie, and soon we will be together.

Update Since our Referral......

2007-05-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

Lots have happened in the last couple of weeks.

We have formally accepted our referral. (No surprise there) Katy is one step closer to us. I think about her at least 500 times a day. I have been carrying her pictures around and look at them whenever i am having a bad day, or pretty much every minute. It instantly puts me in a good mood.
My wonderful friends threw me the best baby shower. We received some of the cutest outfits, and alot of things from my registry. I had been waiting along time for that day, and when it was here, it exceeded my expectations. I will post some pictures very soon.
The nursery is almost done. Just have to get a mattress and bedding and it will be ready. I have also started my packing list. Still have more shopping to do.
It looks like we may be traveling some time in July. I am getting really excited about that. It doesn't seem that faraway anymore. We have actually started planning our life around Katy. Invitations to parties and events, holidays, vacations. The list goes on and on, and it is fun to think we will be celebrating life's events with our little girl.
I have celebrated my first Mother's Day. It was a little bittersweet to not have my Katy with me, but Dave made it feel very special. He bought me a beautiful card, and gave me a digital photo frame. I already loaded it with my 3 pictures of Katy and can stare at it all day if i want.
Also, did anyone catch the last episode of The King of Queens? I really was disappointed with it. (Spoiler Alert) They ended the series with Doug and Carrie adopting a baby from China. The thing is, it was so not right. In the next to last episode, they decided to adopt a baby, then last night they get a call from thier Social worker that there is a baby they have been matched with. This all was supposed to happen in three week time. Also, they automatically sent the picture to them via her blackberry. The baby was only 4 days old, and they flew to Beijing the next day to pick her up. WHAT??? Now i know it is a TV series, but they couldn't do a little research. I think they should have at least made it seem a little real. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else caught that episode.

That is all for now. More updates later.

Dreams Can Come True !!!

2007-05-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

With great excitement, we would like to announce our Referral news. We have a daughter.

Guo Yuan Sen, soon to be Katherine Linda was born on September 3, 2006 in the Jiang Xi Province in China.

We don't have all the details yet, but should see her beautiful face either Friday or Monday. It's going to be a long week.

Words cannot express the feelings i have right now. I have been in a fog all day. The funny thing is, i was driving down the highway to visit a client, when the phone rang. I saw that it was Wide Horizons and nearly drove off the road to answer. I pulled off the highway and into some random parking lot get all the information. I was able to make about three calls when my cell phone died. Thanks God one of the calls was to my husband.

I pulled myself together, visited my client for about 4 hours, drove home and have been on the phone and internet for the last hour spreading the news.

I will hopefully hold her in my arms in July.

Come back soon to see her debut.

I am off to make some more calls.

Here She Comes !!!

2007-04-30T19:18:00.000-04:00

The stork is going to be landing at our house in the next few days. You heard it here. We have received confirmation that we have been included in this batch of referrals and we should be receiving a call any day now.

We probably won't see Katy's picture until sometime next week. At least we will know her Chinese name, where she is, how old she is and hopefully more. Then we meet with the social worker next week and receive our packet of info.

Stay tuned for some exciting news.

With A Heavy Heart We Are Forced Again To.....

2007-04-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

We may not get our Referral this month. It has not been confirmed, but it seems likely.

Rumor Has It....

2007-03-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

I thought i would fill you in on the latest rumors. I have heard that Referrals have been mailed, and are somewhere in the US.

This could mean we could get our call as early as Monday or Tuesday!!!!

The funny thing is, next week will be two years exactly that we received our packet in the mail from Wide Horizons. We started this wonderful journey on April 5th, 2005. Now we are going to see our beautiful baby's face possibly on April 5th, 2007. WOW.

I am going to be a Mom. I can't believe it.

This Says It All

2007-03-22T23:41:00.000-04:00

This seems to be my motto for the last 17 Months. As i get closer to our referral date, I look back at the last couple of years and can't believe how slow it seems to have passed.

Every month that the referrals were issued I knew we were getting one step closer but it still seemed so far away. Now, we are weeks away from looking at our daughter's face for the first time and can't believe how quick it is coming. I feel like I have a million things that should be done, but I can't bring myself to do them yet. I want to see her picture and then it will be real.

So, from the time we receive our referral to the time I board the plane for China, I am going to be a woman on a mission. I have my lists ready, I have my ideas in my head.

I am just Waiting, Hoping and Dreaming, and definitely won't have to Repeat.

Look for coming attractions of Katherine Linda's beautiful face. It should be anywhere from April 2nd to April 12th.

Happy Birthday !!!!

2007-03-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

March is a very busy month of birthdays for me. So I thought i would send out a Happy Birthday to my family.

Cori, Lily and little Brian - I hope you all have a wonderful birthday.

Love, Sister and Aunty.

Referral News!!!

2007-03-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

The latest rumors are referrals were sent with a cut off date of October 24th. What does that mean for me.

WE ARE NEXT !!!!!

We will be in the next batch of referrals due at the end of this month. I am beyond excited. I am trying to remain calm, but i keep breaking into a big smile everytime i think about it.

I am not going to be posting again until i hear more news from the referral front. I have been incredibly busy with work, trying to tie up projects until my baby leave. (it feels weird to say that) I also need to start getting ready for a baby in the house, and my trip.

Hang in there, good news coming soon.

The Shopping Has Started

2007-02-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

Today was a really fun Sunday. I met up with three other October Mommy's at the Holyoke Mall for some shopping therapy and lunch.

I think they have created a monster. I attempted to buy out the whole mall. The picture is my loot from today. As you can see, it is a lot. And this isn't even showing the layer of clothes underneath.

It was fun, because we bought alot of the same clothes so we can dress our girls up in matching outfits in China.

Thanks Girls for such a fun afternoon. I hope it is the first of many.

Referrals Have been Posted through October 13th

2007-02-01T17:38:00.000-05:00

We have got the word. Referrals have been given out through October 13, 2005.

I got an exciting call today from my social worker, because she wanted to let me know, we were next on the Wide Horizons list to receive our referral. Can you believe it!!! It seems surreal. I still cannot believe it. We are next.

I have had a goofy smile on my face all day. So we are extremely close. I am still thinking we will get our referral at the end of March, but best case scenario is the END OF FEBRUARY.

I think this is going to be the longest month of my life.

(This picture was borrowed from my friend's blog. I think it is so cute.)

Happy 15 Month Anniversery

2007-01-28T22:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversery to Us. We have been waiting for 15 months for our baby. This is the date we turned our paperwork in on October 28, 2005.

The good news is we are so close. We could be seeing our baby's face at the end of March. This will be unbelieveable. If we get our referral in March, we could be holding our daughter in May.

Let's keep our fingers crossed, and as my fellow October LID'er says,

Let's Go China !!!!