WHO'S THE CUTEST DOGGIE?!?

LOOK AT MY CUTE DOGGIE RIDING IN THE BASKET OF MY NEW TRIKE. SHE IS THE CUTEST! WHEN SHE IS UP TO IT, WE LOVE CRUISIN' THE BOARDWALK. OTHERWISE, DIANNE AND I HIT THE BIKE PATH. OF COURSE, DIANNE RIDES HER OWN BIKE. ; )

78 DAYS AGO....

Hello Everyone,
We just wanted to share our little bit of good news. 78 days ago we were DTC(Dossier to China). And, not until today at 12:33PM (Pacific time) did we just find out our LID (Log in Date) which is the "official date" that the CCAA put our application into their system. Can you believe it took 78 days to find out our LID?! 78 days! So our LID is (drum roll, please) November 17, 2006!!! WOO-HOO!!! FINALLY! So, this is the date that we start counting from to predict our referral date. Aww, but who's counting anyway?! ME! That's who! And, Mok too.
I would also like to share what our facilitator told us today in regards to referral lengths. I don't like what I'm hearing but thought some of you might want to know.
"SO, it is taking about 10 months at this time( for expedited status), I would estimate yours will be about 12 months." WHAT?! I don't think I can count THAT high! YIKES! Oh, and she did confirm that we are in the expedited(ha) program.
LID 11-17-06 BINGO!!!
So, Mok and I are pulling out the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose' and toasting to our "official" place in the back of the expedited line! Cyber Cheers!
And, I would like to share with you my new favorite chocolate...the Black Pearl Bar from Vosages Haut Chocolate. It is wasabi, ginger, black sesame seed and dark chocolate bar. What a combo that is!!! Unbelievably delicious! Hope it goes with Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'.

THE POSTGAME GIFT REVIEW, a play by play...

WOW, doesn't even cover it. My family was very generous with tres chic and super cool gifts. We are so lucky to have such caring family. I think "Baby 2B" being the first niece and granddaughter has it's advantages. So, onto the loot....
Jamie gave us a pre-xmas gift of the most super hip hat anyone has ever created. It is beyond description...knit, stripes of pale yellow and pink, peaked beanie by Moppitt. Watch out Venice Beach. Here comes the soon-to-be reigning princess of the funkalicious fashionistas! Unbelievable! And, as if you could follow up that hat with anything... not just 1 but 2 pairs of super cute Robeez shoes...pink with cupcakes and hot pink with ponies. And, I love ponies(especially Butterscotch, the pony Mother bought for her grandchildren)!!! Cupcakes and ponies!!! Every little (and big) girls favorites. And, for Christmas Jamie gave Mok(for "Baby 2B") some Binkster Tushie Buddies...that's diaper covers for "ya'll" not in the know. They are reversible with Chinese red silk brocade on one side and faux leopard on the reverse. Mok was not so sure what they were when he opened them. Then he pretended they were for him. Oh, what a silly "daddy 2B" he is.
Never to be out done in the shopping department, Chavigny gave "Baby 2B" the cutest(ZACKALI 4 KIDS)ensemble that I have ever seen. It is hand-knitted cotton in a thistle color with giant lime polka dots that remind me of the tops of parasols. And, it is beyond adorable.
Then, there were lots of stocking stuffers from Mother, errr...Santa. White fuzzy booties, white mittens, and a white knit hat with multi colored braids...we are ready for a White Christmas. Mother also gave "Baby 2B" a Baby Einstein Comfy chair that has a caterpillar for a back which I caught Mok using yesterday as a computer chair. Mother also gave Mok the coolest diaper bag ever! It is the Diaper Dude bag...(camouflage with orange zippers)which I plan to borrow.
And, our friends, Dianne and Dave gave us a CD of Chinese lullabies, how lovely they are...the lullabies and D&D.
Thanks everyone for including "Baby 2B" in Christmas 2006!
Oh, and the coolest gift ever is what my dad gave me...an adult size teal metallic colored trike with a basket on the back!!! How fun is that?! And, thank-you Jeb for picking the perfect color!

Christmas (has) Past

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! I have been without a functioning computer in Alabama for 28 days...but who is counting??? Me! It seems I'm always counting. Counting and speculating on how long until we get our LID!!!(Our DTC was 10-19-06! Yikes! Are we lost in the mass of dossiers?!) How long til the next batch of referrals? How long til we get our referral? How many days between referrals? How far will the CCAA(Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs)get with the next batch of referrals? Counting and speculating.
So during my 28 days in Alabama(minus the 3 days each way to drive there and back with our 2 dogs), I spent them working on my parents' remodel and addition project and preparing for a big family Christmas...but mostly working/ fussing/ pleading/ problem solving and some not-so-nice yelling...oops. Oh, and let's not forget to mention falling in an unmarked trench in the dark of night. That's when I did my not-so-nice yelling. The falling in the trench was not just me. It was both dogs and me. Oh, what a ruckus I made. It was a chaotic trip to say the least.
While I was there I did do some fun things like decorate a pink Christmas tree that my mom bought in honor of "baby-2B." And my mom and Joy hosted their 30 something annual cookie swap. That is always fun. Next year I'm hoping to take along our little bundle of joy to her first cookie swap. We did get to spend a lot of quality time "bonding"(as Steven, my BIL) would say with my 4 nephews. Remember...I said it was chaotic. There were tons of toys, 3 turkeys, 2 honey baked hams, 5 cakes, at least 12 dozen cookies, 5 xmas trees, 12 people, lots of noise, 5 dogs, 2 tricycles, 5 cars, 1 new truck, and red mud everywhere....as well as a construction crew working on my parents' project next door and in the yard. It was a tornado of constant chaos and eating. Ahhhh, the holidays. I will do the postgame gift review this afternoon. : ) As of right now.... I hear some west coast agencies are making their referral calls and at least one expedited couple has received their referral. Congrats to Allison and Adam!!! (Expedited couples are those couples with Chinese ancestry...which we are because Mok was born in Hong Kong as well as his mom. His dad("Daddy-Mok") and grandfather were born in the Guangdong province of mainland China.)