Excitement continues to build

We continue to pour through books and websites about China, information about parenting, and pour out more money! Of course, it's just the beginning and it will be all worth it when we see Iris smiling and playing around the house. We realize that our journey is so different than other expectant parents go through. For example, when it comes to baby showers, there are soooo many more circle of friends that we'd like to celebrate with. This adds to our joy, as well as the temptation to have soooo many things that we think Iris needs, but may not really need. In addition, we have to consider the travel aspect of what to pack for Iris that we can actually carry or check-in on airplanes. Just take a look...

Brian's been busy cleaning toys, babyproofing, and his not-so-favorite hobby, shopping! Here he is in action. What a conscientious father!

It seems like busy times, but we're grateful for the 4+ weeks left to do some of those things that we were told to do before we bring our child home. Although we'd like to meet Iris as soon as possible, it's a blessing not to have to be traveling in China during the Beijing Olympics. Therefore, we continue to wait for final travel dates and ask questions that need to be asked in August. I pray we can sleep and relax as much as possible before we become sleep-deprived, exhausted and deliriously happy parents.

Quick movie review

An impromptu evening at the movies with a friend (Patti McCabe-Price) allowed me to see a revealing movie that took place in China (circa 1930's) about a man named George Hogg. He was a journalist who helped 60+ boy orphans (My, how times have changed!) cross mountains and desert to escape the horrors of war and civil unrest caused by the Chinese leaders- Mao Tse Tung and Chiang Kai-Shek- and the Japanese. The title of the movie is "Children of Huang Shi". It's only playing in our town for one week, so I was glad that I had the time to see it.
It's historical, based on true events, and the journey takes you through Lanzhou, Gansu Province. This is the city where we will be meeting Iris for the first time in September. I sure paid attention to that part. Although it's "hollywood," I think the different scenery in the film convinces me that this will be an adventure of our lifetime. Please pray that all is well in Gansu and that Iris is well-cared for.

Baby stuff-is-a-coming!

As I told more friends and co-workers our good news, someone asked, "Do you feel like a mom?" I've been pondering that now and then in the past week as we gather more thoughts of the "stuff" we need for Iris and when we travel to China.

Many good wishes and donations of clothes, etc. continue to make upcoming parenthood more real. It's wonderful to know that Iris will be welcomed with love and her parents (that's us!) will have a community of support from many lovely friends, in addition to our own families.

We seem to have a lot of decisions facing us: cloth vs. disposable diapers, soy or milk-based formula powder, pre- or post-China trip baby shower. Much of the change is in our spending (Hear the sound: ka-ching$$)! I do enjoy imagining Iris dressed in adorable cute clothes, sleeping in the crib, and playing with the light-up rattle toy we bought. In addition to shopping, we continue to read as much as possible about parenting and for fun because afternoons of reading at long stretches are numbered.

Well, it will all be fine and I think God is teaching me a lesson in letting go of the reins, because He will have everything under control. I am especially thankful for the wonderful people who want to celebrate with us even before we meet Iris. She's going to be so spoiled! Of course, we'll learn to set limits and become creative in the discipline department, thanks to many of you reading this. So, do I feel like a mom? Not yet. Are we ready? I think no one is ever really ready, but we're sure cramming in a lot of learning before the homecoming. This is the care package that was sent to her.

Wednesday night, we're going to see a local performance of "The Producers." That will give us a break from fixating on the nursery or China trip details...temporarily.

Getting information on Iris

As often is the case, we spend much time on the computer for work and personal stuff. Since Brian put Iris' photo as the desktop background on every computer in the house, we are able to greet her photo often. Needless to say, we still think she's cute!

We ordered a care package to be sent to her orphanage, so that photos can be taken and a toy panda bear and blanket can be used by Iris as early as next week. Then, when we meet her in China, the photos can be developed and Iris already has a toy and blanket to bring home with her. Through the ordering we also got some updated measurements from the orphanage via Red Thread China. So, at 7 months, Iris is 25.2 in. (64 cm) length, 15.5 lbs. (7 kg) weight, almost 17 in. (43 cm) head circumference, 3.75 in. (9.5 cm) foot length. I keep wondering what Iris is doing and how she's feeling every day. I need to journal, but I guess this blog is a quick summary of what we are doing and thinking. We will have fun seeing Iris in her new "ducky" bathtub we got for her at a garage sale (but not outside)!

We continue to tell family relatives and friends our good news. We've told many, and there undoubtedly others we still need to tell. As is typical Avenell fashion, we're making lists of things to do, and one of my things is to generate an address list for when we send out announcements. Everything in God's time, right? Back to reading about "What to Expect in the First Year".

For a webpage with many photos of the WuWei orphanage taken by someone in 2006, click here .

Reality continues to set in

It' s the weekend, so we have more time to gather our thoughts and make a "game plan" of what needs to be decided before travel. First, Iris' Chinese name will be 张 哓 惠 (Zhāng Xiǎo Huì). Xiǎo means dawn or early morn and Huì means favored, kindness, blessing. Second, we have learned a little about her health and development (All normal!) since she was found at a hospital in WuWei city. She likes to play outdoors and her favorite toy is a bell, or bell-ringing toy. She is very active (marked "restless"), so we may have a challenge keeping up with Iris. Thank God for the friends and family who have already helped us translate some of the Chinese documents. Third, questions are being generated daily for our LA agency contact, Yazmine. The director is currently in China with a group. We look forward to meeting them in person, as well as the others in our travel group sometime in early September.
In the meantime, there are "friendly bears" waiting for her arrival.
As we go shopping for more "stuff", we are still kind of in the dark in terms of her size. She'll be 9-10 months old when we meet her, but the only record we have is at 5 months of age. Well, we have a lot to learn as we continue this life transforming process. So, later today, we're going to go to an A's game with Cindy's sister and nephew Matthew. It will be a relaxing(?) thing to do!

A face to the name!

The FedEx truck came at 3:30pm today! The medical background is minimal, but the photos are clear. Iris Xiao Hui (哓 惠) has a face now. Here she is:

Back in mid-May, she could hold her head up while lying on her stomach (the proof is in the picture), eat biscuits without help, and turn her head when her name was called.
We also got the instructions from our facilitating agency about how the visas and travel plans processing could go. So, two more months of paperwork face us before we can travel to China where we will hold our daughter for the first time. Wow!

Iris' Referral is in the mail

One more step toward reality. Yazmine phoned to say that the referral will arrive tomorrow. She told me her Chinese name is Wu Hui Xiao, born Nov. 22, 2007 and currently residing in Gansu province. According to the referral (medical exam was April 29, 2008), she is 24.8 inches in height and weighs 14.3 lbs. That's lighter than the "stand-in" baby we've been carrying around the house! We will post her photos after we receive them. All seems positive and like a dream so far. More to come!
Click here to see a video of WuWei in Gansu.

The 1st call came today

It has been 19+ months of waiting to hear of a match for our daughter from China. In June 2006, we started seriously checking out adoption agencies. In September 2006, we met with a social worker, Dr. Woo, with ACCEPT agency and started the paperwork. After home visits, forms and fees for the agency and fingerprinting, our dossier (all documents that China needs to see) arrived in China Center of Adoption Affairs in early December 2006. (For a look at CCAA, click on http://www.china-ccaa.org)
2007 was quite a year of change in China's adoption process and timing: new stricter requirements for adoptive parents (we would have passed, but we were grandfathered in), a noticeable slow down in the review room for dossiers, and a transfer of our papers to a new agency (Adopt International) due to our agency closure. We were thankful that there was continuity with our facilitating agency in southern California that we will work with for travel arrangements to China.
So, 2008 started with a fast pattern of referrals that made us renew our USCIS papers (necessary Petition to Adopt internationally). We thought that we might be getting a "1st call" in March, but that never came. So every few weeks, Brian asked, "Did Yazmine call?" (lady from the SoCal agency) or "Where's the FedEx truck?"
Well, 1st call finally came today. Praise God! Now, we are definitely expecting the FedEx truck to deliver referral pictures and information about our daughter in China by week's end. So, stay tuned!