TAKING IT PRIVATE

I have been throwing around the idea for quite awhile now about taking my blog private. I'm not 100% certain of what the future holds for my little blog, but my plan for awhile now has been to close it down after we return from China. I've always had it pictured in my mind that our Forever Family Day video would be the final post........Then we would ride off into the beautiful sunset where we will live happily ever after! =) Besides, how can you really have a journey to Ava blog if the journey to Ava is FINALLY over? I don't think you can. Soooooooo the next question comes up.....Will I start up a new blog after we return as a family of six? Probably not.....The truth is that you all know that I rarely blog now and I'm pretty certain that I will be MUCH busier AFTER China! =) Will I still be following other blogs and making comments on all of your blogs? Of course! You all can't get rid of me that easily! =) Sooooo why do I feel the need to take it private now, instead of after we return from China? That's simple....My family......I feel the need to protect them. I need to listen to that little voice in my head.....The one that has been saying, "go private" "go private." =) The fact of the matter is, I really just need to know who is here....Who is reading....Who will be looking at our photos. If you would like to continue to follow along as we continue the wait for our referral and follow along with our trip to China....We would LOVE to have you! I even plan on posting DAILY from China. Can you even imagine....Me doing daily posts?! I'm just going to need something from you......Email me your name, where your from, your blog name (if you have one) and anything else you want to tell me about yourself. Even if you have never left a comment before....I would still LOVE to have you follow along as we complete our journey to Ava. I just need to know who is here. The mama bear in me is feeling protective right now. I hope you all can understand. If this is the end of the road for some of you.....I understand. I know what a pain it is to try and keep up with other blogs that have gone private, but I understand why they have done it. It's why I have also made the same choice.

Please send an email to: avasfamily@yahoo.com if you wish to continue with our journey. I will send everyone an email with instructions on getting access to the blog....Just as soon as I get things figured out myself! I promise to have it all figured out by the time we get our referral! I hope the next post on this blog is an announcement that our referral is on the way! It's hard to believe our time is almost here!!

I NEED RUMORS!

I don't want to talk about book reviews, cheerios, why the box hasn't been updated.....I just *need* RUMORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I IN or NOT?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just tell me!

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK

That click click click sound is the sound of the rumor roller coaster going up!

RQ reported her first rumor regarding the next two batches of referrals yesterday. She has stated that multiple agencies are reporting referrals in the next two batches will cover more days that we have been expecting. She mentioned a possibly of reaching the Horrid column on the chart below. If so, that would be a cut off date of March 13 for the next batch. Our LID is March 8. Could it be? It seems so surreal at this point. Someone pinch me!

3 YEARS AGO TODAY...............

Our file was logged in at the CC*AA. If someone would have told me back in 2006 that THREE YEARS later we would STILL be waiting for Ava to come home.....I wouldn't have believed it! During the last three years we have experienced all the ups and downs and twists and turns of the China Adoption rollercoaster, but even had we known how difficult it was going to be.....We would climbed aboard all over again. You see, our girl has been in all of our hearts for a VERY long time now and we were determined to wait just as long as it takes. Thankfully, our wait is nearing the end....... FINALLY there is a bright light at the end of the long dark tunnel.


(I used this same graphic on our 3rd month LID anniversary. It seems like it was only yesterday......NOT!)

A LOOK INTO OUR FUTURE

I learned a VERY important lesson today. DON'T CHECK FOR CHINA ADOPTION RUMORS MINUTES BEFORE YOU'RE ABOUT TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL. I'm an idiot. Picture this........Ian is off brushing his teeth as I glance at the clock. Hmmmm, I'm thinking. I'll just check RQ really fast while I finish off the last of my coffee. It was about that time that ALL HEDOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS BROKE LOOSE! Report in the forum: The Spanish site says the cut off is March 10th! WHAAA?!!!! That's ME!!!! I comment that I'm going to puke. Then....Tears come. Ian walks out the bathroom and asks what's wrong. I say through the tears...."They say the cut off is the TENTH (hey, he knows what that means!) and that means we will see Ava's picture TODAY! He gets tears in his eyes.

I then frantically search for Pug Mama's phone number. I can't find it ANYWHERE. I'm crying, I'm searching and then I call my husband. I then tell the girls at work that it's happening TODAY! Hey, the Spanish RQ has been dead on with her information as of late. I'm still crying. Jeff gets on the phone and I'm telling him it's today, I can't find Pug Mama's number and I need to call Ian's school to tell them he won't be going today. Jeff tells Alicia to call Ian's school and tell them he won't be in today (his mother's hands are shaking to badly to dial the phone). Marcia at the office leaves to go get her video camera so we have two available for when the call comes in. The plan was to receive the call at the office.

I keep reading RQ waiting for something to break. Sewhopeful (we've been together on RQ since the early days) emails me her phone number because I can't find that one EITHER!! I call her. Could this really be happening?!! This isn't even a rumor....Spanish RQ says it's the cut off date!! We're confused by it, but we still have hope. I need to call my agency. Are they open? What the heck time is it in Texas????

Pug Mama emails me her number. She can't find mine either. We thought we were so prepared by exchanging numbers a month or so ago. I call her and get her voicemail. She finally calls back. She isn't buying it. She is off to her mother's so her mom can translate the Spanish site. She will keep us posted.

Reports of people doubting the truth to the Spanish rumor are surfacing.

I call my agency. My referral counselor answers the phone! I realize in seconds that she knows nothing of referrals being sent. They're expecting no packages today. It's looking like it's not happening.

I call Jeff. He still has hope. I tell him it won't be happening today. Is there still hope for tomorrow? I'm VERY doubtful.

Pug Mama's mother translates the Spanish site. In the comment section families are saying that a mistake has been made. The cut off is March 6. Ugh!

Our agency emails that a package isn't on the way and they still don't know anything.

Referrals are arriving in the U.S. The first one arrives in Virginia with a LID of March 6th. My agency isn't expecting a package. Cut off HAS to be the 6th.

False alarm.

The darn thing is that I was FINE with not being in this batch. More than okay with it. I'm now heading back to that happy place as I wait the next 4-8 weeks until it REALLY is our referral day! In the meantime, Ian got a day off school. He isn't complaining and I don't think he thinks his mother is nuts! Well, maybe a little! =) I've collected phone numbers again and will put them in a safe place. I just hope that when it REALLY is our turn....I will be MUCH more calm than I was this morning! At least we had a dry run! When it DOES happen.....It's going to be one AMAZING day! The strange part is that I had a dream last night that the Spanish RQ said we made it in this batch. I almost checked her site at 3 AM, but rolled over instead and went back to sleep. What a day it has been! =)

COULD IT BE TRUE??????????

There is a rumor going around that two agencies have reported the cut off date is March 6, 2006! If so, that means we could either be in the NEXT group or be NEXT NEXT! Let me remind everyone........Our LID is March 8 and March 7th is freakin' HUGE! They have never done just a one day batch before, but I've never seen a bigger day than March 7th. Either way, I'm more than happy to wait two more batches. It feels incredible to FINALLY be THIS close!

If we don't make it next time.......I get to see Sea Star's baby girl and Tate next month no matter what! They both have LIDs of March 7th. Seeing them FINALLY get their referrals will keep me going until I get mine! Hang on Ava, we're nearing the home stretch!

YOU MIGHT BE ADOPTING FROM CHINA IF.......

....you know that I-600 & I-171 aren't highways.

....you've been expecting a baby for over 3 years.

....you understand that it's 2006 in some parts of the world.

....you've "paid for" 3 immigration approvals, but never brought anyone into the U.S.

.....you know that waiting for China has nothing to do with Dillards or dishes.

....your homestudy is followed by a number (i.e. #3 or #4).

....you never know how many days next month will have.

....you know that babies come in batches.

....you've been fingerprinted four times, but never committed a crime.

....you automatically assume everyone who is expecting is having a girl.

....you own new clothing in 3 little sizes for all 4 seasons (because you don't know when or how big).

....you look twice when you see a ladybug.

....you're more interested in what will happen in March 2006 than in March 2009.

....you know people who understand when you talk about 2 day months & 5 day months.

....your due date hasn't changed by days, but by years.

..you know who the Rumor Queen is.....AND

.... you don't know who she is.

....you know that forecast doesn't have anything to do with the weather.

....you've waited so long, they re-checked your fingerprints to see if they changed.

....trying to understand why they're printing you again, you study your own fingerprints and wonder if fingerprints grow wrinkles.

....when you speak of "that time of month" you're talking about CCAA updates & referrals.

You might be adopting from China if you love someone you've never met with all your heart.


(I copied this after seeing it on several blogs...I'm not sure who wrote it, but it's very cute.)

Q & A

Question: Want to know a way to keep your mind off any rumors on the next batch of referrals?

Answer: An audit.

I REALLY didn't need this right now.

THIS IS OUR SON, UMMMM DAVID

I don't know if I've posted here on my blog or just in private emails that I've only had a couple dreams about our China adoption. One would think (wouldn't one?) that with as much time that I think about Ava and about China......I would dream about her? Yes, one would think, but nope.....Not so. Well, the night before last I had a dream that we received our referral and in my dream I received my child!.....Not sure if I was in China.....That part wasn't very clear. The rest of it WAS quite clear. First, we did NOT receive a referral for a girl......She was a he. We did NOT receive a baby (as young as possible)......We received a 4-5 year old boy. Although he had the most beautiful almond shaped eyes and I believe he was Chinese......He already spoke perfect English. He also made it VERY clear that he didn't like me....Not one bit. I was trying my hardest to win him over, but it didn't go very well. One issue that he and I had was that he wanted to be called by his Chinese name.....DAVID......And I was doing everything in my power to convince him to take ANY other boys name.....Just NOT David. Now, if I offended anyone named David or with a husband, son, brother, uncle, grandfather or second cousin named David....Let me explain. My EX-husband was named David (Dave) and it's just not one of my favorite names because of that....In fact it sorta makes my skin crawl. ;) With that in mind, you may understand (or maybe you won't! ;) why I was trying to list off different boys for him to pick from, but he wanted no part of any of them. His name was David....End of story. I WAS going to let him have his way in the end, but I wasn't very happy about it. I'm just happy that I haven't seen many, err I mean ANY referrals with boys having a Chinese name of David. ;) That's a relief!

EDITED TO SAY.......I wouldn't mind (after the inital shock wore off...Since everything I've bought is PINK!!!!!!) if we did receive a referral for a boy. I just don't want his name to be David.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!