Masks!

We were waiting for one last appointment and we received it! The Guangxi Civil Affairs has confirmed our appointment for us to meet/receive Siena on Monday, June 1st .

The Civil Affairs requires that when we go to meet our daughter, everybody (including the facilitator) must wear a mask. I hope we don't frighten her!

Travel Date!

The US Consulate has responded and confirmed the US Consulate appointment date for us. It is June 10th, 2009-we didn’t get our first choice of June 9th.

We plan to arrive in Nanning on Sunday, May 31st and meet Siena on Monday (June 1st) and do the adoption paperwork with the provincial authorities the following days.

Our Consulate appointment is June 10th in Guangzhou. We will be taking the oath and getting Siena's US Visa in the US consulate on the afternoon of June 11th .

We plan on traveling a few days ahead of time and will be contacting the travel agency tomorrow to figure out our flights and hotels. Woo-hoo!

Travel Approvals!

Finally our travel approval is here!!! Our agency has requested June 9th for the appointment date at the US consulate in Guangzhou. If this date is granted we will be leaving around the last week of May and arriving into Nanning on Sunday, May 31st.

The Alliance for Children should hear back from the Consulate in a couple of days and let us know as soon as it is confirmed.

Second Care Package

We decided to send a second package to Siena while we wait for our travel approval. We contacted Ann at Red Thread China and once again she didn't disappoint. We decided to send her a summer outfit, and book. For her caregivers we added some spicy peanuts, a letter and another camera. We are hoping that they take tons of pictures of Siena and that we are able to get the cameras returned when we get to China. Keep your fingers crossed!

What's up with this swine flu (H1N1) already?

Getting frustrated watching the world blow this flu out of proportion. I certainly understand protecting everyone (especially babies) from coming down with it, but we live with other flus all the time and still manage to function. Obviously, we are a bit more frustrated as we are awaiting our Travel Approval in order to schedule our trip. Let's hope they mail them with words of caution. I thought the 3 year wait was bad. . .

JL

Red Thread Update

We received updated information this morning about Siena from Ann at Red Thread China. In our care package we asked a few questions and here are the answers!

Email from Ann:

Dear Deborah:
Below are answers to your questions:

1.Yu lei use both bottle and cup ,but most of time ,she use cup.

2.Yu lei can say "a yi hao(hello ,nanny!) ,ji ji(chicken) gou gou(dog) ,yang yang ,ect"She loves to say "yue yue (sounds like yeah).

3.Yu lei loves to go to lots of people or fun places (like streets ,shops or park), she also likes outside activities, she loves to watch song and dance TV programs.

4.She is potty trained, adults have to help her with her pants.

5.She loves to eat fruits, such as orange, banana, ect. she also loves to eat cookies, bread and candies.

6.She still needs nap. Sometimes when she cries when she rolls over (turn over), adults need to pat her on her back.

7.Hua yu lei is attached her foster mom very much.

8.Her current health is quite good.

9.She is an easy going and good baby.

Have a wonderful day,love,Ann

Updated info on Siena!

We contacted http://www.redthreadchina.com/ yesturday to try and send a care package to Siena and see if we could get updated information. Ann at redthreadchina is a miracle worker and not only did she get us updated mearsurements, but also gave us 5 new photos of her! Our care package is due to arrive to her in the next 2 days. Below is the email from Ann that we received this morning:

Dear Deborah and Justin:
Attached are some hua yu lei`s update pictures and your package picture ,below is yu lei`s update measurement:

Height:75cm
weight :10kg
head :45.5cm
chest :48cm
teeth:6
feet:12

Yu lei weill get your package in next two days ! I will let you know when yu lei gets your package!

You are very lucky ,yu lei looks very pretty ,she has beautiful eyes ,I love her eyelash very much ,they look like curcle like doll eyes !!! Have a wonderful day,love,Ann

Meet Siena Yu Lei Leland

We have finally decided on a first name! After much debate, arm wrestling and a coin toss Siena it is! We have both really liked the name for several years now and we were lucky enough to be able to travel to Tuscany and visit Siena in 2002. It is a great city and we have many fond memories of our trip.

Siena Yu Lei Leland, woo-hoo!

China Program Update-AFC Email

Dear all,
5 Alliance families received their referrals for the month of April. These 5 little girls are from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and range in age from 16 months to two and a half years. Congratulations to these families!

The cutoff date for this batch of referrals was March 8th, 2006. Our next log in date is March 24th, 2006.

Have a great weekend!
Lin Jing

Meet Hua Yu Lei!

We went to the Alliance for Children this morning and got to see pictures and get some medical information. Her name is Hua Yu Lei and she was born 11/3/07.

The name given from the orphanage is Hua Yu Lei. Hua is the surname. Yu Lei somewhat translates into raining flower bud. Our translator said it was a beautiful name in Chinese but it doesn’t translate well into English. We will probably give her a name but we haven't decided on what it is yet. You would think that after four years of waiting for her we would have figured this part out already!

She is at the First Social Welfare Institute of Yulin in the Guangxi Province. We will have a specialist in the area of international adoption review her medical history in more detail, but so far she seems quite healthy.

According to the translation from the original referral she has dark hair, rosy skin and cries very loudly! She was moved into foster care 9/18/08 and is developing very well in all aspects. She gets very excited when seeing food which is great. She will fit right into our family very well.

At the time of the report she had just turned one. She had one tooth and was starting to take steps with the support of an adult.

REFERRAL!!!

We got the call from our agency today that our referral has arrived! Her name is Hua Yu Lei and we are seeking the translation. Tomorrow we go to the agency to pick up the package/photos, etc. More to follow. . .

3 years, 4 weeks and 1 day from our LID!

One more referral day?

We are hearing through the Rumor Queen that the latest batch of referrals are through March 8th. We are the 9th, argh!

China Program Update-AFC Email

Dear ALL,
The CCAA has matched families with a log in date up to March 2, 2006 with their children. So it will be three years’ wait in March for the March 06 LIDs.

Alliance did receive two referrals for our waiting families. One is expedited family and one is a family who had put their dossier on hold. Both little girls are from Jiangxi.

Our next log in date is March 9, 2006.

The CCAA has finished reviewing dossiers with LID up to March, 2007.

Best wishes for this year of ox,
Lin Jing

China Program Update-AFC Email

Dear All,
Happy New Year!
The CCAA has matched families with a log in date up to February 28, 2006 with their children for the January of 2009. Alliance did not receive referrals for our waiting families. Our next log in date is March 9, 2006. (this is us!)

The CCAA has reviewed dossiers with LID up to February 28, 2007.
We wish we could get some good news to share at the beginning of the New Year. But we are sorry that so far we haven’t had any yet.

Best wishes for 2009,
Lin Jing

China Program Update-AFC Email

Dear All,

I am very sorry for the delay in sending this. Below is the update on China adoption.
The CCAA has finished reviewing dossiers with a log in date of and before February 28, 2007.
The CCAA has also sent out referrals for October. The cut off date for this month is February 15, 2006. Alliance has received no referrals for this month.

Best regards, Lin Jing

September Updates-We are getting Closer!

Email from Lin Jing:
Six Alliance families received their referrals on September 2nd, 2008 after a lengthy wait. These beautiful little girls are from Guangdong Province and range in age from six and a half months to 12 months. Congratulations to the families and many thanks for their patience and understanding!

The cutoff date for this batch of referrals was February 9th, 2006. Our next log in date is March 9th, 2006.

China Program Update-AFC Email

Dear All,
I am so sorry for not keeping you updated on China referrals in June. Below is the update for the recent two months:

In June China referrals were sent to the families with a log in date from January 13th through 20th, 2006.

For July, the families with a log in date of January 21st to 25th 2006 have just received their long expected referrals.

Also, CCAA has by now finished reviewing dossiers logged in before January 31st, 2007.
Update on China earthquake relief: Alliance for Children Foundation has wired more than $15,000 to Child Care Department of CCAA to help the orphaned children in the earthquake area. Without your loving generosity, we would have not been able to do that. Thank you!

Best regards,
Lin Jing

China Program Update-AFC Email

Two Alliance families received their referrals on March 3rd, 2008 after a lengthy wait. These two beautiful little girls are from Guangdong Province and range in age from about 10 to 12 months. Congratulations to the families and many thanks for their patience and understanding!

This batch of referrals was, again, a small one, covering log-in dates from December 28, 2005 to January 4, 2006. Our next log in date is February 8th, 2006.

How to Use Chopsticks

When using chopsticks I tend to wear more than I eat. Maybe this video will help me out?

2008 Year of the Rat? Will we get a River Rat this Year?

A Ratty Year
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, William Shakespeare, and Mozart were all born in the year of the rat.

CCAA Document Processing-AFC Email

Document Processing The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before October 31, 2006. The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before December 27, 2005.

Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Happy Chinese New Year to you all!

Worst Winter Storm in Half a Century!

The worst winter storm in half a century has hit China. The extreme wintry weather has paralyzed areas that generally receive little snow and communities lack the removal equipment and experience to deal with it. More than a foot has accumulated in hard-hit provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang and the city of Shanghai, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Welfare institutions in south and central China are having the hardest time dealing with the weather disaster. This part of the country is simply not equipped to deal with extreme cold or heavy snow and ice. The most common critical problems are power outages, lack of safe drinking and cooking water, lack of fuel, and public transportation. This has left many travelers for CNY stranded and unable to get home for the festivities.

You Tube Video-News from AFC

Below is a link to a video that was just produced for Alliance For Children Foundation by Academy Award(tm) Winning Actress Marcia Gay Harden and her husband. This video beautifully explains what they do at the Foundation and what they hope to accomplish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rub584PHv4A

China Program Update-AFC Email

Hello Alliance families!
Happy New Year to you all!

Referrals
It has been another disappointing month. This batch of referrals has been a small one, only covering 5 days of log-in dates, from December 15th to December 19th, 2005. Therefore, Alliance hasn’t received any referrals from this batch. Our next log-in date is December 27th, 2005.

We hope we can have good news to share before Chinese New Year.

China Ghosts

China Ghosts: My Daughter's Journey to America, My Passage to Fatherhood

We loved this book! Over the holiday season we both read this and found it to be a fascinating read about a father who went to Changsha to adopt his daughter Jin Yu. Jeff Gammage is a journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Gammage writes, "Having a child enables you to imagine every child as your own." He finds it a revelation how much he loves her but is full of contradictory emotions regarding her origins: angry that she was abandoned as an infant and had to suffer her first two years in a Chinese orphanage, but grateful to China for granting him such a wonderful daughter. He views Chinese adoption as "a place where elation is paired with regret and hope stands as companion to sorrow."

http://www.chinaghosts.com/