OMG We are in the Review Room!!!

We woke up this morning to learn that the CCAA had updated its site to indicate that August 2006 is out of the Review Room. That means we are in the Review Room even as we speak. I just hope we breeze through and don't get any questions from the CCAA. If only the Matching Room worked as fast!!! But still, it is one step closer to Mei Ling.

Happy belated August Moon Festival

The August Moon Festival was yesterday. Here is some info.

The August Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most celebrated Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chinese families celebrate the end of the harvest season with a big feast. Unlike the American Thanksgiving dinner, the Chinese have mooncakes instead of grandma' apple pie. Friends and relatives also send mooncakes to each other as a way of giving thanks.
Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day. Under this bright autumn moon, friendships are made and renewed. It is perfect for a romantic rendezvous. For many years, Chinese poets write about long lost lovers finding their way to each other on this special night.
The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival. The moon symbolizes beauty and elegance. While Westerners worship the sun (yang or male) for its power, people in the Far East admire the moon. The moon is the 'yin' or female principle and it is a trusted friend.
In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth can see a lady on the moon. On this magical occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady on the Moon will find their dreams come true.
Bear in mind that the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as:
Eating moon cakes outside under the moon
Putting pomelo rinds on one's head
Carrying brightly lit lanterns
Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e
Planting Mid-Autumn trees
Lighting lanterns on towers
Fire Dragon Dances

One of those SAD days...

Today for some reason it hit me, as I was playing with Sebastián Ignacio this morning, that we would not be able to enjoy, love, soothe, play and just plainly make Mei Ling feel loved when she is 4 almost 5 months, just like Sebastián Ignacio is right now. And it has really saddened my day, and made me quite depressed. I know that it is just part of it, but it really saddens me, that we won't be able to be with her for HER FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS in her life, and I just hope that during that time, someone will take the time to give her some very SPECIAL ATTENTION AND TLC. I know her little sister in heaven will watch over her, and that conforts me, but it is really hard. And at this point, when we have been in the process for almost 18 months (note: when we started out we were told that the whole thing would take like 1 year, and that it looked like it could be a little longer), and LID for a little bit over 12 months, I could just not even imagine how prospective adoptive parents who have no children at home, which helps a lot, feel about this WAITING, AND WAITING, AND YET MORE WAITING. It is just extenuating, to just not be able to do anything, to just feel HELPLESS about the whole process. And I know that this will only get harder, especially when the time comes when I can pretty much know that Mei Ling is already born, and she is still not home with us.

Every day I tell myself that Mei Ling will arrive when God believes is the right moment for us, but it still hurts, and it is still hard.... to know that you have a beautiful family, but that one member out there has yet to arrive HOME to her mama, baba and little brother.

Ni Hao Kai Lan begins on October 22

Just wanted everyone to know about a Nick show premiering on October 22. It is called Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, and it is supposed to be a Chinese version of Dora. It is a a play-along, think-along series starring Kai-lan Chow, a playful, adventurous preschooler who speaks both English and Mandarin. Kai-Lan and her animal friends are guided by her YeYe (grandfather) through their adventures.

Everyone in the Chinese adoption community is pretty excited about this, since the voice behind Kai-Lan is actually an adopted girl from China. The show is also supposed to be pretty well done, and it will give children some more insight into the Chinese culture.

We for one are really planning on introducing Sebastián to the show, and hopefully it is here to stay so both him and Mei Ling can enjoy it together one day. Hope it is as good as it is supposed to be.

Wow, now we are REALLY getting close to the Review Room!!!

I just learned that the CCAA has updated its website, and that July 2006 is out of the room. That means that with an early September LID, we are really close to the review room now. Very exciting!!!

TODAY IS OUR 1 YEAR LID ANNIVERSARY

TIME HAS FLOWN BY.
1 YEAR AGO TODAY OUR DOSSIER WAS LOGGED IN.
IF ONLY WE DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT SO MUCH MORE.
WE ARE GETTING CLOSER, MEI LING.
MAMA, PAPA AND SEBASTIAN ARE ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR YOU.

We turn 35 today!!!

Today we, Florencio and I, turn 35!!! What a year we have had. Of course, in April 2007 we received a wonderful birthday gift in Sebastián Ignacio. Now we only hope that next year we get to celebrate our birthdays with Mei Ling Mercedes. Wouldn't that be great?

MORE CALM

I am more calm. I guess we will get to see Mei Ling when the right time comes, when it is our time. Who knows? Maybe even Sebastián will get to go to China with us, instead of having to wait here to meet his sister. And we then won't have to literally go to therapy trying to see how we will survive without him for 2 whole weeks. Think positive, think positive... Positiva...

Another dissapointing month of FEW referrals

Once again, another month with few referrals. The CCAA only covered 4 LID days, so they are still stuck in November 2005, for the fifth month now. ARRGGHHH!!!!