Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a nice Christmas. While we missed Greg's dad greatly this Christmas, we were thankful for our nephew, Nathan, who always provides much needed comic relief for all of us.


We wish everyone a wonderful 2007 filled with good health, much happiness, and many blessings!

Cheers,
Greg and Laura

Hearts' Desire

We just wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to our friends Joel and Misty on their recent decision to adopt! We are so happy for them and know they are going to be awesome parents. You can follow them throughout their journey at: http://desireofourheart.blogspot.com.

Here is a poem we came across recently (and love) that we would like to dedicate to them...

Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it.
--- Fleur Conkling Heylinger

Brought to you by the number 3...

Another month of waiting under our belt - we've been logged in 3 months now. Just yesterday we found out the CCAA had it's annual meeting last week and apparently will be implementing some new guidelines in 2007. Our agency told us that we shouldn't be effected since we're already logged in. One not-so-great piece of information that we heard through the grapevine is that referral times won't be shortening any time soon, in fact we've heard they are going to continue to hang around the 14-16 month timeframe. Needless to say, we are pretty disappointed by this bit of news. AAI is sending a detailed letter to their clients with all the new guidelines, so we'll know more when we receive it...but as mentioned we should be "grandfathered in". Now, if only we could make the referral times speed up...

Half the Sky

Half the Sky is a foundation that works to help children in orphanages in China. It was created in 1998 by adoptive parents of orphaned Chinese children. Half the Sky's mission is to enrich the lives and enhance the prospects for the babies and children in China who still wait to be adopted, and for those who will spend their childhoods in orphanages. They establish early childhood education, personalized learning for older children, and infant nurture programs to provide the children stimulation, individual attention, and an active learning environment. They have four specific programs that they put into the orphanages - The Baby Sisters Infant Nurture Program, The Little Sisters Preschool Program, The Big Sisters Program, and The Family Village Program.

Their website, www.halfthesky.org , is loaded with information on each of the programs as well as where and how many orphanages they are working in, etc. They also have items for sale, volunteer opportunities in China, and many different ways you can donate to help further their work.

Below is a picture we found on their website showing one of the nurture care centers (playrooms). As you can see, it's a stark contrast to the pictures in our last post.

This is such a wonderful organization, hope you get a chance to check them out. Have a good weekend...

A Closer Look - Orphanages in China

While it's hard to find too many statistics on Chinese orphanages, we've been able to compile some information for you.

We read an article by Dr. Jane Liedtke - CEO/Founder of Our Chinese Daughters Foundation - in which she states there are approximately 1,000 orphanages in China. We have also read that, of these, only 250 are permitted to adopt internationally. There is speculation that the CCAA is working to get more orphanages up to standards, eligible for international adoption.

Life in an orphanage in a developing country can be quite harsh, and while some orphanages do a better job than others, overall, orphanages in China are adequate places staffed by caring people. Guess you could say that they do the best they can with what they are given. More and more children are now being placed in foster homes by the orphanages, giving each child more attention and care in a family environment.

Here are a few pictures of some orphanages. As you can see, the conditions can vary widely. For example, some might have cribs with bedding... while others just have boards.

Below is some rare footage from inside one of the orphanages in China. This video was taken by a parent while visiting the orphanage his daughter came from, an opportunity not granted to many who are adopting in China.

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

We have heard positive things about changes being made to facilities and a lot of those changes are made possible through the donations and contributions made by parents adopting children.

Hopefully this has given you a clearer picture of what the orphanages are like in China.

Stats what I figured

We've had a few people ask about the number of children that are adopted from China to the United States each year. With a little research here's what we found...

The U.S. Department of State website gives a list of immigrant visas issued to orphans coming to the U.S. From this we learned that the top four countries that U.S. families have adopted from since 2002 are: China, Russia, Gautemala, and Korea (in that order). The number of visas issued for each of those countries in 2005 was: China-7,609; Russia-4,639; Guatemala-3,783; Korea-1,630.

There has been a significant increase in Chinese adoptions in the U.S. over the last several years. Using INS immigrant visas as a tally, the numbers are shown in the graph below. Since 1985 there have been a total of 55,446 adoptions from China to the U.S.

For our next couple of posts, we'll get into some specifics on orphanages in China. We'll talk about conditions, statistics, and other information that will perhaps answer more of your questions and hopefully add a little perspective. Until then, take care.

2 Down... too many to go.

Today marks our 2 month LID anniversary. Just kidding when we said 2 months ago that it would be 12 months... it's 12 months from now. Yes, the wait has continued to grow to 14 months, so... 2 down, 12 to go. There are still rumors out there that there might be a speed up, but for now it looks like we're on the slow boat to China.

Perfect Match

We thought we'd talk a bit more about the "matching" process and the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs). Here is a picture we found that shows dossiers that are ready to be matched in the matching room. Although our dossier hasn't made it this far, we'll be there someday... let's just hope they can find us (Where's Waldo?)!

Here is a simple breakdown of what will happen to our dossier: First, the paperwork is sent to China by our agency, it is then logged in (hence the log in date), at some point our information and pictures are entered into the database (this might or might not be part of the log in step), next... many months later... the dossier goes to the "review room", and finally enters the matching room. We've been logged in, and from what we've gathered our dossier is currently waiting to be reviewed.

About the Review Room: The CCAA updates their website periodically to let families know what LIDs have made it through the review room. Last we've heard, they had just finished reviewing dossiers with LIDs of 1/31/06... which means there are 7 more months worth or dossiers to be reviewed before we're in. Once we finally make it here, our dossier will go through an extremely thorough check to make sure it's accurate and complete. If necessary, they can ask us for more information... but we pray everything is smooth sailing. Once we've passed the review room, it's on to the matching room.

About the Matching Room: The CCAA does actually try to match you with your child. Each worker will have a stack of baby files and a stack of dossiers from each agency. For example, they'll take the 6 families in our group and look through our information and pictures and then try to make the best match with the files they are given. It can be based on appearance (yes, we've heard several families say they can see a resemblance), or maybe a hobby (both baby and parents like music, etc.), or sometimes just a feeling they get. They also try very hard to match you with the age you've requested. The CCAA also updates their website stating what LIDs they have matched through... currently they have placed children with families that have a LID through August 25, 2005... our log in date is September 12, 2006.

So, while we're still quite a ways from either of these steps, we thought we would go ahead and explain them so when they happen, you'll know. :-)

We've added a link to the CCAA (on the right side w/ the other links) in case you want to check out their website. The area where they show the review/matching room update is on the far right-hand side of the homepage, toward the bottom (called Documents Processing).

Whew... and that was the cliff notes version! :-\ Take care, folks!

Need a laugh?

We found these videos on a couple of other blogs and had to share them with you... (you might have to click the play button twice to get it started)






Don't you know these are two lively households!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Happy Birthday, Nathan!!

Sunday, Oct 22nd we celebrated our nephew's birthday. The big number 2!! Here are a few pics from the party...

(click on each picture to enlarge)

Make a wish, little man! Hope you had a blast on your big day!!

LID Anniversary - 1 Month Down

We have been logged in with the CCAA for 1 month today! It's actually been a pretty quick month... let's hope the rest are just the same.

Speaking of the rest, just how many more are the rest? That's the magic question..... One year ago at this time, referrals were arriving only six months after you were logged in. Since then the wait has continued to creep up and is currently at about 13 1/2 months. Wowsers! We hope and pray this stablizes and/or lessens. Why the longer wait time, you ask? There are many factors that have contributed to this, but it is primarily due to an increase in families from around the world who submitted their dossiers last fall (when the wait time was so short). There was such a dramatic increase in applicants that we are now apparently up against a bit of a backlog. This is not to say there is a shortage of children needing homes... that is certainly not the case. It all comes down to China's ability to handle the paperwork efficiently.

All too often we find ourselves focusing so much on getting "somewhere" or "something" and we forget to appreciate all that goes on while we're getting there... we forget to savor the journey. While this news of increasing timelines is kind of a bummer, we are really going to try to stay positive and enjoy every step along the way... HOWEVER long it takes.

P.S. For those of you who were curious, moon cakes must be an acquired taste. Maybe moon pies next year... mmm... marshmallowy goodness!

The Name Game

It seems the question, "Have you thought of a name yet?" is happening more and more these days, so we thought we would let you all in on a little secret.......... We're working on it!

You didn't think we were actually going to tell you right then, did you? Suckers!! :-)

We've spent the last few months tossing around names and have pretty much narrowed down the first name to one we really like. The hard part has been the middle name, which we want to be a Chinese name... as one way to preserve her heritage. This obviously becomes a little more tricky. Not only do we want a name that "fits" with her first and last name, but it's also important that it be a proper Chinese name and have a good meaning.

The meaning of a name seems to be of extra significance in Chinese tradition. It is common to combine two shorter names into one. And the names, when put together, take on a somewhat varying meaning than the two separate. Also, depending on how it's arranged, the name could have a completely different meaning.

Some of you might be wondering, "Won't she already have a name when you get her?" The answer is yes, she will. However, it is likely that this will be a name given to her by the orphanage director, and might only mean something about the location of the orphanage itself. It is our feeling that this won't carry the "specialness" or distinctive quality that she deserves. Of course, we will always hold close to our hearts the name she has when we first meet her. But our wish is for our daughter to have a name that was chosen with love, and especially for her.

We've been doing a bit of research on Chinese names and have a few ideas that we are talking about. Currently, we're in the process of consulting some Chinese sources to make sure the name(s) we like are acceptable and have a meaning that we are happy with.

We feel like we're pretty close to a final decision, so we'll try not to leave everyone in suspense for much longer. On the other hand, what's the rush?... It's not like we're running low on time. :-)

Cheers,
Greg, Laura and ????

Got Moon Cakes?

In China there are many festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. The second most recognized, after the Chinese New Year, is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Also known as the Moon Festival, it is held every year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. This usually falls somewhere between the middle of September and the middle of October... This year it takes place on October 6th.

The Moon Festival is a time when family and friends get together to give thanks for the summer harvest and admire the mid-autumn harvest moon, which is supposed to be brighter and fuller than any other time of the year. The traditional food enjoyed during this festival is the moon cake, which is a sweet round cake stuffed with a variety of things such as lotus-seed paste, fruit, nuts, ham, or egg yolk.

This will be the first Chinese festival we've celebrated, so we're planning a small get-together with our moms to enjoy some Chinese food and moon cakes. We ordered our cakes from a great Chinese cultural "store" called China Sprout... who has them shipped from a bakery in New York's Chinatown.

Happy Moon Festival Everyone!

Put a LID on it!

Good news first..... we found out our LID today!! For the lingo-challenged people, this is the date our paperwork was officially logged in over in China.

The not-so-good news..... it was just last week. 9/12 to be exact..... 26 days after our dossier was shipped off to China. All summer the time from DTC to LID was taking 3 to 10 days on average. So this is a little longer than we expected. BUT... at least we're in, and for that we rejoice. That's all, just wanted to let everyone know that we're officially in there, baby! Now the countdown to referral begins...

Cheers,
Greg & Laura
LID 9/12/06

Lucky Bugs

We thought this might be a good time to explain the significance of ladybugs in Chinese adoption. Ladybugs are considered to be a symbol of good luck in the adoption community. The story goes something like this: Many years ago in China, as the international adoption program was beginning to take off, there was a fall season where the ladybug population grew unusually large. This was thought to be a lucky charm for those who were adopting, so now whenever ladybugs are seen, it is said that more beautiful children are being referred to waiting parents and families.

As we were gathering our paperwork this spring, we started noticing a curious number of ladybugs everytime we were outside (not just our imagination). I'm sure scientists have a perfectly "scientific" explanation for it, but we choose to think of it as a sign of good things to come. So, when we were out looking at some baby stuff recently and came across this little bear with a ladybug on its chest, we had no other choice but to buy it.

P.S. For those of you wondering... still no LID, unfortunately. :-(

We broke down...

After 4 years of wanting, waiting, dreaming, and praying we couldn't wait any longer to buy something! The day we were DTC we just happened to find ourselves wandering around Toys R' Us and stumbled upon the cutest dress... we couldn't pass it up.

In other news, still no word on our LID. As luck would (or wouldn't) have it, we've heard that there is one man in charge of logging in dossiers and apparently he was on vacation the last week of August. This probably means we are just now getting logged in - hopefully we'll hear soon. Also, unfortunately, the wait time for referrals continues to creep up and is now at about 13 1/2 months. Rumor is this should begin to level off soon and stay closer to 12 months... We pray this is the case.

Oh, and the photo gallery is finally ready... be sure to check out the link on the right side of the page. We'll try to add to it from time to time, so have a look every now and then and see what's new.

We're SOMEBODY now!

That's right... we're Group 142! We received a big travel orientation packet from our agency last week. It's always exciting to get something from them in the mail (it's the little things that keep us going). Anyway, included was a letter with our group number and a list of our travel mates w/ e-mail addresses and phone numbers... so now we can start getting to know one another. We haven't had time to go through everything else in our folder, but it sure looks like a lot of good information.

We are still waiting to hear what our LID (Log In Date) is. We're pretty sure we've already been logged in, it just seems to take a while for them to inform us of when it was.

A photo gallery is still in the works for the blog... so y'all come back now, ya hear!

Thank You

We just wanted to take this opportunity to say a big, heartfelt "Thank You" to everyone for your comments, e-mails, asking how thing are going, and so on. Knowing we have your support means a lot!

This is such a long process with many ups and downs... and even though we aren't too far into it, the support we've had has really helped. One piece of advice we were given when we began our homestudy was to celebrate all the "little" milestones along the way, and we've tried to do that so far as we completed certain phases of our paperchase (yeah, yeah... any excuse for ice cream is a good one). These mini celebrations have helped to keep our spirits lifted as the time passes, but what has helped the most is all of you and the support you've shown.

We still have quite a journey before us, but we just wanted to get this "thank you" out now to let you all know how grateful we are to have you and how much your being there means to us.



xie xie (Thank you)

It's official... we are DTC!!

We found out yesterday that we're finally DTC (Dossier to China)!!! This is an important milestone as it signifies the end of the long "paper chase", and the beginning of the next phase of our journey. We are so happy knowing that our dossier is now on its way to China! And what better way to celebrate than to go out for some Chinese food (we're getting pretty good w/ the chopsticks) and Andy's Frozen Custard.

We should be getting a packet with more information soon, but our consultant was able to tell us yesterday that there were 6 families in our group. Now we'll wait for our LID, which stands for Log In Date. As soon as we're logged in we can begin the countdown to when we receive the referral of our daughter and see a picture of her for the first time. Currently the time from LID to referral is about 12 months, but this could increase or decrease at any time.

So everyone knows... just because we're entering this time of waiting doesn't mean we'll stop posting messages for you guys. Please keep checking in on us as we plan to continue adding to the blog, including a "photo gallery" that should be coming soon.

Take care,
Greg & Laura

This picture was taken outside a restaurant in K.C. when we went up for fingerprinting. Thought it was kind of funny.

We've been AUTHENTICATED...

Michelle, our consultant from AAI, called this morning saying she had just received our dossier from the consulate in Chicago! She said this was a pretty quick turnaround time considering the consulate probably didn't begin working on it until July 30. AAI had just sent a group of dossiers to China on August 1... we missed this by only a few days. Looks like our dossier will go out in the next batch, which they plan to send mid-August. So, we're hoping to be DTC (Dossier To China) on or around August 15!

Once AAI sends our dossier they will call to let us know. Shortly after, we will get a letter informing us of our group number and "introducing" us to the others in the group. After we receive this information, we can contact each other and use this waiting time to get acquainted before we travel. Doing so will make it a little less like traveling with "strangers".

The next time you hear from us, it should be to say we're DTC! Stay tuned...

Dossier on its way!!

Today we had our I-171H notarized and took the whole dossier to the Secretary of State's office to get it certified. The good people at Sec. of State's office had it completed within an hour, and then it was off to Mailbox It to overnight our dossier to the consulate in Chicago.

The authenticating process in Chicago is supposed to take 4-6 days. Once they're done they will overnight our dossier to our agency. We're hoping all this is done and AAI has our dossier by August 7th.

Greg gives the dossier a final check before having in sealed.

And here's the sealed dossier! Our last glimpse before sending it to Chicago.

"The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!"

...To borrow a line from Steve Martin's character, "Navin", in The Jerk.

Or in our case, shall we say... "Our I-171H is here! Our I-171H is here!!" That's right, we finally got it, just one day shy of 6 weeks.

This was the last piece of paperwork we had been waiting on to complete our dossier. Now we can get it sealed at the Secretary of State's office and then send the whole dossier to The Chinese Consulate in Chicago for authentication.

As Navin goes on to say... "Things are going to start happening to me now."

For Starters...

Hello everyone. Well... might as well jump right into it. For those of you who don't already know about our news and are visiting this blog having no clue why you are doing so... you're about to find out! We have decided to adopt a baby girl from China! So, there it is! This is a decision that has come over a couple of years. We've spent countless hours talking and praying about it and feel this is what is in our hearts to do. We are very excited, and although it might be a long & winding road, are looking forward to the day we bring our daughter home. We've seen a lot of people who have used blogs to chronicle their journey in this way and thought it would be a great way to keep everyone updated on what's going on. There will be more to come, so please keep checking to see what's new and PLEASE don't be afraid to create your own message (you can add a comment to something we've posted, or send us an e-mail). It would be great to hear from you! Thank you for visiting our blog... come back again.

Greg & Laura

P.S. Please feel free to pass our news along to anyone who might want to know. Thanks!

Our Timeline

3/04 - Began considering adoption as a way to start our family

We spent this time discussing, praying & researching adoption.....

8/05 - Attended adoption info seminar

2/13/06 - Applied for passports

4/29/06 - We recognize this as the day we "officially" decided to adopt from China and begin the process

5/4/06 - 1st homestudy appt.

5/7/06 - Filed AAI formal application

5/8/06 - 2nd homestudy appt.

5/9/06 - Local fingerprints taken

5/23/06 - "In-home" homestudy visit

5/30/06 - 4th and final homestudy appt.

6/14/06 - Picked up final copy of homestudy

6/15/06 - USCIS appt. in Kansas City

7/26/06 - Received I-171H in the mail!

7/27/06 - Had dossier documents sealed at Sec. of State office, sent for authentication

8/16/06 - DTC (Dossier To China)!! Woohoo!!

9/12/06 - LID (Log in Date)

12/31/07 - Updated fingerprints w/ USCIS in KC

6/15/09 - Updated fingerprints w/ USCIS in KC

10/21/09 - Saw our baby girl's face for the first time!

10/22/09 - Submitted our LOI (letter of intent)

11/12/09- Received our PA (pre-approval)

12/2/09- Received our LOA (letter of approval)

12/23/09 - Received our TA (travel approval)

01/07-01/22/10 - traveling

01/11/10 - Forever Family Day

01/19/10 - CA (consulate appt)

01/22/10 - Home

Why adoption?

A lot of people probably wonder, "Why Adoption?" For us, it didn't take long until the answer became clear...

After deciding it was time to start a family (and not having much luck), we one day brought up the subject of adoption. As we continued talking about it, we soon began to realize how much it was in our hearts. We fell in love with the idea... after all, there were already so many children out there that needed a warm home and loving family. And we were a family without a child who could provide just that. It seemed to make perfect sense. The more we got into it, the more we came to understand that this was truly the plan that God had for us. We feel extremely blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity, and appreciate the love and support that we've received with this decision.

Why China?

It's hard to explain why exactly, but from the beginning we felt drawn to international adoption. During an adoption seminar we attended, we met a man who, with his wife, had adopted two little girls from China. He shared his wonderful story and experiences with the audience, which we look back on as an important moment in our journey.

A Little Background:
In an effort to control the country's exploding population, in 1979 the Chinese government instituted a law that limited most families to one or two children. This law is still in existence today and, sadly, results in thousands of abandoned children every year (only a fraction ever find a permanent home). After learning about these dire circumstances we felt heartbroken, but also deeply moved, as we realized there was a desperate need for families for these children. Furthermore, both of us have always had a fascination and respect for the Asian culture.

Even though we had this strong emotional pull towards China, we decided to go ahead and research several other countries. As we continued doing our "homework" on the various programs, we found that China's was one of the most established and trusted. This only reinforced our feelings that China was the right choice for us and lead to our final decision.

"It's a Girl!" (How do we know?)

In China, an overwhelming majority of children available for adoption are girls. This is due to the one child per family policy and a traditional preference for boys. In Chinese culture, sons are more valuable to the family because they carry on the family name, and they provide & care for their family elders. Because of this, girls who are born are often hidden, abandoned, or even killed. There are some boys available, but approximately 95% of orphaned children in China are girls. Knowing there is such a need for families for these little girls, we have requested and planned to bring home a daughter.

Will you travel to China?

Yes. The China program requires a two week in-country visit. We will be traveling with a small group (approx. 6-10 couples) of other parents-to-be from our agency.

We will most likely depart from Chicago, and endure a 14 hour flight to Beijing. We will spend a few days sight-seeing in Beijing, which also allows us to adjust to the time change. Next, we will travel to our daughter's province, where we will spend approx. five days. This is when we will finally get to meet our new baby girl! She will be in our care from this point forward (yikes!). Then we will fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. Embassy is located. It is here that we will spend the remaining days, while we are completing the rest of our paperwork and finalizing the adoption.

How long does the process take?

The process time for China adoption can vary widely, but the average from start to finish is approximately 12 to 18 months. It takes about three months to get "paper-ready". The next chunk of time is the greatest variable, which is the wait from when your documents are sent to China until you receive your referral. This can be anywhere from 10 to 14 months (give or take). Once you receive your referral, you will typically travel five to eight weeks later. If things continue at the current pace, we hope to have our referral by the Fall of 2007 (pray for sooner!). For more detailed information on the process, please visit The Process (nuts & bolts) link.

The Process (nuts & bolts)

The adoption process is trying, to say the least. It's one that takes patience, determination, faith, patience, resourcefulness, organization, faith, and patience. :-) There are many things to consider and uncertainties all along the way. It's a long journey full of many twists and turns, but at the end lies the most Blessed gift a family could dream of. Below is an overview of the adoption process in China.

Home Study
The first step begins with finding an adoption agency, a home study agency and gathering paperwork. The home study consists of four meetings with a social worker and addresses things like: motivation for adoption, social history of both adoptive parents, marriage and family lifestyle, child rearing philosophy, employment, financial and health info, references, and clearances (criminal background check, etc.). One of the four meetings actually takes place in the home. You may also be required to complete training on international adoption and related issues (we completed 12 hours). If the social worker approves you then you have "passed" the home study and then he/she will recommended that you should be allowed to adopt. All of this takes about six to eight weeks to complete.

USCIS
Once you have an approved home study you travel to the United States Department of Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)... for us this was in Kansas City, MO. Here you submit your home study, several other documents, and an I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition). Basically this is asking the U.S. government to approve of your plans for adopting from China. While there you also have your fingerprints taken for a second background check. Roughly eight weeks later (depending on your state office) you'll receive an approval form, which is called an I-171H. With this form you can now finish compiling your dossier.

Dossier
The dossier for China consists of the following documents:

> Adoption petition letter
> I-171H
> Home study
> Birth certificate(s)
> Marriage license
> Employer reference letter(s)
> Local police clearance letter(s)
> Medical exam form(s)
> Financial statement
> Copy of passport(s)
> Photo packet - adoptive parents & home

Almost all of these documents have to be notarized. They then have to be sealed by the Secretary of State, and finally authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in your region (ours is in Chicago). Once all of this is done, your agency can compile the completed dossier and submit it to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).


DTC / LID
After your dossier is submitted, you are then Dossier to China (DTC). You then wait for your Log in Date (LID), hopefully a couple of weeks after DTC, and then you start the long wait process. Currently, as of this writing (July 2006), the wait between LID and referral is about 12 months.

Referral
When you receive your referral it will include pictures, medical information, and a confirmation of acceptance form. Once you send back your acceptance form, you will wait about three to four weeks to get your Travel Approval (TA) from the CCAA. With this, your travel plans can be made by your agency and an embassy appointment is made for you. In another three to four weeks you will fly to China.

Travel
The China program requires a two week in-country visit by at least one parent. You will typically be traveling with a small group of other parents-to-be from your agency. Depending on your city of departure (ours is most likely Chicago) the flight is approx. 14 hours to Beijing. Your first few days are spent sight-seeing in Beijing, which also allows you to adjust to the time change. Next, your group travels to the province in which the orphanage is located, where you will spend approx. five days. This is when you will finally get to meet your new baby and he/she will be in your care from this point forward. Then you fly to Guangzhou, location of the U.S. Embassy. Here you will complete the rest of your paperwork and finalize the adoption.

Lingo & Acronyms

AAI - Adoption Associates, Inc. This is our adoption agency.

CCAA - China Center of Adoption Affairs. This is the government agency in charge of all things adoption in China, from checking your paperwork to matching you with your child.

Dossier - The set of documents that represents the adoptive family. It includes the medical reports, birth certificates, employment verification letter, police clearances, financial statement, home study, etc.

DTC - Dossier to China. This is the milestone day when your completed dossier gets mailed to China by your agency.

LID - Log in Date. This is the official date that your dossier is logged into the CCAA. Your referral wait officially starts from now.

Referral - Notification from the CCAA that they have matched a family with a child. Referral information usually includes the child's Chinese name, date of birth, height/weight, a medical report, one or more photographs, and a few notes about the child's nature.

SWI - Social Welfare Institutes, which are like orphanages.

TA - Travel Approval. This is the notice received when China gives the family approval to travel to China to bring home their child. Once your agency receives this, they can schedule your visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.

How old will she be?

With the China program, most children come home between the ages of nine and eighteen months. In our adoption petition letter, we requested an infant girl as young as possible. It is most likely our baby will be nine to eleven months old when we meet her.

View all...

Why adoption?
A lot of people probably wonder, "Why Adoption?" For us, it didn't take long until the answer became clear...

After deciding it was time to start a family (and not having much luck), we one day brought up the subject of adoption. As we continued talking about it, we soon began to realize how much it was in our hearts. We fell in love with the idea... after all, there were already so many children out there that needed a warm home and loving family. And we were a family without a child who could provide just that. It seemed to make perfect sense. The more we got into it, the more we came to understand that this was truly the plan that God had for us. We feel extremely Blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity, and appreciate the love and support that we've received with this decision.

Why China?
It's hard to explain why exactly, but from the beginning we felt drawn to international adoption. During an adoption seminar we attended, we met a man who, with his wife, had adopted two little girls from China. He shared his wonderful story and experiences with the audience, which we look back on as an important moment in our journey.

A Little Background:
In an effort to control the country's exploding population, in 1979 the Chinese government instituted a law that limited most families to one or two children. This law is still in existence today and, sadly, results in thousands of abandoned children every year (only a fraction ever find a permanent home). After learning about these dire circumstances we felt heartbroken, but also deeply moved, as we realized there was a desperate need for families for these children. Furthermore, both of us have always had a fascination and respect for the Asian culture.

Even though we had this strong emotional pull towards China, we decided to go ahead and research several other countries. As we continued doing our "homework" on the various programs, we found that China's was one of the most established and trusted. This only reinforced our feelings that China was the right choice for us and lead to our final decision.

"It's a Girl!" (How do we know?)
In China, an overwhelming majority of children available for adoption are girls. This is due to the one child per family policy and a traditional preference for boys. In Chinese culture, sons are more valuable to the family because they carry on the family name, and they provide & care for their family elders. Because of this, girls who are born are often hidden, abandoned, or even killed. There are some boys available, but approximately 95% of orphaned children in China are girls. Knowing there is such a need for families for these little girls, we have requested and planned to bring home a daughter.

Will you travel to China?
Yes. The China program requires a two week in-country visit. We will be traveling with a small group (approx. 6-10 couples) of other parents-to-be from our agency.

We will most likely depart from Chicago, and endure a 14 hour flight to Beijing. We will spend a few days sight-seeing in Beijing, which also allows us to adjust to the time change. Next, we will travel to our daughter's province, where we will spend approx. five days. This is when we will finally get to meet our new baby girl! She will be in our care from this point forward (yikes!). Then we will fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. Embassy is located. It is here that we will spend the remaining days, while we are completing the rest of our paperwork and finalizing the adoption.

How long will the process take?
The process time for China adoption can vary widely, but the average from start to finish is approximately 12 to 18 months. It takes about three months to get "paper-ready". The next chunk of time is the greatest variable, which is the wait from when your documents are sent to China until you receive your referral. This can be anywhere from 10 to 14 months (give or take). Once you receive your referral, you will typically travel five to eight weeks later. If things continue at the current pace, we hope to have our referral by the Fall of 2007 (pray for sooner!). For more detailed information on the process, please visit The Process (nuts & bolts) link.

How old will she be?
With the China program, most children come home between the ages of nine and eighteen months. In our adoption petition letter, we requested an infant girl as young as possible. It is most likely our baby will be nine to eleven months old when we meet her.

Ultrasound

Saw this on another blog... thought it was cute...

Words of Inspiration

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.
---Thoreau


Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Never, never, never, never give up.
--- Winston Churchill


A Prayer
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.


The Gift of Life
I didn't give you the gift of life, but in my heart I know
The love I feel is deep & real, as if it had been so.
For us to have each other is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you.
--- Author Unknown


Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
--- Psalms 37:4


Life is not measured by the number of breaths that you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
--- Author Unknown


Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.
--- Proverbs 3:5-6


Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it
--- Fleur Conkling Heylinger


"...life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it."
--- Charles Swindoll


Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
--- Hebrews 11:1

Letter to CNN

To Whom It May Concern,

This e-mail is in regard to the Paula Zahn Now segment aired on 1/5/07 about China’s new adoption guidelines. My wife and I are an American couple in the process of adopting a little girl from China. It was appalling, to say the least, as we watched and listened to Ms. Zahn and her panel of “experts“, who seemingly had absolutely no knowledge about adoption, try to speculate as to why people were so "infatuated" with adopting little girls from China. The arrogance displayed by these people, to speak and make speculation on a subject about which they are clearly uneducated, is outrageous and has no place in the ranks of responsible journalism.

We shouldn't even dignify such inflammatory reports with response. At the same time, as soon-to-be adoptive parents, you don't want such misinformation to be the only source for people who were previously uninformed. You’ve attached a negative stigma to Chinese adoption and put a stain on adoption in general. Shame on you all.

Consider, first of all, how ridiculous it is to have someone (Ms. Maldonado) who apparently has anti-international adoption sentiments conduct a so-called study (with no claimed statistical support) and expect us to be surprised that she paints an unfavorable picture of adoption in China. To suggest that people who adopt from China are doing so because they think the children will be more intelligent, or more cute and cuddly is beyond words. Questioning the integrity of people’s motivation is an absolute slap in the face. And the idea that it has become en vogue because a few high-profile celebrities have adopted… insulting to the entire adoption community. Perhaps it would have made sense for CNN to ask families who have actually adopted from China the question “why”. I’m positive you would find that most families would say that for one, it’s because China has an established, stable and predictable program.

Put yourself in the shoes and in the heart of these adoptive parents (not to mention the children who wait in orphanages). Go with them step-by-step through the intense process and talk to them about the emotional and mental toll that it takes - the uncertainty and the fear that they feel…. And then tell me that it's because it’s fashionable and they want to have a cute little "porcelain doll" that will grow up to be a doctor. It’s “reporting” like this that keeps these stereotypes alive and well. By the way, how did talking about new regulations in Chinese adoption turn into a discussion about racism and stereotypes anyway?

I know there are going to be those CNN apologists who say that it's their job to spark debates such as this. Afterall, controversy sells… right? True perhaps, but shameful nonetheless. I believe that when you do have a debate, both sides should be fairly and equally represented. It should be about integrity. I have no respect for a news program that intentionally starts fires and stirs controversy with one-sided debates based purely, not on facts, but speculation.... obviously subscribing to the theory that any publicity is good publicity.

I don’t know if any news channel is really “fair and balanced“, but I’ll tell you one thing… it’s not CNN. You just lost a viewer. Good-bye Paula... Good riddance CNN.

Greg S.
Springfield, MO

Photo Gallery

Introducing...

Greg & Laura with Anna

Laura with her mom, Connie

Greg's mom, Marilyn

Greg's sister, Julie with her husband, Brad and the awesomest little guy in the world, Nathan

Our first baby, Mocha

The lovable Zeke

Buddies for life... the dogs enjoying their favorite pastime

Our cat, Lily (don't be fooled by the cuteness)

Our humble abode

Riviera Maya 2008

Here are some of our vacation pictures...