Just a few more days!

I've been a bit anxious about the trip (jet lag, long flight, getting sick, what-ifs...you know the usual), but finally, today I had an enormous peace about it all, and I'M SO READY TO BE HEADED TO CHINA ON FRIDAY! It's going to be such an amazing experience!

China Bound

We're looking so forward to our trip to China (minus the total 32 hours of flying there and back)! We're arriving in Beijing a day early to get a little R&R before touring the Great Wall the next day. We'll then fly down to our child's province and spend time in Nanchang, where we'll receive our daughter practically the day that we arrive...Then on to Guangzhou to sign more paperwork at the Consulate...and a train ride to Hong Kong where we'll stay an extra day just wandering the city before flying out. I feel like I'm going to be on the Amazing Race or something. I've not travelled abroad for quite a while, so it'll be good to get the travel bug again (well, not THAT travel bug). We'll post daily (hopefully) so that you can travel along with us (and for our own sake of remembering all the wonderful details).

We Are On Our Way

Flights are booked and we are heading to Beijing at the end of next week! We'll meet our daughter on January 23, two weeks from today!

Update

It's looking quite possible that we may be traveling to China NEXT WEEK! We should know more tomorrow or Friday....stay tuned....

Update

It's not official yet, but most likely the cutoff for the recent batch of referrals is November 30, 2005. This means that the CCAA only got through 5 days of LID's, really 3 if you count that 2 of those days are weekend days. This time last year, they had gotten through 18 days of referrals and, the year before that, 19 days. So you can understand that the slow down has been extremely frustrating (and nonsensical) for us waiting parents, to say the least. We signed up when the wait was only at 7 months, not 24+. Did someone switch out China for another China while we weren't looking?

And to top it off, there is absolutely no way to anticipate how far the CCAA will get with the next two batches of referrals in Nov. and Dec. We just have to wait and see, basically. This summer after the CCAA tour, there were reports of the following:

many agencies are reporting that we’ll be at a two year wait when we finish 2007. Several are reporting it will happen before we finish 2007. Several report that the CCAA will be referring some of the December 2005 families in December 2007. The CCAA feels that in 2008 they will be back to something closer to 15 days per month.

I feel like a detective trying to rationalize what this could mean for our 12.12.05 LID date. Most likely, it means a referral no earlier than December. I can't be certain when. One thing is for certain though, many of us waiting parents will have to be put in a "nuthouse" if this continues to go at the same pace, me included.

I'm thrilled for the November 2005 families. They're receiving their referrals and many will be in China around the holidays. How lovely. And I also THANK GOD that the CCAA is finished matching up Nov. 05 LIDs. It took them 6 months to accomplish it. Un-freaking-believable!

So what are we to do in the meantime? Well, this family has been doing a lot of reading. Check out their book reviews. It's off to the library, again, I go.

CCAA, Don't You Know What OFF Means?!

Ummm, *hello*? Didn't I say that I wanted OFF of this ride? Well if I'm still hanging up here in the air and my feet aren't touching the ground, then explain to me how that is "OFF the ride"!

The CCAA only matched 4 days worth of referrals this month. What a bummer! What happened to baby by Christmas? Let's get back on track here, CCAA.

So the cutoff for the September batch of referrals is November 25 LIDs. We're December 12 LID. And the wait goes on...as I hang on to dear life on this perpetual carnival ride...unbelievable!

photo by Brian Jacobsen

Latest News

We were hoping for a miracle...still are actually...that CCAA would at least get through November 28 LIDs. But it seems, though, that this month's batch of referrals is in route, and the rumor is that the CCAA only got 2 days worth of referrals matched despite the other rumor that they may have gotten through some of December applications. It's absolutely unbelievable how long it has taken them to get through the November applications -- it's been 4 months and counting! This is such a disappointment! At this rate, we could be December or later getting our referral, though we were hoping for a baby by Christmas. This roller coaster is really nauseating. Get me off of this ride! Dramamine, please.

Moving Right Along

I received an email from our agency today telling us that group 122A referrals have been received and that the average age of babies is 18 months old. We are group 122B! Yahoo! When our turn comes around, we could possibly have a toddler on our hands, given the average age of the recent referrals, but who knows! Anyhow, it was exciting to actually see an email asking us if all of our paperwork is up-to-date and telling us that 122A group is complete.

This is starting to feel very tangible now...not to mention I just went shopping at Target for some of the travel supplies that we'll be needing for when we head off to China (whenever that may be). I've been working on the packing list, so I'm in the mood. I know, it's like Christmas shopping in July (a wee bit early), but it definitely brings on the "Baby" cheer!

Back from Vacation

It was so nice to get away from the Southern heat wave and relax on Lake Winnepesaukee in the company of family for the week. Now if only I could take a week-long vacation every month, this wait time might speed up a bit.

I did manage to check the Rumor Queen daily. The CCAA matched through 11.14.05. RQ is predicting an October, November, or December referral for us with LID 1212.05 based on the rate of recent referrals. December is a smaller month of dossiers, but November is a big one, with Nov. 22 being the biggest day.