Terrible Two's has nothing on the Terrible Three's

Ahhhh, the never ending stories....This photo was taken after Portia helped herself to one of our friend's lipsticks (without asking of course). Then after a fairly late night we were certain Portia was going to sleep-in the next morning but nope! She snuggled in between Alex and I, and agreed that she would sit quietly and watch TV while we slept a little bit longer. Silence is never a good thing. I opened up my eyes to find Little Miss P knuckle deep into her nose and wiping all her SNOTS on Daddy's back. Then there was tonight. She shoved a Cheerio into her nose, then realized it didn't quite fit, so she pulled it out and ate it. Why I ask?! Well, she's probably asking why not?!

Monthly Adoption Referral Information

It's been over 1 month since the last batch of referrals but finally we have an update directly from the CCAA (China Centre of Adoption Affairs). According to their website it states that:

• The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before January 31, 2006.


• The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before September 27, 2005.
  

You are probably wondering what this all means. Well, as of today, they have processed and completed the applications of those who have registered with the CCAA before and including September 27, 2005. In simpler terms, these families will be expecting a call from their agencies. This is one of the big moments we all wait for....The Referral Call. It's at this point that we learn our child's Chinese name, birthdate and the name and location of the orphanage. Usually within 1 week of this call, the new parents will receive an official proposal with pictures of their new child. Since I'm going down memory lane, I thought I would share the first pictures we received of our precious Portia.

The Legacy of an Adopted Child

(This poem has really touched my heart)

"The Legacy of an Adopted Child "

Once there were two women, who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call mother.

Two very different lives, shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first gave you life, the second taught you how to live it.
The first gave you need for love, the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent, the other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One gave you up.... It was all she could do.
The other prayed for a child, And God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me, through your tears.
The age-old question, through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling, neither, just two different kinds of love.

Unknown Author

And the Beat (Wait) Goes On...

We just received an official letter from our agency which states:

• The waiting time is now in the range of 15 - 16 months.
• The waiting period will continue to increase during the coming year.
• It appears that the referral pattern of "approximately two weeks of files during each calendar month" will continue for the time being.

"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. But to keep going, when the going is hard, and slow...that is patience."

Author Unknown

Portia - Fall Time

Portia is 3 yrs old and very excited to go and pick up her little sister (or mei-mei) in China. At first she wasn't thrilled to hear that she would have to share her toys but now that she knows that she's going to be the BIG sister, she can't wait to change her sister's diaper, feed her with a bottle and drive her to school. Hopefully she'll wait until she's 16 with a license before attempting the latter!!

Our Journey to Portia's mei-mei

We have created this site to keep all our friends & family updated on our 2nd adoption from China. We started the process on October 28, 2005. After all the paperchasing and final approval from the Ministry, our dossier was sent to the China Centre of Adoption Affairs in April 2006. Although, from the start of this process, it's been more than 1 year, we have only been logged in at the CCAA for 7 months now. For our first daughter, Portia, our dossier had been logged in on May 11, 2004 and we received our referral on Nov. 11, 2004....only 6 months!!!