Baby Showapalooza!

This weekend was busy! Friday night I was in Hamilton at a funeral visitation with some colleagues.  Saturday I had two baby events to go to as well as a concert with my sister and her husband.  So here are the details....

First thing Saturday morning, I went to a Mom-to-Mom sale at the local community centre.  There were lots of goodies to look at and buy.  This whole boy thing has got me a little freaked out so I held off on buying any clothes but it was fun to look.  After that, I met up with my friends Tammy and Rhonda and their husbands at the Baby Show in the city.  We had a great time looking at all the newest gadgets for baby.  My goodness, you can certainly outfit a baby in style these days.  There were strollers and high chairs there that looked comfortable enough even I wanted to lounge around in them!  I held off on buying too many new items but  I did get quite a few freebies.  Here's a picture of me coming home with my loot!

I had made ID cards for the girls and I that had an ultrasound picture with a map of China in the middle of it, since our children are waiting to meet us in China instead of our bellies.  Here's what it looked like, cute, huh?!

Saturday night I went to see the Skydiggers with C and R.  This was a great band that we saw a lot of during the 90's in and around Toronto.  It was a little nostalgic and brought back some fond memories.  As always, C and R were great hosts and made me feel welcome, thanks Sis!  Sunday, after church, C and I went to the garden centre for the first time this season.  I plan to really scale back on plant buying this year but I picked up a few new selections that I will baby for a couple more weeks until it is warm enough for them to be outside permanently.  After that, we indulged in a few card games.  I just want it on record that my nephew S and I won all three games against C and R...  Not that I'm competitive or anything, I'm just putting it out there as a little FYI for the rest of you!  LOL!!!

What if It's a Boy???

OK.  So, what if it's a boy?  I hadn't really thought much about that possibility until now.  And now, I'm freaking out.  What if it's a boy???  I love boys, don't get me wrong.  I have 7 nephews and I love every one of them.  It's just that I've had my head around a girl for so long now that I don't know what I'd do if I was referred a boy.  This last batch of referrals from earlier this week had some surprises in it.  There were a few boy referrals (not impossible from China, but still somewhat unusual) as well as some babies that were quite a bit older than usual (up to 3 years old).  So now, I'm thinking, what if this happens to me?  Will I be ready for it?  Will I be prepared mentally for such a different scenario than I've imagined for the past 8 years?  While I know it's still not likely,  I have to prepare myself for the possibility that I may have a son instead of a daughter.  What will I call him?  I haven't even thought of boy names really.  It's different and it's gonna take some getting used to.  I hope he likes pink!!!

Let's Get This Party Started!

Well, September has started!  I couldn't be more excited!!!  Referrals came out today for people logged in between September 1 and 4, 2006.  That's the first September referrals and it feels great!  4 more stones out of my Waiting Jar and 4 days closer to my own referral.  For the past 5 years it has felt like this day might never come where I see people in my month getting referrals.  I don't even know them personally but I feel like I do because we've supported each other through Rumour Queen and other online sites for a long time now so to hear their good news is like hearing good news about an old friend, someone who you may no longer keep in close contact with but are happy for them just as if you had spoken yesterday.

Onto other exciting news, people from my September group are organizing an online Cyber Shower to help us celebrate our referrals.  I've been matched up with a woman in the States (I don't want to reveal too much in case she reads this blog!! Shh!)  We're going to purchase gifts and surprises for each other and send them by May 20.  It's so exciting to think about this group of people from all over the world, brought together through adoption, feeling a connection and receiving gifts from each other.  I'm hoping we can find a way for us to set a time to open them all together while we are online.  I don't know if that will work because the poor souls from Europe or Australia may not appreciate opening gifts in the middle of the night!  Anyone have suggestions about how we might be able to swing that?  Maybe we'll just have to post pictures of us opening our gifts?  Either way, it's prompting me to register at Toys R Us this week.  I'm not hugely comfortable with gift registries for a few reasons, I did not think I would do it, but being that my gift buddy doesn't really know anything about me or what I like/need, etc I thought I should at least give them a starting point.

I wanted to add music to this post, maybe something a little "party-like" (I'm thinking,  "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters) because I'm so excited that they have started referring September files.  However I don't know how to do it.  I don't want a video necessarily, just background music. Anyone that can help, can you shoot me an email or comment here to get me started?

Suzanne x2

Sorry to be so long posting since Easter.  Apologies to my friend Lisa, who has been waiting for a new post for days now!  Work, home and just general life gets busy sometimes!  Nothing really happening adoption wise at the moment, although there is a rumour today about organizing paperwork in China.  That means referrals are being prepared and they will hopefully send out news of the next cut-off date soon.  I am hearing rumours of Sept 5, 2006 files being completed.  I hope so, that means 5 more pebbles out of the jar...

We had a great family get together last weekend.  My cousin Suzanne and her husband Tim came over from Michigan for a visit.  Spent the whole weekend gabbing and catching up.  I wonder how we don't run out of things to say to each other but it never happens!  Here are the highlights, hiking with my sister and Suzanne, and the rest of the family, my nephew having a ponderous moment (whatever that is!!) Family fun!

Today's thoughts

And that's all I have to say about that.

Easter 2013!

Happy Easter 2012 everyone although I can't wait for Easter 2013! Spent the day with family: Church, hiking through the forest, swimming and having a big turkey feast. I asked the kids when they arrived at my parents, who had chocolate for breakfast, and D. announced that was all he had eaten all day so far!!!!! :) Good for him, you're only young once!

Not that I'm wishing my life away but I can't wait for next Easter! I feel grateful that this will be my last big holiday without my little one. I spent the day imagining next Easter, putting on her bunny pajamas (that are already waiting for her in the closet!), hiding treats in the most obvious places for her to find early in the morning, dressing up in a cute spring dress for church (already waiting in her closet!), and celebrating with family.

Here is a picture of my sweet baby's Easter pajamas for next year. They were so cute with bunnies all over them, I couldn't resist, and the little jacket is adorable. It was a hand-me down but we'll see if it still fits next year. The bunnies are from the various years I've been waiting. The small purple one will go into my care package to China after I receive my referral. The big brown bunny has the year 2012 on it's foot. I thought that was sort of poignant since I will finally meet my daughter in 2012 however she will most likely have been born in the Chinese year of the rabbit.

An update about my friends Tammy and Mike. They received information about their daughter this past week. She is from Kunming City, Yunnan province and was 7 months old on April 3. She is adorable and they are incredibly happy! Congratulations to both of them!

News tomorrow for friends?

I am anxiously waiting for news tomorrow about my friends Tammy and Mike. They are with the same agency as me with a Log-in date of August 29. They received word that they have been matched with a referral but have not gotten any information yet about the new little addition to their family. They hope to receive photos and other information tomorrow or Tuesday. I can't wait to see the baby's pictures. I'll bet they won't sleep a wink tonight waiting for news.

I have begun thinking about the things I want to send to China in a care package when I receive my referral. It's sometimes possible to send a package of useful and playful items to the orphanage ahead of time, before I arrive to pick up my child. A blanket that I've slept with for awhile, a stuffed animal, a book with my recorded voice are some of the ideas I have. I found the recordable books the other day at Hallmark and had to hold myself back from buying one. They are so cute but a little expensive! I will have to choose carefully.

Below are some pictures of March Break bowling with the nieces and nephews! I am so bad at bowling but it's fun.