handsful

I learned today, that the CCAA is finished their review of dossiers through August 31, 2006! Are you wondering what that means? Let me back up…

Once we send our dossier to China, there is a department that does nothing but go through your paperwork, with a fine tooth comb, to check for any problems, mistakes, typos, coffee cup stains (ha), etc. They go through these in the order they are received, and once they finish a batch, they announce it on their website (link for that is on my sidebar, in case you’re interested). Since our LID date is 8/1/06, that means that our dossier had no problems…we’re out of the review room!!

This could be extra great for us, being in the WC program. Our wait time from referral to travel should be shorter, since our dossier is already “approved” by the CCAA! After being a little blue yesterday, this makes my day :)

Not much of an update, really. No news is…no news. Lainey wasn’t on the last list of Waiting Children from our agency. CCAI (Chinese Children Adoption International – our adoption agency) requested a new list of children from the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs – the agency in China, in charge of China’s orphans). They hope to receive that new list in the next few weeks.

Once I hear that they HAVE this new list, I’m considering camping out in the agency’s front yard. You know, like you do when you want really good tickets for a concert or basketball game? Grin…

So, we wait. And, pray that we see her face soon…before Christmas. It’s really all I want for Christmas.

Tonight was supposed to be their first game in kid-pitch baseball (up until this season, it’s been machine pitch)…and, their first game as BRAVES players! However, after 1 1/2 innings, the rain finally made them call the game. There was a definite highlight to tonight, though. EJ made an awesome play by stopping a fast ground ball and then throwing the kid running to 1st OUT! It was especially neat for him, because he knows the kid who was heading to 1st, and he’s FAST.

Our friend, Rhonda, came over tonight to begin planning out our 100 Good Wishes Quilt for Lainey!! She has graciously agreed to make the quilt for us, and we’re so excited to see it finished. We’ve been collecting these squares for more than a year now. It was exciting to see them all laid out like this! She will cut the squares down to make them a little smaller, and we’ll have sashing between each square and a nice border around the whole thing. It’s gonna look great!

It’s either “feast or famine” here in the Sunshine (ahem) state. We went weeks with hardly a drop of rain for a while. You could hear our grass gasping for water! Now, this is the 4th day in a row that we’ve had almost non-stop rain. It stops for a bit, then just starts back up again. We woke up this morning to a torrential downpour (see picture!) Can you see how full the pool is?? Hmmm…I wonder if grass can get too much rain?

These adorable socks (see the ladybugs??) and sweet note are from Jenny H, one of my online adoptive mom friends. I was HER secret pal, sending her gifts for her daughter-to-be, Violet, for the last year. She surprised me with these cute socks today! I love them, and they surely brought a smile to my face on this very stormy and rainy day!

**we’re still waiting, by the way.

Before…

and after!

She did great, and gets to enjoy this “brace face” for the next 18 or so months. We’re doling out the Motrin on schedule and she’s eating just soft foods today. The next few days could be interesting!

** no word on Lainey yet. We’re doing what we do best. Waiting.