I can't believe it, but China has already finished reviewing adoption applications in our log-in date group of June 2006.
Bryan and I got passed the review stage with no questions asked. Phew!
This is a great way to start the weekend!
July 27, 2007
July 23, 2007
Minneapolis!
I was in Minneapolis last week on business. I saw my first Minnesota Twins game in the famous Metrodome that is shared with the Vikings. I think this was my first in door baseball game. Unfortunately, the Twins lost and there were many disappointed fans, but I had a blast just enjoying my surroundings. Of course, I went shopping too! Many locals think that the Mall of America is overrated, but I absolutely love it. I had not been shopping for awhile so I had bottled energy that exploded. I shut down the mall one night and had to go back to my car twice with all the goodies. I got the famous brown bag from Bloomingdales.
Above are pictures from the Twins game and a Spam castle at the Mall of America (of course I had to get a picture of the Spam castle).
July 15, 2007
Wow! Police Renunion Tour Unbelievable!
Bryan and I saw the Police last night and they were better than ever!! They played around 20 songs and came back on stage 3 times for encores. They physically look amazing and pretty much the same as the 80's, maybe with the exception of Summers who gained a few pounds.
I never got to see the Police in concert since they broke-up when I was young, but I have seen Sting in concert and I've never been disappointed.
The first picture from the concert is borrowed from someone and the second picture is from my camera phone from our seats.
Favorite songs: King of Pain, Wrapped around your Finger, Message in a Bottle
July 5, 2007
May 2006 out of the Review Room!
We just received notice that adoption dossiers with log-in dates through May 2006 are out of the review room in China. That means that our personal adoption documents (dated 6/14/2006) that we worked on for three entire months that contain every detail of our past and present life are finally being scrutinized by China. No pressure!
What does the review room mean? From what I’ve learned, each agency has a dedicated review person so each agency is already familiar with what their reviewer likes to see. So hopefully, our U.S. agency has tailored our documents accordingly.
If the reviewer finds something that is questionable or in need of clarification, they will send questions to the adoptive parent’s agency and the agency will notify the parents. This is where it gets scary. I’ve heard of cases where the parents received questions and even though the questions were cleared successfully, the parents experienced a delay in receiving their child because their paperwork was not placed back in the same log-in date order. This can be very devastating for parents that have already waited eons for their children.
Once China has reviewed an entire month of dossiers, they will show that a month is complete. Please cross your fingers and toes with us that we successfully get out of the review room with no questions! I will let you know when we are in the clear.
What does the review room mean? From what I’ve learned, each agency has a dedicated review person so each agency is already familiar with what their reviewer likes to see. So hopefully, our U.S. agency has tailored our documents accordingly.
If the reviewer finds something that is questionable or in need of clarification, they will send questions to the adoptive parent’s agency and the agency will notify the parents. This is where it gets scary. I’ve heard of cases where the parents received questions and even though the questions were cleared successfully, the parents experienced a delay in receiving their child because their paperwork was not placed back in the same log-in date order. This can be very devastating for parents that have already waited eons for their children.
Once China has reviewed an entire month of dossiers, they will show that a month is complete. Please cross your fingers and toes with us that we successfully get out of the review room with no questions! I will let you know when we are in the clear.
June 14, 2007
One Year Anniversary
As evidenced by the ticker on the right side-bar of my blog, Bryan and I have officially experienced 1 year of waiting since being logged-in with China’s adoption program.
I’ve been thinking about today’s arrival for the past 2 months with dread. This one-year anniversary just represents the time we have waited after being logged-in. There was also the paperchase time, years of trying to conceive, and a couple instances of domestic adoption that were never realized for various reasons. I hate feeling sorry for myself, but I must allow myself to be sad sometimes.
I have to repeatedly remind myself that I will become a mom, no matter how hard it is to believe. One day, Bryan and I will travel to China and finally become parents. I believe in fate and believe we’re already connected to a particular child. I'll wait forever (if I must) to welcome that child into our lives.
I’ve been thinking about today’s arrival for the past 2 months with dread. This one-year anniversary just represents the time we have waited after being logged-in. There was also the paperchase time, years of trying to conceive, and a couple instances of domestic adoption that were never realized for various reasons. I hate feeling sorry for myself, but I must allow myself to be sad sometimes.
I have to repeatedly remind myself that I will become a mom, no matter how hard it is to believe. One day, Bryan and I will travel to China and finally become parents. I believe in fate and believe we’re already connected to a particular child. I'll wait forever (if I must) to welcome that child into our lives.
June 11, 2007
Vacation at Last
Bryan and I just got back last night from a week cruising the Caribbean. It was the ultimate lazy vacation. I highly recommend Royal Caribbean to everyone. I still have my sea legs and am hoping to adjust soon.
Here are some of the highlights from the trip:
-I slept 12 1/2 hours the first night on the cruise and generally 9 hours each subsequent night
-We saw a mongoose and many iguanas in the wild
-We received $800 in airplane vouchers, meal vouchers and first class upgrades on our subsequent flight home for voluntarily accepting a bump due to overbooking...totally worth the wait.
-We played a 9-hole miniature golf course on the cruise ship
-We went zip lining under the canapy of trees in the jungle. One of the zip lines was a free fall with a counter balance at the bottom and one of the zip lines was 600 feet long. It was amazing even though we looked like geeks with our helmets.
-We went hiking in the forests around the Mayan ruins
I checked my work email halfway through the trip, but it still didn't prepare me for the backlog of work today. I felt hunger today for the first time in a week. I forgot what that felt like with the round-the-clock food on the cruise. Back to reality!
Here are some of the highlights from the trip:
-I slept 12 1/2 hours the first night on the cruise and generally 9 hours each subsequent night
-We saw a mongoose and many iguanas in the wild
-We received $800 in airplane vouchers, meal vouchers and first class upgrades on our subsequent flight home for voluntarily accepting a bump due to overbooking...totally worth the wait.
-We played a 9-hole miniature golf course on the cruise ship
-We went zip lining under the canapy of trees in the jungle. One of the zip lines was a free fall with a counter balance at the bottom and one of the zip lines was 600 feet long. It was amazing even though we looked like geeks with our helmets.
-We went hiking in the forests around the Mayan ruins
I checked my work email halfway through the trip, but it still didn't prepare me for the backlog of work today. I felt hunger today for the first time in a week. I forgot what that felt like with the round-the-clock food on the cruise. Back to reality!
May 28, 2007
Japan
I just got back from a business trip to Osaka, Japan. Unfortunately, I was in meetings the entire visit so I couldn't tour the sites. It was a great experience though since it was my first time in Japan. I learned a great deal about their business etiquette and culture. Flying to and back from Japan in the same week does a number on your body. I'm hoping to go back to Japan in the fall for more than a week and hopefully Bryan will be able to join me.
By the way, being allergic to seafood is a bad idea if you're visiting Japan.
I'm already anticipating potential food issues when we travel to China to pick up our daughter. Thankfully, I know a few Chinese people that can make me allergy cards in advance of our trip.
By the way, being allergic to seafood is a bad idea if you're visiting Japan.
I'm already anticipating potential food issues when we travel to China to pick up our daughter. Thankfully, I know a few Chinese people that can make me allergy cards in advance of our trip.
Kelly, John and Johnny's Visit
I visited with my sister, nephew and brother-in-law last weekend. I miss my nephew, Johnny, already. He just turned 4 and I coached him on ping-pong and he can already serve! Below are some pictures from the visit.
May 13, 2007
Mother's Day
Someone sent me a Mother's Day card today. It melted my heart. I wasn't expecting any cards, but it was so nice to be recognized as a waiting mother. Happy Mother's Day to everyone, including those who are waiting for their adopted children.
San Juan Trip
I just got back last night from a business trip to San Juan. I had one partial afternoon free when I was there so I got to see some sites. My company was nice enough to book a hotel on the beach for me, but it was torture seeing everyone in their bathing suits headed for tours while I was headed to work with my laptop.
Above are beach pictures from my hotel, some pictures of goverment buildings including the governer's house, pictures of residences in Old San Juan, and a picture of a WWII natzi war prize ship now commissioned by the US Coast Guard.
April 30, 2007
Planet Earth
Has anyone been watching the HD Discovery Channel Planet Earth series? They are by far the best earth documentaries I've ever seen. There are 11 episodes and I didn't catch the first runs. I am now desperately trying to DVR whatever I can. They must have spent a ga-zillion dollars producing it, visiting 62 countries for filming. There are a few animals eating other animals scenes where I have to do a partial-eye watching from behind my hands and knees, but overall it is the most beautiful footage of our planet. Sigourney Weaver narrates the series in the US-run versions and there was a funny bit where a parasite was protruding out of an ant and she described it using an alien reference.
April 28, 2007
Tacky Shirt!
Someone on an adoption chatgroup posted a link to an adoption t-shirt that a major retailer is selling. I have copied the picture from their website to this post. Some people thought it was funny. I personally think it's extremely tacky. Someone said that the retailer took it down after receiving many complaints, but I heard the t-shirts are still on their store shelves.
My Heart Breaks
My heart breaks for my sister that is continues to be sick with a condition called Fibromyalgia. It’s been 2.5 years since my sister was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Her illness prevents her from working and she is on constant pain medication. She is very strong and is currently making the best of it, focusing on her love for her son and family. My friend’s husband has also been diagnosed with this condition and also is not capable of working now. Many people have never heard of Fibromyalgia. Here are some quick facts about this condition:
1. Symptoms can include muscle achiness, muscle spasms, nerve pain, chronic sleep disturbances, cognitive overload, “brain fog”, myofascial pain syndrome, chronic paresthesia, physical fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, genitourinary symptoms (such as those associated with the chronic bladder condition interstitial cystitis), dermatological disorders, headaches, myoclonic twitches, and symptomatic hypoglycemia.
2. Fibromyalgia is occasionally mistaken for lupus.
3. Possible causes include genetics, prolonged stress, dopamine abnormality, dysregulation of serotonin, trauma, major surgery, disease and sleep disturbance (not getting REM sleep). Some evidence shows that Lyme Disease is a common trigger. However, there is currently no known strong correlation between any specific type of trigger and the subsequent initiation of symptoms. My sister was very stressed before the onset of her fibromyalgia and started to get severe migraines. My friend’s husband believes it may have been a heat stroke that triggered his fibromyalgia.
3. It affects more females than males, with a ratio of 9:1.
4. Fibromyalgia is seen in 3% to 6% of the general population.
5. There is no universal cure for fibromyalgia. The treatments mainly consist of pain management, sleep management and psychological support.
6. As many as 30% of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are unable to maintain full-time employment.
7. Fibromyalgia is often referred to as an "invisible" illness or disability due to the fact that generally there are no outward indications of the illness or its resulting disabilities. The invisible nature of the illness, as well as its relative rarity and the lack of understanding about its pathology, often has psychosocial complications for those that have the syndrome. Individuals suffering from invisible illnesses in general often face disbelief or accusations of malingering or laziness from others that are unfamiliar with the syndrome.
1. Symptoms can include muscle achiness, muscle spasms, nerve pain, chronic sleep disturbances, cognitive overload, “brain fog”, myofascial pain syndrome, chronic paresthesia, physical fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, genitourinary symptoms (such as those associated with the chronic bladder condition interstitial cystitis), dermatological disorders, headaches, myoclonic twitches, and symptomatic hypoglycemia.
2. Fibromyalgia is occasionally mistaken for lupus.
3. Possible causes include genetics, prolonged stress, dopamine abnormality, dysregulation of serotonin, trauma, major surgery, disease and sleep disturbance (not getting REM sleep). Some evidence shows that Lyme Disease is a common trigger. However, there is currently no known strong correlation between any specific type of trigger and the subsequent initiation of symptoms. My sister was very stressed before the onset of her fibromyalgia and started to get severe migraines. My friend’s husband believes it may have been a heat stroke that triggered his fibromyalgia.
3. It affects more females than males, with a ratio of 9:1.
4. Fibromyalgia is seen in 3% to 6% of the general population.
5. There is no universal cure for fibromyalgia. The treatments mainly consist of pain management, sleep management and psychological support.
6. As many as 30% of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are unable to maintain full-time employment.
7. Fibromyalgia is often referred to as an "invisible" illness or disability due to the fact that generally there are no outward indications of the illness or its resulting disabilities. The invisible nature of the illness, as well as its relative rarity and the lack of understanding about its pathology, often has psychosocial complications for those that have the syndrome. Individuals suffering from invisible illnesses in general often face disbelief or accusations of malingering or laziness from others that are unfamiliar with the syndrome.
April 18, 2007
Excuse Me? What Did You Just Say?
Somebody said something totally inappropriate to me today that prompted me to vent and post this entry to my blog. Since we announced our adoption, we have been receiving inappropriate comments from some people. I don’t think they realize the impact of what they’re saying so I usually give them the benefit of the doubt. But there is such thing as being sensitive and thinking before you talk. The following have been the most memorable comments (keep in mind that most people know that Bryan and I tried to have a child biologically unsuccessfully):
1. “Oh, you’re adopting. You are so lucky that you won’t have to go through a pregnancy. My pregnancy was so hard.”…while this may seem well intended, this is especially a cruel statement when you have tried very hard to have a child biologically.
2. “Now that you’re adopting, just wait, you and Bryan will get pregnant right away. I have a ___________ (fill in the blank…friend, cousin, sister, brother) that applied for an adoption and that is all it took to get pregnant.”…this kind of implies that having a child biologically is still superior to having a child through adoption and that we should still be holding out for a biological child.
3. “I bet seeing all these pregnant people around you makes it that much harder for you.” Or “I’m pregnant Kristen. I’m so sorry that it took me longer to tell you. I was afraid to mention it given your circumstances.” ….Do people really think that I hate all pregnant people and that I am automatically jealous and envious and can’t be happy for them? Sheesh!
4. “You are doing such a good thing by adopting. You are so generous and charitable.” …this is a very nice thing to say. However, this is not even close to why we’re adopting. We’re adopting out of purely selfish reasons to try to fulfill our goal to build a family.
5. A family member of Bryan’s, no mention of names here, said, “I want to have a biological child for our family since you can’t.” …I can’t even respond to this.
6. “I know this child that needs a home with several health problems (and these are usually major issues). Why are you on an adoption wait list when you can just adopt this child? …just because we can’t have children biologically doesn’t mean that we are obligated to adopt a child with special needs. Why doesn’t the person asking this question adopt this child?
7. “Oh, you’re adopting from China. That is the popular/in-style thing to do now.” And then, they often compare us to Angelina Jolie …What!? Do people really think that we’re that shallow to adopt a child because it is the popular thing to do and we aspire to be like Angelina Jolie? Our child is not a hand-bag or some other accessory that is a fad!
Am I oversensative? Probably. But I think some of these comments are over the top. Don’t get me wrong, most people are very supportive and friendly and I can not survive without them. Plus, our family and friends that we know love us can say anything that is offbeat because we know that they mean well and don’t mean to hurt our feelings.
Just had to vent….
1. “Oh, you’re adopting. You are so lucky that you won’t have to go through a pregnancy. My pregnancy was so hard.”…while this may seem well intended, this is especially a cruel statement when you have tried very hard to have a child biologically.
2. “Now that you’re adopting, just wait, you and Bryan will get pregnant right away. I have a ___________ (fill in the blank…friend, cousin, sister, brother) that applied for an adoption and that is all it took to get pregnant.”…this kind of implies that having a child biologically is still superior to having a child through adoption and that we should still be holding out for a biological child.
3. “I bet seeing all these pregnant people around you makes it that much harder for you.” Or “I’m pregnant Kristen. I’m so sorry that it took me longer to tell you. I was afraid to mention it given your circumstances.” ….Do people really think that I hate all pregnant people and that I am automatically jealous and envious and can’t be happy for them? Sheesh!
4. “You are doing such a good thing by adopting. You are so generous and charitable.” …this is a very nice thing to say. However, this is not even close to why we’re adopting. We’re adopting out of purely selfish reasons to try to fulfill our goal to build a family.
5. A family member of Bryan’s, no mention of names here, said, “I want to have a biological child for our family since you can’t.” …I can’t even respond to this.
6. “I know this child that needs a home with several health problems (and these are usually major issues). Why are you on an adoption wait list when you can just adopt this child? …just because we can’t have children biologically doesn’t mean that we are obligated to adopt a child with special needs. Why doesn’t the person asking this question adopt this child?
7. “Oh, you’re adopting from China. That is the popular/in-style thing to do now.” And then, they often compare us to Angelina Jolie …What!? Do people really think that we’re that shallow to adopt a child because it is the popular thing to do and we aspire to be like Angelina Jolie? Our child is not a hand-bag or some other accessory that is a fad!
Am I oversensative? Probably. But I think some of these comments are over the top. Don’t get me wrong, most people are very supportive and friendly and I can not survive without them. Plus, our family and friends that we know love us can say anything that is offbeat because we know that they mean well and don’t mean to hurt our feelings.
Just had to vent….
April 15, 2007
Adoption Wait Update
China sent the April batch of referrals for parents with log-in-dates ("LID") through 10-26-2005. Bryan and I have a LID of 6-14-2006. This means that there are approximately 8 months worth of families with LIDs who will receive their children before we do. This does not mean that we have 8 more months to wait though because China is issuing referrals at a super slow pace. China releases referrals just about once per month. In April, China only referred 2 days of LIDs (10-25-2005 and 10-26-2005). In the past 6 months, China has referred an average of 13 LIDs per month. What does that mean for us? That is the ga-zillion dollar question! It really depends on China's future "productivity" and you would have to possess a crystal ball to know this. Using a productivity of 13 LIDs per month, Bryan and I will not receive our referral until November 2008. This would represent a wait of 29 months between LID and referral date and we already have waited 10 months, so we would have 19 more months to wait.
If their productivity increases to 15 LIDs per month, Bryan and I will receive our referral in early September 2008; a productivity of 20 LIDs per month would get us a referral in April 2008. Some people believe that the China's productivity will continue to slow down before it gets better. The wait truly depends on the available number of "paper-ready" children that China's orphanages make available for international adoption.
I have included my tables and graphs below that I update every month when China releases their referrals. I am such a nerd!
If their productivity increases to 15 LIDs per month, Bryan and I will receive our referral in early September 2008; a productivity of 20 LIDs per month would get us a referral in April 2008. Some people believe that the China's productivity will continue to slow down before it gets better. The wait truly depends on the available number of "paper-ready" children that China's orphanages make available for international adoption.
I have included my tables and graphs below that I update every month when China releases their referrals. I am such a nerd!
April 10, 2007
Happy Birthday Chad!
Bryan and I went to Chad and Sandra's house on Saturday for Chad's birthday celebration. It was fun! Chad and Bryan enjoyed playing a guitar game on the Playstation. Attached is a humerous picture of them before they rocked out to Guns and Roses, Sweet Child of Mine. Too Cool!
February 27, 2007
Girl Scout Cookies at Work
Girl Scout cookies are here, in case you are on another planet and haven’t noticed. My favorite cookies are Thin Mints. I have experienced a recent phenomenon at work whereby people that ordered their cookies last month are now concerned about weight gain or other health issues and not wanting to eat them so they are literally giving them away! Yesterday, someone gave me their box of Samoas. Today, someone gave me their two boxes of Thin Mints. Yummo! They both insisted that I not pay for the cookies. But today, I felt guilty and payed for the Thin Mints. After all, they cost $3.50 per box. I will be on the hunt today for more cookie giveaways from desperate dieters!
February 26, 2007
It's not Broken!!!
We are so relieved that Bryan's ankle is not broken. It's just an extremely bad sprain. He needs a brace and crutches and is prohibited from driving for awhile, and of course no basketball for the next 4-6 weeks. The orthopedic doctor that's our friend played a practical joke on Bryan during our visit, showing Bryan another patient's x-ray, whose ankle was extremely injured, in place of Bryan's x-ray. Bryan laughed nervously at the joke, but I thought it was extremely humorous. :)
February 25, 2007
Junior League Event
Last night, Bryan and I attended a Junior League event that was organized by our friend Taunya. We had a blast! It was a great event full of gambling (with play money), a string quartet, an orchestra band and silent and live auctions. We got a couple small oil paintings by Norman Korpi and our friend got a UK basketball signed by UK's coach. Bryan dusted off his old tux and I must say he was very handsome. Below are pictures of our friends Taunya and Melita and her husband Lee.
Sprain or Fracture?
This morning, Bryan came home early from his Sunday basketball game hobbling into the house. He has been laying down since and his ankle is extremely big. Fortunately, on of Bryan's friends that was playing basketball with him and is an orthopedic surgeon. The friend gave him care instructions until Bryan can be seen tomorrow morning and he said there is no need for an emergency room visit. The big question is whether the injury is a sprain or fracture. Needless to say, I dusted Bryan's old crutches off. I'll keep you posted on his doctor's visit tomorrow. I uploaded a couple pictures of the patient. So far his spirits are good.
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