March 2007

So ..... CCAA have reached October 24th 2005. This is bad news for me as I now think I will only get a referral photo in June 07 and not May.
I am feeling very mixed feelings at the moment. I have moments when I wish I had never started this process and other times when I look so forward to having a child. This wait has been one of the hardest times in my life and yet a rewarding one. Eric and I started this adoption process in August 2004 in the same week as I started my GP Partnership. During this time great friendships have been made and my work commitments have become clearer since the whole process began . Log-in-Date was finally November 21st 2005 and I cannot believe we are still waiting.
I am currently struggling to make decisions as to how I see the future lying and how I will juggle work with seeing and spending time with Li Na. Fortunately Eric is a wonderful man who I know will be an excellent Dad and so I am really fortunate to not be worrying about outside carers for her. I suppose when all is said and done...I wish I could have some more time to just enjoy her and to have longer days with her.
I so hope I look back at this posting oneday and wonder why I felt so blue!!
Laura

Amy-Li

Well we had a super time meeting Amy-Li today ! She was fast asleep at the airport on Friday night, and this morning we enjoyed seeing her awake, and enjoying going between her Mummy and Daddy. She is a real sweetie. Colin, Julia and the boys are all delighted.
I have now come home and coped with some more internet shopping for my little girl. She is real now to me. I am calculating a May 07 referral and travel in June. here's hoping...............

February Soon

Well it's back to work after a lovely week at home - I have been able to enjoy the blogging and have been addicted to at least twice daily checking on Julia / Colin and Amy-Li . I have also learnt a few tips on my own blog - note the Weather reports at the bottom of the page / Time ticker etc... all fun whilst waiting!
February referrals are due in next week all being well. We are hoping for a referral in May , hence the guess at leaving for China in possibly July... but we have learnt to not get too confident!! :(

January 22/01/2007 - De Lucchi's Celebrate

Well today was exciting for us all especially Colin & Julia who collected Amy-Li at about 07h30 UK time.
It has been so exciting to follow her blog and see little Amy-Li. What a treasure...and best of all she will be a friend and playmate for years to come with Li Na and Grace. ( Shawn & Chris are waiting too !! )

It is so much more real for all of us now ( Shawn & Chris included ) as we can see the rainbow at the end of our long journey approaching .
I have been in a fantasy land all day - thank goodness I am on Leave and able to just enjoy all the emotions and looking at the blog site every few hours.

Wow everyone!! Eric and I have been waiting for 2 years and 5 months. I never dreamed it would be so long!

Today we have also made our first enquiries re buying some land in Dilham ... just another pipe dream at present of building a house for our future.
Who knows where these blog spots will lead ....
Over and Out for another month!! ( Rumour Queen is my only outlet at the moment!! ) - a pain in the Butt says Eric - says it makes us all depressed!! I don't know!!
Cheerio !

Li-Na Chapman - A precious gift to come!

20/12/06: Tomorrow our papers would have been in China 13 months. I have felt quite tearful tonight watching a programme about International Adoption on BBC 1, from different viewpoints , following one particular girl from Kenya trying to trace her roots.
A social worker ( chinese adoptee herself years back ) was talking as well. We actually knew her as she was one of the course organiser on our compulsory pre-homestudy Overseas Adoption Course so long ago in Oct 2004. She runs a support group in London for adoptees who feel they need to discuss the issues around their difficulties of race & identity. There are so many issues to think about and it is hard, because we know or think we know what lies ahead for us as a family and for her. All we know is that we have been wanting this for so long 2 years and 4 months so far!!. We so want our little girl(s).
Her room has been ready and waiting for her since February 2006 and feels a natural part of the house- we just can't wait to actually see her in there and show her all the pictures and toys.

Last weekend we went to Center-Parks in Elveden Forest last weekend to spend time with Julia & Colin De Lucchi and boys. The pictures of Amy-Li were there and she is already a part of the family though she is yet to know it!!
We are looking forward to meeting her at the end of January 2007 when they fetch her.

Whilst there we bought 2 fluffy glove rabbits ( really cute). We are sleeping with them in our bed from now on so they can get our "home smell" on them. We plan to send one over to her as soon as we know where she is and hopefully she will be given it and told it is from her Mummy and Daddy. ( we will take our one with us to China to show her and hopefully she will recognize bunny as a familiar little cute face )

Well enough rambling tonight. Christmas is around the corner .... next year the tree will be up!