Today is a special day - for many reasons. It's my birthday for one - but more importantly it's the last one I'll spend not being a mum.
My darling husband presented me with a most precious card and gift this morning (not something he often does!). He gave me a beautiful card that spoke of my last birthday not being a mum and of the mum he believed I would be and his gift to me was one of the "Willow Tree" series called "Angel of mine - so loved, so very loved". It's a carved figure of a mother and baby -I cried - and so did Graham. I have looked at these figures so often and longed for one (I've given many as gifts!) - but never wanted to buy one for myself. Who more special to give me one? I'm so touched and so grateful to have a man like I do in my life.
On to the adoption - It's been a challenging start to the year with mixed news about the timeline for adoptions - I thought I'd take the time to explain the process because so many are asking me what is going on.
Once our file was received in China we got a Log In Date (LID) - from here on, that is the most important date for us. Once in China, our file moves into the review room at some point, where it stays for some 1-2 months, and then it moves to the matching room. It is in the matching room that we are allocated a child and soon after we are advised we have been allocated. At this stage there are 2 batches ahead of us - we're Vic Batch 22 and there are still Vic Batches 20 and 21 to be allocated. In the last few weeks, the China Centre for Adoptive Affairs put on their website that "all files received in China with a LID of June 05 had been reviewed and that they had finished the allocation of children for the families whose adoption application documents were LID before May 25, 2005."
Soon after that notice was put on the CCAA website (approx 24th Feb) allocations started to come through. Unfortunately Batch 20 (Victoria) missed out by about 8 days. Their LID was 2nd June 05. The CCAA site still says the same and all of us waiting are regularly checking for those dates to change. Rumour has it that all files with a July LID have now been moved to the matching room and all files LID August are in the review room. IF this is true - we could be a June/July allocation - if it isn't true, who knows. My heart crys for those in Victoria Batch 20 - to miss out by such a few days.
The good news has been that friends we have made in the adoption process - Leanne & Hao Cheng - have been allocated. They were actually behind us in the process (LID 26th September), but because Hao is from Chinese descent, their file was what is termed "expedited", which means they get allocated earlier. I couldn't be happier for them. I cried as I read their post and the joy they were feeling. A tiny 8 month old baby daughter - Lei Jin Shi - I can't wait to see photo's. It helps so much to have any allocations coming through - there is so much joy coming out of the "posts" on the Families with Children from China (FCC) site that it really helps me to keep focussed on what is ahead for us.
So that is where we are at on this day - I'm heading out to do some gardening and then we're going to a BBQ with some of our China "batch buddies" as we call ourselves 'cause we're all travelling to China together and some other friends we went through the process with who are adopting from Ethopia.
My darling husband presented me with a most precious card and gift this morning (not something he often does!). He gave me a beautiful card that spoke of my last birthday not being a mum and of the mum he believed I would be and his gift to me was one of the "Willow Tree" series called "Angel of mine - so loved, so very loved". It's a carved figure of a mother and baby -I cried - and so did Graham. I have looked at these figures so often and longed for one (I've given many as gifts!) - but never wanted to buy one for myself. Who more special to give me one? I'm so touched and so grateful to have a man like I do in my life.
On to the adoption - It's been a challenging start to the year with mixed news about the timeline for adoptions - I thought I'd take the time to explain the process because so many are asking me what is going on.
Once our file was received in China we got a Log In Date (LID) - from here on, that is the most important date for us. Once in China, our file moves into the review room at some point, where it stays for some 1-2 months, and then it moves to the matching room. It is in the matching room that we are allocated a child and soon after we are advised we have been allocated. At this stage there are 2 batches ahead of us - we're Vic Batch 22 and there are still Vic Batches 20 and 21 to be allocated. In the last few weeks, the China Centre for Adoptive Affairs put on their website that "all files received in China with a LID of June 05 had been reviewed and that they had finished the allocation of children for the families whose adoption application documents were LID before May 25, 2005."
Soon after that notice was put on the CCAA website (approx 24th Feb) allocations started to come through. Unfortunately Batch 20 (Victoria) missed out by about 8 days. Their LID was 2nd June 05. The CCAA site still says the same and all of us waiting are regularly checking for those dates to change. Rumour has it that all files with a July LID have now been moved to the matching room and all files LID August are in the review room. IF this is true - we could be a June/July allocation - if it isn't true, who knows. My heart crys for those in Victoria Batch 20 - to miss out by such a few days.
The good news has been that friends we have made in the adoption process - Leanne & Hao Cheng - have been allocated. They were actually behind us in the process (LID 26th September), but because Hao is from Chinese descent, their file was what is termed "expedited", which means they get allocated earlier. I couldn't be happier for them. I cried as I read their post and the joy they were feeling. A tiny 8 month old baby daughter - Lei Jin Shi - I can't wait to see photo's. It helps so much to have any allocations coming through - there is so much joy coming out of the "posts" on the Families with Children from China (FCC) site that it really helps me to keep focussed on what is ahead for us.
So that is where we are at on this day - I'm heading out to do some gardening and then we're going to a BBQ with some of our China "batch buddies" as we call ourselves 'cause we're all travelling to China together and some other friends we went through the process with who are adopting from Ethopia.
