Random thoughts prior to travel

It's a little different this time as we embark on our trip across the globe. China. China is where our daughter was born and when we traveled in 2005 there was a flurry of preparations which included immunizations, meds for everything you could imagine from antibiotics to scabies cream and everything in between and so much more. We thankfully didn't need the scabies cream!-- but having it all "just in case" gave us a little bit of security for the 'what if' games. If you can believe this our luggage actually contained over 10 POUNDS of .... WET WIPES! :) and.. you know what? ... we used every. single. pack!!

I'm incredibly excited to be returning to the land of our daughters birth and I'm actually not a bit stressed.. yet. Afterall, I get to see the most amazing moment in my friends life in REAL time and not read about it 12 hours later~! What a blessing and gift!

I get to watch the bonding process unfold over the next days and weeks as we walk beside her during our time in China and watch a potentially very frightened little 22 month old little girl begin to understand she now has a mother who will be there for all the moments and not just when she cries, or is hungry, or is tired etc..

Lucky me!!!

Thank you Miss Angie for letting me be that "fly on the wall" on that once in a lifetime day in Xi'an. Feel free to swat me if I overstep my bounds and try to spoil your sweet Emma!

Bring on the Travel Approval!!

really?

It started with our dog who has a little problem with bad breath. I do need to take her in for teeth cleaning and grooming etc.. but for now we still try to pretend we don't smell her.. but alas, Elizabeth is not happy with this odor.

Each night we have a bedtime routine that involves reading, saying prayers, snuggles, back scratches etc.. and Annie goat (our dog) insists being on the bed as this occurs. She plops herself right in the middle of the action every evening.

Tonight Elizabeth declared to me that "Chinese people don't like dogs mom"..

"Really" I replied?

"Yes Mom", really. They stink (dogs).

To which I said .."and Chinese people also eat dogs sometimes"

Without missing a beat Elizabeth got right in Annies face and said "MOVE unless you you want me to EAT you."

so now we wait, but in the mean time....!

Angie received an update and some new yummy photographs of sweet Emma!! I hope she doesn't mind but I swiped them and will post them here :) We can't wait to see those beautiful smiles in person!

We are waiting on the travel approval otherwise known as the infamous "TA". In addition to the travel approval, Angie will be assigned a U.S. Consulate appointment for the U.S. finalization of the adoption process. The travel dates are dependent on the Consulate date and so we wait..

Lots more info on Angel Emma HERE! Check out what the nannies have to say about her!!