There is a superstition amongst us adoptive parents that has to do with getting updates about your child (there are also some superstitions about ladybugs and shaving certain body parts, but I won't go there), which is that if you get an update then Travel Approval follows immediately. Well .... the day after we got an update .... we got Travel Approval! (For the record, I am not superstitious, and I personally think it had more to do with the little-kid desperate prayer I prayed this morning: Please, God, travel approval today. Thank you. Amen.)
Because of the trade show in Guangzhou and the holiday the first week of May, the earliest we will travel to China is May 5. Our agency is still working on getting us a consulate appointment, which determines everything else about our trip. Because it is Friday in China, our agency wasn't able to get ahold of anyone on the phone, and they expect to hear back from the consulate on Tuesday.
So - I am disappointed that we are not going to China in April. Robert is, too, but his disappointment is tempered by the practical considerations of : cheaper hotel rooms in May (wayyyy cheaper) and also more time to plan and pack.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
New Photos!
We received some new photos of our baby girl today. We also got some measurements .... immensely helpful as I pack and re-pack her suitcase with different sized clothing! It looks like she is on the low end of the charts, unlike her "big" sister Maya. Xiao Feng is at about the 5th or 10th percentile in height and weight. Although she will be a year old, I will probably pack 6-9 month clothing. I know this is probably too much detail for most of you, but this is the kind of thing that consumes me lately!
We finished painting the girls' bedroom and Robert is putting the crib together as I type. He just finished our taxes, so April 15 can arrive we can be anywhere in world. This is the busiest and least-fun spring break we have ever had, but it is all worth it.
The latest on traveling rumors is that we will go to China in May, to avoid a huge trade show in southern China the end of April, which swells the city we will be going to and drives up hotel rates astronomically .... also there is that darn holiday the first week of May that shuts everything down, so I am now guessing we will leave here at the tail end of that, maybe May 5?
OK - I need to print these terrific photos out and get them on the refrigerator!
We finished painting the girls' bedroom and Robert is putting the crib together as I type. He just finished our taxes, so April 15 can arrive we can be anywhere in world. This is the busiest and least-fun spring break we have ever had, but it is all worth it.
The latest on traveling rumors is that we will go to China in May, to avoid a huge trade show in southern China the end of April, which swells the city we will be going to and drives up hotel rates astronomically .... also there is that darn holiday the first week of May that shuts everything down, so I am now guessing we will leave here at the tail end of that, maybe May 5?
OK - I need to print these terrific photos out and get them on the refrigerator!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I just thought I would let you know where we are in the process. We are now just waiting for Travel Approval. This is when the Chinese govt calls our agency and says, ok, let them come get her. At that point our agency calls us and also begins working on getting us an appointment with the US Consulate in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. (This city is the site of the famous White Swan hotel -- which we will not be staying at this time.) Then our agency tells us when we should leave for China, based on when that appointment is. We will try to be ready to leave within a week.
If we get TA by the end of March, then chances are good we will be able to go to China in April. If we don't, then we will have to wait until mid to late May, due to a major national holiday in China the first week of May. They seriously celebrate Labor Day there -- in fact, it is a week in China. So nothing can get done then.
While everyone else in America is betting on college basketball, I'm putting all my bets into the "going-to-China-in-April" basket. Not that it matters .... it will happen when it happens.
In the meantime I am distracting myself by shopping for Baby Sister, packing for five people for this little family "vacation" we are taking (five people includes the baby - it does not include Robert. I have some pride!), and painting an absurd number of little pink and blue flowers all over the girls' bedroom walls.
If we get TA by the end of March, then chances are good we will be able to go to China in April. If we don't, then we will have to wait until mid to late May, due to a major national holiday in China the first week of May. They seriously celebrate Labor Day there -- in fact, it is a week in China. So nothing can get done then.
While everyone else in America is betting on college basketball, I'm putting all my bets into the "going-to-China-in-April" basket. Not that it matters .... it will happen when it happens.
In the meantime I am distracting myself by shopping for Baby Sister, packing for five people for this little family "vacation" we are taking (five people includes the baby - it does not include Robert. I have some pride!), and painting an absurd number of little pink and blue flowers all over the girls' bedroom walls.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A New Look For Our Blog
Hey everyone,
We decided to go with this blog style because we were frustrated with the photos on the first one .... they were just too small and we want to be able to show our baby girl. So welcome to the new teamtadjiki blog. I hope this one works better. Here are some photos of Xiao Feng.
We decided to go with this blog style because we were frustrated with the photos on the first one .... they were just too small and we want to be able to show our baby girl. So welcome to the new teamtadjiki blog. I hope this one works better. Here are some photos of Xiao Feng.
The one with the Tellatubbies is the most recent.
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Where In The World ...?
Guangzhou is near Hong Kong, bottom right corner. Dianbai is just below the "M" in Macau (which is south of Guangzhou).