Yahoo Entries from Jan 05 to August 05

POST 1

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Sat Jan 8, 2005 9:57 pm
Subject: Home Study Approved!!!

Yippeeee, the home study was approved on 1/6/05. Holt told my
social worker that it was good to go. It was mailed to me on 1/7/05
and hopefully it will be in the hands of the CIS officers by the
middle of next week.

I will begin county certifying some of my Suffolk Documents!! I may
just make a February DTC afterall, but I do think it will likely be
March.

Moving right along!!!

Michele


POST 2

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:37 pm
Subject: Got my appointment for my fingerprints!!!

I am relieved to finally say that I got the letter to have my
fingerprints done for the final approval to adopt my baby from
China. I have to appear on or after Feb 1st in Hempstead at the
local BCIS office. I am hopeful that I will get the I171H back
quickly so that I can be an Early March DTC!!!

So exciting....

Waiting for the big Blizzard of 2005 to hit tomorrow

POST 3

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:59 pm
Subject: Gung Hay Fat Choy!!!

It is the year of the rooster and this is the year that I will
bring my second angel home from China. I have much hope that the
next year will bring joy, happiness, and health to my family!!

We are thinking of you sweet girl....waiting for us in China....

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will announce the arrival of
my I171H....then it will be official!!!

Happy New Year!!

Love,
Michele and Emily

POST 4

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:02 pm
Subject: DTC Feb 25, 2005 dreamcatcher...

Woo Hoo!!! This phase is now over. I just got the call that my
dossier has been approved and it will be sent to China on Friday,
2/25/05!!

The agency states that the wait is 6-7 months for a referral. I am
hoping for a September referral with travel some time in late
October/November!!!

Thanks for all of your love and support during this process. I have
been sick in bed since Friday (when I returned from NYC getting my
I171H authenticated) with the Flu. The doctor gave me $60 worth of
useless meds. I suddenly felt 100% (well maybe not lol) once I got
this call.

Okay, back to bed for me!! Just wanted to share the joy. We are
off to sunny Florida on Saturday. Pray for sunshine and warm
weather...we all need it!!!

I will keep you posted on our journey to Mei-Mei. I have a yahoo
site set up and will give everyone the address once we are closer to
referral. It is my hope to post on it often when I get to China.
Although I wasn't too great with posting updates when I adopted
Emily....I promise to try to do better this time LOL.

Love and Kisses to all,
Michele, Emily and Alyssa..............


POST 5

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:52 pm
Subject: 2 years ago today.........................

.......my life changed in more ways than I could have ever
imagined!!
I was in China in a tiny room completing paperwork with 10 other
families.
The babies were on there way...............

Oh, the emotions that filled
the room. With every sound, door creak, or car passing by, people
jumped
from their seats to see "if the babies were here!!"

We sat patiently at
the table filling in paper work as our guide led us through each
step.
Who knows what we were filling out...we all just followed directions
;-)

I sat there wondering???? Will she be traumatized?? Will she grieve
so intensely that I question whether or not I am doing the right
thing?
Will I know what to do? Will she know just how long I have dreamed
about
her? Will she wonder what her life would have been if she grew up
in the
beautiful area of Kunming, China? Will she know just how loved she
is
already???

I was a basket of nerves. She was the last baby to find her
way to her waiting Mama. FINALLY, I am a MOM...something that I had
wanted to be since I was a little girl.

How has my life changed??
I cannot remember my life before I had Emily.....was it as meaningful?

I love to have "pajama" days with just my girl...she climbs up on the
couch with me and loves to "nuggle." (snuggle)

I am amazed at the wonders that
she notices every single day....

I find myself missing a lot of what is
going on around me because there are days that I just can't keep my
eyes off of her?

I love this girl more than words can convey...it is the type
of love that gets you in the pit of your stomach and leaves you
breathless.

I thank God, her birth family, and CCAA for giving my the
honor of raising this child to be the ALL that she can be....to
explore
her interests, to try and try again, to feel good about WHO she is
and
WHERE she came from and HOW our family was formed.

I love you my sweet Emmy, more than I can say................

Michele, PROUD Mom to Emily
Hope Zhongyan
born 7/7/02 in Yunnan Province, China
Family Day 3/23/03
Adoption Day 3/24/03
Feb 05 dtc for Alyssa................

POST 6

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Sat Apr 9, 2005 10:01 pm
Subject: Log In Date

Well, I finally got word from Holt that my log in date is March
17th. I had hoped that it would be earlier in the month since my
dossier was sent to China on Feb 25th, but it is what it is.

I hope that I don't miss the cut off for the month for referrals.
As it looks at this point it is a 50-50 chance of a September or
October referral. I REALLY want it to be September because I want
to be home BEFORE Christmas!!! Selfish??? Yup!!! :-)

Each night Emily and I light a candle for Alyssa (thank you, Lauren)
and say a prayer. Emily enjoys this and reminds me when I forget.
It is part of our nightly ritual of getting in to bed. I think that
in some ways it is making it a bit real for Emily. I am sure that
she doesn't quite grasp what all this chatter is about a "baby
sister" but I can only prepare her the best that I can.

I shared my WONDERFUL news with family on Easter Sunday. I got the
responses that I had expected. Uncle Tommy was VERY excited.

More later....

Michele, Emily....and Alyssa waiting in China


POST 7

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Tue May 17, 2005 8:32 pm
Subject: 2 months down.....how many to go???

I have been officially "logged in" for two months now. The log in
date is the official date that the Chinese Center for Adoption
Affairs enters your file in to the computer in China. This is the
date that matters when tracking referrals and guessing travel
dates. I still think that I will get a late September referral with
travel in November. I hope that things keep at the current pace.
Although I wouldn't be disappointed if things began to speed up.

Love, Michele

To Baby Alyssa,
Just thinking about you today sweet Alyssa. Today and EVERY day.
Each night your big sister says the "Alyssa Prayer." It goes like
this:
"Dear God,
Please keep Alyssa safe and healthy until we bring her home. Amen"

Most nights she requests to say the prayer. In reality, Mama says
it all day long. Stay safe and healthy little girl, Mama will be
there soon!!
I love you!!!

POST 8

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:13 pm
Subject: 3 months down....how many to go???

Today it is 3 months since my paperwork to adopt Alyssa was logged
in by the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA). At the start
of this journey I suspected that the "wait" would be about 6 months
until referral and then another two months until travel.
Unfortunately the rumor mills are going full steam ahead and
the "wait" for referral may extend a bit longer. This MAY mean that
I get Alyssa's "referral" (pictures, medical, etc) in October rather
than September. In the grand scheme of things, it shouldn't
matter. BUT, I want my BABY NOW!!! I just have to be patient.

I have been having many dreams of Alyssa. In my dream she is about
1 year old, very chunky, and adorable. It is the same face that I
see. I wonder what she looks like? I wonder how old she will be?
I wonder what Province in China she will be from? I know that at
this point she is most certainly BORN. I wonder what she is doing?
I wonder if she is being well cared for? She is becoming REAL to me
and I love her already.

I LOVE the summer months and this summer should be a lot of fun with
Emily. She loves to be outside, to be at the beach, park, etc. I
don't want to wish the summer away, but at the same time, once the
summer is over I will be that much closer to bringing Alyssa home.
I can't wait!!

That's it for this months update!!

Love,
Michele and Emily


POST 9

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:40 pm
Subject: Month 4

Today is 4 months since my dossier (paperwork) was logged in at
CCAA. Holt called me twice in the past month, getting my answering
machine both times, "just to check in and see if I had any
questions." I have a ton of questions, just none that anyone from
Holt can answer like "where is Alyssa from?" "How old is she?" Is
she okay?" "When can I go bring her home?" LOL So, I never called
her back. There has been a lot of chatter and excitement on the DTC
Yahoo sites, so I figured that I better call her back. Basically
she said that I should be on target for a September referral and
November travel. YIKES...that is coming up soon. I still have so
much to do. Closets to organize, a bathroom to renovate, clothes to
go through, etc. etc. etc. Now I am getting excited. I always have
been, but WOW, Alyssa can be home in 4 MONTHS. I was starting to
question whether or not she would make it home for Christmas, but it
looks like she will be. YIPEE!!!

Emily is starting to get excited too. She talks about Alyssa EVERY
SINGLE day. She goes for a ride in her little car and says, "bye, I
going to China to get Lyssa." She tells the checkout ladies in the
store, "I gonne be big sister." It is so cute to see her start
making sense of things. I think the true reality may be tough, but
I am sure that my little princess is ready to be a big sister. She
is such an amazing little child and I am sure her little sister will
be too.

I have had dreams that she was born on January 3rd. I had another
dream that she was 9 months at referral and 11 months when I go to
China to get her. I had a dream that she is from Jiangxi Province.
I see her face all of the time and she is a BIG girl, but still a
baby. We shall see.................

Signing off for now,

Emily and Alyssa's Mom


POST 10

From: "dreamcatcher10192001"
Date: Wed Aug 17, 2005 1:04 am
Subject: 5 months down...........

WOW, it has been 5 months since my dossier was logged in by theCCAA. According to my agency (Holt) referrals are coming between 6-7 months from the DTC. My DTC date is Feb 25th, so I can expect my referral any time now. A new group of referrals are expect within the next couple of weeks. Then another group, hopefully at the endof September. I am expecting that I will be in the Septembergroup. As we all know in the world of adoption, nothing ispredictable though. So I just need to sit and wait and try to bepatient. I am not in control of the timing............I have started shopping for Alyssa and I bought Em and Alyssa someadorable matching outfits. I am expecting Alyssa to be in clothes around 12 months. I can't wait to meet her. I wonder every dayabout where she is, what she looks like, how old she is............wow, how can it be possible that I can be blessed with TWO wonderfulbabies?????????????? I am overwhelmed journey for my second child has been a bit different thanthe "first time." I have all of the same hopes and dreams andwishes for my second daughter, but the anxiousness and uncertaintyis differnt. My fears are different.I know that the transition to having not one but TWO little oneswill be overwhelming at times. I know that I will have to adjust toa whole "new normal." But, I am ready for the task. I think thatEmily is ready to be Jie Jie (big sister). I know I have anincredible support system!! My girls have the best Nanny that anylittle girl can have. I am blessed that she is MY MOM!! I have thebest friends that any one could ask for.Okay, enough for tonight. I hope to be sending out my referralannouncemnt in a few short weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!Hang on Ali, Mama and Emily and Nanny and Aunt Lauren are coming toget you!!!! We love you!!