December 30, 2002

     We all slept in very late this morning.  I woke up at 8:38 and jumped out of bed to get RaeAnne up and off to day care.  I then came home, took a quick look at the November list and then I vacuumed the whole house!  I was trying to burn off nervous energy.  I kept thinking there could be a good possibility we would get our referral today.

     I did a good job of staying away from the computer.  I only took the time to check the sites every one to one and a half hours.  I had just checked it and made a post congratulating the new parents plus a statement that IF we received our referral today, it would be late afternoon before we knew.

2:10PM
     The phone rang soon after that and when the person on the other end asked for Mark or Anna...I said "This is Anna."  "Is this THE CALL?"  She said "This is Patty and YES, this is the call!"  I headed up  the stairs to get the list of questions I needed to ask.  I started shaking a little as she started telling me the stats, but I held it together pretty well.

     Huai Feng He was born on 3/7/2002 and entered the Huainan Children's Welfare Institute on 3/10/2002.  This is in the Anhui province.  We will more than likely stay in the capital city of Hefei about 2 hours from Huainan.  Much of the rest of the info is being translated still.  Patty said our packet would be sent FedEx tomorrow morning.  Unfortunately, since New Year's Eve is Wednesday we will probably not receive it until Thursday.  So my plans of the family all being here and present for the first glimpse sort of disappeared.  I asked Patty if she could email us a photo and she did about one hour later.  In the meantime, Daddy and I decided that as long as the translation was the same, we would name her---KaeLynn FengHe VanCamp.  I think my feet were off the ground!

     I started sending our referral news to all the egroups, family and friends.  I was checking my email every few minutes it seemed, waiting for the picture.  Then when it came, we hesitated only briefly deciding if we should get out the camcorder.  I don't think Daddy or I could wait that long!

     As soon as I opened the email and gazed at her photo I said "She's beautiful!"   Daddy said, "She looks like a keeper!"  Then I started crying like a baby!  It was such a relief after waiting 405 days to see that precious face.  But now the real wait begins.  New Hope does not think we will travel until March!  That's a long time to wait!  Nicholas' first comment was her shirt was too big!



     I barely left the computer the rest of the day.  Lots of our fellow Novembers' received their referrals too.  Unfortunately, many are going to have to wait longer.  I joined the Huainan egroup to find out about the orphanage.  It sounds like the babies get real good care there.  I also want to find out a lot about Hefei where we will be staying.  Everyone so far has had only good things to say about the area.

     Tonight I pried myself away from the computer long enough for us to go eat Chinese.  RaeAnne loves her "noodles".  We also confirmed with Patty that Lin would be our facilitator.

     I talked to our travel mate Shari this afternoon.  Her new daughter was born 3/4/2002---Her name is Huai Feng Xin.  She will be named Hayley.

     What a day!  I hope I can sleep tonight!  Wow!  We have another beautiful daughter from China!  Life is great!

December 29, 2002

     Mark's 49th birthday!  We celebrated with RaeAnne and Nicholas singing Happy Birthday to Daddy.  We took him out to eat lunch at the Outback Steakhouse and then Mommy took him to the Mall to pick out his present.  I have learned that sometimes letting Daddy pick his own present is better.

     We are really hopeful that the current rumors that have been on the November DTC list are true.  We hope to have our referral before New Year's Eve!  It would be perfect if we did.  Nicholas will be here until Wednesday and he was here when RaeAnne's referral came.  Nicholas was the first family member to see RaeAnne's picture.  This time we will set up the camcorder and open it as a family.  Unfortunately, if we get the pictures after Nicholas has gone home we will have to open it anyway, because Mommy will not be able to wait two weeks for him to come back!

December 9, 2002

     The Nov2001DTC list started out early today with several referrals coming in.  I started to get excited thinking that maybe today was the day we have been waiting for.  Some how though, I knew we still needed to wait a while longer.

     I did break down and email New Hope with some questions I had been meaning to ask.  I also asked the big questions to which I received the "Not Yet" answer.  I called our travel mate Shari tonight.  She said the same thing happened to her last time.  She called and then got "The Call" a few days later.  She is very positive that we will have our referral very soon.

     I am getting over a very nasty cold and really didn't feel up to par today.  Our weather is turning colder again.  Nicholas wants to go with us so bad that he told his Mom he would give up all electronics for 5 months.  He is going to talk with his teachers to see if they feel he would miss too much being gone for 2 weeks.

     Our travel mate also suggested that we travel at least one day early to get some rest.  We think that might be a very good idea.

     This is day 327 of waiting.

December 3, 2002

     Sent out Christmas cards today.  We received one from,  Shari who will be in our travel group cute yesterday.  It is very cold and windy today and tonight it started snowing.  RaeAnne was very excited to see it.

     I have been trying to get many things done before our referral is here.  I have a lot of things in the basement that I need to go through again.  It is always something.

     I received the neatest gift from my Secret Pal in Colorado today.  It had a beautiful silver necklace with a small charm that says "Forever."  This is to recognize that our adoptions are forever.  Also there was a cute piggy bank and a wonderful board book for the girls.  It was such a wonderful gesture from one mother to another.  I don't know for sure who she is, but I do have a good guess.

December 1, 2002

     Here it is the first of December already.  I put up the Christmas tree and strung on the lights Friday.  RaeAnne was so excited to see it.  This morning Daddy, Nicholas, RaeAnne and I put the decorations on and tool our traditional picture in front of the tree.  Janea opted to sleep in this morning.

     The girls went shopping this afternoon.  We had fun at a craft show and then at the Mall.  RaeAnne would not sit on Santa's lap for a picture.  She is very convinced that Santa might bite!

     I have all our stockings hanging by the fireplace.  I have KaeLynn's there too.  I am still positive that we will have our referral by Christmas.  I am starting to get antzy!