February 5, 2002

     It is snowing again today and tonight.  RaeAnne has to see a pediatric eye doctor the end of this month.  Her right eye continues to have trouble with the eyelashes rolling in.

     I emailed with another family who received their referral from Guigang.  The lady has a cousin who is also Christie VanCamp.  Talk about red threads.  I wonder if this is our red thread to another Guigang baby?  I send quilt squares off to Norway today.  Hope to get some from there soon too.  Am excited to get the squares in the mail and see all the pretty colored fabric and wonderful wishes.

February 3, 2002

     Called Shari Gabbard from Ohio tonight.  She is a single mother who adopted her first daughter one year before we did RaeAnne.  She also wants to take her daughter to China with her.  I also visited LeAnne from our first group.  They are anxious to meet us in St. Louis this June.  It will be so much fun to see the girls together this summer.  Heidi is scared to fly.  We don't know if she will make it in June.  We hope she does.

     Shari's first daughter Valarie is from the same orphanage that Kim's daughter is from.  Kunming in the Yunnan province.  She did not request in her letter for another daughter from the same orphanage again.  She wanted to leave it up to chance.  They will be a part of our travel group.  There are two other couples who we haven't heard anything back from yet.  Shari also wishes that we have our babies home by Christmas.

January 29, 2002

     Referrals have been coming in on the APC website.  It is exciting to see the announcements.  The parents are so excited and happy.  One couple was really surprised by a boy!  Most of the babies are under one year of age and some are only 6 months.  We have had our paperwork in China for 69 days now.

     I am starting to feel more comfortable at my job now.  And getting up 5 days a week is starting to get easier.  We are finally having some wintery weather here.  Freezing rain which is to turn to snow.  RaeAnne almost fell down on the ice tonight.  It really did surprise her.

January 26, 2002

     Lots of time has passed since I have had time to write.  I started a new job on the 3rd.  I am working full time at the Cancer Center of Kansas.  It has been a real adjustment to work 5 days a week.  Plus giving chemotherapy is so different from working in a hospital.  RaeAnne has had to make her own adjustments going to daycare.  She would cry everyday when I drop her off.  Mom wanted to cry all the way to work and just turn around and take her home!  It is starting to get easier.

     I have joined the NovDTC2001 quilters group.  The goal is to swap squares and wishes with our other members and then make a 100 good wishes quilt.  This is a Chinese tradition.  I wish I had known about this when we were waiting for RaeAnne's referral.  I will also swap squares with the DTC group to get enough.  Then I will have to learn how to sew them together.  Working full-time cuts into my free time.

     I have also seen my gastroenterologist who put me on some new pills for my colitis.  I hope this is the right combination

December 15, 2001

     RaeAnne started singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" today.  It is so cute to hear her.  She mostly hums it, but tries to sing part of it.  Daddy and I talked about our trip to China and the things we want to do and see this trip.  Mommy is always wondering about KaeLynn.  What age she will be, who she will look like, etc.  I can't wait!

December 10, 2001

     Went to the Border's bookstore near our house tonight and found a neat book on China and it's history.  It has some beautiful photos in it.

December 1, 2001

      Went to a Families with Children From China meeting in Hutchinson today.  Nicholas, RaeAnne and I.  It was a beautiful day and we had a good time.  It was fun to see the other families.  Two couples have had their dossier in China since March 2001.  It will be their turn soon.

     We had a family picture taken at Sears tonight.  RaeAnne didn't want to sit still, so we only got one picture taken.  Soon there will be two younger kids to try and get to hold still for pictures!