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!

November 25, 2001

     Mommy is feeling the post DTC depression today.  This is something that seems to hit us parents-to-be after all the scurrying around suddenly stops.  After going great guns for several months then our paperwork is off to China and then now what?!  The nice thing is with Christmas, Daddy's and RaeAnne's birthdays on the way, I should have plenty to keep me busy.  While Daddy kept RaeAnne busy yesterday, I put the Christmas tree up.  Then today I strung the lights on it.  This weekend when Nicholas is here we will put the ornaments on it.  This has been our tradition for the last several years.  It's fun to have the whole family decide how to trim the tree.  RaeAnne has been busy saying Christmas tree each time we walk by it.  When she says it, it doesn't sound like Christmas tree exactly, but we know what she is saying.

     Tomorrow I am putting my application in at Via Christi and Wesley Hospitals.  Time to get back to work.  I wish we had enough money for me to stay at home, but unfortunately we don't.  Besides, it will be good to get out.

November 19, 2001

My birthday!  RaeAnne had her birthday/Christmas photos taken today at Sears.  They came out so cute.  Then Daddy took Mommy and RaeAnne out for a birthday celebration supper.  Mommy is kind of down in the dumps today.  My 43rd birthday and there will be another one pass me by before we have a sibling home for RaeAnne.  The weather was much colder today too.  Sort of my emotions in the air!  RaeAnne was so good today.  She smiled pretty for the pictures and was good until the last one, but by then she was getting pretty tired of sitting.

I was hoping that we would hear something from New Hope about our dossier being sent to China, but no such luck.  Daddy visited with two different couples tonight about our adopting another baby.  He sounds excited.  That makes me happy.  Daddy is always too worried about how old he is.  He always thinks he is too old, but I always try to get him to think "You are as young as you feel."  He is such a good Daddy.  He got Mommy a cell phone for her birthday.  And it is keeping RaeAnne busy tonight so I can write in this!