Yesterday our friends Cheryl and Bruce became DTC!

Bruce and Cheryl (see their picture in a earlier post) had their dossier sent to China yesterday! This is a huge milestone in the process...it is a big determinant of when they will receive their referral for their daughter, who they will call Mya! If all continues to go as it has been, they should receive a referral in February. Congratulations to Bruce and Cheryl!!!

Many received referrals today...

Today adoptive families that had their dossiers logged in in China from late December 2004 to late January 2005 received their referrals! It is very exciting to see all the referral news posted on the China adoption internet listservs. Check out this video: one adoptive mom video-taped herself as she was receiving the referral call: http://www.our-gwen.com/. Many of the referrals were for children that are quite young...as young as six months.

We met the next door neighbors of our friends Cheryl and Bruce in Fall River, MA earlier this month during our trip up to MA to close on our house. Their names are John and Lasalette, and they received their referral today. Their daughter will be called Emma, and she is now 8 1/2 months old. We wish John, Lasalette, and Emma a wonderful, joyous life together!

Another bedding set for Isabella!!!

Isabella's Second Nursery Set
I got this bedding set for a steal, so I couldn't resist! (This is not Isabella's room, just a sample photo). I am really debating nursery colors. Feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions!

Isabella's Things-Bibs!!!

Isabella's Bibs (so far!)
Hopefully she won't be as messy an eater as mommy and daddy, but we are ready!

Isabella's Things-Books!!!

Isabella's Books (so far!)
These are the baby books we've bought for Isabella. Actually, I gave "Daddy Cuddles" to Tim for Father's Day. We also have bought some books to share with her about her adoption journey, including "The Red Blanket" and "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes". Carla bought us a DVD called "Big Bird in China" for Isabella!

Isabella's Things-Will Isabella be a Umie?

Isabella a Umie?
I went to UMass-Amherst (www.umass.edu) in April to award a scholarship, and well, I couldn't resist picking up a few things! Tim and I would not complain if Isabella became a Umie since a.) that's my alma mater (1994 for a BA and 2001 for a Ph.D), and I believe it's a wonderful school and b.) she would get free tuition there since I'm faculty at the University of Massachusetts-Boston campus (www.economics.umb.edu). We aren't trying to influence her at all, no, no, no siree...

Isabella's Things-Red Thread Wall Hanging

Chinese Adoption Red Thread Print

I found a wonderful wall hanging on the "red thread" ... the invisible red thread that connects us to Isabella.

Isabella's Things-Crib Mobile

Real Love Baby Mobile

The mobile plays the song "Imagine".

Isabella's Things-Crib Quilt

Real Love Baby Quilt
I thought it might be nice to share with family and friends some of the things we have bought for Isabella. In addition to some books, I have started on a nursery collection, the John Lennon Real Love Collection from Carter's. It's been discontinued, but there are lots of brand new items still available on www.ebay.com. I've also been selling some of our stuff to fund these purchases for Isabella! Tim finds this all amusing.

I want Isabella to know and love animals like her daddy does. So this seems like perfect collection. This is the quilt. We also have two receiving blankets, a crib pad, a changing table pad, a diaper stacker and crib bumbers in this pattern. No...I am not excited to bring home our baby girl at all...

Still waiting...

Tim's new "reading" material...

A little update ... we are still waiting for our INS approval form...the I-171H. The good news is that I know someone that was fingerprinted on 6/11 that received their form this weekend...I am hoping that means we are no more than two weeks away from receiving our form.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to show you how Tim's been passing the time ...