LINK TO OUR JOURNEY TO JILLIANA

LINK TO OUR JOURNEY TO JILLIANA
CLICK ON JILLIANA'S PHOTO TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY TO CHINA

Sunday, July 29, 2007

In 12 hours we will have a new daughter and a new sister!

Tomorrow is the Day!!! Follow our journey to Meilynn at www.pomafamily.com or www.pomafamily2.com Go to Travel logs.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

We are here!

I just wanted to let everyone know we are here! Safe and together! I am posting at http://www.pomafamily.com/ Very soon we will be a family of six!!!!!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

WE LEAVE TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We will be posting at http://www.pomafamily2.com/ or you can go to http://www.pomafamily.com/ and click on Meilynn, and then travel journals. We might also be posting here. Last time in China we needed to post videos here. So you can check both places if you really want to. When my big sister Mae Mae spends the night we think of cool ways to dress me. This might work for one of my big sister Kami's 80's parties! I am so cool! That is Mommy in the back ground, in her jammies working on the computer! She has been on that thing a lot lately! I know something is happening but I am not sure what? They keep talking about Meilynn. Meilynn is this picture and she has a chair, high chair, car seat and just about everything that I have only I have only seen a picture. Mommy here. I envisioned this last day as a restful day after all the work. I decided to take my girls to get their nails done. Well what a mistake that was. If you all remember my visa story it was like that again. Emma was terrified! They were wearing masks and white coats so I think she thought this was something painful. She is so terrified of any situation like this. So Meghan and I had to take turns. I walked Emma outside while Meghan got hers done. She is very tickleish (I not sure about that spelling) She doesn't really like to get her feet done because she cannot stand how much it tickles! The girl even took off the mask and Emma would not set foot in the place. My shirt was soaking wet with all the crying. After Meghan I got mine done while they went up to the Wal Mart. My Mom showed up and so I was able to say good-bye again. When we came home I did one last clean up of the house, changed all the sheets on the beds, cleaned out the refrigerator, washed clothes, dumped trash, and so on!! I think this will be my last post before we leave. I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog and especially my family. It feels so good to have so many people behind you. And my family has helped me out so much. It still does not feel real to me. I have had so many emotions today. I have been excited, happy, sad, scared, anxious, etc. Please pray for a safe trip for us, for health, and for a smooth adjustment for Meilynn and Emma. We love you all! Love Vicki

Monday, July 23, 2007

Packing 95% Complete!!!!!

Here I am running around naked with my backpack on! Mommy can't seem to keep my diapers on me anymore! I am way faster than her. And she is so distracted packing that I am able to get away with a lot!!!
Here I am helping Mommy wash my cups and bottles and spoons and forks. We need a lot of things for our trip! This is a picture of me and Mae Mae on my readoption day. I was not in a happy mood at all! The judge was wearing a dark robe and even though he was very nice I was scared. Mommy, Daddy and Mae Mae promised to raise me as their biological daughter and sister. This was just a formality so that I could get a birth certificate here and for some other reasons I am not sure of. I was already adopted in China. Packing, Packing, Packing! I know something is up and I have been holding on to my Mommy very tight! These are all of the suitcases and backpacks except for Daddy's packback that will hold the electronics and Mommy's computer bag. Mommy packed our babies in the suitcase along with our blankets and clothes and........ Daddy got delegated to bring the snacks. You can never have too many puffs, cheerios, animal creackers and fishy crackers!!!!!This is the bag that they will carry on. It has the most important stuff in it, like medications.
Mommy here, As you can see we have been very busy. With Emma's readoption the day before we leave there has been much to do and reflect on. We are almost done packing. We leave our house tomorrow at 7:30pm and our flight leaves Los Angeles at almost midnight. I will try to post again tomorrow but if I don't get the chance we will be posting our trip at www.pomafamily2.com click on travel logs. www.pomafamily.com will also get you there but then you need to click on Meilynn's pic and then travel logs. I might post something here too. Last time we were able to post video here. So check both sights! Thanks for all of your support and congratulations! Vicki

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Here We Come Meilynn!

International tickets to China The Offical Travel Approval! It says that we can come adopte SHE SHI YUE! It asks us to please travel in person with this notice to the adoption registry office in Hunan. Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork!
Today was another busy day! We got the International Tickets and our Visa's back. That is a relief. I am making lists everywhere of things to not forget, things I need to get done here before I go, things I need to add to my packing last minute, emergency numbers to take, and just a million other little details. RockYou FunNote - Get Your Own

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Quick update

My little dancing queen! Copying her Mommy
Just a quick update tonight because I am too tired to do anything more and my husband will kill me if I don't get off this computer:} I have made the plane reservations with Lotus Travel. I have made the tour and in country flight reservations with Always and Forever Adoption and Homeland Tours (this is the Beijing portion) I have made the reservations for Changsha and Guangzhou with Cleveland Circle Travel, and I have made a reservation for Kami with Lotus. She made her own arrangements from Barcelona to Beijing. First of all I would not be able to do this without my family! They have all helped out. My Mom babysat Emma yesterday while I bought the gifts and did shopping. Today my sister Julie came over to play with Emma while I made numerous phone calls and went shopping again. And then tonight my sister Debbie came over to play with Emma and give her a bath. She woke up today with a runny nose so pray that it doesn't turn in to anything more. We go to the Dr. on Friday for her 2 year old check up (a month early since we knew we might be in China) Pray that she doesn't cry the whole time. She has to get shots again! We will then go to lunch with my sisters and mom to celebrate my Mom's birthday and mine. Tomorrow I will get our Visa's back and our plane tickets from Lotus. So I think I will be sticking around doing more packing. Tomorrow night Iwill get my hair done while my daughter Meghan comes over to help Mike with Emma. I think we are in good shape except for no sleep. Emma's waking has gotten worse this week. So Mike and I are dragging. I started taking vitamins today. This post has gotten really boring so I think I will end it now. Good night!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I did today: sent several e-mails to my agency with many questions sent several e-mails to Lotus Travel sent several e-mails to Always and Forever Adoption Tours called my mom, daughters and friends e-mailed all my Yahoo groups of the news packed the girls suitcase (almost done) packed the girls backpacks for the plane packed the diaperbag backpack for the plane (almot done) stopped the newspaper for a month (I figure I won' have time to read it) filled out many papers for many things made many lists! washed clothes made breakfast and lunch for Emma (Mike made dinner) repacked all the thing Emma unpacked. I still can't find the snack trap that I had packed Mike picked up the money Mike called for prescriptions for us Congratulated other TA's and LOA's and my brain is dead and can't think of what else but it was a non-stop day! Tomorrow my mom comes over to babysit so I can go buy the gifts. I hope to finalize travel arrangements tomorrow also. My thoughts turn to Meilynn all day. Wondering if she has been shown our pictures. Wondering how she will react to her whole world being turned upside down. Wondering if they will move her to the orphanage after being in foster care since she was brought to the orphanage at 2 days old. Wondering how Emma will adjust. She is just so attached to me. Wondering if Meilynn takes a bottle still and wears diapers still. Emma does. Wondering how Emma will handle me holding another baby. But in all the wondering knowing that God's hand was in this from the start and that he will guide us through whatever we encounter. Here we come Meilynn. You are already so loved!

WE HAVE TA!!!!! TRAVEL APPROVAL

MEILYNN GRACE SHIYUE IS COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!
This Morning we got an e-mail from our agency telling us that we got travel approval! We were told that they were looking for a counsulate date of August 7th!!! This would mean that we would leave on Tuesday, July 24th NEXT WEEK!!!!
Our very tentative schedule is leave on the 24th. Get to Beijing on the 26. Tour Beijing until we fly to Meilynn's province Changsha, Hunan on the 29th. The typical thing is then to get her the next day which would be July 30th! We would then stay in Changsha until the paperwork is done and then fly to Guangzhou and leave for home on August 8 or 9. Whew! I have so much to do!!!!!!! I will write more later when I have time.....um maybe in 16 years!!!!!! Vicki

Friday, July 13, 2007

Getting Out!

Mommy and me thought it might be a good idea to get out of the house instead of waiting all day for the TA to come. Mommy took me on a McDonalds picnic. This is where she drives through McDonalds and then we take it to the park. I only like to eat the meat on the hamburger. No bun for me! I am an Atkins girl. I like to just pick it up in my hands and eat it this way. Mommy gets me apple juice and apple slices to go along with my meat. I still don't have the concept down of not squeezing the juice box. Even though we were at the park, Mommy had that phone out ready to take a call. I heard that there were going to be a bunch of packages arriving at agency's today. My April LID group was hoping that we would get LOA's and TA's. But it turned out to be a false alarm. Towards the end of the day a few people did report that they got TA's. So I hope that my agency will get mine on Monday. I haven't seen anyone get a TA yet with an LOA date that we have. So we have not been skipped or anything. The furthest I saw was an LOA of June 18. Ours is June 25th so maybe this next week we will hear good news. I have about 25% of the packing started. *** Next time Mommy will need to bring insect repellent. As the day went on bug bites began appearing all over me.

SPECIAL REQUEST

I have had a special request to see the girl's carseats. Oh it feels good to say girl's plural! I was going to wait until TA to get the carseat out but since I have had this request I got it out of the box and Emma and I put it in the car. (Notice the barricade in the rear window?) Here they are, two matching Britax carseats. Another view "MOM, this is crazy!" "Are we done yet?" "Lets go somewhere!"

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Friends Around the World

One of the things about our adoption that I had never expected was the friends we have made. Lali (from Spain) was on my Mei Dreamers yahoo group. My oldest daughter Kami was living in Barcelona. Lali and Kami met during the wait for her beautiful daughter Bao Xiao. And then when I went to vist Kami in Barcelona I also got to meet Lali. Lali got her referral before me and her daughter was from the Chongqing Province. When I got my referrral and found out that Emma was also from the Chongqing Province, it made our connection even stronger. Kami had the chance to meet up with Lali and Bao Xiao who is just a little older than Emma. She had a great day! I hope that someday I can go back to Barcelona or even better Lali and Bao Xiao come to visit so Emma can meet her Chongqing cousin.
It is a small world!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

One tiny step forward

My daughter, Kami in Barcelona picked up her visa to go to China this week. One tiny step forward. So here is all I know. There are still people waiting to get travel approval from the early June group. Then there is a small group that got LOA's right around ours, June 25th. Yesterday a new group of LOA's were issued. So TA's are well overdue. (TA=Travel Approval) I don't know if we will be included with the early June group or if we will have to wait for this group that just came out yesterday. TA's have been running every two weeks to four weeks. But these early June people are on their 5th week. We are only at two weeks. If our TA were to come this week we would travel probably the last of July beginning of August. Nobody has heard anything about TA's coming yet. So I really don't know much at all. Once we get TA everything will move into rush mode making last minute travel and tour arrangements.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Beach House and a big oops! Mommy made

This is me one year ago at the beach! I couldn't even stand up on my own. I was just home from China two weeks! What a difference a year makes! I love going to the beach house. I love to wear my sunglasses, run on the beach, collect rocks, and play in the sand.
I love playing in the Ocean with my Daddy. We have so much fun chasing the waves. I am ready for Daddy to teach me to surf. This is my friend Marty. I like to share rocks with him. I also like his little beard. When he takes a break from surfing he plays with me in the Ocean. We really came to the beach to go to a wedding. It was my first wedding and boy did Mommy and Daddy find out what a party animal I am. I danced the night away. A Popsicle on the porch with Daddy on a hot summer night.Mommy's big oops! Mommy told you about the cute backpacks she ordered for Meilynn and me. Well she somehow ordered only one.But with both of our names on it! So now Mommy has to order two more. I don't know what she will do with this one. I know, does anyone out there want to name there baby Emma Meilynn? I think that would be a pretty name and my Mommy already has a backpack for your baby!