COMMENTARY: "I Want My Sister!" · November 07, 2006
Really and truly mean it this time... March 13, 2007
About that previous entry regarding getting Joelle on April 3...
As Emily Latillia used to say "Never mind!"

Well, after a crazy week of back and forth - leave on March 18, no wait, March 30, no wait...we finally have a true departure date. Why is this one true? It better be because we booked flights!
And the departure date is... March 25! (Whoever had this in the pool, please go collect your prize)

And even better, we'll get Joelle on March 29!

You might have seen in an even earlier post, that the registry office, where we both get Joelle and register the adoption, was to be closed for two weeks right when we were supposed to be there. Well, a rep from CCAI, went to the Guangdong officials and convinced them to open the office for at least one of those weeks.

Unfortunately, they were unable to convince the US Consulate to move up our appointment with them, so we are now going to be in China for nearly 3 full weeks.

While the trip should take us close to 30 hours again, at least this time it's two non-stop flights (yes, they occasionally have them out of Hartford).

One important note oh dear reader: This is the last entry in the "I want my sister" category. Everything else will now appear in a new section called "Journey to Joelle."
We have a date!!! March 08, 2007
Hooray!!!!!
Today we received word we'll get Joelle on Tuesday, April 3!!!!
Looks like we'll be home by the 14th or 15th of April.
Great news!
More later...
The wait goes on and on and on and on... March 07, 2007
It's been quite a roller coaster the past week. On Monday we learned we had received our travel notice, basically the invitation from the Chinese government to go to the country to get Joelle. Our agency told us that we'd likely travel around March 18.
Unfortunately on Tuesday, our agency told us that the registry office - where we'll get Joelle and register the adoption - is closed March 20-April 2 for an unknown reason. They are hopeful we will now travel on March 30, with a consulate appointment on April 12. (The consulate appointment is the last step in the process in China).
If it goes beyond that date, there's a chance we won't travel until May because a giant trade fair takes over Guangzhou and all of the hotels from April 15-30.
Keep your fingers crossed for the earlier date. Hopefully we can update this site on Thursday that we have our appointments and travel dates!

JOELLE UPDATE
Last week we did receive a little more information about Joelle. Unfortunately it's not very recent, but it does provide more background on her early months.
She was found at the Taiping People's Hospital in Humen Town, Dongguan City on Dec. 26, 2005. At that time, it was estimated her birthdate was Dec. 13, 2005. She was brought to the Dongguan Children's Welfare Institute on Jan. 17, 2006.
When she was just a month or two old, Joelle or Guan Meng Yin, was relatively weak. She didn't take much formula and got colds easily. But within another month or two she strengthened.
She is also starting to walk already!
Awaiting Our Travel Notice March 02, 2007
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Our visas have been approved and now we wait for the Chinese government to send the paperwork that says it's OK for us to travel. Then our agency, CCAI, schedules an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou so Joelle can come with us to America as a citizen, and everything falls into place from there.  Here's what our agency, CCAI, says:

"We are hoping to receive Travel Notices any day now.  Once they arrive in our office, we will immediately request Consulate appointments for each group.  As soon as that process is complete, usually within a few hours, we will contact you via email to let you know they have arrived! 

"...[W]e are still very confident that you be heading to by mid- to late March!  So, hang in there with us!  We’re going to get you there as soon as possible!

This wait is not quite as excruciating as it was waiting for Joelle's referral, but we're ready to pack our bags and board a plane to China. There's a little girl there whom we can't wait to meet!
Jonna Turns 4: Oh what a party! February 23, 2007
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Since we don't have any updated information on Joelle - we should get that in the next week or so - I can tell you about Jonna's birthday party.

This year, for her 4th birthday, we had her first "friends" birthday party. When she turned 1, we had a quiet evening at home. When she turned 2, we had a "Jonna's birthday/Mardi Gras/Lunar New Year/Kathy has jury duty" gathering, mostly our adult friends. Last year for her 3rd birthday, it was dinner at Friendly's for Junior.

This year was breakout time, and she got to help plan things. She had five of her friends - all girls by her request - join her for an afternoon of play at Farmington Farms, the tennis and athletic club I joined a few weeks ago. They have a moon bouncer and a giant play room with foam climbers and the like.

As you can see on the photo page, she chose a Hello Kitty theme. The girls all ran around, jumped on the bouncer and had a great time. Jonna's friends Brenna, Morgan, Emma, Caché and Lily came. Afterward, they all had chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and everyone helped Jonna open her presents.

Later, we opened presents at home. From Mom and Dad, she got a Hello Kitty art apron, a pink Indians warm-up jacket (of course!) and a Fischer-Price digital camera, something she has been asking for for a long time! That thing is amazing, and she's been taking pictures of everything. When New England's fine winter weather improves a bit, she'll get her final present, a two-wheeler. She's outgrown her tricycle, though you'd never know it by the way she tools around the driveway.

She's already planning her next birthday party!