Secret Pal

There was also a cool poster of dogs, but the photograph was upside down and I couldn't rotate it (I can be technologically challenged, thank you very much!). Receiving these gifts made met feel really good. Oddly, it gave me the real sense that we're not alone in this journey. Of course, I know this rationally, but I didn't feel as connected to the adoption community until the secret pal gift arrived! Thank you, Secret Pal! You're the best!

February 22, 2004

Two years ago David and I were married in a gorgeous ceremony that celebrated and affirmed our love and our family. We incorporated a blessing that united us all as a family, so that Ariel knew that our wedding was not just about uniting David and me as a couple, but about celebrating our new family. Happy Anniversary to all of us!! (when my scanner works I'll upload a wedding photo but in the meantime, this is us after two years of bliss!)

Questions

Where is our LID (Log In Date)? What date is our LID? When will we get our LID? Has Kavanna been born yet? Will we get twins? How long is the wait? When will we travel to China? What will Kavanna be like? What will she look like? How will Ariel adjust to being a big sister? Do they sell Huggies in China? What should we bring on the trip? Why does the Chinese goverment insist on new crisp $100 bills? Why doesn't our bank carry them? Where are all the new bills, anyway? When should we start getting our shots? When should we buy a crib? What kind of stroller is best? When will referrals come? How long will we wait? Where is our LID??????

Great Wall Of China

The Great Wall Of China (not to be confused with our wonderful agency, Great Wall China Adoption) is 4500 miles long, the biggest man-made structure in the world. It can be seen from outer space. Amazingly, construction began about 2200 years ago. At a pace of 10 miles per day, it would take about 15 months to walk the entire length of the wall... which, ironically, is about the time our journey to Kavanna will take us, assuming a 10 month post DTC wait and another two months before we travel. We started this journey in September 2005 and hope to be in China in December 2006. This might be overly optimistic but our fingers are crossed.

A few days ago I dreamed that we were in China with Kavanna. In the dream, I was ecstatic and joyful beyond belief. I then turned away for a moment and in that split second she was gone... I searched frantically and finally located her in the hallway, sticking her finger into an electrical outlet ... I woke up (heart pounding) and looked around our house. And that's when I realized: why, we live in a death trap! Electrical hazards abound. Dangerous and deadly plants are everwhere. The skillet atop our stove is even a hazard (one pull on the handle and bam). So, let the babyproofing begin!

According to the U.S. government, about 2.5 million children are injured (or worse) due to safety hazards in the home. The government recommendations include:

SAFETY LATCHES AND GATES for cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and bathrooms.

SAFETY GATES to prevent falls down the stairs

DOOR KNOBS AND DOOR LOCKS to prevent kids from entering a room where they might find hazards, including doors that lead to the backyard, especially if you have a pool.

ANTI-SCALDING DEVICES for faucets and showers. Set your water temperature to 120 degrees to prevent accidental scalding.

OUTLET COVERS AND OUTLET PLATES to prevent electrocution.

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS should be placed outside bedrooms.

CUT WINDOW CORDS AND USE CORD STOPS to prevent strangling.

DOOR STOPS AND DOOR HOLDERS can prevent accidental smooshing of fingers and hands.

This is scary stuff but a little precaution goes a long way.

Letter to Kavanna

给Kavanna 的信件

Dear Kavanna,

I don’t know where you are right now, but sooner or later you’ll be home with us. In a sense, you’re going to be born twice. Not born again in the religious sense, but in your short life you will experience two completely different worlds and step from one life into another.

Your first birth will be in China… you’ll spend the first months of your life in an orphanage or a foster home. If it’s an orphanage, you’ll likely be surrounded by dozens of other children and grow accustomed to the din of voices raised in laughter, delight or protest. You’ll probably never leave the orphanage grounds. You may never ride in a car or see a dog or a park. If you’re in a foster home, you’ll probably experience what it’s like to be part of a family. Either way, I hope your caretakers give you lots of love and hugs and kisses. I hope you feel loved and safe and secure. I hope you get enough food to eat and that you’re warm enough and happy.

Your second birth will also be in China… it will start as soon as you meet me and Ariel and David, also known as mama and pei pei (big sister) and baba (daddy). I can’t imagine how it will feel to be ripped from the life you know and be placed in the arms of strangers. My hope is that with each passing minute, hour and day, we’ll become less like strangers to each other and more familiar... until we feel like family. You’ll come home to a vastly different world, with lots of space and all kinds of new people and creatures - like Roy-Boy and our extremely shy hermit crab, plus the bunny-rabbit family who feasts on our grass, and the ducks and turtles who live at the lake.

Our journey to you is taking longer than we’d like, but we know eventually we’ll be united. Then a new journey will begin for all of us. We are so excited to start a life with you! Your grandparents can’t wait to welcome you and either can all our friends.

Wherever you are, you’re already in our thoughts and our hearts.

Love, from your forever family—
Mommy, Daddy, and Ariel
P.S. If we are referred twins, this letter is to Mikayla, too!