One World, One Dream.

This seems to be a better (although more difficult to read) translation of the "Beijing Welcomes You" song. I'll admit that my Mandarin is horrible, but I recognized 没关系 (mei guan xi). This version seemed to me to match up better on that part of the song. If you know of a better translation, though, please let me know!

Also, if you are as addicted to this song as I am, you can order the cd here http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-index/pid-1011006337/. I just ordered mine yesterday, so I don't know yet whether it is playable in a US cd player. I'll report back in a few weeks when it arrives.

If you don't have the patience to listen to the whole thing, at least take away the final message:

Whether black or white, men or women, Christian or Muslim, Westerners or Easterners, all together for a dream.
No more separation.
ONE WORLD ONE DREAM.

28 months today

Today is our 28-month LID-iversary and I sincerely hope that by this time next month we will have been matched with Nora. Well, I hope that every month, but this month it might actually be true.

As of now, our agency doesn't have any information about the next group of matches, but they hope to hear within the next couple of weeks.

We could have Nora's photo in just two or three weeks -- I can hardly believe it!

Sichuan Earthquake Update

It now sounds like the death toll from the Sichuan earthquake may be as high as 50,000 people. Of course there are also many thousands of survivors who have lost their families, homes, livelihoods or are unable to get food and water. I saw some of the victims on tv and they are not whining or complaining or demanding, just hoping that there will be some help for them. It breaks my heart.

Our wonderful agency, Chinese Children Adoption International ("CCAI"), which is a 503(c) charitable organization, has set up a relief fund. 100% of all donations will go to help orphans in China -- to provide funds for tents, food, medicine, etc. There are babies without food or shelter.

Please think about how much you have right now ... food, clothing, a roof over your head, the love of a family. If you are able to help, you can donate here: http://www.chinesechildren.org/Sichuan_earthquake.aspx. Your contribution will be put to very good use.

Sichuan Earthquake

I haven't written about the Sichuan earthquake, mostly because I don't know what to say. It is heartbreaking. If you are wondering how you can help and be assured that your donation directly benefits the victims of this disaster, there are some good pointers here (click on "here").

The stories on the news are incredible - large families living under a sheet of plastic because their home was destroyed, people without food or clean drinking water. People who have lost loved ones. Families who have lost their children. Very, very sad.

Beijing Welcomes You

This has been around for almost a month, so I'm a bit slow to discover, but here's a fantastic video of "Beijing Welcomes You" performed by 100 Chinese artists to celebrate the 100 day countdown to the Olympics. You can read more about it here: http://english.cri.cn/4026/2008/04/18/1361@347478.htm

Enjoy! It's very catchy -- I promise you'll be humming it tonight.

(FYI there's another version with English subtitles here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skan0yO-qU8)

Nora's sweet new ride

Rob and I had a really nice day today - lunch out, some errands and a nice walk with Maddie this evening. One of our afternoon stops was at the big REI annual sale. I was looking for closed toe sandals to wear in China, which I didn't find, but they did have 20% off BOB strollers. Irresistible!

Here's photo of Nora's new ride - an orange BOB revolution:

We're keeping it in the basement for now. As you can see, we haven't done the baseboards there yet, mostly because we don't want to stress out Abigail (our 18 yo cat who likes to hang out down there). Trust me, we do have baseboards in the rest of the house. Probably I should have taken it somewhere better for the photo, but it didn't seem worth the trouble at the time.

Obviously we'll also need an umbrella type stroller for trips to the mall and stuff like that. Any recommendations? I was thinking maybe a Maclaren - the Volo is the lightest, but it's also the most bare bones and only has one seating position for the baby. I'm wondering if the Quest might be a better choice because it has 4 seating positions. Does anyone have one and either like it or hate it? Do you have another brand/model that you love?

Packing list challenge #7 - baby meds

I haven't written about the packing list challenge in a while and slacking off is only part of the explanation. I skipped the March challenge (caretaker/orphanage/government official gifts) because our agency provides guidelines by province. I want to follow their guidelines, but it means that we can't purchase gifts until after we receive our referral. I consider this sort of an excused absence.

April's baby meds challenge was doable, though -- and even prompted me to find a pediatrician! Part of what I discussed with her in our first consultation was travel meds for Nora. I know that a lot of people take antibiotics with them to China, but I was concerned about this, mostly because I don't believe that I am qualified to diagnose a bacterial infection and I know that improper use of antibiotics is partly responsible for drug-resistant "super bugs". We talked about this for a while and agreed that the human body, if well cared-for, is amazingly capable of healing itself. What I will carry are Elimite (a prescription for scabies, a kind of louse prevalent in orphanages), hydrocortisone cream (to relieve itching due to scabies), pain reliever, and not a lot else. If Nora is sicker than that, she needs medical attention anyway.

Here's my list-to-date (all over-the-counter, except for the Elimite) and a photo of what we've got so far:

• Aquaphor for eczema
• Little Noses saline drops
• Neosporin antibiotic ointment for cuts/scratches
• Benadryl
• Bulb aspirator
• A&D ointment
• Digital rectal thermometer
• KY jelly (assume this is for the thermometer)
• Adhesive bandages
• First aid tape
• Gauze
• Alcohol wipes (not shown)
• Aveeno hydrocortizone cream for eczema or itching due to scabies
• T-gel shampoo for cradle cap -- do I need this?
• Baby Tylenol
• Baby Motrin
• L'Occitane lavender wipes (as bug repellent, not shown)
• Orajel (not shown - we have a couple of different kinds, in a couple of different flavors)
• Children's ear planes (for ear pressure on the plane)
• Children's sea bands (for motion sickness)

Still needed:

• Elimite
• Echinacea
• Pediatric electrolyte powder
• Baby sunscreen
• Small scissors

Ok, give it to me straight. Too much stuff? Not enough? (I have a bias toward thinking it's too much)

Also, I have a funny husband story to share. Rob and I were talking this evening about the possibility of being referred twins and what our second name would be. We have an already-agreed-upon second name -- or so I thought -- but Rob seems to think that all names should be nickname-able. I disagree. I didn't like either of his suggested nicknames for our second girl name and I think a really good name stands on its own. So, I asked Rob what nickname he thought he'd use for Nora (which I consider non-nickname-able). His answer: "No".

Score: Rob 1, Jennifer 0.*

*notice that Rob goes by a nickname and I use the name that my parents gave me, just thought I'd point that out.

Operation family dinner - week 2 status report

This week our meals came from Moosewood Simple Suppers and Veganomicon. Everything we made was fantastic, although I should mention that the Veganomicon recipes are somewhat more involved and not all suitable for weeknight meals (i.e. take too long to make).

This week's dinners were:

• Seitan Piccata with Olives & Green Beans (I made my own seitan using the recipe in Veganomicon and it was wonderful!), served with mashed yukon gold potatoes.
• Rustic White Beans & Mushrooms and Tomato Couscous with Capers
• Greek Salad (a different one than last week)
• Mexican Polenta Stuffed Peppers (made a TON - we are still eating leftovers)
• Potato and Kale Enchiladas

We ate out once. I had a seared ahi appetizer with salad greens (as my meal). Rob ordered the ahi appetizer too and also a coconut shrimp appetizer. Then we split a chocolate creme brule for dessert. We ate well, but lightly, so it doesn't feel so decadent.

I had also planned on making Sichuan Silken Tofu with Udon Noodles and Pan Asian Slaw, but with the (unplanned) meal out and a bunch of leftovers from the other dinners, we really didn't need it. I'm planning on making it this week instead.

The family dinner project continues to go well - I even lost 3.8 lbs last week, which puts me in first place in the bigger loser challenge we're doing at work. My goal is losing 12 lbs, so at this rate I'll be there in no time! A little friendly competition is a great motivator. So is fear of swimsuit season.

Another new look

I decided yesterday to do a little blog redecorating and unfortunately forgot to take a screen shot with the old template. I do have a copy of the old header, though.

and I took a screenshot of Nora's libary sub-page, which hasn't been updated yet.

Calendar update - May Matches!

May referrals arrived today and appear to cover log in dates from January 10 through January 12, 2006. We're almost there -- maybe next month!

Congratulations to everyone who is receiving their referral! Seeing all the happy families being made gives me hope!

Yawn. I mean ... whee....

This month's rumor roller coaster has turned out to be more of a kiddie ride. No ups, no downs, really not much in the way of rumors at all.

First we heard that this month's batch included the 12th. Then we heard it was through the 12th. Then we heard it included the 12th and was maybe through the 12th. Oh, the suspense. Do you think the cutoff might be, uhm, I don't know, the 12th?

I've thought since December or January that we'd get our referral in June and I still think that. Not much of a roller coaster anymore and, you know what, that's ok with me as long it eventually happens.

There are a number of families with our agency who have 1/11/06 LIDs and we're really hoping that they see their babies' faces this week. Fingers crossed for you guys!!

The best dog ever

I know this probably looks Photoshopped, but it is a real photo! Maddie and I were practicing her down-stays and I decided to try propping a book up in front of her. I'm not sure why we have a Golden Retrievers for Dummies book, but it was good for a photo op.

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I also made a scrapbook layout of the photo with Maddie's evaluation from her Obedience II class on Saturday. She got an "Excellent", by the way, and is approved to move on to just about any class we want to take next. The original plan was to do the Canine Good Citizen class next, but we're having such a good time working together, that I'm thinking of signing up for Obedience III or Rally instead.

P.S. The little girl next door told her mom that Maddie is her best friend. Isn't that cute?! Maddie's gonna be great with Nora.

** Paper and elements from Miss Mint/Peppermint Creative Good Dog kit. **

Operation family dinner - week 1 status report

Our first full week of healthy family dinners has been a huge success. The food has been so good that Rob is concerned that it's going to make him fat (even though there's no reason to think that - everything is super healthy and fresh). Five of our meals came from the Moosewood Simple Suppers book and every one was fantastic.

Here's a rundown of the week:

• Easy Egg Rolls
• Southwestern Black Bean Salad
• Sesame Tofu with Spinach and Soba Noodles
• West Indian Red Beans and Coconut Rice
• Greek Salad (not from the Moosewood book)
• Greek Frittata

One night we were rushed and had Amy's Organics microwave dinners. It was still a fairly healthy meal, so I don't feel too bad about it.

I have another new cookbook, Veganomicon, that we'll be trying this week. We're also making a few more recipes from the Moosewood book.

Now my cookbook cabinet is full. I need to go through my old books and get rid of the ones we never use. Any idea on how to dispose of old cookbooks? Maybe I should check if the Animal Shelter is planning another book sale and see if they'll take them.

Amazing China

First of all, have you seen the new National Geographic?? It's a special issue about China (click on the magazine title above to link to their site). I bought two print copies at Borders this afternoon - one to read and one to save for Nora.

I haven't read the whole magazine yet, but I've read enough to be inspired to do the "About China" page for Nora's lifebook as this week's digi-scrapping homework (topic was recoloring an element - I recolored the filmstrip and the dragon sticker)

Paper - Confucius Says by Heather Roselli for Sweet Shoppe Designs

Photostrip Element - Adapted from Amy Teets Birthday Mini Elements

Dragon Element - Adapted from Maria LaFrance Journeys of the Heart

Fonts - 1001 Free Fonts Chinese Takeaway and Font Garden Astrid

Life without plastic

I found a great site this evening - http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/

I've been looking for a while for non-plastic dishes for Nora and was happy to have found some more options (the Reed and Barton ones in my previous post seem to no longer be available at the site linked in the post, but you can see them here - click on the word here).

Baby bottles are still a point of confusion. I'd planned on getting the Wee-go bottles, but when I went to the store last weekend they told me they didn't carry them anymore because the nipples leaked. Ugh. I don't want plastic, but I don't want smelly formula dripping all over the place either.

Anyone have any thoughts about ditching the plastic??

Pocket language guide

Last week I ordered the "red card" language guide from OCDF. It arrived in the mail yesterday and is even better than I had hoped! Who knew that so much could fit in such a small space?!

I had been sort of casually working on my own pocket phrase guide, but I think I'm going to abandon that effort in favor of this handy little card (it's a 22 page fold-out). I'll also probably bring the travel language guide that we ordered from our agency, since it isn't very big either.

It's fun to actually be thinking about travel!

Pediatrician - check.

I met with our prospective pediatrician today and couldn't have been happier - I think she's perfect for us! We are on the same page with respect to vaccinations, antibiotics, nutrition and healthcare in general. She gave me a copy of their clinic's baby care binder which contained all kinds of information and said that we'd add to it as Nora grows. This is great - I'm so relieved!!

I also asked her if there were any books that she'd recommend that I read before Nora comes home and she suggested two: Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell and Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Revised Edition: Birth to Age 5 by American Academy Of Pediatrics

The second book we already have (we got it free from State Farm!), but the first one is new to me. It is apparently about examining how our parenting is shaped by the way we were raised. I think it's about not repeating your parents' mistakes. All I can say is that if I'm half the mother my mom is, Nora will turn out great.

Totally unrelated to my visit with the pediatrician, Nora got a beautiful present today - my friend Z was in San Francisco on business last week and he bought Nora the prettiest outfit in Chinatown. He even got shoes (I think we have Z's wife J to thank for that!). Isn't it so cute?!

New PSE skill - spot of color

This week's Photoshop lesson was making a color photo into b&w and then reintroducing some of the color. I did a little still life of the stuff on top of our office armoire. Isn't this the coolest thing?! I think there are some great possibilities for using this technique with baby photos.

I also learned to make my own patterned paper. I made a dot and a plaid, which I used in a layout with the photo above. Really, though, the photo is the star.

Love my Photoshop class!!

Next-to-last Secret Pal gift

I am truly sad to see the last of our secret pal exchanges coming to a close next month. The good news is that we are getting so close to our referral that it makes sense to wrap up the exchange, but I'm really going to miss our secret pal -- hopefully we'll be able to stay in touch after the swap ends next month. I'm also excited to finally get to find out who has been sending us so many wonderful, thoughtful gifts over all these months!

This month's next-to-last gift was (almost) all about hair -- our SP sent a comb and brush set, teeny tiny baby barrettes (perfect for someone with not much hair) and adorable curly ribbon pony tail holders.

She also sent the cutest board book, All About My Day, that is a "baby's first scrapbook" . It is so cool! It has places for us to slip in photos of Nora doing all the things described in the book - eating dinner, playing with her favorite toy, etc. She is going to love reading about herself!!

I also want to send BIG THANKS to Manette for organizing this swap - you've been an awesome hostess!!

Hoping for anything less than "Horrid"

The Queen is back and I'm liking her projections -- come on bad case!!

As silly as that sounds, four of the past five months have been "Horrid" or "Worse-than-Horrid". As someone said earlier today, "Horrid" is the new normal.

I still think that we'll get our referral in June, but I sure am having a good time thinking about May.