A few things that I've ordered have come in over the past few days. First of all, our Ergo Sport Baby Carrier came this weekend. I'm dying to try it out, but the puppy dog just doesn't want to cooperate with me on that.
A few books also came in... Rosie's Adoption Story, I Don't Have Your Eyes, and Red Thread Journey; a Fairy Tale. So Cute!!
Tonight I am going to a large consignment sale at the local Catholic church. I went to this same sale back in January and bought so many cute spring and summer outfits. Yes, those same outfits that are now probably going to waste. Today starts the fall and winter sale, so I am going to stock up.
The good news is that I found out that anyone can be a consignor. You don't have to be a member of the church. So all those things I bought before... if they end up not being used, I can take them back and re-sell them in January. They tell you to price your item at 30% of the retail price. Then if it sells, you get 70% and the church gets 30%, for which you get a tax receipt for a donation. A friend of mine said she made over $700 at one of the sales!!! Woo Hoo!!! So, I feel much more inclined to do my shopping for fall and winter. I'll buy a few 6 month things, a lot of 9 month things, and a few 12 month things. That should cover the range I need.
I can't wait. I'll try to post pictures of any treasures that I find!!
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Pins and Needles
Since figuring out we are next NEXT and should be receiving our referral at the end of September, I've been on Pins and Needles. All day long I've got packing lists and to do lists and what not dancing through my head. Every morning I must check the blogs of those in China now and it makes me giddy with excitement.
This is not good. This is going to make the next 2 months DRAG by.
The good news is that this months referrals had a lot of very young babies. The youngest referral I've ever seen was this month and it was for a 5 1/2 month old. I would LOVE to get a young young baby. I'm not counting on it, and I won't be disappointed if we don't, but it sure would be nice to have more of our daughter's babyhood, and that means less time for her without a mom and a dad.
So, there is a chance that all those 12 month old clothes I bought will not go to waste after all... we might be using them next spring if we get a young baby! Chinese babies are typically smaller anyway. It would not be uncommon for a 12 month old child to wear 6-9 month old clothing. But of course, with all the different ethnic minorities in China, this is not a hard and fast rule.
So that's where we are right now. In the final countdown. Less than 2 months to referral. My birthday is in August, right around the time referrals are expected. I have my last triathlon for the season on August 16th. Clemson Football starts on September 5th. If there ever was a time where I wished for time to fly by, this is it.
Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.
This is not good. This is going to make the next 2 months DRAG by.
The good news is that this months referrals had a lot of very young babies. The youngest referral I've ever seen was this month and it was for a 5 1/2 month old. I would LOVE to get a young young baby. I'm not counting on it, and I won't be disappointed if we don't, but it sure would be nice to have more of our daughter's babyhood, and that means less time for her without a mom and a dad.
So, there is a chance that all those 12 month old clothes I bought will not go to waste after all... we might be using them next spring if we get a young baby! Chinese babies are typically smaller anyway. It would not be uncommon for a 12 month old child to wear 6-9 month old clothing. But of course, with all the different ethnic minorities in China, this is not a hard and fast rule.
So that's where we are right now. In the final countdown. Less than 2 months to referral. My birthday is in August, right around the time referrals are expected. I have my last triathlon for the season on August 16th. Clemson Football starts on September 5th. If there ever was a time where I wished for time to fly by, this is it.
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Monday, July 20, 2009
September it is...
The big news today is that the CCAA has mailed referrals for families logged in on 3-21 and 3-22. What this means for us, is that next month, the referrals should be for 3-23, 3-24, 3-25, and 3-26. (3-23 and 3-24 are medium big days and 3-25 and 3-26 are teeny tiny). We are a shoo in for September. I am 95% sure this is when it's gonna happen- when we will receive our referral. I think at this point the only thing that would prevent that from happening is if referrals stopped altogether for a month again.
So, a referral in September (likely the week of 9-21 through 9-25) would mean we will travel to China late October/Early November. YAY!!! We should be home in time for Thanksgiving. The long wait is almost over. It's hard to comprehend.
I would like to address something that today I had to address with my mom. I will not be taking the baby to any baby showers, parties, or any kind of get together until we are home for several months. Over stimulation for a child who has only known a very small world can cause them to shut down and will make the attachment process harder.
Let me paint the picture for you... a child, who is around a year old... has never ever left the orphanage except on the day she was brought to you. If she was fortunate enough to be in foster care, she was likely in a home that was very simple, perhaps even dirt floors.
Suddenly for the first time in her life she is removed from that world. And handed over to 2 people who look nothing like her other caregivers. Who smell weird and want her to eat different food. Her clothes are different too... no longer bundled up in 10 layers. And airconditioning in the hotel...this is new too. Suddenly she's in an airport... surrounded by a crowd of people...loud noises and lots of lights. Then she is on a plane for at least 17 hours. Day is night and night is now day. She is brought into a new home...all the Chinese faces have disappeared... no one looks familiar. The things these people are saying... they don't sound anything like the sounds she's heard. Suddenly there is a furry creature there....
That is a lot of change to happen to a one year old in a very short amount of time. When we come home, our world will be very small. We are going to be at home most of the time. Any trips out of the house will be to quiet places like the library, or a park, or for a walk in the neighborhood. If I have to take her to the store, she will be in the carrier facing me and we will go when I know not a lot of people will be there. Even though it will be near Christmas, the only decorations I will likely put up are the tree and stockings. All my attention will be on this child and teaching her what it means to have a mommy and a daddy and a home. After we get home I will only have 10 weeks before I am back at work full time. I have to make sure she is as attached to us as possible, and part of that means keeping her world small.
Until we feel she's bonded with us, Derek and I will be the only ones to hold her and feed her and change her. She has to learn that we are her parents and she can trust on us to take care of her.
I'm not going to be one of those parents who think their way is the only way. BUT, I am going to be vigilant about helping her bond with us in the beginning as that will set the stage for how secure she is her entire life. I'm reading the books, doing the research. I realize there are no guarantees. And our daughter may bond to us very quickly and I will be able to relax more about it when we are home. I have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I have to be ready for this to be a difficult transition.
I know many of you mean well, and think, "Oh it will be ok, all you have to do is love her and she'll fall in love with you and Derek." I respect the fact that many of you are parents and grandparents and you have a wealth of experience and advice. But please know that parenting a child who has been instituionalized her entire life and has been abandoned twice (1st by birth parents and 2nd by her orphanage caregivers)is different than giving birth to a child. If we do it right in the beginning, the chance for problems later greatly diminishes. So while I realize you do know what you are doing for your children, please respect our wishes concerning our child. I can't wait to introduce her to our friends and family... but I will do so only as I feel she can handle it... one at a time... most likely in our home.
I hope you all can share in our joy and I hope that no one gets their feelings hurt. We are just trying to do what we feel is best for our daughter.
Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.
So, a referral in September (likely the week of 9-21 through 9-25) would mean we will travel to China late October/Early November. YAY!!! We should be home in time for Thanksgiving. The long wait is almost over. It's hard to comprehend.
I would like to address something that today I had to address with my mom. I will not be taking the baby to any baby showers, parties, or any kind of get together until we are home for several months. Over stimulation for a child who has only known a very small world can cause them to shut down and will make the attachment process harder.
Let me paint the picture for you... a child, who is around a year old... has never ever left the orphanage except on the day she was brought to you. If she was fortunate enough to be in foster care, she was likely in a home that was very simple, perhaps even dirt floors.
Suddenly for the first time in her life she is removed from that world. And handed over to 2 people who look nothing like her other caregivers. Who smell weird and want her to eat different food. Her clothes are different too... no longer bundled up in 10 layers. And airconditioning in the hotel...this is new too. Suddenly she's in an airport... surrounded by a crowd of people...loud noises and lots of lights. Then she is on a plane for at least 17 hours. Day is night and night is now day. She is brought into a new home...all the Chinese faces have disappeared... no one looks familiar. The things these people are saying... they don't sound anything like the sounds she's heard. Suddenly there is a furry creature there....
That is a lot of change to happen to a one year old in a very short amount of time. When we come home, our world will be very small. We are going to be at home most of the time. Any trips out of the house will be to quiet places like the library, or a park, or for a walk in the neighborhood. If I have to take her to the store, she will be in the carrier facing me and we will go when I know not a lot of people will be there. Even though it will be near Christmas, the only decorations I will likely put up are the tree and stockings. All my attention will be on this child and teaching her what it means to have a mommy and a daddy and a home. After we get home I will only have 10 weeks before I am back at work full time. I have to make sure she is as attached to us as possible, and part of that means keeping her world small.
Until we feel she's bonded with us, Derek and I will be the only ones to hold her and feed her and change her. She has to learn that we are her parents and she can trust on us to take care of her.
I'm not going to be one of those parents who think their way is the only way. BUT, I am going to be vigilant about helping her bond with us in the beginning as that will set the stage for how secure she is her entire life. I'm reading the books, doing the research. I realize there are no guarantees. And our daughter may bond to us very quickly and I will be able to relax more about it when we are home. I have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I have to be ready for this to be a difficult transition.
I know many of you mean well, and think, "Oh it will be ok, all you have to do is love her and she'll fall in love with you and Derek." I respect the fact that many of you are parents and grandparents and you have a wealth of experience and advice. But please know that parenting a child who has been instituionalized her entire life and has been abandoned twice (1st by birth parents and 2nd by her orphanage caregivers)is different than giving birth to a child. If we do it right in the beginning, the chance for problems later greatly diminishes. So while I realize you do know what you are doing for your children, please respect our wishes concerning our child. I can't wait to introduce her to our friends and family... but I will do so only as I feel she can handle it... one at a time... most likely in our home.
I hope you all can share in our joy and I hope that no one gets their feelings hurt. We are just trying to do what we feel is best for our daughter.
Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Freak out!
So I'm surfing the net this morning, making all my usual stops and I see a new post on Rumor Queen.... apparently a Canadian agency received referrals yesterday for their families logged in on 3/21 and 3/23. WHAT?
What does this mean? Were these referrals sent out by accident too early? Were they really logged in on 3/20 and they are just late?
So many possibilities. I've emailed CCAI to see what's up. Because if this is a 2nd batch, and that batch goes through 3/23, then there is a great chance that we are NEXT.
Did I just type that?
Oh Boy. I'm gonna be one busy girl next week. I suddenly feel so unprepared!
What does this mean? Were these referrals sent out by accident too early? Were they really logged in on 3/20 and they are just late?
So many possibilities. I've emailed CCAI to see what's up. Because if this is a 2nd batch, and that batch goes through 3/23, then there is a great chance that we are NEXT.
Did I just type that?
Oh Boy. I'm gonna be one busy girl next week. I suddenly feel so unprepared!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A List a Mile Long...
So next week I am off from work (mandatory shut down) and my to do list has grown like kudzu on a steamy afternoon in the South. (for those of you that don't know, kudzu grows like a gazillion feet per day).
I want to replace our front shutters... the green ones that are up are getting kind of bleached out from the sun. I am putting up black instead (they are in stock at home depot). I also need to pull weeds and clean the house. You know, one of those "good" cleanings where you do things like dust the ceiling fans.
I want to go register at Target and Babies R Us. This is how I am going to feed my shopping habit without actually spending any money. I am very excited to do this, I've held off because our referral seems so far away. Well, it's getting closer now, and I know I won't have time to do it after the referral, so I thought I'd go ahead. My friend Jennifer is going with me to do the Target one and my mom is going with me to do the one at Babies R Us. Fun stuff! I hope to visit a few consignment shops as well while we are out.
I also need to start the 100 good wishes quilt. If I don't do it before baby girl comes home, she'll be in college before I get to work on it. I figure I'll do the top and then get someone else (perhaps the quilt shop) to quilt it to the bottom. First I have to decide on a design and buy the coordinating fabric. I will probably do that this Saturday, after my triathlon.
Oh yeh, did I mention I'm racing again this weekend? Short sprint here in town, shouldn't be too big of a deal. Should be home and done by lunch.
I am also taking Derek's mom to a few doctor's appointments, and I'm sure other things will crop up during the week. And of course I'll need some relaxing-by-the-pool time. Good stuff.
Today I ordered "Taming the Tiger While It's Still A Kitten" attachment parenting cds and booklet. I really need to start educating myself on this. Odds are our daughter won't have any issues, still, I think we need to be prepared in case there are problems.
I guess that's all that's going on at the moment. The next set of referrals probably won't be out until the week of July 20th- 24th. I hope hope hope they do more than just 2 days worth, but that is all I am realistically expecting.
I want to replace our front shutters... the green ones that are up are getting kind of bleached out from the sun. I am putting up black instead (they are in stock at home depot). I also need to pull weeds and clean the house. You know, one of those "good" cleanings where you do things like dust the ceiling fans.
I want to go register at Target and Babies R Us. This is how I am going to feed my shopping habit without actually spending any money. I am very excited to do this, I've held off because our referral seems so far away. Well, it's getting closer now, and I know I won't have time to do it after the referral, so I thought I'd go ahead. My friend Jennifer is going with me to do the Target one and my mom is going with me to do the one at Babies R Us. Fun stuff! I hope to visit a few consignment shops as well while we are out.
I also need to start the 100 good wishes quilt. If I don't do it before baby girl comes home, she'll be in college before I get to work on it. I figure I'll do the top and then get someone else (perhaps the quilt shop) to quilt it to the bottom. First I have to decide on a design and buy the coordinating fabric. I will probably do that this Saturday, after my triathlon.
Oh yeh, did I mention I'm racing again this weekend? Short sprint here in town, shouldn't be too big of a deal. Should be home and done by lunch.
I am also taking Derek's mom to a few doctor's appointments, and I'm sure other things will crop up during the week. And of course I'll need some relaxing-by-the-pool time. Good stuff.
Today I ordered "Taming the Tiger While It's Still A Kitten" attachment parenting cds and booklet. I really need to start educating myself on this. Odds are our daughter won't have any issues, still, I think we need to be prepared in case there are problems.
I guess that's all that's going on at the moment. The next set of referrals probably won't be out until the week of July 20th- 24th. I hope hope hope they do more than just 2 days worth, but that is all I am realistically expecting.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
June Referrals are in...
And the Log in Dates covered were March 15th, 2006- March 20th, 2006. If you remember, our LID is March 27th, 2006. So we are close.... very close....
My best guess is still September, though there is an outside chance for August. If we receive our referral in September, we would likely travel at the end of October-Beginning of November, and should be home in time for Thanksgiving.
Wow. How cool is that? Thanksgiving- Christmas is such a special time of the year anyway, so being able to spend that time at home with my new baby girl getting to know one another will be such a blessing. Maybe I'll be able to piece her 100 good wishes quilt together before we go. I would love to find someone who can quilt it together for me. I can do it, but really don't have the time to sit and quilt it... (truth be known I'm not sure I have the patience... hand quilting is sloooooowwwwww).
In other news, I think I will be making a new purchase soon... a Flip Ultra HD digital camcorder. They are so reasonably priced and seem to offer everything we need in the way of a camera. I love that they are so small and honestly, I don't think I will ever need anything more than the 2 hours of footage that the camera will hold.
Had a sprint race this past weekend. Tri the Midlands in Columbia, SC. It was hot. Hell Hot. I saw the devil on the course. I did pretty good, finished 27th OA female and 6th of 19 in my age group. I was satisfied with my swim, pleased with my bike, and disgusted with my run. I had to take 3 walk breaks. That is so unlike me. The 5th place girl passed me in the last mile... I tried to run her back down but had nothing left. She ended up about :30 ahead of me. But I am pleased that I seem to be getting better overall... still not at the front of the pack but seem to be moving to the front of the middle of the pack. That's better than I thought I was capable 3 years ago. I'll keep training and working hard. It seems to be paying off.
Have another race this weekend in downtown Greenville. Go Tri Sports Sprint- 300m swim, 9 mile bike, 5K run. The bike is a 3 loop course and the 5K run is an out and back on a trail. This should be interesting...
Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.
My best guess is still September, though there is an outside chance for August. If we receive our referral in September, we would likely travel at the end of October-Beginning of November, and should be home in time for Thanksgiving.
Wow. How cool is that? Thanksgiving- Christmas is such a special time of the year anyway, so being able to spend that time at home with my new baby girl getting to know one another will be such a blessing. Maybe I'll be able to piece her 100 good wishes quilt together before we go. I would love to find someone who can quilt it together for me. I can do it, but really don't have the time to sit and quilt it... (truth be known I'm not sure I have the patience... hand quilting is sloooooowwwwww).
In other news, I think I will be making a new purchase soon... a Flip Ultra HD digital camcorder. They are so reasonably priced and seem to offer everything we need in the way of a camera. I love that they are so small and honestly, I don't think I will ever need anything more than the 2 hours of footage that the camera will hold.
Had a sprint race this past weekend. Tri the Midlands in Columbia, SC. It was hot. Hell Hot. I saw the devil on the course. I did pretty good, finished 27th OA female and 6th of 19 in my age group. I was satisfied with my swim, pleased with my bike, and disgusted with my run. I had to take 3 walk breaks. That is so unlike me. The 5th place girl passed me in the last mile... I tried to run her back down but had nothing left. She ended up about :30 ahead of me. But I am pleased that I seem to be getting better overall... still not at the front of the pack but seem to be moving to the front of the middle of the pack. That's better than I thought I was capable 3 years ago. I'll keep training and working hard. It seems to be paying off.
Have another race this weekend in downtown Greenville. Go Tri Sports Sprint- 300m swim, 9 mile bike, 5K run. The bike is a 3 loop course and the 5K run is an out and back on a trail. This should be interesting...
Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Does this worry anyone else?
Ok, having been the daughter of an engineer who worked for Milliken & Co., I have always been taught the importance of buying American made products. This fact has been reiterated to me over and over in my life, and even more so as an adult since I work for an American manufacturing company.
I believe a lot of our country's problems today can be directly linked back to what I call "The Walmart Effect" and our country's primary focus on finding and buying cheaper and cheaper products. This has not only killed the small businessman, who now can only exist in a niche market, but has also killed American manufacturing companies. The fact is that labor is cheaper in other countries and transportation, which was once an obstacle to doing business with foreign countries, is now easily accessible and relatively inexpensive. This has driven the consumption of Chinese made products up to an all time high.
Lately, with the way the economy is going, people have started to once again talk about "buying American" and steering clear of the "cheap and inferior" products coming out of China. This worries me.
1. I am absolutely behind the "buy American" campaign. I truly think that by doing so, we can help bring this country back.
2. I am worried that my Chinese born daughter will hear someone comment about the "cheap and inferior" products coming out of China and will think that about herself.
Obviously, we will do our best to raise our daughter so she NEVER questions her self worth. But, surely she will hear these comments over and over again throughout her life. And I'm sure it will not make her feel proud to be an American, but rather ashamed that she is Chinese. This is something I really worry about.
And to be honest, while I loathe Walmart, and try to never step foot in there, I can't blame the Chinese for the downfall in American manufacturing. The people of China are doing everything they can to create wealth for their country- to rise from severe poverty levels that claim so many Chinese families... which may have been a reason that my daughter was abandoned. So, I can't disparage China for wanting more for their people. I want my daughter to be proud that she is Chinese. As proud as I want her to be that she is American. Can the two co-exist?
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I believe a lot of our country's problems today can be directly linked back to what I call "The Walmart Effect" and our country's primary focus on finding and buying cheaper and cheaper products. This has not only killed the small businessman, who now can only exist in a niche market, but has also killed American manufacturing companies. The fact is that labor is cheaper in other countries and transportation, which was once an obstacle to doing business with foreign countries, is now easily accessible and relatively inexpensive. This has driven the consumption of Chinese made products up to an all time high.
Lately, with the way the economy is going, people have started to once again talk about "buying American" and steering clear of the "cheap and inferior" products coming out of China. This worries me.
1. I am absolutely behind the "buy American" campaign. I truly think that by doing so, we can help bring this country back.
2. I am worried that my Chinese born daughter will hear someone comment about the "cheap and inferior" products coming out of China and will think that about herself.
Obviously, we will do our best to raise our daughter so she NEVER questions her self worth. But, surely she will hear these comments over and over again throughout her life. And I'm sure it will not make her feel proud to be an American, but rather ashamed that she is Chinese. This is something I really worry about.
And to be honest, while I loathe Walmart, and try to never step foot in there, I can't blame the Chinese for the downfall in American manufacturing. The people of China are doing everything they can to create wealth for their country- to rise from severe poverty levels that claim so many Chinese families... which may have been a reason that my daughter was abandoned. So, I can't disparage China for wanting more for their people. I want my daughter to be proud that she is Chinese. As proud as I want her to be that she is American. Can the two co-exist?
Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. Get it on your BlackBerry or iPhone.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Festival of Flowers OLY Tri 2009
This year I was fine on the swim, slightly faster on the bike, but my run stunk. I had to take 8 weeks off from running due to some mysterious hip flexor injury. I've only been running again pain free since the end of April, so my expectations of what I could do were not what they have been. I was just hoping to run 10 minute miles for the 10K. I managed to do the 6.2 miles in 1:01:59. I'm not sure I could have nailed 10 min miles more perfectly if I had had an official pacer.
Next year I'm going for that PR.
Anyway, I managed to finish 5th out of 9 in my age group. For the swim I was 3rd of 9 (missed 2nd by 1 second!), 3rd of 9 on the bike, and then 6 of 9 on the run. I see lots and lots of running in my future. Hopefully pushing baby girl in the jogging stroller will help me get stronger and faster.
I leave you with a picture from the race. Left to right are: Brad Fraedrich, Kimberley Westbury, Jan Garrett, Katie Malone, Me, and Andy Van Evera. All on the Malone Coaching team!!
Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that's right for you.
Friday, June 05, 2009
one more test
A little pic of my girl when we met....
Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that's right for you.
Testing
Just a little test to see if this email to post option works or not….
A little funny I found…. I wonder if Chip and Dale realize someone is selling their Chippendale chairs…
Random thoughts...
I am having one of those days where it seems like all I can do is think about the adoption, the trip to China, and what our little Tiger is going to look like. It's days like this where I can't imagine that we've waited already over 38 months. A few more to go, that's all. I guess it's normal... if I were pregnant, I would say I'm just getting ready to enter in the last trimester.
After reading about Pugmama (her blog is http://pugmama.wordress.com) and how she got her TA (travel approval) and then had to leave for China in 2 days, I am starting to make plans for everything that needs to be done once we receive our referral. I do not want to be stressing about what needs to be done at the last minute, and since we have that little black cloud hovering over us, that is bound to be what happens... We need to register... we need to purchase a car seat... we need to pick out a pediatrician...we need a stroller... we need a booster seat/highchair.... we need baby clothes (once we know about the size)... we need sleepers and onesies... we need bottles and sippy cups... you get the drift.... and don't even get me started on packing.... my plan is to take 2 large suitcases. One large suitcase for Derek and I and one that has a smaller suitcase in it for all things related to baby (yeh i'll probably mix the two in case one gets lost). I will pack diapers for the trip home all around the smaller suitcase inside the large one. This should leave us with an extra suitcase to bring home all kinds of special goodies. From what I understand Chinese diapers are not as absorbant as those sold in the US, so parents who have BTDT advise to bring some from home for baby to wear on the journey home. The last thing you need is a diaper blowout at 35,000 feet or in line at immigration...
Lately I've been enjoying reading the blogs of new parents in China... because it helps me to imagine what it's going to be like for us, and what to expect. It brings me such joy to read all about these new families. I race to my computer each morning to see what the latest post is all about!
Thank goodness it's Friday. I have a full weekend planned. Tomorrow I have a short 20 mile bike ride and then need to clean my bike and lube the chain. After that I need to get my pigsty of a house in order and laundry washed. Sunday I have my first race of the season! Festival of Flowers OLY triathlon in Greenwood, SC. Last year my time was 2:48 and change. Hoping to shave a few minutes at least off that... but I was in much better shape last year getting ready for the Ironman. Hopefully Derek can get some good pictures this year!
I guess that's all my random ramblings for now (is that redundant?).
After reading about Pugmama (her blog is http://pugmama.wordress.com) and how she got her TA (travel approval) and then had to leave for China in 2 days, I am starting to make plans for everything that needs to be done once we receive our referral. I do not want to be stressing about what needs to be done at the last minute, and since we have that little black cloud hovering over us, that is bound to be what happens... We need to register... we need to purchase a car seat... we need to pick out a pediatrician...we need a stroller... we need a booster seat/highchair.... we need baby clothes (once we know about the size)... we need sleepers and onesies... we need bottles and sippy cups... you get the drift.... and don't even get me started on packing.... my plan is to take 2 large suitcases. One large suitcase for Derek and I and one that has a smaller suitcase in it for all things related to baby (yeh i'll probably mix the two in case one gets lost). I will pack diapers for the trip home all around the smaller suitcase inside the large one. This should leave us with an extra suitcase to bring home all kinds of special goodies. From what I understand Chinese diapers are not as absorbant as those sold in the US, so parents who have BTDT advise to bring some from home for baby to wear on the journey home. The last thing you need is a diaper blowout at 35,000 feet or in line at immigration...
Lately I've been enjoying reading the blogs of new parents in China... because it helps me to imagine what it's going to be like for us, and what to expect. It brings me such joy to read all about these new families. I race to my computer each morning to see what the latest post is all about!
Thank goodness it's Friday. I have a full weekend planned. Tomorrow I have a short 20 mile bike ride and then need to clean my bike and lube the chain. After that I need to get my pigsty of a house in order and laundry washed. Sunday I have my first race of the season! Festival of Flowers OLY triathlon in Greenwood, SC. Last year my time was 2:48 and change. Hoping to shave a few minutes at least off that... but I was in much better shape last year getting ready for the Ironman. Hopefully Derek can get some good pictures this year!
I guess that's all my random ramblings for now (is that redundant?).
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Trying this on for size....
Thinking about the name Samantha.... would probably call her Sam for short....
It's not for sure, but it's moving up in the short list....
It's not for sure, but it's moving up in the short list....
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
One little day makes all the difference...
Over and over again throughout this adoption process, I've learned that one little day makes all the difference in the world. One day sooner on our doctor's visits, one day sooner on our fingerprints, one day sooner on our homestudy, etc would have meant one, or even a few days sooner that our dossier was logged in in China.
Well, after looking at the number of waiting families to be referred, I am reminded that STILL... one day makes all the difference in the world. I am beginning to understand that the best way to predict the # of referral days that are going to come out each month is to look at the number of families that are reported for each log in day (this is based on the rumorqueen website and her polls). The closer we get to referral, the more important these numbers are....
Basically I have crunched the numbers and poured over them, and if the next batch of referrals goes through a LID of 3/21/06, then we will get our referral in August. If the next batch only goes through 3/20/06, then it will most likely be September.
This date assumes that the next batch will be received sometime during this calender month, after the "April" referrals were received on May 20th. Yes, this means that a month in there will have been skipped.
On another note... I just watched a "gotcha" moment (I hate the term gotcha, btw) on the web. A one minute video showing a waiting mama receiving her precious baby girl. It suddenly hit me, I just watched a family being made, as much as if I had just watched her give birth. It was a beautiful thing, and I am not ashamed to say I got a little teary watching it. After all, that will be us in a few months. It's all starting to sink in.
Well, after looking at the number of waiting families to be referred, I am reminded that STILL... one day makes all the difference in the world. I am beginning to understand that the best way to predict the # of referral days that are going to come out each month is to look at the number of families that are reported for each log in day (this is based on the rumorqueen website and her polls). The closer we get to referral, the more important these numbers are....
Basically I have crunched the numbers and poured over them, and if the next batch of referrals goes through a LID of 3/21/06, then we will get our referral in August. If the next batch only goes through 3/20/06, then it will most likely be September.
This date assumes that the next batch will be received sometime during this calender month, after the "April" referrals were received on May 20th. Yes, this means that a month in there will have been skipped.
On another note... I just watched a "gotcha" moment (I hate the term gotcha, btw) on the web. A one minute video showing a waiting mama receiving her precious baby girl. It suddenly hit me, I just watched a family being made, as much as if I had just watched her give birth. It was a beautiful thing, and I am not ashamed to say I got a little teary watching it. After all, that will be us in a few months. It's all starting to sink in.
Monday, June 01, 2009
tick tock tick tock tick tock
Well, if I had a biological clock, that is what it would be doing. So instead I present you with what my "adoption womb" is doing.
Our best guess is still that we will get our referral anywhere from the end of July to the end of August. But I wouldn't be surprised if it extends to September. Either way, we are for sure going to be travelling this year to get our little Tiger! We still don't have a name picked out. You understand that we will probably be on the plane over the pacific still discussing names....
I received some distressing news from my employer. It seems that while I can take up to 12 weeks leave as required by law under FMLA, I will receive no compensation. I also understand that if I were giving birth to a child, rather than adopting, I would receive 6 weeks of paid time off as part of what I could take under FMLA. I guess I never realized prior to this journey all the... what's the word I'm looking for here?.... the... second class treatment that adoptive moms get. I mean, after all, we aren't REAL moms.... according to many.
It is so frustrating to be in this situation. We've had so many obstacles to overcome on this LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG journey that I just want to know, can't we catch a break?
This too shall pass. No one ever promised that life would be fair. We will be ok, I'll take the full 12 weeks (instead of only 6) and will bond with my beautiful baby girl. No, we won't have money to live high on the hog, but we'll be ok. It's just hurtful to think that not everyone will recognize our family as being "real" and that my child will go through life with other's questioning our family and perhaps not being treated equally.
But, I still love Derek, and he loves me, and we'll love our little Tiger. That's all that matters, right?
Our best guess is still that we will get our referral anywhere from the end of July to the end of August. But I wouldn't be surprised if it extends to September. Either way, we are for sure going to be travelling this year to get our little Tiger! We still don't have a name picked out. You understand that we will probably be on the plane over the pacific still discussing names....
I received some distressing news from my employer. It seems that while I can take up to 12 weeks leave as required by law under FMLA, I will receive no compensation. I also understand that if I were giving birth to a child, rather than adopting, I would receive 6 weeks of paid time off as part of what I could take under FMLA. I guess I never realized prior to this journey all the... what's the word I'm looking for here?.... the... second class treatment that adoptive moms get. I mean, after all, we aren't REAL moms.... according to many.
It is so frustrating to be in this situation. We've had so many obstacles to overcome on this LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG journey that I just want to know, can't we catch a break?
This too shall pass. No one ever promised that life would be fair. We will be ok, I'll take the full 12 weeks (instead of only 6) and will bond with my beautiful baby girl. No, we won't have money to live high on the hog, but we'll be ok. It's just hurtful to think that not everyone will recognize our family as being "real" and that my child will go through life with other's questioning our family and perhaps not being treated equally.
But, I still love Derek, and he loves me, and we'll love our little Tiger. That's all that matters, right?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Rumors Rumors
Looks like the newest set of rumors has referrals this month going through 3-14-06. If that is so, then I am excited! That puts us on track to get our referall at the end of July/Beginning of August. We would travel in September... baby girl might actually get a chance to wear all those summer clothes I bought....
Not much else to report. Spent the weekend working in the yard and getting ready to open the pool next weekend. I love our home. I could just sit on our porch and by the pool all day long everyday. *sigh*
On another note, I am starting to run again since my long hiatus due to hip flexor injury. I've been cycling and swimming, but there is just nothing like a nice long sweaty run. Oh how I've missed it. (seriously). I am slow now and can't go very far yet, but I am hopeful to be back to my racing speeds by end of June. I've got 3 races in June, one in July, and one in August that I want to do. I hope to be able to "race" in June and not just participate. We shall see...
Maggie Mae is still such a dream dog. She is so sweet and loving... seriously one of the best dogs I've ever been around. Oh she's had her moments, but only a few... and we've had her for 7 months. I love how she gets on her belly and crawls to little kids when she meets them... it's like she knows not to scare them. She's gonna be great with the baby!
Not much else to report. Spent the weekend working in the yard and getting ready to open the pool next weekend. I love our home. I could just sit on our porch and by the pool all day long everyday. *sigh*
On another note, I am starting to run again since my long hiatus due to hip flexor injury. I've been cycling and swimming, but there is just nothing like a nice long sweaty run. Oh how I've missed it. (seriously). I am slow now and can't go very far yet, but I am hopeful to be back to my racing speeds by end of June. I've got 3 races in June, one in July, and one in August that I want to do. I hope to be able to "race" in June and not just participate. We shall see...
Maggie Mae is still such a dream dog. She is so sweet and loving... seriously one of the best dogs I've ever been around. Oh she's had her moments, but only a few... and we've had her for 7 months. I love how she gets on her belly and crawls to little kids when she meets them... it's like she knows not to scare them. She's gonna be great with the baby!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Are we there yet?
I'm wondering if anyone is still reading this blog? I gave up on it after a year, so it wouldn't surprise me if everyone else gave up as well!!
I did some analysis for Derek to let him know what the current situation is... and let me just say that nothing is written in stone. It changes every month. BUT, based on what the Chinese govt is doing right now, we can figure out when we would get our referral if that continued.
So, the new rumor is out that referrals for March (let's call it March/April since it's now April the 1st) are for 2 days- March 7th and March 8th LIDs. Now at first that sounds discouraging. But we must look at how many families are logged in on those two days. March 7th is huge- according to the Rumor Queen polls, it's the largest Log in Date for 2006 to present. So that being said, if they get through the 7th and the 8th, there is reason for some celebration.
If they get through the 8th and continue at that same rate, I believe we will get our referral at the end of July/beginning of August. I do think there is going to be a speed up. The question is, is it going to happen before or after we get our referral?
My reasons for thinking a speed up is in the works have merit. The orphanage donation increased on January 1st from $3000 to over $5000. This increase is meant to not only cover the rising costs associated with caring for our children from the time they are received until they are put in our hands, but to also bring the donation in line so that it is no longer more profitable for the orphanages to hold on to their children. (If this is all it took, why didn't they do it 3 years ago?) But I digress...
Children who are placed for international adoption in China must be legally declared an orphan. To do this, a finding ad must be placed in a local paper and no one must come forward to claim the child for 6 months. The orphanage directors do not place ads for babies unless they are destined for IA. So, if the fee increase went into effect in January, and this increase encouraged the directors to make more children available for IA, then it stands to reason that if they started placing more finding ads in January, then we should see more babies being referred starting in July or August or September. The ad is only one part of the process. The directors must fill out a lot of paperwork for each child being adopted, much like the stacks of paperwork we had to fill out. These things take time, but I am optimistic that we will start seeing more families being matched later this year.
I would love to be matched at the end of June and travel in August to get our child, but I'm afraid it may be that we are matched at the end of July and travel in early September. At least by going in the hottest months of the year, we'll have more room in our suitcases because all we'll be wearing is shorts!
I did some analysis for Derek to let him know what the current situation is... and let me just say that nothing is written in stone. It changes every month. BUT, based on what the Chinese govt is doing right now, we can figure out when we would get our referral if that continued.
So, the new rumor is out that referrals for March (let's call it March/April since it's now April the 1st) are for 2 days- March 7th and March 8th LIDs. Now at first that sounds discouraging. But we must look at how many families are logged in on those two days. March 7th is huge- according to the Rumor Queen polls, it's the largest Log in Date for 2006 to present. So that being said, if they get through the 7th and the 8th, there is reason for some celebration.
If they get through the 8th and continue at that same rate, I believe we will get our referral at the end of July/beginning of August. I do think there is going to be a speed up. The question is, is it going to happen before or after we get our referral?
My reasons for thinking a speed up is in the works have merit. The orphanage donation increased on January 1st from $3000 to over $5000. This increase is meant to not only cover the rising costs associated with caring for our children from the time they are received until they are put in our hands, but to also bring the donation in line so that it is no longer more profitable for the orphanages to hold on to their children. (If this is all it took, why didn't they do it 3 years ago?) But I digress...
Children who are placed for international adoption in China must be legally declared an orphan. To do this, a finding ad must be placed in a local paper and no one must come forward to claim the child for 6 months. The orphanage directors do not place ads for babies unless they are destined for IA. So, if the fee increase went into effect in January, and this increase encouraged the directors to make more children available for IA, then it stands to reason that if they started placing more finding ads in January, then we should see more babies being referred starting in July or August or September. The ad is only one part of the process. The directors must fill out a lot of paperwork for each child being adopted, much like the stacks of paperwork we had to fill out. These things take time, but I am optimistic that we will start seeing more families being matched later this year.
I would love to be matched at the end of June and travel in August to get our child, but I'm afraid it may be that we are matched at the end of July and travel in early September. At least by going in the hottest months of the year, we'll have more room in our suitcases because all we'll be wearing is shorts!
Monday, January 19, 2009
What in the world is going on?
Well folks. I'm back. It looks like we are getting close to a referral. And I'm not kidding. Our agency is thinking things are heading towards a slight speed up, so while we will DEFINITELY have our referral by Junish, we might even have a referral in the next 2-3 months. Wow. Suddenly I feel so unprepared. I mean, evidently, 3 years was not enough. I have books on attachment to read. I need to dust off the baby care books. I mean, what do babies even eat at 8 months- 15 months old? I need to find a jogging stroller! I need to register. I need to finish the nursery (at least that is almost done). I need to find a daycare. I need to find a pediatrician. WE NEED TO AGREE ON A NAME! (this probably won't happen until we are being handed our child!)
Whew. Suddenly my to-do lists have to-do lists. I can't believe that it's almost time. Am I going to be ready? Am I going to be a good mom? I think this is all natural nervousness, but suddenly I am realizing that this person we are going to be entrusted with to raise is just a few months from becoming a reality in our world. Oh my gosh!!!
In other news, Derek's mom just finished chemotherapy for non-hodgkins lymphoma. We are praying that the nasty drugs did their job and that she is on the mend for good. We adopted a rescued Springer Spaniel and named her Maggie Mae! She has been lots of good company for Derek's mom and is such a sweet, loving little girl. She is great with kids. She recently met Derek's cousin's granddaughter who is 2 and she literally crawled to the little girl and was so gentle with her. God has sent us a fur-angel!!! We are so in love with her. She is a very good girl and has just made herself at home with us. It's like she's been with us all her life instead of just a few months. We think she is about 2 years old. She was pulled from a high kill shelter and was literally skin and bones and pregnant when we met her. She was spayed (didn't find out she was pregnant until she was spayed!) and has quickly put on weight. She is now at a normal weight and we are soon going to have to put her on weight management food. A good problem to have!
I trained for 2 ironmans last year. Let me explain. I originally signed up to do Ironman Coeur D'Alene in June. BUT (and that's a big BUTT) 10 days before the race in one of my final training rides, I crashed and broke my collarbone. Race was done. Luckily I had registered for the race through a charity, and they were gracious enough to let me change my race registration to Ironman Wisconsin in September. I literally only took about 10-12 days off and began training again, hoping to maintain fitness and rehab my shoulder. I swam with one arm for 6 weeks. Literally. My coach gave me workouts full of kicking drills and one armed swimming drills. We're talking 1 hour of this. 2200 yds of this. Ughhhh. By the time the doctor released me to swim with both arms I was about to go crazy!!! I maintained my run fitness through pool swimming and the elliptical. I rode my bike on the trainer for crazy 3 hour rides.
I wasn't sure I would be able to come back and be ready for the race as there was only 12 weeks between my crash and the race, but not only did I do it, I was only about :30 off my predicted time. I finished in 15:31:58. I should have finished in about 14:30, but my stomach was not agreeing with me on the first part of the run. I got my issues worked out and by the last 7-8 miles, I felt the best I had during the entire run. (for those of you who don't know, an Ironman is 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running and you have to finish in less than 17:00:00 to be considered a finisher.) I swam about what I expected. I could have been faster, but with a bum shoulder, I was happy. My bike kicked butt. I got a new carbon tri bike with my stimulus check, and let me tell you, it made a huge difference. I know they say it's not the bike but the engine running it, but having a nice bike does make a big difference.
I will say that I loved every minute of it. I will do another Ironman. But I realize that because of the time it takes to train for it (at least 20 weeks of 12- 18 hour training weeks) I will need to wait until our daughter is old enough to not want mom around 24-7. So for now, I will focus on shorter races: sprints, olympics, and maybe half iron. I might even throw in some more run only races. I would love to do another stand alone marathon. Maybe in 2010.
I am still about 10-15 lbs from my goal weight. I plateaued and then with all the training for the ironman, it was impossible to lose weight. Yes, I know this sounds silly, but when you are eating 3000+ calories a day to fuel workouts and maintain enough energy to do it all, it's literally impossible to try and lose weight. I think I gained about 3 lbs during the process.
I guess that is enough ramblings for now. I will leave you with a few pictures....
Me with the big inflatable M-Dot. The unofficial mascot of the Ironman.
Brad, Katie (my coach) and me. All 3 of us raced. Katie finished first in under 12 hours, Brad was next in the 13 hour ish range, and I was pulling up the rear at 15:31. Yes, Brad is very tall and we are very short.
The sea of bikes that is transition 1. This is on the top level of the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin. About 2200 bikes were lined up and ready for the race.
My bibs. I wore Schlotterback during the bike portion and Suzanne during the run. It was nice to hear people cheering for you by name. Since no one can pronounce Schlotterback, I figured I better wear the one that said Suzanne during the run.
The mass start of the swim in Lake Monona. 2200 people all trying to occupy the same space. It was like swimming in a washing machine.
Sunrise on Lake Monona waiting for the gun to go off..
More waiting....
This wasn't during the race but during a practice swim. Since Derek was unable to travel with me for the race (due to his mom's health) I have the pictures that the pros made during the race and the ones that my coach made before and after. This was 2 days before the race during a practice swim. The lake was around 70 degrees, and with the wetsuit it felt great.
I blinged out my new bike, a Felt B12. I wanted everyone in that race to know I was a TIGER! Isn't it sexy?
Just at the beginning of the bike. Yes, I was taking it easy. Hey, I probably had 110 miles to go at this point. Gotta pace yourself...
At about mid point of the bike, somewhere around mile 50ish. I played cat and mouse with the chick in the pink all day on the bike. I'd get her on the hills and she'd get me on the flats...
During the run- this was during the first of two laps and we ran through Camp Randall Stadium. BTW, this stadium was TINY compared to Death Valley, though it is very historic. The grass was fake, but it was all very neat...
Hamming it up for the camera man. This was at the very beginning of the run, probably in mile 2. I will say that shortly after this picture was taken, the wheels fell off the bus and my stomach started protesting. But hey, I looked good for the picture!
Me crossing the finish. With about a block to go a race official called in my number so as I ran down the finisher's chute, Mike Reilly (the voice of IM)called out "Suzanne Schlotterback from Simpsonville, SC, YOU are an ironman!"
I ran down the chute with my Tiger Rag up in the air. Yes, you know it, I'm all orange!
Here is a close up of the finisher's medal. It's in the shape of a cow. Ironman Wisconsin is frequently referred to as Ironman Moo or IM MOO for short because we ride through dairy country during the race. So it was neat how they combined that idea to make the medal we all received after crossing the finish line.
Last but not least, here is a picture of our sweet Maggie Mae the week before she came home to her forever home. She is such a good girl! We love her with all our hearts!
Whew. Suddenly my to-do lists have to-do lists. I can't believe that it's almost time. Am I going to be ready? Am I going to be a good mom? I think this is all natural nervousness, but suddenly I am realizing that this person we are going to be entrusted with to raise is just a few months from becoming a reality in our world. Oh my gosh!!!
In other news, Derek's mom just finished chemotherapy for non-hodgkins lymphoma. We are praying that the nasty drugs did their job and that she is on the mend for good. We adopted a rescued Springer Spaniel and named her Maggie Mae! She has been lots of good company for Derek's mom and is such a sweet, loving little girl. She is great with kids. She recently met Derek's cousin's granddaughter who is 2 and she literally crawled to the little girl and was so gentle with her. God has sent us a fur-angel!!! We are so in love with her. She is a very good girl and has just made herself at home with us. It's like she's been with us all her life instead of just a few months. We think she is about 2 years old. She was pulled from a high kill shelter and was literally skin and bones and pregnant when we met her. She was spayed (didn't find out she was pregnant until she was spayed!) and has quickly put on weight. She is now at a normal weight and we are soon going to have to put her on weight management food. A good problem to have!
I trained for 2 ironmans last year. Let me explain. I originally signed up to do Ironman Coeur D'Alene in June. BUT (and that's a big BUTT) 10 days before the race in one of my final training rides, I crashed and broke my collarbone. Race was done. Luckily I had registered for the race through a charity, and they were gracious enough to let me change my race registration to Ironman Wisconsin in September. I literally only took about 10-12 days off and began training again, hoping to maintain fitness and rehab my shoulder. I swam with one arm for 6 weeks. Literally. My coach gave me workouts full of kicking drills and one armed swimming drills. We're talking 1 hour of this. 2200 yds of this. Ughhhh. By the time the doctor released me to swim with both arms I was about to go crazy!!! I maintained my run fitness through pool swimming and the elliptical. I rode my bike on the trainer for crazy 3 hour rides.
I wasn't sure I would be able to come back and be ready for the race as there was only 12 weeks between my crash and the race, but not only did I do it, I was only about :30 off my predicted time. I finished in 15:31:58. I should have finished in about 14:30, but my stomach was not agreeing with me on the first part of the run. I got my issues worked out and by the last 7-8 miles, I felt the best I had during the entire run. (for those of you who don't know, an Ironman is 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running and you have to finish in less than 17:00:00 to be considered a finisher.) I swam about what I expected. I could have been faster, but with a bum shoulder, I was happy. My bike kicked butt. I got a new carbon tri bike with my stimulus check, and let me tell you, it made a huge difference. I know they say it's not the bike but the engine running it, but having a nice bike does make a big difference.
I will say that I loved every minute of it. I will do another Ironman. But I realize that because of the time it takes to train for it (at least 20 weeks of 12- 18 hour training weeks) I will need to wait until our daughter is old enough to not want mom around 24-7. So for now, I will focus on shorter races: sprints, olympics, and maybe half iron. I might even throw in some more run only races. I would love to do another stand alone marathon. Maybe in 2010.
I am still about 10-15 lbs from my goal weight. I plateaued and then with all the training for the ironman, it was impossible to lose weight. Yes, I know this sounds silly, but when you are eating 3000+ calories a day to fuel workouts and maintain enough energy to do it all, it's literally impossible to try and lose weight. I think I gained about 3 lbs during the process.
I guess that is enough ramblings for now. I will leave you with a few pictures....
Me with the big inflatable M-Dot. The unofficial mascot of the Ironman.
Brad, Katie (my coach) and me. All 3 of us raced. Katie finished first in under 12 hours, Brad was next in the 13 hour ish range, and I was pulling up the rear at 15:31. Yes, Brad is very tall and we are very short.
The sea of bikes that is transition 1. This is on the top level of the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin. About 2200 bikes were lined up and ready for the race.
My bibs. I wore Schlotterback during the bike portion and Suzanne during the run. It was nice to hear people cheering for you by name. Since no one can pronounce Schlotterback, I figured I better wear the one that said Suzanne during the run.
The mass start of the swim in Lake Monona. 2200 people all trying to occupy the same space. It was like swimming in a washing machine.
Sunrise on Lake Monona waiting for the gun to go off..
More waiting....
This wasn't during the race but during a practice swim. Since Derek was unable to travel with me for the race (due to his mom's health) I have the pictures that the pros made during the race and the ones that my coach made before and after. This was 2 days before the race during a practice swim. The lake was around 70 degrees, and with the wetsuit it felt great.
I blinged out my new bike, a Felt B12. I wanted everyone in that race to know I was a TIGER! Isn't it sexy?
Just at the beginning of the bike. Yes, I was taking it easy. Hey, I probably had 110 miles to go at this point. Gotta pace yourself...
At about mid point of the bike, somewhere around mile 50ish. I played cat and mouse with the chick in the pink all day on the bike. I'd get her on the hills and she'd get me on the flats...
During the run- this was during the first of two laps and we ran through Camp Randall Stadium. BTW, this stadium was TINY compared to Death Valley, though it is very historic. The grass was fake, but it was all very neat...
Hamming it up for the camera man. This was at the very beginning of the run, probably in mile 2. I will say that shortly after this picture was taken, the wheels fell off the bus and my stomach started protesting. But hey, I looked good for the picture!
Me crossing the finish. With about a block to go a race official called in my number so as I ran down the finisher's chute, Mike Reilly (the voice of IM)called out "Suzanne Schlotterback from Simpsonville, SC, YOU are an ironman!"
I ran down the chute with my Tiger Rag up in the air. Yes, you know it, I'm all orange!
Here is a close up of the finisher's medal. It's in the shape of a cow. Ironman Wisconsin is frequently referred to as Ironman Moo or IM MOO for short because we ride through dairy country during the race. So it was neat how they combined that idea to make the medal we all received after crossing the finish line.
Last but not least, here is a picture of our sweet Maggie Mae the week before she came home to her forever home. She is such a good girl! We love her with all our hearts!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Wow, has it been a year already?
I can't believe it's been a year since I last posted on this blog. My my how time flies.
What have we been up to?
Well, in a nutshell I've been training and working. Working and training. Triathlon and work have taken over my life. I finished up my season last year with a Half-Iron Distance tri and decided to sign up for Ironman Coeur D'Alene. And in 3 weeks, I'll be in Idaho toeing the line with 2000 other crazy tri peeps.
I remember when I ran my marathon in 2006. I couldn't imagine swimming 2.4 and riding 112 and then running 26.2. But now, that's not so crazy. In my training I've done 4 rides at 100 miles + and 3-4 (I can't remember, they all run together) runs of at least 20 miles. I remember training in 2006 for the mary, I only did one run of 20 miles. Heh. I guess I 'm a little better trained this time around.
Oh, and how is the adoption going? Well, it's likely gonna be another year. I feel like a broken record saying that, but referrals have slowed down to a trickle. And by a trickle, I mean a trickle. May/June referrals have not been announced yet, but it's likely only 2-3 days worth of Log-in dates. (probably Jan 21-23, 2006.) Our log in date, once again, was 3/27/06, so if they are doing 2-5 days each month, we still have a long wait ahead of us. Boooooo. I will be the oldest new mom on the block!
I'll leave you with pictures from the past year. We've certainly been busy!
Pictures from the SC HIM Sept 30, 2007 And the Spinx Run Fest Half Mary in Oct 2007.
October 2007. PR!!! 2:04:14
Derek and I had our portraits made in December. Gee, I wonder if anyone noticed the orange and purple theme?
Suzanne hamming it up for the camera at the Parris Island Sprint Tri in March 2008. And finishing the Myrtle Beach Half Mary in February.
Ironman training takes a lot of bottle washing and requires a lot of running shoes. (actually no on the shoes but I just love running shoes. Doesn't every tri closet look like this?
I've got at least 7 pairs of running shoes (all but 3 pairs are retired) 3 swim suits, a road id, reflective arm bands for night running, and a ball to do wall squats with.
Isn't this a riot?
What have we been up to?
Well, in a nutshell I've been training and working. Working and training. Triathlon and work have taken over my life. I finished up my season last year with a Half-Iron Distance tri and decided to sign up for Ironman Coeur D'Alene. And in 3 weeks, I'll be in Idaho toeing the line with 2000 other crazy tri peeps.
I remember when I ran my marathon in 2006. I couldn't imagine swimming 2.4 and riding 112 and then running 26.2. But now, that's not so crazy. In my training I've done 4 rides at 100 miles + and 3-4 (I can't remember, they all run together) runs of at least 20 miles. I remember training in 2006 for the mary, I only did one run of 20 miles. Heh. I guess I 'm a little better trained this time around.
Oh, and how is the adoption going? Well, it's likely gonna be another year. I feel like a broken record saying that, but referrals have slowed down to a trickle. And by a trickle, I mean a trickle. May/June referrals have not been announced yet, but it's likely only 2-3 days worth of Log-in dates. (probably Jan 21-23, 2006.) Our log in date, once again, was 3/27/06, so if they are doing 2-5 days each month, we still have a long wait ahead of us. Boooooo. I will be the oldest new mom on the block!
I'll leave you with pictures from the past year. We've certainly been busy!
Pictures from the SC HIM Sept 30, 2007 And the Spinx Run Fest Half Mary in Oct 2007.
October 2007. PR!!! 2:04:14
Derek and I had our portraits made in December. Gee, I wonder if anyone noticed the orange and purple theme?
Suzanne hamming it up for the camera at the Parris Island Sprint Tri in March 2008. And finishing the Myrtle Beach Half Mary in February.
Ironman training takes a lot of bottle washing and requires a lot of running shoes. (actually no on the shoes but I just love running shoes. Doesn't every tri closet look like this?
I've got at least 7 pairs of running shoes (all but 3 pairs are retired) 3 swim suits, a road id, reflective arm bands for night running, and a ball to do wall squats with.
Isn't this a riot?
Here is an updated picture of our backyard oasis. We have planted 27 rose bushes. Derek and I are very proud of all of his (mostly) hard work!!
And on the weight loss front. I am almost at goal weight. Still would like to lose about 10 lbs of fat and put on a few pounds of muscle, but that will have to wait until after the Ironman. Right now it's just eat, train, and work!
And last, but not least, here is the view from the house we've rented for the race. Coeur D'Alene, ID is a beautiful place and I can't wait to get there and experience everything. We fly out in the evening of the 18th. The race is 6/22 and we fly home on 6/25.
Monday, June 18, 2007
No Fathers Here
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there. This year, as the past 5 have also been, was hard for us as we have no fathers in our family. Literally. Derek's father passed away in 1992, my grandfather passed away in 1998, my father in 2002, and my uncle in 2006. So, it's just us girls and my husband. We didn't have a father's day celebration at our house. It's sad, because we miss our dads so much. Watching all the new fathers with their kids is also not much fun, since we've been trying to get there for so long.
So what did we do? Well, after breakfast at the Waffle House, I rode 45 miles and Derek did yardwork. (He rode 15 prior to princess suzanne even rising from bed). Then we got in the pool and just relaxed. We grilled steaks and had a beer. Why? Because both of our dads would have loved that.
Derek's father loved to cook out. He loved to share a beer with friends, and he was fiercely loyal to those he considered friends. He loved to watch baseball, and loved to be involved in Derek's life. He coached most of Derek's baseball teams, and nothing was more important than his son and his wife. I only knew Derek's father for about a year before he died, but he was a wonderful person. He welcomed me into the family without hesitation. I still remember one of the last times we all went to dinner. As Derek and I were leaving to go back to school he hugged me and told me he loved me. I was so touched. That hug and those words meant so much to me. I had been completely drawn in to his family. They were my family now.
Derek's dad was career air force. He served 2 tours in Vietnam and was an air traffic controller at Da Nang (sp?). When he retired from the air force he went to work for the FAA as a Flight Service Specialist. The pilots would call and give him their flight plans and he would provide the weather reports for their routes. He had a very important job, one that he loved.
My father never knew his father. I often wondered how then he knew how to be such a good Daddy since he didn't have one. I never doubted that I was the center of his world. He always made time for me when he got home from work. Whether it was throwing the ball in the backyard, going for a swim, or coming to a basketball game, he was always there for me. I remember how when I made the soccer team in high school. I just assumed that my parents wouldn't make it to my away games. After all, the games were at 5:00 and Daddy had to work. But he came to almost all of them, sometimes driving as much as an hour to watch me play. That meant so much to me.
He also was perfect at the daddy hug. You know how it is when you are upset about something. Sometimes you just have to cry it out. Even as a high schooler I could crawl into his lap and he'd hold me and let me cry. He didn't try to "fix" it, he'd just comfort me. Later, when I was just sniffling, he'd put whatever it was into perspective for me. And I'd always feel better.
One thing my dad and Derek's dad had in common was how they both loved to brag on their kids. My dad never held back. His unwavering confidence in me made me into the woman that I am now. I am not afraid to attempt new things because of it. Derek is the same way.
I miss my dad so much. Thoughts of him cross my mind at least several times throughout the day. Every time I am out running or riding, I think Dad would be so proud of me. He'd be there at my races, grinning from ear to ear. Dad's special song for me was "Daddy's Little Girl" by the Mills Brothers. Some days I just have to pull out the CD and listen to it. It makes me smile.
Derek will be a wonderful daddy to our daughter. You know how some men are just meant to be daddies to little girls? That is my Derek. He will be perfect for it. He has that same sweet, encouraging demeanor that my dad had. I can't wait to see him with our little Tiger. She will be the apple of his eye for sure.
So what did we do? Well, after breakfast at the Waffle House, I rode 45 miles and Derek did yardwork. (He rode 15 prior to princess suzanne even rising from bed). Then we got in the pool and just relaxed. We grilled steaks and had a beer. Why? Because both of our dads would have loved that.
Derek's father loved to cook out. He loved to share a beer with friends, and he was fiercely loyal to those he considered friends. He loved to watch baseball, and loved to be involved in Derek's life. He coached most of Derek's baseball teams, and nothing was more important than his son and his wife. I only knew Derek's father for about a year before he died, but he was a wonderful person. He welcomed me into the family without hesitation. I still remember one of the last times we all went to dinner. As Derek and I were leaving to go back to school he hugged me and told me he loved me. I was so touched. That hug and those words meant so much to me. I had been completely drawn in to his family. They were my family now.
Derek's dad was career air force. He served 2 tours in Vietnam and was an air traffic controller at Da Nang (sp?). When he retired from the air force he went to work for the FAA as a Flight Service Specialist. The pilots would call and give him their flight plans and he would provide the weather reports for their routes. He had a very important job, one that he loved.
My father never knew his father. I often wondered how then he knew how to be such a good Daddy since he didn't have one. I never doubted that I was the center of his world. He always made time for me when he got home from work. Whether it was throwing the ball in the backyard, going for a swim, or coming to a basketball game, he was always there for me. I remember how when I made the soccer team in high school. I just assumed that my parents wouldn't make it to my away games. After all, the games were at 5:00 and Daddy had to work. But he came to almost all of them, sometimes driving as much as an hour to watch me play. That meant so much to me.
He also was perfect at the daddy hug. You know how it is when you are upset about something. Sometimes you just have to cry it out. Even as a high schooler I could crawl into his lap and he'd hold me and let me cry. He didn't try to "fix" it, he'd just comfort me. Later, when I was just sniffling, he'd put whatever it was into perspective for me. And I'd always feel better.
One thing my dad and Derek's dad had in common was how they both loved to brag on their kids. My dad never held back. His unwavering confidence in me made me into the woman that I am now. I am not afraid to attempt new things because of it. Derek is the same way.
I miss my dad so much. Thoughts of him cross my mind at least several times throughout the day. Every time I am out running or riding, I think Dad would be so proud of me. He'd be there at my races, grinning from ear to ear. Dad's special song for me was "Daddy's Little Girl" by the Mills Brothers. Some days I just have to pull out the CD and listen to it. It makes me smile.
Derek will be a wonderful daddy to our daughter. You know how some men are just meant to be daddies to little girls? That is my Derek. He will be perfect for it. He has that same sweet, encouraging demeanor that my dad had. I can't wait to see him with our little Tiger. She will be the apple of his eye for sure.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Festival of Flowers Olympic Triathlon
is under my belt!! Race was on Sunday, June 10th and I had a great race. Finish time was 3:03:47. I did the Swim (1500M) in 35:15, the bike(24 miles) in 1:24: and change, and the run (10K) in 1:01:37 (I think). Overall I was pleased. The 10K was a PR for me by almost a minute.
The swim was good although the water was really choppy and a few sighting buoys were missing. So a lot of us got off track and had to make up time getting around the 1st one. And there was a man in distress hanging on the first sighting buoy that a bunch of us stopped for and yelled for a lifeguard. Other than that, the swim was uneventful.
The bike was on rough pavement. Rolling hills. Headwind on the final 8 miles. That was tough but manageable. About halfway through the bike I heard the motorcycle with the bike officials come by, and the Entertainer was playing on their sound system. This was my grandfather's favorite song, and he would get me to play it for him on the piano, so when I heard it, it was like a pat on the back from Grandaddy. I immediately picked up the pace a bit then!
The run was hot, and it started on an incline. I went out too fast and had to take a walk break in the first mile to get my HR down. But my overall pace was still ok, so I went with it. Paced myself off an older guy in front of me. With about 1.5 miles to go I picked up the pace and pushed my pacing partner to do the same. We passed one of the guys who ran the marathon with me last summer (but finished about 2.5 hours ahead of me!) and put another 3 minutes of separation between us. I ended up beating that guy by 11 minutes!! I can hardly believe it. I may have placed 10th of 12 girls in my age group, but passing that guy literally made my race. (He started 8 minutes ahead of me in the first wave of the swim).
Here are some pictures. I can't wait to take our new daughter to races. So many kids were here to cheer on their paren
ts and they looked like they were having a ball swimming in the lake, etc
.
I am the one with the teal green shirt. I can't figure out why I can't keep my arms down when I run. I look like a bird flapping my wings!!! The finish line was at the top of a short but steep hill. The race director really has a sense of humor....
The swim was good although the water was really choppy and a few sighting buoys were missing. So a lot of us got off track and had to make up time getting around the 1st one. And there was a man in distress hanging on the first sighting buoy that a bunch of us stopped for and yelled for a lifeguard. Other than that, the swim was uneventful.
The bike was on rough pavement. Rolling hills. Headwind on the final 8 miles. That was tough but manageable. About halfway through the bike I heard the motorcycle with the bike officials come by, and the Entertainer was playing on their sound system. This was my grandfather's favorite song, and he would get me to play it for him on the piano, so when I heard it, it was like a pat on the back from Grandaddy. I immediately picked up the pace a bit then!
The run was hot, and it started on an incline. I went out too fast and had to take a walk break in the first mile to get my HR down. But my overall pace was still ok, so I went with it. Paced myself off an older guy in front of me. With about 1.5 miles to go I picked up the pace and pushed my pacing partner to do the same. We passed one of the guys who ran the marathon with me last summer (but finished about 2.5 hours ahead of me!) and put another 3 minutes of separation between us. I ended up beating that guy by 11 minutes!! I can hardly believe it. I may have placed 10th of 12 girls in my age group, but passing that guy literally made my race. (He started 8 minutes ahead of me in the first wave of the swim).
Here are some pictures. I can't wait to take our new daughter to races. So many kids were here to cheer on their paren
ts and they looked like they were having a ball swimming in the lake, etc
.I am the one with the teal green shirt. I can't figure out why I can't keep my arms down when I run. I look like a bird flapping my wings!!! The finish line was at the top of a short but steep hill. The race director really has a sense of humor....
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