Hey ho, hey ho, its off to China we go!

Its gone!!!!

Just heard our dossier is now complete, translated and on its way to Taiwan!  Now I start doing spreadsheets for previous families court timelines in a futile attempt to predict when we will travel.

In which the USPS totally redeem themselves.

Remember those hideous Knitty Christmas stamps?  Well, the USPS have completely made up for those uglies with these beautiful stamps for the Year of the Rat.  Its the first of a 12 year series.  USPS - all is forgiven!

Oh the anxiety!

How am I ever going to survive till November? I'm exhausted already and its only the second primary.

In 2000 I remember being so pleased when the Republicans picked Bush over McCain only because clearly there was no  possible way for Bush to beat Gore (and maybe he didn't), yeah right, had my finger on the pulse there didn't I?  Then in the following years oh how I wished McCain had been the Republican leader, what wouldn't I have given to swap Bush for him.

Then in 2004 I just knew Kerry was going to win, I mean nobody but nobody was going to go for another 4 years with Bush and Kerry, ahh my Kerry he was brilliant, plus this was the first year I could vote so surely that had to make the difference.  It didn't and I cried and cried when Kerry made his concession speech. 

Since then all I have been able to do is endure, waiting for 2008, waiting for the year we are liberated from the Bush Government and now 2008 is here and I don't know if I will be able to stand it, the anxiety is already starting.  I thought 2004 was the most important election I would ever witness but now 2008 is so much more important, it is critical. 

I wanted Kerry to run again and when that clearly wasn't happening then I wanted Gore to run again but no luck there either.  So, I'm a Hillary girl, I think she has strength and balance, I think she is highly credible but dear Lord so many people hate her, IF she gets the nomination could she really win the general election or will people vote for "anyone but Hillary?"

Edwards I have a lot of time for and I adore his wife but no its still Hilary for me.  Edwards would win in the UK but not a hope in hell here.  America needs change so badly but the system is what it is, and its going to need changing slowly with baby steps, I wish it were different but living here has made me a realist.  Eight years of disbelief and disappointment has made me realize that if you try for too much too soon you just go spooking a huge segment of the population who gets the heebie jeebies about all manner of things I took for granted in the UK.

Obama?  I want to love him, I want so much to have confidence in him but I just don't (I'd take him over any of the Republicans) but nah, I just can't get behind him.  I keep hearing people rave about his speeches and how electrifying he is but so far I just don't get it.  I heard him on the radio a couple of weeks back, just a few minutes of a speech and I didn't know it was him speaking until he was finished (so I was totally unbiased) and I just didn't like what I heard, it made me uncomfortable in parts he sounded almost xenophobic, as he spoke about decreasing our reliance on oil from other countries, fair point but why oh why did he have to describe those oil producing countries as anti American?  I don't know, I guess he was talking to a certain audience but he sounded almost xenophobic with some of the things he said.

I'll admit I haven't given Obama my full attention and I'd take him over any of the Republicans but he really didn't impress me in the debate this weekend.  Edwards had passion, Hilary had passion and substance but Obama, I'm just not getting it.

So come on Hilary, you can do it, please God I hope you can because come November we have got to start fixing this dreadful mess Dubya and his cronies have got us in to.

p.s As I have sat her typing it looks like Hillary has won New Hampshire - go Hillary!

p.p.s Obama is on the TV giving it some welly and I think I'm finally hearing some of what people are so drawn to and that makes me less anxious .

p.p.p.s I'm so sorry I owe so many people emails, I don't know what happened but I'm even more disorganized than usual, it seems like its been wall to wall chaos round here since Christmas but I'll try and get back on track and will write some posts about the Taiwan process for those who have asked me and also I want to explain how come I hadn't posted anything about it until we got referral, I think some people felt like I had shut them out on this and it honestly wasn't like that at all, it was just complicated.

Thanks guys!

Thank you to everyone who left such enthusiastic congratulations, its so lovely to read your kind comments.  I'm feeling a bit discombobulated with all the excitement and being parted from my "Darling, sweetie, darling computer" is hitting me hard.  Its undergoing treatment but prognosis is uncertain, I'm keeping all my bits crossed for a good recovery.

Sorry my post yesterday was a bit confusing, especially with referrals from China having just arrived at the same time.  I should explain that our son is in Taiwan!  He was born in late November so only a little over a month old right now and we hope to travel to bring him home in the next 4-6 months.  The process for Taiwan is very different to China, and even within Taiwan there are several different programs that vary a lot in requirements and timelines etc. 

Our TW agency asks that referral photos and video (yes we got video too!!!) are not posted on the Internet* to protect the privacy of the babies and their birth families so until everything is official you'll have to take my word for it that he is gorgeous, not that I'm biased or anything.  He has quite a lot of hair, which much to Lulu's delight is "same as me" along with a pair of beautiful dark brown eyes, also just like Loopy.  He has a delicious double chin and squashy nose and the sweetest mouth.  I watch the video of him over and over and gaze at his photo.  We have a little bit of information about his Mama in Taiwan, I think of her so much and hope she is doing okay.  We may be able to meet her when we travel and/or possibly other members of his birth family, we hope so very much and yet what do you say?  I hope our obvious love for this little boy will comfort them and I hope Loopy doesn't choose that moment to throw one of her World Champion Tantrums, thus convincing them that we are dreadful parents!

I'm going to try and post about our timeline and the process but it will probably be slow going until I have my "darling, sweetie computer" back.

Thanks again for all your good wishes I really appreciate them.

*I figured you really can't see his photo when Loopy is waving it around on the video so I think that is okay.

Bye bye 2007!

2007 has turned out to be the year that went out with a bang!  Its been a crazy holiday season with exploding bottoms (Loops), near death by cold (S), and the tragic actual death of my computer, dead, diseased, no more, I still break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. 

However, it also turned out to be the holiday season with the most stupendous news, here is Lulu to explain. 

p.s I found myself holding back a little on sharing our wonderful news because I have several friends, still waiting for referral (some for their first child others for a longed for second) who are stuck in the seemingly never ending wait.  I know they will be thrilled for us but I also know how sometimes in life you can be really happy for someone else and yet still feel another stab in your heart.  I know how lucky we are and I know your time is coming, however excruciating slow, uncertain and unbearable that wait can feel you will get there in the end.