UPDATES!!!

We received an update this evening!! She weighs about the same 18 lbs with all her clothes on, she is 2' 5" tall, her feet are 10 cm, and she has 6 teeth. She is sitting and standing, but not walking or speaking just yet.

We are still not sure when we will travel but we are hopeful for sometime within the next 4 weeks.

Some of you may not know that we have 2 other very close friends adopting from China, and we feel very blessed that they too will be traveling with us to China to pick up their little girls. All the girls live in the same orphanage and now will follow each other back to the states and still continue that bond! You can find their links on the right side of this blog - Alexa & Aleia and Annie & Jack...what an experience!

Couldn't resist posting this!

I just couldn't resist posting this picture of the boy caught in a snow storm!

3 - 6 Weeks and Counting!

We are now at 3 -6 weeks until we travel!! When will we go? -- Your guess is as good as ours, but our hunch is somewhere around the middle of March.

Last week we sent a care package to Kaitlin, it contained a blanket, some pj's, valentines day outfits, a toy, 2 disposable cameras and a photo book filled of photos of us, bogey and her. This all had to fit in a box no bigger than a normal size shoe box! She should have received the package Wednesday or Thursday this week.

Today we sent our Passports away to the travel company in San Francisco, who will deliver them to the Chinese Consulate in San Fran to obtain our Visa for China. Tomorrow we send a packet to our adoption agency that is confirming the travelers for the trip and that we will abide by certain rules when we return to the states (basically, that we will do our follow-up visits with the social workers and finalize all of the adoption paperwork.)

I can't believe that it has been 2 weeks since we first saw Kaitlin's face. Craig starts his golf tradeshows for the next 3 weekends - Cleveland - Canton and then Pittsburgh. I am busy trying to get everything in written form and bundled up before we leave. I have our Kickoff Meeting the first week in March in Miami and then I need to ensure that I have everything ready for our big tradeshow in May proir to leaving, because I will most likely be off the entire month of April for family leave.

Wow only 3 -6 weeks until we leave - still can't believe it!

Additional Photos and Medical Information

We received our packet today with additional photos and her medical information.

The information that I'm about to post was taken on November 21, 2006. She wakes at 7 am and takes a one hour nap in the morning and another one hour nap in the afternoon, bed time is 9pm. She eats every four hours (six meals a day)and her primary diet is milk and rice cereal but also enjoys egg custard, rice porridge, noodles, vegetables, meat soup, crackers, fruit, etc.

Her favorite activity is playing outside and with brightly colored toys that make sound. She weighs 17 lbs and is 27 inches long. She is a deep sleeper (YEAH)!, holds her head up while lying on her stomach, rolls from tummy to back by herself, sits alone steadily, tears paper (Just like Bogey), crawls on her hands and knees and stands while holding onto support and can walk with one hand held.

She also laughs aloud, knows name and turns when called, and takes off her socks by herself.

Under her personality section a few of things checked included... that she is active, fond of imitating, quick in reaction (could we have an athlete) and fond of listening to music and reading books.

We will get another update in 3 -4 weeks with another photo or two. We are still tyring to come down from cloud 9 and piece everything together!

More later

Love Craig and Traci

SHE IS HERE!!!

Here is Kaitlin An McConnell!
Chinese Name: Bing Shu Jing
Bing meaning Bright & Splendid/Shu meaning Kind & Gentle/Jing stands for her City
Born: January 13, 2006 (13 months)
Province: Jiangxi
City: Jingdezhen
On her last Dr. Visit she weighed 17.6 pounds and was 27.17 inches tall
We received our call at 12:05pm today!..
Travel time is estimated at 5 -8 weeks --we really won't know how soon until about 7 -10 before we leave.

Check back soon, we are receiving our Fed Ex package tomorrow and it will contain more photos and information that we will post!

HIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

TOMORROW IS THE DAY?

The stork is on the way! There is information (Not sure if it is a rumor) that our agency received 39 children - 36 girls and 3 boys. To prepare ourselves for the possibility of receiving a boy (which by the way we would be just as excited) Craig and I decided that we should sit down tonight an finalize a boy's name. Craig has been joking everytime I bring home some girls clothing that 'Karl' will look good in pink! To pass the time until we can show you our photo here are some other families that were lucky to receive their information today.

http://www.alliedinformation.com/china/
http://katiebugs-journey.blogspot.com/
http://www.thestoryofyou.net/Natalie.html
http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=87642
http://www.frostography.blogspot.com/