The hours are ticking by so slowly!!!!!!!!! quite busy with some work at the moment so it helps pass the time but we know it is getting nearer - we should hear that the referrals have been mailed to the DFES in the next few days so spend our time logging onto the CCAA website with regularity from about 6 in the morning -

Obviously CHina is 8 hours ahead so just about to finish work when we get up....if you are interested in watching too - then join the hordes that visit a site at the end of every month with ridiculous regularity; the Americans stay up all night and have cyber slumber parties while they monitor the site - only the Americans could do that,. We quite happily go to sleep knwoung we will find out when we find out and no amount of cyber sleep overs will speed up the machine that is the CCAA! http://www.china-ccaa.org/frames/index_unlogin_en.jsp - the box to look at is the right hand side called Documents Processing - we look at the bottom date that shows those papers that have been matched.......

Have spent a few rainy Friday afternoons in Mothercare World in Croydon with a printed out list from a previous adoptive Mum who very kindly compiled a list before she travelled and then subsequently updated it on her return ! Phew for not having to find a collapsible funnel!

The ladies in Mothercare Croydon were lovely and made me swear I would bring her back to meet them when we get home. Bought a few things like towels, cot sheets and blankets, some activity toys to take with us as these go down well.

We also bought things to include in the Care Package - this is a small package that you send before you travel to your child once you have had referral, it includes a disposable camera so that the orphanage can take pictures of your child with carers, with friends etc a small toy for her to have, a blanket and a list of questions for the orphanage to complete in Mandarin and English, some pictures of us, friends, house =, her room - these help to give your child a background to her life in her first year. It is somehting that you can use to start Her ' Lifebook ' - more of that later! ...Her room is looking a bit crowded at the moment - Simone has passed on her stair gates and a playden - in exchange we are giving her the double bed for her new house in Devon ! that is if she moves!!!

On Satuday we met up with a group of parents in waiting in China town - a very nervous and excited bunch as you can imagine. There was a family who got home about 8 weeks ago with their littel 23 month old Emily who was adorable ....

Anyway hopefully the next post will be to let you know that referrals are coming ....