Preview of coming attractions

One of the ways we adoptive parents-in-waiting pass the time is to follow (OK, obsessively read) other parents' web sites or web logs. One of the moms from our agency's May group has given me permission to post this link so you can see her brand-new daughter, Miss Genevieve (Gigi) YuMi Irwin.

Michelle and her husband, Dave, received Gigi's referral information at the end of April, when their daugther was less than 7 months old! They should be traveling to China in the next month or two, so if you check their blog from time to time, you'll get a preview of what we'll be doing in just a couple of months. They plan to post updates from China (as we hope to do when we go!).

The referral photos are always kind of funny to me because the poor little babies are usually so bundled up that you can barely see their sweet faces. Gigi was only three months old in her referral photo, and the clothes she is wearing just swallow her up. You'll notice she's propped up on some kind of inflatable toy chair; at least one other family in that group has a photo of their own daughter in the same chair.

One thing our agency does differently from most others is that they will not give families photos of their children until all the information that comes with them has been translated. The reason for this is that they strongly recommend you have a doctor look over the medical information so you can make a good decision on whether to accept the referral. They figure if you've been staring at the photo for a week first, you'll be madly in love and unable to hear what the doctor might tell you. I think they're right, but I also think it is going to drive me crazy to have to wait a week or 10 days to see her face! We will get her name, birth date, and where she lives right away, though, and that will give us enough information to shout from the rooftops!

I also want to share another blog with you. I don't know these people at all, but I love reading about their beautiful twins. I especially recommend you look at the March 4 entry so you can click on the video and get a great laugh. I've watched that video over and over; it really keeps my spirits up, and I think you'll enjoy it.

You can find other web sites or blogs fairly easily if you search, and it is interesting to read other families' experiences. But keep an eye on Gigi and her parents for a great preview of our next few months!

Thanks for waiting with us!