Another Care Package

Well, tomorrow it will be three weeks since we learned Marcie's identity. That means it'll be two weeks since our acceptance letter was mailed to China. Our first care package has probably arrived to China by now, but I'm so paranoid about having not put Marcie's name on it that I've decided to go ahead and send another, small care package. This time, I'm including stacking cups, a sleeper, a couple small boxes of chocolate (for the nannies) and the digital camera. I figure they will just think I'm a lunatic and shake their heads in dismay. But I'd prefer that over the alternative-- no photos to share with Marcie about where she spent the first nine months of her life. I owe it to her to do what I can to share her entire history with her. It's her story, not mine-- and I don't think I have the right to edit it. I'll send the new care package tomorrow.

In the mean time, I can obsess about when the travel notices arrive. I think it'll be at least another week before we receive our Travel Notice. I'm a little anxious, but it's not like we're all packed and ready to go or anything. This weekend we'll get Marcie's room a little more put together (we're removing some furniture we don't need and donating it to Father Joe's Village). I'm not sure if we'll actually set up the crib just yet-- we want to buy a new mattress first (we're donating Casey's used mattress).

This last weekend we met with our social worker for our homestudy update. We needed an update because Jason changed jobs and we changed our medical insurance during the year-long wait. It seems crazy that an update-- basically an addendum to the original homestudy-- costs a few hundred dollars. Then again, it's less expensive than what many attorneys charge for an hour of their time, so who am I to criticize? I'll be glad when it's complete-- one more thing to check of our to-do list.

There are some rumors out there that the CCAA (Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs), which issues the travel notices, will be shut down for a few weeks during their move. I hope this isn't true. The law firm I'm working at just moved everyone in a weekend. I'm hopeful the CCAA is as efficient. I know things may be a little slower as people pack and unpack-- but a total shut-down? I just don't buy it . . .