Chen Chronicles

So, I know we might be a little early in doing this, but some friends of ours (military friends) who are moving soon had some awesome 12-18 month clothes and toys for a little girl who were barely used!  In fact, a couple of the outfits have tags on them and they're from Baby GAP and Gymboree (which I think are expensive stores).  :-)  Anyway, we also ordered our furniture for the baby's room from AAFES (gotta love the Air Force...tax free good deals on a baby crib and dresser)!! Again all this is probably a bit premature, but my mom will be in town March 18th-March 21st (yay for frequent flyer miles) and she's making the toppers and the comforter and stuff for the crib too (out of Winnie the Pooh & Tigger stuff too)!!  We have our next meeting with our social worker next Sunday the 28th of February and we're anticipating more waiting as we are waiting on the state registries to come back.  And, of course we are still nervously praying that Aaron does not get orders

So, now we've done our part of the home study except for my medical form (which is this Wednesday).  I'm venting (already) because it seems like Aaron and I really pushed to get through the material and what else? bureaucracy slows things down.  No, it's not our agency....THEY are awesome!  It's the states we had to request clearances from that Aaron and I are not child perpetrators.  All have responded except, guess where?  OHIO!!!!  Geez, I thought the old adage was that the South was slow, but Louisiana responded within a week and Alabama and Mississippi responded asap too with their correct forms (our agency had to request those formally).  Sometimes I think God is doing this to teach me especially a lesson in patience.  I think Aaron has more patience than I do, personally.  What really made me sad today was our social worker said the last clearances from Ohio took TWELVE weeks!!!!  That's three months the last time I checked...and we sent ours out on January 2

Well, today was the second meeting with our social worker.  I have to say....she is as awesome as we had heard!  Last night (because I am the anxious person I am) I was laying in bed obsessing over everything in the house.  I was running through the checklist in my mind and thinking, "Did I remember to do this and that, etc.?"  All the while Aaron was snoring next to me when I again woke up at 7am because I was anxious about the home visit.  I have no idea why because we have a nice home, but maybe it's just my nature.  Aaron was telling me last night that everything was going to be fine and to be honest, he was right (ha, don't tell him I said that...  :LOL).  Honestly, today's meeting felt more like a conversation that anything else.  In fact, all that we await now to finish our home study completely is the child abuse registry letters from Alabama, Mississippi and Ohio.  Oh, and my initial medical paperwork will be completed by my doctor on February 17th.  So,

Aaron and I have wanted a child for so long and it's amazing to think that she may have already been born!  We began the paperwork with our agency in December and are nearing the end of our home study (just waiting on a few pertinent documents from outside sources).  We've been thinking about her and praying for her daily....that she's getting some love from her caregivers and that she will attach to us.  We've been talking to people who have adopted and who are in the process of adopting from Russia to learn as much information about this as we can!!!  We are so incredibly thankful to those who have shared their stories with us as we continue on our journey.  (Thank you, Leah)!!!   This adoptive process seems very bureaucratic, at times, with all the paperwork we face and what we have already completed.  But I remember the phrase my grandmother always told me....that anything worth having is worth working for! My mom has started a scrapbook as a "life book&quo