Except to say...
We got the call this morning. Just the basic information for now, with more to come next week, including 3 pictures!
Name: Yi Ze Guo
SWI: YiYang CWI
Province: Hunan
Birthday: October 24, 2004
Age: 8 months old
We are THRILLED! Teary and happy and excited and did I mention THRILLED?
The woman who called from the agency said she is "a cute little peanut" with "a heart-shaped face" and that's all we'll have to go on until Wednesday or Thursday when we get all of the translated paperwork. Our travel group has doubled in size to 22 families, which I think is fairly big, so who knows when exactly we will travel. Sometime in August I should think.
The story:
We were debating back and forth this morning about whether or not the agency would call as soon as the referrals came in. As we were talking K. went on the Web site and checked, and it said that the last batch of referrals was received on May 23 and was for the October 2004 batch. Huh? They are a month behind every other agency in the US? We both got mad. Really mad. K. said, "I'm calling them and I don't care WHAT the 'Referral Policy' is." So he called, all ready to rumble. The woman wasn't available right away, so he hung up and we stewed some more. Then his cell phone rang and he started talking. I was heading out of the room to avoid hearing the bad news in person, when he said something like, "Oh MY! REALLY!" And then my girly man started crying. So it was a complete shock to us. We are still in shock. But VERY, VERY HAPPY—Did I Happen To Mention That? No One Is Going To STEAL MY JOY Today, Friends!
And us getting our own little "spicy Hunan girl"? Well that's just irony at its finest.
Posted by grrlTravels at June 24, 2005 1:21 PMCongratulations on getting the referral for your spicy little Hunan honey today. I am so, so happy that you made the cut off--and got the call this go round and a little more than tickled at the irony. Have a great, great and happy day! I can't wait to see photos of little Ze Guo!
Posted by: Tracie at June 24, 2005 1:42 PMBig HUGE congratulations!!!!! I saw that the cut off LID was 12/21 on another forum so was keeping my fingers crossed that you would have some happy news!!!!!! How WONDERFUL! ENJOY today!
Posted by: Jenn at June 24, 2005 1:44 PMI cannot wait to see picitures of Ze Guo, either..and am thrilled for you, DH, and E!! Great news!
Take care.
Posted by: Amanda at June 24, 2005 1:51 PMCongratulations!!! So happy for you all!
Posted by: Deanna at June 24, 2005 2:36 PMI am a very happy aunt . . . I finally have a niece. I hope that C and I can be there when your plane lands.
Posted by: dana at June 24, 2005 2:41 PMWOW! Congratulations to you on your cute little peanut!!!! I am so glad that your husband called the agency, and what great timing. Your daughter's birtday it just a few days before ours (born 11/2/04, Yangxi SWI, Guangdong Province).
Please ignore the long and boring e-mail I just sent you about clothing. I think you have more exciting things to think about today!
Still waiting for travel approval here. Maybe if I call the agency to yell at them, it will turn out they have some news for us!
That is ironic about the "spicy Hunan girl." I think "cute little peanut" will be a better nickname.
Posted by: Heather at June 24, 2005 3:04 PMYippee!!!! Oh.My.God....
Maybe we really WILL be in Guangzhou at the same time! I'm not ashamed to say you'll find me at Starbucks. How do you say Grande Regular in Mandarin?
Seriously... Congratulations!!!!
You'd better be out shopping now.
Posted by: Figlet at June 24, 2005 3:07 PMCONGRATS!!!! You will be floating on air all weekend! Can't wait to see the referral pics!
Lisa~~
Our Journey to Baby Shanahan
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :D
Posted by: Dawn at June 24, 2005 3:31 PMYay! Soooooo wonderful! Many, many congratulations!
Posted by: Mrs Figby at June 24, 2005 3:54 PMCongratulations!!!! What a wonderful surprise!
Ha! My first thought reading the beginning of this post was, "Woohooooooo!" And my second thought was to laugh about the "spicy Hunan girl" thing.
Posted by: Kim at June 24, 2005 5:16 PMI'm totally delighted for you. Happy happy weekend!!
Posted by: jill in seattle at June 24, 2005 5:37 PMCongratulations!
(I haven't posted here before I just popped over the other week from Dawn's - but when I read your post I cried too, so had to add my best wishes for your family).
Posted by: Kay at June 24, 2005 5:44 PMWoooooooooooooooooooooooot!
That is fabulous, beautiful, lovely news...
xxoo
Posted by: Anna H. at June 24, 2005 5:51 PMYAY! Congratulations!!! Still doing the happy dance for you - can't wait to hear more. And I hope that you and Figlet will be in China a tthe same time - maybe y'all can have a little G2BS mini-reunion. ;)
Posted by: chicagomama at June 24, 2005 6:37 PMholllleeeeeeee! you have a daughter! E. has a sister! oh my god!
can't wait for pics!
xo
Posted by: jacks at June 24, 2005 7:12 PMYayyyy!!!! Congratulations!!! So happy for you. Sooo sooo happy for you. What a great day! Can't wait to see pictures.
Posted by: Michele at June 24, 2005 7:48 PMCONGRATULATIONS!! SO SO Happy for you!!
Posted by: Michelle at June 24, 2005 8:04 PMhooray! another girl for the family! actually, two in one week! we are anxious to see pictures.
Posted by: heidi at June 24, 2005 8:53 PMHo'omaika'i! That is so exciting, and I can't wait to get a glimpse of your little girl :)
Posted by: lisa at June 25, 2005 3:21 AMHow ironic that we were just discussing Hunan girls. I am so happy for you!!
Posted by: marla at June 25, 2005 4:29 PMUgh. sorry bout the typos, but you know what I was trying to say...
Posted by: marla at June 25, 2005 4:30 PMHo hum, no entry for today, skimming along, la la la la...
WHAT?!
Many congratulations. What beautiful news.
Posted by: Julie at June 25, 2005 10:35 PMHow exciting! The Hunan province is a Southern province (that is where our daughter is from)..and it is hot there! We were told in China that the saying there is that if you want a pretty bride go to the Hunan Province! If your daughter is from the Chenzhou Orphanage let me know I have a few web sites for you regarding this orphanage!
Posted by: Rita at June 26, 2005 8:12 AMMany congrats on your daughter, A! I can't wait until you see her sweet face for the first time!
Posted by: Michelle at June 26, 2005 11:06 PMCongratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even know you, but I know how you are feeling right now, and I'm tearing up & having lovely flashbacks to when we got our call. (Selfish me!)
I am so thrilled for you!
Posted by: Siobhan41 at June 27, 2005 1:28 AMOh, and here is a great link for when you get the characters of your daughter's name. This will help you get the meaning.
http://www.mandarintools.com/chardict.html
Posted by: Siobhan at June 27, 2005 1:29 AMCongratulations!!!! How wonderful it caused my eyes to tear up remembering our referrals. Our last trip to china was with 20 other families so we were in a big group too.
Posted by: Mary at June 27, 2005 9:13 AMAwesome news. I'm thrilled for you and your family. Congratulations!
came over from Dawn's -- Congratulations from another Yiyang CWI mom :) Speedy travel to you!
Posted by: laurabz mom to Yi Jun Niu at June 29, 2005 8:37 PMAlright, another Hunan chili baby comes home! AND a Yiyanger, at that! My travel group was comprised of 9 families, WAYYY back in Nov. 97, and my daughter was one of 4 babies from Shao Yang, ranging in age from 11 mos to my "old lady", who was 13.5 months. The OTHER 5 baby dolls were YiYang sweeties, so I am extremely partial to YiYang! :) THOSE babies were only 5-6 months old! SO much smaller...really, very newborn like, at that age. My petite, 19 pounder looked like a MOOSE compared to the Yi Yang babies! :)
Congratulations....the wonder is only just beginning! :)
Nancy & ShaoXi Johnson
Posted by: Nancy at July 5, 2005 9:16 PM