Getting ready for Baby.....(even though it's going to be awhile)

Hi there,

Just a little update for those of you who are checking in on our blog. We've started getting the baby's room ready. My mom and my niece are coming to visit next week and I really wanted them to see it painted. I'll post more pictures when the blue painter's tape is off and the blinds are up. I'll be decorating the room with panda bears. Hopefully, that will go with the gold and sage green walls......

The new Cesena!!!

Please welcome the new member of our family....Reydon

We adopted him from a greyhound rescue called "Hemopets". They rescue retired greyhounds who are no longer able to race on the track. They have a program where the dogs donate blood to save the lives of other dogs (greyhounds are universal donors), then they find loving homes for them. Although he never actually made it to the professional track, Reydon was bred and trained in Arizona for racing.

Reydon is officially the first dog that little Leo (our 4 lb. Chihuahua) has been able to get along with. They have each been minding their own business and going their separate ways. However, when it comes to "outside" time, you can't take one out the door without the other! You should see me with a chihuahua on one leash and a 70 lb greyhound on the other. I'm sure I'll be getting some interesting looks!

A quilt for our baby girl

Dear Friends & Family,

As you may know, Gary and I are in the process of adopting a child from China and we need your help in creating a 100 Good Wishes quilt for our daughters. What is a 100 good wishes quilt you ask? There is a beautiful tradition in the northern part of China . To welcome and celebrate a new life, Mothers make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. When a child is born, friends and family are invited to contribute a scrap of cloth along with a special wish which is to be made into a quilt. It is said that the luck and energy of the people who contribute these squares surrounds the child when she is wrapped in the quilt. The quilt will be a one-of-a-kind heirloom containing all the good luck, positive energy, prayers and special wishes of the loved ones who contribute. Isn't that a lovely thought!

We're inviting you to contribute a square of cloth and a special wish for our new baby girl. Your written wish -- with a small piece of the fabric attached -- will be kept in a special memory book so that in years to come our daughter can see how very much she was loved even before we met her.
Here's how you can help:
1. Contribute 1 -8x8 inch square of fabric. (100% cotton, or similarly washable). This can be new fabric with a pattern or design that you love, or that represents something about you or your wish. It could be an old piece of clothing that is meaningful to you, or a piece of fabric that you decorated and designed with fabric paints and trims! As long as it can be washed.. I'm not picky!!
2. Add a "wish". This can be a letter, a note, your favorite poem or lyrics.. anything! Just make sure the page is 5X7 or smaller, and has a small piece (1"x1"-ish) of your fabric attached. If the fabric is from something special, please also add an explanation. We will be putting these into a memory book so we can always remember which fabric was from whom, and which wish it contains.
3. You can contribute one piece of fabric for your entire family or each member can contribute his or her own wish.

Please send your "squishes" (squares+wishes) before October 31, 2007 to:
3695 Linden Ave. #9A Long Beach , CA 90807


Thank You to everyone in advance for your help. I know this quilt will mean so much to our family for all the love they will contain!

With Much Love & Appreciation,
Nina & Gary Cesena

Dossier to China

On December 4, 2006, our paperwork was complete. The completed set of documents is called a "dossier". The dossier for China consists of:

-Adoption Petition
-Birth Certificate for each applicant
-Marriage Certificate
-Employment Verifications
-Financial Statement
-Physical Exam from a doctor
-Police Clearance report
-I171-H (Immigration approval from the Bureau of Citizenship Immigration Service)
-Home Study report

After each of these documents has been gathered, they must all be Certified/Authenticated:
-Notarized
-Certified by county clerk
-Certified by secretary of state
-Authenticated by Chinese Consulate

We began the "paper chase" in June 2006. It's called the "paper chase" for a reason! It took us 6 months to prepare all of these documents, including a home study and get the completed packet to the agency, who then translates and prepares it for the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in Beijing.

The pictures you see above are all of the documents that went into the envelope and me at the post office sending everything to the agency.

New to Blogging

Friends & Family,

Welcome to our Blog: Our Journey to China for Baby Grace. It seems just about everyone is blogging for some reason or another. Our blog will be to share information about our adoption process and keep you all informed as we wait *patiently* for the referral of our daughter.

This is our first post and I haven't quite figured out this whole blogging thing yet. Please check back and maybe I'll have some pictures for you!

-Nina