So, funny story, after we got our first call Marie ordered Chinese food for dinner thinking it only appropriate. We had made the post below and had done our video diary trying to keep current and keep a good record of this whole long drawn-out affair for Molly and our selves to see later in life. After dinner I grabbed the camera again and held it out while I made Marie open her fortune cookie. As soon as she opened it - gloriously captured on tape forever - tears came to her eyes and she accused me of planting a hidden message in her cookie. While I would have liked to have taken credit, it was just blind chance that she got the most perfect fortune that was possible "A wish will be granted after a long delay" (see picture)
One wish down (first call) and now we know that another will soon follow. Could it be twins? Or just one perfect girl named Molly? Either way we're playing the lottery with those numbers!

Eric

We got 1st call today!!!

For weeks now every time I leave the house I have been forwarding all calls from home to my cell just in case our adoption agency calls with news about Molly. I even have our agency's phone number set to play It's a Beautiful Day by U2 when they call my cell phone so I'll know it's them as soon as my phone rings.

I thought about setting call forwarding this morning before I set out on my morning walk with our dog, Maybel, but I thought I shouldn't set myself up for a let down if the phone doesn't ring. So Maybel and I took our walk as usual and then sat out front and soaked up some sun, watered the plants, enjoying a leisurely morning together, more so than usual. When we finally went inside and I saw two emails from our G115 board (yahoo board with other couples from our agency that will be traveling with us to China) with "1st call" in the subject line. I thought - it couldn't be . . . could it? Below those emails was an email that I had a new phone message, I didn't even look at the phone number of the missed call, just pressed play, and there was the message we have been waiting for, "This is Yasmine from U.S. Asian Affairs with your first call and tentative travel dates please call me." I guess that's the way, always when you're least expecting it!

You may be wondering what 1st call means. Well, we are in the matching room where they are choosing which precious little girl will be our Molly. We now start the process of getting our Visas to travel to China. Our 2nd call is expected within the next two weeks and that is when we will find out who Molly is and where she is from. We will get our exact departure date 10-14 days before we leave but they are estimating that we will leave for China beginning to mid May. If all goes well I will be holding Molly on Mother's Day!

Dad makes Molly a doll

After Marie had made all the blankets, sweaters and hats for Molly I wanted to make something just from Daddy. Sure I had made shelves, paintings and wall stencils but you can't cuddle with a shelf. It's much too high up the wall even if she wanted to try. In my continued effort to spoil her silly I cannibalized a cashmere sweater (one of Marie's. I asked first! Sheesh. you assume the worst) and started sewing away. My excuse or rather my explanation for the look of him...her.....it - let's go with that - is it is more of a hand made 'folk art' sort of look just like a doll made in the 1800's. Except instead of burlap stuffed with hay I went for cashmere stuffed with more cashmere.
I hope she likes it. I hope she wears it out. I hope she stuffs it in a trunk and takes it out when she's 25 or 30 and has just moved into her first apartment in the big city and she cuddles it a bit, even though by then the threads will be a little worn and the stuffing popping out at a few seams. Maybe she'll hold it against her cheek and remember happy times when she was a little girl and then maybe she'll decide to call her dear old Dad and tell him she loves him.
To Molly. From Daddy. Made from 100% love. And, y'know, the cashmere.