Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Stage Fright
Well gentle readers-the day has finally arrived. John and I
are about to get into the car and drive to Albuquerque so we can catch a plane to Beijing tomorrow morning. I can hardly believe
that this day has come and at the same time I am more nervous and scared than I ever imagined.
I can only equate it
to rehearsing for a role that I have understudied for years. I know I can play the part. I've spent all of my time and energy
researching it. I've written down all of the blocking and I've watched the principals from the wings for years so I feel like
I know it. I have been preparing for the absolute role of my lifetime . . . only to panic and break into a cold sweat when
the Stage Manager calls and says, "You're on."
I have understudied . . . ALOT . . . and I have never really had stage
fright. I mean I have been plenty nervous but somehow I have been able to talk my way to calm when the lights came up and
I've worked my way through it. This is different. I feel that no matter how prepared I am it will never be enough. My friends
with children say, "You have no idea how much your life will change." or "Just wait and you will see . . ." Or my personal
favorite, "Until now your life has been in black and white and it's about to change to technicolor."
Like the Wizard
of Oz? I say lets see it. Bring on the technicolor challenges and John and I will just figure them out. I am not fooling myself.
I know I will screw up. But I want the chance to screw up in my own way. To improvise this script when I have no more words
. . . or ideas about how to solve a problem. All I can do is try. In other words . . . I think I am ready to go on.
Gotcha
day is April 3rd now . . . one day later than previously posted. Things keep changing! Ha! I will try to post from China like
I said before but if you don't hear any news until I get home don't panic. It's most likely just because I can't figure out
how to read a Mandarin keyboard.
I love y'all so much-I really do.
TLT
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Sarah Ida Jo Cohen
After much deliberation and more than a few trips to the negotiating table we have named
our daughter! Her name is Sarah Ida Jo Cohen and she is named for my Grandma Sarah, John's Grandma Ida and my Grandma Mary
Jo.
The way we look at it is this . . . we couldn't give her the history of our DNA so we wanted to give her the history
of our families. Sarah Lucille Thomas was a singer. She loved music and singing more than anyone I knew and shared that joy
with everyone she encountered. Ida Cohen was a survivor. She is legendary in the Cohen family for having beat all odds to
make a life for herself and her sons in this country. Mary Jo Weatherby was . . . Tookie. A songwriter and storyteller who
never met a stranger and was always the life of the party. John's Grandma Beatrice Reinhardt aka Nory although not represented
in name is always represented in our hearts. I wear Nory's engagement ring with my wedding ring and since Nory was an artist,
we display several of her
paintings in our house-one right in Sarah's nursery!
Our daughter is already all these
things to us and so much more so who better than Feng Fu Miao to have her great grandmothers' names?
I have a few
corrections to make on my last blog-big suprise there. First of all, Easter is not April 1st it is April 8th so we will be
meeting Sarah on the 2nd of April a full 6 days before Easter (Thanks Mom). I can't quite get my dates right for some reason-I
think I am distracted!
Secondly, because of flight availability we will be leaving the states on March 28th to fly
to Bejing instead of the 29th. I seriously can't wait another minute.
Thanks again for all your notes and good wishes!
Love-TLT
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<P class=blogTimeStamp>Fri</P>
<P class=blogTimeStamp>Wednesday, March 14, 2007 </P>
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<P class=blogSubject>Its official! </P>
<P class=blogContent>
<P>Consulate
Appointments have been confirmed so we are leaving on March 29th!!!! As it stands now we could meet our girl as early as April
1st but probably Gotcha Day will be on the 2nd. The day after Easter.</P>
<P>We fly to Bejing
on March 29th and arrive the 30th. We tour the Great Wall on the 31st and then fly to Chongqing on April1st. We will either
get Miao on that day or the next and then spend the week in Chongqing just getting to know her. We will officailly name Baby
Miao on Gotcha Day so look for updates on that!</P>
<P>On April 6th we fly to Guangzhou and spend the weekend
at the White Swan Hotel which everyone calls "adoption central" because EVERYONE stays there while they wait for their Consulate
Appointments. There is a famous red couch where all the babies sit and have their picture taken and the hotel is so used to
having adoptive parents there that they automatically provide a crib in your room!</P>
<P>We will have our
appointment sometime on April 9th and then leave to return home to the US on April 10th. We should arrive back home by the
11th and then . . . life begins!</P>
<P>It's so close y'all.</P>
<P>Love ya!</P>
<P> </P>
<P>TLT</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>day, March 09, 2007 </P>
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<P class=blogSubject>Packing </P>
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<P>OK-now that we have travel approval the reality of my suitcase has finally sunk in. I have been leisurely if
not wistfully floating in and out of the baby's room where all her travel clothes are laid out on the bed. Up until now I
have been adding or subtracting clothes and sweaters everyday with a sort of, "Someday we will go" mentality. The whole thing
had a Tennesee Williams feel to it. Pick up a dress . . . imagine her in it . . .daydream . . . the whole scene was scored
with strings.</P>
<P>Now I am in a sheer panic. Shift to a manic Sondheim melody with tons of orchestration
and that is what it looks like now. "Pardon me is everybody here? Because if everybody's here I'd really like to thank you
all for coming to the wedding." You get the picture.</P>
<P>You would think that because they are smaller,
babies would need less stuff. But let me tell you something, that is a big fat LIE! I have packed jeans and sweaters if it's
cold, shorts if it's hot, dresses so she looks cute in the pictures, onsies, sleepers, blankies, bibs, sippy cups, bottles,
toys, books, first aid, medicine and . . . yes, she needs all of it.</P>
<P>Then there is the paperwork.
Passports, Visas, copies of Passports and Visas, Homestudy, Consulate paperwork, tax returns, affidavits of vaccinations .
. . and copies of all that. And all of this must weigh less than 44 pounds.</P>
<P>John and I are taking nothing.
If Corky St. Clair could make it in NYC with a dance belt and tube of chapstick then I am taking my cue from him
because there isn't room for anything else.</P>
<P>It will be fine. I am so excited that it is hard to think
about anything that we might need. Just as long as Miao has everything she needs . . . all we need is her.</P>
<P>Now, just to clarify. If we get our consulate appointment during the week of April 9th then we will
be leaving the US on March 29th. If for any reason we CAN'T get an appointmnet the week of the 9th then we will have to wait
until May. I think it looks good for the 29th though and the next post I will make will be . . . "We got our consulate
appointment." Then it's official.</P>
<P>I am off to shove more clothing into a small weightless suitcase.</P>
<P>Love-TLT</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Tuesday, February 27, 2007 </P>
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<P class=blogSubject>Still waiting . . . </P>
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<P>OK-I don't have any news about Travel Approval yet. Looks like it will take another
4 weeks or so because of the Chinese New Year holiday. </P>
<P>While this is frustrating for me and for John
it is also a very interesting time for us. We have continued to work on the baby's room and make it perfect for her with book
shelves and pictures and toys she might like. I've washed all her clothes and put them away where she can reach them. I've
read and re read the last chapter of "What to Expect the First Year". I've put her picture all over the house. My
room, her room, the fridge and of course on my computer and cell phone.</P>
<P>I have joined 4 groups on Yahoo
specific to adoption from China and met families who have our same referral date and even one family who has a daughter in
the Fengdu SWI who is Miao's age. I keep imagining that they know eachother and play together. I keep imagining she has a
friend.</P>
<P>While this wait is difficult for us, I know that my daughter is safe. She doesn't
know she is waiting. She is living her life in her "home" with her friend and the lovely people who have cared for her so
well. I can handle this wait as long as I know it isn't hurting her.</P>
<P>I Thank you all for your calls
and e mails and support. Miao's extended family is so loving and I can hardly wait for the day when she will meet
all of you.</P>
<P>But I will wait . . . and it will be worth it.</P>
<P>Love Always-TLT</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></STRONG></P>
<P class=blogTimeStamp><STRONG>Thursday, February 08, 2007</STRONG> </P>
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<P class=blogSubject><U>Fed Ex and killer whales</U> </P>
<P class=blogContent>
<P>OK-I think the date is finally right on one of these things!</P>
<P>I just Fed Exed (that looks
funny) our Referral Acceptance Agreement to Great Wall! Over the past three days John and I have sent three Fed Ex packages
and with each one I receive or send I get another bunch of butterflies in my stomach. And not because it costs an arm and
a leg to send them! I know that we are getting closer to Miao. Everything I do is about time passing so we can just get there.</P>
<P>I went to Sea World on Monday with some folks from the cast and the whole time I was there I was thinking how
much I would like to show Miao the dolphins. Or otters or sharks or any other creature living on the planet. I cried when
I watched Shamu jump out of the water and heard the guy on the video say, "Anything is possible if you believe!" </P>
<P>Yeah-I really did. Because here's the deal . . . I sort can't believe that this is all happening to us. John
and I have stressed and cried and gotten angry and wished and hoped and had our hearts broken so many times over these past
two years and yet I wake up in the morning and look at this almost year old person who is destined to come home to Durango
and be our daughter and . . . I want to jump on the back of a killer whale and ride as she jumps out of the water so I can
show everyone how big this feeling is. And we haven't even met her in person yet.</P>
<P>I realize I have
never been so corny and I just don't care!</P>
<P>On a practical note I will keep everyone updated on when
our travel approval comes and when we get closer to the trip I will give the details. I am hoping I can keep up this blogging
while we are in China because I am sure I will cry alot and I am sure you will all want to read about it. You know how I am
about feelings!</P>
<P>OK-one more thing, I realized that some people reading this don't know where I am or
what I am doing! I am in San Diego right now doing a production of Ace-a new musical at the Old Globe Theatre. The show closes
on Feb 18th (Chinese New Year!) so I will have plenty of time to get home and re-pack for China.</P>
<P>I
am also acting as guardian for the 12 year old lead in our show named Noah. His parents are both working in NY so I am taking
care of him until they can get here next week. After my blog about Panda Express being Noah's idea I got some confused e mail's
so that is who he is! He is a great actor by the way and has a super voice. Also, I like him because he will play
cards with me and he eats my cooking. We get along pretty well.</P>
<P>More later-Love to you all!</P>
<P>TLT</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></FONT></DIV></DIV>
