Here's the Gift List - We were the Thankful Recipients!

The Gifts – So Many Generous Family and Friends!

I am slowly writing a few thank you notes at a time, going through each gift and card received, enjoying the fun of being the recipient of so many wonderful items for daughter AA. We love thanking everyone for the excitement, joy and love towards our crazy adventure called Imagine……Alyzabeth An!

The list is long so will take a while to thank everyone and to commit to memory so that AA will have fun reliving it all with us someday! If I do not have you on the list, please email me (do not be bashful!) as you know I am not perfect and may have inadvertently not written down your gift (my excuse is I was crazy during the expected referral month of July, then even crazier when we did not get our referral, so August was nuts waiting for our referral, then we received it and then it got crazier, then the “trip”…. I guess you get the idea.

It was like my water broke in slow motion over two months, then the delivery took another month…). So please write me if you are not on the list!!

I think the last time I posted about a gift for AA (besides Secret Buddy and Secret pal gifts) was when we received the Chinese lantern quilt from Connie/PIPO. We also posted about the beautiful roses Don & Be sent us to have in our GZ White Swan hotel room. Very nice and it was AA’s first word she learned from us – "flowers”. DH also recently posted (on 10/07/08) about some clothes we received from family.

Since then, many lovely people have sent us gifts, just out of their thoughtfulness and generosity. We so appreciate the gifts and the surprise is nice too – kept our spirits up and amazement after each one was opened and put in AA’s room for her.

• Our Crown.org County team leaders, the Martin’s, surprised us with some sweets and champagne toast the week we received our referral (very sweet, we have been so indulgent talking about AA and hogging all the conversations!).
• Don & Be over at Pregnancy by Adoption were invaluable with their gifts of travel medicines and baby essentials plus the “shape sorting barn” which AA loves to play with (and has mastered too). Saved the day for us!!
• DD Leaa & Jesse, plus Marsha and Cathy all planning a “Referral Day” evening party – family and food was all enjoyed while we showed off our first pictures of AA (we had emailed them from the CCAI Orlando office so it was anti-climatic – they had seen all the pictures we had to show off!). DD and SIL recorded a beautiful Beatles song for us... Listen here.
• The Davis’ and Chilton’s, good friends for many years along with Diana; they all came out on a Friday evening right after referral day so that we could brag some more. We received gifts from all of them!
• Our first day back from China, family visited and gave birthday gifts to AA including a stuffed kitty cat, a pink poodle dog and a really cute toy car with a mommy and baby in it (and it plays music and teaches “open and close”)… thank you to C&W, M&C and cousin CR.
• Johnny from So it Comes Down to This, sent yummy Texas BBQ – We really enjoyed the brisket (my favorite)! He also sent a Texas sized T-shirt for AA – very hip!
• Catherine at Catherine’s Chatter, while meeting and visiting for the first time with Don & Be, she presented us with a gift of a beautiful sun dress for AA.
• Ozimum (we say Aussie Mom) over at Australia, sent us cute clothes (so cute and fit very well, I found the web site to buy some more), bathing suit, kangaroo, sunglasses and a beautiful homemade card with AA’s photo on it (very nice!).
• Kim Churches over at Ruby is Coming blog sent us some travel essential, luxury/boutique items, bib and the very essential travel toilet paper!
• Donna and Joe over at Waiting for Lauren Elizabeth, sent a hand made necklace with AA’s referral picture in a heart it – just wonderful, kept her close to me until we went to China.
  
  • BIL, Bill and Joan thought of all three of us, sending each a special book, one for me, DH and AA.
• My sister Melissa over at her Maine blog, flew here to surprise me during our baby shower. You could have knocked me over when I saw her come in with co-conspirator cousin CR! Thank you! She also sent us an “Edible Fruit” arrangement on Referral Day! Yummy! We just received a huge box of gifts from her all for Alyzabeth! Lots of clothes, toys, barrettes and her first Barbie Doll (Beach Barbie)!

Not too sure when we will let AA wear the Patriots shirt (may need to scratch over it with "Go Jaguars!").

• My older sister, Terri & George, sent a beautiful pink and brown outfit and my Auntie Jean sent a wonderful pink and brown winter jacket plus dress for AA (posted 10/07/08).

• Debbie Gum, good friend from the way back, gone by days (OK, haven’t seen her regularly since 1988 but have kept in touch) sent an adorable purse with designer dog in it (looks just like our Salty Dog) , bracelet and clothes.
• Church friends in Maine, Cay & Blair Walls send a lovable, squishy stuffed dog and blanket for AA.
• Phyllis Redman, friend from Missouri past and excellent professional photographer, sent a Target gift certificate along with the Beatles songs, sung for children (our favorite music!).
• Blogger buds, Leslie and daughter Fin, sent AA her first NASCAR T-Shirt of our favorite Missouri driver, Carl Edwards. Yeah, race fans!!
• The Florida United Methodist Children’s Home sent us a beautiful bouquet of pink roses and many cards of congrats!
• A large box of clothes for Alyzabeth arrived from Grandmother Barbara and Aunt Patti: two beautiful jumper sets, a jacket, Maine Moose (stuffed of course) and a book about a pet dog. Fits in perfectly with us!! Thank you!
• Special thanks goes to Secret Buddy; the Whittalls and the Bison’s. I received so many gifts that are being used. It did save me by having items ready for AA’s arrival. Fun stuff like toys, movies along with clothes and bath time items. Since our referral they each sent us a box of goodies. The Bison’s sent personalized sticker, stamps and note paper. The Whittall’s sent clothes, a snuggle doll and books. Thank you all again!

  

Recent Surprise Gifts from the Whittall's!

• Another person who is to be thanked many times over and much appreciated, is Susan Rushing who notarized everything we needed during our paper chase and post-referral papers. She has a grand-daughter from China and always welcomed us prattling on about our future daughter.
• HUGE thanks goes to my Mom who flew in to take care of the house and precious pets while we were gone and to take care of us during our first few weeks with AA. She fed us, ran errands, grocery shopped, planned the family gatherings, wash laundry, ironed, pulled weeds in the yard, cleaned our utility room, cleaned our refrigerator, organized a few closets and cupboards, addressed and sent out my “referral” (adoption) announcements, took the cats to their annual check ups and probably many other things I will never know about! She also sent some neat L.L. Bean clothes and bought some cool clothes from Kohl’s while shopping in this area.
• These local families gave us gifts, very unexpected surprises (but boy did we have fun receiving all these goodies!!): Allen’s (a book), Keating’s (a book), Nan & Dan (cute clothes, love the skort!),
• Last and not least, thank you to all who planned and pulled off a very special baby shower with food, drinks and the required brown and pink cake! It was co-ed, for DH and I (my first – wonder how many I have attended; now my first one for me!!) plus all the gifts. It really helped being ready for AA! Thank you all! Here’s the list of people we need to thank: Cathy & Werner, Leaa & Jesse, Carl & Marsha, Cara, Nicole, Justin & Trish, Carolyn, Sharon, Nancy, Kenny & Pam, Melissa, Katie, Christa, Katy, Terri & George, Dave & Julia, Lainie, Daniel & Eliza H., Katie & Barrett & Stella and my Mom!