The lingo is easy to learn. The D stands for either "Dear" or "Disney" depending on who you ask. I always thought it meant dear. The second letter is the relationship. So, DH = Dear Husband, DD = Dear Daughter, DS = Dear Son.
We have made two trips to China, once in 2000 and again in 2002. There was one compelling reason for both trips: our daughters were born in China. So both trips were centered around bringing a new baby into our family. I am really looking forward to this trip because I will be much more relaxed and able to really enjoy vacation. The other trips were enjoyable, but learning to be a mom in a country far away from your home is a stressful thing. We made life-long friends on both trips. In fact, one family we met on a China trip became some of our best friends and we go on vacation with them every year.
We filed for our visas a while ago and still do not have them back from the visa company. We used the company recommended by ABD. We keep checking the website. The paperwork is back from the consolate, but still in their quality control section.