NEW PICTURES!!!

Oh baby girl, those eyes. I can't wait to see them sparkle.

Those pouty lips. I can't wait to see them smiling, no GRINNING. I dream of her smile.
Someone please HUG my baby girl. It looks like she's kinda sitting on this ladies lap. I wonder if it's her foster Mom?

I have been waiting so impatiently for new pictures of our girl. I've checked my email obsessively a million times a day. As we were checking in to our hotel last Friday, I got an email (THE email) from Angela of Lady bugs n love. That one little email blew my plans of a nap up into a million pieces. There was NO napping--- I was so excited. I've stared at these three pictures and analyzed every single detail. All I can say is, I'm so ready to get on a plane. We need to get this child home. She needs a Mommy and Daddy. And some good nutrition, lots of love, and a great big family to spoil her rotten. She is so teeny. Even smaller than Drake which I didn't think possible.

Today is exactly 30 days we've been waiting on our LOA. Average wait is around 60 days. Some people get it sooner, which is obviously what I'm hoping for. I need this child home before Christmas and her birthday. Eric and I've been talking a lot about travel plans. We've always assumed we'd both go for the whole two weeks. Until my friend Caroline went alone, and my friend Tammy's husband went for just one week. Eric has two concerns, both which are valid. He doesn't want us to leave the boys for two weeks. I get that, I think it would be awesome if they could only be without us for one week. His other concern is that he owns and runs his own business. He's worked his butt off for 4 years now, and it's really successful. He really doesn't want to be on the other side of the world, and cut off except for email. I get that too. No decision making coming any time soon. We'll leave travel plans for when we need to make them, which is only 2 weeks before we leave. I would be totally fine going alone for the first week. But I have to say it would be nice to have him there for the second week and the flight home:-)

Her update!!!

As part of the care package we sent, we were able to ask ten questions that were forward to the orphanage. The Q&A is below in italics. It is so nice to know a little bit more about our sweet girl. And all I have to say, is we've got some serious shopping to do for dolls. In addition to the ten questions and the care package, we sent a letter that was translated. I hope her foster family reads it to her, and attempts to get her to understand what will be happening in her life.

The other thing we did was send a cake, AKA an adoption celebration cake. The orphanage will have her foster family bring her in to have cake with other kids, and then send pictures to the lady at our care package company. I'm waiting on PINS AND NEEDLES for those. It's killing me.

We also got updated measurements, but I don't think they are accurate. If so, she's gained no weight, and lost two teeth. Uh, I think somewhere there is a mess up with those numbers!

Below is the translated update:

1. What name is she called?

Hui Hui.

2. Does she understand what it means to be adopted and have a family?

No.

3. Does she talk a lot, or is she quiet?

She doesn’t talk a lot, but sometimes she is a little mischievous.

4. Is she still shy, or has she become more outgoing?

She has become more outgoing. She is active and playful.

5. What does she like to do for fun?

Doll.

6. Does she know she's being adopted?

She doesn’t understand it. But we will show her pictures, so she will be familiar with her family.

7. Does she go to the potty, or use diapers?

She is getting potty trained. But she can’t take care of herself yet. She is still using diaper.

8. Is she active; does she like to run and jump around?

She is active, and she likes to run and jump around.

9. Can she stay in her foster home until the day before we get her?

Yes.

10. Will we be able to visit her orphanage and meet her foster family while we are in Changsha?

You will have to send application to the civil affairs office if you want to visit the orphanage. The civil affairs office then will notify us. You can’t meet with foster family. But we can forward your wish to them.

Tessa's Care Package

I had so much fun getting a care package together for Tessa. It was a fine line between sending her stuff she might like/need, and not going overboard. We likely won't get any of it back when we go and get her, which is totally fine. I'd love them to pass it along to another needy orphan.

Cute summer outfit and hat. With layers of course, b/c their culture layers on the clothes.
A super soft lovie.
A toy. I really wanted to send a doll, but was overwhelmed with the choices.
A fuzzy soft blankie. I hope she's cuddling with it.
Yes, I sent some bows and chapstick. Of course.
We sent her this lotion, and we'll have it on when we get her in China. I've read on message boards that one thing that is so strange about us as Westerns is our smell, so I've heard wearing a smell she's familiar with can facilitate attachment.
Tessa's photo album. We put her pic on front so it won't get confused with other children's. I really hope they go ahead and give it to her so she can get used to our faces.

A page of our album. I forgot to take a pic of our other pages when I finished it.

Care package update

Our care package made it to China. It should now be on the way from the care package company's office, to Tessa's orphanage. The orphanage told Angela from the care package company that they would send pictures of her with her cake. I hope they also send answers to the ten questions we asked. I don't know what kind of timeframe it takes to get the foster family's in with the kids, so I'm not sure when to expect pictures or info. Maybe early next week hopefully? I'm waiting on pins and needles to see my sweet baby girls face again!!!!

On another note, my friends Tammy and Caroline are both in China right now, completing their adoptions of their sons! (Two separate family's). Keep them in your prayers!

Caroline has a blog you can follow in my links.

I hope the next post will have pictures!!!

LID and Care Package!

On July 22, our dossier was logged in to the Chin@ Adoption Aff@irs, which means it's being translated and reviewed. Now we wait for our LOA, which is truly a LSC, a letter seeking confirmation. This is the last long/big step we wait for. It's taking an average of 2 months after LID. I'm hoping to get it mid September. Some folks get LOA in as early as 40 days, some it takes 100 days. That's a wide variety, but I'm hoping for the average 2 months if not before.

When we get our LSC, we sign it and send it back to our agency. From there, the remaining steps are short ones, 1-3 weeks per step. There are many of them, and on average they all together take 8-12 weeks. There is still a chance we could travel the beginning of December and be home by Christmas. That's my hope of all hopes!

On a different note, I've collected a care package to send to our sweet girl. I'm waiting on the address of the China coordinator, and then can get it into the mail. We are sending our package, plus emailing a letter to Tessa, and ten questions for her orphanage/foster home. That all gets translated and delivered with her package.

We are also ordering through the care package company- a camera and two rolls of film. We should hopefully get that film back when we get Tessa in China. I hope it shows part of her life in her foster family.

The final thing that goes with her care package is an "Adoption Celebration" cake. The company I'm using contacts the orphanage, and delivers it on a day when Tessa's foster family can bring her in to the orphanage. They will email me pictures of her with her cake, and hopefully the answers to our ten questions. And also: MEASUREMENTS!!!! That's huge, b/c then I'll be able to shop.

I'm thinking about 3 weeks. One week for everything to get to China, and they say 5-10 business days for the pics and info. And her being in a foster home can lengthen the process a little as well.

I will take some pictures of her goodies we are sending, and share that soon!

WE WERE DTC TODAY!!!!!!!!!!

That is, Dossier to China! The last months of paperwork have all been sent across the world, and now we wait about two months for the official approval from China. Travel ranges 4-6 months from sending the dossier over. I'm praying for 4!

So the last time I posted, I had just been told (via phone) that our immigration application was approved. It took a few days to get here, and I sent it off to NC to be authenticated. Well, they still (after a week) hadn't sent it back. That was quite unusual. I called, and they told me they'd sent it back b/c I failed to send in a check (for $10) with it. I never got that back, so I went and got another copy notorized, and mailed it to NC. Then, two days apart, both arrived back here. And both were authenticated. Go figure, b/c I never sent in payment for the first one.

I then needed to send it to DC to our courier, and wouldn't you know she was on a rare vacation the week I finally had it back and ready to send to her. So Eric had his secretary send it, and she sent it via UPS instead of Fed Ex. Not normally an issue, but our courier picks up the super expedited stuff at a strictly FedEx office. So it got sent back here. Actually, it got sent back to the Staples store Eric's secretary shipped it from. So, Saturday Eric finally got it from Staples. His only job was to go to Fed Ex and overnight it, for a Monday arrival.

On Saturday afternoon, I got called into work, and his wallet was in his car, that I had driven. So he had no money. So, now, a MONTH after we planned to be DTC (dossier to China), we will finally be DTC. And that's assuming there are no snags this week in DC. And, with the way things have gone for this one little document, I expect a snag.

So there you have it. A bunch of run on sentences to tell you about the craziness of one little document, and the last month. I will be sure to update if we are actually DTC this Friday:-)