Yippee! I got an e-mail for our coordinator this morning telling us we have pre-approval from the CCAA to adopt our little one! It took 4 weeks exactly...on the long end of the wait so we hope the rest of the steps move more quickly!
It just so happens that today is her 3rd birthday! Happy Birthday, baby girl! We aren't allowed to share identifying information about her until the next step, which is LSC/LOA but I can tell you a little more about her!
She was born on 10/12/06 and is currently living with a foster family in Inner Mongolia. She has been in foster care since the age of six months and according to her reports is developmentally on target. Her reports were done at 2 1/2 years old and she weighed 30 lbs and was 36 inches tall.
They describe her as "a little obstinate and talkative. She likes smiling and poking her nose into everything. She likes playing games and playing outside." They also say she is not a picky eater and eats everything, but meat is her favorite.
At the age of 9 months, she could turn over. At the age of 10 months, she could jump when sitting in the baby carriage. At the age of 1 and a half year, she learnt to walk, and she could take 4-5 steps. She could crawl quickly. At the age of 1 year and 8 months, she could walk alone. She could speak the words with 2 characters. Now she can speak the sentences with 4-6 words, and talk to the adults. She likes writing, reading, and toys.
We are so happy to finally get some news and to be able to share more with you! The next step will be LSC/LOA (formal approval), at which point we can send packages and post photos of her. The agency told us to expect to wait 75-100 days for this, so the waiting begins once again!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Some Goodies For Our Girl
Look what arrived last week! Another adorable outfit and our girl's first "Pucci Pup" from Auntie Kristen. It seems I need to know about these pups. How darn cute are those jeans! This is going to be fun...
She also sent some really sweet books to get us started. Thanks Aunt Peanut!
She also sent some really sweet books to get us started. Thanks Aunt Peanut!
Birthday Fun
How can I possibly be 40 already?!!! It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating my 30th with my friends in Cabo. They do say 40 is the new 30 and sure don't feel like I am 40, so I suppose it really is just a number after all.
My sis Jen has come to Austin for my birthday every year since we moved here. Poppy usually makes the trip too, but had some expenses come up and another trip to make this year so wasn't able to be here.
[caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mellie and Jen"]
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So this year Jen brought her guy, Guy with her. Guy turned 40 two days after me so it was a joint celebration of sorts. Jen & Guy live in Northern California so it was a treat to spend a few days in the warm sun and spend time in the pool.
[caption id="attachment_176" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Jen and Guy"]
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[caption id="attachment_177" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Brandon through the goal posts"]
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[caption id="attachment_178" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Jen soaking up the sunshine"]
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We had great weather and were able to eat lunch and dinner outside most days. We went to Gueros, County Line for BBQ, The Oasis for a beer and the view and of course shopped at Central Market. We also went to Alamo Drafthouse for a movie, lunch and beers.
One night a big ol' storm was rolling in from the west and we were able to sit out back and watch an amazing light show. If you look close enough you can see a bolt of lightning:
Well, they are back to work in China now so hoping for some good news today or early next week! I have other "friends" in the adoption community who are still waiting on PA's too and are just as anxious as we are. It's good to know we are not alone!
My sis Jen has come to Austin for my birthday every year since we moved here. Poppy usually makes the trip too, but had some expenses come up and another trip to make this year so wasn't able to be here.
[caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mellie and Jen"]
[/caption]So this year Jen brought her guy, Guy with her. Guy turned 40 two days after me so it was a joint celebration of sorts. Jen & Guy live in Northern California so it was a treat to spend a few days in the warm sun and spend time in the pool.
[caption id="attachment_176" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Jen and Guy"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_177" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Brandon through the goal posts"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_178" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Jen soaking up the sunshine"]
[/caption]We had great weather and were able to eat lunch and dinner outside most days. We went to Gueros, County Line for BBQ, The Oasis for a beer and the view and of course shopped at Central Market. We also went to Alamo Drafthouse for a movie, lunch and beers.
One night a big ol' storm was rolling in from the west and we were able to sit out back and watch an amazing light show. If you look close enough you can see a bolt of lightning:
Well, they are back to work in China now so hoping for some good news today or early next week! I have other "friends" in the adoption community who are still waiting on PA's too and are just as anxious as we are. It's good to know we are not alone!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
New Update On Our Sponsor Child
This is what her nanny wrote for this month's update:
"Melody is a beautiful girl, with two big beautiful eyes, long eyelashes, dark black hair and two cute little dimples. It’s really enjoyable to see her when it is time for a bottle. As soon as she sees the bottle, she will stretch her hands out just like she’s saying “Mom, give it to me quickly! I’m hungry!” If you take her bottle away for a moment before she’s finished eating, she’ll stretch her hands and feet towards you calling, “Mom, Mom…”.It is obvious she really likes her milk! She also enjoys sitting up. Although she probably thinks she’s a big girl doing it all on her own, she is propped up on both sides by pillows or sits in a chair that helps support her. Melody is loved by all and we hope that she is able to have her operation soon and becomes even more healthy and strong. We thoroughly enjoy seeing her bloom like a beautiful flower!"
She is such a little pumpkin!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Is No News Good News?
Boy, what a long couple of weeks this has been! Although we were told our PA could take 2-4 weeks, everyone I "know" in the community got theirs much quicker and seem to think ours is taking a long time. UGH! Everyone has been waiting for an approval in some form or another and none showed up last week. It was very quiet on all of the China adoption forums.
It seems the officials from China have been here in the U.S. on a diplomatic visit and word is they only arrived back home over this past weekend. To top it off, Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of The People's Republic of China, followed by the mid-Autumn festival, which means all of the government offices will be closed for a week. Rumor has it all of the worker resources have been directed towards preparing for the big celebrations to come, so no paperwork has been issued or approved. So, everyone seems to think that there will be little news until after the 8th of October. Another UGH!
Our little one turns three in two weeks and we were hoping to at least get our PA so we could send a birthday gift and cake. It seems that is not likely to happen. This waiting thing is the pits...I think I need a new hobby.
On a happier note, Jen & Guy arrive on Wednesday! We are so looking forward to their visit! What a wonderful distraction it will be!
***Update***
Sept. 28th
Our coordinator said today that the translated copy of our documents were requested last week so they have looked at our application. And, that a family who is a week ahead of us is still waiting too so not to worry!
It seems the officials from China have been here in the U.S. on a diplomatic visit and word is they only arrived back home over this past weekend. To top it off, Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of The People's Republic of China, followed by the mid-Autumn festival, which means all of the government offices will be closed for a week. Rumor has it all of the worker resources have been directed towards preparing for the big celebrations to come, so no paperwork has been issued or approved. So, everyone seems to think that there will be little news until after the 8th of October. Another UGH!
Our little one turns three in two weeks and we were hoping to at least get our PA so we could send a birthday gift and cake. It seems that is not likely to happen. This waiting thing is the pits...I think I need a new hobby.
On a happier note, Jen & Guy arrive on Wednesday! We are so looking forward to their visit! What a wonderful distraction it will be!
***Update***
Sept. 28th
Our coordinator said today that the translated copy of our documents were requested last week so they have looked at our application. And, that a family who is a week ahead of us is still waiting too so not to worry!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Our Sponsor Child
One of the things I have enjoyed most about my new waiting hobby is to regularly check in with the kiddos at various foster care facilities throughout China. There are some amazing folks doing amazing things for the children who would otherwise languish in orphanages. They take in sick children in desperate need of medical attention and provide them with the love, nurturing and medical care they need to grow and thrive. These foster homes are operated by various charities and rely mainly on donations to provide food, housing and medical procedures for the children in their care. Almost all of them have websites to post photos, video and information about their children and to provide those who wish to help an avenue to make donations and sponsor children.
One of the charities I follow closely is the New Day Foster Home in Beijing. They have a twenty-one bed facility for special needs kids to call home while they await or recover from medical procedures and then to be matched with their forever family. These folks are so incredibly dedicated to transforming the lives of these children and preparing them for their new life. In addition, they run a healing home to help critically ill children -- children who might otherwise die -- through their surgery and recovery. They also have a foster family program in three different areas of China where families take children in to their homes to help them heal, grow and learn.
All this waiting has left me with plenty of time to follow all of these amazing children as they thrive under the love and care of these charities. I just felt like I needed to do something to help, so I decided to sponsor a child at the New Day Healing Home. Her name is Melody and she is only six months old. She was abandoned at the hospital the day she was born and came in to the care of New Day just a few months ago to prepare for a much needed surgery. Isn't she precious?
If you would like to learn more about the New Day Foster Home , you can visit their website at:
http://www.newdaycreations.com/foster/index.html
Now that we have been matched with our kiddo, we'd like to find someone who is interested in taking over our sponsorship of Melody. Please contact me if you are interested.
Below are links to some of the other various charities working to improve the lives of orphans in China:
Half the Sky Foundation: http://www.halfthesky.org/
Love Without Boundaries: http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/
Philip Hayden Foundation: http://www.chinaorphans.org/
One of the charities I follow closely is the New Day Foster Home in Beijing. They have a twenty-one bed facility for special needs kids to call home while they await or recover from medical procedures and then to be matched with their forever family. These folks are so incredibly dedicated to transforming the lives of these children and preparing them for their new life. In addition, they run a healing home to help critically ill children -- children who might otherwise die -- through their surgery and recovery. They also have a foster family program in three different areas of China where families take children in to their homes to help them heal, grow and learn.
All this waiting has left me with plenty of time to follow all of these amazing children as they thrive under the love and care of these charities. I just felt like I needed to do something to help, so I decided to sponsor a child at the New Day Healing Home. Her name is Melody and she is only six months old. She was abandoned at the hospital the day she was born and came in to the care of New Day just a few months ago to prepare for a much needed surgery. Isn't she precious?
If you would like to learn more about the New Day Foster Home , you can visit their website at:
http://www.newdaycreations.com/foster/index.html
Now that we have been matched with our kiddo, we'd like to find someone who is interested in taking over our sponsorship of Melody. Please contact me if you are interested.
Below are links to some of the other various charities working to improve the lives of orphans in China:
Half the Sky Foundation: http://www.halfthesky.org/
Love Without Boundaries: http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/
Philip Hayden Foundation: http://www.chinaorphans.org/
Friday, September 18, 2009
Waiting Has Become My New Hobby
It seems my life has revolved around waiting the past few years. So, rather than letting it drive me crazy I have decided it is my new hobby. And who doesn't want to take up a hobby they are really good at?
Wait, wait, wait...we waited month after month to see if we would be having a bio child. Then when we decided to adopt, we waited for info from agencies and waited to attend their workshops and webinars. On to the wait to be approved for the China program. Next came waiting for our homestudy to begin and end, waiting for it to be approved and then waiting for USCIS (Immigration) to approve us to be adoptive parents. Oh, and how can I forget the waiting for documents from government agencies to arrive and then the waiting while stuff went back and forth for certifications and authentications? And of course the big wait for our dossier to be reviewed by our agency, sent to China and logged in. But the biggest wait of all was the most intense, the wait to be matched with a child. Waiting for the new shared lists to come out. Waiting for our WC group to send files for us to review when we asked for them. Waiting for responses to all of our questions. Waiting for that phone call!
Some would think that after you've been matched all the worry and waiting becomes relatively easy. We are now waiting for our PA (pre-approval) which our agency says takes 2-4 weeks. Then we will wait for our LOA/LSC (formal approval) which they have told us to expect in 75-100 days. So, potentially we could be waiting over 4 months before we are officially recognized as the parents of "our" child! And all during that 4 months there are so many things to worry about. What if they don't think we are the right parents for the child...what if someone else submitted their LOI first and we lose the referral..what if they question something in our dossier...what if our paperwork gets lost and there are delays. And on and on and on.
The crazy thing is there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the timing of the process. I've seen families who've waited a month for PA. Some who got PA in a few days but waited 4 months for LOA. There are families who got PA in a week, LOA in 11 days. There is not point in trying to estimate how long we will wait, so I've decided to make a hobby of it. Rather than checking my e-mail every five seconds, I approach it as a hobby -- something I spend just a small portion of my day on and then move on to other things. Speaking of which, there is a kitchen floor waiting to be cleaned with my name all over it!
Wait, wait, wait...we waited month after month to see if we would be having a bio child. Then when we decided to adopt, we waited for info from agencies and waited to attend their workshops and webinars. On to the wait to be approved for the China program. Next came waiting for our homestudy to begin and end, waiting for it to be approved and then waiting for USCIS (Immigration) to approve us to be adoptive parents. Oh, and how can I forget the waiting for documents from government agencies to arrive and then the waiting while stuff went back and forth for certifications and authentications? And of course the big wait for our dossier to be reviewed by our agency, sent to China and logged in. But the biggest wait of all was the most intense, the wait to be matched with a child. Waiting for the new shared lists to come out. Waiting for our WC group to send files for us to review when we asked for them. Waiting for responses to all of our questions. Waiting for that phone call!
Some would think that after you've been matched all the worry and waiting becomes relatively easy. We are now waiting for our PA (pre-approval) which our agency says takes 2-4 weeks. Then we will wait for our LOA/LSC (formal approval) which they have told us to expect in 75-100 days. So, potentially we could be waiting over 4 months before we are officially recognized as the parents of "our" child! And all during that 4 months there are so many things to worry about. What if they don't think we are the right parents for the child...what if someone else submitted their LOI first and we lose the referral..what if they question something in our dossier...what if our paperwork gets lost and there are delays. And on and on and on.
The crazy thing is there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the timing of the process. I've seen families who've waited a month for PA. Some who got PA in a few days but waited 4 months for LOA. There are families who got PA in a week, LOA in 11 days. There is not point in trying to estimate how long we will wait, so I've decided to make a hobby of it. Rather than checking my e-mail every five seconds, I approach it as a hobby -- something I spend just a small portion of my day on and then move on to other things. Speaking of which, there is a kitchen floor waiting to be cleaned with my name all over it!
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