Celebrating Forever Family Day!

Tonight we celebrated our first Forever Family Day the way most Chinamerican families do. Chinese food, of course. I know a few people who thought this idea was absolutely brilliant...
And to top the cake we indulged in a few treats from J's Bakery. No celebration would be complete without yummy treats, right? Yummmmmm...
Happy Forever Family Day to all of us but especially to our little noodle head! What a difference a year can make!

From Across the Ocean...

At this moment I am studying the words of a beautiful letter. A letter sent from across the ocean to our family via my Inbox. It begins "Greetings from China" and is filled with joy, sadness and hope. It is a letter from Mei Mei's foster family.

A few weeks ago I sent an email knowing they may never receive it but hopeful they would some day check the account they gave me the day we met. And now I'm reading their words. Some of it is lost in translation but I can feel the emotion in their words. I can tell that even six months later they are still so sad that she is gone. I can only imagine it to be like losing someone you love. One day they are here. The next day they are gone.

You see, they did what I can't imagine doing as a Mother. They loved a beautiful little girl for ten months. They gave of themselves to give her what she needed. Then they placed her in the hands of complete strangers and they let her go. Yes, they knew that was part of the job description but I can't imagine that made it any easier. They loved her and then they let her go. You can hear their broken hearts within their words. They want to know if she is eating? Is she sleeping? What are her living conditions? I'm here rejoicing at how far she (and we) have come in 6 months and they are going to bed every night wondering if we are feeding her or if she is safe? Can you imagine? As a Mother, my heart is so broken for this precious family. We are rejoicing in their sadness. It feels so unfair.

Today I am reminded that Mei Mei's life did not begin the day they placed her in our arms. Her life began 18 months before we touched her sweet face. Another woman an ocean away carried her within her womb. An entire foster home of nannies nursed her back to health. A foster mother rocked her to sleep at night--every night--for ten months. She knew that she loves broccoli. She knew that her little head sweats when she gets upset. She knew the joy of her laughter and the flash of her cheeky smile long before we did. How incredibly thankful we are for these amazing people who gave their hearts to our daughter without asking anything in return.

I know some day we will have to explain all of this to Mei Mei. How do you do that as a parent? How do I tell my daughter I know NOTHING about her birth. How do I explain to her that she had a foster family in China who dearly loved her but could not be her parents? How will I help her process the loss she has already experienced in her life. I can't imagine it right now. Please God give us the words when that day arrives.

And now I have to hit reply. Somehow I have to reassure these precious people that our love for Mei Mei is very real. I'm not sure how to do that but I will do my best to try.

(included in email--photo taken 5-1-2009)

Project Chosen

5 months ago at this moment we were on a plane en route to Newark, NJ. Three weary Wombles were counting the miles until we touched down on US soil. The time has flown by and some days I still can't believe Mei Mei is really here. Today her story is featured on Project Chosen. Click the above link to read her story along with many other families who have experienced the miracle of adoption.

Four weeks ago today...

two excited yet anxious parents...

entered a crowded and chaotic room in southern China...

and met Mei Mei for the first time...

and as we held this precious and beautiful child in our arms for the first time...

her heart shattered into a million pieces...

and our hearts were broken in return...

we've taken teeney tiny baby steps since September 14th...

but four weeks later we are still standing at the starting gate. Tonight I was scrolling through September posts and came across the post I wrote the night before we left for China. Honestly, I've never read it. I hit publish, got in the shower, went to China and never thought of it again until tonight. Until now. I didn't realize how much of my heart I poured out into that letter. It was so raw--such an accurate description of where I was at the time. In the middle of that letter I wrote this...

...Isn't it amazing how BIG God is? Before the beginning of time He ordained THIS day. THIS child. THIS family. THIS country. THIS miracle. He planted THIS seed in my heart as a little girl before I knew where it would take me. He brought two teenagers together who happen to share THIS heart for babies all over the world without Mommy's and Daddy's. He orchestrated every last miraculous detail of THIS awe inspiring story--her story--a story I can't wait to tell the world once she is safely home in our arms. He knew THIS day would come even before she was born--before WE were born. Did I always believe THIS day would come (especially over the past year)? No. But you know what? He did. He knew even when I stopped believing. In the winter, when I desperately wanted to believe He was bigger than my fears. When I wanted to believe He had a plan but I wanted Him to tell ME the plan. When I cried myself to sleep at night wondering if all of this was in vain. You know what? He already knew about March 27. He already knew about MeiMei. He already knew her story before she took her first breath. He knows her story from this day forward and we are so humbled He chose us to be part of it. I adopted Hebrews 11:1 as my verse for MeiMei long before we ever knew her face. It says "Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see". Somehow we knew this was the plan He had for our family. No, we did not hope for the circumstance behind how she will become part of our family. We hoped that someday we could become the parents of a child who needed a family. In so many ways, it is my children who have helped grow my faith, each in their own way. Even before holding this child in my arms she has taught me that faith is not about God answering your prayers. It is about believing He can and He will, if He so chooses, in His own time...

...Despite the unknowns of this week, there is one thing I know for certain. MeiMei was meant to be our daughter. Whatever the next few weeks, months and even years may bring, we will face it together. As a family. I pray she will feel the love we have to share with her and want to accept it. I have faith the One who created her will heal her heart. It will take time but I believe it will happen eventually...

I wish I had dozens of smiling Mei Mei photos to share. I wish I had any photos to share but since I've only picked up my camera once in the past two weeks I have none to showcase. I haven't missed them. There haven't been any to capture. I wish I had gushy stories to tell of bonding and snuggles and eskimo kisses. But I don't. I know so many of you are coming back to read the "happy ending" but right now the only happy ending is that MeiMei is here with her forever family. I don't have much more than that and I'm not going to pretend everything is coming up roses. That would be a lie. I know we have a long road ahead of us but we have to have faith that it will come. Wasn't that her verse? Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see? No longer are we hoping for her physically. Now we are hoping for her emotionally to show us a glimpse of the real MeiMei. Not the sad, broken hearted little girl she is today. I believe He will equip us with what we need to heal her broken heart. It will come. I must believe it will come, but in the meantime, please continue to pray for Mei Mei and the rest of the Womble 5.

Next stop--CHINA!

Emotions are high and quite frankly I am a mess. This will probably not make much sense but I need to say this. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Very shortly we will load overflowing luggage into the car and head for the airport. Our pal Darren is picking us up at 3:45 am. Now THAT is a real friend. Essentials have been crammed into every last square centimeter available. Lists have been checked, double checked and rechecked. Last minute phone calls have been made. Schedules have been arranged and typed in chronological order for each member of the Womble family. Everyone "on call" is officially "on call" until further notice. After all these years, the day has finally arrived.

Within the hour I will kiss two of my babies goodbye for the next 15 days. Not because I want to but because it is the decision we feel is best for them. As I have said many times, the only hesitation I have EVER had with our adoption is leaving Wild Man and Little Miss at home. I know they will be loved immensely while we away but I can not help but wish there was some way, ANY WAY, to bring MeiMei home without being half a world away from her brother and sister. I know our absence is going to be difficult for them, especially Little Miss, and already my heart is aching. 15 days without holding two of my babies. This is going to be the hardest two weeks of my life. There have been many hard weeks in my life but I have a feeling this may top the cake. Oh please God. With every ounce of my being I pray that You will keep us all safe. Wrap your loving arms around them. Comfort them in our absence. Help them to be strong and sweet and smart and brave. Remind them Mommy and Daddy love them to the moon and back again (even if we are looking at opposite sides of the same moon). It is my hearts cry tonight. Please keep us all safe and bring us all home together as a family of 5 in 15 days. In Jesus name. Amen. Ok--moving on--I can't go there right now--too much...

In a few short hours I will board an airplane. Two actually. The first of which is one of those tiny little commuter jets that hold about 50 people including the crew. It makes me want to toss my cookies just thinking about it. The second will be a very large--no make that HUGE--metal tube flying at 500+ miles per hour above some of the coldest most remote areas of the planet for a total of 14 hours and 1 minute. I can assure you I will be seated and secured TIGHTLY during that time. Who needs potty breaks anyway? I am 99% certain there are not enough "happy pills" in my carry on (or the Chiefs) to remove the scary thoughts from my overanalyzing brain (but I plan to challenge that theory). I'll get back to you. Don't worry. I have made sure the Chief has enough Kleenex in his pocket to wipe the drool from my chin. According to my calculations (I love to say that), the drugs should wear off about the time we spot land again. I've never literally kissed the ground of an airport but I'm thinking Beijing may be my first. I can do all things...I can do all things...

In approximately 24 hours we will land in the country of our daughter's birth. We have never set foot upon the continent of Asia and yet somehow it already owns a piece of my heart. Can you believe we are going to China? CHINA, PEOPLE!!! I have been "expecting" this child longer than my other two pregnancies combined. I've been "pregnant" WAY. TOO. LONG! When I think about all of this I am so overwhelmed. We are going to CHINA! Oceans will no longer divide us. Governments and bureaucracy will never again stand in our way. After a few days absorbing as much Chinese culture as two Americans can take in (while conquering jet lag and hopefully avoiding H1N1 quarantine) we'll take to the hopefully friendly skies once again for a "quick" three hour flight to Guangdong. Our southern girl waits for us there. I bet you never thought you would EVER hear me categorize a 3 hour flight as "quick" but in comparison to 14 it sounds like a cakewalk.

In six days we will walk, perhaps run, wholeheartedly into the Civil Affairs Bureau in Guangdong, China to meet our daughter. No longer will she be our daughter who waits for us in still photographs. She will become a living, breathing, walking, talking face with a new name. A first name her brother chose. A middle name with such significant meaning. I honestly can't believe I am typing these words. The wait will soon be over and she will be in our arms where she belongs. Oh how I can not wait for that day. Despite the unknowns of this week, there is one thing I know for certain. MeiMei was meant to be our daughter. Whatever the next few weeks, months and even years may bring, we will face it together. As a family. I pray she will feel the love we have to share with her and want to accept it. I have faith the One who created her will heal her heart. It will take time but I believe it will happen eventually. Just as I dreamed of the day I would hold Wild Man and Little Miss, so have I dreamed of September 14. After all this time, six days feels like we're nearing the end of the home stretch. This is happening. This is really really happening! What a blessing it is to become a parent each and every time we are given the opportunity. Though equally as miraculous, this "birth" feels a tiny bit more humbling.

Fast forward to 15 days from now when we will all be together as a family. A forever family. After I kiss the ground at the airport, I'm going to sprint to baggage claim where I know I will cry the biggest Charlie Brown tears of joy ever to be shed. It is quite possible I will knock down half the people in front of me on the escalator to get to my babies. Seriously--you guys better hold up a sign telling everyone in the path of the Mom and Dad with the Chinese baby to MOVE IT OR LOSE IT! No, I'm not kidding. I will spare no life or limb to get to them so everyone in my path better get the heck out of dodge. Coming through....Coming through...Excuse me....Pardon me...I have not seen two of my children in 15 days...MOVE. IT. PEOPLE.

For months I have been saying I wanted to get this show on the road. Can you believe it? The curtain goes up today. We are beyond practice and dress rehearsal. No more list making and travel planning. This is it! We are going to meet MeiMei in SIX DAYS. On one hand I am sooooo overjoyed. humbled. in awe. ecstatic. On the other, I know what I have to do in a few minutes and I am overwhelmed with sadness. I wish I was a world traveler. I wish I was brave and strong. I wish I could get on that plane without one ounce of fear. I wish...I wish...I wish... I want my cake and eat it too, ya know? Can't we just wiggle our noses like Samantha Stephens, skip the plane ride, take Wild Man and Little Miss with us, grab our girl, absorb a little culture and take the Dorothy approach on the way home? There's no place like home...There's no place like home...There's no place like home... So true... There is NO PLACE like home. I know that is just a dream. Instead I have to step out in faith trusting that He is bigger than my Mommy fear and my anxiety about the next 15 days. On that note...

Isn't it amazing how BIG God is? Before the beginning of time He ordained THIS day. THIS child. THIS family. THIS country. THIS miracle. He planted THIS seed in my heart as a little girl before I knew where it would take me. He brought two teenagers together who happen to share THIS heart for babies all over the world without Mommy's and Daddy's. He orchestrated every last miraculous detail of THIS awe inspiring story--her story--a story I can't wait to tell the world once she is safely home in our arms. He knew THIS day would come even before she was born--before WE were born. Did I always believe THIS day would come (especially over the past year)? No. But you know what? He did. He knew even when I stopped believing. In the winter, when I desperately wanted to believe He was bigger than my fears. When I wanted to believe He had a plan but I wanted Him to tell ME the plan. When I cried myself to sleep at night wondering if all of this was in vain. You know what? He already knew about March 27. He already knew about MeiMei. He already knew her story before she took her first breath. He knows her story from this day forward and we are so humbled He chose us to be part of it. I adopted Hebrews 11:1 as my verse for MeiMei long before we ever knew her face. It says "Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see". Somehow we knew this was the plan He had for our family. No, we did not hope for the circumstance behind how she will become part of our family. We hoped that someday we could become the parents of a child who needed a family. In so many ways, it is my children who have helped grow my faith, each in their own way. Even before holding this child in my arms she has taught me that faith is not about God answering your prayers. It is about believing He can and He will, if He so chooses, in His own time. That time is now. Thank you Lord for calling us, providing for us and encouraging us to find the daughter and sister you meant for our family.

-To those who have prayed with us--for us--over us...
-To those who wrote letters vouching for our stellar parental status (hahaha)...
-To those who listened to me fuss--cry--scream--yell--about this ridiculous process when you had no idea what in the world I was talking about...
-To those who celebrated each small victory when, secretly, you couldn't remember what PA or CA stood for but you celebrated anyway...
-To those who encouraged us when it seemed today would never come...
-To those adoptive parents who are/were in this boat with us--supporting us as only those who have been there-done that can do...
-To those who are putting their own lives on hold the next 15 days to help two of our babies feel safe and loved while we are away...
-To those who have loved and supported us throughout each and every step of this process...

From the very bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! We have been blessed by amazing friends and family. Please know we could not have waded this process without your prayers and encouragement. We love you all so much more than words can convey.

-Specifically, to my dear friends SBM and CA: I know today is bittersweet for you and I want you to know I understand. I know you are overjoyed for us but I imagine a tiny part of you wishes you were boarding a plane today. I wish I could take both of you with me. I wish we were doing this together but for whatever reason it is not to be. I have and will continue to pray every single day that God will lead you to your girls. I love you both.

And on that note, I am going to turn off the waterworks and stop spilling the depths of my soul. To my girls--you know who you are. I am taping Philippians 4:6-9 to the seat in front of me so I will not forget what I know is truth. I will DELIGHT in the Creator of this amazing and humbling opportunity. I will not allow fear or worry to steal my joy. {Deep breath. This is where the fear and worry comes in. Gulp.} Right now I'm off to blow kisses and whisper prayers over two of our sleeping babies. Goodbyes do not come easy for me. I'm fairly certain I could use a few therapy sessions about that topic but after 31 years, what's a few more days? At this moment I have to don my Mommy face, convince myself that our children at home are going to have the time of their lives while we are away, take a few plane rides and go get our girl. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for the safety of our entire family over the next 15 days (and several extremely brilliant pilots with thousands of hours of flight time on their resumes). I'm not sure if this makes any sense. No time to proof or rearrange after an hour of cathartic journaling. If you are still with me--BLESS YOU SWEET LITTLE HEART. To my precious MeiMei--your days without a family are numbered. Ready or not here we come. Next stop...CHINA!!!!!!

All our love,
Mommy and the Chief

MAY WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?

Wild Man and Little Miss have some very exciting news to share... Now I know they do not look over the top excited but they were. It was well past their bedtime when I coerced them into holding signs that "spell AT backwards" as Wild Man pointed out. Turn that "AT" around and what do you have? Travel Approval! Travel Approval! Travel Approval! Our agency called tonight with the news! WE. ARE. GOING. TO. CHINA!!!!! We have to confirm our Consulate Appointment before we can make travel arrangements. If all goes as planned we will leave September 9th, meet MeiMei on the 14th, Consulate Appointment on the 22nd and fly home on the 24th. That means we leave for China in 16 days! Hold on MeiMei...three weeks from today we will become your forever family. Praise the Lord! WE. ARE. GOING. TO. CHINA!!!!!

So what are you waiting for?

I haven't updated on the status of the adoption because there is nothing new to update. Here is the short version. We are still waiting on Article 5 to be issued by the US Consulate and forwarded to the China~Center~of~Adoption~Affairs. We thought we would already have it by now but no such luck. Once C2A2 receives the Article 5 they will issue our Travel Approval in about 3-7 weeks (how's that for a range). It felt like the process had picked up after LOSC as we were quickly crossing things off the list. Now--not so much--stalled waiting for the last US approval. Special thanks to the US government for always cashing our checks promptly (and then taking your own sweet time). We greatly appreciate your dedication to our family.

I-800 PROVISIONAL APPROVAL--check!!!

I just received word from USCIS of our I800 PROVISIONAL APPROVAL!!!! Our petition was approved late yesterday afternoon and overnighted to the National VISA Center. Many have asked what is left to accomplish so here is a list of what must be completed before we can leave for China...

1. National VISA Center (NVC) cables the file they received from USCIS while our agency simultaneously sends additional paperwork to meet up with our NVC cabled file at the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China. The two files will "get married" and stay together until...
2. Consulate reviews both sets of paperwork, issues Article 5 and sends the info to China-Center-of-Adoption-Affairs (C2A2)
3. C2A2 issues Travel Approval
4. Agency requests Consulate Appointment from the American Consulate in Guangzhou
5. Plan travel and GO TO CHINA!

Due to October national holidays and the Trade Fair in Guangzhou, it is going to be very difficult to travel in October. If we do not leave by September 18 at the very latest we may have to wait until the end of October to leave. We are hoping and praying we make it on a plane before September 18.

Now you see it--Now you don't...

I knew our Letter of Seeking Confirmation was due to arrive today. We stalked the front door all morning waiting for Mr. Express Mail to ring the bell. By noon I realized Mr. Express Mail must have forgotten Websters definition of "express". What's a few more hours when you've waited this long, right? Finally, at 2 pm Mrs. Postal Mail shows up.When I opened the door I audibly gasped at the sight of the stack of mail she was handing me. There she stood holding one of the most important envelopes ever delivered to this address along with our regular mail--here's the kicker--FOLDED and RUBBER BANDED together. Do you know what I'm talking about? Like when you receive one too many catalogs or magazines in your mailbox? They fold the catalogs in half, stick the mail in the middle and strap a fat rubber band around the stack holding it all together? I have issues with paper...I know...I know... I flattened it out as best I could and dove head first into another frantic paperwork party. After a very hectic 3 hours and 41 minutes, our I800 petition was signed, sealed and delivered to FedEx with 4 minutes to spare. How's that for cutting it close? It is currently winging it's way to Chicago along with 1/2 inch of supporting documentation (I wonder how many trees we have destroyed in this process?).

The document itself is the first official document linking our family to MeiMei... The Chief signing his name on the dotted line. The next time we sign an official document with her name on it we'll be holding her in our arms!!Our envelope should arrive in Chicago tomorrow morning before 10 AM. We should know in 2-3 weeks if we've been approved. For now, I bet you will never guess what we have to do. That's right. We wait...

GUESS WHAT ARRIVED TODAY!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! WE ARE OFFICIALLY OFFICIALLY APPROVED!!!!!! Day 84!!!!!!!! The call came at 3:01 pm. I'm about to burst with joy! We are going to relish in it before we even think about moving on to the I800 process. Our package will be overnighted to us on Monday. We should receive it on Tuesday and send it out to Chicago Lockbox ASAP. In the meantime, we're off to celebrate...

I just want this waiting to be over...

I received this in my Inbox today. The subject line of the email...

love, MeiMei.

Press play and you'll see why...



My journey's here, but my heart is There
So I dream and wait, and keep the faith, while You prepare
Our destiny, til You come back for me
Oh, please make it soon!

Cause I just wanna be with You
I just want this waiting to be over
I just want to be with You
And it helps to know the Day is getting closer

Every minute takes an hour
Every inch feels like a mile
Til I won't have to imagine
And I finally get to see You smile

In reality, I know these lyrics are talking about heaven (and not a little girl waiting for her family). I know they are not her words. I know she does not understand all of the changes that are about to happen. However, to this Mommy's weary heart, they are the words of my daughter. I have been so blessed with supportive friends who know when I need a good laugh (or in my case today--a good cry). This process is one of those "things" in life--if you haven't lived it you can't understand the emotional roller coaster of the process. My two pregnancies were a cake walk compared to this. Seriously--one complicated--one typical--both a cake walk in comparison to this never ending emotional rollercoaster (AKA the paper pregnancy). To my fellow adoptive Mommy friends who are waiting with me--our day will come. It wasn't yesterday. In all likelihood, it will not be today but someday soon it will come. Then we'll dance like nobody is watching and start over at Day 1. Again. I have hope that when we see their precious smiles in person, all of the tears will be a distant memory.

A-thank you so much for your thoughtful email and most of all your friendship.

80 sleeps -- NOT EVEN A PEEP...

If I were the Type A kind I would mention that 80 days equates to 11 weeks 3 days. You know--IF I were THAT kind. The kind who likes to make lists and do the "funky chicken" when a "to do" is crossed off (knowing that SOMEONE cares nothing about my lists). The kind who wants to know if she's going to make it to China before the dreaded month of October when accommodations are limited and Consulate Appointments are sparse. The kind who would love to answer the daily question "When are you and Daddy going to pick up my sister?" with an answer other than "I don't know sweetheart. Not today". Since I'm not THAT kind, OH NO NOT ME, I'll go on about my merry way thinking of happy numbers between 80 and 90. How about 81? 81 is a nice number, isn't it? Or 82? Maybe Day 83 which happens to be Little Miss' 3rd birthday. Day 84 would make it an even 12 weeks........... I'm ready to stop counting. I bet you are ready for me to stop counting too, aren't you?

Update on MeiMei

I wanted you all to see the pics in order and this is the easiest way to do it. We just received new photos of MeiMei this evening. Last Tuesday/Wednesday, she received the care package we sent her on May 4th. Without further ado...

5-4-09 at home...






6-3-09 in China...



They look like lovely people, don't they? Do you see how her foster father is holding her? How her foster Mom is smiling and laughing? Just makes my heart burst with joy. SHE IS BEING LOVED! The girl in the red is the Chinese director of TCH. She is holding in her hand the letter I wrote to the foster family. She translated it to them in Cantonese. I still can't believe this is real...this unbelievable scenario...but I know it is. Now if we could just get the rest of our approvals so we can bring her home! Anyway--that's our big news for this month. Let's hope there is more to come. Oh, I forgot one more thing. Did you know that today is our "first" anniversary? Jay and I went on our first date 13 years ago tonight. It seems all things adoption related are happening on the important dates for us so I guess we'll see what next Thursday brings--Little Miss' 3rd birthday.

Seventy Schmeventy...

If you can come up with a word that rhymes with 70 let me know.

Finding Ad...

Today we received MeiMei's finding ad. For those who do not know, when a baby is abandoned in China, the orphanage publishes an advertisement in the newspaper called a Finding Ad. This ad describes when and where the baby was found and where he/she is currently being cared for. It runs for several months in hopes that someone from the birth family will come forward to claim the child. Unfortunately most babies are not claimed and become orphans. The children are then raised in orphanages, foster care or adopted domestically and internationally. Brian Stuy provided us with an original newspaper, an enlarged negative of the ad and the English translation. It was very humbling to read the details of her story written within the pages of a public newspaper. Rows upon rows of other children on the same page as our MeiMei. All with similar beginnings. Parallel stories of how they came to live in an orphanage. Very very humbling. For the sake of our daughter, we have decided against sharing the details of her abandonment with the world. We feel this is HER story to tell. Not ours. IF and when she decides to reveal that information will be up to her in her own time.

(photo above is an EXAMPLE of a finding ad--it is not a copy of MeiMei's finding ad)

The story...

Two months ago today we received one of the most important calls in the history of our family. In an instant we changed from a family of 4 to a party of 5! {You know, I've always wanted to say that---Womble, party of 5---Womble, party of 5---your table is now available. Ahhhhhhhhhh-- that makes me so excited!} I finally got around to completing the story of how we became MeiMei's family. If you would like to read the story...

3-27-09: Every Good Girl Scout Plans Ahead and THE CALL!
3-28-09: Waiting for the Sky to Part...
Part One -- Part Two -- Part Three -- the Finale

Six-OH! Is it time to go?

Nope. Not even close...
Today MeiMei turns 14 months old!

50 -- NOT so nifty...

The details...

How appropriate that we would receive PA (pre-approval) on the day of our 10th wedding anniversary. I do not have a copy of it yet but our agency said it is dated 4-8-09...12 days after our referral. Who knows why it took C2A2 30 more days to notify us but I am choosing not to focus on that. We are just thankful to know Ch*na understands we are HERS and she is OURS.

This photo was our first glimpse of sweet Mei Mei on referral day. As it slowly loaded onto the computer screen a little piece of my heart was filled by her sweet little face. Over the past 42 days I have memorized every inch of it. Her sweet little bald head. The way her arms stick out to the side from the 16 layers of clothes she's wearing (in Southern China). But the one thing that draws me in every time is her eyes. Those beautiful eyes. It's as if she is staring straight into the window of this Mommy's heart.

Receiving this information yesterday was no accident. For us, it is one more God sized confirmation that she is very much meant to be our daughter. This story--HER story--is so much bigger than us. I do not understand it. At times I don't believe it. I still feel like I'm going to wake up on March 27th to a camping adventure before us. Then I stare straight into those eyes and remind myself this is not a dream. It is God making what was once seemingly impossible...possible.

INTRODUCING...