Room for a Sister

In anticipation of Audra's arrival Maura's bedroom needed some sprucing up.  Not only to make room for Audra, but to make more room for Maura herself!  She was still in a toddler bed, actually the crib converted to a daybed style toddler bed.  That crib has served us well...all three of our kids used it as a baby and then we converted it to a toddler bed for Maura. 

So, we got the girls a new bed...a twin size daybed with trundle. It is h-u-g-e!!! I am sure the two little peanuts will both sleep together and the trundle won't be used for quite some time...except for sleepovers with Charlotte!

 

 

Shirts for the sisters!

Even though Audra will be much smaller than Maura

she will be the Jie Jie (big sister)

since she is actually 4 months older than Maura.

 

 

A few of the gifts that are waiting for Audra at home:

 

On Thursday, when I got home from work, there was a package sitting on the kitchen counter.  I couldn't imagine what it could be...everything I had recently ordered had already arrived.  When I opened the package I immediately knew it was a gift for our sweet little girl....a stuffed panda and the book "Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See" by Eric Carle.

 

 

At the bottom of the package was the note from the sender:

 

 "Audra, Here is a new friend for you to cuddle and love!  Welcome to America.  Ask your mommy for some caramel corn.  It's my favorite!  Love, Indigo"

 

Indigo is my friend Alisa's 2 year old daughter. 

What a wonderful surprise!

 

 

 

A set back

Ok, I have calmed down enough to talk about it...

By now we SHOULD have our flights booked and everything set to leave for China next Thursday.

EXCEPT...there was a bit of a problem with the way our agency requested our Consulate Appointments (the girls' visa appointments in China).  So, we woke up this morning to an email from our agency that said our appointment requests need to be re-submitted.  The problem is... 7:30am on Friday in the U.S. is 7:30pm in China.  The work week is now done in China.  And that means nothing will happen until Monday morning at the earliest. 

We are still holding onto hope that we will be able to leave on April 4th, but now we will be booking flights only 3 days prior to travel...which will not be very economical!

It is often said that the process of adoption is not for the faint of heart.  We have lived and learned this.  But we have also learned that you can't let the frustration, set backs and emotions get to you.  Because there is a sweet, beautiful little one waiting for you, depending on you.  Time to push on, move forward and get there. 
No.matter.what!

1 year and 1 week

One year ago today...March 28, 2012...we had our first meeting with the adoption agency. 

One week from today...April 4, 2013...we will leave for China to get our girl!!

One year ago we walked into our agency for the first time knowing only that we wanted to adopt a child internationally. And that day we walked out with our hearts set on adopting a special needs child from China. Their program just seemed to be the best fit for our family. 

What an amazing, crazy, emotional journey this past year has been. 
Ups and downs. 
Hurry up and wait. 
1 step forward and then 1 step back.
Paperwork, signatures, notary, home visits, documents, reference letters, certifications, authentications, trips to Harrisburg, trips to DC, doctor visits, immunizations, visas...did I mention paperwork?!
But looking back we wouldn't want it any other way.  After all, all of this led us to Audra. 
With perfect timing. 

And to think we are only one week away from traveling to meet our little princess and have our "happily ever after" begin.  Amazing!

Today's Update:
Tim and Dawn received their travel approval today!  It is official...we are going to China...together!  Our agency has already requested consulate appointments for us.  This is the last official appointment we will have in China.  It is at the US Consulate in Guangzhou...the final step in getting Audra and Charlotte's visas to enter the US.  Once this date is confirmed (tomorrow) we can then book our flights.  We are hoping for a consulate appointment on April 16th, 17th or 18th. 

5 1/2

Today, March 27th, is Audra's half birthday.  Our little beauty is five and a half years old.

Five and a half years without a family, a home or a birthday party.  Oh, that hurts my heart.  I can't get to her soon enough!

Six months from today we will be celebrating her 6th birthday with her...here at home.  But in reality, Audra will be celebrating her birthday for the FIRST time.  Our sweet girl most likely has no idea what a birthday is. 

It will be her 1st ever birthday party...
first birthday cake...
first candles...
first presents wrapped in colorful paper and topped with a pretty bow...
and ALL FOR HER!!

Oh, how I can't wait to celebrate HER day with her.  So, keep the last Saturday in September open...it's gonna be HUGE :)

A(nother) Double Blessing

At so many points during this journey so far our two families have been doubly blessed!

We began our adoption journey with days of Tim and Dawn...without either one of us knowing
We chose with the same agency
We were assigned the same social worker
We were assigned the same immigration officer
Our paperwork fell within the same timeline
We were matched the same month
We were both matched with beautiful 5 year old little girls
We both received our LOA from China on the same day
Our paperwork processed at the same pace
All making our dream of travel at the same time a reality!

And then yesterday...yet another double blessing.  We each were notified that we were approved for a very generous grant from A Child Waits Foundation.  This amazing blessing could not have come at a better time.  We are just days away from booking our airfare...and prices have gone up!  The gift of this grant has taken away the stress of securing the last funds needed for this adoption and allowed us to remain calm and focused on our goal....getting these two little girls home...together!  At so many points during this journey it seemed that things might not fall in our favor.  But then, each and every time, stars aligned and we were blessed yet again.  Thankful does not even begin to explain our feelings.  There are no words.  We have been led on this journey, felt comforted at each step, and trusted in the Lord that all would be well.  And it sure is! 

Here is just a little about A Child Waits Foundation:

"A Child Waits Foundation's Grant Program is designed to help children who are living in international orphanages to become part of a family. Our grant program provides assistance to families who are pursuing adoption of these children."

"Our mission is to save children from living their entire childhood in international orphanages without the warmth and love of a family. Every child deserves a family and our goal is to unite children waiting for parents, with parents who are longing for children."

 

A Child Waits Foundation has provided financial assistance to 945 families to help bring 1232 children home.

Our next steps:
Tomorrow our agency expects to receive an electronic copy of Tim and Dawn's travel approval.  Then they will request visa appointments for both girls.  (We would like to have their visa appointments on the same day...hopefully April 16th or 17th)  Once the visa appointments are confirmed (most likely on Thursday) we will book our airfare. 

 

The packing puzzle

This weekend we set out to accomplish packing and did pretty well.  We still have a few things to purchase and squeeze in but overall we are basically ready to hop on a plane.  And if we forget anything I am sure we can buy it in China!  Here is a bit of what we are taking....

Food: (a few "safe" snacks for the days we aren't feeling too adventurous about food)
peanuts, trail mix, dried fruit, slim jims, protein/granola bars, fig newtons, peanut butter, nutella, applesauce pouches, water flavor packets since I am sure we will get tired of plain bottled water fairly quickly

Medicine for us:
Tylenol, triple antibiotic ointment, Tums, Pepto-bismal, Imodium, Benadryl, hydrocortisone cream, Theraflu, antihistamine, Albuterol, eye drops, probiotics, cough drops...and Cipro in case we catch the terrible bacterial stomach bug

Medicine for Audra:
Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, Bactroban ointment for skin infections, Amoxicillin for a chest, sinus or ear infection, Pedialyte packets for re-hydration

For Audra: (a few things to entertain a 5 year old in a hotel room for 13 days)
alphabet blocks, stacking/nesting cups, doll, Kai Lan book, bubbles, glow sticks, playdoh, coloring books, foam puzzle, My First Words board books, beach ball, and a small panda backpack to hold her new treasures.  And my favorite....a personalized board book with pictures of her family. 

Electronics:  (to entertain two adults in hotel rooms for 15 days!)
camera and video camera
Laptop for blogging...hopefully...if I can figure out how to use the VPN
Nook for catching up on some reading during the flight
iPad for Facetime with the kids at home
iPod for Audra loaded with apps of songs and stories in Cantonese (her native language)

Paperwork:
3 copies of each passport
3 copies of the visa page of each passport
2 passport sized photos for each of us
original home study and addendums
copy of complete dossier
Audra's original referral information and pictures
original I-800A approval
original I-800 approval
original NVC letter
Notarized vaccination affidavit (so Audra can wait to get her vaccines in the US instead of in China)
DS-230 (Audra's completed visa application)
2 original Letters of Invitation ("travel approval") and 2 copies

For the orphanage:
toothbrushes, socks, and cleft palate bottles

Gifts:  (for the orphanage staff and provincial officials)
giant Hershey's chocolate bars and giant Hershey's kisses
"Jelly Belly" jelly beans
Estee Lauder cosmetic bags with cosmetic and skin care items
(I'm not yet finished shopping for all the gifts we need to bring)

PLUS...all of our clothing and toiletries...

Equals 3 very full (and hopefully not too heavy) suitcases:

 

 



******TA******

Today we have officially made it to the finish line of our paperchase!
This paper pregnancy is about done!

At 11:00am today we received an email from our agency saying that our Travel Approval had been issued and was on it's way to the U.S.

Then, at 1:15pm today we received another email from our agency saying that our TA had arrived in the mail!!!

Sean went directly to the agency after work to pick up this document...the only piece of paper separating us from Audra, yet uniting us at the same time.  Our names listed at the top, her picture at the bottom and the red-ink stamp of approval with the date 3-19-2013.  The very sight of it brought tears to my eyes and the words made my heart melt:

"In accordance with the Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China and the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, we agreed that the child, NAN QI JIA (female, born on 2007/09/27), who is in the care of SWI of Maonan Dist., Maoming Guangdong Province, be placed with you for adoption.  Please travel in person with this notice to the adoption registry office within the Civil Affairs Department of Guangdong Province in China to proceed the registration formalities."

We are so happy...so excited...so thankful...and oh, so ready!

The journey we started just about one year ago is coming to a close. The only thing left if the BEST part...time to go get our girl. 

We are coming Audra.  Soon.  Very, very soon!

so ready!

Still no travel approval...and today is day #8 of waiting.  I really did think we would get the good news yesterday or today.  So more waiting.... 

I have kept myself busy with checking things off my "to do" list:

Suitcases are up in our room, anxiously waiting to be packed
Shopping list is all checked off
Prescriptions have been filled
Paperwork that we need to bring is organized
Copies have been made
Last affidavits have been notarized
Gifts have been bought for the nannies and officials

Now all I need is TA so we can buy our plane tickets.  Come on already...this mama is ready to go get her girl!  So.very.ready!

Hoping & Praying for good news

This week will hopefully be a BIG week for us.  We are currently on day 7 of our travel approval wait.  I am praying hard that we receive news that our travel approval has been granted in the next couple of days.  Not because it will really change anything for us....but it will help us know when Tim and Dawn will probably receive theirs.  Their Article 5 paperwork should have been picked up within the last 12 hours and should be enroute to Beijing as I type this.  It will hopefully be delivered to CCCWA tomorrow and then they will be exactly 7 days behind us in the TA wait.  Tim and Dawn need to receive their TA by the end of next week so we can make our tentative departure date of April 4th a reality!  We "shouldn't" book our airfare until we both have travel approval and confirmed visa appointments for the girls...but it's getting tough to watch the airfare prices increase every day that passes. 

Also, we are praying hard that we receive good news about the one last grant we applied for that we are waiting to hear back from.  I have been told that the Board of Directors will be reviewing applications this week and we should hear back from them by the end of the week. 

So if you are a hoping and praying kind of person....please join us in our very humble requests for speedy TA's and the blessings of this grant that is pending. 

Finding Ad

Since 1999, the orphanages in China have been required to run a provincial newspaper advertisement for children that are found and brought to their orphanage. They are called "Finding Ads." These ads contain information about where and when the children were found and which orphanage is caring for them. Originally these were text-only ads, but most provinces now include photographs in their ads. These photographs are usually the earliest available pictures of the children, some from as young as a few weeks old.

 

Until recently this was the youngest photo we had of Audra...

her referral photo...in which we estimate she is approximately 3-4 years old. 

 

 

And this is Audra's "finding ad"... 

 

She is number 0117

(which indicates that hers is the 117th picture ad in the year 2008)

Her ad was published in the "Yangcheng Evening News" on

February 6, 2008...four months after being found.

So we estimate that she is approximately 3-4 months old in this picture.

 

PRICELESS beyond imagination!!

The LAST wait!

We are finally in the home stretch...we have entered the last wait of what has seemed, at times, to be an endless paperchase.  Our Article 5 paperwork has been delivered to the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption) where all of our paperwork will go through one last process that will result in a "red-inked seal of approval" on our paperwork, and....our Travel Approval being issued.  Once we receive travel approval our agency can then make our appointment at the US Consulate in China for Audra's visa interview.  Our exact travel dates are dependent upon this visa appointment.  When that appointment date has been made we are then free to travel to China at any time!  (I'd be willing to hop on the very next plane over there!)

It seems the average wait for travel approval is somewhere between 10-14 days.  However, we have been told by our agency that their in-country representative has a very good working relationship with the CCCWA and she is often able to get quicker TA's for her families.  Oh, please...let this be true! 

Hangzhou

Tim and Dawn's daughter, Charlotte, is waiting at the Hangzhou City Children's Welfare Institute in Zhejiang Province (which is on the Eastern coast of China)





This is the front of her orphanage.  She is so very lucky to be at one of the nicest orphanages, on lots of land with many trees, beautiful sculptures and a GREAT playground!


This is a model of the entire grounds of the orphanage...















Travel Plans

Yesterday we had a "Travel Meeting" at our agency.  We, and our agency, are feeling pretty confident that we will have our Travel Approval in time to leave for China on April 4th.  And although this is in no way definite, here is an outline of our tentative travel itinerary, to give you an idea of what our trip will look like:

Friday, April 5th             
Arrive in Beijing

Saturday, April 6th         
Sightseeing in Beijing (Great Wall, Summer Palace, Olympic Stadium)

Sunday, April 7th             
Sightseeing at the Forbidden City, then fly to Guangzhou (Tim & Dawn fly to Zhejiang)

Monday, April 8th            
Forever Family Day!!!  Meet Audra around noon (Tim & Dawn meet Charlotte in the morning)

Tuesday, April 9th          
 Adoption finalized

Wednesday, April 10th 
 ? visit the orphanage

Thursday, April 11th     
Audra's medical exam and visa photo

Friday, April 12th             
Sightseeing at Yuntai Park (Tim, Dawn & Charlotte arrive in Guangzhou in the evening!)

Saturday, April 13th  
Pick up Audra's visa medical report package, evening dinner cruise on the Pearl River

Sunday, April 14th
Sightseeing at the Zoo, group dinner with our guide

Monday, April 15th
Pick up Audra's passport, otherwise a free day

Tuesday, April 16th
Visa interview at the US Consulate (hopefully....or maybe Wed. 4-17-13)

Wednesday, April 17th
Sightseeing at the Temple of Six Banyan Trees (and have the girls blessed), then pick up the girls' Visas in the afternoon

Thursday, April 18th
Train or van ride to Hong Kong

Friday, April 19th or Saturday, April 20th
Leave for HOME!!

Charlotte Update!!!

Finally....after what seemed like a very long time, Tim and Dawn received an update on their daughter, Charlotte.

At 5 years old she is currently 41 inches tall and weighs 39 pounds.

 

They recently sent a "Party" care package to Charlotte at her orphanage and here are the much anticipated pictures of her party...

 

 

 

 

Article 5 surprise!!

Today we received some very surprising news about the status of our Article 5 paperwork.  We had been thinking all along that this paperwork would be dropped of at the US Consulate in China this week, along with Tim and Dawn's paperwork.  Well, today I found out that our paperwork had already been dropped off and in fact will be picked up this Friday...as in, 2 days from today!  This process takes a standard 2 weeks and I thought all along that we were just starting our 2 week wait when in reality we are almost DONE our 2 week wait!  That was the fastest 2 week wait ever...since I didn't even know we were "waiting".  So what really happened during these last two weeks...

~a courier in China hand delivered Audra's visa paperwork to the US Consulate in China (this happened on 2-22-13)
~the Consulate reviewed the visa application to make sure it meets the qualifications for an immigrant visa and then signed off that everything is in order for the adoption to be completed
~once this is all done the Consulate issues our Article 5 letter which the courier picks up and sends overnight to Beijing for our travel approval to be issued

p.s.  Tim and Dawn's Article 5 paperwork was delivered to the US Consulate this past Monday, 3-4-13.  It is scheduled for pick up    3-18-13.  So they are just 10 days behind us. 

a good week

We made some good progress this past week.  Day to day it still seems like things are moving slowly...but then I think about the likelihood that in just 4 weeks we will be days away from leaving for China and I am amazed that we are almost at the end of this journey.  Then a whole new journey begins!

Monday:  We received our visas from the courier.  Freshly stamped with approval for us to enter China one time before 2-14-14.  This was such a relief!  Having our passports out of our hands was a bit scary I must say...I really don't like when things are out of my control!

Tuesday:  We found out that an online China research company we had contacted last month has found Audra's "Finding Ad".  What a huge blessing this is to us...and will be to Audra when she is older.  This will likely be the youngest picture taken of Audra that we will ever have.  She will probably be just a couple weeks or months old in the picture.  (More to come on this later)

Wednesday:  We had our visit with the Travel Medicine Specialist.   "Don't drink the water...no ice...no salad...use caution at buffets...only eat fruit that you have to peel...use lots of deet bug spray..."  We each got the Typhoid fever vaccine, Hepatitis A vaccine and Polio booster.  We were also given prescriptions for Cipro...just.in.case!

Thursday:  a quiet day of waiting and wondering

Friday:  Tim and Dawn received their approval letter from the National Visa Center (we received ours last week).  We can now move forward with the process of obtaining the girls' US visas.  The visa paperwork will be dropped off at the US Consulate in China (hopefully in the next 36 hours) then we have a two week wait until it is ready for pick up.  The only step after that is to get Travel Approval from the China Adoption Authority.  We should be getting on a plane heading to China in 4.5 weeks!!!