An Update....Finally

On January 22nd I went ahead and sent in the 5 questions we were allowed to ask sensing we would be leaving for China by March I thought...well I checked back several times over the last few weeks only to be told that due to all the holidays in such nothing had arrived. Yesterday after getting the news of our article 5 I asked again and today I got an email indicating I should have gotten an email on February 4th, but I had not...overdue but an update is good anytime. Look at how our little ladybug II is growing.

1. The last photos and measurements we have are from May 2009, could we get updated measurements and photos with respect to her size?
Weight: 11kg =24.2 pounds Height: 81cm =31.9 inches Head circumference: 46cm =18.1 Chest circumference: 45cm =17.7 Feet length: 13cm =5.1 inches Teeth number: 15
Update photos please see the attachment. The last we had heard she only weighed just over 20 pounds...yeah she is close to 25 pounds. She is 1 1/2 inches taller,her chest and head about the same,her foot is slightly bigger and she has lost one tooth...maybe a miscount last time she had 16 :).

2. Does she still have asthma and what medications does she take to control or manage her symptoms?
No, and she health is much better than before. This is great news...we had worried some if she still had asthma and how it might limit her...praise the Lord!

3. What is her diet now and is she still drinking formula from a bottle or cup?
She eats rice, noodle, vegetable, meat and fruit. She likes drinking milk with cup, and adults help her to hold the cup. I still plan to give her the next step formula for 6 months to help her catch up.

4. Her medical indicated she was on target developmentally at one year, now that she is 2 is she walking and talking, how has she continued to develop?
She can speak baba(dad), mama(mom), yeye(grandpa), nainai(grandma), and she can speak two-words-sentence like come here, want water. She can count the number from one to ten. She walks freely and goes up and down stairs by self. She draws on the paper without meaning. She also can pick up a nut and take off her clothes. This is so exciting and I can't wait to hear her first words and to say some words she might understand.

5. How is she being prepared for her adoption? Will she stay with her foster family or be returned to the SWI?
She will stay in foster family before adoption, and the orphanage staff will tell her foster parents when the girl will be adopted. During the period, the foster parents will tell Jing Jing about the family members of adopted family and other information they knew. We sent a photo album of our family and it has stickers with both the English and Mandarin Chinese identifying each photo.

Since we won't be there for another...66 days this was food for this Momma's soul. I really do not know how I have endured this wait knowing our daughter is in China and growing up without us..I just keep thinking we have forever and that is what I hold too and I do know she is loved and cared for...and there is not much else that I can do. Now this is what you have been waiting for...photos taken on January 7th of this year.

Our Precious Ladybug II in her Volunteer Orange...Precious!

So Proud...

I can't wait to see her first steps she seems assured...

**Tante we need scarves like this for Emma and Ellie Lu...Mommy too!...hint hint!

Update: I asked Ellie Lu who these new photos were and she looked puzzled and hesitantly said "Ellie Lu"...and I said no honey they are Jing Jing and she said Cissy looks like Ellie Lu...oh my words to my heart...she has never said she doesn't look like Mommy or Daddy but I am happy she will have a family member she looks like...God is good!

THREE LETTERS...LOA

Well on Friday I nearly quit breathing realizing that 59 days had passed in the blink of an eye and that we might really be close to hearing some news...well we missed the call, but today at 11:58 am our agency left a message that our LOA was received and it would be overnighted to us...MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US the best gift ever...and now I can't think at all. I have forms to fill out and don't even know my name...holy cow I need a secretary. Literally in 90 days...we will be in China adding to our family something that we really did not think was possible and we were chosen...HIS plan was bigger than we imagined and our girl is waiting for US! WOW...how will I ever sleep!

I guess at this point I can introduce our beautiful daughter to be named Emma Lynn .....we are so grateful and are blessed beyond measure to be invited to bring you home.

Day 59...

Today is Day 59...I realized this morning that we are nearing day 60 since LID...my tummy flutters thinking we could hear something soon...as in getting LOA. I really need to get our I800 paperwork done asap as it is like 12 or more pages that has to be sent in upon recent of LOA...the clock is ticking and each day is closer to to our little "bug".

Half Way...to LOA

If we are one of the "lucky ones" then we might just be half way to LOA...my heart quickens to think that in 19 days we might have our LOA in hand which begins the final preparations to travel...so Santa...what do I want for Christmas...an LOA.

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY Jing Jing...

Today YOU will turn 2 years old and oh how I long to be there with you…to hold you for the first time, to look into your eyes, to hear you squeal. To see you eat cake and pinch it between your fingers oh I just can’t wait to know you and for you to know us…YOUR FAMILY!
We celebrated YOU on Saturday…we went to PFChangs and had Chinese and sang happy birthday to you. We met another family who had just come home with their 10 year old daughter Isabelle from Guangzhou…she was beautiful and said I spoke Mandarin well…I have been practicing just for you.

Your sister ate with chopsticks all by herself and I did too…Daddy tried a little too. We can’t wait for our first trip to eat Chinese together as a family…so many first to experience with YOU. It is starting to sink in that soon we will be on our way to you…there was a time when we thought we might not ever be a family and we waited what seemed to be an eternity for Ellie Lu and so many things changed during that time that we really thought there was no way for us to ever return to China to adopt again and add to our family.

Your Daddy just kept asking do you think it is possible that we might could go back…I didn’t have the heart to tell him no so one day I inquired and that started our journey to you…but really I think it started several years ago right before you were born….while we were waiting for Ellie Lu we were selected by a birth mother to adopt her baby boy…it was the middle of November 2007…it was crazy how in the world could we adopt a baby boy and then turn right around and travel to China…we didn’t question anything we just accepted what was before us and had faith…well it didn’t work out…the birth mother changed her mind and we didn’t adopt that baby boy….little did we know that you were born just a few days after that big disappointment in our life and that one day our lives would be brought together.

On the day you were born I traveled with friends to go shopping and my heart was broken for I didn’t know if we would ever be a family, but I had faith and I kept hoping and praying that one day soon we would receive news and we would travel to China and we would become a family….little did I know what a blessing was taking place you were being born and for reasons that I may never know your birth mother chose to put you in a very special place so that you could be found and taken care of and on that very day the journey began.

Just when we thought there was no way for us to be matched with another daughter our phone rang and we were presented with your information…how could it be…how could we be so lucky to be chosen to be your parents…we are so thankful that God’s plan for us was bigger than we could have imagined and that he prepared us and allowed us to hope and dream even when it seemed there was no way our dreams could come true….well on May 26th our dream came true…we were matched with you and we have so much to look forward to and so much to experience with you …hang tight little one your foster family will take care of you until we are given permission to travel to bring you home…until then we just count the days and continue to dream of all that is possible….with FAITH!

Once YOU are home we will celebrate YOU with friends and family and let them know of your very special journey to YOUR family.

LID...

What happens now…well we were officially logged in with the CCAA on October 20th, 2009 so it has now been 22 days since we were logged in and the “counter” began officially counting.

Here is how things normally work…anywhere between day 60 and 90 we could get what is called LOA this gets the ball rolling as far as travel goes, see what the acronyms mean here…

So since we were logged in October 20, 2009 day 60 would be December 19th…so I suppose we could wish for LOA for Christmas…then on the upper end day 90 would be…February 17th which would be a belated Valentine’s gift.

Once the LOA is signed and returned it is usually 80 – 90 more days until you actually are united with your child in China…it used to be closer to 60 prior to the Hague process…so it is really important that we get our LOA…once we have it we will have a much better idea on when we could travel for example…if we got LOA on December 19th then travel would likely be around March 19th…but if LOA does not come until February 17th then we would not likely travel until mid May….we can’t wait to meet our little “peanut” so hopefully everything will move along quickly.

Now of course anything could come up to delay all of this…so continue to pray for our little one she turns 2 on November 17th and although she is in foster care….we want her to be with her forever family as soon as possible.

Our Little Ladybug is growing...

On October 18th I was sitting at a traffic light and looked at my email messages on my phone and I had an update...the sun was shining so beautifully and I felt so full knowing I would know just a bit more about you...as soon as the email opened. I was thankful for a long red light and was able to read about our little "bug" and then I saw a new photo too...our little girl is growing up and is just precious. I believe this information is current so she would be 23 months old when these measurements were done.

Height :77.5cm =30 1/2 inches she has grown 3 inches since May
Weight :9.5kg = 20.9 pounds she has grown 3 pounds since May and is over 20 pounds now
Head :45cm = 17.7 inches
Chest :46cm = 18.1
Feet :12cm = 4.7 inches almost a size 5 foot
Teeth:16 she has 8 more teeth since May

• She can run
• She can use a spoon to eat food
• She can count one
• When she watches TV,she copies dance part a lot
• She also can wave bye
• She is not picky with her food, she loves to eat tomato,grapes ,but she does not like to eat apple
• She also loves to play with balls
• She knows how to go to the toilet by herself
• When her foster mom does laundry,she will get a small chair and set on her side
• She is a very sweet child .

She will soon be 2 years old and it breaks my heart to know what we are missing, but in the bigger picture we will have a lifetime of memories together and she is in a family environment and you can tell she is loved by them and we already love her. Counting the days until we are together....

Sisters...

A vision that will take your breath away...

A Gift...

We were able to send a special gift to our sweet little Ladybug II and this is what it looked like...

There were pajamas and a soft blanket for Ladybug II and a stuffed "hello kitty", then tea and candies and cookies for her foster family and a disposable camera and a letter with photos of us...her first time seeing us.

This view makes me think there might have been 2 cameras...I can't even imagine what it will be like if we get some new photos or updated information...she will be 2 in one month.

Ladybug II...some details

Our little Ladybug II is from one the most scenic and beautiful places in China...Guilin. You can learn more about Guilin here.

• She is in foster care since 9 months of age.


• She was born on November 17, 2007 which was a Saturday...so she is 78 days younger than Ellie Lu.


• Her Chinese name means "talent girl"


• At birth she was 19.7 inches tall and weighed 7.4 pounds


• At 1 year old she was 26.6 inches tall and weighed 16.5 pounds


• "You Jingjing is a beautiful girl. She has bright and black pearl-liked eyes. She likes glance this way and that and is interested in everything."


• At approximately 18 months old she was 27.6 inches tall and weighed 17.6 pounds and had 8 teeth and a tiny size 4 foot...she is a tiny little sprout.

WHAT DOES YOUR DAY MEAN?
MONDAY:
Monday's child is fair of face.
You are good-looking, especially when you smile!
You are beautiful inside and out.

TUESDAY:
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
You have many talents, and are fun to be around.
You dance through life!

WEDNESDAY:
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
You are a serious person, and try to change things that seem unfair.
You make the world a better place!

THURSDAY:
Thursday's child has far to go.
You have many ideas, and you want to do them all.
You will go far in life!

FRIDAY:
Friday's child is loving and giving.
You are caring and sharing. You are kind,
you love people, and people love you!

SATURDAY:
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
You are ambitious, enjoy work, and like to accomplish things.
You know what you want!

SUNDAY:
But the child born on the Sabbath day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.
You are sunny, fun, and loving.
You bring much joy to other people!

Answered Prayers...

Well it looks like our house will have 2 more little feet pitter patting around...still a few more hurdles...paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, but we received "Pre-liminary Approval" which is a very big hurdle...we still can't say much about her...but check out her cute little feet! Oh and we received updated information yesterday...she is walking and has 8 teeth...I know I am biased...but she is so darling and petite...and looks to be self assured, for now you will just have to trust me on this....it will be at least 6 months...more than likely 8 months until travel...so continue to pray for our little "ladybug" and that everything falls into place....we have been blessed!

Waiting To Hear...

We are waiting to hear if an approval will be given for us to be matched. We should know within 10-14 days...we would love this opportunity so please pray...

Wondering....

Is it always different the 2nd time...the paperwork seems a little harder, but maybe that is because our life is so full. When we filled our paperwork out the first time...we didn't have much else to think about, but completing the paperwork. Is it different because there are so many "ifs", is it different because we really don't know if this will actually happen? Is it different because we have everything we could ever imagine needing for a child so there isn't any "pre-shopping" during the process.

I have thought about how it is different alot. We couldn't anticipate bringing a child home anymore than we do...but I think we are just guarding our hearts as it may not happen, but today I saw something a sweet little outfit at Gymboree and of course it had ladybugs on it and it was a "layette" type outfit...after we received Ellie Lu's referral I bought her a few similar things from Baby Gap...anyway I almost let myself buy these sweet little "threads" because the feeling I got imagining dressing "Ladybug II" was such a real and full feeling...but I had restraint and the clerk said they would likely have them until June...so there is time. I wouldn't want to buy something special like that until we know who our ladybug is...anyway it felt good thinking beyond the paperwork to actually being in China and meeting our little "bug".

Was up very late last night sending off for certified birth, marriage and divorce documents. Then I worked on our application letter and started a binder. I can't believe I just started the binder...oh my you should see the filing system I put in place for Ellie Lu's adoption of course once we got her referral...everything went to pot I am still catching up...will the paper ever end.

I need to send off my employment letter to Texas and get it authenticated and I need to have all or doctors fill out a different form for our medicals...as we used the home study form and we need to use the form required for our dossier...we just have a few things to get notarized locally and then I need to get them authenticated in Nashville and then off to Washington.

Well I guess there are now 51 days until Mel's birthday....we wait...we hope...we dream...

Please pray...Ladybug II

Some of you know that we have always wanted a house full of children...well that has not happened...but we do have one very special girl that has just brightened our world in ways we never expected. We had not been home very long when Mel asked if I thought it was possible for us to return to China to adopt again and really I did not.

While we waited for Ellie Lu the adoption rules for the "standard process" changed and we are no longer eligible under those rules. In addition the process has lengthened so it could be years upon years even if we were eligible before we would be matched. While we were waiting for Ellie Lu we inquired several times on if we could be considered for children with mild special needs but there really wasn't a clear cut program at the time to allow this to happen.

The good news...now there is...our agency is one of 12 agencies that participates in a special program where children with mild correctable special needs are matched with families. We have several friends who have expanded their family in this way and our hearts have been opened to this option for our family. However we still were very unsure whether we could participate due to our ages...but Mel kept asking every few weeks and finally the later part of October I came across a letter we had received in late July and apparently I had read it but in my "new Mommy" fog had not comprehended what it said...it was encouraging us to adopt again. Was this a form letter that goes to everyone or did it apply to us and by God's grace could we return to China to be united with another child....on November 3rd I sent an email to our agency to inquire and braced myself for the disappointment I expected....

On November 4th I received a response and the email said to call immediately. I did and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would be encouraged to begin the process right away...for one reason we thought we had to be home a year with Ellie Lu before starting a new process. We found out that we needed to start right away as we needed to be matched with a child prior to Mel turning 55 on May 17, 2009.

As you can see we still had a very short time to complete a process that is loaded with paperwork, somewhat different than before and during a time when we were finding our "legs" as new parents...but start we did. Forms, forms and more forms, meetings with our social worker, taking adoption training classes, educating ourselves about various medical conditions all the while living and preparing for the holidays and trying to enjoy life.

It is still uncertain whether our dream of expanding our family will actually happen, but we are now at a point where we feel we have done all we can...it it is now in God's hands. We will be delighted beyond words if it all works out, but if it does not we know we have already been blessed beyond measure and we be content in knowing we tried.

Where are we now...we have sent the basic paperwork into our agency and hopefully next week they will have our homestudy and can then begin to look for a match. There is a limited amount of time for this to happen because Mel will turn 55 in 54 days. It is our understanding we need to have a match in hand and our letter of intent to adopt the child we are matched with in the hands of the CCAA prior to Mel's birthday....so while we are waiting to see if a match is meant for us...we continue compiling our dossier...certified documents, USCIS approval and hope all are completed in a timely manner. As you can see we still have ALOT of uncertainty but soon we will know one way or the other.

If per chance all this works out...then we would likely travel to China prior to the end of the year...mid fall. I can't even think of that until so many other things are in place...know that we so appreciate all of you who have asked us how we are doing with our paperwork and who have encouraged us when we felt unsure. Even if everything works out there will be many hurdles ahead of us...financing an adoption so soon after returning home during such hard economic times. Finding the best medical care to meet the needs of our child and preparing Ellie Lu for a sister or maybe a brother...so please keep us in your prayers and keep Ladybug II in your prayers...we don't know who she/he is but we know there must be a child just waiting to join the Fannon family....at least we still hope...

If you would like to know more about children with mild correctable needs you can view our agency web site and look for "child of promise" or you can check out this site for stories of families who have adopted children with various special needs.