Day 93 since LOA...

It has been 90 days since we received our LOA and back in December....the average was 90 days and you would be in China...well we ran into multiple holidays and the trade fair and a new process added so here we sit at day 93 with no word on TA and hopefully we will be traveling the first week of May.

Of course we still have tons to do and who really gets it all done before leaving RIGHT, but right now all I am thinking is I can't wait to hold my Emma Lynn and give her a big smooch....COME ON TA...WANT TO FINALIZE PLANS AND GET OUR GIRL...It has been 19 days since notification of article 5...could we hear something this week?

When Ellie Lu saw this photo she thought it was a photo of herself...how funny

Anticipated Timeline:

TA - by April 1

Emma Lynn Day - May 10

CA - May 19

Arrive home - May 21st pm

Travel Dates May 4 - May 21

Article 5...

We received notice today that our Article 5 was sent to the CCAA today. Typically after Article 5 notification your TA arrives in 3 -4 weeks. You can see my guesstimate here from a few weeks ago. It doesn't look possible at this point that we would leave prior to April and since the trade fair is in Guangzhou nearly the whole month of April and then the last week our agency has staff training it is unlikely we will be in China prior to the first week of May...disappointed...YES, but what can you do...nothing but get prepared. So prepare we will...let the all out packing begin and finalize the girls room and purge anything that is not needed...the time will pass quickly.

I think we will get notice of TA by March26th and then we will depart for China on May 5th...looks like we will celebrate Mel's birthday in China...gotcha will likely be on May 10th. Still waiting on an update of our girl and answers to our questions....maybe those will come in the next day or two.

Emma Lynn November 2009

Day 58 Since LOA...

So today is day 59 since LOA...our I800 provisional has come, our NVC letter has come...all were sent to China on January 29th...so we have been waiting on Article 5 for 20 days....most families have their TA by day 90...so where does that leave us? I am thinking on February 22nd our article 5 will leave the consulate and then 2 weeks later we will get notification of TA...that would be March 8th.....



Our agency is very conservative and families don't often leave for China less than 3 weeks after TA so that would put us leaving for China by the week of March 29th....with the trade fair coming up in April I am thinking if we don't leave by then ....we will have to wait until May. Come on Article 5 and TA our girl is waiting....

Is it Different?

So many people have asked..."Is it different this time...the waiting?" and it is different. When we waited for Ellie Lu we had waited what seemed an eternity, prior to waiting had lost 2 biological babies, undergone the intrusive process of fertility treatments and were overdue as far as wanting to be parents. We started a process that we were told was 6-9 months and completed a process that took 3 years...so yes it was different...and did I mention our home was empty we had no children...it seemed all we could do was wait....at at times barely live. Also during that wait we always wondered...would it even happen? Nothing compares to being childless and wanting a family.

That doesn't mean it is not hard now...it is hard waiting. We have a picture of a child that will be our daughter...she is growing and changing every day...yet the photos show her at 12 months and 18 months...yet we wait. We know who she is...we know where she is...but we have to go thru the process which is lengthy and involved and involves the passage of time. I have always wondered how families who were part of this process where you get a picture first and then wait...how they coped and now I know...

Most families who receive that picture up front are not first time parents...most have a least one child at home and others may have many children. My point is they are very busy...they are parents...they aren't waiting to be parents. Either way it is still hard...this time I feel guilty that I don't have endless hours to document every minute waiting...it doesn't mean that I anticipate this journey less...I just don't have endless time. We have photos of Ladybug II in our home, we talk about her at meals, we pray for her and yes we have shopped a bit for her too.

We also wonder...about her health, is she growing and developing...what have we missed? We can't dwell on the things we just can't control we can only anticipate what is to come...we anxiously wait for the day the FedEx man arrives with our LOA and we are invited to come to China to complete our family....we still have several months ahead of us...preparations to make, and much time to wonder and anticipate this new addition to our family and yes it is different...most things are the 2nd time around...not less special, not easier or harder...just different.

• August 31, 2009 received our I797c...
• Dossier almost ready for sending to China...

Update...Will There Be a Ladybug II?

We went away for the holiday weekend and somehow missed a phone call...Saturday I was out and about during Ellie Lu's nap and decided to check voicemail....we had 17 messages...message number 15 at 12 noon on Friday, May 22nd (we were home...how did I miss this call)...it was "B" from our agency and she said for us to call her as soon as possible...she looked forward to hearing from us and she had an "uplifting" sound to her voice.

Mind you I got the message on Saturday around 2:30 pm...so I was absolutely hysterical...at first I was thinking "referral"...I know crazy how can we get a referral if we "technically" are no longer eligible...so then when I began to think logically I realized she likely will be telling us whether there is any flexibility for us to possibly still receive a referral.

I am thinking it may be good news as she did have an uplifting tone to her voice...but at the same time there is really no reason to believe any "flexibility" would be given...so we wait...but maybe on Tuesday we will know something...and really it would be great to receive some good news...but at the same time....we are glad we pursued this opportunity...we always knew there were no guarantees...if we are meant to be more than a family of 3...it will happen...if not it won't...but life will still be very full and with or without another addition to the family...we wait....tick tock...tick tock...tick tock...

Will there be a "Ladybug II"?.....

We celebrated Mel's birthday on Sunday with much joy, but I at the same time we both had something very pressing on our minds...why had we not heard anything since April 9th...were our dreams of adopting a brother or sister for Ellie Lu over and we had just not been notified...or was there still hope....

I had wanted to call our agency last week...but really didn't want to have whatever the status was "taint" Mel's first birthday with his daughter...so I just hoped we would hear something...but we did not. Last Thursday I had a dream...we got the call and we were referred a 4 year old little girl with a repaired cleft lip and palate ...in my dream I questioned our agency we had asked for a child younger than Ellie Lu...but they seemed to think this child was the perfect fit for our family.

Later in the weekend we had dinner with my Aunt Betsy who was in the area for a violet show...my brother Colin and his family also came...we had not seen them since returning from China...Ellie Lu became fast friends with her cousin Cwen who is five....and was also adopted from China.

While we waited on Aunt Betsy all the kids romped around the grounds of the Chattanooga Choo Choo (Cooper, Charlie, Cwen and Ellie Lu) and I have to say she enjoyed the older children much more than she does children her own age or younger....was this another sign that we may in fact be referred an older child?

Well Monday came and with it the burden of finding out...I waited most of the day and then I sent this email...

In a message dated 5/18/2009 2:45:04 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, EDFKnox writes:
Dear "B",
We last spoke to you the first week of April when we had been informed by "M" that many of the children in the child of promise program had notations that "family dossier must already be in China". When I spoke to you I understood better what was taking place and you explained that you were trying to seek more information and possibly seeking an extension on those families that this may cause them to be ineligible.

Yesterday Mel turned 55 and of course we celebrated, but we also spoke about this milestone possibly being the end of a dream...to expand our family so that Ellie Lu might have a sibling. Please let us know where we stand with regard to the "child of promise option" and a match. Our hearts are ready to be matched and we are about to celebrate a year as parents and would be overjoyed to begin a new journey. We are making progress on our dossier and would like to know if we should continue as well. Thanks.
Emily

I received a response back this morning...I was very nervous opening the mail as I was not sure what it would say...

Dear Emily:

Thank you so much for checking in! We were not able to secure a child in this most recent group for you. But we have not forgotten. Please let me check with our overseas staff to see if there is flexibility in the regulations to allow you to be matched, now that Mel is 55. The issue may be the age of child, and I know you are hoping to bring in the next child younger than your little girl. I will keep you posted. Thanks,

"B"

Our vision... Finding Families for Children

So I say...pray...pray that the child that is meant to be in our family is revealed...maybe he or she is 5 or maybe they are much younger...just pray...we would so love for Ellie Lu to have a sibling...we will keep you posted....

Reality check...

Yesterday we had out first easter egg hunt and oh what fun we had. At one point we were all gathered around waiting in line to color eggs so we were singing to pass the time...Ellie Lu was with Daddy and a little girl named Kenli wanted me to hold her...so I did...then Lia asked to be held so I had Kenli who is 2 1/2 and Lia who is 2...one on each hip...ALL AT ONCE A LIGHTBULB WENT OFF...this could be my reality and it felt pretty good...KEEP PRAYING.


A few minutes later I was holding Ellie Lu and Lia wanted to join us...they are 6 months apart in age, so I picked Lia up and oh my Ellie Lu did not want any part of her Momma holding anyone else. Eventually she warmed up to it and actually gave Lia a dandelion...so sweet.