VISAS...arrived today...

One more thing checked off the list our VISA's arrived today...we must enter China by September 3, 2010....which we should be there and back and then some long before then. So now we wait on Travel Approval and really I don't think there is any way we are leaving any sooner than the first of May with the other various obstacles in our way...trade fair, staff training etc and I have accepted it will be about 30 additional days until we hold our sweet little Emma...what keeps me going is forever...we will have forever and we really have no choice...so we wait! This is a new photo too...is she not the cutest thing...I wonder if they have cut her hair?

Emma Lynn "Jing Jing" taken on November 20th, 2009

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!

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

Something Special...for the red couch...

Right before we left for China in 2008 I found the most exquisite outfit for Ellie Lu. I loved it for many reasons...to me it was very "baby" and looked like the type of outfit my Mother would have made to bring her children home from the hospital in. Well I don't think any of my Mother's creations are around and even if they were...they wouldn't fit a then 10 month old baby. So I was thrilled to find this special outfit and decided we would have Ellie Lu's red couch photo in it. Mind you white is not the color of choice in China, and most would have the traditional Chinese dress, but I thought "my find" was a nice mix of both.

Fast forward 2 years and once we received our LOA I began to think about packing and what our little ladybug II would wear on red couch photo day. I looked and looked for something sweet for a 2 year old and found nothing...nada. I will clarify nothing that met both criteria ...sweet and "Asian" like in design. So I found the manufacturer of our first outfit and called them and I was just going to inquire where I might buy something in a size 18 month or 2. Sadly no retailer would have that size...so we chatted a bit more and I mentioned I might find someone to make something special for me...and "Rita" said we do custom work. Imagine my delight...we talked back and forth and at first I was only going to get ladybug II an outfit and then Rita suggested it might be nice for the girls to have a photo done together in them....that was in December...this week I got an email they are done and on their way. I can't wait to see them! They arrived today...

Here is a little reminder of what Ellie Lu looked like on the red couch, so sweet...

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....

Sleeping Arrangements...

At first I thought each child must have their OWN room. Then it occurred to me that they likely would prefer to be together. So I asked around...twin Moms, Moms of children close in age and most said yes sharing a room is best and I suppose at some point if it is not working out we can separate. So it is settled they will share a room.

So then do we get another crib/toddler bed or do we get 2 new toddler beds alike and migrate Ellie Lu to a new bed prior to leaving for China. My thoughts were it is unlikely that Emma has slept in a crib, most likely she has slept with her foster Mom or another child in the home. So I thought a crib might be confining to her. Keep in mind Ellie Lu loves her bed it is her "palace" and has not tried to climb out and just has slept so well in it....so not really looking forward to her being able to get out of bed and run around and all that comes with a toddler bed, but she is 2 1/2 so I suppose it is time.

I loved this bed for many reason Jenny Lind Dream on Me in White...classic!but for some reason it has been on back order forever and it appears it is now no longer made in white. I also liked this bed, but it only had one side rail and was a little too "fru fru" overall...so this is the bed I settled on and I hope it works out for the girls. I ordered 2 and they should arrive soon. They came on February 5th...still need to get mattresses and bedding asap.

I still need to get mattresses and bedding. I asked Ellie Lu what color bedding she wanted...choices were light green, pink or a pale yellow in the minky dot...she wanted pink for her and "Jing Jing". I found a nice set at Penney's then read the review and it said it was lined with some polyester whatever so now looking for a nice Minky dot with maybe cotton or jersey or just some kind of soft lining. Otherwise the room will still look mostly the same...sans diaper changing table and possibly the rocker. I am thinking of putting both in the room next door in case I need to rock someone in the middle of the night and man I just love the changer it will be hard to let that go.

The view from the door

Of course the crib will go and her special things will move to the toddler bed

The bathroom will be the same

Just a few goodies...

We have been pre-packing Emma's clothes and here are a few of the sweet goodies we have for her. She has some new things and also some sweet things that were Cissy's...enjoy!

Sweet little layette line from Gymboree "Lovebug"

Some of big Cissy's "goodies" just for Emma

Ellie Lu hardly wore this group from Gymboree with ladybugs...love it


Big Cissy's cuties again from Straasburg, Gymboree...too cute not to pass along


More pink...more big Cissy's ...more dots or ladybugs...I see a trend

All new from the Gymboree layette line "Love bug"

I have also bought some sweet matching and coordinating outfits for the girls. I have read when adding another child to the home dressing them alike or similar makes them feel apart of each other. Of course right now there is a big difference in there sizes Ellie Lu is nearly 36 inches tall and 32 pounds and last info on Emma she was 30 inches talll and 20 pounds. Can't wait to hold them both in my arms at one time....:)