4 days into TA wait...

Well, today marks 4 days of waiting for TA.  Just sayin'!  ;)  Someone called the China Adoption Affairs offices today and found out that they actually worked through the weekend so that even though they are closed today through Wednesday for Tomb Sweeping Holiday, we really actually only will be losing ONE day!  Every day counts with this!

I reread my previous post and noticed all my typos (now corrected...because that's just the way I am).    I'm going to blame it on the 3 prescriptions I'm on in an effort to get rid of a horrendous cough I've had for EIGHT weeks due to the extremely high pollen count.  I have to be over the cough to go to China.  I'd really appreciate your prayers.  And I'll try not to post again soon after taking all the medications!  ;)

HUGE BLESSING!

I received a huge blessing this week that is priceless!  A friend from Beijing found information on Kaylee from her beginning in Foster care including 11 pictures and documentation of her progress!  I've included a little for you here.

"Hey Guys!  I'm new here!  What's up?"  

"How much?  That's not very much!  I think you better give me a cookie!"  

"Don't ya think you should do something' about this hair, People?"  

"Not exactly what I hard in mind for the new hairdo!  Sheesh, gotta look for a new stylist!"  

Some of the highlights in her notes were:

4 Months Old

"Feng yumei is 3 months old, she has changed a lot. Anyone will feel she is thin and small at first glance.. But that’s wrong, because she was even more small when she first arrived. She eats well. She behaves well, and she can smile now.  Her eyes were almost closed by the eye secretion, only 3 or 5 minutes after cleaning secretion will overflow again. Even the eyes specialist said the eyes can not be cured, she was almost sure to be blind. But her nanny has never give up, and Yumei worked at it too! Finally, her eyes can open and can see. It’s really a miracle!"

- I will FOREVER be grateful that God placed my little Kaylee Yumei in the care of someone so determined and who shows such love for her!    I pray I get to meet her and thank her personally when I get there!

5 Months Old

"Feng Yu Mei has always been rather slim, but she is very agile, and her arms and legs seem to have lots of power when moving."

7 Months Old

"Feng Yumei has remained to be one of the strongest girls. Her progress surprises everyone around her. Her action speaks that she is a smart kid. Now she can hold a creamer and drink milk herself."

- That's my girl!!!

9 Months Old

"The first challenge she met is to learn how to turn over. At first we were perplexed for a while by how to make her to obtain this skill. But it does not take much time as we thought. She can do it from this month and she is so into it. She keeps practicing it."

10 Months Old

"Feng Yumei has a surprising development this month. She just learned to turn over last month, but she is able to sit when her mother feeds her. Although she can only sit for a lunch time, we are very proud of what she has achieved."

11 Months Old

" Yumei is a pretty girl who looks like a baby doll. She can sit for a long time to play toys in hands. She is a smart girl."

- Well of course she is!  :)

1 Year old

"Feng Yumei is smart, quick-witted, but a little bit arbitrary. Her limb activity is coordinated and dexterous. She is bright enough to react quickly, and she can get a solution finally when facing problems."

Well, she wouldn't be mine if she weren't a little "arbitrary"!  That arbitrary nature is what has made her work with her wonderful nannies to defy the odds! (Remind me of this when she's home and pitching a fit because she wants dessert before dinner!)  

Apparently after a year they moved her from the Foster Parent floor o the orphanage floor.  I'm hearing great things about this orphanage an based on these files, I believe it.  I'm am even more eager than before to get my little angel home, now that I know more of her spunky personality.  She's a little "Defy the odds fighter" and I'm so proud of her and honored to be her mommy!  And I'm incredibly grateful to the God that has been watching over her and ordering her steps from the very beginning.  I'm coming for you soon, Baby Doll!

Article 5 Pickup is Thursday!  Then we go to the Travel Approval wait.  The Adoption Affairs offices have been reorganizing which has slowed everything down drastically.  I pray that doesn't affect me.  There is the  "Tomb Sweeping Day" holiday the 2-4 of April.  Ugh!  Would be so nice if they'd get mine done before that!  

I got Cabled!!!

Another important step today! I got the cable from the National Visa Center for Kaylee's Visa! Now I enter the 2 week wait for the Article 5. This time frame is a definite 2 weeks. After Pick Up I am officially waiting for Travel Approval! Getting so close now!

We sent little Kaylee a birthday care package yesterday. Shell be getting a cake, a couple of warm outfits, hair bows OF COURSE, and a soft little Dollie. We also sent some "Dum Dum" lollipops for the other children and some socks to help keep their feet warm.

I'm praying the orphanage takes birthday pictures which they often do!

I800 Approval!

Another milestone today!  I got my verbal I-800 Approval from USCIS today!  They will 2 day express it to the National Visa Center in Houston as well as send a copy to me.  When I get my copy, it's sent to Dillon who sends it to China via email.  All of this is working up to the event of me being "Cabled"!  Cabled means that your documents are in Guangzhou, China at the American Consulate.  This takes exactly 2 weeks, no more, no less.  It's the most predictable part of the process.  It is taken by courier and picked up the same way.  After my Cable is picked up, then I wait for Travel Approval.  So, ALMOST THERE!

I'm beginning to gather things to pack, gifts for the orphanage workers and government officials, etc.  Amazing how you wait and wait, then you are on the fast track all of a sudden!  Not that I'm complaining AT ALL!  But I am in full preparation mode now!

Off to get my 5 vaccinations tomorrow.  Now THAT should be fun!  But worth it of course.

Will blog again when I am Cabled!

New picture!

I was so blessed last week to get a surprise email from Dillon containing a new picture of Kaylee!  Her orphanage had it taken for her passport photo!  Oh wow, that's so exciting to say!  Her passport photo!  That means we are truly SO close!  Little girl's gettin' some hair!  Oh boy can I picture little pigtails all over that head...with bows, yep, LOTS of bows!  

I'll be calling on Thursday to find out the status of my I-800 approval from USCIS.  Once it's approved, it is sent by 2 Day Air to the National Visa Center in Houston.  They in turn will take 1-3 business days to give final approval for Kaylee's journey here and email the American consulate in Guangzhou, China.  After that, the materials Dillon sends will be couriered over to Guangzhou as well.  2 weeks later the Article 5 will be picked up by the courier and returned to the CCAA (China Center For Adoption Affairs) in Beijing.  Then we only await TA (TRAVEL APPROVAL)!  The wait for Travel Approval has drastically decreased as of late.  No one knows why but quite a few families got theirs last week after only a 10 day wait.  I pray this trend continues.  If so, we would be looking at leaving around May 1.  Mother's Day is May 13th....JUST SAYIN'!  :)  Please pray I will have her in my arms by that date.  The only real variable in this part of the wait is the I-800 and the TA.  If those go according to current trends, I should have no problem having her by then.  

A trend we can pray will NOT continue is the rise of gas prices.  UGH!  We all feel it at the pump, but we will definitely be feeling it as we look at purchasing international flights.  The good news is that it shouldn't affect our in country flights within China.  But of course that's not the bulk of the cost.  

We will be sending Kaylee a care package from "Mama, Mimi, and Pop Pop" this week!  A disposable camera will be included in hopes that we'll end up getting it back and can have the pictures developed.  We will also send a birthday cake for her on her birthday.  There are wonderful companies who do this on a regular basis.  

It's so difficult to know I'll barely be missing her birthday by about 1 month.  But then again, she'll be 2 and probably not have a great understanding about birthdays anyway.  I'm more sad for myself than anything.  But God's timing is perfect and all the longing for her and missing the "firsts" will soon be in the past.  

The other GREAT news I received last week came from an adoptive mom who picked up her little girl in Hohhot last year at the same orphanage.  She said the orphanage was very nice!  She said it was very clean and the nannies were caring with the children.  She also said her little one was not only on target developmentally and intellectually but actually ahead of the average child her age.  The mom is a teacher, so she knew what she was talking about.  This was the best news ever...that Kaylee's in a clean nice place with people who care!  I'm so grateful!  

I'm trying to learn several Chinese phrases during this wait time.  Chinese of course has a lot riding on inflection....the tonal pattern (rise and fall) of how you say words.  You can literally be saying 3 completely different words by using the same letters but changing the tone!  So, I want to be careful.  I want to make sure for instance that I'm saying, "Mommy loves you" and not something like "Mommy's stinky!"  That would be embarrassing!  :D  

Thank you again for your prayers and support!  I'll post again when I hear I have I-800 approval for Kaylee's citizenship from USCIS.  That's the specific prayer request right now, that it would be expedient!

It's official.........L O A!!!!!

L    O     A!!!!!  A day to celebrate!  

Wow!  I was just about ready to pull out of The Little Light House parking lot today when my phone rang.  And it said, "DILLON"!  My heart skipped a beat as I answered.  And then I heard those beautiful words, "Your Letter of Acceptance came!  It's here!"  I of course heard none of the following instructions she gave me because I was so ecstatic!  This means Kaylee is mine!  China has said a definite "YES"!  Words can't express my joy at this news!

Now on to the final steps which just involve paperwork and travel!  Please pray that this next wait with USCIS is much faster than my last one with them.  The I800 applications take priority over the I800A which is possibly why my wait for the I800A was so long....lots of people at the step I'm now on.  Then, the Chinese consulate issues Visas and we wait for Travel Approval.  You can see the typical time table at the left, but normally it's 2-4 months from now till she's in my arms.  What a glorious day that will be!  

Thank you again for all your support and prayers!  This is a BIG day!  Praise the Lord!  


So fun to now be able to show you the latest pictures!  She's sportin' some groovy "Chinese Split Pants", eh?  

FAQ

Dear Friends and Family,

Today marks day 55 of my wait for LOA (see acronym breakdown on left of page).  I've had quite a few people asking questions about this process, so thought I'd do a little FAQ here.

Q:  Why does it take so long?

A: Both the U.S. and China want to insure that these children are in safe homes who are the best matches for them.  Granted, it seems like things could be done more efficiently from my perspective, but you're working with TWO governments from two different countries which makes it VERY slow.  (Can you tell I'm frustrated?)  However, I do appreciate that at the heart of it, both governments do have the child's best interest at heart.  Believe it or not, even with the slowdown of the U.S. government causing me an extra long delay here, I'm still ahead of the game by quite a bit!

Q: HOW MUCH LONGER????

A:  Oh how I wish I knew!  The wait is the most excruciating of any I've ever experienced!  My file has been marked "In Process" in China which is a good thing.  Average right now seems to be 60 day wait for LOA.  So, I should be close.  However, there are families that have still not received theirs after over 130 days.  There's no rhyme or reason to that either.  No one seems to know why.  I'm just praying I'm not one of those!  After that, it comes back to the U.S, then to the Chinese embassy, then back to China. The good news is that that part is pretty predictable in timing.  I've added typical timelines on the left of this page.

Q: Why is there a 3 month time of isolating Internationally adopted children after they come home?

A: Internationally adopted children have backgrounds that are usually a mystery.  We don't know what Kaylee will have been through.  We do know that she was very blessed to be in a foster home during the first crucial months.  She's now back in the orphanage environment, however.  Because she will have been passed around from caregiver to caregiver, it will take her time to believe that I am truly going to keep her, care for her, and not send her off somewhere else to have them care for her.  Therefore, all feeding and changing must be done by me for at least 3 months.  Also, her exposure to others has to be very limited for that period of time.  Lots of sights, sounds, and even smells can cause flashbacks to occur.  Things and people must be introduced very slowly.

Q: Why did you choose to adopt internationally when there are children right here in the U.S. who need families?

A: The wait for an American child is enormously long and even more difficult for a single parent adoption.  There are older children, but if someone prefers to adopt a toddler  or infant, the wait will typically be excessively long.  In addition, when I went to China in 2008 with my mom, I lost my heart to those little ones.  I began praying at that time that I'd be able to adopt one someday.

Q: I hear International adoption can be very complicated in regard to attachment.  How will you know what to do?

A: Both Dillon International and China require extensive education hours in order to help equip adoptive parents especially for situations that arise with Internationally adopted children.  That along with my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as an endorsement in Early Childhood Education are all going to be helpful.  However, no one can be fully prepared for every situation that may arise with any of our children, so of course prayers are much appreciated for wisdom and for a smooth bonding and attachment with Kaylee!

Q: What will you do about the language barrier?

A: 2 year olds are extremely pliable in language learning.  Many of these children have already learned some English words before they even get home to the U.S.  There are also apps for iPhone and iPad that will be helpful in translation.  She won't be talking a lot, but I will learn a few key phrases in Chinese from our Intern at The Little Light House who speaks fluent Chinese.  Boy am I grateful for her!

Q: Will you travel to get her?

A: Yes, my parents and I will be in China for 10 days - 2 weeks.  It will involve flying all across the country while there too.  Prayers are much appreciated!  We're not sure where we'll fly into.  Many fly into the capital (Beijing), but we've all been there, so we may try to change that.  We will then fly to Hohhot to get Kaylee and spend a few days of me singing yet more papers and taking vows to be a good mother.  From there we'll fly to Guangzhou where the U.S. embassy is.  Kaylee and I will do the swearing in ceremony, I will once again vow to be a good mother, Kaylee will have a short medical exam, and we will shop for souvenirs to remind her of her homeland later on.  From there we will likely take the bullet train to Hong Kong and fly home from there.  If anyone has extra flyer miles or upgrades on United and they'll expire unless you get rid of them, we'd be very happy to take them off your hands.  :)  Because Kaylee will have just turned 2, she'll have to have a full priced ticket.

Please feel free to ask any more questions if you'd like.  It's a VERY complicated process!   I see why people call it "Paperwork Pregnancy"!  Again, thanks so much for your interest and most of all for your prayers and support!