Please note my eight lucky exclamation points! We got the call from the agency today and we are officially approved to get on a plane to adopt Lulu! I just want to celebrate like mad and then hop on a plane.
Travel is set up for July 19th. We are having a hard time letting go of the idea of leaving earlier. Quin said he'd get on the plane tomorrow if he could. We all feel that way ! Fortunately, the tickets are purchased, the travel list is on the way to completion and work is lined up for me to be out.
What I really want to do is to follow my heart and go on the 9th. The reality is that our consulate date of August 3rd has already been requested based in our ticket dates.
I just have to accept and enjoy the fact that we know we get to go and bring our daughter home. She is going to be so loved by her family! Just can't wait to get started.
Love to all and I hope this news fills your hearts with joy.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
TA On the Way!
Our agency coordinator just emailed that she confirmed with CCAA that our Travel Approval was sent out and should arrive at the agency Friday or Monday. Inside my head, I am running around in circles, screaming with joy and waving my hands in the air. We are about to receive our final approval and the opportunity to book our consulate date. Theoretically, when we receive the paper, we could get on a plane to China, receive Lulu and then hang out together until the consulate date. In reality, it means we get to travel on the tickets we purchased without worrying and waiting for approval up to the last minute.
By the way, I looked at ticket prices last night to see if we might be able to travel early. The tickets now are $1000 or more greater in cost than the ones we purchased and those were already beyond our planned budget. So, unless the airline can find some better options for us, we will be very content and grateful for what we have.
Oh, and another wonderful thing: I thought that I read that another family adopting a 3.5 year old from Guilin might be from the Seattle area. Turns out that they expect to be in China to receive Gabriella within a week of us. So I wrote and asked whether they live in Seattle and in what neighborhood. She wrote back that we probably live a few minutes from each other and that only a person from Mukilteo would know where Bothell is. Can you believe it.! Allura and Gabriella are fostered through the same SWI and will be home within minutes of each other. Amazing! We are arranging to meet and I really hope the girls might be friends - new or old.
By the way, I looked at ticket prices last night to see if we might be able to travel early. The tickets now are $1000 or more greater in cost than the ones we purchased and those were already beyond our planned budget. So, unless the airline can find some better options for us, we will be very content and grateful for what we have.
Oh, and another wonderful thing: I thought that I read that another family adopting a 3.5 year old from Guilin might be from the Seattle area. Turns out that they expect to be in China to receive Gabriella within a week of us. So I wrote and asked whether they live in Seattle and in what neighborhood. She wrote back that we probably live a few minutes from each other and that only a person from Mukilteo would know where Bothell is. Can you believe it.! Allura and Gabriella are fostered through the same SWI and will be home within minutes of each other. Amazing! We are arranging to meet and I really hope the girls might be friends - new or old.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Global Village Raising Our Daughter
Two neat things to share tonight. Three actually:
Thom said he had a wonderful Father's Day and can't wait to have the next one as a father of three. He is so looking forward to parenting his little girl.
The second treat was that I finished the final care package for Lulu. We included everything from the photo plus panties (every girl
should have her own) and a photo album
with labelled pictures. I even cut and pasted her (with actual glue) into the family photo at the top of the web page so she may see herself as being Part of the family. Someday, she will know that this is where she belongs and that bringing us all together is a gift from God to all of us. I just need to weigh the package so I will get the check
for shipping to China correct.
The third wonderful item was that I received a reply from
Grace and Hope for Children. I had written to find out whether Lulu is fostered through their sponsorship program. She is! This means not only is she the recipient of fantastic care with one loving caregiver, but that another family out there has been sponsoring her. Through the generosity of others, our daughter was able to be nurtured to develop as fully as she has despite not having parents at the time. When we adopt her, hopefully another child may benefit.
If you are at all looking for worthy charities for your giving this year, please consider making a donation or sponsoring a child through Grace and Hope for Children. Also, consider the fantastic work being done by Half The Sky Foundation. Without their support, Lulu would not be in preschool and the orphanage caregivers would not have received necessary child development training. I am so grateful to these organizations not only for what they have done for one child and family but for what they are contributing to the world. Every single child matters. Every child deserves love.
Thom said he had a wonderful Father's Day and can't wait to have the next one as a father of three. He is so looking forward to parenting his little girl.
The second treat was that I finished the final care package for Lulu. We included everything from the photo plus panties (every girl
should have her own) and a photo album
with labelled pictures. I even cut and pasted her (with actual glue) into the family photo at the top of the web page so she may see herself as being Part of the family. Someday, she will know that this is where she belongs and that bringing us all together is a gift from God to all of us. I just need to weigh the package so I will get the check
for shipping to China correct.
The third wonderful item was that I received a reply from
Grace and Hope for Children. I had written to find out whether Lulu is fostered through their sponsorship program. She is! This means not only is she the recipient of fantastic care with one loving caregiver, but that another family out there has been sponsoring her. Through the generosity of others, our daughter was able to be nurtured to develop as fully as she has despite not having parents at the time. When we adopt her, hopefully another child may benefit.
If you are at all looking for worthy charities for your giving this year, please consider making a donation or sponsoring a child through Grace and Hope for Children. Also, consider the fantastic work being done by Half The Sky Foundation. Without their support, Lulu would not be in preschool and the orphanage caregivers would not have received necessary child development training. I am so grateful to these organizations not only for what they have done for one child and family but for what they are contributing to the world. Every single child matters. Every child deserves love.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Missing Minlan
Tonight when I sang the lullabies for the boys, I sang Lulu's bedtime song too. We have included her many nights before. Tonight, Quin said, "Mom, can you not sing that for now? Because it really makes me miss her.". Dec said he was sad too and that it was strange because "we haven't even met her yet."
Seeing the photos that we recently received made us happy to know she is out there and doing well. At the same time, it makes us desperate for her to develop those skills at home with us. We can't do much about that. Just keep preparing and praying for Travel Approval to come soon.
In the meantime, in order to help Minlan with her transition, we arranged for a celebratory cake to be sent to her at school in order for her to have a Forever Family party with her friends. A few Chinese children's book will go as well. We also sent a memory stick for them to collect photos for us of the event and any other moments they might be willing to download.
I also put together a care package from home. One more set of things that look like she would enjoy them based on the photos. Wevjust want her to feel good, and loved and to enjoy herself. Here's a photo of what we're sending. Also a letter and a set of photos will be included.
Oh, please just let us get that Travel Approval! Pretty please! With sugar on top?!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Seeing the photos that we recently received made us happy to know she is out there and doing well. At the same time, it makes us desperate for her to develop those skills at home with us. We can't do much about that. Just keep preparing and praying for Travel Approval to come soon.
In the meantime, in order to help Minlan with her transition, we arranged for a celebratory cake to be sent to her at school in order for her to have a Forever Family party with her friends. A few Chinese children's book will go as well. We also sent a memory stick for them to collect photos for us of the event and any other moments they might be willing to download.
I also put together a care package from home. One more set of things that look like she would enjoy them based on the photos. Wevjust want her to feel good, and loved and to enjoy herself. Here's a photo of what we're sending. Also a letter and a set of photos will be included.
Oh, please just let us get that Travel Approval! Pretty please! With sugar on top?!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Our Sweet Schoolgirl
Karin writes:
I check my email on my iPhone right when I roll out of bed for exactly these moments. An email from Sabrina entitled: fwd update You Min Lan. The orphanage, where Minlan attends preschool through the Half the Sky Foundation (based in Berkeley, CA) sent action photos from school. Not only do we see her focused on her projects, but we also get to see her in the little purple dress we sent in care package number one. It really reached her!
I check my email on my iPhone right when I roll out of bed for exactly these moments. An email from Sabrina entitled: fwd update You Min Lan. The orphanage, where Minlan attends preschool through the Half the Sky Foundation (based in Berkeley, CA) sent action photos from school. Not only do we see her focused on her projects, but we also get to see her in the little purple dress we sent in care package number one. It really reached her!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Love that Girl
A Daddy's Concerns
One of the nagging questions that everyone has for us is whether or not Lulu will have had any preparations for what's about to happen in her life. I almost wrote "to her" because I'm trying to believe that this is happening to all of us. It's going to be hard for all of us, and thrilling for all of us, and none of that helps me feeling that she's getting the fuzzy end of the Popsicle, at least at first.
She is 3.5 years old. She's had a foster mom, but to her, that's her mom. And it's small comfort that people don't really remember their lives from before they were 3 or 4. For her, RIGHT NOW, she is a little girl who goes to school, has a home, has friends, speaks Chinese, has a routine. And we are about to uproot ALL of that. Every single thing.
So I wrote to our coordinator to ask if they help with transition in China. We've sent our photo book, but I wanted to know if there is a system in place to ease that shock. Nope. In Taiwan, yes. But not in China.
Everyone says how lucky she is, but man, it's hard to see how this will be anything but traumatic for her. How do you explain to a 3 year old that she has a family - no, not this one, ANOTHER one - and that somewhere across the planet, there is a room for her, not only a physical room, but a place where she will belong forever. I hold on to the belief that the boys will end up being the ambassadors of love. And that she probably has never had a ba-ba (dad), so given that I'm a stay at home dad, that could help fill a hole in her heart.
But Karin, who has put so much of her heart out into the world, is going to be compared to the ma ma Lulu has known for the last two years. In time, Lulu will know the love that Karin has for her. And she will know her as her mommy. But in the meantime, I feel for my two ladies, big and little.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
She is 3.5 years old. She's had a foster mom, but to her, that's her mom. And it's small comfort that people don't really remember their lives from before they were 3 or 4. For her, RIGHT NOW, she is a little girl who goes to school, has a home, has friends, speaks Chinese, has a routine. And we are about to uproot ALL of that. Every single thing.
So I wrote to our coordinator to ask if they help with transition in China. We've sent our photo book, but I wanted to know if there is a system in place to ease that shock. Nope. In Taiwan, yes. But not in China.
Everyone says how lucky she is, but man, it's hard to see how this will be anything but traumatic for her. How do you explain to a 3 year old that she has a family - no, not this one, ANOTHER one - and that somewhere across the planet, there is a room for her, not only a physical room, but a place where she will belong forever. I hold on to the belief that the boys will end up being the ambassadors of love. And that she probably has never had a ba-ba (dad), so given that I'm a stay at home dad, that could help fill a hole in her heart.
But Karin, who has put so much of her heart out into the world, is going to be compared to the ma ma Lulu has known for the last two years. In time, Lulu will know the love that Karin has for her. And she will know her as her mommy. But in the meantime, I feel for my two ladies, big and little.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, June 7, 2010
Care Package # 3- From Nana and Bapa
The third package for our dear Lulu is going out this week. Ann of Red Threads (in Guangzhou) sent me this wonderful photo today showing the two piece silk outfit, matching Kai Lan doll, "hot pink" traditional silk dress, matching hair ribbons for each set and candy treats for the whole family. This package was put together by Nana and Bapa along with their letter to the orphanage director.
This is the letter to be translated into Chinese:
"Dear Orphanage Director,
Please pass the contents of this package on to our future granddaughter You Min Lan, birthday 15 October 2006. We will be eternally happy and content in our hearts to welcome her to our family. We have a very kind loving family and are sure that she will enjoy her life as she grows over the years with her two brothers and her cousins. We already love her very much and are sending these pretty items to let her know how special and beautiful our Little Princess is to us.
Thank you for your care and guidance for her over her first three years. We are very grateful to you for your efforts and expertise. We are especially grateful that you were able to obtain glasses and patching of the right eye so that her left eye could become stronger. This is so important for her development and vision. Thank you so much for your fantastic care and nurturing of all the children under your supervision.
With gratitude and respect,
Marilyn "Nana" and Pete "Bapa" Bushre, grandparents of You Min Lan."
I threw in the part about the side that is supposed to be patched because her patch was on the wrong eye in the last photo set we got. Not so subtle hint from Mama...
Who knows whether we will receive any photos of Lulu opening her packages. It is all up to the orphanage as our understanding is that they may or may not take photos and send them on to Ann. I will certainly send them if any come.
This week we were lucky enough to receive some nice Summer as well as Winter items from Scarlett Lewis that she is passing on to Lulu. A few items in size 4, a few 3s (soft pink sweaters), fuzzy footy jammies in size 5 and some other adorable items. Thank you Scarlett and Mirka! Additionally, two of the three bedspreads for the kids came. Thanks to Nana and Bapa, Dec has a comfy new (to him) bed and each child has their own space in a now three-child bedroom. We have turned everything upside down and are moving the playroom to the front of the house, the kids to the former playroom as a now bedroom, and the bedroom will soon be the guest room/media room. It's all a wreck right now but I can work on it next weekend. I can't wait to get the bedroom set up and put a picture on the blog. I am waiting until it is mostly ready and then I will post photos.
Additionally, I have been invited to be there for our dear friends Katherine and Steven as they brings their son into the world. She is having a planned c-section, two days from now, at 7:30 AM and my staff helped me to reschedle my morning patients for that day so that I may be there for Katherine and Steven. I am so excited! I will be there to film and photograph as well as to provide support to the team of Katherine, Steven, and Katherine's mom. What an exciting time! Soon we will be welcoming our own child into our world and I get to be a part a dear tiny boy's first moments. Wow.
So, as we continue in this first week of waiting for TA, life goes on in its special, amazing way.
This is the letter to be translated into Chinese:
"Dear Orphanage Director,
Please pass the contents of this package on to our future granddaughter You Min Lan, birthday 15 October 2006. We will be eternally happy and content in our hearts to welcome her to our family. We have a very kind loving family and are sure that she will enjoy her life as she grows over the years with her two brothers and her cousins. We already love her very much and are sending these pretty items to let her know how special and beautiful our Little Princess is to us.
Thank you for your care and guidance for her over her first three years. We are very grateful to you for your efforts and expertise. We are especially grateful that you were able to obtain glasses and patching of the right eye so that her left eye could become stronger. This is so important for her development and vision. Thank you so much for your fantastic care and nurturing of all the children under your supervision.
With gratitude and respect,
Marilyn "Nana" and Pete "Bapa" Bushre, grandparents of You Min Lan."
I threw in the part about the side that is supposed to be patched because her patch was on the wrong eye in the last photo set we got. Not so subtle hint from Mama...
Who knows whether we will receive any photos of Lulu opening her packages. It is all up to the orphanage as our understanding is that they may or may not take photos and send them on to Ann. I will certainly send them if any come.
This week we were lucky enough to receive some nice Summer as well as Winter items from Scarlett Lewis that she is passing on to Lulu. A few items in size 4, a few 3s (soft pink sweaters), fuzzy footy jammies in size 5 and some other adorable items. Thank you Scarlett and Mirka! Additionally, two of the three bedspreads for the kids came. Thanks to Nana and Bapa, Dec has a comfy new (to him) bed and each child has their own space in a now three-child bedroom. We have turned everything upside down and are moving the playroom to the front of the house, the kids to the former playroom as a now bedroom, and the bedroom will soon be the guest room/media room. It's all a wreck right now but I can work on it next weekend. I can't wait to get the bedroom set up and put a picture on the blog. I am waiting until it is mostly ready and then I will post photos.
Additionally, I have been invited to be there for our dear friends Katherine and Steven as they brings their son into the world. She is having a planned c-section, two days from now, at 7:30 AM and my staff helped me to reschedle my morning patients for that day so that I may be there for Katherine and Steven. I am so excited! I will be there to film and photograph as well as to provide support to the team of Katherine, Steven, and Katherine's mom. What an exciting time! Soon we will be welcoming our own child into our world and I get to be a part a dear tiny boy's first moments. Wow.
So, as we continue in this first week of waiting for TA, life goes on in its special, amazing way.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Article 5!
Oh I can barely contain my glee. I am so happy to say that our Article 5 was picked up from the US Consulate in Guangzhou last night and overnighted to the CCAA (the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs in Beijing). They will receive it on China's Friday night (they are ahead of us).
That means, drumroll please, only one more piece of paper before we are allowed to book a consulate date in China. The Article 5 is the official document that lets the CCAA know that the US fully approves of the adoption, the family, the adoptee, and states that the child will enter the US as a citizen.
Next, the CCAA asks the orphanage whether the child is still truly available. When the fact that the orphanage still maintains the child's availability gets back to the CCAA, the CCAA will issue Travel Approval (TA). Some orphanages are slow to respond, some are faster. When TA is issued, we are allowed to book one of the coveted (and limited) consulate appointments and we are allowed to get on a plane.
How long for this final step? Can't believe I get to even ask that.... The average I see on Rumor Queen for our province is about 30 days. However, the shortest I have seen is 16 days. It is all over Rumor Queen that TAs are now taking 4-6 weeks instead of 2-4 weeks. Our agency thinks likely 5 weeks based on what they are seeing. The consulate appointments however are booked pretty far out. Families getting their TA today are being told that the only consulate appt openings are from July 5th on. We are hoping for a consulate date of August 3rd based on the plane tickets we have and the hoped for timing for everything. Will it mesh? Not sure yet. Let's just cross our fingers for a speedy or reasonable TA.
If you are a praying person, please pray for us, our family, our daughter, and the CCAA. So many families are close to uniting with their darling daughter or son across the globe... We are so thrilled to be a part of the group and to be this close to meeting and caring for our Little Princess.
That means, drumroll please, only one more piece of paper before we are allowed to book a consulate date in China. The Article 5 is the official document that lets the CCAA know that the US fully approves of the adoption, the family, the adoptee, and states that the child will enter the US as a citizen.
Next, the CCAA asks the orphanage whether the child is still truly available. When the fact that the orphanage still maintains the child's availability gets back to the CCAA, the CCAA will issue Travel Approval (TA). Some orphanages are slow to respond, some are faster. When TA is issued, we are allowed to book one of the coveted (and limited) consulate appointments and we are allowed to get on a plane.
How long for this final step? Can't believe I get to even ask that.... The average I see on Rumor Queen for our province is about 30 days. However, the shortest I have seen is 16 days. It is all over Rumor Queen that TAs are now taking 4-6 weeks instead of 2-4 weeks. Our agency thinks likely 5 weeks based on what they are seeing. The consulate appointments however are booked pretty far out. Families getting their TA today are being told that the only consulate appt openings are from July 5th on. We are hoping for a consulate date of August 3rd based on the plane tickets we have and the hoped for timing for everything. Will it mesh? Not sure yet. Let's just cross our fingers for a speedy or reasonable TA.
If you are a praying person, please pray for us, our family, our daughter, and the CCAA. So many families are close to uniting with their darling daughter or son across the globe... We are so thrilled to be a part of the group and to be this close to meeting and caring for our Little Princess.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
