Surprise!

Today I received an email from Ann. She was able to contact the orphanage and they sent her a few new photos! Boy has she changed! She has grown a lot in 6 months - she weighs just under 20 pounds.

The Chinese Visas came on Tuesday, so this has been quite an exciting week! I am soooo ready to go!

Care Package

This week I sent a care package to the orphanage. There is a woman (Ann) in China who is like a personal shopper. You pick out the items you want to send, write a letter to the orphanage, and she will translate the letter, purchase the items, and deliver them. One of the items is a disposable camera. In the letter, you can thank the orphanage and the foster family, ask them to take photos with the camera, and write things in a journal for the baby. If you are lucky, sometimes they will send you some updated photos or information. If not, at least you will get more photos and the journal on adoption day.

Our Chinese Visas will be delivered on Tuesday, so now we are ready to travel - we just need to know WHEN????

It's Official!!!

After 5 years of waiting ...........

finally a referral!

Sweet baby Cara is coming home soon!

The official paperwork was sent to China on Friday to accept the referral of Ji Xi Xin! (pronounced Gee - She
Sheen). In China, the first name listed (Ji) is the surname, and the second name (Xi Xin) is the given name. We will call her "Cara"- but her full American name is still under consideration. I originally wanted to use her Chinese name as her middle name, but I think it would be very difficult for Americans to pronounce. Before I decided on Cara, "Baby Ji Ji", and "Hurricane Ji Ji is coming" were the two favorite expressions - mostly due to that second sassy looking little photo. Imagine ME with a "sweet/sassy" baby! ha ha!

She turned one year old on May 16th.

There is not a lot of information listed on adoption referrals, but here is some of what it said:

"She was found on June 14, 2010 beside the stairs outside the gate of {the City Park}... {She was about one month old} She is an active, outgoing little girl ... likes to listen to the music ... and is very curious. She likes to stay outdoors in the sun. She is an adorable girl ... and has formed stable and intimate relationships with caregivers."

She has a small heart murmur that will probably not need surgery. She has been in foster care, but now she will be placed back in the orphanage, to help her transition from her foster family. She is in Guangdong Province, which is in Southern China, near Hong Kong.

Now that the referral has been accepted and approved, the next step will be travel arrangements. They are estimating that we will travel to China to bring her home sometime in mid - late July, but I really won't know exactly for a couple of weeks.

These photos were probably taken in January when she was 9 months old. I am so grateful that she has been in foster care - it looks like they have taken very good care of her. I CAN NOT WAIT TO KISS THOSE LITTLE CHEEKS and bring her home!!

Please pray that she is happy, has an easy transition, and will be able to bond again quickly. It will be very traumatic for her to leave the people who have cared for her.