PICTURES!!!

Oh my goodness, this morning I got an email from Ann at Red Thread China that had pictures of Shi Lin attached!!! I had no idea she'd be able to get pictures to us so soon! When I realized there were pictures attached, I burst into happy tears. I already had a few pictures of her, but they were not current, not very clear, and didn't really show me what her life is like. But these new ones affirm to me that she is very well taken care of, something I've prayed so hard about. And Shi Lin is absolutely adorable! I don't know if her foster mother knows how much joy she brought to me when she took pictures of her with ponytails! It's just how I always imagined her! Actually, she's even cuter than I imagined!

With her foster mother, whom I am so grateful to for taking such good care of my little empress:

My favorite shot. The very first one at the top was cropped in from this one. Isn't she the most adorable little girl you've ever seen?! I can't wait to kiss those cheeks!

Care Package

On Tuesday we ordered a care package from http://www.redthreadchina.com/ to be sent to our little Shi Lin. Red Thread China is a company in China run by a lady named Ann that specializes in sending care packages to children waiting to be adopted. We ordered a package that included pajamas, a doll, and a blanket for our little ladybug. With the package, we could email Ann a letter to Shi Lin, which Ann translated into Chinese for us so her foster mother can read it to her, and a list of questions for the foster mother about our daughter. There was also a camera, so she can take pictures of her in her daily activities, and candy for the foster mother and any foster children or friends of our daughter. To this care package we added a photo album. I photoshoped Chinese captions onto photos of us and emailed them to Ann, and he printed them out and put them in the photo album for us.

I received an email today with attached photos of the actual package that will be delivered to Shi Lin. I was so excited to get this email! Our first contact with our daughter! The email said that she should receive the package in a few days. The thought of Shi Lin seeing pictures of us and knowing we are her family just brings me so much joy! I wonder what she will think of it all!

According to what I've heard from others who have used Red Thread China, after the pictures were taken, Ann got the camera back and emailed the pictures to the parents. I'm hoping we'll get to see some updated pictures of our little girl soon!

Bitty Baby

Today I ordered a doll to bring to Hannah when we go to China. I'm so excited about this doll because it's an American Girl Bitty Baby doll! I have loved the American Girl dolls since I was 12 or 13, but never got to get one of my own. I'm so thrilled to be able to get one for my daughter! I ordered the Asian one with "almond-shaped" eyes. It's so adorable! I hope Hannah loves it as much as I do!

Preparing to Post from China

In just a few short months we'll be in China, and we're scrambling to get things ready for our little empress to come home with us.  One thing I've thought about is that I'd like to be able to post little updates on this blog while we're there.  I've heard that in some places in China Blogger is blocked, or is in Chinese, but I found out you can post via email.  I'm so glad to learn this is possible!  So this post is a test to see if it works for me.

I'm Special

I found this poem on the blog of a new online friend who is also waiting for her dear little daughter from China. Her daughter, like ours, has microtia, and this poem is so appropriate for our precious girls:

I'm Special

On my way from Heaven,
God delayed my trip that day.
He said that I was special,
and then sent me on my way.
But not before he kissed me,
Right upon my ear
He left his blessed mark
to carry with me here.
He whispered in my ear right then,
that He loved me without doubt,
and then He closed my ear up tight,
so the whisper won't get out.
He told me both my legs were strong
and would help me stand up tall.
He told me both my arms would work
to catch me if I fall.
My eyes would catch my memories
to store within the pages of my mind,
My heart would fill with all the things I would love,
so many things, I would find.
He told me I could fall asleep
to my Daddy's bedtime tales,
and listen while my Mother sings
of seas and boats with sails.
One ear, He told me, could hear the sounds
that little birdies make.
The other ear was His gift to me,
a blessing for my sake.
For when I'm feeling sad, He said,
my other ear would hear,
His whispered words of eternal love,
left waiting for me there.

(Author Unknown)

Our Darling Daughter

I thought that we had to wait until our LSC was signed and back in China before we could post pictures of Shi Lin (Hannah's Chinese name), but I found out we can post them now! I've been waiting since August to do this!

This is the first photo I saw of Shi Lin when I got the informational documents on her:


In the next to photos, she was about 18 months:

This photo shows a close-up of her ear. She has what is called "microtia," which is an ear deformity. I struggled over whether to post this one, because I don't want people thinking of her only as a child with a deformity, because she is much more than that. Then I realized I don't want people to be uncomfortable around her, so I want everyone to see her ear, get that part out of the way, and then when they see her in person, her ear won't really be an issue, and they can concentrate on getting to know the amazing little person I know she is.

Needless to say, I think Shi Lin is the most beautiful little girl I've ever laid eyes on, and can't wait to hold her in my arms. From what we read about her, she is quiet and shy (like her Mommy) and loves to be held. Aside from the information we have about her, I have strong feelings that come from God, I believe, that she has a sweet spirit, that she will fit in so well with our family and that things will go pretty smoothly for us.

We are told that we can now send Shi Lin care packages! I can't wait to do this! We can send photos of us that are labeled with who we are, so she can start to get familiar with us. In the care package we can also include gifts. I'm so glad she is old enough to understand the idea that she has a family now and see pictures of us, and know we are her family.

I already have four large plastic storage boxes full of clothes for Shi Lin, ranging from sizes 3 to 5, so something has to fit her! I recently bought a couple of nightgowns for her which I will probably bring with me to China. Now I've got to get socks and some other miscellaneous things. I'll probably bring a couple of outfits, but not really knowing her true size, we'll buy a few outfits for her while we're in China, when we have a better idea of what will fit her. I can't wait to see her in cute little girl's clothes!

We ask for continued prayer for Shi Lin, for her safety and care until we can go and get her within the next 2 or 3 months.

LSC!!!

I just got a call from our agency that our Letter Seeking Confirmation, or LSC, has arrived in their office! What this means is that China has officially approved our adoption of Hannah! The paperwork will be overnighted to us, we'll send it to the Amercian Consulate, then they'll process it and send it back to the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs). Once they receive it, they'll notify our daughter's foster mother that she has a family and we'll be able to start sending photos and gifts to our little Shi-Lin (Hannah's Chinese name). I'll also be able to get more photos of her and post them online for all to see!

This news would make my day on any day, but particularly on this day. Miles woke up early this morning with some kind of stomach bug and has had diarrhea and been throwing up most of the the day today, so the phone call I got from Great Wall was such a welcome surprise!

It looks like it will probably be late March or early to Mid April when we travel! We'll know for sure our travel date in 1 or 2 months from now!