Good things come to those who wait!!!

We received a referral for a very healthy, baby girl! She was born on August 4, 2011 in the Jiangxi province. We are over the moon! Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement! More to come and pictures soon! :)

Anticipation...

Spent a little time reading through the journals that I started for Emma Grace waaaaaay back in the beginning. Boy, I sure hope my child doesn't judge me too harshly for the sentimentality that oozes from those pages!

I'm feeling pretty cautiously optimistic tonight. Been reading the 'rumor' blogs and many of them point to phone calls starting tomorrow possibly. It's exciting to think that sometime this week we might know what our precious girl looks like!

I'd like to be able to really relax and enjoy this time but it's been anything but enjoyable recently. My head has been full of swirling, whirling chaos lately. I can't concentrate. I can't think straight! My fuse is short. My patience is thin. All I can think about is getting on a plane and flying across the world, making our little family complete, and establishing our own traditions. I can't wait to take our girl to Cedar Key in July, to spend Christmas morning in our own beds and awake to the magic of Santa's visit, to actually celebrate Mother's day this year without tears and longing, for Paul to know the joy of being a father on Father's day. The list is innumerable.

Come on, baby girl, come on! This could be our week!


"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9


"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Come on, baby! Come on...

That it is all.

January 2012

All of the griping, whining, and feeling discouraged- I take it all back! I know I thought the last 60+ months were difficult, but this? This waiting each week to hear from our agency that we've been matched with a sweet baby girl on the other side of the world, THIS is difficult.

Saturday, January 28th at 9:00 pm our time, the CCCAA reopened it's doors since closing on January 23 for the observance of Chinese New Year. Our prayer all day yesterday was that they (the CCCAA) would come back rejuvenated and ready to do some matching! Naturally, we prayed it in church today and naturally, I wept like a baby. I swear that adoption hormones are just as real as pregnancy hormones.

Please just continue to pray for us, for that precious baby so far away and for the folks in China to work quickly and efficiently. Any day now, Lord, any day now. :-)

Guess what's finally sinking in?

Paul and I went to church today- our "home" church (which we haven't been to in a month of Sundays, and that's a story for another day). Aside from the awkwardness that exists when you go some place that used to be home and now you feel like a total stranger, I was overcome by a flood of emotions. I'm usually a bit emotional in church anyway. When the message is right and I'm feeling it in my bones it's not unusual for me to cry a bit. I made it through the service pretty well and returned to my seat after communion and proceeded to pray. I made it through my 'list' of usual prayers and began to ask God to bless and keep our daughter, as I always do, and the tears began to come. It's silly, but she's always been "real" in my heart, but now... now she's REAL. Somewhere in an orphanage there's a baby girl waiting for us to come get her. I guess it's the waiting part that made me teary. For so long we've been waiting for her, and now she's waiting on us. I wonder if God, who placed her in my heart so long ago, has placed us in her heart, too? Does she have a sense of peace and knowing that soon her family is coming to get her? I can't believe what a softie I am (those of you who really know me, know that's really who I am anyway). My eyes are filling up now just thinking about it again.
The conclusion I've come to, based on nothing but my faith, is that He must be watching over her and all the other little babies who have no momma to rock them tonight. For that and the innumerable gifts and blessing He has given us, I am thankful beyond measure. Our God is an awesome God.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

You know what's worse than waiting 5 years?

Waiting 3-6 months! I'm more impatient now than I've ever been. Think about it. Somewhere in China a child has been born and is waiting for all of this paperwork nonsense to be completed so we can bring her home. Amazing. My child has been born. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD! Let the nesting begin, again.

I'm finding it very difficult to concentrate on much of anything else right now. Errant thoughts and questions keep popping into my head. What does she look like? What if she doesn't like us? What if she doesn't sleep? What if she's a picky eater? How many diapers do you need for two weeks? How much formula do you take with you? How long does that last? What's the best way to schlep your kid through international airport after airport? What if she cries the entire flight? What if she doesn't cry? Will she have a good sense of humor?

Glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel...

We received word from our agency that our LID group is the next group to be matched with babies. We are cautiously optimistic at this point. I'm pretty sure I had lost faith that this would actually happen but now that it feels real again I can't wait. Our baby girl may have been born by now or is about to be born! Either way she's real again in my heart! Cross your fingers and pray without ceasing that if she is abandoned she's found quickly and loved and cared for until we can come and get her and bring her home.