New Travel Date

Our adoption agency called today and asked us if we could leave on April 29Th, and of course we can leave a week earlier than expected. We are totally on board with leaving earlier. It seems that the other couple that we are traveling with has something else going on during the 3rd weed of May so we might get to travel earlier. We haven't finalized our travel so it's in the works. If we leave a week earlier then the expected return date is May 13th. Paul and I have been looking at the flights to China, and we think we will be in route for 20 plus hours. So who knows what exact day we will get back but we will let you know as soon as we do. I think our travel will be finialized by Tuesday of next week. I'm so excited!!!!!!

Travel Arrangements!!!!!

I have to say that I'm surprised that they have come so quickly. Some have waited awhile before they received them. But here they are.

Travel Dates: 5/6-5/20
Gotcha Day: 5/10 or 5/11
Consulate Appointment Date: 5/18

Gotcha day is the day that we get to meet and hold Lily for the first time. And I guess everyone can see that it might be Mother's Day, or the day after. How sweet it will be to finally get to meet her on that special day that has been one of the hardest days for me. God sure has a way of working things out in his own time. Even if we don't meet her until that Monday, it will be before my birthday. So it's final we are getting to go to China. I'm sure that everyone but me has believed that, I guess that until I see her face in my eyes it will be just a dream.

So we will take our notebook computer with us to keep everyone updated. Just to let everyone know, we won't be taking our phones because of the long distance charges to it if anyone calls them. We will do everything by Internet. It seems that some of the couples that have traveled have had a hard time with the translation at the hotels in Province, so if you don't here from us for awhile we will update as soon as we can. But we do need to focus on Lily and making her first hours and days with us as peaceful and calm as we can so she will start her attachment process. There are different things that may help or hurt that process, so we need to address it as soon as we get her. Different people have told me how she will feel the love and warmth that we are going to give her, but that is not always the case. Most of the people that are reading this have children and can imagine that at 14 months old leaving their baby with a perfect stranger. That is how she will feel. So even with all of the love that we already have for her, she is still going to be mourning her Foster Mother, and care givers. So as I'm writing in China, please remember that she is going to be sad, scared and heartbroken. I'm probably not going to write on that much. I think that some of that is going to be painful, and hard reading for people that don't understand what is going on with this little girl, but please keep Lily in your prayers as we travel.

The Nursery

After much deliberation and plenty of tears, Paul and I decided to go with lavender and cream in the baby's room. So I finally bought and painted her room today. And I can't wait to put a picture of it on this blog for everyone to see it. I have to say I picked a beautiful color for the room. It is darker than I expected but it looks beautiful. I hope that lily loves it. She will only know when she reads this and not before, that it has been one of the hardest decisions that I have made in awhile. I just want it to be perfect for her. Lily has had a hard year even if she doesn't know it, but I do. I want her to have a room, that she has all to her self and doesn't have to share with anyone else, to be a place that will change the way she wakes up every morning. I want the first thing she sees to be something that is calming and warm. I can only hope that she feels this way now, but who knows. Lily should get to sleep in a room that makes her feel like she's at home with Mommy and Daddy. Someplace that she never wants to leave. I think after she gets home it's our job as parents to make her feel loved, secure and safe, but who doesn't love to wake up in a beautiful room? So the next step is to get some furniture. To be continued.

One week later!

I have been getting some e-mails requesting more posts while we wait. I've had midterms this week so it's been a bunch of studying and not much blogging. So just to update everyone, our acceptance of Lily and all of the other families that are in our group are back in China. We had until last Friday to turn them in, of course ours was received first by our agency. I don't know if it's the competitive side in me but I called to ask if anyone else beat us. My coordinator laughed at me and ask me if I was serious. Of course I was, but I just ask if we were the first to turn our confirmation of acceptance in. She assured me that no one else turned theirs in less than one week of receiving it. So we came in first. We were so fortunate to have Burt's dad look at the medical information so quickly, and we didn't have to wait for his report. So the clock is ticking for our travel arrangements. I have been shopping for furniture, and looking at some clothes, and looking at paint for the nursery, trying to figure out what I want to do with the room. I feel so pressured. It's only been 3 years in the making. One would think that I could have more time to plan. It's really starting to sink in because I don't have to dream anymore. I need to just do the room. But I can't make up my mind on the bed room suite. Do I want to get a bed for us to sleep in, meaning Lily and I? Or should I hold off because it will take up so much floor space with the crib and the bed. Do I want to do her room in Lily's or pink and green. Now Karen suggested yellow, so I started thinking about yellow. Thanks Aunt Karen. I'm not a decorator at all. If you have ever been to my house it looks like a man decorated with suggestions from females. That's what happened, people suggested that I do things, so I did them. Not very feminine when it comes to that. But I would like for Lily's room to be feminine. She is so cute that I want her to have a cute room. So it will be interesting to see how it turns out. I going to try to stay away from brown, although I do like it with pink. So if anyone finds a picture of a nursery that is already decorated and all I have to do is order it, e-mail it to me. Or if you have a suggestion, feel free to e-mail me that. This is really out of my league. Plus, I would like it to be the cutest nursery ever. So we are just waiting for our travel arrangements. Patiently? Not so much, my coordinator is getting calls daily from Lily's Mother wanting to know what is up. As soon as we hear anything I will post it. I'm thinking that we will hear something in about 2 weeks. Until then thanks for all the prayers that are going up for Lily. I've heard that my nephew Carson is praying for her, how sweet. I know that Kaelin, my granddaughter is. She has a picture of Lily in her photo album, points to it and says ilwee. Wonder how she will handle it when she meets her? We can't wait to finally hold that face in our hands and put smiles on it.

Jiangxi Province, Tonggu County

Jiangxi Province is considered to be southeastern China. Tonggu County is north of Yichun City, due west of the capital city of Nanchang, very near the border to Hunan Province. It is a small and rural county of 150,000 people under the jurisdiction of Yichun City. The county encompasses a small urban area, known as Yongning Town, and much rural farmland and mountains. The urban area of Yongning contains several schools, a hospital, a sprawling market, two hotels, the as yet unfinished SWI, the West Lake Square and many apartment buildings within its boundaries. The Ding Jiang (Ding River) runs directly through town. The town is nestled in the mountains and is very picturesque. The rural area includes vegetable farms, expansive rice paddies, bamboo forests and is home to many, many water buffalo. Tonggu consists of 80% minority peoples, with only 20% of the residents from the Han ethnic majority. These minority peoples are primarily of the Hakka descent. The Hakka never bound the feet of their girls and women, so we are highly impressed with their culture!

UPDATED PHOTO'S of LILY

We have new pictures!!!! March 13th 2009
These are the new pictures that we recieved today. As of March 13th, She is now a wopping 5.8 kg, which means she's not even 13 pounds. She is 24 inches tall. She's so tiny. We are so thankful that we recieved this update. Some people don't get them. And so fast. In 2 weeks we have been so blessed with all of these pictures. Six pictures to go in our baby album. I think it's starting to hit me finally, I just might meet her soon. Not soon enough, but soon. She is so precious. I really feel sorry for all the other people adopting from China. The cutest baby there is coming home with us. Just look at those cheeks.

FTIA received our Referral Acceptance of Lily

Today we received an e-mail stating that FTIA received our referral acceptance paperwork for Lily. FTIA will send our forms to the CCAA and then we will get a date to see the the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou,China. It usually takes about six to eight weeks for the families to travel to China after we submit our Referral Acceptances to the CCAA. Typically, it takes about three to five weeks for the CCAA to issue the Final Travel Approval. As soon as we receive it, FTIA will start making appointments with the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, the Chinese officials in the province and the orphanage. So we probably won't here anything about when we are leaving for about 3 at the least and 5 at the most weeks. We hope to be leaving at the end of April.
A special thanks for all of the kind gestures and kind words that everyone has posted, said in person, e-mailed to us. We are very excited and are very happy to see that so many of you are too. Maw-maw Joyce and Paw-paw Jim have printed out grand baby's picture and e-mailed it to Joyce's family. And after hearing it and seeing it time and time again, I'm on board with thinking that the matching room used Daddy's picture to match us. How sweet. Thank you for everything you have done to make this journey so special to us, we have an amazing family and friends.

Lily

Today we went to Reese, your cousin's first Birthday party. Aunt Jill has been very worried about how hard it would be for your daddy and I to celebrate their daughters first birthday with her and not with you on your birthday. Aunt Jill has been so considerate with you and Reese being so close in age, and you not being here. We just tried to embrace the moment and wait for the day you will be home with us. We received gifts for you. How sweet to have family and friends think enough about us to get you a present. Grandma Willett gave us a bunch of clothes for you and a very nice card. Grandma is so full of excitement that she can hardly control herself. I can't wait till you meet her. She is a special lady with more energy than your mother and father put together. Your Aunt Jill's sister-in -law, Kim, who is a very sweet and thoughtful person gave us a magnet that will be soon filled with you picture, and put on our refrigerator. She didn't even know that our fridge is full of pictures of all the children that I love and adore, and now you have your own place, even on the fridge. We also went to dinner with friends of ours and talked about you all night. Adam and Heather have a little girl named Onnika that you will come to know that is one also. We just took turns talking about our daughter. It was so nice just to be able to say my daughter, and know what she looked like.

March 6Th 2009

On this date three years ago, March 6Th, 2006 Paul and I started our long wait for Lily. March 6TH 2006 was our Log in Date. Things are so different on March 6Th, 2009. We sent Lily's Confirmation of Acceptance today. I just returned from the UPS store where I sent back all the paperwork that says we want to adopt her, back to FTIA. I think that is crazy, I tried very hard to get the paperwork done yesterday so that I could get it in the mail, but our printer kept messing up. I had to wait until Paul came home from work because I have no idea what I'm doing on the computer. So by the time he printed everything out it was too late to get it in the mail. So as it turns out we sent our paperwork out on March 6Th. I really didn't plan it but I think God had something to do with the timing. Lily is a true blessing for us from God and our happiness couldn't be possible without him. We are so grateful.

We are still busy with all the paper work!!! Whatever!!

So I don't think I will post everyday but for Lily, so she can read this when she get old enough, I will try to keep writing as long as I have things to talk about. First off I have to say I can't believe I have passed all my tests this week. It has been really hard to concentrate but somehow I keep doing okay. I told my instructor today that there was noway that I could pass, but in the end I did. I might get used to the not studying with all my concentration directed on it. How can I study when I have Lily's picture over top the notes. Making sure I didn't miss any part on her body. Memorizing each and every inch that I can see. When I haven't been studying I have been crying some pretty serious tears reading all the comments on the blog. You guys have no idea how much these mean to us, and someday will to her. I think having people express how we are feeling now is going to help when she gets older and looks back on how all this came about. She surely won't ever know the pain that we have endured to get her because she will only see that she is ultimately the daughter that we were always supposed to love and raise. She is my missing piece, and I hope that I am Lily's. Anyway please post as much as you want, I promise she will have them all put in her life book. By the way I love the life books that my Mom and Karen gave me for Christmas 2 years ago. I can't decide which one I will let her have. I love them both so much, but she needs to be able to look at one of them while she's little. I'm torn. We are finishing up with the paperwork to send back to our adoption agency, to confirm our acceptance of Lily,and get our Visa's. It really is crazy, I thought the paperwork was over. I think it just started, and I'm not very organized, Paul has to help me with what he does best, computer stuff and gathering information. I just don't have that in me. It's sad. I'm really stressed over it, or could it be that Lily's waiting for me???

Today we recieved Lily's offical Documents!!

Just to let everyone know Lily is perfect in every way. We took her medical records to Mr. Adams, Burt's dad, who looked over all of her records very carefully. Mr. Adams said she had a very good report. He was so nice to do this for us, and so thorough about it. Tracy offered to ask him to look at them for us and he let us come over right away. Like within the hour. How amazing is that. So we are working very hard to get all of our paper work done for our Visa's and Acceptance paper work, and the list goes on. I'm so done with paper work. Ready to go get her. She is just waiting for me and here i am doing paperwork. What is up with that? My niece Reese's Birthday is today, how sweet to have Lily's one day before hers. Who would have thought that while Jill was having Reese, Lily was just born. I do believe they will have a blast when they meet. I did find out that one part of her name Meng means lemon, what? Paul said they probably named her that because she looks like a sour pus. That's Paul for you. You just have to know how he expresses himself. We are just full of joy and happiness over here. It's ridiculous at the Raisor's.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Here is my Birthday wish for you Lily!!! Your One today
I hope that someone is making you feel special today! You are already so loved by Mommy and Daddy. We can't wait to meet you and hug and kiss you. We will make all your birthdays very special and you will never be away from us again on your birthday. What a blessing to have your picture on this bitter sweet day. It is sad that I have to write in your blog to wish you a happy birthday, but so wonderful that I at least know it's your birthday and I can look at your picture and wonder what your doing!! Did you get your favorite snack, or a new toy? You have all kinds of love and prayers coming your way. I hope you can feel them. God blessed you with a very loving and extraordinary family and I can't wait for you to meet them. It's as if the entire family is going to have a new baby. Paw-paw and grandma have already printed your pictures out and put them up with the rest of the grand kids. Aunt Jill and Aunt Karen are over the clouds happy with just a picture. I can't imagine when they see you. Your Uncle Joe has offered to babysit, and insisted that he be the first. I think that everyone that your Aunt Laurie knows has heard about you and are getting ready to see your picture weather they want to or not. You have melted our hearts and everyone that we know. Mommy and Daddy love you so much it hurts. My life has not been the same since I first laid my tearful eyes on you. Happy Birthday sweet LILY!!!!

Here is our Beautiful Baby Girl LILY

Tong Min Meng Is her Chinese name

This information is as of October 8th 2008
we will be getting an updated photograph and information soon!!

We are naming her Lily Jiang

Her birthday is March 3rd 2008. Tomorrow!!!

Her county is Tong Gu

Her Provence is Jiang XI

as of October 8Th she had the following measurements
60 cm long 23 1/2 inches
5.5 kilograms in weight (12 pounds)
40 cm head circumference
38 cm chest circumference
no teeth
She has been in foster care
moderate sleeper
she can roll over, locate sound or voices,
she knows her name
she can hold blocks in both hands,
she listens to music, and plays with toys,
she smiles but is impatient, so I we are sure she will
fit in well with us.

I hate it that we are missing her Birthday but we will soon be able to spend the rest with her. We are so excited to finally see her, and now we are ready to go. I can't even explain the feelings that I'm having now. They are beyond words. Thanks to everyone that has helped me in this process. Listening to me cry all this time has helped me stay focused. I have wonderful family and friends. Thanks for everything you have done for us. We love you and our daughter. Can't wait to meet her.