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.

Today's News

The word from the Rumor queen is that March 6Th is the cut off date. If that's the case, we are in. Hopefully our call will come soon. We are keeping everything crossed that we can, fingers, legs, toes, arms, you get me. If not then we will just wait patiently till next month. I always thought that since we had a date that was at the beginning of the month we would be in or out. Just in the middle, not the cutoff. But it just never goes the way I think it will. I have to say that today is Greg, my brothers Birthday, and he and I had a conversation about this year is going to be a great year for his family and ours. He and Angel are having a little girl in July,and we are due anytime now. As much heartache that Greg and Angel and our family have had wouldn't it be so nice to have two little miracles in the same year join our family. We are definitely due some joy.

Nothing yet

We haven't heard anything yet on the latest rumors. I have heard that things are expected to pick up soon. That really doesn't deal with us too much since we are almost there, but I hope the number of families that recieve babies picks up soon. I know how I have felt not having her home and I pray that the couples that are behind us don't have to wait this long. I'm not sure but I think that our group, in March 2006 has waited longer than anyone else that has adopted from China. I'm not for sure but it looks that way to me. I do pray every night that all the orphans in the world will find a family forever.

News on the adoption

I found out today that referrals went through March 2nd, so that leaves us out. I'm okay with this since this is the way things are going for everyone. My sisters aren't very happy with how slow things are going, but I'm used to things slowing way down every other month. Heck I've been waiting almost three years. So we're hanging in there.

Our dates for all of our paperwork

August 21st 2005 decision to start adoption
August 25Th 2005 1st Seminar with Paul
October 18Th 2005 Paul Shawn and I went to get I71h and fingerprints
November 21st 2005 Our first homestudy
December 20Th 2005 Homestudy went to Immigration officer
January 19Th 2006 Recieved our I71H from official
February 10Th 2006 Dossier sent to China
March 6Th 2006 (LID) Log in Date
March 21st 2007 homestudy update 2ND
July 14Th 2007 update fingerprints and I71h
November 11Th 2008 Homestudy update 3RD
December 9Th 2008 Fingerprints I71h update

Just a little stir in the air.

Today, for the last five years, is the saddest day of the year for me. Those of you that know me also know that it is our babies birthday. So I spent the day at the cemetery and down a little. It's hard for me to put my feelings into words, but I really miss them. That's all I can say. This year is as cold as it was on the day they were born. And the weather man keeps saying how it hasn't been this cold in five years, so it has stirred up some emotions that I usually deal with pretty good. But I have learned through many tears that it's okay to miss them and for one day not want to get up and do all the everyday things. Life for me, stops on this day, and that is okay. Hope is around the corner. Maybe one day soon, I won't get to lay in bed and cry. Maybe I will have someone here to make me get up. My chance to be a mom. So with that said, rumors are that this next months batch is going to be a big one.
Here's how it goes. Every month couples on the waiting list get matched with their children. We have a LID (log in date) of March 6th 2006 and they are 6 days away from us. So we hear, the matching is going on right now. We could be assigned to our daughter. Chances are that it won't be until next month, but I can't help get a little excited. I could hear any day if this is our month. So I will keep an update as the month goes on. We should hear something by the 26th or 27th if it's this month. I guess this could be one of the bitter sweet days that I'm not used too. It's one of the only times that I have read the rumors and had some hope. Usually the rumors are gloom and doom. We could have a picture with in the next 30 days. How exciting!!! Someone is looking down on us and sending us angel kisses. Maybe I'll sleep knowing that for a change.