AMAZING NEWS!!!!

Got this email this morning...remember, I thought she had been returned to the orphanage (b/c of the pics I got).....PRAISE!!!

Hi Emily!!
Just got word back from our foster care manager. She visited the children
yesterday. HaoHao is indeed still with her foster mom and doing VERY well!
Said her foster Mom is doing a good job!!
So good news!
hugs
Julie

YEAH!!! I can sleep so much better and endure this wait SO much easier knowing she's being loved and doing VERY well!!!! Thank you God!!!!

The Update

I totally forgot to include all the other information that we got on Ashley...I was so amazed we got pictures, all else was fog!! Here's what we learned:

She can walk holding the Nanny's hand, and walks very good in her walker.

She still takes a bottle, (can't wait to give her that!) and is not a picky eater.

She is happy, and active,

She is called "Hao Hao" as a nickname, by her foster family.

She can sit up and crawl, (expected this, but I asked anyway)

I'm having a hard time coming to the reality that I believe they have returned her to the orphanage. When babies are being adopted, it is common practice to take them out of foster care and move them back into the orphanage until their family comes. This is so hard for me. The only family she's known is now not with her anymore, and I'm sure that was a rough transition. I was doing so well knowing she was in a foster home, getting one on one attention, but not so anymore. The reason I believe this is because in these pictures, they tile on the floor is the same as in her referral picture....and that long white balcony is not something an apartment would have. However, we trust in the Lord and and we are begging Him to keep her safe and healthy until we can get there. Speaking of....it's day 41. We are anticipating it being September before we get our approval, and that is what we're asking the Lord to do.

Prayer requests:

That she will be loved and cared for as best as possible

That we'd get our approval in September

Finances: We still have a lot more to raise! We're walking by faith, not sight!!

New Stroller!!

With two little girls just 8 months apart, we were in need of a good, double stroller! I found one at a local consignment sale just like this...the Maclaren double...this is the COOLEST stroller! It has a rain shield, and these little down blankets that attach to cover their feet and legs. I was going to buy it but two really sweet friends went in and got it for us!! It's used, but in perfect shape, the previous owner is a good friend of mine!

I had taken Annalyse to TRU to shop for double strollers, and as she would sit in them, she's pat the other seat and say, "that's Asheee's seat!" So when I brought this one in yesterday, and Avery hopped in next to her...she exclaimed, " NO avey! that's Asheee's seat!!!" She can't wait to have her sister next to her!! What a pair they will be!!

Praying for an Update

After seeing the update that this family got, we decided to try and get an update on our sweet Ashley! Ladybugs N Love is the name of the people who are doing this. For $30 you get a phone call made the to orphanage and they ask measurements, request pictures, and then ask 10 questions that you get to choose. If they don't get anyone, or the orphanage says "No" then you get your money back, so it's a pretty good deal! I emailed them our information and they wrote back and said that their person in China that makes the calls, knows some of the staff at Ashley's orphanage!! yipee!! Although she is in Foster Care (PTL!) she is still part of the orphanages system, and they are the ones that submitted her paperwork for adoption.

Hopefully in 7-10 days, we'll have a update.....please pray we get one and that we get PICTURES!!!!!

great Top 10

Top Things to NOT say to an Adoptive Parent

We know people mean well but some adoptive parents may not appreciate the following:

10. Oh look, she has your husband’s eyes (or smile or whatever)…
No, she really doesn’t. I know that is something you often say when encountering a baby but we are completely aware of the fact that she does not share our DNA. Just tell us she is beautiful - we will happily agree even if we can’t take credit for that.

9. How much did she cost?
Babies do not cost money. Adoptions cost money. And it is rude to ask what an adoption costs even if you phrase it correctly. If you are truly interested, ask for some websites to do some research on your own.

8. Did you meet her real mother?
I am her real mother. I am going to raise her, sit with her when she is sick, cry with her over her first heart break, and pay for college. Her birth mother (or first mother, or biological mother - whatever phrase you prefer) is someone we honor and are thankful to every day for the joy she has given us, but we are her real parents once she is home.

7. I just know you’ll love her like your own.
See above. She is our own daughter and we will love her more than you can know. (Also, our biological children and our adopted daughter are all our REAL children)

.6. You know you’ll get pregnant within a year now.
Yes, we all know our cousin’s secretary’s sister who got pregnant 3 months after adopting. But this doesn’t happen in a statistically significant manner. And you have no idea what kind of fertility struggles someone may have gone through before adopting so it's better not to mention this to couples adopting their first child.

5. Is she yours?
Nope, she’s on loan from the daycare down the street. Just taking her for a test drive to see if we want to keep her.

4. Did you get lots of medical tests done on her? I hear most of those countries only let Americans adopt the really sick babies.
Oh no! We forgot to send in the warranty papers for the money back guarantee! She’s our daughter and if any medical issues arise we will deal with them the same as you would your children.

3. I bet she's smart. I hear "they" have a real gift for academics...
I think she is, but then I'm her mother. (smile here) I don't think, though, that we can make sweeping assumptions about any group, do you?

2. Are you going to tell her she is adopted?
Lady, if she doesn’t figure it out herself at some point, we have bigger problems than her understanding that she is adopted. Adoption is rarely a secret in families in this day and age. It is part of her life story and she will know from day one that she is incredibly loved and came to our family in a special way.

1. Does she speak English? (asked when you're holding a baby)...
Only in private. In public, they speak "baby." [smile here]


Believe it or not, I've gotten almost all of these at some point in the past 18 months!! I'd add one of my own, though...the #1 question I get ALL THE TIME:

Why are you adopting? I thought that was for people who couldn't have children?
Yes, adoption is certainly an option for those who cannot have their own biological children. However, we believe that adoption is not Plan B for creating a family. It's not something just for people who cannot have children, and for those, adoption is not Plan B for them either. We are allowing the Lord to build our family, however He chooses. There is no way we could love Ashley any differently than our other children. They are all gifts from the Lord. Adoption is NOT second best.

One Month Ago Today

Sweet Ashley,
One month ago today we were driving to the beach in Destin, FL. We had our bathing suits on and it was raining! Daddy told the girls to pray that God would make it sunny for us. Avery prayed and then your sweet sister Ally prayed, "Dear God, please make the rain stop and please bring Baby Ashley home soon. Amen."

We had just gotten some breakfast at the Donut Hole (LOVE THIS PLACE!) and we were headed to the beach. Suddenly the rain stopped and the sun started to appear! We told Ally and Avery that God had heard thier prayer! A few moments later, at exactly 9:48am, the cell phone rang and the caller ID said AWAA. Melissa said to mama, "Emily, we have the file of a little girl we think would be perfect for your family. She's 12 months old....." She proceeded to tell us a little about you and daddy had to pull over becasue mama was crying and trying to repeat all that Melissa was saying.

Let me just tell you Ashley, it was a CRAZY day to get that call! We returned to the place we had stayed the night before and quickly glanced at your picture, emailed your information to Dr. Evans, and headed an hour and a half away to Daddy's aunt Paulette's house. We needed all sorts of thing we didn't have at the beach...computer, fax, etc.!! On the drive there we prayed that the Lord would ordain every step we took that day and he certinly did just that.

As we drove we got good feedback about you from our medical team that were reading your information. When we got to Poppy's house, she was so wonderful! She played with your sisters while we went into her guest room and got on our knees before the Lord and prayed that He would give us a clear sign that this was YOU! The emotions of that day were something your daddy and I have rarely experienced! But we knew all along, this was our Ashley Mei!

We are now in day 31 for our wait for China to approve us to bring you home. As we watch the Olympics in your beautiful country, we grow more in love with it everyday. But more than anything, we want to bring you home!! We literally CANNOT WAIT to come and get you! Yesterday on the way to church, I had tears in my eyes looking at the empty seat that will one day, hold your carseat. Our family is definatley not complete without you. We can feel your absence. Your sisters are so so excited. Avery has even asked her friends not to give her birthday presents, and just give her money, so she can come with us to get you...she loves you more than her things, yes she does!!

Hang in there baby girl. We're coming as fast as we can. We know that the Lord has ordained the very moment you are placed in our arms and we are trusting Him for that. We love you...every part of you!

Day 25 (but who's counting?!)

WE ARE!

We're on Day 25 waiting for our LOA. The average is 50-70 so we're (hopefully) about half way there. It's going to be a busy month with school starting back and all that comes with it...so I think it will go quickly. We continue to pray it comes by mid September. Assuming it does, we'll travel in November.

Can it be November today?