Sophies first check up....passed w/flying colors!

Well we took Sophie to see the Dr for the first time here in America today, and it went great! She is in the 50% for weight and 75% for height, and right on track developmentally!
We did have to consult him a/b her sleep...or I should say her not sleeping issues....and I can't believe it, but the plan he set for her actually worked last night and for the first time in 20+days our sweet girl slept through the night..PRAISE GOD!!!! Its the first nt J and I slept more than an hour straight too in 20+days too!!!!! As you can imagine, I'm FINALLY feeling a bit more "me" this morning having actually slept!
Sophie is adjusting soooo wonderfully...it's really so true what they say....This child was specifically chosen for us to fit us precisely....it is the most amazing thing ever....
Charlie is also playing the big brother role effortlessly as we knew he would! He adores his baby sister and is so attentive to her...it brings tears to my eyes to watch a dream I've dreamed for so long come to life right before my eyes....to see my TWO precious children together...it's priceless!
Thankyou again and again to all you out there that have supported us and loved us and prayed for us...all of you mean the world to us and we could not have gotten through this journey w/o a single one of you!
Love Amy

Taking it one day at a time..Sophie's road to adjustment!

Trying to adjust....

So being home is oh so wonderful..no words can describe how it feels after being gone for 18 days in a place I did not enjoy too much. I feel a bit of guilt admitting that openly...but all who know me well, know I'm pretty straight forward and honest....no disrespect to Ch*na....I will forever be grateful to the country that gave me my daughter...I will forever teach and cherish that country to Sophia for her sake and background...BUT..I never desire to go there again...
I don't think anyone can quite prepare one for that journey...maybe I thought too highly of what that trip would be..or maybe I pictured it being more of a vacation w/a bonus of getting our precious baby girl...maybe I underestimated how stressful it would be having Charlie w/us(but I could never have left him for 18 days..so no regrets there), but I was not a happy camper over there...I never adjusted or enjoyed it....granted, the last week in Guangzhou was MUCH better and I did enjoy our first few days in Hong Kong...but pretty much I was very homesick and so out of my element....I learned a lot a/b myself..and the #1 thing that was very clear, was how much of a homebody I am..and Charlie too..although he was a champ and I think did better than ANY of us actually..LOL!

So anyway..it is what it is..it was, what it was...and I'm so thankful I can put that behind us and move forward w/my precious family of four! I have waited almost four yrs to exp this and I am determined to stay postive and keep my chin up and enjoy this exp home now, even though I've never been more sleep deprived or out of it ever before....
Charlie was sick throwing up all morning yesterday and then slept 10hrs during the day...by evening he was totally better(Thankyou God)but wired....
Sophie is still not quite adjusting to our time....she is going to bed between 7 and 8pm like in China..but she is waking a lot more and crying than she did in China...

I need to post a giantic praise to my sweet husband...he has been letting me sleep from 8pm to 2am(when she wakes for a bottle)...he has been the best partner/husband ever and I thank God for him soooooo much....
J I love you so much and have never been prouder to be your wife..your partner in life...I don't know how I would have survived Ch*na w/o you..thankyou, thankyou, thankyou..I love you more than you'll ever know!

So okay...This morning C, S and I have been up since 4:30am...we already ate , watched too much TV and took an hour bike/stroller ride around the neighborhood at 6am! It's now 7:30am and S is sleeping still in the stroller and C is still going strong...I've had so much coffee my hands are shaking..LOL!
I need to thank so many people and I promise I WILL eventually get cards out...but I do need time....wow..see..even control freak, "type A" Amy is able to change...LOL... I have learned so much through the last four yrs of my life and esp while in ch*na and the best thing I've learning so far is that it's ok to not do everything perfect...it's ok to not be organized...it's okay to live in your house where it looks like a bomb went off and just let it go..it's okay to not sleep like you want and still smile through it..it's okay to walk in day light in my neighborhood where people who know me live w/no makeup..a face broken out to the high heavens b/c of the yucky water in China..w/pJ's on, no bra, a jacket that does not match and my hair not combed...LOL...ok..I know all who know me well are LOL rt now b/c the old Amy..the "pre-ch*na" Amy would not have been caught dead doing that...!!!!!Again..see, change is possible!
So thankyou really quickly to all who greeted us at the airport..I will never forget turning that corner and seeing so many who love us and support us here in Cbus...It meant more to me than you'll ever know
Thankyou to my wonderful girlfriends who have treated me so wonderfully, cleaned my house...arranged meals for over a month and made me feel so welcome home..I will forever cherish all of you and all you've done for me.
OK..well S is up now...
Thankyou for all who are praying for us...I could not have survived Ch*na w/o all your prayers and support...I've never felt the Lord w/me more than I did while over there and I know that's why!
If you could all keep S in your prayers still that she continues to adjust and trust that we love her and will never leave her!
Love to ya'll
Amy

We are Home!!!!!!

Hooray!!!!! We are home...words I've been waiting 18 days to say!!!
We are so jetlagged and have been up since 4am today...BUT..we are soooooooo happy to be here in our home sweet home!
Sophia did NOT do well last night...although she has transitioned onto our time zone here...she woke up every couple hrs crying....so Jeff and I have not slept in two days..UGH...Hopefully she will get used our house soon and sleep better again!
We will post more new pic's now that we are home when we have a moment...(which may not happen for a bit..LOL)!!!!!

Last Post from home before we go!

Ok..so remember after this post I will be posting on our shutterf*y account above. All you have to do is click on the link at the top of our blog under our title that says: Click here to see photos of our china trip.
So I cant believe the next time I write on here we will be across the world in Ch*na!
I have such mixed emotions rt now...I'm still feeling pretty calm, as far as not worrying..but I expect all will change once we board that plane!

I'm asking for prayers for our Charlie boy...I think he is really anxious a/b having Sophie enter our family...sharing the attention, and sharing me most of all. I can tell it's already effecting him a bit before we leave, so please pray for his little heart to stay calm and to embrace this journey.

So..that's it...packing's done..papers done...house clean..laundry done..fridge cleaned out..electronics charged and packed..now we just need the morning to come!

Talk to you all in China!

Sophie, here we come for real this time! Love you more than you'll ever know!

Our Trip day by day...

7/29(Wendesday)leave U.S. around lunch time....

7/30 arrive in Hong Kong that night..and go to sleep!

7/31 Free day to hang...possibly take Charlie to Disney World in Hong Kong!!

8/1 Meet rest of group and go on prepaid Hong Kong tour

8/2 GOTCHA DAY...the day we get our Sophie Su Ruth...we will leave Hong Kong in the morning on this day(this will be your Sat night while you all are sleeping back here in USA)we will fly to her city in Nanchang and arrive there at lunch time...we will get Sophie a couple hours later this day..OMG...I can't believe this is going to happen...just cant believe it!)

8/3 Lots of paper work for Sophie...but later that day a shopping trip...YEA for shopping..China here I come!!

8/4 free day...do what you want...(shopping anyone???...)

8/5 again..rest day..and waiting on more paper work for Sophie

8/6 we will get Sophie's adoption registration papers back this day

8/7 we will get her passport back today

8/8 we will say goodbye w/a heavy heart to the city that houses the woman that gave us the most precious gift that can be given..our daughter..leaving Nanchang and going on to Guangzhou where the U.S. Embassy is.

8/9 free day..check into the fabulous White Swan Hotel and maybe some more shopping??

8/10 Sophia will get her physical done for her visa and her passport photo taken

8/11 Meeting w/our guides..lots more paper work to do..Praise God that Grandy, Poppie, and Gramma Jean will be w/us to hang out w/Charlie and Sophie during this long day of paperwork!

8/12 Our Consulate Appointment

8/13 We will go to the U.S.Consulate and take our oath today..an oath that will promise that we will love and care for Sophie until the day we leave this earth and forevermore after that !!!!

8/14 Surely feeling homesick at this point, this will be our last day in Guangzhou..we leave this afternoon to go back to Hong Kong so we can catch our flight early the next day

8/15 Homebound!!!! Our flight leaves Hong Kong in morning and we will arrive home Saturday afternoon at 4:25pm....with a baby!!!!!!!!

To my Sweet Sophie Su Ruth....

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into a life
But those who make their journey home to us,
across time and many miles,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed amoung us by God's very own hands
-Author unknown

Info a/b our new travel site while in Ch*na only...

Ok..so I'm worried that I may not be able to access my blog in Ch*na and when trying to upload my blog from my email(thanks to computer savy G..)it would only allow me to upload 2 pic's at a time..
So..having said all that..I've created a travel wesite at shutterfly. You can look above this post to find that link, (thanks to my other computer savy friend M who put the link right up at the top there!)So you can just click on that and it will take you to our shutterfly site.
Hopefully this will work and we will be able to post to you all each day..starting Wendesday....OMG...4 days to go!!!!!

Testing.....

testing to see if I can email my blog in china.....????

Five days China bound...(well not counting today...LOL!)

OK...feeling so overwhelmed..yet still so excited at the same time...I can not believe that in five days we are jumping on a plane to FINALLY bring our baby girl home..home to us her forever family...home to us where she has always belonged and has been destined to come to...
This journey has been absolutely incredible to say the least. I have so many friends out there in "blogland", and one sweet girl at our church still waiting..and I know their pain so well right now..BUT..I can say..(and even before going to china)this journey is so worth it..and all my pain from that looooong wait literally disappeared the day we opened up that email and saw our sweet Sophie's face. I would wait a lifetime again if I had to to see how God matched us perfectly w/that baby girl! So hang in there Darlene and all you others out there waiting..dont' ever doubt that this is not God's plan for you...you WILL be rewarded Greatly from Him I promise!!!

OK..so anyway..I'm stressed....not a/b going per say..just this past wk of preparing to go...getting tic's booked...getting hotels booked...downloading and reading more and more papers...having to mail certifed checks off...collecting the rest of the $....packing and more packing..preparing my house to leave...making list's and checking them twice....AHHH!!!! (do you feel me?)
I do need to give a BIG shout out of praise to my wonderful Aunt Evie...THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU for hanging in there and helping us book everything to get our girl. I know that day was not fun w/you spent in front of a computer all day working this all out..we will be forever grateful to you!!! Now the next tic you book, or route you chose to travel needs to be here next month to meet Sophie Su Ruth! Love you Aunt Evie xoxoxo
So off to finish my check lists!

Sophie Su...we are right around the corner now!!!!

Tickets Booked...8 days till take off!!!!

We did it...or I should say my fabulous Aunt Evie did it for us!!! We are booked to leave next Wendesday and then will be coming home Saturday the 15th of August! And we got some extra perks booking it through Northwest's adoption agency!!!
Oh sophie...the countdown has offically begun....!!!!

OMG it's official..we leave in 9 days!!!!!!

Great news! Today we received your Consulate appointment confirmation!


Your group’s Consulate appointment is confirmed for 8/12/2009.

Based on this Consulate appointment date, CCAI requires that you arrive in HONG KONG on, or before, 7/31/2009.

CCAI will provide an airport pick-up for anyone arriving on 7/31, your group’s arrival date. (CCAI will be arranging a 1-day Hong Kong tour on 8/1).

Your group will fly to Nanchang on Sunday, August 2nd. CCAI will arrange the group’s in-China flights and hotels - details will follow in your Final Travel Packet.

Your group will take the oath on the afternoon of 8/13/2009.

Wow...It's official...we were granted our consulate appt and we leave next Wendesday!!! I've never felt "butterflies" in my stomach as I do right now!!!!
Sophie Su we're coming to get you!!!!

We got our Travel Approval..YEA!!!!!!!!!!!

CCAI TRAVEL WEB UPDATE 7/17/2009



Wonderful news! We received a Travel Approval for your family! With the arrival of Travel Approvals today, we have requested Consulate appointments hoping for your family to travel to China during the last week of July! We’re very excited for each family!!! Please note that this estimate to travel will only be confirmed once we receive confirmed Consulate appointments. We have faxed the U.S. Consulate - Guangzhou requesting appointments for the families who have adequate immigration approval today.

wow..this is really happening! This above was emailed to us on this past Friday! I am so overcome with joy that in 10 days we will be on a jet plane going to get our baby girl!!!! OMG...I just can't believe it!

Updated photo of our Sophie Su!

Well..the long awaited update and photo we've waited 3 wks for came yesterday! this photo was taken on June 26th. Our poor sweet baby girl had heat rash pretty bad all over her little body at the time of this photo, so she is covered in the red rash w/little bumpies, and one of her eyes was swollen a bit due to the rash being above it, and it was quite upsetting initially for me to see(but Thankyou to my friend Georgette for turning the photo into black and white for us to cover up her pink rashy cheeks more!!)
...the mama bear in me just wanted to jump on ANY plane quite frankly and rush over there to rescue my poor girl and fix her up...BUT..after talking to Grandy..(aka my mom)..she and her Doctor friends at work all looked at the pic and said she would be just fine...AND the update reported that as of today, her heat rash is gone and she if fine..but still..so hard to see! AND..see those tears in her precious eyes?..UGH..just rips my heart out...but as her daddy says..only a couple wks left and we will FOREVER be there to wipe the rest away.
The report was too simple and disappointing as far as I'm concerned..there really was not much info there...

She at 6months old is: 17.6 lbs, 26.3 in long, and head and chest c are 16.5in..
and look at this..I pulled Charlie's developmental records out and here were his at the same age of 6mos: 16.9 lbs, 26.5 in long, and head and chest c are 16.5in...

WOW!!! She really is my child isn't she(esp w/all that hair..does she have good hair or what!..just like her mama again..hahah!!!!!) LOL!!!!!!!

The report also states that she has been there at the Social Welfare Inst since she was born on Nov 26th...and that she sleeps on her own in a crib...(which will prob change soon..I can't imagine leaving her in a crib down the hall!!!)
And as we can see in those sweet chunky cheeks she is obviously being fed and well cared for...
As much as we hoped she was in a foster home..according to many veterans in the adoption world..these reports are not always completly accurate as far as where the girls go during the day or night so it does not necessarily mean she was not in foster care..or that there is not a nanny there that is souly w/her...but reguardless, she's ours..which means shes a survivor, and we know and have faith she is just fine, AND...we'll be there shortly!

And at the end of the day, all that we've really prayed for and all that matters... is that someone out there, across the world right now, is loving on her and feeding her and holding her...and from the other reports on Monday that we got that stated she likes grabbing for her nannies food while the nanny is eating, and she likes to be held a lot, and she likes "bustling a/b the market place"...it sounds to me that she is getting the attention she needs until we get there!

Oh Sophie Su Ruth...the love we have for you has grown beyond any words can describe...I just can NOT wait to kiss those sweet cheeks of yours!!!
Love Mommy xoxoxo

Some News....

Our agency called today and said they have two travel plans for us..it will be one of these two plans:

PLAN A: leave here and fly to Hong Kong Thursday, July 30th and return home, Thursday August 13th...

OR..

PLAN B: leave here and fly to Hong Kong Thursday, August 6th and return home, Thursday August 20th!

OMG..I can't believe this is actually going to happen!!!!
Of course we are praying for Plan A just b/c we want to go get her ASAP..but we are okay w/Plan B too, and it will still give our Charlie boy a good wk home to get situated before starting first grade!!!

We want our sweet baby girl home NOW!!!

Today I sit here full of so much love for you my sweet baby girl.

Waiting for you has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. You are 7 months old right now, but to me that is just 7 months too long w/o us, your forever family.

I have an ache in my heart that is always there, it's constant, and I know it won't go away until the day they place you in my arms.

We received your shot records and a formal developmental report this week filled w/tidbits of info on you!

Here are a few things it read:
.."she can stand upright w/support under her arms"
.."when pulling her wrists lightly, she can sit up"
.."She can bounce on an adults legs while being supported under her arms"
.."she can sit steadily when leaning against the wall or w/her back supported"
.."she often giggles loudly" (oh how I love this one!)
.."her baby sounds consist of "yiyiyaya"
.."she knows her name and responds to Su or SuSu"
.."she enjoys bathtime and giggles throughout bathtime" (again, love this one)
.."she wants to be held often"(Oh I'll never put her down!)
.."..is very energetic..fairly open..and lively personality"(apple doesnt fall far..LOL!!!!)

Reading this report, with many more bits of info inside it, is bittersweet for me. It fills my heart w/such joy that it clearly sounds like someone kind and loving is taking care of her, and knows who she is thus far. There are other things in this report that indicate to us that she may very likely be in a home/foster home environment(which had been our prayer all along).
But as I said, bittersweet...I am filled w/an urgency to go get her NOW..especially when I read a/b "her"..I want to replace the words "she" and "her" with "Sophia", our daugther..not just another baby being reported on.

We are still dealing with the last couple wks of this wait, but at least the wait no longer feels endless as it did for so many years. Only a couple wks left. We are praying to hear a/b our travel approval this week, and should be getting updated pic's of her, so if you could say a prayer along with us that would be great!
Other than that..we are ready!
-suitcase packed, minus personal items...check!
-visa's issued and returned..check!
-$ ready..check!
-papers to travel in order..check!
-One very ready family ready to hold, snuggle, kiss, hug, love and care for one sweet baby Sophie forever...CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love you our Sophia Su Ruth, to the moon and the stars and the sun and back and back and back!!!!!!

Enjoying First Half of Summer Break 2009!

A basket full of pink, and that sweet smell of dr*ft!

Well, I did it...I FINALLY washed all her little 3-6mo and 6-9mo clothing...I FINALLY was able to rip those tags off those clothes and wash them KNOWING FINALLY how old she really is and what I can pack to bring for her! And as the laundry rolled around in that washing machine and then went into the dryer and that sweet smell of dr*ft blew threw the outside vent and into the backyard where we sat I was overcome w/emotion and graditude that I could FINALLY smell again that sweet baby smell we all know so well!!! I Praise God for that sweet moment I will forever cherish...it's those little things in life that make it all so worth while!!!

Happy 4th of July 2009!!

We are keeping busy during this FINAL home stretch of the wait for Sophie!!! Only 3 or so weeks left until we hop on a jet plane to China...
There are still so many moments this is all so surreal to me...I just stare at her sweet little face in those pictures and am overcome w/so many diff emotions....hard to put into words..but absolutly the most amazing feeling EVER and I am in love w/her EXACTLY as I fell in love w/Charlie the first time I saw him...it's just a miracle..and a most amazing blessing...Children..no matter how the Lord gets them to you..they are the biggest blessing a human being can ever receive..without a doubt...

So...as of Friday, all our papers were signed, notarized and fedexed off to our agency..our visa's are being processed as I type this today, Monday morning...and we should have them back in our hands by this Friday...
And then..we wait patiently for our Travel Approval which will be on it's way any time now....
Then after receiving our T.A, our agency makes our consulate appt at the Chinese Embassy and then we book our flights and we are off!!!
I have dreamed of that airplane ride so many times over these last 3yrs...several dreams of us sitting there in disbelief that we were finally on our way..and I truly believe that in 'real life' when we board that plane in a few wks it will feel EXACTLY that way...again surreal...

Oh Sophie Su..every bit of this wait is beyond worth it for you..I'd do it again and again just to receive your referral as we did on that magical day, June 22nd.

I was at the bank preparing the many bills we needed to order in "mint condition" to travel..and the lady at the window, (who has been waiting right along w/us these last 3 yrs), asked me if I'd ever do this again or if I felt after going through all this, was it worth it, and I was overcome w/emotion because I didn't have the words to express how much this has been worth it...SO MUCH!!!! I thank God EVERY day, sometimes multiple times a day, for leading us down this path of adoption. I thank Him for putting Sophie Su in my heart long before I ever saw her face. I thank Him for these plans he laid out for me and my family, I will forever praise Him and be grateful to Him, forever and ever!!!!

Another one of Sophie Su's future BFF's!!!

OK..so since this last week has been such a whirlwind..I have not had time to post another AMAZING happening last Monday when we got our Sophie's referral...
Some may know the story of me and Georgette...but here's a recap...

Back two years ago.one day I was sitting at my computer surfing the web of all the chinese adoption websites and blogs..dreaming of our Sophie girl..and I had something come over me(clearly now the Lord) to go to an old yahoo group I had joined the year before(but had long forgotten a/b)and send out a random post just asking if anyone else "out there" had the same log in date to Chi*a as us.... I normally do not do stuff like this..and still do not..but sure enough within a day..this girl...(or "lady" I should say..LOL)responded to my post and said YES..she too sent her paper work that same day in March of 2006....she and her husband lived in Nashville, TN and "one day" we chatted we'd probably meet when flying off to get our baby girls...
Well...who knew then that "one day" would literally be in a few weeks of this first email...
Two wks later from the day I "met" her online she writes me to tell me that her husband's being transferred to none other than where we live right now!!! OMG...what a small world I thought..here is someone I will one day go to chi*a w/and now she is moving here to my hometown....
But it gets better...
So the past two yrs since her and her husband have been here she and I have been able to be such a support system to one another...we've vented a/b this whole process on a daily basis..gone out to movie and dinner nt's w/the girls to get our minds on other things during the wait...shopped for our girls more than we should've...and then...and always dreamed our girls would somehow be together in Chi*a..(but knew that may not be an option, and prepared ourselves that that very well may not happen..it all depended on where our girls were born)so we knew we may not travel together b/c our girls could very likely be in diff.orphanages....
And that brings us to last Monday... that magical day last Monday..our refferal day..and Guess what?

OUR BABY GIRLS ARE TOGETHER!!!!

Right now..always have been since November 2008 when they both were born and dropped off at the SAME exact orphanage(what are the odds of this?? again...only God!)
And now we will be traveling together the entire trip and our girls will have been together from day one..and can come home here and grow up together from here on out and only live 10min's apart!
And all because I posted a question on a yahoo group two years ago!!!

OK..that's my recap...a "short" version for me!
So that's them up above out on referral night celebrating w/us at a local chinese restaurant!
OH..and Sophie's little BFF is..Jaden Elise!!! She was born only two wks before Sophie! I just can't wait to meet her!