When it rains...

The wait continues to be difficult. Two families have gotten news that their babies had passed away or were to ill to be adopted. I had a need to know she was okay, so I paid for an update and received pictures and new measurements less than 24 hours later! How, who knows?  

I was shocked by how much older she looked...

and how confident she looked standing.

She weighs 19 pounds, has 6 teeth, is 29.5 inches tall and wears about a size 5 shoe.

The next set of pictures came from another Love Without Boundaries drop off, the SWI was given towels and diapers.

Totally and completely adorable!

The government is closed until Wednesday, We are still in translation (meaning our paperwork is not even at the place where it can be approved) and it means we are looking at August travel.

Parker has been asking about "my sister" constantly and I keep feeding him lines about the paperwork traveling on a boat to China.

COME ON LOA!

The Wait and a Good Cause

UPDATE: FULLY FUNDED: IN ONE DAY!!!!!

Day 47 of the LOA wait has arrived! I woke up to an email from our China coordinator saying the dossier is still in translation. She put a call into China, last evening, which I appreciate that we have an agency that will check into the wait. That being said 3-4 more weeks at least once we get out of translation. Say goodbye to July travel....not being a pessimist (as my Dad has accused me throughout this wait) Just being realistic...

So in China's eyes we have waited 47 days...but in reality it has been 7 months and one week, for us...but for Evelyn she has been waiting for 466 days...without her Mom and Dad, without knowing a family, without the proper stimulation.

I love the idea of being productive and something good coming out of the wait. Us waiting Moms stick together, we must, we are living this together! I am lucky to have found another waiting Mom, Ashley, who's daughter is waiting at Evelyn's SWI...and we have the same timeline! She saw the delivery from Love without Boundaries and decided to see what the SWI needs. And so was born....

The Incubator Project

http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2012/04/16/the-incubator-project/

Many are shocked when hear about babies being "found" in China...The country is not like home, mothers cannot make formal adoption plans, but they do, they leave their babies in public places where they know they will be "found" Many watch from a far to be sure their baby is taken into care.

I do not use the word "abandoned" those are two different concepts. Our Evelyn was found, so she could have a family who was able to care for her.

Often, these babies are not born under medical care and may be premature. If the SWI had an incubator think of what they could do for these little babies!

A HUGE thank you to Ashley for starting this project!

Easter and the obvious

Parker was thrilled about Easter this year, he kept asking for "so many rabbits to come to his house" He picked out carrots "with the long green tops" and insisted he leave water out for the bunny. We spent the weekend with my family at the lake, complete with adult egg hunts. It was nice weather for a run and a boat ride.

Coloring eggs

Helping rake the leaves off the beach

He "helped" me make these cupcakes to take to daycare and Easter. By helping I mean I had to threaten to baby gate him out of the kitchen, he wanted to eat their beaks and eyes.

Leaving out the carrots and water for the "rabbit"

The bunny left him a scavenger hunt for his basket. He was thrilled to find "lego Thomas"

Egg hunt with Grandma and Papa

The basket from Grandma and Papa had this fun toy!

Of course we had a great holiday, but Evelyn was missing. Her home coming seems to slipping further away. As I have mentioned, despite almost 7 months of waiting we are only on day 37 with China. Hoping to find out where we are in the LOA process this week, fingers crossed we are out of translation and on to the process part.

There are some waiting families whose dossiers are still being translated after 90 plus days! I hoped to have out LOA in under 70 days. There are so many unknowns right now...basically we sit and wait.

I am out of ideas...I am training for a half marathon (all I do for 8 miles is run numbers for potential travel dates in my head), gobble jelly beans, read, joined a book club, talk to other waiting Moms, and working extra.

Come on LOA!

My 3 year old

We had a family party for Parker this weekend. I have no intention of friend parties until he can actually ask for one or name some children. He often makes the blanket statement "all of my friends" referring to those in moppets, daycare, playgroups etc. Sometimes he will name a few children, mostly girls!

My Mom and Nicole helped me make (well actually I think they did it all) ice cream cone cupcakes. The frosting wasn't as fluffy as I would like (Nicole told me you cannot put food coloring in, need to buy gel). So the frosting was my fault, but they were cute.

Ready to blow out his candles
I think all he ate was 2 cupcakes

Playing with one of his many fun toys. He opened his water table first and said "I want to play with that now" Did I mention 3 (well 2.5) brought on this demanding attitude. Jim says it reminds him of the scene in Wedding Crashers where Will Ferrell demands "Ma, the meatloaf"...we are working on manners,

Don't mind out stripped deck but this playhouse was a present from us. The next day he said "Mommy did you and Daddy buy me that play house for my birthday? Thank you so much!"

I told him he could try gum at age 3, he chewed a piece and did not like the spearmint. He asked for another piece that afternoon, and swallowed it. I told him he would have to wait until he got older. Ten minutes later he announced "Okay, I older".

He is sweet boy but he is strong willed and emotional. He speaks about being "so sad, so happy, and loving things so much." He is so grown up I completely forget what it is like to have a baby in the house...

VIDEO

We were also fortunate to get a video of Evelyn from the traveling family! This is beyond special and needless to say I have watched it many times. I have heard them say her Chinese name, observed how she interacted with others, and watched her walk. Despite our long wait, I am still in complete shock I get to parent this lovely little girl.

Another Surprise!

As of March 1, there are going to be no more updates on Evelyn (from our agency/China) unless we pay for them. Around $80 for pictures and measurements. That made me a bit sad, but there was no guarantee we would get regular updates. I may ask for one closer to travel for updated measurements. It is no secret that international adoption is costly, so this seems like nothing. As I understand these updates are being outsourced, as it is costly and time consuming to have staff from the orphanage complete these updates.

We were so lucky to get photos of Evelyn from a delivery Love Without Boundaries made to her SWI. A group of Yangxi families sent donations and LWB purchased items the SWI needed, and our Evie was photographed at the drop off! I donated the money I would have spent sending her a care package she may have not gotten...and let's face it she's too younger to understand someone sending her something. I would rather the SWI have what they need.

The photos came to me by way of another Mom...how amazing!

On the right
COME ON LOA!

Happy Birthday Parker!

My baby is 3..and no one tells you what that entails. There are urban legends about the terrible 2's. He is such a sweet boy but the tantrums and the arguing. He had been asking for a few weeks if it was his birthday, so we started a count down. He reminded me that I had to "decorate the house" for his birthday and that he wanted to "go to a place with a slide".

We put some balloons and a book in his room, he was so excited to wake up and see them.
Jim had put his bike in the living room and Parker spotted it off the balcony...He said "Oh that bike for me!" Notice the banner above him, I call that decorating.

He had a birthday muffin, which he did not eat..and asked for cake. After a trip to the Y, we went to a playdate at the park (slide #1). When we got home he asked for pancakes, which he did not eat. Parker is not a big fan of carbs, unless it is rice, noodles, or couscous.

He woke up to a package from Grandma and Papa, that contained Duncan, another engine on his list. After some bike riding he got to choose dinner.

He asked for noodles (most likely to use chopsticks) and split a curry dish with me, we visited slide #2, and stopped for yogurt. He sang happy birthday to himself in multiple locations that day. We came home to skype with Grandma and Papa or as he calls it "talk on screen".

We have a family party this weekend, he told me to keep the decor up for his party.

I can only hope his birth mother is at peace, and one day that she will be able to know this wonderful son we share. He is loved by so many people and brings so much joy to our lives.