So guess what? Give up? OK...... WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!!!! Most likely mid NOVEMBER!!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Miracles!!!! WE GOT OUR LOA!!!!! And only waited 48 DAYS!
So guess what? Give up? OK...... WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!!!! Most likely mid NOVEMBER!!!!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Our daughter is in this video...oh how my heart aches!
Faith walks into the video at 1:09 minutes and then you can see her sitting to the left at 1:11. This was just 6 days ago... If you would like to donate to the organization that is working with our daughter their web site is http://english.chinaconcern.org/
International China Concern Videos
Faith is also in this video, she is in the background dressed in white standing sideways when the camera pans up at 1:12 minutes.
What International China Concern is about...
The Hengyang Project is a joint venture with the Hengyang Welfare Centre and currently cares for more than 100 babies, children and young adults, all abandoned and with special needs. The project is expanding as many babies continue to be abandoned due to poverty and disability.
A small and dedicated team of international Christian volunteers support and train more than 60 Chinese employees – from managers, cooks and cleaners to house parents, nurses and teachers. ICC is committed to empowering and training Chinese nationals to not only care for and love the abandoned and disabled, but also advocate for them. We want to see positive community attitudes toward those with disabilities. Our long term vision is to provide support services for families with special needs children thereby reducing abandonment.
Early 2004, International China Concern received a referral from Hunan Provincial Civil Affairs to explore the possibility of establishing another joint venture cooperation. The Hengyang Social Welfare Centre was one of those recommended.
In July 2004 the first ICC China Team worked with the abandoned and disabled at the Hengyang Welfare Centre for 4 days and in that time incredible progress was made. Children unable to stand physical touch or make eye contact began to interact and play. Since then, teams have continued to work in Hengyang and many more lives have been transformed.
In March 2006 ICC sent a small team of dedicated international Christian volunteers to Hengyang to live in the community and to work in the welfare centre. Their goal and vision - to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities; to decrease the mortality rate of children with disabilities, and to see community transformation.
Those with intellectual and physical disabilities in the centre continue to live in great need, however significant progress has already been made. The mortality rate has significantly decreased; additional carers have been employed and trained; many of the buildings have been renovated and living conditions improved, and craft and school classes have been established.
New Admissions
The Hengyang Project receives new admissions of abandoned children and infants with disabilities. Children are often abandoned with complicated medical issues, or physical and intellectual disabilities. The Hengyang team provides love and care as well as medical services and assessment. Some infants are diagnosed with inoperable or untreatable terminal conditions so are given dignified care until they pass away. Others are referred for surgery or treatment.
Group Homes
In October 2006 ICC opened 3 group homes for the girls in the project. The homes are located on the Hengyang Welfare Centre grounds and are newly renovated. The girls enjoy a family style environment with home cooked meals and their own washing facilities. Care givers and teachers work in the homes 24 hours a day overseeing family life. A fourth home was opened May 2007 for disabled toddlers, and work will soon begin on new group homes for the boys.
A small and dedicated team of international Christian volunteers support and train more than 60 Chinese employees – from managers, cooks and cleaners to house parents, nurses and teachers. ICC is committed to empowering and training Chinese nationals to not only care for and love the abandoned and disabled, but also advocate for them. We want to see positive community attitudes toward those with disabilities. Our long term vision is to provide support services for families with special needs children thereby reducing abandonment.
Early 2004, International China Concern received a referral from Hunan Provincial Civil Affairs to explore the possibility of establishing another joint venture cooperation. The Hengyang Social Welfare Centre was one of those recommended.
In July 2004 the first ICC China Team worked with the abandoned and disabled at the Hengyang Welfare Centre for 4 days and in that time incredible progress was made. Children unable to stand physical touch or make eye contact began to interact and play. Since then, teams have continued to work in Hengyang and many more lives have been transformed.
In March 2006 ICC sent a small team of dedicated international Christian volunteers to Hengyang to live in the community and to work in the welfare centre. Their goal and vision - to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities; to decrease the mortality rate of children with disabilities, and to see community transformation.
Those with intellectual and physical disabilities in the centre continue to live in great need, however significant progress has already been made. The mortality rate has significantly decreased; additional carers have been employed and trained; many of the buildings have been renovated and living conditions improved, and craft and school classes have been established.
New Admissions
The Hengyang Project receives new admissions of abandoned children and infants with disabilities. Children are often abandoned with complicated medical issues, or physical and intellectual disabilities. The Hengyang team provides love and care as well as medical services and assessment. Some infants are diagnosed with inoperable or untreatable terminal conditions so are given dignified care until they pass away. Others are referred for surgery or treatment.
Group Homes
In October 2006 ICC opened 3 group homes for the girls in the project. The homes are located on the Hengyang Welfare Centre grounds and are newly renovated. The girls enjoy a family style environment with home cooked meals and their own washing facilities. Care givers and teachers work in the homes 24 hours a day overseeing family life. A fourth home was opened May 2007 for disabled toddlers, and work will soon begin on new group homes for the boys.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Nesting...Oh Goodness :)
Ok, I am living proof that nesting isn't some sort of hormonal pregnant thing. I am NESTING!!!! And it's crazy. Jeff said to me the other day, "what is wrong with you, you just won't sit down?" I am cleaning like a mad woman. Jeff...the smart man that he is happened to mention how messy the garage was, and guess what I did yesterday...cleaned the garage! He is one sneaky guy!
I found a definition on the wide web as to what I am feeling.
"The nesting instinct usually sets in around the fifth month of your pregnancy. Now some may not know what the "nesting instinct" is. This is basically the uncontrollable urge to clean your house, and generally go CrAzY doing all sorts of things that will prepare the 'nest' for the new member of the family.
This is a primal instinct and all the females of almost every species in the world will go through this same instinct in one way or another. It is also an old wives tale that this is one of the signs that labor is going to set in shortly. Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth. You may become a homebody and want to retreat into the comfort of home and familiar company, like a brooding hen. The nesting urge can also be seen as a sign of the onset of labor when it occurs close to 40 weeks of pregnancy.
Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. Women have reported throwing away perfectly good sheets and towels because they felt the strong need to have "brand new, clean" sheets and towels in their home. They have also reported doing things like taking apart the knobs on kitchen cupboards, just so they could disinfect the screws attached to the knobs. Women have discussed taking on cleaning their entire house, armed with a toothbrush. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival."
I found a definition on the wide web as to what I am feeling.
"The nesting instinct usually sets in around the fifth month of your pregnancy. Now some may not know what the "nesting instinct" is. This is basically the uncontrollable urge to clean your house, and generally go CrAzY doing all sorts of things that will prepare the 'nest' for the new member of the family.
This is a primal instinct and all the females of almost every species in the world will go through this same instinct in one way or another. It is also an old wives tale that this is one of the signs that labor is going to set in shortly. Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth. You may become a homebody and want to retreat into the comfort of home and familiar company, like a brooding hen. The nesting urge can also be seen as a sign of the onset of labor when it occurs close to 40 weeks of pregnancy.
Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. Women have reported throwing away perfectly good sheets and towels because they felt the strong need to have "brand new, clean" sheets and towels in their home. They have also reported doing things like taking apart the knobs on kitchen cupboards, just so they could disinfect the screws attached to the knobs. Women have discussed taking on cleaning their entire house, armed with a toothbrush. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival."
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A day in the life of a Dossier...
Well I got some information on my Dossier. My question to them , " Does the agency have the ability to see where our paperwork is at in China?"
Here is the reply from our adoption agency.
"Yes, I can see when your file has moved through the process and the marker I use for that is to send out the travel information. On September 4, 2009 I sent you the travel information – please confirm you have this. I can see that your file was moved into department #2 on September 4, 2009. This simple means that your file is now in the department that issues the LCO (LOA) and the LOC can be issued anywhere from 1-3 months after this date.
I hope this information helps. Please confirm you have the email I sent on September 4. Please send in your travel sheet and let me know who is traveling so that we can begin the visa preparation process.
Yea...we are in department #2!!! Come on let us be the family that gets the LOA issued in 1 month. That would be on October 4th!!! HOPE-HOPE-HOPE!!
So I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs, and how they process dossiers.
Inside the Matching Room ( Our Dossier never made it here because we chose the special needs program...if couples want a healthy baby this is where the babies are matched to the adoptive families.)
Dossier files being sent from the review department.
The dossier review department
the beautiful halls of the CCAA
Nice picture of an adoptive mom and child.
The archive room
A translated Dossier...
Here is the reply from our adoption agency.
"Yes, I can see when your file has moved through the process and the marker I use for that is to send out the travel information. On September 4, 2009 I sent you the travel information – please confirm you have this. I can see that your file was moved into department #2 on September 4, 2009. This simple means that your file is now in the department that issues the LCO (LOA) and the LOC can be issued anywhere from 1-3 months after this date.
I hope this information helps. Please confirm you have the email I sent on September 4. Please send in your travel sheet and let me know who is traveling so that we can begin the visa preparation process.
Yea...we are in department #2!!! Come on let us be the family that gets the LOA issued in 1 month. That would be on October 4th!!! HOPE-HOPE-HOPE!!
So I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs, and how they process dossiers.
Inside the Matching Room ( Our Dossier never made it here because we chose the special needs program...if couples want a healthy baby this is where the babies are matched to the adoptive families.)Dossier files being sent from the review department.The dossier review department the beautiful halls of the CCAANice picture of an adoptive mom and child. The archive roomA translated Dossier...Saturday, September 12, 2009
Oh the waiting....One MoNtH ToDAY!
We are waiting on our Letter of Acceptance from the China Center of Adoption Affairs. Most adoptive families wait anywhere from 60 to 120 days. Today is our day 31... I have been keeping busy by celebrating my birthday, getting the kiddos ready for school, and painting Faith's room. My 16 year old daughter Kylee has complete creative control over Faith's room and I am her obedient worker bee.
I thought this would be a fun way for Kylee to bond with her little sister before she gets here. Kylee has been learning how much work really goes into decorating. She and the boys helped with painting, and quickly decided it wasn't as fun as it looked.
I will post some pictures of the room when it is completed. Our little girl might not be able to sleep with the bright colors, hot pink and yellow.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
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