Christmas, etc.

Not much new to report here, but here are some mini updates:

Paperwork -   I am working hard on getting all of my paperwork complete.  I have several background checks that have been sent, just waiting on results to come back.  I need to do just a few more things and I will be ready to go paperwork wise on my end.  After my background checks come back, I will begin my homestudy.  Once my homestudy is complete, I will submit paperwork for immigration approval.  That wait is at about 60 days currently.  I have heard it could be speeding up; I'm just praying it doesn't slow down!  Once that comes back, and when the rest of my dossier paperwork is complete (which it just about is!), then I will be ready to submit my dossier!  When my dossier is submitted will determine, to some extent, when I will travel.  I still expect it to be around April or May before I can submit my dossier.  As I have said before, I need to be DTC by May 27, which is less than 5 months now.  I think it is doable and my social worker thinks so too, so that's good news!  (Once my dossier is submitted, it is about 4-6 months to travel.  One piece of paperwork for people that had been really long is speeding up again too, so I am really hopeful to be on the 4-5 month end.  But I am expecting that there will be a delay in there somewhere.)


Ella - nothing new to report.  Lots of people have asked about an update.  My understanding is that when I get my Letter of Approval (LOA) my agency may request another update; they also will request one right before I travel.  So as much as it stinks, for now no news is good news I suppose!  I know she is well cared for and loved.

Puzzle - We have 61 pieces left!  I am so excited for it to be finished.  I cannot wait to get it sealed, framed, and see the back with everyone's names.  It is going to be really fantastic.  If you haven't participated yet but are interested, here are the details {Ella's Puzzle Fundraiser}.  You can donate through the secure donation website {here}.  The puzzle was initially started as a fundraiser to help cover my initial agency fee; the remainder of the funds from the puzzle will go toward my homestudy fee of $1700.

Christmas - Christmas is always fun with my nieces and nephew, but this year it had an element of anticipation.  "Next Christmas..." was a common thought in my mind.  It was a restful time and I got some very nice gifts.  Ella got some books, a toothbrush and toothpaste, Q-tips, soap, and lotion.  I appreciate my mom going very practical on Ella's gifts this year.  :)

One of the sweetest gifts I've ever received was the gift from my brother's family this year.  Upon finding out about Ella, my eleven-year-old niece Jenna wanted to do something to help.  She has been secretly (which is SO HARD FOR HER) been knitting scarves for the last month and selling them to raise money to help bring Ella home.  I got my own scarf, plus the money Jenna had raised!  It was such a thoughtful thing for her to do.  She is so excited about her cousin coming home and was so excited to be able to help.  She wants to continue to do it, so I will post more details on that soon.

I am hoping and praying that things continue to move as quickly as they have so far.  I can't wait to have this baby home sometime in 2014!

A slightly longer puzzle update...

414 pieces down, 86 to go!

To all of you who have donated so far to Ella's puzzle, thank you SO, so much!  So far, from Ella's puzzle, we have raised $2070.00.  With that money plus extra donations and my savings, I was able to pay my first agency fee last week!  This allows me to get started on my dossier and home study.  These are the two big paperwork tasks that are required to get Ella home from China.  My dossier (which includes my home study) has to be in China (which is referred to as DTC or "dossier to China") by May 27.  That is five months and eight days from today.  :)  My wonderful social worker, who I spoke to for the first time yesterday, says its doable!  So I am trusting and taking each step as it comes.  So far, everything I have needed has been provided when I have needed it.  I am trusting that this will continue to be so.

There are still 86 pieces left in Ella's puzzle.  I would love to have it complete by Christmas.  Each piece is a $5.00 donation, and your name (or your family name, grandchild's name, etc.) is written on the back of the puzzle piece, like so:

Two of Ella's buddies have their names on pieces!

The puzzle is being put together as each piece is bought (sponsored?  I don't know the right word for it).  When it is complete, it will be framed in Ella's room.  I haven't seen the back since the border was completed and flipped.  I cannot wait to see it in one piece.  So far, 90 individuals and families have contributed to the puzzle.  It is going to be so beautiful.  

The money raised from the puzzle from here on out will be used for the home study fee of $1700 and for various fees while compiling my dossier (did you know every single background check in the history of ever has a fee?).  I do have a couple of other fundraisers planned, and those I will hopefully be announcing toward the middle to end of January.  

If you are interested in sponsoring a piece of Ella's puzzle, please let me know.  You can go to my Fundly site here.  I cannot wait to post a picture of it in all it's finished glory - hopefully by the end of next week! 

What's in a Name?

Let me start off with something.

I have LOTS of friends with even more LOTS of kids.  And you all make naming children look really, really easy.  I knew my parents had a difficult time naming me, but I just assumed that was just a fluke. So many people I know just have their children's name chosen from before they were born, or just have these beautiful meanings behind the names, so on and so forth.  I suppose you could argue for both sides - I would say maybe it is easier to have a partner to name a baby with because then you have someone to veto or approve names; others have said, "Yeah, but then you have to get two people to agree on a name!"  So you know.  There's that.  At any rate.  You people should warn us not-yet-parents!

As you all know by now, the little lady's name will be Ella Claire.  No one has really asked, but I am always interested in the "why" behind people's baby names, so I thought someone else reading might be interested as well.  If not, then it's documented for me.

First of all, many people have asked about Ella's Chinese name.  Her Chinese name is An Chu He.  An is her surname and was the surname given to all the babies registered at her orphanage last year (maybe farther back than that).  Chu He is her given name, and was given by the orphanage when she arrived.  It was not given by her birth parents, it does not mean anything particularly special, and it is not likely what she is being called in day to day life right now, so it isn't going to be part of her name.

Ella was my great grandmother's name (my father's father's mother).  I never met her, and my dad never met her, but when about 10-12 years ago my parents and I were in southern Kentucky and found her grave (we weren't sure what her name was), I remember thinking, "Oh, I like the name Ella.  I'd like to use it someday."  Ella means "all/completely," which I just love.  I don't know.  I think it is fitting.  It is also part of my dad's name.  He is a "junior."  His father's middle name, Edell, is a combination of Edgar and Ella.  So I like that it is a bit of his name too.

Claire?  I just like Claire.  I like how the hard "c" sounds with Ella, and I like that it means "bright/clear."  I went through about 10 different middle names before I settled on Claire.  I just like how it sounds.  That's all.

That's how Ella's name came to be!

I will post an update soon on how the paperwork is coming (I just was able to get started!).  I am really hoping that I can post an update on the complete puzzle before Christmas!

Thanks for all your love and support!

How to celebrate your kid's birthday when she lives on the other side of the world.

So Ella turned one on Monday.  (You may not have gotten that memo.)

Of course, she turned one in the beautiful country of China, and I was here.  I was missing her a lot Monday - as much as you can miss someone you've never met but know a little about and have committed to raise!  To celebrate I:

1.  Went to work, where I got a gift for Ella from my sweet co-worker.  It's a cute plush DRAGON!  I love it.  Ella was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon.  I don't know what that really means for her, except that it supposedly means she is very compatible with me (a monkey?) and my dad is also a dragon.  So that's fun.  Her cute stuffed dragon has a heart on its hand with an E sewn on it (that was added special just for Ella).  It's cute and squishy and I am sure she will like it. If not, I do.

I also got donations for several more puzzle pieces, which is such a sweet gift.  We have 133 left to go!

2.  Mailed Ella's first care package.  I was nervous sending something so far away - I don't think I've ever mailed anything internationally before!  I sent an outfit, a photo book of our family, a dress and toy from my parents, and a card for her caregivers.  It isn't much, but she doesn't need much, I wasn't sure how much shipping would be, and it is hard to stop once you get started so I tried not to go too crazy!

3.  Went out with Martha (my roommate) to celebrate!  We decided to go to Cheesecake Factory, because if we were one year olds, that's where we would want to celebrate.  (No really, they have good food for leftovers for lunches and hello, cheesecake.)

4.  Ate cheesecake at home.  I even lit a candle (okay a match) to take a picture, so one day Ella will know we tried to celebrate, at least a little!

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake?  Nice way to celebrate!

The next day was a surprise (fluke, out of nowhere) snow day, which was a lovely way to spend the day.

I missed Ella a lot, and I definitely wish she was here, but I feel confident she had a good day and was well loved and cared for.  I'm very hopeful she'll be home before she turns two!

To Ella, on her first birthday.

Dear Ella,

One year ago, in a very large city (that may not be very large for China!), you were born.  I don't know what time, or where, or to whom.  But I know you were born.  I know you weighed about 6 lbs 12 oz and were 18 inches long.  I know that for an unknown reason, your birth parents weren't able to take you home and raise you, and I know that will be something you will have to come to terms with in your own way and in your own time.  I wish it wasn't so.  I am so thankful you'll be mine, but I wish we lived in a world where adoption wasn't necessary, because it's always built on loss and I hate that you've lost anything.  

Today, you were surrounded by people who love you, who have watched you grow and flourish for the last twelve months.  By the medical paperwork I have, which may or may not be comprehensive, in 12 months you've had at least three surgeries and probably dozens of other tests and procedures.  But you are thriving and I am so thankful.  Judging by your pictures and videos you look very healthy and are very smart.  

I hope it goes without saying that I wish I was with you today.  I'm not sad for you - you are fine!  I know you're happy and well loved and are with the only people you've ever known.  It is just an odd feeling knowing you are out there, turning ONE, and I am not there to light your candle and sing happy birthday to you.  (Don't worry - I did celebrate and you even got gifts!  More to come on that.) I laid in bed Sunday morning calculating, and even if it takes six months to get my dossier to China and six months to travel, I should still have you by your second birthday - even if we spend your second birthday together in China (that could be fun, but I will try not to take that long).  

Tonight I ate a treat in your honor and shipped your first care package.  I am hoping it gets to you by Christmas.  It's not exactly the first birthday party you would have if you were here, but I am guessing you are having a fun day where you are!  And I am hoping that next year's birthday will be doubly fun.  

Happy birthday, little one.  

Love,

Mommy

One month ago...

I saw this face for the first time.  

I don't have any new pictures or anything exciting to share tonight, just wanted to mark it's been one month since I received Ella's referral!  I post a lot about the puzzle, but it's really all for Ella.  Hopefully it'll only be about 10 more months till she's home!

Just a little more about the babe... (an update. with VIDEO!)

Isn't this smile the best? I think she was not quite 3 months old here.

So when you are adopting, and they call you about a referral, they send you a file full of information about the little one for you to consider.  I got lots and lots of medical information about Ella (although it wasn't as updated as I would have liked), as well as three pictures of her sweet face, some general developmental updates, and a background report (kind of a summary of her information).  There were some funny little tidbits in her background report.  She can grab toys on her own, knows the difference between strangers and acquaintances, imitates sounds, and cries when she is put down. The best one was Ella sleeps quite soundly through the night.  When it's time to eat, she will wake up to drink milk and after she's finished, she will go back to sleep; it's very cute.  

Sounds cute to me!  Keep it up, kiddo!

I got a short update Monday night!  Answers to a couple of medical questions I had, and an update of her stats.  She is 23.5 lbs, 29 inches tall, and her head circumference is very average (especially important for kids with her diagnosis)!  Plus - a video!




 Isn't she just the cutest?

Ella is obviously very smart already.  And cute.  I love her little cheeks!  This was a wonderful treat to get.  I've watched it a million times and will obviously watch it a million more before she comes home.  I was hoping for pictures in an update, so this was beyond my expectations!

Happy Monday everyone!

Have you gotten your puzzle piece yet?  I think we are under 400 left!

My heartfelt thanks!

Many thanks to everyone for your kind words, hugs, and excitement for my family and me!  We are all very excited.  Jenna (my oldest niece) carried Ella's picture around for hours Friday night.  It was pretty cute.  I think it is still sinking in for me what this all means.  This is something I have dreamed about and wanted for a long time - it's hard to believe this is real and happening!

Second - a big thanks to all who have donated to the puzzle fundraiser so far!  What a huge gift!  

The back of the puzzle with the names of the donors so far!

This is what we've got so far, as of 7:00 Sunday evening.  It's a great start!  The border is almost complete.  As you can see the inside of the puzzle has a lot of space to fill.  I mentioned this before, but I would love to have this puzzle sold by Ella's first birthday, which is in eight days (December 9)!  I appreciate so much everyone who has donated so far and who is thinking of donating in the future!  The proceeds of the puzzle will go toward my first agency fee of $2500, which allows me to get going on my dossier.  My dossier has to be to China by May 27.  

A lot of people have asked me what the timeline looks like for bringing Ella home.  The short answer is I just don't know yet.  I have been telling people about 10 months, as it is the average of the times it could be.  The timeline depends on three things:  me, the U.S. government, and the Chinese government.  The me part is probably the easiest to control but the part with the biggest variable.  As soon as I am able to pay my first agency fee and homestudy fee, I will be able to get those two things started.  I anticipate being able to get my dossier together relatively quickly; however, there is a bit of a wait in getting immigration approval from the USCIS (Customs and Immigration).  After that is compiled, and along with my homestudy which becomes part of the dossier, sent to China, the timeline is a little more reliable.  Emphasis on little.  A rough estimate is 4-6 months from the dossier being logged in to China.  SO...if I am DTC by May 27, then 4-6 months would be end of September to end of November.  I'd love end of September, obviously.  I'd also love to be DTC sooner than May 27 too.  

I've just been overwhelmed with all the love and joy I've been surrounded with this weekend.  I'm so very thankful.  What a fun weekend it has been, especially with the Thanksgiving holiday! Ella is one very loved little girl, and I am one very lucky person!  Thanks again everyone!

Ella's Puzzle Fundraiser!

Ella's Puzzle!

My first fundraiser is upon us, and it is a fun one!

My dear, sweet, talented friend Candace* made this beautiful image for me.  I wanted something that was a reminder to both Ella and me of how we became a family.  This is an outline of China (for the geographically challenged out there), and the heart is over the city where Ella was born.  I think Candace did a beautiful job, and I am so excited that this will be hanging in Ella's room for years to come!

Here is where you come in!  This image is printed on a 500 piece puzzle.  I am "selling" each piece for a $5 donation.  For your donation, your name will be written on the back of the puzzle piece, and you will also receive a 4x6 print of the puzzle (as a small token of our thanks!).  Of course - you are welcome to buy more than one piece.  If you choose to do so, just let me know if you want your family name on each piece (for example "The Willis Family" on every piece) or names of individual family members on each piece you purchase.

You can buy your puzzle piece by clicking the yellow "Please Donate" button on the right hand side of the blog; after you donate, please just let me know your preference on what to write on the puzzle piece (if I don't hear from you I'll just write your family name!).  You can also contact me about making other arrangements if you prefer not to donate online.

EDITED:  Here is the link to the fundraising page as well:
Kim's Adoption Fundraising Page

My goal for this fundraiser is to have it completed by December 9, which is Ella's first birthday.  This fundraiser will go toward paying my first agency fee of $2500.

I will be posting updates as we assemble the puzzle (we being myself and some friends and family!).  Once it is completed, it will be framed (hopefully in one of the "floating" frames so both sides would be visible) and it will hang in Ella's room.  I am really looking forward to the day that I can tell her about all of the people who helped to bring her home to her family.

I am so very thankful for the many ways people have offered to help bring home my sweet Ella already.  Thanks for considering being a part of our story!

*Candace is an extremely talented graphic designer.  She did not ask me to promote her work, and generously donated her time and effort to design this work for Ella.  If you are ever in need of graphic design work, please consider her.  Thanks!

Meet Ella Claire!

Ella (An Chu He) at about 3 months old!

Here she is!  This is my girl!  I am so excited to finally tell everyone about her and show you her sweet face.  If you are reading this, this means I have pre-approval (PA) from China!  The next steps for me are really big and hopefully will go very quickly.

Ella's first birthday is December 9.  My goal is that this is the first and only birthday I miss.  I am going to be having two or three main fundraisers for this adoption, the first of which I will explain in detail in the next post.

For now I just want everyone to appreciate the most awesome smile in the entire world (literally)!

So then this happened.

I was driving to church in the rain on November 6 to work nursery.  I had not had a very good day.  (In fact, it was one of those days at work where I thought, no way, no how, I cannot go home to children.) It was dark outside, and at 6:22, and my phone rang. (For the record, it was not a poetic moment where I registered that.  I went back and looked at my phone log!)

About a week or two before, my friend Laura, who used the same agency and adopted from China, said, "Oh I think you're going to be matched quickly."  She warned me that agency phone calls only come from a 303 area code and that the agency only calls with a referral.  Well the phone number that came up was 303.  I got excited/nervous/terrified then thought to myself, oh, remember those telemarketer calls you got from Colorado earlier this week?  It's probably just that.

It wasn't.

My agency was calling to talk to me about a little girl.  I think I may have started to laugh and cry all at once while they got ready to talk to me about her.  She's from Anyang, she was born last December, she has spina bifida...could they send me her file.

Yes, please!

I went on to church but could not concentrate.  I opened the email just enough to see her face (it's precious) and read a little bit.  I went in and tried to pull it together.  Luckily, there was only one baby that night.  We usually have between 8-10.  My wonderful co-nursery workers sent me home (with no clue of what was going on!).  So I got to come home and read some more. She's lovely.

I requested an update that has yet to come (it most likely will, it's just slow coming sometimes), but after a week of serious prayer, discussion with medical professionals and my family, and soul searching, I said yes.

I am so excited.  And nervous.  And terrified. :)

Surprise! (And some background...)

Well as the address of this blog says, I am adopting from China.

(I will wait while you pick your jaw up off the floor.)



Now.  I know that to some people this comes as a total shock, and that others are yelling, "What took you so long?"  So here's just a little  kind of long background on how I got to this point.

When I was 20 years old, I met a friend named Whitney.  Her parents had, just before I met them, adopted a little boy from the Ukraine.  They had room in their home and their hearts and wanted to add to their family.  Their children were all in their late teens/early twenties.  At the time I was obsessed with Russian culture and so found the adoption of their son fascinating.  I tried to talk my parents into adopting (they laughed at me).  So adoption was tucked away in my heart, as something that I might consider someday.

Fast forward a few years...I was 25 and not married.  I have wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember, and without the prospect of a husband on the horizon, I started bargaining with myself.  When I'm this old, I'll adopt. When I get to this point in my life, I'll adopt. When I was 25, I said, "Oh, maybe if I am 30 and still single."  I loved meeting friends who had adopted and getting to understand the process.  It's such a beautiful thing, adoption, and I loved learning more about it.

At age 30, I had just finished my Master's degree and was beginning my third year of teaching.  In the back of my mind I acknowledged my old promise to myself, but decided to push it off a few years.  Well, if I am still single by the time I am 35, or maybe 40, then I'll consider it. I was just getting established on my own, and so I really was in no place to adopt.  But it was always a someday.

In 2011 I transferred schools from where I had been teaching to where I teach now.  I met my now dear friend Laura on one of my first days on the job and found out she was in the process of adopting.  I got very excited and said, "Oh, I hope to adopt someday."  Laura was very kind to answer questions I had. At the end of that school year, after bombarding her with questions throughout the year, Laura offered to meet me one day for dessert to answer any questions I had.  My questions mostly circled around how I could adopt as a single, if I was right to adopt as a single, and what types of children were available to me.  This conversation was a big blessing to me, but still, I sat and waited.

In May 2013, I attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit 9 in Nashville.  I was still very committed to the idea of "someday," but also knew that my heart would be changed leaving that conference (and it was).  On the last night, we were challenged to write down something we would do this year, be it working in orphan care, praying for others, giving financially, or adopting.  I wrote down "DO something."  I had been thinking and praying for so long and letting fear stop me in the process.  (Which - I will address some of my specific fears in a future post!)  And yet I waited five more months.

In the beginning of October, I told a friend of mine that I thought I had decided on a country.  Later that same week, another friend asked me when I was going to start this process.  I said, "Well, I think I want to adopt from {Country A}.  I wish I could adopt from China, but I just don't think I would qualify."  She encouraged me to talk to an agency and just ask the questions.  So I did, that Friday evening. The agency I spoke to (who I am working with and they've been nothing but wonderful so far!) encouraged me to fill out a pre-application, and they'd look at it and let me know.  It took me another week to get moving, but I finally submitted my pre-application and Medical Conditions Checklist to an agency that works in China to adopt from China's Special Focus program.  I submitted that on October 22 and received an email that I was waiting for a referral on October 23.

So where that left me was waiting for a referral call (a call to look at the file of a specific child).  The way my agency works with single parent applicants is that they match you with a child from the Special Focus list, then get approval from China, then do the crazy, infamous paper chase.  The reasoning behind this is that they don't want you to be financially committed and then be told that China will not approve you for whatever reason.  But my agency feels very confident that, because of the flexibility of the Special Focus program, I will be approved without a problem.  So I settled in for a 6 to 12 month wait for a match.