Reader’s Digest Condensed Version

I apologize for all of you that have been waiting and waiting for me to post something. I had every intention of maintaining a journal of our trip. I blame it on a combination of exhaustion, bad internet, and making it a priority to meet all the needs of our new daughter. So here is an abbreviated version of what you have been waiting for posted by my sister since I am unable to access blogger.

She is ours! Now I can finally post photos!

Our beautiful daughter Qian Yin.

Here are some photos of our first moments together on July 6 at the healing home she had been living in.

She was shy at first, but then warmed up pretty quickly. Daddy helped her overcome her shyness by being goofy.  Our camera also helped with that and so did the glow sticks we brought for the kids. She took pictures of everything and everyone and enjoyed looking at all the photos already on the camera. She played the video tour of our house that I made for her over and over. We had a wonderful time getting acquainted with each other that day. We had the opportunity to learn more about her and she was able to meet us for the first time in a place that was familiar to her, surrounded by people she knew and loved. We are forever grateful to all the amazing people who cared for our daughter before us. She was well loved and cared for. I certainly could not have asked for more.

Sunday July 9^th was our forever family day. We took custody of Qian Yin that afternoon in Nanchang (Jiangxi province) and then the next morning our family was made official at the Civil Affairs office. We thought we were just going out to get passport photos for Qian Yin and then our guide told us to stamp our signatures with a red thumbprint on the official adoption paperwork. A little bit anticlimactic. We had thought the official adoption was taking place in the afternoon. We did not have our cameras or have any gifts prepared for the officials like is customary. 

We spent all last week in a hotel room except for the times we had to go out for adoption related things. Qian Yin is very uneasy and overwhelmed being anywhere besides our hotel room. She told our guide that she would be happy to stay in the hotel room forever. Sightseeing was on the schedule, but we chose to stay put since our priority on this trip is Qian Yin. 

Good food was hard to come by in Nanchang. Qian Yin wouldn’t eat at the hotel breakfast buffet because she was so nervous being out of our room. Travis and I didn’t end up eating much there either since the food was not very good. Our guide brought us to the grocery store once for a few supplies. There were no restaurants around us either. I ate granola bars and crackers most of the week. We were the only Americans staying in our hotel and none of the staff spoke English. One morning I was trying to communicate that I wanted to take an apple from the breakfast buffet because I had a daughter and husband who were not coming down to eat. After telling me no a few times they gave up trying to understand me and let me take the apple. We felt really out of place in that city. At our adoption appointments throughout the week we kept seeing a large group of other adoptive families from a different adoption agency. They were all staying together at a really nice hotel. I think we would have had a much better time in Nanchang if we had had some other families to interact with and to help us get food.

Here are some things we have learned about Qian Yin so far:

-Favorite English words are mommy and no

-Very sweet and affectionate

-Opinionated

-Mischievous

-Loves to laugh and make us laugh

-Great sense of humor

-Does not like leaving the safety of our hotel room (Walmart and church will probably have to wait for a while once we are home)

-Likes to act and talk like a baby around us

-LOVES taking a bath (Travis watched an entire movie in the time it took her to take a bath one day.)

-LOVES seaweed

-Enjoys getting a reaction out of us whether positive or negative

-Has perfected the fine art of playing with her food and beverage (in other words making messes)

-Likes to test boundaries, but accepts correction well

-Selective with whom she will interact

-Loud and talkative when she is comfortable in her surroundings

-Very quiet when she is nervous

-Generally very happy with a ready smile (in our hotel room)

-Wild sleeper despite her physical limitations

-Can operate an iphone/ipod better than me

-The bravest person I know

TA, CA, and Travel!

Last Friday we received an unexpected call from our caseworker. The voice mail she left on my phone said "You are never going to believe this. I have your travel notice." We were not expecting to get our TA (travel approval) for another week at the very earliest so it was quite a surprise! After our TA came in we were able to submit our request a CA (consulate appointment) at the US embassy in China. The CA is to obtain our daughter's US visa. We received our first choice out of the five dates we had to give for our CA. Our international flights are now booked! Three weeks until we meet our daughter! A few things checked off my to do list and only about 50 more to go (the reason for my lack of blogging).

Two Years A Family

I can hardly believe this was two years ago.

She sure has grown up since then, but she's still the same feisty little spitfire who's smile can light up the room! We love you Frata!

Referral!

Today we received our LSC, otherwise known as LOA, from China!!! This is our official referral/approval from China to adopt. From this point it will be approximately three months until travel. Three months until our little girl has a family by her side. Three months to get organized...

I know I said previously I could post photos at this point, but our agency encourages us to be extra cautious and recommends that we do not post photos publicly until she is officially our daughter. So in three months be prepared to be inundated with cute six year old girl photos!

Budding Musician

Liya has always been fairly musical. She is always dancing, singing, and listening to music. I'm sure most toddlers are that way. Lately she has been infatuated with a Yanni concert on Netflix. She would watch it all day every day if we let her and chooses it above watching anything else. Of course we are good parents and don't let her watch it all the time, but watching an orchestra performance is educational TV right? She has learned to recognize a trumpet, french horn, cello (or jello), violin, oboe, harp, hammered dulcimer, and duduk by sight and sound. She is fascinated by the musicians playing their instruments. She dances around and pretends to sing or play whatever instrument is being shown. She will also just zone out and be totally engrossed in the concert. Violin is her favorite instrument to imitate. Here are a few clips of some my favorite musical moments.

This is her first time playing a real trumpet. Daddy was a trumpet player in school. We were both shocked that she could actually make a noise.

Improvised violin. She thought of the baton all by herself. 

Playing violin to some music from youtube. I fashioned the less cumbersome violin for her.

Singing to Yanni.

Singing her favorite song from Tangled. I'm not sure why she keeps sticking her tongue out, but this is the best version I have recorded.


The louder the better!

We Are DTC!

Dossier to China that is! Two weeks ago we received the much anticipated USCIS approval, the last document to complete our dossier. After two days of stress, craziness, and hard work getting the Secretary of State authentications and making sure everything was in perfect order I was able to send our dossier to the Chinese consulate for the final authentications. Yesterday our agency received our completed dossier from the consulate. Today it was sent to China!

Next we wait for our LID (Log In Date). It should take 2-4 weeks to hear about that. After we get our LID we will wait 1-4 months to receive our LSC (Letter Seeking Confirmation) which is our official referral :)  Travel is looking like it will be late summer to early fall.                                                                                                        

It's Potty Time

It has been six weeks since I've had to wash a load of dirty diapers. I was beginning to think this day would never come. We had been potty training for over a year with periodic success. Then one day when we least expected it, almost overnight, it happened. Liya went from having virtually no interest in using the potty to being almost potty trained within a couple days.  And, by having no interest, I mean she would prefer to sit in her wet/dirty diaper until I made her lay down to change it while she cried (screamed) and fought (rolled, pinched, hit) me at every step. I got to where I would dread having to change her diaper. Then, just before Christmas, we turned her crib into a big girl bed and got her some training pants and that was it.  No more diapers.

There was one night a few weeks ago I awoke to sounds coming from the bathroom. Unaccustomed to this, I ran in, turned on the light and found Liya had taken her sleeper and diaper off and was sitting on the potty! It hasn't happened since, but I was pretty impressed. Now this week we finally had success using strange big toilets when we were out and about. She would try to use the public restrooms without success, but she would always still be accident free by the time we got home. I'm so proud of her!

Potty training has lent itself to all kinds of entertainment.

We used to give mini marshmallows as a reward for going potty. A few weeks ago after we stopped using them as rewards I gave Liya a couple just for a little treat. This conversation followed-
Liya-  "Can I have some more marshmallows?"
Me- "That's it for now."
Liya- "I have to go poop."
Runs to the bathroom, sits on the potty and starts grunting.
Me- "Are you just trying to go poop so you can get another marshmallow?"
Liya- "It's something I can do, so get up and pray to your God."
Me- hysterical laughter
I don't think she earned another marshmallow.

Then there was the time when I was giving her some requested privacy to do her business. From the bathroom I heard, "Oh no, my ducky is there." I asked her "Where is your duck?" "My ducky is there," she said lifting her butt slightly off the potty. Sure enough, there was rubber ducky sitting on top. I was so mad, yet found it hard to keep from laughing out loud. I had to photograph the incident and sent it to Travis to enjoy. I debated posting it here but decided to spare you.

Another time Travis was holding Liya when she said she had to go potty.  She often says that a little too late. They were both wet by the time the words left her mouth. I laughed pretty hard.

I will try to post an adoption update tomorrow!

And here's a photo of the little stinker. Good photos of this active sassypants are few. I had to tickle her with my feet to get her to look at me and smile.

Long Distance Dancing Party

Rapunzel and her cousin Cinderella love to have dancing parties when they are together. The other day we tried a long distance dancing party which was a major hit with the princesses. These songs are from Liya's favorite movie "Tangled." I've had to limit her to listening to them twice a day. I'm not one for memorizing song lyrics, but having heard them well over 100 times I think I've got them down and as you can see Liya knows them quite well. Let's pretend there is no television with grubby hand prints and dust all over it, thanks.

Wordless Wednesday

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

These three words have radically changed our lives. Our daughter in China has Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 or SMA. We have been told that this is probably an accurate diagnosis and not like what we experienced with Liya. This post is just a brief overview of SMA. I’ll save my thoughts for another time.


SMA Fast Facts-

• SMA is a progressive neuromuscular disease.
• SMA is the number one genetic killer of children under two. (SMA Type 1)
• One in 40 people unknowingly carry the gene that causes SMA.
• It is a relatively common rare disorder, one in 6,000 babies are born with SMA.
• There is usually no previous family history.
• SMA affects people of all races and genders.
• The National Institute of Health selected SMA as the disease closest to a treatment of nearly 600 neurological disorders.
• Researchers believe that a treatment will be found within the next 5 years with the proper resources.

Symptoms of SMA-

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is characterized by a progressive loss of muscle control and movement and increasing weakness due to the loss of motor neurons (nerves) in the spinal cord. Proximal muscles (muscles closest to the center of the body, such as those in the trunk and neck) are more severely affected than distal muscles (muscles furthest from the center of the body, such as those in the hands and feet). There is a wide range of severity of SMA; however, even in its moderate form, SMA can limit function and mobility. People with SMA either never acquire, or progressively lose, the ability to walk, stand, sit and eventually move. Although the disease varies in terms of age of onset and severity, most patients start to show symptoms during infancy or as toddlers. Respiratory illnesses may be more common for people living with SMA and can be severe. Good multidisciplinary care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and nutritional support, can improve quality and length of life for people with SMA. It is important to note that children with SMA undergo normal intellectual and emotional development and, with help and support, can participate in many childhood activities.

Types of SMA-

People with SMA are grouped into one of four categories, based on certain key motor function milestones and age of onset.

Type I, Acute Form of SMA (Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease): Patients typically exhibit limited movement and have difficulty holding their head straight, feeding, and swallowing. The progressive weakening of the muscles leads to respiratory infections, lung collapse and eventual death, usually by the age of two years. About 60% of patients with SMA are born with this form of the disease.

Type II, Intermediate Form of SMA: (Our daughter has Type 2) Symptoms usually emerge in patients between six and eighteen months, and the progression of symptoms varies greatly. Infants and children with this form of the disease are at one time able to sit unassisted, but do not walk independently. Kids with Type 2 have weak chest cavity muscles, though not as severe as Type 1. As with all types of SMA, the common cold can turn into a dangerous threat if it isn’t treated early and aggressively. Due to the varied progression of symptoms, life expectancy ranges from early childhood to adulthood. The majority of Type 2 patients live into adulthood. 

Type III and Type IV, Milder Forms of SMA with a later onset: People with Type 3 and 4 often exhibit difficulty walking and have mild muscle weakness. These patients have a normal life expectancy.

Every person with SMA presents a unique case in terms of severity and rate of progression. As for our daughter, from what we can tell she is a strong Type 2 since she has never been able to walk but still has the ability to crawl, sit, and even stand with support for a few minutes. Sadly the degenerative nature of this disease means these abilities will diminish over time. Currently there is no cure or treatment for SMA. Caring for a person with SMA involves preventing complications of the disease. Since the muscles controlling breathing are affected, the most crucial aspect of care is to maintain respiratory health.

Since I am well aware that the information above is rather discouraging, I’ll leave you with this encouraging quote from an article I recently read from the Johns Hopkins Medicine magazine:

But now, with the help of better clinical care and new research, the potential has never been brighter for people with this disease. SMA patients are living longer and longer, and treatments that could radically improve their lives and outlooks hover tantalizingly on the horizon.

“SMA has gone from being one of the most hopeless of the neuromuscular diseases to one of the most hopeful,” Crawford says.

The information above is taken from these websites:

SMA Foundation

STOP SMA

Additional information can be found here:

Families of SMA

Fight SMA

MDA

Good Morning Medley

I just heard this coming from Liya's bedroom as she is waking up:

I missed the first part of it so I'll just insert the original lyrics although I'm guessing she used her own creativity :) To the tune of "Are You Sleeping"

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Where's my mom? Where's my mom?
From there it went to a medley of London Bridge/Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Now This Little Light of Mine, etc...

We went in to get her up and find her missing the footie pj's she went to bed wearing and her diaper half-off. I guess she has to entertain herself somehow while I savor the last few moments of the quiet morning.

Homestudy, Yes!

One huge thing can now be crossed off our adoption to do list. Finally, after a month long delay due to some paperwork we were initially told we didn't have to have, our homestudy is completed and now in the hands of our adoption agency! Yay!!! One major stressor (spell check tells me that is not a word) done...many more still to come. Our file can now move on to our agency's official China program and we will be assigned a China case manager.

While it looks like my timeline is out the window (those darn plans again!), at least we are moving in the right direction and one step closer to being united with "China" as Liya calls her. Since our homestudy is finished we can now send in our I800A (Application for determination of suitability to adopt a child from a convention country) to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). We will need to wait for them to give us an appointment to be fingerprinted and then wait for everything to be processed. It took two months for our last adoption so I am praying it will be as quick this time around if not quicker (I really should stop doing that to myself!). Once we get that approval we can send in our dossier (mountain of paperwork) to China! That will conclude the majority of our end of the "before we travel paperwork".

I Thought

I thought it would be a while before we started our next adoption.

I thought our next child would be from Ethiopia.

I thought we would use our previous and familiar agency.

I thought we would adopt a child with a correctable or at least manageable special need like HIV.

I thought I was prepared to say yes to almost anything.

I thought an addition of another child would not significantly alter our comfortable lives.

I thought we would end up joining my sister’s family in Ethiopia someday.

I thought my child would have to fit in that box.

I know that our lives will never be the same.

I know that is a good thing.

I know that my life is not my own.

I know that our little girl is an incredible gift and we are amazingly blessed!

I know that I cannot wait to bring our daughter home and to give her the opportunity to become all that God has created her to be.

I know that God continually amazes me by giving hope at the right times, alleviating fears, and connecting us to people.

I know that even though my plans have all come crashing down, I can rejoice in the new direction our life has taken because God is writing this story and His plans are infinitely better than I could ever imagine.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

Poor Deprived Child

After visiting a friend and driving home-

Liya: I want to see Jenny!
Mama: She has to go home and feed her puppy.
Liya: Hey, I have an idea! We can get a puppy too! I want a puppy too!

Take a Closer Look

Click on the photo to get the full effect.

So Long Family Of Three

I've procrastinated writing this post for some time because I've been at a loss for words (and time).  Since I can't seem to get my thoughts together I've decided to let everybody in on the abbreviated, simple version of what we've been up to these last few months. As you have  probably guessed if you saw the post a few weeks ago, we have been busily working on our second adoption. Liya is excited to become a little sister! Big sister is five years old and from China. She is described as active, independent, smart, stubborn, and silly. Sounds quite a bit like a certain two year old we know!  She enjoys learning to play the piano and loves showing others how to play. 

We are adopting through China's special needs program. Our little girl was one child of almost 2000 children on China's waiting child list. I will write about our daughter's special need at a later date. We are so thankful to know that she is living in an amazing medical foster home that looks out for her needs.  

I'm sure everybody would love to see a photo and I am sorry to say you are just going to have to wait! Although it is not an official rule, we have been advised to wait on posting any public photos. The pictures we have seen of her are so sweet. She's always smiling for the camera and she has a dimple on her right cheek just like Liya! 

My Baby Is Two

We celebrated Liya's second birthday last week. I can't believe our baby is two!  We gave her a Dinosaur Train train set in the morning. She had fun with mommy during the day and then we met daddy in town for some birthday frozen yogurt.  She had her own cup for the first time and enjoyed every messy bite.

Birthday call from aunt Laura.

Watching daddy leave for work.

Fun with colored water.

Two hours later!

Yogurt with all the fixings: fruit and marshmallows.

More on the previous post coming soon!

Here's a Hint

Wednesday

Playing Liya's favorite game. Mamasaurus is coming!

Kite Flying With Daddy