So sorry I haven't checked in!

I'm so so sorry I haven't checked in since our referral pictures. Maybe one day soon I'll blog about everything that has happened. I just have to get my head on straight again from all the travel. First and most important is that Ariel-Layne is a dream! She is so perfect for us. We love her so so much and can't imagine life without her. She is happy most all the time with the exception of having her diaper changed and going to sleep. I'm sure her internal clock is on a whirl and it will take a bit for it to be normal. I know mine is as I've been sick for 2 days with fever, chills and just feeling awful. At least her not sleeping doesn't keep me awake because I can't sleep either.

We had our first doctors appt. and Dr. Montesi says she is healthy and happy! I'm so so glad! Anyway hoping in the next few weeks to talk about China and all that happened there.

PICTURES!!!!!!

We just got home from a trip to Jackson and are so tired. I will blog more tomorrow but since so many people are asking, here is our GORGEOUS baby girl Ariel-Layne (That is her final name, haha)

We are beyond in love with her!!!!!

The box changed!!!!!

Also quoting Bethany's Blog!


06/09/2008
REFERRALS!
Bethany Christian Services just received 7 female referrals from the Guangxi Province!!! Five are for our January 17, 2006 LID group and two are expedited referrals for families with LID's in November 2006. Congratulations! CCAA has confirmed matching referrals through January 20,2006. Our next LID's are: January 24, 2006, February 6, 2006, February 20, 2006 and February 22, 2006.Families will be seeing their children's referral information tomorrow. When CCAA updates their "referrals matched through LID" notice on the portal, we will update the blog. We did receive notification from CCAA that these June referrals will most likely not be able to travel until after the Olympics.

Love at first sight!

Peggy sent us faxed pictures of Ariel today. They are a bit blurry and of course black and white but we are in love! She looks so chubby! She has a little double chin and is simply gorgeous! I just want to hold her in my arms and never let go!!!!

From everything I can tell all of her medical reports are normal. On her behavior report it says that she is a deep sleeper and very active. She would rather play then sit quietly and she is LOUD! It also says she is Impatient, just like her mommy!!!!!!!!!

We should have pictures in full color by Thursday. We are going to Jackson tomorrow to get her real colored pictures and then spending the night and picking John Cole up from camp on Thursday.

When he finally called me yesterday the call went like this,

"Hey Big Brother!"

"For real?"

"Yep"

"Wow, I'm not supposed to be on the phone but I snuck a call because I figured this was it!!!!"

"Sure is, do you want to know her birthday?"

"Yeah"

"September 18th, 2007!"

"FOR REAL!!!!!! That is the coolest thing EVER!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!! WOW"


Then last night when he called his daddy he said "Wow, I'm a brother it hasn't sunk in yet, it's like it's not real." Believe me we know the feeling!!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!

We just got the call!

Her name is Jiang Yi Yu she was born on 9-18-2007 and she is waiting for us in Guangxi Province! We are beyond thrilled.

We got the call on June 9th around 1:30.

We will have a lot of sharing birthdays in the future!!!!

I will post more later when I calm down!!!!!

I'm Scared and Excited and Nervous and Crazy!!

Yep I'm terrified! It's 1:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. Tomorrow could be the day. I pray that tomorrow is the day because I think I might literally end up going nuts if it isn't. I don't know how to express the emotions that are going on inside me right now. We took John Cole to Jackson to Hinds to Natural Resource Camp and I hated letting him go. I want him with me during all of this. Anyway I've been shaking pretty much all day long. I ate dinner, got a little sick so didn't eat supper. Now my stomach is growling but I couldn't swallow food if I tried. Wow, I guess you miss all these feelings going through labor because of the pain. This becoming a new mommy through adoption has labor pains that are far different but no less fullfilling and rewarding although terrifying. Just like labor pains. With John Cole I was in labor for 18 hours. I've been pretty nervous for a few weeks now but I can honestly say the sheer terror/panic/excitement/shaking/not eating came on around 4:30 or so this afternoon. So as right now we are over 9 hours of labor. If anyone besides me is reading this I commend you because I am probably babbling and making no sense.

It's just really funny the similarities of labor with John Cole and now with Ariel.

With John Cole I looked forward to seeing him for 9 months. With Ariel it's been 28 months. Wow, big difference there!

Labor with John Cole started around 2 in the morning and with Ariel it was about 4:30 in the afternoon.

Labor with John Cole lasted 18 hours, with Ariel......................it could be tomorrow or the next day.

Labor with John Cole was painful because of real true life pain! With Ariel it's painful because of my nerves. It's a mental pain of I'm going crazy!!!!!

The expectation with John Cole and Ariel is the same. I'm awaiting MY CHILD! I will finally see my child's face! The love is no different. I was in love with John Cole from the moment he was conceived and I've been in love with Ariel since we knew God had our daughter waiting on us in China.

One thing that's funny. After John Cole was born the Dr. gave him to John to take to the nursery. Right after John had put John Cole in the nurse's hands he fainted. I'm really wondering if I will be the one experiencing the fainting this time, LOL!

This is truly going to be one of the most memorable days of my life and one of the most important. First was our wedding. Marrying my best friend and soul mate on March 9th 1991. Second was the birth of John Cole. Our first baby and our son. He is the world to us and growing into such an awesome young man. I thank God for him every single day. Now the birth of our second child, Ariel. Born in our heart over 3 years ago but finally hopefully tomorrow a face to put with the name. Our child given to us by God.

I think another thing that's so important for me tonight is to pray that God gives a certain peace to Ariel's birth mother. A women who we will never know but who is so important to us. Who loved her daughter so much and went through so much to bring her into this world. I just pray tonight that God gives her a kind of peace to know that her daughter will be introduced to her forever family tomorrow. God please let her know that her daughter will be loved and cherished and taken care of forever. Please let her know that we will protect her with everything that we are, and that we will love her with everything that we are. That she will have everything that it's humanly possible for us to give her. Lord just let her know how deeply deeply we love her and appreciate her and how Ariel will always know about her and the sacrifice that she has made. Two mothers feeling very similar feelings of fear and uncertainty but the universal feeling of true and deep love for a daughter.

I suppose I should try to sleep. Funny thing, sleeping during labor. At least trying. God I'm putting all of this into Your Hands! My fear, panic, excitement, crazyness. Lord this is a huge day for all of us. I put YOU in the middle Lord. I put my faith, hope, and trust in Your Hands. I know this is Your Will and again I know that Your Will will not take us where YOUR GRACE will not protect and lead us. I love you God. Thank you for bringing us this far into the journey for our daughter. Again I put my trust and faith in you to bring us through the rest of the journey and to help us in raising a wonderful daughter! She will always be brought up to love and trust you Lord.

Sleep now........Lord keep our baby girl close in Your Heart!

Rumor Queen and Agency Updates as of Friday June 6th.

Well it looks like the cut off for the month of June is going to be January 22nd!

That means,

WE ARE IN!!!!!

Agencies are expecting the arrival of something Monday. Everyone thinks that it is proably referrals. According to Peggy, Grand Rapids will get the referral and then call her to let her know they are here. She will then call us and let us know. I hope that she has the information on who our daughter is, her name, her age, where she is, etc. Then I believe Grand Rapids overnights the package to Peggy and we will go and pick it up in Jackson either Tuesday or Wednesday! I can't wait! Finally after all of these years!

John Cole has Natural Resource Camp so he won't be with us to actually pick up the package but we will take her picture to him so he can see her!

Right now it's up in the air about whether or not we will travel before, during or after the Olympics. That's something that we will see what Bethany says. Of course we would love to get her as soon as possible but know that realistically it could get very expensive and hard to travel during the Olympics. Some people are saying that their agencies say that we can get there and back before the Olympics start. Others say that as long as we don't have to travel through Beijing that we will be fine. So we shall see.

I'm going to end by thanking God for everthing he has gotten us through. God please kiss our baby girl and let her know that we will know who she is very soon and hopefully will have her in our arms soon. Let her know that we love her more then anything and can't wait to see her. Let her know that she has a family who can't wait to get to her. Love you God, Amen.

A Sign from God

So tonight John and I decided to go outside in the pool for awhile. We were actually looking to see if we could see the International Space Station but we never saw it.

Anyway I love floating around the pool and looking at the stars and the sky. Of course, living in the delta mosquitos are horrible. Anyway it was still beautiful. Finally John had enough of the mosquitos and he said let's go inside. It was about 9:30.

So as John was getting out and drying off I was floating around just thinking and decided to pray. I was thanking God for getting us this far in the adoption process and thanking him for everything. Then I said "God I love you so much, thank you so much for everything but if you could show me some kind of sign that we will finally see our baby next week. Show me that it will all be alright."

Well not 30 seconds later as I was floating there and it was all quiet a beautiful shootin star streaked across the sky. Immediantly in my mind came the words,

"Ask and you shall receive."

Oh wow!!!!!

Some more things I want to add!

Today I want to add some pictures! The first two are from the Matching Room in China. This is where we are matched with our child. I think God is at work the hardest here. Or maybe it isn't so hard for him because of course he knows who our daughter is.

Songs

These are some songs that I want to look at when I have the time. No new news on the referral yet. Jus hanging in there and being scared to death, LOL!

New News from CCAA

Notice on Temporary Extension of the Validity Period of Notice of Coming to China for Adoption
Date of Release:May 21,2008　　Source:CCAA
Central Authorities and adoption agencies of adoptive countries, Considering that a number of people will travel to China for match-watching and tour during the Beijing Olympic Games, China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) decided to extend the validity period of Notice of Coming to China for Adoption from three months to five months for referrals in June and July in order to help adoptive families avoid the travel peak and have more time to arrange their journey in China for adoption. By that time, please check the validity period and remind the adoptive families to make proper arrangement of their travel to China for adoption. For those who plan to travel to China for adoption during the Olympics, please contact the provincial departments of civil affairs for registration at least 15 days in advance so that the adoption process here will go smoothly.
China Center of Adoption Affairs

What I see this as meaning is that we will have the choice to travel DURING the Olympics and hopefully skip Beijing if we want! I am so thrilled to read this. Maybe this is the start of good news for awhile!!!!!

I'm so ready to see our Ariel's face! Lord watch over her and keep her safe and be with all the people effected by the earthquake!

I'm so excited I'm shaking!!!!