We're Adopting...AGAIN!!!

When I said this week was going to be exciting, I R-E-A-L-L-Y had no idea.

(Okay, I know you're just here for the pictures, but the story is pretty a.maz.ing.  Go ahead; scroll to the bottom and look at the pictures, but then come back and read about how God brought this special little one into our family.)

Monday Night: 9:00 p.m. 

China makes the files of new children available to adoption agencies.  Our agency is unable to find a little one who seems to "fit" our family's parameters but sends us the file of a child to consider anyway.  (By "locking" this file for us, they automatically give us 72 hours to make a decision about whether or not to move forward to adopt this child.)  This child has a special need that we have only learned about in recent months.  I am obsessively refreshing happen to be checking my email and receive this child's file.  Seeing that the special needs listed aren't one of the needs we have seriously been thinking about, I mentally prepare myself to keep waiting.  I send an email to one of the amazing, lovely people at our agency, letting them know that we will hang in there and wait a little longer.

Wednesday Afternoon: 3:30 p.m.

If we were going to move forward with the child whose file we received Monday, this would be the time to let our agency know.  Since we've opted to wait, I spend my afternoon checking for China adoption news online.  I read a post on a China forum I stalk read once in a while from an adoptive mom I've met online.  She asks for people to let her know if they become aware of waiting children with thalassemia, as she has a little guy with this condition and loves to help these little ones find their families.  

Hhhhhmmmm...the little one our agency sent us for consideration has thalassemia.  I'd love to find a family for this little one since we have decided to keep waiting.  I quickly email this mom, attaching pictures of the child and asking if there's anything I can do to help her find a family for this little one.

Wednesday Afternoon: 4:30 p.m.

I get a return email.  The mom is excited to advocate for this child and asks for more information, which I send her right away.  I know this little one's file will be released on Thursday night at 9:00, so I'm eager to get this information out to potential families.

 

Wednesday Evening: 6:30 pm...okay, so maybe it was more like 6:38 p.m.

We arrive at our weekly small group.  This group has been awesome and so supportive of us on our adoption journey!  We ask them to pray for our Little Man and for our desire to be matched with a second child.  Several people pray specifically for God to guide us and provide for us as we move forward.

 

Wednesday Night: 9:00 p.m.

Jeremy and I put Li'l Miss to bed and sit down together on the couch.  I check my email and see that I have a response from the woman I emailed earlier.  She is very excited about this little one and feels he has a great prognosis.  She says she will pass the information on to potential adoptive parents.  Jeremy reads the email over my shoulder.

We look at the pictures of the child that our agency sent on Monday night.  

We reread the email.  

We read through the child's file.

We look at each other.

We frantically call our agency's China Specialist (Heidi) on her personal cell phone to ask if it's even possible for us to consider this child since we were supposed to let them know if we were interested, um, like Wednesday afternoonish so that the appropriate documents could be translated and sent to China on Thursday.  She doesn't answer.

Being the amazing, lovely person that she is, Heidi calls us back 37 seconds later.  She just happens to still be in the office.  And, yes, we can still consider this little one.  But, she kindly lets us know, she doesn't want to push us, but we might need to rush just a bit on making our decision.

Jeremy and I look at each other again.

We pray together.

We fill out our paperwork.

Thursday Morning, 11:37 a.m.

We get an email from our agency saying this...

This has to be a CHI record for the fastest turn around of translations and application completion! Wow! We worked through the night and the application has been officially submitted for the CCCWA to review. Since this is a second child we anticipate it could take up to 2 weeks for the CCCWA to review and answer.

I check in on a few of my China groups and am shocked at what I find.  The boards are buzzing with rumors that China will be changing its adoption process.  One of the changes coming, the rumors assert, is that China will no longer be allowing concurrent (two at once) adoptions.   

Seriously?  

We are quickly falling in love with this special little one, and now we're going to have to wait two weeks to find out if China will even let us adopt another child?  I take a lot of really deep breaths and tell myself that it's a good thing I gave up worrying for Lent.

I email our agency, thinking that they're probably ready to offer another agency money to take me on as a client right now.  They say they haven't heard anything official from China, but they have heard the rumors.  They tell us to cross our fingers and toes for PA (Pre-Approval) from China.

I take lots of really deep breaths and remind myself again that 

I. GAVE. UP. WORRYING. FOR. LENT.

Thursday Night, 9:11 p.m.

I get an email from our agency.  It says this...

In keeping with the whirlwind theme, it seems that the CCCWA would also like to participate. Much to my deep surprise, the PA has already been issued! They have only been to work for 2 hours. So, approval of concurrent adoptions is definitely still happening for [your family]!

A huge congratulations!!! 

So...

We're adopting baby boy #2!!!

Want to meet him?  He will celebrate his first birthday on the 20th, and he's oh-so-deliciously-adorable.

Please, now I R-E-A-L-L-Y need those boy name suggestions! :)