We've been talking about starting the adoption process again for awhile. Over the last 25 months we've added two adorable boys to our family, bought a house that had been empty and unloved for a very long time, owned two houses at once for a very long time, listed and then tried to sell a house for a very long time (showing a house with three preschoolers is pretty much at the top of my list of 10 Least Favorite Things Ever), and fixed the garage door/carpet/drywall/toilets/cabinets/appliances/lighting/doors and more in our new house. So, even though some of us have been sick with baby fever for quite a while, those of us who tend to be a little more rational stinkin' slow to get on board suggested that maybe waiting to bring another child into our family would be a good idea.
For the last few months of 2014, Jeremy and I talked and prayed about the right time to begin the adoption process. We included our kids in this discussion, and they were not slow to get on board. (Li'l Miss has been asking for a sister pretty much since we got off the plane in 2012. Li'l Man keeps announcing that he wants five boys and five girls, while proudly holding up both hands full of fingers. Li'l Dude...well...we're counting on him getting used to the idea.) As a family, we decided to move forward at the beginning of 2015.
Then we got a little Christmas surprise.
On Christmas Eve, our agency posted the files of several newly assigned waiting children. When we woke up on Christmas morning, even more little ones had been listed. One of those sweeties seemed like a good fit for our family. (Actually, most of them did, but someone is cutting me off at one this time.) We asked to see this little one's file and received it right away; because the awesome ladies on our adoption team work to find kids families even on Christmas.
On December 30, we officially told our agency we were ready to begin the adoption process, and that we would like to ask Ch*na's permission to make that little Christmas baby part of our family. We've been quiet about this news because we've been waiting for Pre-Approval (PA) from Ch*na. This is the first step in the process of adopting a specific child (basically the "matching" step).
This afternoon we got a call from our adoption agency. They said that we have officially received PA for...
...OUR DAUGHTER!
I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to our Li'l Bean (who, in our unique family tradition, will probably not have an actual English name until the day we meet her).
For the last few months of 2014, Jeremy and I talked and prayed about the right time to begin the adoption process. We included our kids in this discussion, and they were not slow to get on board. (Li'l Miss has been asking for a sister pretty much since we got off the plane in 2012. Li'l Man keeps announcing that he wants five boys and five girls, while proudly holding up both hands full of fingers. Li'l Dude...well...we're counting on him getting used to the idea.) As a family, we decided to move forward at the beginning of 2015.
Then we got a little Christmas surprise.
On Christmas Eve, our agency posted the files of several newly assigned waiting children. When we woke up on Christmas morning, even more little ones had been listed. One of those sweeties seemed like a good fit for our family. (Actually, most of them did, but someone is cutting me off at one this time.) We asked to see this little one's file and received it right away; because the awesome ladies on our adoption team work to find kids families even on Christmas.
On December 30, we officially told our agency we were ready to begin the adoption process, and that we would like to ask Ch*na's permission to make that little Christmas baby part of our family. We've been quiet about this news because we've been waiting for Pre-Approval (PA) from Ch*na. This is the first step in the process of adopting a specific child (basically the "matching" step).
This afternoon we got a call from our adoption agency. They said that we have officially received PA for...
...OUR DAUGHTER!
I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to our Li'l Bean (who, in our unique family tradition, will probably not have an actual English name until the day we meet her).
Li'l Bean is 19 months old and has an unrepaired heart defect (which I will share more about in another post). She has stolen our hearts, and we can't wait to meet her. We are working hard to keep our process moving along.
In the meantime...girl names, anyone?
Eileen!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, but don't give all your girl names away. Aren't you going to need one sometime soon? :)
DeleteI'm so excited/ecstatic/rejoicing for you all. I love the name Eden, so much meaning to that name. Levi, our 3rd if a girl was going to be Eden.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annie! We are thrilled! I really like Eden, too.
Delete