Days go by...

We are so blessed to have our daughter in such good hands that I think it really makes the wait easier for us. I did not say easy however. The pictures we receive of her are beautiful, I need a better camera to keep up the quality! Timeline wise we are pretty close to requesting a court date. Because of a few new laws, we needed a signature and a report back from a social worker to request such date. After that we'll be able to move forward until we hit another bump in the road. While I would rather fly over these bumps and get some sweet airtime, it's probably better that the Lord grants me patience and we smooth them out instead. We are very excited for Nora to come home. Honestly, her room is near ready and Jude's pre-loved cloth diapers are washed and folded in a bin. A great friend with great taste has filled Ellinor's closet with not-your-average-hand-me-downs. We feel pretty ready. Every once in a while my mind reminds me that I haven't ever done this before. Adoption. But then I remind my mind that there's lots of things I haven't done before and everything is working out alright. We also are very lucky to have so much adoption around our family that it seems very natural. Children, all of them, are a blessing. I am so grateful that my job and my life cause me to encounter so many children of all kinds. I try not to take for granted what I have been entrusted with. (Not like i'm a chosen one or anything, too much Harry Potter?) But there are days I don't think twice about reflecting on what I've learned from the less vertical of the population. not to mention, kids really do say the funniest things. Anyway, there's my thoughts for the month and a little update. Pray with us that we can apply to court soon and that a court date will follow shortly after!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

I could write a post every week. But the topic would be the same: Waiting. Right now we're waiting for a signature, after that we'll be able to apply for a court date in Taiwan! Until then...

Hello sweet girl!

Our Daughter

We have a daughter! She is practically perfect in every way and we are in love! This girl has amazing hair, I can't wait for the pig tails! More than that we can't wait to hold her. All in time, but while we wait, Ellinor is in the best care, and we get pictures almost every month. A gift. So here she is at 6 months old.

Believe it or not her hair has relaxed since her early days :)

E at 3 months ish...

Big Bro around the same age!

We are grateful. Please pray for smooth sailing as we move forward.

Like right now

"Mom? Do you think my baby sister knows there's mashed potatoes in french fries?"
"Nope, I guess you'll just have to tell her when she gets here."
"She should be here. Like right now."

Forward

Yesterday, I wrote after a very encouraging email. Approved. Later, in the evening (morning in Taiwan) I got an email with the subject line 'get started!' I had asked if we should go ahead and do our home study update when it runs out (which is soon anyway) or if we should just wait so that it would last longer ie: do it right before we get a referral. The email message that followed was even more exciting than the subject:

"Please get started as soon as possible!  You are very close!!!"

Well that's a lot faster than we expected! Our application approval took 3 months instead of the regular 1. This next part, waiting to hear when to start our referral because we're getting close, usually takes 8-16 months... and it took us maybe 8 hours? I'm not complaining!

It is a strange phenomena to ignore the part of the brain that longs for your child. This part of your family you've never met. Ignoring your longing is a coping mechanism because nothing about international adoption is predictable. I didn't even realize that I had pushed all of those thoughts and emotions towards the back of my brain, until it was go time. My friend always tells me it's not for the faint of heart, and she is right. It might seem cold or the opposite of nurturing but like I said it's a coping mechanism.

Then, every once in a while, it's go time! Get  as much paper work and appointments completed in the smallest amount of time so that the part that you can control isn't the part that slows anything down. That's where we're at right now - update background checks, intervention checks, medicals and the home study as fast as we can so we can send it to the Alberta government to re-approve us. For a different country this time (more on that another day). Then we'll send it to Taiwan and wait for a referral. We'll do lots of immigration work so that when they say she's ours there will be no more waiting. Except maybe the day of travelling to her :)

My same friend refers to this up & down as 'Hurry Up and Wait' (She coined this phrase based on her families experience with international adoption.) It couldn't be a more perfect way to describe this process.

His Hands Taiwan Xi En

This morning I woke up to a really great e-mail! It was the one where His Hands Taiwan/ Taiwan Xi En (http://taiwanxien.org/) said that our application has been approved and we are accepted to their program for adoption! Needless to say I cried then called Matt, texted my family, and our friends, woohoo!

There are so many positive things about adopting our child from this ministry.Their mission is first to the mothers who are pregnant and need an option to carry their child to term. They've made a home for them, created work for them, they ensure good maternal care and they act out Jesus' love all day and all night. Because of this, we have a greater chance of meeting our child's birthmom - an opportunity of a lifetime really. Our daughter will be in a nursery while we process paperwork that has nannies who will love her, so that when we come for her she will be able to love us. We also will get to skype her, she will know our voices and faces (depending on the internet connection :)) before we can get to her. We'll be able to send her care packages and support the people who created this ministry long after she is home and will have comfort knowing that when we are able to return to Taiwan as a family down the road there will be connections and familiar faces.

Regardless of how she comes to us, she is the child God has for us. Just like how he perfectly created our son. We are beyond excited!

We still have a long road before she will be home with us; paperwork, more paper work, approvals and decrees, appointments and travel plans, and just some straight up waiting, but I am so relieved that it feels like forward!

P.S. HH even asked for our home study because we are close to the top of the list and its almost time to start translation!!!

Waiting: The Eb and Flow

This last month, waiting has been difficult. I've learned about myself that when there is nothing to do to progress the adoption I am fine. I am able to go on with my life like a normal person. When I am waiting for an e-mail I feel like I am also waiting to choose her name and waiting to start decorating her room, waiting to book flights, start a life book, and waiting to hold her.

Because of recent e-mails, we are greatly reconsidering Taiwan Xi En, and at this point are holding very loosely our own plans, and are clinging to His instead. We also are waiting for a reply that could decide where are daughter will be rooted. We already had this part figured out and that is why we once again are reminded this is not our plan, but our journey.

When I'm waiting, we're all waiting because I process the majority of my thoughts out loud. I've caught up on every blog, every facebook page, any resource having to with a related adoption story and still haven't heard back. I am learning patience. Over the last week though my anxiousness had subsided and God has given me that peace. Today there were posts and statuses and I no longer feel like everything stopped. The best thing though was when my little man came in my room and declared, "My baby sister needs a new toy. Maybe a bigger one, for when she gets bigger." Insert my thoughts-"A bigger toy like one you'd like to play with...?" But he continued with questions, "Will we get to keep her when she's big?" "Yes, we get to keep her forever." "Like for Christmas and Easter?" "Yes,we get to keep her forever." "Like until she's this big?" "Yes, we'll get to keep her forever, just like we get to keep you forever." (Later he was distracted by the Caillou theme song, an episode which was about Chinese New Year!)

Speaking of forever, My hubby's brother got married this weekend, and I was with my soon-to-be-sister-in-law the day before. She was different than other bride's I've spent time with because even though she was so excited to be with the one she loved the most, she also was calm because she knew she would have her entire life to be with him. God-willing, as she would say.

As I write this I realize the same; I can't wait to be with our daughter and there is peace in the reassurance that, "Yes, we will get to keep her forever!"