OFFICIAL LID!!!

We received an email yesterday from our agency. Our official LID is 9/14. That means that today we are at day #41 of waiting for our TA!!! We could have it within a few weeks!!!

We are so excited!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful news from afar!!!!

Friends

For all of our wonderful friends!

http://www.clementsen.com/email/friendship.php

To YaYa or Not To YaYa

For those of you who are unaware, my kids call me "YaYa". Marty and I have been married for about 2.5 years. When we got married, his son Keith wasn't sure what to call me. So, Lola told him that I'd said once upon a time that I'd like to be called "YaYa" when I have grandchildren. So, for the past 2.5 years, I have been called "YaYa" by Keith, usually by Brice and occaisionally by Josh and Lo.
Now we are adopting the lovely Miss Han Wei Ya. You'll never guess what her little nickname is in the orphanage! That's right! She is "YaYa"!!! So, now we have the quandry of wondering what Keith will now call me since everytime he yells out "YAYA!!!" Brinley will think that someone is calling her.
We do want to call her Brinley. (I think Lola is planning on calling her "Beaner" ever since I dreamed that everyone was calling her that! ugh!) We just hope she will adjust to hearing "YaYa", too.

Can We Go Now???

I feel like a child coming to the end of a long journey, "Are we there yet???"

Instead I feel like asking "Can we go now???"

Just really ready for Brinley to join our family. I've never held her......but I miss her.
Isn't that odd?

Maybe just a few more weeks......

Goodness knows, I have plenty to do to keep me busy! We're still doing our version of Trading Spaces around here with Brice moving into Josh's room and Brinley having Brice's former room. So much to do!!!

Finally feeling a bit more like Fall here in the South! HOORAY!!!!

Brinley's punkin'!

Our little pumpkin patch in front of our house! :)

Nursery Plans

There have been definite changes in our plans for Brinley's room. Before we even found Brinley, I bought a crib set that I just loved......and I still do......but it just doesn't seem 'right' for Brinley. Sooooooo, I am going to sell that set on eBay and her room is now going to be done in Raggedy Ann.
I have always loved Raggedy Ann and I hope that Brinley will, too. I've had the wallpaper border for quite a while and was going to use it in my sewing room but I think our daughter will enjoy it even more.
I've bought coordinating fabric that I can use for the curtains and the crib ruffle. I am so excited about this change in plans!

Someone sent this to me and I thought it was so cute!

Waiting on LID

We are "patiently" waiting on our LID (log-in date). Once we get this date we'll have a better idea of when we might be traveling. Cross your fingers and say a prayer that we got an early LID so that we can have Brinley home for Christmas!
I can't wait to make her smile!!! :)

26 months old

Another month has gone by......Brin is 26 months old now.

We'll be there soon, sweetie!

A Brinley Sighting!

I received an email this morning from another adoptive mom. She was inGuilin last week to pick up her daughter and when she was at the orphanage, she said she thought she saw Brinley in one of the toddler rooms. She said that all of the babies appear to be happy and healthy! Wonderful news! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH ELIZABETH!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!

Family!

It was wonderful seeing Aunt Mae, Uncle Bill and Belinda while we were at Mom's house! I really miss seeing them! Uncle Bill printed out Brinley's picture and they have it framed in their home! I just love my family!!!! :)

Package Mailed To Brinley

Yesterday I mailed our first package to Brinley. I kept thinking that there was something else we should send. We sent:
*A pink bunny rabbit security blanket
*A picture book
*A photo album with pictures of our family
*Three bags of candy for the kids and the nannies
*A disposable camera we hope will be used to take pictures of Brinley while she is living in the orphanage and returned to us when we pick her up.
*A little toy car with a little asian girl that goes in it.
It seems like there was something else too but I can't remember.We are planning to send another package before we go either with a traveling family or mailing it. I definitely want to send more pictures of us and our house and her room and our pets. I thought about sending an outfit but I decided not to. Many times the children are brought to the families wearing clothing that was sent to the child by their new families. I want Brinley to come to us with her clothing from the orphanage so that it will be something for her to keep and treasure. I am so ready to bring her home!!!

NEW PHOTOS OF BRINLEY!!!!

Last night we received a precious gift!!!
I knew Brinley had been on my mind and in my heart a lot lately....more than usual as I said yesterday. Well, we had no idea that in a few hours we would have a new image of our Princess of Pout right before our eyes!!! Around 9pm last night we received this new photo of Brinley in an email from Stefani at our agency!!! It was taken on August 31...less than a week ago. She's grown so much! I cried such happy tears when I saw how healthy she looks!!! My oh my but look at that pouty little mouth! LOL No doubt she was not a happy camper when this photo was taken! Her daddy grins everytime he sees the picture and says, "She' gonna be a handful!"
He knows he won't be able to resist her cute little pout!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You won't believe it!!!! We have just been blessed with two more photos of our sweetheart!!

I just got them in another email!!!

For some reason I am really, really wanting to get Brinley home lately....more than the norm.
I feel like someone is missing all of the time. I'm not counting down the days since we were DTC. It's a bit pointless right now....such a long time to wait still.

Brinley, I hope that you are sleeping peacefully in your crib tonight and that you know in your little heart that daddy and I are out here and that we already love you so very much. Today daddy has been talking about building you a playhouse and he's been working in the backyard to make it a wonderful place for you to play. We all love you and can't wait for you to be home with us!!! ~Mommy

25 months old

Today Brinley is 25 months old!
We are finally DTC....just waiting on the LID and TA now!!!
We are praying that it will go by very quickly!!!

Excuse me while I jump and shout!!!!!!
OUR DOSSIER IS ON IT'S WAY TO CHINA!!!!!
We got an email today with our FedEx tracking number! It was sent out yesterday!!!I just checked the FedEx number and it has made a stop in Anchorage, Alaska!!!
We are THRILLED to finally be at this point!!!
Brinley, we will be there soon!!!! :)

Okay......I know everyone is sick of hearing about the dossier but we are soooooooooooo excited to know that Stefani (at our adoption agency) has it!!! I just feel like shouting!!! Next stop for our dossier is CHINA!!!!!!!!! Hooooooooray!!!!!!!!! Stefani said she thinks our dossier will go out Friday!!!
Still hoping to have our baby home to celebrate Jesus' birthday with us!!! :)