New Pictures of Our Boy!!

Hi,

We have been so blessed to have our son in an orphanage that is willing to share information about their children. They have been so willing to give us updated medical information and developmental information throughout the year. At one point, they even took him for some blood work when we asked about a specific blood test. And, of course, we have received some amazing pictures so we can kind of watch him grow! I received new information this morning. This is what I have learned:

He is 36 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds (that is about 50th percentile)...so he is growing well and quite big for China standards! He hasn't had any medical issues lately, he sleeps in a crib, takes a nap from 1-3 pm, is potty trained (yeah!), drinks from a straw, likes all toys, can go up and down stairs, and is not a picky eater!

Enjoy the pictures! I can't stop looking at them!

Lisa

Adoption News!!

We received big news on Friday night! I was sitting down to relax after getting the kids to bed and the phone rang about 10 pm. When I saw who was calling, I almost couldn't answer the phone. It was our adoption agency and I knew what the call was all about! When I answered she said we had our LOA! That is our approval letter from China! It means China has reviewed all of our paperwork, agreed that we can definitely be Xie Feng's parents, and are requesting confirmation that we accept! And, we do!! It typically takes about 90 days to receive your acceptance from China after you've submitted your paperwork. Ours took 80 days. I expected it to take 100 or more with the Olympics coming up. It's funny...guess where Pete was the day the agency called? In China!!

What does this all mean? It means that we will leave in 6-8 weeks to bring our son home! Since the 6-week mark falls right when the kids are going back to school, we will probably leave sometime between Sept 5th and Sept 10th. That's our best guess now, but that can always change. Anyway, what do we do between now and then? TONS! We are doing an addition on the house that hasn't started. We need to pick a name. We need to order furniture. We need clothes and sippy cups, and plastic plates, and little boy toys...things we no longer have! On top of that, we need to plan our trip, get all the paperwork in order, go on a 10 day vacation, and get the kids ready for school. Wow...it's overwhelming to think about, but all I can say is that I know it will all fall into place. I'm eerily calm right now...that will most likely change!!

Amelia Rides a Two-Wheeler!

This is a big day for Amelia! She has tried and tried to learn to ride her bike, without training wheels. Well, it took several years and a little motivation, but she's finally done it!! What motivated her? Amelia saw her first grade teacher (that she adores) drive by and wave to her while she was riding her bike with training wheels. Amelia turned to me and said "I bet Mrs. P. is wondering why I'm still on training wheels! I want to learn how to ride without them." We went home and she was determined to learn...and she did!! Well, we're still working on getting her to start on her own, but that will come with time. Go Amelia!!