We're Counting Down....

...the DAYS until we see Yuan/Noelle!  Not in years or months but in days after waiting 5 years and 6 months to travel!   :D

There is a lot more paperwork to be filled out which is the hard part about adoptions.  So much paperwork, you have no idea unless you have been through this!

We are now waiting for our provisional approval and when we get that, we will start to apply for our China visas.  We are all 3 still planning on going to China.  Wayne has heard nothing regarding his work situation, not even a rejection letter.  :(  No news is good news??  ;D  I am sure if he were to get a job before we travel, they would understand about him needing a family leave of absence.  My company I work for already has said fine, just let us know what dates you will be gone. Of course I will get no pay when I am gone either. 

I am very "hormonal" right now with all the adoption plans.  Just like I was right before Emma's adoption.  Everything is going as planned but there is still that little voice in my head that brings in the "what if's?"

I am a nervous wreck and I can cry at the drop of a hat, plus I am having cold feet, but every time I look at the photo here on my desk of this precious little Chinese girl, the cold feet warm up quickly. 

I thought we had received new photos today and I anxiously opened the window only to find that they are photos we already have - where Yuan has layers and layers of clothes on.  Sigh.  We would love more photos and hopefully one where she is smiling.

We will be mailing off a care package to China and keeping our fingers crossed.  We were told to not have the package over an average shoebox size as it might get lost in customs.  :(  Also the things we are sending to the orphanage we have been told we may never see again.  However, our orphanage is one of the better ones when it comes to the nannies taking photos and writing things down regarding Yuan.

We are sending a musical toy for Yuan (which Emma had as a baby also, but this one is brand new just for Noelle), Dove chocolates for the nannies, a soft photo album for Noelle to look at and I also made sure to put colorful fun photos in it so Noelle would love looking at it.  She will have no idea we are her new family until we get there, but there are photos of all of us plus a few of the pets.  We also are sending a disposable camera that the nannies will (hopefully) take photos of Yuan with that we will retrieve when we get to China so we will always have orphanage photos for Yuan to see.  I wish we would have had that option when we adopted Emma.

Emma put stickers all over everything for Noelle which was so sweet.  She still really seems so excited about her sister.  That is one of the reasons I am so nervous about the adoption, as if it didn't go through, it wouldn't be a good thing for Emma.  She is expecting a sister, wants a sister and already loves her sister (giving Noelle's photo a kiss the other day). 

Note the paper on the left with the red seal - that is our acceptance of Yuan to adopt her.  You can barely see the little x at the bottom on the left, but it is there! 

Godspeed little package - make it to China soon to precious Yuan!!

P.S.  In the photos where there is paperwork, I erased last names and wording and some dates just for security so the paperwork might look messy.  Also the translation department at our adoption agency put my letter into Chinese for us - how great is that?