Easter pictures

 Brothers

 Boys with Grandma and Grandpa

 Jordan searching for eggs.  He got a basket full.

Playing in the playhouse on the farm where the Easter egg hunt took place.  A beautiful place.  It was a beautiful day and both boys got lots of easter eggs.  Lots of fun.

Jordan outside playing

Aunt Candace, Uncle Jeremy and cousin Channing visiting

Jordan is doing so well.  He laughs and smiles a lot.  He loves playing with his big brother.  We are so thankful that he is with us now and we love him so much!

We're home!!

Well, I never got to add updates in China because I didn't know I had to have a VPN.  I've never heard of such a thing.  Three years ago when we went to get Josiah, I was able to get on the blog with no problem.  Guess a lot has changed since then!

We are glad to be home!  Jordan is doing well.  Took him several days in China to be comfortable enough to get down and walk and play.  He has the biggest, cutest smile and laugh.  We found his tickle spot on his belly and he loves it.  He is a big eater and will eat anything we put in front of him.  He is so little.  He's 2 years old and is wearing 12-18 month clothes.   

Sean has the next two weeks off which is great.  Jordan has been waking up the last two nights screaming and takes a while to calm.  He's been to two different hotels and now our house in two weeks.  Lots of changes for a little man.

Josiah is doing well.  He is being a great big brother and helping Mommy.  Sean and Josiah have already taught Jordan how to do "knuckles" and elbow bump (something Sean made up). 

China itinerary

We received our China itinerary yesterday.  Jordan will be in our arms on the 20th!!  It doesn't seem real. 

Please pray for our journey and that we all will be and will stay healthy while in China. 

CA!

We received our consulate appointment today!!!!!!!  CA is Feb 27th at 10am!!!! We are leaving in approx 2 weeks!!!!!!  I can't believe it!!!  We're almost there!!!

Mommy, Daddy and big brother will be there soon to get you, Jordan!!! 

TA! TA! TA! TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got our travel approval today!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Our agency will be requesting our consulate appointment next Monday after Chinese New Year.  We are requesting the earliest day which has us leaving on Feb 16 with Consulate appointment the week of the 28th.  We won't find out permanent travel dates until next week.

no news

I was hoping to get our travel approval this week before Chinese New Year.  All next week China is shut down and nothing will get done.  So now we probably won't travel to get our Jordan until late February (I hope).  I know better than to have expectations of when things will get done.  I got my hopes up and now I'm slightly depressed.  Up until now I've been cool and calm.  This wait for our travel approval just seems like nonsense to me and it's driving me crazy!  I pray to God every day that he sends his angels to care for Jordan.  I know HE watches over him.

new pics

Got some new pictures and a video of our precious Jordan!  He had just fallen down so he has a boo boo near his right eye.  He probably isn't catching himself too well on that side and it looks like his shoes are huge, so that doesn't help.  I cried most of the morning after watching the video for the first time.  I want him home so bad!!!  This adoption roller coaster of hurry up and wait gets old.  This wait for travel approval seems like the worst of all.  He's my child, let me come get him already!!!  I haven't been able to sleep well all week thinking about Jordan and anxious about getting him home.  How long is this travel approval going to take?!  I know we are close but it still seems so far away.

Growth update

Our agency got an update on Jordan today.  We asked them the following questions and got these answers:

1. What is he currently eating?  Is he still taking a bottle? He has milk, rice, biscuits and fruits etc.  He is still taking a bottle
2. Is he walking independently?  No, he can't walk on his own yet.
3. Is he using his right arm/hand?  Yes
4. Is he talking?  He can say "a yi" (auntie) and understand some simple words.
5. What is his personality like?  no answer on this question
6. Did he get the toys we sent him?  Did he have a birthday party?  Yes
7. What are his current measurements?  height: 30.3 in  weight:  22lbs   head size: 18.1in   chest size:  18.5in   teeth: 18
8. updated photos?  they were not able to provide updated photos :(

I am also still waiting to see if the service we used to send Jordan a birthday care package can get us some pictures!  I haven't had an updated photo since early November!  We are hoping to get our travel approval next week PLEASE!!!  I want to love on Jordan, feed him, dress him, watch him sleep, watch him play with Josiah.  Come on, I want to go to China!

Article 5

We received an e-mail overnight from the US consulate in Guangzhou, China that our Article 5 is ready to be picked up by our agency representitive.  From this point we are waiting to receive our TA (travel approval) from the CCCWA which could take anywhere from 3-8 weeks.

We sent Jordan a birthday care package.  His 2nd birthday was on the 26th.  I hope to get some pictures of his birthday party soon.

Provisional Approval

We received our approval from Homeland Security to bring Jordan into the USA!!!  We will now be traveling to China in about 2 months.  Because of Chinese New Year and Christmas I think we may be delayed until mid February.

I also got more pictures of Jordan a few days ago.  The service I used to send Jordan a care package got more pictures of him with the backpack on that was sent.  He doesn't look too happy to have that thing on his back;) 

More pictures!!!!

There is a family in China right now adopting their little girl who is at the same orphanage that Jordan resides.  They got some new pictures for me when they visited the orphanage!  Yay!

He looks like he is ready for us to come get him!

Isn't he ADORABLE :)  I want to kiss those little cheeks! and see him smile!

We are still waiting on our approval from Homeland Security to say we can bring Jordan into the States.  I expect it to be coming soon.  Then it will be about another 2 months until we travel.  Can't wait.

Update and pictures of Jordan

I ordered and sent a care package to Jordan soon after we got our acceptance from China.  Part of the package includes an update and new pictures.  We received them last night.  The growth update has him at 10kg and his height at 77cm (which is what he was on Sept 1 ), so his height isn't updated.  The nannies say that he "loves eating and has a small temper.  For example, when he goes out for playing, if nanny doesn't hold him in her arms, he will be unhappy.  He is a little unhappy for taking photos of him.  Anyway, he is a very cute child!"
As you can imagine, we are always thrilled to get new pictures.  He looks like he has grown a lot from the last pictures.  He's not looking like a baby anymore:(
We can't wait to bring him home.  Just a couple more months!

Fall and Halloween Pictures of Josiah

Wanted to post some pictures of Josiah at a fall festival and on Halloween. 

We got our LSC!!!

Just got a phone call from our adoption agency that they received our acceptance letter from China.  Basically this means that JORDAN IS OURS!!!  Now we can post pictures of him.  We will be travelling to get him in 3-4 months!  We are SUPER excited!!!  Josiah and I were jumping up and down in the kitchen.
Yay, thank you Lord!  You are so good!  Hang on Jordan, we are one step closer to bringing you home!

Hard wait

It's so hard to look at recent pictures of Jordan looking so sad and I can't do anything about it.  I have been praying daily that he is given opportunities to play with the toys that I sent and has his lovies in his crib when he sleeps.  I am also praying that he gets some kind of one on one attention, even if it's just a couple of minutes a day.  I long to hold him and love on him.  I can't wait for him to be home!  We love him so much.

Got new pictures!

We received two new pictures of Jordan with the two packages that we sent.  It was so good to see Jordan holding the stuffed blue hippo that we sent. 
We also received a video of Jordan that another couple got while they were visiting the orphanage with their daughter.  We thought at first that Jordan was not available for them to take his picture.  Turns out they did get pictures of him, I just did not recognize him.  Every picture I get, he looks different.  I've been watching that video over and over since we got it yesterday.
I'm so thankful to God for people who are willing to get pictures of my precious child.  It helps me during this long wait.
I will be posting all of his pictures as soon as we get the Letter Seeking Confirmation from China.  This is our official referral of Jordan and when he is officially ours. 

Log In Date

We received our log in date ( August 30) today.  This day is our official date that our dossier is registered with China.
Now we wait for the Letter Seeking Confirmation, which is our "official" referral of Jordan.  This will take approximately 2-3 months.
I also got confirmation that the package I sent to China on August 18 finally got there.  It should be at the orphanage by now and hopefully Jordan is enjoying all the toys and lovies we sent.

Sent off our dossier!!!

We received the last document needed to complete our dossier today.  The UPS guy got here around 5:30 pm and I rushed out the door to the UPS Store to send our completed dossier to the adoption agency.  Hopefully, if everything is correct, the dossier will be mailed to China on Friday! 
Now we wait approx. 7 months to go get Jordan. Aaaah!

Waiting for I-797

We are currently waiting for our authenticated copy of the homeland security paperwork to come back from Washington, DC.  Once we get this piece of paper back, our dossier will be done!  I should be sending it to the agency next week.
There is a lady that I "met" on a yahoo group for the orphanage who will be traveling to China today.  She will be traveling to the orphanage to visit and she graciously said that she will try to get a picture or video of Ming Ming.  I hope she can.  It would be so wonderful to see video of him!
We expect to travel sometime in March.  This wait is so HARD.  I am trying to send a care package to Ming Ming.  Hopefully I will be able to send it today.  I am waiting on an e-mail from the lady who organizes it.