Feb 14, 2010
Happy Chinese New Year!
Finally we got our travel approval today (2/8/10). Wow, what a happy day :)
We will travel to China and meet our son and bring him home in early March :)
February 14th, CHD Awareness Day
Someone from China Adoption group asks me if I will wear a purple ribbon when we are in Guangzhou. I said I may wear a red ribbon. I realized after searching website that an awareness ribbon for congenital heart defect is in red and blue (oxygen-poor blood) with a heart on it. And also found out that February 7th to 14th is a week of congenital heart defect awareness week.
I tried to order it online, but it will take 2 weeks for regular shipping. Why not make it by myself? I went to Jo Ann fabric store and bought following materials :
Spools of red and royal blue ribbons, a small bottle of glue (FABRI-TAC), red heart buttons. It took me less than half hour to make these 3 ribbons.
Feb 8, 2010
Contact doctors
Everything is ready for our son's home coming. I organized my son's medical records include referral we received from our agency and updates with new pictures we got directly from SWI. I made a beautiful profile and send it in January to a cardiologist and a pediatrician and ask them to be our son's doctor.
Both replied and our son's cardiologist said:
"I look forward to caring for your son. I have reviewed the information you provided. I think we should set up a visit a few weeks after he comes to the US and perform an echocardiogram at that time.
It looks like your young man, while he has a reasonably good repair and heart, does save some left over narrowing of the pulmonary outflow. It is possible or perhaps likely that he might need another operation at some time. I would think this would be relatively easy and safe with about a 1 week hospitalization when the time comes. It could be within a few months after arrival or, depending upon what we see, may not need to be done for a while. I do not think he is at high risk now.
Hope this helps. I look forward to meeting you all".
We are happy for our son that he will receive good cares here. We pray that God gives doctors wisdom to make right decisions for our son. We pray that God's love and faithfulness keep us strong for our son.
Both replied and our son's cardiologist said:
"I look forward to caring for your son. I have reviewed the information you provided. I think we should set up a visit a few weeks after he comes to the US and perform an echocardiogram at that time.
It looks like your young man, while he has a reasonably good repair and heart, does save some left over narrowing of the pulmonary outflow. It is possible or perhaps likely that he might need another operation at some time. I would think this would be relatively easy and safe with about a 1 week hospitalization when the time comes. It could be within a few months after arrival or, depending upon what we see, may not need to be done for a while. I do not think he is at high risk now.
Hope this helps. I look forward to meeting you all".
We are happy for our son that he will receive good cares here. We pray that God gives doctors wisdom to make right decisions for our son. We pray that God's love and faithfulness keep us strong for our son.
Jan 31, 2010
January 1st, 2010
O Lord, thank You for the first day of 2010. You let me hear this song again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ojW25Ou7s
Yes, You are my Lord, I praise Your name all the times. You are a shield around me, O Lord, You bestow glory on me and lift up my head...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ojW25Ou7s
Yes, You are my Lord, I praise Your name all the times. You are a shield around me, O Lord, You bestow glory on me and lift up my head...
Waiting for Travel Approval
We have arranged one bedroom for our son during the time we are waiting for travel approval and Holidays. We know it may take more days for us to get travel approval because our I-800 approval has a small mistake, though it won't affect to issue article 5 told by Guangzhou consulate. We need to fix it. It was actually corrected when we noticed that my fingerprint date was wrong and expired. We immediately informed our Hague case worker and she corrected it and re-sent to National Visa Center, but NVC cabled wrong version to Guangzhou anyway.
My son, your little face cheers me up when I feel down, son, Let's work our journey together.
My son, your little face cheers me up when I feel down, son, Let's work our journey together.
Our son's bedroom
We left some area undecorated and waiting for our son to put on lots of wall stickers he likes.
We tried to move sofa bed out of this room, but it is too big and stuck at the door and hallway. I bought some fabric and made covers for cushions, it looks perfect to me. I love it and think some day I may need to sleep over the sofa in case my son needs me.
Our Appreciation
A journey to our son will have a new chapter soon. We give thanks to our Lord Jesus for His blessings. Our awesome God works in a marvelous way beyond our imagination. We appreciate our Church Pastor Teo, Pastor Smith, Pastor Calmes and their wives' encouragements and prayers.
We feel thankful for Pastor Fisher and his wife constantly praying for us since many years ago, now God has answered our prayers . We thank our long time friend, a brother in Christ, Jim and his wife for their brotherhood friendships.
Special thanks to our next door neighbor John. John is over 75 years old and lost his wife several years ago. We have taken care each other since we become neighbors. He is so happy for us and always asks us when our child will come to the US. He hope he will live to that day and see my son. Oh Lord, please remember John's kindness and grant his wish with double portion blessings and longer life.
We would like to thank Dr. Kou and Sister Jinyun and many other brothers and sisters in Christ, friends and co-workers for their support in our journey.
We feel thankful for Pastor Fisher and his wife constantly praying for us since many years ago, now God has answered our prayers . We thank our long time friend, a brother in Christ, Jim and his wife for their brotherhood friendships.
Special thanks to our next door neighbor John. John is over 75 years old and lost his wife several years ago. We have taken care each other since we become neighbors. He is so happy for us and always asks us when our child will come to the US. He hope he will live to that day and see my son. Oh Lord, please remember John's kindness and grant his wish with double portion blessings and longer life.
We would like to thank Dr. Kou and Sister Jinyun and many other brothers and sisters in Christ, friends and co-workers for their support in our journey.
Dec 31, 2009
We are official parents now - December 3rd, 2009
70 days waiting after we submit a letter of intention to adopt our son, today when my cell phone starts to ring I know it is the time. Yes, our petition has been granted. Yes, our son will be a part of our lives from now on, joyful tears quietly running down.
I break the news to my friends in Asian library and soon congratulations' emails pour in. Next day I break the news to my co-workers and received many hugs. I am truly blessed. Thank you, my Lord.
I break the news to my friends in Asian library and soon congratulations' emails pour in. Next day I break the news to my co-workers and received many hugs. I am truly blessed. Thank you, my Lord.
Another care package sent on December 14
Yes, we send another package to our son. We bought a little snowman similar as this picture, but stuffed in his big belly is 2 pounds of chocolate. I ask SWI pass the snowman to our son, but let all children share the sweets.
Update with new pictures December 23, 2009
Today is my last day working for the year of 2009, tomorrow our office will be closed till Jan. 3rd. Oh, what a beautiful day, sun is smiling now after several cloudy days as usual here in winter season.
I got email with attachment of our son's new pictures and his growth data from SWI. Oh, my goodness, he grew 10cm in the past 8 months. How could it be? I would rather think it is a miracle because we have prayed for him day and night when we knew his growth development is so behind.
Our son has changed a lot from referral pictures taken in April 09. He looks like a little guy now. What a precious son our God gave us! Thanks Lord.
I got email with attachment of our son's new pictures and his growth data from SWI. Oh, my goodness, he grew 10cm in the past 8 months. How could it be? I would rather think it is a miracle because we have prayed for him day and night when we knew his growth development is so behind.
Our son has changed a lot from referral pictures taken in April 09. He looks like a little guy now. What a precious son our God gave us! Thanks Lord.
Christmas' gift to my husband - December 23, 2009
A couple of hours later, I receive another email from NBC with an attachment of approval for I800. Ms. A promised me that she will issue us an approval no matter what happens before Christmas. What happened is that our application for I800 was sent to USCIS Texas on December 5th and the tracking number shows it arrived in Texas on the 8th. However, we didn't receive a receipt that USCIS usually will inform the applicant when a mail arrives at their office.
Ms.A told me on December 18th that if we or she still haven't received a receipt or the package by December 21st. Then I need to send the whole package to her directly again by the over-night service so that we still could be approved before Christmas.
On Sunday we reprinted I800 and I864W forms. We realized that we filled out incorrectly for the form I864W. We should give our son's information instead of my husband's. We thought that might be the reason we didn't receive any word from USCIS in Texas.
Monday, December 21st I called NBC office at Missouri and was told my package hasn't arrived yet. I was told to give it a try in the afternoon. I was prepared to mail the package to Ms. A and asked for leaving one hour earlier from my boss. I called Ms. A that afternoon and told her I am heading to the post office and mail the package to her by next-day service. She told me, "wait a minute, let me check and see if there is any mail coming". She said to me, "it is here, it is here". both of us are excited, then I told her that we filled form I864W incorrectly. "Don't panic, send me email and authorize me to correct it for you". Actually I have the corrected form with me and I attached it to her. She is wonderful.
Ms.A has a good sense of humour. She said to me,"how about let us give your husband a surprise and Christmas gift. Don't' tell your husband you get an approval until the Christmas morning. You wrap the electronic version of I800 approval as a gift to him". What a good idea! though it is hard for me to keep a good secret from my husband.
Ms.A told me on December 18th that if we or she still haven't received a receipt or the package by December 21st. Then I need to send the whole package to her directly again by the over-night service so that we still could be approved before Christmas.
On Sunday we reprinted I800 and I864W forms. We realized that we filled out incorrectly for the form I864W. We should give our son's information instead of my husband's. We thought that might be the reason we didn't receive any word from USCIS in Texas.
Monday, December 21st I called NBC office at Missouri and was told my package hasn't arrived yet. I was told to give it a try in the afternoon. I was prepared to mail the package to Ms. A and asked for leaving one hour earlier from my boss. I called Ms. A that afternoon and told her I am heading to the post office and mail the package to her by next-day service. She told me, "wait a minute, let me check and see if there is any mail coming". She said to me, "it is here, it is here". both of us are excited, then I told her that we filled form I864W incorrectly. "Don't panic, send me email and authorize me to correct it for you". Actually I have the corrected form with me and I attached it to her. She is wonderful.
Ms.A has a good sense of humour. She said to me,"how about let us give your husband a surprise and Christmas gift. Don't' tell your husband you get an approval until the Christmas morning. You wrap the electronic version of I800 approval as a gift to him". What a good idea! though it is hard for me to keep a good secret from my husband.
Nov 30, 2009
Nov 29, 2009
Thank you, Doctor
I was surfing web site at our university after we submitted a letter of intent. I am looking for cardiology advices and also a future cardiologist for my son. Hoping I could find any doctors' name sounds like Chinese who can read our son's file in both languages and can explain us more detail about our son's needs so that we can prepare ourselves well.
Luckily I found one and send an email for help. I feel thankful the doctor quickly replied my email and asked for his medical record.
The doctor called me a couple days later after discussing with cardiologists and their comments. Thank you so much for your kindness.
Luckily I found one and send an email for help. I feel thankful the doctor quickly replied my email and asked for his medical record.
The doctor called me a couple days later after discussing with cardiologists and their comments. Thank you so much for your kindness.
Nov 7, 2009
First care package to our son
Today we send our first care package to our son and a letter to SWI to introduce ourselves briefly and express our appreciation for taking care of our son.
Care package includes several things we would like our son to enjoy them. We know that our son likes toy cars.
Care package includes several things we would like our son to enjoy them. We know that our son likes toy cars.
Other Items
We also send a mini talking book with 5 fun learning activities introduce letters, numbers, objects, shapes, spelling. A mini photo album with our recent pictures, last but not least some sweets.
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