These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

As Christmas is just days away, I sit here thinking about some of the familiar Christmas songs we hear and love to sing (or maybe if you're not into singing, you like hearing others sing). I'm sure you can think of a hundred different Christmas songs, both serious, religious, funny, and even random. (just listen to the radio and you'll know what I mean) One of the songs that falls in the category of "random" Christmas songs would be 'These Are a Few of My Favorite Things'. I think this song is actually sung in The Sound of Music, but also appears in various venues around Christmas time as well. Personally, I've always thought it was a bit of an odd song. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that.

With that song in mind, I'm going to outline a few of my "favorite" things that our "Little Miss" has received this Christmas (or within proximity) and she's not even home yet! Get ready, this list includes several very sweet things, but also probably one of the most random gifts (and yet beloved to me for a number of reasons) we've received to date for Little "B".  So without further adieu, let's get started shall we? (and you know I'm going to save one of the best for last)

Item #1:  A Silver Letter "B" Christmas Ornament

Nate and I had just arrived home from my work Christmas party last week, only to find a package on our doorstep late that night. We brought it in and actually hadn't paid attention at first to the label, but then suddenly noticed that Brielle had received her very first official package in the mail! (pretty impressive considering she doesn't live here yet) 

We were curious what was in this mystery package and couldn't stand the anticipation so we opened it before Christmas. (Sorry- we're those people-lol)  When we opened it up- inside was the sweetest note that we almost didn't catch until a few minutes later...

Be still my heart. Sweetest note ever. Such a surprise from a very sweet family who I've grown to love and appreciate over the years.

Inside was a beautiful Letter "B" Christmas ornament in silver (someone paid very good attention or took a very good guess regarding our Christmas tree. We "love us some silver" in this house at Christmas!) We couldn't have been more surprised by this sweet gift.

Item #2: An Asian Corolle Doll

If you are not familiar with these dolls and have a little girl, you need to be. These are the sweetest, softest, most life-like looking and best-smelling (yes, you heard me right) dolls out there. This one is in the smaller size (mon premier) and they also sell larger sizes for older toddlers/young girls. You can find these dolls just about anywhere from AMAZON to TOYS R US, but my favorite place to find them on sale and where we actually purchased ours during a flash sale a few weeks before we were matched with our Little One, was through ZULILY. Oh Zulily, how I adore your site. If you have not yet checked out all of the fun items, great deals, and daily changing sales on this site, it's worth clicking this link and signing up by email to get their promotions. Trust me on this one. Very good deals on a number of things- though it does vary from week to week. 

They have daily special flash sales on different brands (i.e. Tom's shoes, Under Armor, children's apparel/shoes, to name a few) There is everything from clothing, accessories, furnishings, kitchen items, and literally anything/everything baby/toddler/child. The list could go on and on. We had received credit through others who learned about Zulily from us and made a purchase or two, so we had free store credit and literally got our doll for free aside from the $4 we paid for shipping. Pretty good deal, huh?! The price was under $30 originally, had we actually had to pay for it and was competitive with everything else online. We loved this little Asian one and had to get it, but they sell so many cute ones, you can find about anything you would be looking for. I'm sure this will be just the start to her doll collection.

Item #3: Winter Panda Hat

This one actually made the list a little earlier than around this Christmas. Last year Nate surprised me right after Christmas with this little work of art, handmade from a friend of ours in our church. Message me and I'll be happy to share her contact info. She's very talented and did a great job w/ this cute little hat! We had been in NYC for Christmas and looked at a number of panda hats all over the city, but the price and quality weren't worth it and all were a bit too big for a toddler, so he ordered this one without my knowledge-- pretty sweet husband, huh?! (& sneaky too)

Item #4- A Little Rocking Chair

A sweet friend of ours is also talented in the area of woodwork and had told us about a year ago that he was working on a gift for our Little One. We sort of knew that it had to do with a little rocking chair, but of course had no idea how it was being made (by hand might I add). Imagine our surprise when they brought this sweet gift to us. 

We told them we think it's perfect for her playroom as her referral file said "she loves to rock in her little rocking chair".  How perfect is that?  We know she'll get a lot of use out of this I'm sure!

Item #5- THE Best Stuffed Animal- EVER. 

Literally. Don't even try to compete. We'll round off the "These are a Few of My Favorite Things" list (at least in the area of surprise gifts for Brielle) with this last one. You couldn't guess it if you tried. I will warn you, you will likely see this one and think "What in THE world?"  "That sweet little one is going to be scared to death" Ok. Maybe. If she hates it and never once carries it around, it will retire to a shelf where her mom & dad will be amused by it daily. (or it will become our very own "elf on the shelf" substitute game and show up in random places throughout our home all year long. 

I discovered a while back that I have a favorite type of stuffed animal and didn't even realize it. I'd see them in stores, but never paid attention to the type until recently. 

JELLY CAT animals-- click this link for your enjoyment & be entertained w/ someone's sheer genius in creating life-like stuffed animals in every possible animal you can imagine.  Again, I'll brag on quality again for a second in that these are the best made, softest, most life-like looking stuffed animals I've ever touched or seen. I'm a sucker for super soft things so they win in this category by far. Photos won't do these justice. You have to see and touch them to understand the infatuation.  Each one has various species of each animal type. Adorable-- I'm warning you. You're going to wish I had posted this well in advance of Christmas and now it's too late to buy one for your littles. They range in everything from---

Farm Animals
Bunnies
Bears
Elephants & Lions
Giraffes & Monkeys
Woodland Critters
Bugs & Beasts
Owls
Birds & more...

Which is where we are heading to next. So what kind were we given for Brielle?

People----Meet Orla the Ostrich. ( I seriously wouldn't make this stuff up--that's really her name- check out the site) 

This little piece of hilarity was given to me by one of my dearest college friends who I traveled and spent about a month serving in Africa alongside. I had no idea she was going to buy it for Little "B", but she did and I absolutely love this thing! Our claim to fame from Africa was riding an ostrich (we'll save that for another blog post) and hence the animal that she bought "B". (ok, she probably bought it more for me than "B", but let's hope our little one loves carrying this wild guy around)  I smile so big every time I walk past the nursery and see this wild eyed animal sitting in the chair staring me down as I walk through the hall. Laughter. Comic relief to my day. You have no idea.

You have to see the full view of this long legged creature-- and of course the view is not complete without a complete view of the backside of this quirky animal.

I told you I saved the best for last. You have the biggest smile across your face right now- 

I know it.

You know you want one. 

So there you have it. If you are now as intrigued with JELLY CAT animals as I am, I'll give you a tip that you can find them on sales online, on Amazon, and other online sites, so be sure to shop around for the best deal. They are actually cheaper at one our our local stores than most any online. If you live locally- you can find these (albeit not every single one but many of the popular ones in both mini and regular sizes) at ROXIE DAISY downtown.  ALAKAZAM TOYS in downtown, also carries some awesome and very similar animals alongside some Jellycat animals too. I hate to say I had never been in this store once, until my friend came to visit. Such a cute little toy shop with unique items!

For those who have provided Little "B" with some of her first gifts-- from the bottom of our heart we thank you for your sweet gestures and know that she'll love them and appreciate each of them as she later learns more of her story and how so many individuals have played such an important role in it. 

**helpful links to various items and stores are noted throughout this post

How Much Longer Until We Meet Baby "B"

Each day that passes we get one step closer to meeting Brielle. As the clock ticks closer to ending this  year and moving into 2015 we are getting asked almost weekly, "How much longer?" "When will you know?"  The easy answer to this question is that adoptive families never know the exact dates of their travel until after they receive their Travel Approval letter from China (which is the final step in the adoption process). From that point, it's around 2 weeks later that most families book their flights and leave for China.  So for Type A's and planners (I won't mention any names here) this can be hard to plan ahead for. For those who are curious and would like a helpful breakdown and to follow where we are, the last few weeks we have covered quite a bit of ground in these last stages on the journey to our little one.  

We are excited to say that we have mailed off the last of our paperwork and have just a few items left for our Chinese visas for our passports which permit us entry into China. Nate and I are both list makers so it felt SO good to mark almost everything off of this particular list!  Because Nate works for a church and because China is a communist country with very strict religious laws and practices, Nate must write and file two letters with the Chinese Embassy when filing for his entry visa stating that Nate's sole purpose for entering China is to do adoption proceedings and nothing else related to church work or the likes. Both he and our church have to write these letters confirming that he is going into China only for this reason. 

Outlined below are the milestones from the last week and a rundown of each step. We hope this will be a helpful timeline for those of you who are detailed oriented and like this sort of thing or are planners- and timelines help you visualize. I'll help explain what each step is about so you have better context of what it means in our process.

Our Timeline

November 26, 2014- Mailed USCIS (U.S. citizenship & immigration services) our I-800 application which will grant approval of our child that we are seeking to adopt; therefore, allowing us to file a U.S visa application for her re-entry into the U.S.

December 1, 2014- USCIS  received our I-800 application for our adoption. We wait for the Provisional Approval document from the immigration office. 

December 10, 2014- I-800 Provisional Approval received (standard wait time for provisional approval from time of filing- 2-4 weeks. Our wait time- 10 days)

More Wait time-  we then began the wait on our National Visa Center (NVC) letter which allows us to file for our daughter's U.S. visa for entry into the U.S. as a citizen after her adoption. This letter generally arrives 5-7 days after the Provisional approval is granted. 

December 16, 2014- our daughter's file was approved by the US Department of State National Visa Center for filing of her visa. (standard wait time- 5-7 days. Our wait time- 6 days.)

December 17, 2014- Official NVC letter emailed to us, granting us permission to file her U.S. visa application (DS-260) w/ the U.S. Department of State.

December 18, 2014- DS-260 filed (her visa application that gets reviewed/ approved by the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China) This was filed on a Friday and paperwork doesn't get submitted to this office except for Monday/Tuesday/Thursdays, so this information couldn't be submitted until the following Monday in China.

December 22, 2014- child's visa paperwork submitted by our agency reps to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Now we wait for the Article 5 to be issued by the Consulate which grants approval of the adoption case. This usually takes 2 weeks.

What's to Come?

Approximately 2 weeks from Dec. 22- should receive Article 5 approval which is then express mailed from Guangzhou China to the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare & Adoption) in Beijing

**Holiday closures & various dynamics at the CCCWA in Beijing for the rest of 2014, could slightly delay this outside of the normal timeframe. We estimate the next approval arriving around January 5th or slightly after.

1.5-3 weeks following the receipt of the Article 5 at the CCCWA- the CCCWA issues our final approval- the Travel Approval  (TA) Letter!! This is what grants us permission to travel to China for an adoption and allows our agency to begin to contact the applicable offices to set up our adoption finalization appointments which, in turn, determines our dates of travel. 

Travel to China- this occurs generally 1.5-3 weeks after travel approval (TA) letter arrives and appointments are confirmed by our agency, etc. 

How Does Chinese New Year Affect Our Travel?

Chinese New Year (CNY), also known as Spring Festival, is the largest celebrated holiday in many parts of Asia and throughout China and follows the Lunar Calendar; therefore, the date changes each year.  This year the official Chinese New Year's day is February 19th and with this Chinese holiday on the horizon, our travel to China could be affected. Because of the rush that occurs with so many agencies around the world trying to get their families approvals from various offices before everything in China closes down for this holiday, things can start to back up quickly.  

Agencies try very hard to get a family approved for their adoption appointments, but it doesn't always work out and is out of an agency's control. For U.S families, an approved appointment at the Consulate in Guangzhou before CNY begins, must be obtained in order to allow the child's U.S. visa to be processed for a family to return to the U.S. with their child. This means a family would need to be leaving for China around the end of January in order to make it through all of the required appointments before everything closes for Chinese New Year.

Once the Chinese New Year festivities begin and everything closes down, all offices that process adoptions close down for a little over a week and a family cannot stay in country and wait for their next appointments, due to the length of time, high cost of travel, and staff that are in China celebrating with their family. Travel is very expensive  around and during this time and also difficult to accommodate due to the large number of people all over China that travel back to their homes during this time. (Think Thanksgiving & Christmas here in the states for a comparison and how we travel to be with family and celebrate these holidays)

That said, our travel timeframe will depend largely on this holiday and the closures that surround it. If we cannot make it to China early enough, we won't be given clearance to travel until after these closures. 

We will continue to keep you posted on the upcoming weeks ahead as we continue, day by day, to be one step closer to meeting our daughter. 

Mohawk Madness & December 8 Updates

If you read yesterday's post, you know that we received a surprise update at the beginning of December that was nothing short of a Divine moment that only God could orchestrate. We were thankful for that snippet of information while we waited on our agency to contact us with our final update. (just typing those words is sad as we could be 6-8 weeks away from traveling still and so much can change in that amount of time) Fast forward a few days and on Monday, December 8th, we received our update. Of course I know every agency staff member probably says this, but you have to love it when you open an email that says, "Attached is an update on your daughter....she is just precious!" (yeah, we think so too even if you most likely say that to every family) 

With every little note you obtain about your child, you learn just a little bit more. A another little piece to the puzzle of her life, another short glimpse into who she is. Working in the adoption field, I'm all too familiar with knowing that these updates are usually quite brief and never quite as long as we wish an orphanage would provide, mainly because the orphanage determines how much info they want to give and when they'll provide it. These updates are a treasured piece of information, but none even come close to capturing all that a family longs to know about their little one. We, too, were caught in the "we wish we had a better update" trap that many adoptive families long for and instead of being thankful in that moment, we allowed ourselves (maybe for just a minute) to be disappointed by the fact that there was such little information given. Thankful? Of course we were. Disappointed that it wasn't more? We'd be lying if we didn't say yes.

Though we had asked for more video, unfortunately there were none provided and the photos the orphanage sent were the exact same ones we saw 6 weeks ago of her, rather than new ones that we were so desirous of.  We still had to smile big again at them- those flowered PJ bottoms...that wild green boy shirt...those big Asian eyes staring blankly back at us complete with her girly mohawk hair-do (and we all know that little bald head is just screaming for a girly headband...poor thing has no idea what's about to come her way) 

Here's a quick Chinese cultural lesson for you: We often think that orphanages just shave their little heads to keep maintenance down to a minimum with the number of children being cared for or to prevent things like lice, etc. Well, my Chinese co-worker also noted that most children in China will at some point, have their heads shaved by their family as a young child. This is practiced so that it will make the hair come back thicker and more beautiful. Anyone in the states want to start this trend with their wee ones or any adults that would like to try this one out? (I have a feeling I'm not going to get many takers on this one)

As my sister and I have compared photos of our two, we keep laughing at how both Brielle and Grayson, her son, are indeed cousins sporting the same hair style right now. 

Can't.

Even.

Handle.

It.

 Yes, my little nephew is the cutest little thing ever- chipmunk cheeks and all. 

Love those little expressions.  

It's ok, you're allowed to agree with me, at least I think you should.

He has amazing eyes, doesn't he?

So what did we learn in this most recent update from our agency? Here are just a few things...

Personality:

• The nannies call her by her Chinese name

• She is affectionate

• She can get upset when she is not held (Yikes, this could get interesting!) 

• She is best comforted when she is held 

• She likes fruits and biscuits 

  (yep, just like her momma. You're going to fit into this family just fine, little one)

• She still takes a bottle 

• She sleeps in a crib with a small light 

(LOVE how God works. When we began her nursery about a year ago, Nate & I picked out 

a really dim light that we loved for her room, one that we thought would be just perfect 

if she was the type who liked a small light left on. So with that, one more item can be 

checked off our list!

Health:

• Her current health is good 

• She can crawl and sit on her own and walk (personally, we are still debating the walking 

   part being accurate as her last videos a few weeks ago didn't quite show a stable walker

   yet, but they do learn fast) 

• She is babbling and can say "mama"  

• They felt that her health condition hasn't changed (which is good)

• She has not yet had a surgery (which she still may not need, time will tell) 

• They did say that she appears to tire more easily after eating (which could be a result of 

   part of her medical need or just a random observation that staff have of her that

   may/may not be 100% accurate. Again, very hard to know for sure)

General:

• They provided us with the names of her favorite caregivers

• They noted that she was named by the staff at her orphanage

Measurements: (As of 12/7/14- two days shy of 16 months)

Weight: 15.6 lbs

Height: 29.1 inches

Head: 17.5 inches

Foot: 5.9 inches

Teeth: 10 

She's definitely a little peanut for sure and if they measured her feet right, she just might have her daddy's long feet! Obviously there is no way to know if all of the measurements given are accurate and oftentimes, families find that their little one is smaller/larger than what was presented in reports. That said, we are going to have to just do our best to guess based on what has been given.

We've also been pleasantly surprised that the few things we bought very early along the way that were smaller, are most likely going to fit her just perfectly. We definitely guessed way back then, but we also know it's no coincidence that those items are probably going to be just right. Just another example that God knew.

I know just a few individuals (not naming any names) that can't wait to do a little bit of shopping for this little one! We promise to give you a sneak peek very soon into a few of her very first little "winter" items that were ironically purchased way back when we first began this journey. 

A Surprise Update: When God Takes Over a Blog

For those who have adopted internationally and understand the dynamics that go with this next stage of waiting, you will understand what it means to receive a small update on your little one.  Right after Thanksgiving week, our agency shared that we would get one more update and that we had the opportunity to submit just a very few questions and our daughter's orphanage may or may not choose to answer all of them. We didn't have a choice on the timing of when we wanted to request the update, so we submitted a few requests and they were sent off to China.  As we've noted before, she is in a care center that is housed in another part of the orphanage building and it is run by a wonderful non-profit that has a doctor and at least one nurse on site, so we are thankful to know that they are monitoring her and taking great care of her.  However, there are so many things we'd love to be able to ask, so many unanswered questions that we will likely never know and still may not find out even when we travel to pick her up. These are the questions that can keep one up at night. 

Though we were excited to know we would get another little snapshot into her current daily life at her orphanage in China, we also knew this may likely be the last information we'll have on her until we head to China. 

Wow. That thought is hard to step back and process if we let it sink in.  So many questions left unanswered.

"What size will she be when we pick her up?"

"What size shoe does she wear?"

"What comforts her when she is upset?"

"What does she like to eat and does she still take a bottle?"

"How much has she grown since our last information on October 29th?"

"How are her medical needs right now?" 

"Did her birthparent(s) know that she had a medical need?"

"Is her condition better / worse?"

"How well does she sleep at night- what makes her comfortable?"

"Who named her and why did they give her that name?"

...And this barely scratches the surface of the list of questions adoptive families begin to wonder about.

While we were waiting on our update, on December 1st, I happened to be online and looking at a blog that I often follow. Within seconds, my eyes caught a name and an all too familiar face staring back at me-- it was our little one! She had been chosen as the prayer focus child for December and though technically, it wasn't supposed to have been posted based on the timing of our paperwork and the status of our adoption process, I believe God allowed that to happen to allow even more prayers to go up for her during December as we certainly know many follow this blog and help advocate for children with medical needs or in need of a forever family. ( As a matter of confidentiality, we are not naming the organization)

Regardless of the situation, we were beyond thrilled to learn more about her:

• She was admitted into the care center the very day she was received into her orphanage
• Upon intake, she was very small and underweight due to her medical condition (which we could also tell based on her file when we received it)
• A year later, they said she was hardly recognizable as the same child- they say she appears to be a healthy and thriving little girl
• She is learning how to walk and is curious about her surroundings
• She loves to snuggle with her nanny
• Her nanny says she is a well-behaved baby 
• They are still assessing the possibility of a surgery being needed, but based on our timeline for tentative travel, this should not be necessary while she is in China as long as she continues to stay healthy 

We are so blessed by this "extra" update that we received while waiting on our "official" one from our agency. I think someone we know said it quite well. It is these moments that are the little "God-moments"... those little "God-winks" that just affirm that He is in the middle of each and every detail of her life, orchestrating every moment and reassuring us that He has her in the palm of His hand- even if she is on the other side of the world.