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Last Day in Guangzhou

It's almost 4:00pm here in Guangzhou and it's our last day here. We are waiting for our guide to bring Isaiah's passport with his entrant Visa to the US. He is picking it up from the Consulate today as well as dropping off our dear friends, the Lockwoods. We were quite sad to see them go. We have had a great week with them and have loved getting to know them better. We have a lot of things in common, so it makes us perfect traveling buddies.

I still have my death of cold. Feeling quite miserable actually. I'm coughing and can't breath through my nose. Isaiah's cough is better, but he still has a runny nose. He is acting quite normal though and is very much a typical 2.5 year old. He continues to amaze us and we laugh at him often. He parrots everything and cracks us up. He rides well in his stroller and can destroy a plate of stir fried broccoli in no time flat. We are SO ready to be home and Seth is anxious to get back to Bangkok. While it will be very hard to say goodbye to him on Saturday, it's much easier knowing that he is excited about getting back home too.

We leave in the morning for Hong Kong. We will be taking the train to HK and staying all night there. We made reservations today and we hope that it's not the Motel 6. Our time in China is coming to a close. It's been a tough trip. With not feeling well and being so far away from our girls and Zachary, it's been harder than normal. I like everyone to be under one roof. We are about to go out to dinner. I'll leave you with a few pics of us and Kevin, Sarah and Michael Lockwood. We also did the infamous red couch picture today. I'll try to post some of those tomorrow.

Can't wait to see you all!

Update

We are doing well and we are so ready to come home. Isaiah is terrified of the pool and get in the water for anything. The WS has a great pool and it really stinks that he is so afraid. I have come down with some sort of a head cold and cough and Pat is dealing with stomach issues. Pray for all of us as we are not feeling too well and ready to get home. Each time that we skype with the girls, it gets harder and harder to be away from them. And I am sure that Max, the man dog, is missing his Mama terribly. I miss him too.

Isaiah is doing well. He will not let me comfort him in any way when he is upset. But, he lets me do everything else for him. I take him to the bathroom, feed him, dress him, help him brush his teeth, bathe him, etc. But, comfort, not a chance. If he is upset, he only wants Pat around. He got up about 4 times during the night last night but wouldn't let me get him out of the bed or pick him up at all. I have had the conversation with many adoptive moms that this can happen and you can expect it to happen to some degree. Sometimes it's much worse. Jadyn wouldn't let me have anything to do with her for 3 days. It was extremely difficult. Even though I am experienced in this area, it doesn't become any easier. It's just plain hard to see him sad and then be pushed away by him. But, at least he is seeking Pat for comfort. But, I'm still sad. I'm trying not to let it get to me, but I must admit it does at times.

We went to a large market yesterday that is off the island. It was quite interesting and is very "China". If you want to experience the culture of China, you have got to get off the Shamian Island. We walked through a large medicine market which was filled with things such as dried sea horses, herbs, mushrooms and plants and spices. Everyone wanted to sell us saffron. The market also had a very large "pet" section. Yes, that is what I am telling myself, they are pets and nothing more. They do have shops that sell pet food, so that is a bit encouraging. A lot of the dogs were pure bred dogs, schnauzers, golden retrievers, poms and poodles. There were some long haired and siamese looking cats also. So, they were all pets, I am sure of it. I hope.

Our paperwork is being delivered to the consulate today and we will go for our consulate appointment tomorrow. We are shopping for a stroller that is decent priced for the trip back home. We have one borrowed while we are here now. He is just too heavy for us to carry around and he prefers to be carried over walking. But, he rides in the stroller great. Never an issue so far.

Prayer requests:

Continue to pray for healing of Isaiah's little heart and that he will allow me to comfort him.
Pray for our health. I am not feeling well and Pat has had some stomach issues. Isaiah is developing a little bit of a cough and had a little stomach trouble this morning.
Pray for safety on the trips home for us and for Seth. He will be leaving for BK the same day we leave.
Pray that Isaiah does well on the plane home.

We love you all and miss you terribly. We will be home Saturday and cannot wait.

Update

I don't even remember where I last updated, so if I miss anything, just hop over to Pat's blog. He is doing a better job that I am with updating.

We are finally in Guangzhou, thank you Jesus!!! We are so glad to be here and to be at the White Swan. It holds some very sweet memories for us and Pat and I both got a little teary eyed just talking about it. We had to check out of our hotel at 2:00 p.m. in Changsha and our flight didn't leave until 8:00 p.m. We went to lunch and killed some time there. Before too long, it was time to leave the hotel for the Civil Affairs office to pick up Isaiah's passport and then headed to the airport. Believe it or not, it really wasn't miserable. Isaiah did absolutely great. The only major hitch we had was that he would NOT under any circumstances sit in his seat on the plane. Pat said just let him sit on my lap until someone told me that he couldn't. They didn't, so he sat there the whole time. We arrived at our hotel at 12:30 am after an exhausting day.

This morning we got up and hit the ground running. After breakfast, we had to meet up with our guide and the other couple that is here with our agency, the Lockwood's, and head to have the boys medicals. Isaiah had to have 6 shots (yes, I said SIX) and a tb skin test. Let me just tell you, it was brutal. It was horrible. I wanted to hit someone. We were concerned that it would set us back some with our attachment but it really has not had any effect on him.

Isaiah is doing really well. His grieving is much less and his attachment is right on target. He is much more attached to Pat and almost always goes to him for comfort. He lets me do things for him, but most of the time he wants Pat to comfort him. He has blown our minds. He is so stinking smart and is such a flirt. All of the people on the island keep saying "he is SO handsome". Well duh, we can see that. He is running a fever now and has a brand new fresh dose of Motrin in him. His little legs are really sore and when he got out of the stroller, he couldn't hardly walk. I'm hoping that the Motrin will help him stay cool and more comfortable. He has the sweetest smile and is just such a monkey. We laugh and laugh at him and are completely head over heels in love with this little guy. Thank you for praying for him and for us, they are certainly being felt.

We are waiting on Seth to get here. He is somewhere in the air as we speak. We are excited about him being here with us this week and can't wait to spend that time with him and have him get to know his new little brother. Isaiah is going to love him.

We are going to a temple tomorrow and then will head back to the island to spend the rest of the day. We are praying for a restful night and no more temperature for little man.

Thank you for checking in on us and for loving on our family. We love you all!

Amy

Day 3 Update

Big Eyes = Big Tears

We made it through day three and are actually heading into day 4. I am a little behind on my posting as you can see.

One thing we have learned is that the bigger the eyes, the bigger the tears. When Alyza Kate cries, he tears will soak you. Same goes here. Isaiah cries these huge crocodile tears and then just stream down his sweet little face. Day 3 was much more tough for him and therefore for us. It was a day of pretty intense grieving. He has such a broken little heart. Please pray for his precious little spirit. He looks so longingly out the window or goes to the door and cries such a mournful cry. It is really one of the most pitiful things I have ever witnessed. Pat and I both cry with him and comfort the best we can. One good thing though, he is seeking us for comfort. He is not fighting us when we attempt to comfort him, so the trust building and attachment signs are beginning to be there.

We received a letter from his foster mom with 3 pictures including one of the family. She wrote the sweetest letter which we had translated yesterday evening and we understand so much more his grieving and tears. In the letter she said that he had lived with them for over 2 years and that he was an active and clever child. She said that he was luck to have a family. She said that they loved him and would miss him very much. She also asked than in a half a year later if we would send them a picture of him so they would not worry about him. She signed their name and gave me their address and their telephone number. What a priceless gift to have for him. This woman has been his mother for 2 years. In his little heart, she is his mother and I am not. And, I understand completely. It is with this in mind that I grieve for him as I witness his precious little heart in such pain. Even though you know that this is by far the best thing for him and that he was created to be a our son, it still brings to mind thoughts such as why does it have to be this way?

We went to dinner at McDonald's last night and he had his first taste of a happy meal with chicken nuggets and fries. He ate all four of his nuggets and then he and Pat shared a McFlurry. Pat said that he was going to get Isaiah a McFlurry but I'm not sure who enjoyed it more. When we got back to the hotel room, the switch flipped again and he laughed and played and had a wonderful time. He climbed up on my bed and laid down on my pillow. I laid beside him and he whispered and turned toward me and laid on his side. For those of you with adoption experience you know how huge this is. I got up to check my email and he continued to lay there until he went to sleep. I slipped him in his bed and he's still there now. He woke up one time, raised up and whined a little, I told him "mama is right here" and he settled right back down.

Just pray today that he continues to be more and more comfortable with us. Pray for peace in his little heart and that God will comfort him. He is so precious and we love him so very much.

We are going to an ancient university today. Yesterday we went to the embroidery factory and to a memorial park. Pray that we don't burst into flames today. It's hot and I hate hot. :)

Thank you for caring about our sweet boy and for praying for him and for us. We love you all.

Oh, and by the way. If you read about a water shortage in China, it's because I let him squat on the bathroom counter and turn the water off and on and he has flushed the toilet approximately 847 times since we have been here.

Pat, Amy and Isaiah

Day 2 Update

Today, we had to be at the Civil Affairs Building at 9:00 a.m. to make everything official. We arrived early and were the first ones there. Being there before other families arrived certainly was to our advantage. We were the first ones in and the first ones out. We went into the first room and had our official family photo made. We then went into another room for our "interview" which consisted of the following questions.

"He is a handsome boy, is he okay with you?"
"He has a problem on his abdomen, is this okay with you?" (He had a hernia repaired at 6 months)
"He has a problem with his right arm, is this okay with you?"

Needless to say, we answered yes to all three questions, signed a few papers including a statement saying that we would not mistreat or abandon him, stamped our thumb prints in red ink over our signatures, did Isaiah's hand print (the left one) and he was ours. "Congratulations, you are his official parents" Thank you mam, but we became his official parents when we opened that file the end of November and knew that this was our little boy.

We went into a conference room where the orphanage director and the notary were having a smoke. They finished their cigarettes and we signed a few more papers, paid our orphanage "donation", received a nice certificate thanking us for making a "donation" to the orphanage and we were finished. While we were doing the official stuff with the notary, the orphanage director called his name "HongHong" and motioned for him to come to him. He turned his head and wouldn't look at him. He tried another time during our time their and he again, turned his head. He did not want to go back to the orphanage director at all. We asked him about a scar on his back and we were on our way back to the hotel.

All in all, it's been a great day. He was very sad when he woke up and we were still there. I know in his little heart that he wanted to wake up somewhere else. Namely, back with his foster mom. He then has had a few episodes of crying earlier in the day. He will be playing, start staring into space and then began to cry. He's cried as long as 30 minutes or so. He has had a great afternoon. We got a stroller from the hotel and walked to an electronics store to buy a disc for our camcorder. It is 187 degrees or something like that. But, he enjoyed the ride and being out of the hotel. We got a poop in the potty today, hooray, and he has told me everytime that he needs to go to the bathroom. Meal times are great, he is a great eater. He enjoys eating and sits in his high chair without a problem. He loves vegetables.

Just pray for peace for his little heart. We have prayed over him several times and just asked God to supernaturally give him peace in his little heart. Sometimes he just wants to get out and cries looking out the window. Believe me, he understands that somewhere out there is the only life that he has ever known. He was well taken care of and obviously loved by his foster family. She wrote us a note and enclosed three pictures, two of him and one of the three of them. How priceless is that? She took the pictures on all three cameras and enclosed them as well. She also included an outfit and the toys that we sent him. The only thing that we did not get back was the photo album, which is the one thing that I am so glad that she kept. It makes me feel as though she wanted a photo album of the family of "her boy".

We had a great night last night and are praying that we have another one tonight. He is showing more and more personality and is getting to be quite a pill. What a ride we are in for. :)

We are headed to the embroidery factory tomorrow to get out and do a little sight seeing. We are looking for ways to pass the time. This is immersion in Chinese culture and we have to point at pictures to order in the restaurants outside the hotel. There is no western influence at all. I have seen one KFC and that's it. Will update more tomorrow. Thanks for checking in on us and for following our journey.

We love you all!

We've Got Him!

AND HE IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!! Excuse me while I sing the Doxology!


Here is the update that you all have been waiting to see!!!

Isaiah arrived at the Civil Affairs Building in Changsha a little late due to traffic. My nerves were shot by the time they got there with the children. There were two other families in the same room with us, one from Spain and one from Holland. All three families were getting special needs boys. We recognized Isaiah right away. He was the oldest and BY FAR the most handsome. All of the Chinese women in the room kept repeating HE IS SO HANDSOME!!!

He is just amazing. His transition has been an answered prayer. He cried, which is to be expected and cried once we got back to the room. He is terrified of elevators.

After getting back to the hotel and coming to the room he cried for a bit until I got a package of noodles out of a bag. I showed him the noodles and literally, it was like the flip of a switch. He started smiling and has not looked back. He did cry while I bathed him, he was pretty scared of that but bounced right back when I dried him off and put his clothes back on him. He is absolutely just precious and is so incredibly handsome. As you can see from the pictures, he has beautiful big eyes. After his bath, I turned the lights down and laid him on the bed beside of me. It took about 1 minute for him to be asleep. So now, he is quietly napping while I am sending you this email. Pat has gone to exchange the money for the adoption fees and gone to look for a disc for our cam corder.

God is good and we are blessed beyond measure. I put on my necklace that has "Hope" on it because truly, it is through our adoption into the Father's family that we have hope. It was through the adoption of Isaiah Yang Hood that he also has hope. He will be loved and treasured forever, just as we love our other four. I simply cannot put into words the joy and anticipation of watching this little guy become more comfortable with us and soon learn to trust us as his Mama and Baba. This child was created before the beginning of time to be our child. We are truly blessed by our Father and are humbled that we are called to be his Forever Family.

Thank you friends and family for praying for us. We'll update more soon, but for now, enjoy the pictures!

We have skype opened all the time and you can communicate via email if you would like. We have free internet, so we keep the laptop on all the time. Can't wait to hear from you all!!!

(Ashley, go ahead and post this too)

We love you all,
Pat, Amy and finally Isaiah Yang Hood

Here We Go...

Hey everyone,

It's 9:05 a.m. here in Changsha. We just came up from breakfast and we are waiting to go get Isaiah at 10:30. We will be leaving the hotel at 10:00 a.m. (9:00 pm your time in TN) and we are quite anxious.

Please pray for his little heart. Pray that he will transition quickly. He has undergone many, many changes over the past few days. Most likely, he was removed from his foster home and brought back to the orphanage. He is bring brought to us this morning and we will meet at the Civil Affairs Building here in Changsha. We have prayed many, many time that God will give him peace and comfort. Please pray that he will supernaturally know that we are his Forever Family, that we are his Mommy and Dad and we will love him forever. Pray that the transition will be smooth and that he will not be too traumatized. We love this little boy deeply, pray that he knows this somehow already.

Thank you all for walking this road with us. It's never an easy journey, but having people like you in our lives makes it a little more bearable. You guys rock!

So long for now. Next time you hear from us, we should have our little guy in our arms.

We love you all!

Pat and Amy

We Made It To China!

Hey it is Ashley passing along an update from Amy:

We have made it to Changsha. It's 3:30 a.m. and I can't sleep, imagine that. We had a great visit with Seth and the team. We landed in Changsha at 4:20pm and settled into our hotel just fine. We get Isaiah at 10:30 a.m. in the morning at the Civil Affairs Building, here in Changsha. We are 13 hours ahead of Smyrna. Pray specifically for his little heart, a smooth transition, and immediate bonding. We have candy and cookies to take if all else fails. :O)

I'll send you more info as we get into the day tomorrow. Not sure how long we will be at the Civil Affairs building, but we will have all of the afternoon free.

Love you all!
Amy

We Have A Winner, Actually TWO!!!

This morning, the girls and I did the drawing for the necklace giveaways!  Here are the videos from the drawings!!

Congratulations Cami Santee and Sharon Stephenson on winning the two necklaces.  Thanks everyone from the bottom of my heart for your entry in the giveaway.  We love you all so much!  I’ll be in touch ladies and get your necklaces to you very soon!

Giveaway and T-shirt Clearance Sale

We are getting so very close to travel, although not as close as I would like.  It looks like we won’t travel until August or so.  UGH!  I want to go now.  But, what do you do?  I could go camp out on their doorstep until they issue my travel approval, but not sure that they would appreciate me doing that.  So, for now, I patiently wait…and fundraise. :)

T-Shirt Clearance  I still have some t-shirts left and are selling them at a reduced price to try and move what I have and raise that last bit of money.  All shirts at $15.00 and that includes shipping if you need me to ship it to you.  You can email me at amyrhood5@gmail.com to arrange payment and let me know what size you need.  I am limited on men’s sizes, but have most of the women’s sizes available in both colors.

Necklace Giveaway  Tracy Hanson, with Junk Posse has graciously donated a beautiful necklace for a giveaway.  Thank you Tracy for being a part of bringing our little guy home.  And, for the sake of variety, I purchased one to add to the giveaway.  You DO NOT have to make a donation to be entered in the drawing.  But, if you would like to donate, the entries are $5 per entry and can be made by clicking on the donate button on the right side of this blog.

We are so very close to bringing our little guy home and believe me, we cannot wait.  You guys rock!  I love you all and cannot wait until I am blogging away from China.  Soon, Lord, please let it be very soon.

We Are Almost There!

I am thrilled to say we are close to meeting our fundraising goal.  We are about $1000-1200 dollars from having our adoption  account where we need it to be for when we travel. 

Believe it or not, after all we have already paid out (about $12,000 so far) we still have about about $15,000 left to go.  Just typing that amount makes me shudder.  We are called to adopt.  We are no rich by any means, but we serve a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  And He has provided and will continue to do so.  We are down to the last few weeks before we travel (hopefully) and we are oh so close.  I had a yard sale this past weekend and raised $1005.00 – excuse me while I sing a little bit of the Doxology!! :)  Can you believe that?  God sent just the right people to make that happen.  It was the hottest that I have ever been in my life, but it was SO worth it.

Here is what I have left in me to get this last little bit raised.

Necklace giveaway…you do NOT have to donate to enter, but it would be greatly appreciated.  I received the necklaces in the mail today and they made me cry.  They are so beautiful.  Thank you Tracy for your beautiful work.  You are truly a blessing.

T-shirt Clearance Sale – As you know we sold t-shirts and we have a few left.  We would love for you to have one of these really cool t-shirts.  They are the Save One or Serve One shirts.  We believe that as believers, we should all play a role in caring for the orphans.  These t-shirts raise awareness of the orphan crisis in this world.  It’s overwhelming if you think about the 147,000 orphans in the world, but we can all make a difference in the life of ONE orphan. 

Sewing – I am still working hard to complete the orders that I have.  If I still have not got your dress to you, I will very soon.  It’s on the top of my priority list AGAIN!!  I’ll be contacting you very soon.  I love sewing for people and hope that I can continue to do so after we travel and get Isaiah home.  I plan on doing it in my spare time. :)

Thank you for walking this journey with us.  It’s not an easy one, but the rewards in the end make everything worth while.  Just look at that face…  see what I mean?

Hang on Isaiah, you Mommy and Daddy are coming very soon.  We love you very much and can’t wait to get you home where you belong. 

Junk Posse Necklace Giveaway

Necklace GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Yes, you read that right, GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Tracy Hanson of Junk Posse has made these beautiful necklaces and I am giving each one of them away!!!

Here's how it goes.

This is a true giveaway, meaning you do not have to donate to be entered in the giveaway. You can post a link on your blog or facebook or if you'd like to donate to our Isaiah's adoption fund that would be awesome! Either way we'd like to say thanks for your sweet support and add your name to the giveaway as follows:

If your donation is:
$5 we will put your name in 1 time for the giveaway.
$10 we will put your name in 3 times for the giveaway.
$20 we will put your name in 7 times for the giveaway.
$40 we will put your name in 15 times for the giveaway.

Just click on the "DONATE" button to the right. Every little bit helps. Alyza Kate and Jadyn will be drawing the name out of a basket and you will be notified on the 30th. If you live away, I will ship it to you!! This is just our way of saying thank you for supporting us and for your help. If you don't want to donate and just want to enter, leave a comment or email me and I will put your name in the hat!!

Time is quickly drawing near for us and we still have a little ways to go. Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement and for your support to help us bring Isaiah Yang home.

New Pictures and an Update

I sent a care package a few months ago by way of the post office.  It contained all the typical goodies:  a shirt, a photo album of the family, a toy, some snacks, a stuffed puppy and a couple of disposable cameras.  I also included a translated letter to his foster family.  I pray that it got there.

     I wanted to send another package and this time I sent it by way of Red Thread China.  Ann, a sweet Chinese lady, took very good care of my package.  I chose the pajama package and she took me a couple of the pictures of the actual package.  Here’s a picture for your enjoyment.  It’s okay if you laugh, the Shrek pajamas made me laugh out loud.  That is so unlike anything in the world that I would EVER pick out.  I’m not much on character clothing. :) But if it’s your thing, you’re gonna love these!!

The best part about using Ann is that she calls and requests an update from your child’s orphanage as well as pictures.  She said the had not heard anything back from them but had hopes that she would soon.  A couple of weeks later, this is what I got in my email.

Dear Amy :
Below is yang heng hong`s measurements :
height :90cm
weight :13kg
head :48cm
chest :52cm
feet :13cm
Have a wonderful day,love,Ann

He is about Alyza Kate’s size.  I have to say I was very disappointed that I didn’t get any pictures.  A few minutes later, I check my email again and saw a separate email from Ann.  It’s title was “pictures”.  I opened the email and began to tear up.  Our little guy is growing so very much.  This had made my day.  It also happened to be my birthday.  Happy Birthday to me.  I couldn’t have asked for a better present.  Enjoy the updated pictures of sweet boy…

View Full Album

Thanks friends for checking in on us.  We couldn’t be more excited about out little guy coming home.

T-Shirt Clearance Sale

Hey friends!

We've gotten word that we should be traveling to China to bring Isaiah home by the end of July...only two months away. Jadyn asks no less that 10 times a day if we can go get Isaiah. Obviously, there's a lot of excitement in our home.

As you know, we sold tee shirts in the winter to help save this orphan. We want to say thank you to all who donated to the cause by purchasing a tee. You have no idea how much that means to us. I love seeing them around church or town. I always think, wow, that's a great t-shirt.

This is our third adoption in three years. We didn't actively try to raise funds for the first two & we were amazed at how God provided. We were once again reminded that God always supplies the resources to accomplish what He calls us to do.

As we knew He would, God is also providing the resources to bring Isaiah home. One way He's providing is through those of you who bought Serve One or Save One Tee's or dresses that Amy has made. So, we can't say thank you enough.

If you didn't get one, but would like to have one now that summer is here, we're making it easy for you. We're having a clearance sale. You can now buy one Tee for $20.00 or two for $30.00. If you want one, just see Amy or contact me or her on our Facebook page & let us know. You can also see the dresses she makes on her Facebook if you're interested.

Here is a rundown of what shirts we have left:







Gray Save One shirts - 4 larges (sold out of all other sizes)
Blue Serve One shirts - 2 smalls, 8 larges, 3 XL and 1 XXL
Silver Ladies Save One - 1 small, 10 larges, 10 XL
Black Ladies Serve One - 4 smalls, 8 mediums, 10 larges, 11 XL
Black Long Sleeved - 1 XXL and 1 medium (These are $15.00)

We've got some funds left to raise before we head to China in July. We would LOVE to sell out of these shirts. If you would like a shirt, please let one of us know. And now, you can see what you have to choose from. Shipping is included in the price if you don't live here!!

Thanks for helping us bring the little man home.

Where We Are

Here is just a quick update of where we are in our adoption. As you know, we received our LSC from the CCAA in China. We quickly signed it and overnighted it back to our agency so that they could get it back on it's way to China.

We are also required to submit another form to USCIS which is called an I800. We submitted the I800A along with a completed homestudy and some other documents and were approved to adopt Isaiah. Now we have to submit an I800, which is a 10 page application, along with a complete copy of Isaiah's referral packet and a couple of letters from our agency saying that this information is true and correct and that we have completed our Hague training. So, in other words, we have submitted another form to get an approval of our approval. Make sense? No, it don't to me either.

But, that's the hoop of the week that must be jumped through. So, we are jumping away. We submitted that form last week and it is taking about a month for this approval. Next step is then our Travel Approval which will be issued through the CCAA in China.

Please pray that this happens quickly and that the person who has received this very important piece of our paperwork will work efficiently and smoothly.

I'll keep you updated and let you know when we get this piece of exciting news.

Thanks for checking on us and for praying.

A Mother's Day Reflection

This is a reprint from a post that I did on May 13, 2007. It was Mother's Day and we celebrated it in Chongqing China.

2 Mothers, 1 Gift - May 13, 2007

OK, I'm laying in the bed feeling guilty because I didn't make more of an effort to get some pictures posted, I did try - really I did, but I was just SO exhausted. After I got Jadyn to sleep, caught a few winks and woke up with you on my mind. This is the best that I can do until she is wide awake tomorrow. This was a risk, snapping pictures of a sleeping baby, what was I thinking?

Let me just answer those questions rolling around in your mind. Yes, we think she is absolutely beautiful. She is truly a treasure and "Bao" means treasure in Chinese. We were deeply saddened by the conditions of the orphanage. This is one of the better facilities in China, but still it is an orphanage. And we were reminded of this with our visit. We were somewhat shocked back to reality. There were times all four of us were sobbing. The boys hearts were truly broken to know that she spent the first year of her life here. They will come away from this trip forever changed. And that was our goal.

She is still pretty somber, although, we are seeing a little personality. She has begun to play with her toys a little, self feed from our hands (love those Gerber puffs) and seems to be letting her guard down. No smiles on camera yet. Maybe tomorrow. She has on her "gifted" pajamas because what a gift she is. She is truly beautiful. What a day it was, life changing at the very least. We will forever be connected to a family in this part of China. The family that gave us the gift of our daughter. Whether I can look out the hotel window and not realize that they are just over the hill, or they are somewhere many miles from here in the countryside, I will truly be forever connected to the woman who carried, gave birth to, and loved my child enough to give her a chance. When I look deep into her eyes, I can't help but think of her Mother on this Mother's day. The joy, elation and excitement of one Mother is paralleled by the pain and sadness of another Mother. One that I will never know. But, on this day, there is a Mother who prayed for another Mother and praised the Father above for the connection that the two of us will forever have. The connection sleeping soundly just a few feet from me. Our daughter Jadyn Grace BaoJun Hood. Truly a treasure.

And yes, in case you are wondering, that is MY bed she is sleeping in. I just didn't have the heart to put her in that port-o-crib. Not quite soft enough in my book. Pat's sleeping well in the other bed. ;)



Happy Mother's Day!

LSC/LOA!!!!!!!!!

Just got a call from Karen, our social worker with Heartsent! She just received our LSC (Letter Seeking Confirmation). This is the piece of paper that we check the box that says YES we want this child, then we sign it and send it back to the CCAA!

We have some immigration paperwork to complete and send in. PRAY that it is processed QUICKLY! She said that it was talking about a month. Next step is the TA (travel approval) which is taking about 3 weeks or so after that! So, reality is, we could be looking at...


wait for it...






JULY!!!!!


I need to get that little man home! Thanks for praying friends.

Some Great Fabric Choices

Just in case you are interested. I have a few more fabric combinations that will make some super cute dresses.

Here is the first one. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this fabric. It's called art gallery fabric.







Got enough fabric for one dress.



Here is the next set. It's the cupcake fabric, but with a vanilla background. Believe me, the green polka dots make this the cutest dress EVER!





And finally, this is another great set. It's perfect for all you purply lavender people. It is BEAUTIFUL fabric and will make a beautiful dress.



So, there you have it. Some more choices for these super cute dresses. I am sewing quite a bit, as I have time. I LOVE making these dresses. The prices are as follows:

Dress $30.00
Any embellishment - add $5.00 (ribbons, ric rac, applique etc.)
Monogram or name - $6.00

I am working on getting this information to a separate blog. Thanks for your interest and if you would like to order a dress, just let me know.

Dear Birthmom

Dear Mother,

Four years ago today, April 13, 2006, you delivered into this world a beautiful baby girl. For this, I will be forever grateful to you. Words cannot express my gratitude to you for what you have done. You gave life to my child. Because we live on two sides of the world, I began thinking of you and praying for you yesterday. Perhaps you were already feeling the sting of this day passing and you not knowing anything about your daughter. Are you wondering what she looks like? She is beautiful. Are you wondering how big she is? She is a little peanut. Are you wondering what her personality is like? She is full of life, quirky in some ways, but full of joy and energy.

How many times I have wished that I knew the full details of your story. Not just for my own heart, but for Jadyn's. Did you hide and watch for someone to pick up that sweet bundle at the gate of the orphanage? Or, was it just too much to even do yourself? We will probably never know the circumstances of how and why, but I have to believe in my heart that you love her and wanted the best for her. You see, I believe that before the very foundations of the world were placed into being, our child had a destiny. Her destiny was to be conceived, carried and delivered by you and received, nurtured and raised by me. If there was only a way for me to offer peace to your heart today. Your sweet girl is beautiful, healthy, happy and loved. Oh, how she is loved.

Today, I will cry tears of joy and thanksgiving. I have so happy to be her Mommy and so thankful that God saw fit to bring her into our lives. But I will also cry tears of sadness for you. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of you, but today of all days, you are especially close to my heart. What we share as Mothers, is a bond that can never be broken. I know that the God I serve can bring you peace and comfort and I pray often that He will grant you this peace. I have such a tender spot for you and today, I will think of you often.

The joy that this child has brought into our lives is unspeakable. When I look into those beautiful almond shaped eyes, many times I think of you. I pray today that as this day comes and goes that you will be comforted. That God will provide you with a sense of peace and comfort that can only come from Him. That He will help you to know that your daughter is happy, full of life, and dearly loved by so very many people. Thank you, dear woman, for the gift that we share. That gift, our daughter, is the very beat of this Mother's heart. What an joy to be given the opportunity to parent your child. For this, you will always hold a special place in my heart. But today, especially today, I am humbled by your sacrifice. Thank you for your gift of life.



Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Your Mommy loves you dearly...

Fabric Choices

Here are some fabric choices that I have. I have a few more in stock and will get them on here as soon as I can. Until then, here is a start.