Our Journey to Aaron: May 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013

A New Photo of Sarah

A family who is in China this week and adopted their child (from Sarah's orphanage), went to visit the orphanage and was able to take some photos of Sarah.
Here is a sweet one of her. She's being held by an orphanage worker, who is holding up the Chinese characters for her name. We love Sarah's hair! She is so darn cute! Cannot wait to have her in our arms!
Our agency has staff members traveling to Bao'an next week. We are hoping they will be able to get more photos and an update on Sarah.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Our Special Blog for Sarah Alexa

Here is the link to the special blog we have for our adoption of Sarah Alexa. This is where we will post this summer when we travel to China.
http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com/sarahalexa/index.html

Our Timeline

2/7/2011 DTC for 2nd Adoption
4/23/2010 We arrive in U.S. Aaron becomes a United States Citizen
4/13/2010 Adoption Day - Aaron is officially our son!
4/12/2010 We met our new son, Aaron
4/8/2010 - 4/23/2010 Trip to China
4/6/2010 Leave Home for Aaron
3/30/2010 TA arrives (Travel Approal)
3/9/2010 Passports with Chinese Visas arrive (ONE MONTH after mailing them to the courier service)
3/1/2010 LOA (Letter of Approval) arrives after 53 LONG days!
1/19/2010 PA! (Prior Approval) We many now officially share our wonderful news!
1/7/2010 Our Letter of Intent to adopt Bao Xinsheng is officially sent to the CCAA.
1/6/2010 Bao Xinsheng's file received at CAWLI (YIPPEE)
12/31/2009 USCIS approves us to adopt a BOY (or girl) through age 4. (This is record time! What a way to celebrate the New Year!)
12/28/2009 CCAA lets GWCA know that CAWLI has a family (US!) interested in adopting Bao Xinsheng. GWCA officially release his file back to CCAA.
12/23/2009 We submit a letter to USCIS, along with a home study update from our social worker, recommending we be approved to adopt a BOY, age 3
12/11/2009 We emailed our LOI (Letter of Intent) to adopt Bao Xinsheng to CAWLI (We will not officially be LOI until CAWLI receives his file from CCAA. We are told it could take a month or more for this transfer to occur, and that these types of transfers are not often done.)
12/11/2009 GWCA agrees that they will release Bao Xinsheng's file back to CCAA (if asked by CCAA) to have it transferred to our agency, CAWLI
11/18/2009 WE FOUND OUR SON! (Mommy saw Bao Xinsheng's photo on a different agency's Waiting Children's List - GWCA)
3/8/2008 LID (Dossier Logged in at CCAA in China) to adopt a baby girl 0-12 months, NSN (non special needs)
11/16/2007 Sent applications to Adoption Advocates (local home study agency) and CAWLI (China Adoption With Love). We started the process to adopt our second child, on the day before Donovan turned 1.

Kisses in the Wind (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.
I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.
Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.
Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.
© Pamela Durkota, written for Josh