December Update

We just received our December update!  We can send 10 questions per month for $25 to the orphanage director and they will send back the answers.  Here are December's updates on our sweet girl:

Q:  We requested her updated size for height, weight, and head.
A:   Height: 63cm; weight: 4.8kg (this is 10.56 lbs); head circumference: 40cm (she hasn't grown as much as we might have hoped, but she looks great in the pictures)
Q:  When does she cry the most?  When she is tired, hungry, etc?
A:  She cries when she is hungry.  If she wants someone to hug her, and nobody hugs her, she will cry too.
Q:  Does she ever appear to be in any pain?
A:  According to the caregivers, the answer is no.  Anyway, she is too young to express which part of the body is painful.
Q:  May we get another video of her?
A:  Ok - no problem
Q:  May we get updated pictures of her?
A:  Ok - no problem (as you all know we have received lots of updated pictures over the last  days :))
Q:  Can she say any words in Chinese?  If not, how does she express what she wants?
A:  No, not yet.  She can express her desires with her eyes.
Q:  How much is she eating now?
A:  She starts eating the porridge and rice cereal.  The volume is about half bowl.
Q:  Has the lotion and baby wash we sent being able to be used during her baths?
A:  She is using now.


These updates thrill our heart as you can imagine!  During the adoption process, there is so much wait time, that all the updates we received over the last 48 hours seem like a dream!  We are so thankful Olivia's caregivers at the orphanage love her and are taking such great care of her.  Please continue to pray that Olivia continues to bond with her caregivers!  It is a good thing that she cries and wants to be held.  I just can't wait until the day it is Danny and I that get to comfort her and dry her tears.  For now, God will continue to dry all of our tears and comfort us in a way only He can as we wait for the family He has created for the 3 of us.


Our Best, 
Danny and Julie

We are so incredibly blessed!!!

Guess what?!?!  We got an email from our China coordinator.  Olivia's orphanage director sent us 9 additional pictures!!  Yes - 9!!!!  She looks so beautiful!  You can tell how tiny and precious that she is.   Enjoy along with us as we marvel at the gift God has given us in our precious little girl.  I continue to be amazed by His mercy and love!

The orphanage director said that they are so touched by your caring and love to FuBing.  Later this week, they will have a Christmas Eve party and all the children will participate.  We told the orphanage director that we sent a big box for FuBing for her birthday.  The director asked if you want to have a birthday party for FuBing on January 9. 

Look how precious I am :)

One of my favorites!!

Can't wait for her to look at Danny and I like this :)...  This must be a volunteer at the orphanage.

So thankful for these volunteers!  I am thankful to them for loving on these little children when we can't be there.

Look - I can hold my head up!

My favorite picture!  She is so precious!  You can also tell how tiny she is.

She looks happy!

Mommy and Daddy's little angel - we can't wait to get her home!!

Update on Olivia!!!

We are thrilled!  We got an unexpected update today from our China contact with our adoption agency.  We also got pictures :).  I will let the pictures and information speak for themselves.  I know you join in our joy over this new information.  The only item that gives us concern is that they talk about her having a 2nd surgery in Shanghi in April.  If this happens, it would mean that our adoption would be delayed.  We are praying that she can be home with her family for her next surgery, but that the adoption goes through quickly because her condition cannot afford a delayed surgery either.  Our God is an on time God!!  He is never early and never late - He's always right on time! 

Here are the update we received from the orphanage:

FuBing's condition has stablized the last few months.  Now, she even started eating rice cereal.  Sometimes, our foreign volunteers will make some apple sause for her.  BingBing loves to smile and loves to play with people.  She is like other other babies, even when she goes to sleep, she wants someone to be with her, otherwise, she would cry. 

According to the doctor's instruction, we already gradually stopped digoxin, kcl, and bostan.  At this current time, she is still taking omerprazole, lasix, asprin, vitamin, and ampicillin.  FuBing does not need to go to Shanghai now, but still need to go to Shanghai next April for follow up.  If her physical condition is well, the doctor will perform the second surgery next April.

Height: 63 cm;

Weight: 4.8 kg

Head circumference: 40 cm

Our Best,
Danny and Julie

Sweetest Thing Ever

Meet Kai!  Kai came home with his forever parents just a few weeks ago and has had major heart surgery since he has arrived (though you'd never know it by this video).  Not only was he in Olivia's orphanage, but he was in her same room!!!  Can you believe it?!?!  God is so good!  Jillian, Kai's mom, posted about meeting and getting to hold this beautiful little girl while visiting her son's orphanage before leaving China.  That little girl was Olivia.  YES, she got to hold our precious daughter!!  How we came together is truly a miracle - our God is still in the miracle business!  Enjoy this precious video of Kai seeing Olivia for the first time since he left China on THIS blog :). 

(He knows Olivia as Bing-Bing - what they call her at the orphanage)

Olivia's 2nd Care Package - Christmas and 1st Birthday

Today we are mailing Olivia's care package.  Yes, I purchased WAY too many clothes :).  We are also sending her 1st birthday card and present since another package will not make it in time. 

The teething bib says "Mommy and Daddy's Wish Come True" and the top outfit says "Grandma's Cutie"

This is one of her Christmas outfits from her Aunt Leslie :)...  It, of course, came with a bow!

The little bear outfit says "My First Christmas"!  The red and white outfit is her Alabama, I mean Christmas outfit :)...

The little pink coat is SO soft and warm.  I love the little lamb outfit

This is Olivia's first birthday card and present.  We are also sending some lotion and teething gel because Olivia is probably starting to get some teeth (at least we hope so).

Olivia Turns 11 Months

December 9th is Olivia's 11 month birthday!  Happy Birthday Olivia!!  Oh how we wish we were going to be with her to celebrate!  It is so sad knowing that I won't be able to hold her on her 1st birthday in January.  Danny and I can't hardly wait to be able to hold her, comfort her, and love all over her :).  I do think about her birth parents and what they must be feeling tonight...  We will never know who they are, but please keep them in your prayers as I am sure they are thinking of her tonight. 
We are still waiting on Olivia's 3-month post-op report.  Hopefully we will hear about that soon and hopefully our little punkin has gained some much needed weight!!

Please pray that God will hold our little one close to Himself until we can get to her!

We Received our LID!!! YAY!!

We are thrilled!!  This marks the beginning of the end of the paperwork process before we can finally look at our beautiful daughter eye to eye...  I'm not sure what LID stands for.  All I know is that the LID means China officially has registered our paperwork and our time clock begins.  We've been told to anticipate at minimum 35 business days before we might receive our LOA (Letter of Approval).  So, we are hoping mid-late January.  In lieu of Olivia's rather serious condition, we, with the help of Nightlight, our adoption agency, are doing everything within our power to expedite her adoption.

We sent some questions to our coordinator, who was able to get the questions to Olivia's orphanage...  I thought I'd post the questions and responses...

Q:  How much does she eat and has it increased since her surgery? 

A:  She eats milk powder and apple, 80-90ml milk for each meal.  After surgery, she drank 60ml milk per meal, now she drinks 90ml.

Q:  Does she appear to breathe and sleep okay?

A:  Yes, she is doing good.

Q:  Can she sit up and play without help or assistance?  Does she play with other children?

A:  She can’t sit alone by herself.  She likes to sit together and play with other children.

Q:  Does she like to hold/play with soft stuffed animals or hard toys to teeth on?

A:  She likes small and sounding toys.

Q:  How often does she get a bath and does she like baths?

A:  Yes, she likes to take a bath very much.

Q:  Can we get more pictures of her?  We love her so much and everyone wants to see her.

A:  (The orphanage will send us more photos of her)

Q:  What else would it be helpful for us to send to her and her caregivers?

A:  Clothes for cold weather.

We hope to get some updated pictures soon! 

Our Heart this December

Our Song this Christmas by Third Day...  Get ready to cry...
(right click on "click here" and choose "open in new window" so it doesn't take you off this page)

Click Here

It's amazing how 48 seconds can change your life!!

I love that they were so sweet to put the bow in her hair that we sent in the care package!  She tries so hard to hold the picture book, just can't quite get a good hold. They call her Bing Bing at the orphanage :)...

Our First Post

We began our adoption this past August.  We never dreamed we would have the priviledge of being this precious little girl's parents.  Her Chinese name is FuBing Yang - our Olivia.  I hope you enjoy watching her find her way home!

Our Best,
Danny and Julie