Waiting Is Just Plain Hard

We are still waiting for China to issue our travel approval, because only after this is issued can our agency apply for a Consulate Appointment. Sadly we received news that all the September appointments are now booked, and the soonest available is mid October. We were really anticipating travel during September. Every day she spends in an orphanage is one day we don't get back, and though we remain positive that she'll adjust well to her new home and family, certainly there are optimal windows for learning, development, and attachment that pass us by each day we are not with our new daughter.

Waiting is just plain hard.

Addie's Room

One of the wonderful surprises of the new house was the room designed especially for Addie. The lotus flower on the wall is especially symbolic and even though Extreme Makeover and the designer Eduardo received credit for designing the rooms, Addie's flower was painted by our special friend Jen Wood from Machias.

In China, there are many paintings and stories of the lotus flower, often describing how they come out of the dirty mud under the water and yet retain their pureness, freshness and beauty. Chinese poets also use lotus flowers to inspire people to continue striving through difficulties and to show their best part to the outside world, no matter how bad the circumstances may be. This is understood as being just like the lotus flower, bringing beauty and light from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond.

100 Good Wishes Quilt

In the northern part of China families traditionally make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt to welcome and celebrate a new life, and make a Bai Jia Bei is exactly what Bob and Pat Bishop of Calais recently did for us. The quilt is gorgeous, and each piece of cloth is very special. There is a portion of my great-great grandmother's quilt, two pieces of cloth from my grandfathers' shirts (Addie will only know Gramp and Bampie through stories), a piece of her Uncle David's flannel shirt (He would have loved Addie so much), a doily from Grammie Mildred, and a T-Shirt in memory of Grammie Donna Smith.


It is customary to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth and a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth is sewn into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth goes into a scrapbook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the blessings from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric.We thank Bob and Pat for their quilting skills, energy, and creative talents.

Bayley and Tommy Are Ready

Tommy is ready for his new sister and is learning some Chinese so she will feel at home. He also is eager to teach Addie some baby sign language. For some odd reason Tommy is also very interested in the Chinese custom of cricket fighting. Bayley and I got our antibiotics and scabies cream yesterday just to be prepared for the journey. We are starting to think about what to pack and how limited we are in terms of the baggage restrictions. Bayley just finished the book Silent Tears which documents one woman's time spent in a Chinese orphanage. It is sad but eye-opening.

What does Jo-Jo Think?

Jo-Jo is getting more and more talkative regarding Addie coming home. He doesn't want me to go get her, but rather thinks Daddy should go. I am worried about the Mama's Boy when Bayley and I are in China. He is very concerned about where Addie will sleep, and if there will still be room for everyone to snuggle in our bed.

Updated Information

What a sad, sad face! We hope that she will smile when she comes home. Bayley and Tommy and Jo-Jo sent her a care package several weeks ago, and the dress she is wearing is from our package. We hope Addie liked the toys and blanket we sent, along with the pictures of her new family and home.

The new update indicates that she weighs 25 pounds. She can walk several steps holding someone's hand, but she does not crawl. Her muscle tone has improved. She is described as quiet and introverted, but she does enjoy going to crowded places and watching others. She knows the meaning of "No," and she oftens squints her eyes to show her dislike of the word. She stills loves having a bath, and her favorite toys are blocks which she loves to bang together.

She still loves her bottle and prefers milk to solid food.

Ting's Passport Photo

With our referral picture we also recieved a passport photo and some basic medical information. At age 9 months Ting weighed 22 pounds and loved to drink lots of milk. She was described as a deep sleeper and a child with very light skin. She was especially fond of bath time and enjoyed toys that made noises. She had low muscle tone and would most likely need physical therapy to strengthen those muscles.

Our first picture of Ting

This was the first glimpse of our new daughter. This picture was taken when she was 9 months old. She is indeed a big girl.

The Starting Point

Ron and I began the adoption process just over two years ago. After tons of paperwork, several home study visits, fingerprints, and much more we were offically logged in with China in April of 2007. For many months Ron and I, along with Bayley, Tommy, and Jo-Jo, waited and waited and waited. On May 16, 2008 we received the news. Our adoption agency Living Hope called to inform us that we had been referred a daughter. Ting was born March 29, 2007 and came to the orphanage at just one day old. Now the real wait began. We had a name and face to love.

Introductions

This blog was created to allow family and friends to share the experience of our journey to Addie. The journey has been incredibly long, and we are counting the days until we bring this little one home to join our family. Soon our daughter will leave all that she knows of orphanage life in the Jiangxi Province and travel many many miles to Milbridge, Maine where she will officially become Adeline Mei Ting Ray-Smith.