We're Going to China!

We received our Travel Approval today. Here's our travel schedule.

Thurs, July 30-leave the US
Fri, July 31-arrive in BeiJing-Renaissance Beijing Hotel
Sat, August 1- sightseeing in BeiJing TianAnMen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall, lunch is included; CHI orientation
Sun, August 2- Travel to province (Chongqing)
Mon, August 3-receive children at the adoption center (you will not be permitted to visit your child’s orphanage due the H1N1 flu)
Tues, August 4-adoption process
Wed-Fri, August 5-7-sightseeing and free days
Fri, August 7-fly to Guangzhou in the evening – China Hotel in Guangzhou
Sat: August 8-Medical exam for children in Guangzhou
Sun: August 9 – free day
Mon: August 10-free day
Tues, August 11-visa appt
Wed, August 12- take oath at the US Consulate and get child’s visa late in the day
Thurs, August 13, families can return to the US
Fri, August 14, home at last!!

I can't believe it's finally happening. I feel a little like I did the day they told me when they would induce labor with Grace, overwhelmed, awestruck, but a feeling of joy that can't be explained.

New PIctures!!

I logged into my email this morning to find quite a surprise. 3 new pictures and new height & weight for Lila. She is now 31.5 inches tall and 21 pounds. Can you believe how much my new little miss has changed since her last pictures? Isn't she the cutest little thing?!?!

Our agency told me yesterday that they are working on our appointments with the consulate and orphange and the estimate travel in late July.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO exciting!

Chongqing Videos

This is a series of videos shot from a helicopter in Chongqing. It has given me an idea of the area we will be in and where our little one is.

http://chongqing.spicycity.cn/index.php/nkxcq2008series/

SCL arrived today

Christina from our agency called this afternoon. I was sitting by the phone and didn't even check caller id so had no idea who it was. I was happily surprised that it was her with very good news. Our packet with all of Lila's official information and the letter we will sign saying "Yes, we want to adopt her" will arrive tomorrow. We sign that & send it back to our agency then start waiting for them to tell us when we can travel. Hoping, hoping, hoping, it's July. I have a major birthday in July so it would be amazing to get my little girl for my birthday. This is another big milestone and it's a huge relief to have reached it.

Our Girls

I have been waiting over 2 years to take a picture of Grace holding Lila's referral picture. What a blessing to finally be able to take that picture. Don't you love that posed look on Grace's face? She is my drama queen.

Details

I was so excited to post Lila's pictures that I forgot to add any details.

In December she was 29 inches tall and 17.6 lbs

She is in the Bishan County Social Welfare Institute in the province of Chongqing. Chongqing is the largest city in China, so large that it is a province in itself. This wikipedia link gives a lot of information about the area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongqing

Her birthday is May 25, 2007 so she is 3 years younger than Grace. I wanted my girls to be close in age like Carol Ann and I so they can be as close as we are, we're almost 2 years apart.

Her Chinese name Bi Si Shi means she is a beautiful cute girl and full of oriental temperament. Her nannies at the orphange wrote that when asked to make another little girl stop crying, Sishi would pat her back or hold her hands. Sishi is clever and has a ready smile. she has white skin and long eyelash which make her adorable. We all love this beautiful little angel. I know they are caring for her as best they can until we can start caring for OUR newest little angel.

Here she is!

We got our preapproval (PA) late last night which was early this morning in China!! We are very excited & relieved to have reached this step. Our next step is the official approval called the seeking confirmation letter (SCL) after that we receive travel approval (TA)then we go get her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were slightly delayed getting our PA but Christina (our social worker) kept reassuring me that it would come. She said there is truly no rhyme or reason as to how quickly approvals are coming right now, it's different for every case. ANYWAY we are incredibly happy, totally in love, and more impatient than I have ever been to get my baby!