He's Back

Toby is doing much better the past couple days and seems to getting back to his usual self. The first week post surgery was rough with lots of sleep issues at night and tantrums/meltdowns during the day. The past couple days he has been needing only minimal pain meds and has really mellowed out again. He's beginning to resemble the sweet, laid back little boy we knew once again. We are still having frequent wake ups at night but he is no longer freaking out for extended periods of time and seems more relaxed again.

We know many of you have been praying for Toby and our family and we thank you. Please continue to pray for his complete healing and that any fears or anxiety caused by the surgery would be completed eliminated.

More Pictures

Okay sorry about the backwards order but I'm still learning this whole blog thing.

The picture of Toby in green was taken on Thursday. The others were on Friday. One before the bandage under his lip came off and one after.

We are just so pleased with how his lip is looking. We saw the surgeon on Friday and she was encouraged by what his palate looked like.

Photos of Surgery/Recovery

I tried to take some pictures of Toby's recovery so we can talk about things with him as he grows up. Thought you might be interested in seeing his progression from surgery day to yesterday.

In the recovery room immediately following surgery. The black string attached to the side of his face is a tongue stitch. It goes through his tongue to keep his airway open in case of swelling. It was removed before we went up to the pediatric unit.


This picture was taken the morning after surgery. It was so nice to see him calm and not distressed when awake. He liked the idea of playing but not really up for it yet.

Getting Better

Toby had a restless night but it seemed like we were able to keep his pain managed for the most part. He is starting to eat a little more and has started drinking a little from his bottles again. He seems a little irritated that we don't let him have anything but purees and liquids but that is something he will need to get used to for the next few weeks. The older kids are still at grandma and grandpa's and Dave and I have been able to focus on Toby and helping him heal. He doesn't like the arm splints but with both Dave and I with him he doesn't need them too often. Once it's mommy and the four kids again he will need to wear them a lot more. Thank you all for your continued prayers. The feel so blessed to have the support of so many people.

We're Home

Sorry I was unable to blog after surgery yesterday. Once we got to the regular hospital rooms I couldn't access blogger properly for some reason.

Toby got out or surgery at about 12:30pm. The surgeon was very pleased with the surgery and how he did. Shortly after waking up it got pretty rough for Toby. He was very difficult to console and would not relax and rest. After several medications he finally took a short nap only to start all over again when he woke. Both Dave and I ended up spending the night as he was so needy. About 5am we had a breakthrough and he began doing much better. He was never in trouble medically but it was just difficult to manage his pain and get him relaxed enough to sleep properly. I think he was scared and unsure of so many things that were happening.

We were able to leave the hospital late morning and we were all happy to be home. Toby took a good nap is drinking his bottle (yippy). He hates the arm restraints but hopefully over time will get more used to them.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for Toby's healing.

Still in Surgery

Well it's noon now and Toby is still in surgery. We haven't had any updates since that initial one so we are just waiting.... I'm pacing the floor as I can't seem to focus on the book I brought. I'll post after surgery.

Surgery Day

The morning started early for Toby, Dave and I. We left the house at 5:30am to head to the hospital for Toby's surgery. All the pre-admission stuff went well and Toby was a real trooper. He didn't even seem upset about not being allowed to eat or drink anything this morning. He played with us and was laughing as we chased each other around the halls waiting for the doctors. He looked very adorable in his little hospital gown. I'm sad I didn't get a picture of him in it before surgery. Toby was quite attached to Dave this morning (flashback to China) so Dave was the one to take him back to the operating room. Dave stayed with him until he was asleep. Now begins the long wait...

8:10am The ENT doctor came to let us know his part of the surgery was over and went well, albeit much longer than he had anticipated. Apparently Toby has very tiny ear canals and it was a bit of a challenge to place the tubes. Now they will begin the lip revision and then do his palate repair.

9:25 the nurse called us on the phone from the OR to let us know that Toby is doing well and the surgery is going as planned. They started his lip revision at about 8:45. It was good to hear an update and that he is doing well. I'll post again when I get another update or after surgery, whichever happens first.

Thank you for your prayers and support today.

Updates

I'm a little behind in updating the blog as many of you have mentioned :) We are coming up on four weeks since we returned from China. Our family has been spending lots of time getting to know Toby and bond together as a family unit. The kids are all doing well and enjoying their newest sibling (most of the time). Obviously with Lucy and Toby being so close in age they are having to make the most adjustments to one another. They are still sorting out their relationship but I'm seeing more and more sweet interactions between them every day.

The second week home we all got a stomach virus which was not fun. The only one who escaped the nastiness was Toby. He must have some immune system. We also saw the surgeon who will be performing Toby's surgery. In addition to having his palate repaired she will also do a lip revision so try to fix the poor work that was done on his lip when it was originally repaired. He will most likely also have tubes put in his ears but that won't be confirmed until we meet with the ENT doctor next week. His surgery is scheduled for November 10th. I have mixed emotions about it all. On one hand I am anxious to get it done and be able to move forward with Toby's healing and speech development. On the other hand I am not looking forward to seeing him in pain and going through the recovery. He will need to wear arm splints for a few weeks to keep him from putting anything in his mouth. I'm sure that will not be fun for him but it will certainly be to his benefit in the long run.

Toby has been such a blessing to our family. Honestly it is just so clear that God intended for him to be a part of our family. It's getting harder and harder to remember life before he came home. I feel so honored that I get to be his mommy. Toby's personality is so sweet. He is easy going and loves to be held. He is quick with smiles and has the most adorable little dimple. He is also a typical toddler and expresses his displeasure when things do not go his way. Generally his tantrums are short lived and he goes back to his pleasant self.

First Week Home

Our first week home has gone really well overall. Jet lag was really tough on all of us but it seems we have now mostly recovered from it. Toby is sleeping well in his crib in our room and we have our bed back. The kids are all adapting to each other and building relationships. Lucy has done better than I expected her to as far as jealousy goes.

Toby is such a blessing and it feels so good to have him home and truly a part of the family now. He and I are getting much closer and he even prefers me to Daddy sometimes. We are starting to see a little more typical toddler behavior (ie. tantrums, hitting etc.) but nothing significant. I'm actually encouraged by it as I think he's feeling safe enough to let his guard down.

My mom has been with us since we returned and it has been a life saver. I can't imagine having to come home and deal with the kids, the household stuff, doctors appts etc. all while trying to recover from jet lag without help. Family and friends have brought over meals and it has all been so helpful.

Toby had his first visit with the pediatrician this week and so far it looks like he is doing good. He's growth is good and she found no obvious signs of illness. He will have to have a pretty extensive blood workup done as well as a liver ultrasound this coming week but I am not concerned that there is anything wrong at this point. He will also have his first appointment with the surgeon who will do his palate surgery on Friday. We will discuss when to do the surgery and get more details at that time.

We look forward to introducing Toby to many of you in the near future.

Shopping Mania

So another mom in our travel group and I hired a local Chinese woman (Ann, from Red Thread) to take us shopping. She took us to wholesale markets and all sorts of amazing stores. She got us unbelievable deals! I'm still in some shock over it. It was tiring but so much fun. She took us off the island and to more local spots. It was good to see a little more of China than just Shamain Island. She is a tiny woman but man she can move fast. We were all tired when we returned but thrilled with our purchases.

Toby continues to do well and is warming up to me a little more each day. He usually ends up sleeping with me so he cuddles in his sleep even if he doesn't know it. He really enjoys the playroom and has fun exploring. We are seeing more and more of his true personality every day. We are looking forward to having him meet his siblings.

We are excited to be in the home stretch of our trip. I miss the kids so much and can hardly wait to hug and kiss them.

Just a quick update on some of the prayer requests. The families that were struggling are really improving and the kids continue to open up each day. My sinus are slowing improving. Toby and mommy are getting closer. Our paperwork snafu has been resolved and all should be good.

Today is our consulate appointment and we should hear in the next couple hours that all is good and that Toby will receive his visa tomorrow.

Please pray for us as we go through our last couple days here in China and begin our journey home. We have felt your prayers and thank you all for your faithfulness.

A Better Day and A Couple Stories

Today has been a better day. After having my down day yesterday I am feeling more encouraged. Toby allowed me to carry him down to breakfast and also down to the pool today. This is big progress for us. He is also more cuddly with his bottle again. I keep reminding myself it's only been a week and things won't happen overnight, but every little step forward is a victory for me. Toby really likes the pool and doesn't seem to have any fear of the water. I meant to take my camera down to take some pics but forgot so I will do that tomorrow. Today we swam at the pool after breakfast and skyping with the kids. Toby's napping right now and Dave went out to get us some Subway for lunch (yes there is a Subway close by). We are planning on exploring the island a little more this afternoon and then having dinner at Lucy's tonight again. Toby loves the baby noodle bowl they have there.

So I don't think I ever told the glasses story so I thought I'd share it. On our second to last night in Beijing Dave's glasses broke. The arm completely came off and was unfixable. We asked our guide if there was any way to get new glasses. That night after touring she took us to an eye glasses place and was able to help us get Dave a new pair. He got new lenses and frames for a total of $30 US. They had them ready with the perfect percription in less than an hour. Talk about a good deal. Maybe that's why Toby's so loving his daddy, his Chinese glasses.

The other night we had put Toby in his crib after falling asleep in our bed. At some point in the middle of the night he crawled out of the crib and into Dave's bed. He conked out and slept the rest of the night with Dave.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY BEN!!
We love you so much and with we could be with you. Hope you have/had a wonderful day. We are so proud of the wonderful boy you are becoming. You are an amazing big brother and we are blessed. You are such a special gift from God!

The Past Few Days

Well we safely arrived in Guangzhou on Friday evening after a delayed flight and tiring day. We had a rough start to the flight but Toby recovered and did pretty well the rest of the way. He was really beginning to attach more to me and I was excited about that. Dave was able to leave us while we played and hung out. He was being quite cuddling with his bottle as well.

Guangzhou is much more Western that Henan was and I have to admit it's nice to not eat rice or noodles for every meal. We are at the White Swan hotel and it is lovely. There are two outdoor pools and a huge playroom. The hotel itself has much to explore. We have two twin beds here so we weren't sure how it would work with Toby and co-sleeping. So far we've been able to get him to sleep in his crib or he starts out in Dave's bed and then we move him once he's asleep to the crib. We have the crib pushed up against the side of the bed so we can reach over and pat him at night if he needs it.

Yesterday was a tough day. We had the medical exam which went fine but then Toby had to have 5 shots. Dave held him but I had to leave the room as I was too emotional. Another dad went in with Dave for me. They do not move quickly so it was a bit of a process. Dave had to hold him tight while they gave him shots in both arms and both legs. He was screaming the whole time and did not get over it quickly. He is fine now and did not have any negative reactions so far so that is good. It did set back his attachment some, especially to me. Even though I wasn't even in the room he is rejecting me a bit more today. He won't cuddle with his bottle anymore and he is more stressed if Dave is not in sight. I'm hoping that this will be temporary but I'm feeling a bit down about is all today. It's hard when your child doesn't want you to be near him. I know it's not personal but I would just love for him to reach up his arms toward me asking to be picked up one of these days. I suppose the only bright side, as pointed out for another mom, is that Dave will have to deal with Toby on the long ride home. Not so much a bright side for Dave but oh well.

We also got a stroller to borrow while here in Guangzhou and that is saving Dave's back and arms. Toby enjoys being outside, especially at night with all the lights to see. He is really taking it all in and exploring the world. He thinks it's pretty neat to feed himself as I don't think he had the opportunity to do that in the orphanage.

A couple prayer requests:
-Please pray that a paperwork snafu we have encountered will be resolved quickly
-Pray that my sinus' continue to heal
-Continued health for Dave and Toby
-Pray that attachment will continue to move forward for Toby and I

We miss you all (especially Ben, Daniel and Lucy) and can't wait to come home.

Almost Done in Henan

We leave tomorrow to head to Guangzhou which will be our final stop on our China trip. I'm definitely feeling homesick and missing the kids a lot. I had a tough day on Tuesday and another mom was so kind and gave me a little pep talk. She reminded me that I just had to make it through today and the only needed to worry about one day at a time. I feel a sense of relief to know that when I wake up in the morning it will only be one more week till we fly home. Don't get me wrong. I am enjoying so much of China but I'm really ready to settle into regular family life again. Living in hotels and eating out all the time get a little much sometimes.

Toby continues to do well and is a happy boy. He and I had some alone time today and aside from looking at the door a few times to see is Dave was coming back he did well. He doesn't let me hold him unless I'm giving him his bottle or feeding him but he will play with me and interact on the floor. He will be very silly and playful while Dave is holding him. He seems to really feel safe with daddy and we are grateful for that. He also started saying mama today. I'm not in anyway convinced that it is directed at me but it is still nice to hear. Due to his anxious attachment with Dave we are now co-sleeping with Toby. All I have to say is it is amazing to me how a small body can take up so much room on a king size bed.

Today we went for a walk in a nice park close to our hotel. It was hot today so we went early after breakfast and then staying indoors the rest of the day. Toby went in the pool at the hotel today and had a great time. He really likes the water. He was very trusting of Dave and relaxed in his arms in the pool.

Please pray for my sinus's. I'm feeling a little better but as we have another flight tomorrow I really would like for them to clear up more. Thanks for praying for the families that are struggling. They are making positive progress and we are excited about that. We cherish your continued prayers for all of us as well as our children at home.

God Bless

The Past Couple of Days

August 25th we became the legal parents of Hu Ruo Yu (Tobias). We went as a group with the other families back to the registration office and received our official adoption certificates. Then it was off to the notary for more paperwork and pictures. Toby was a trooper but was definitely ready for a nap when we returned to the hotel. Later that afternoon I went with the other families to a place called the Lotus Center (think WalMart). The only difference is I stepped in urine at least 3 times, there is no air conditioning and they have animal carcasses hanging from the ceiling. It was an experience I'm glad I had but do not feel an urgency to go back any time soon. Toby went to bed easily but woke at about 11:30pm coughing a lot. It continued off and on for a while. I checked on him and he awoke so I brought him into our king size bed. Within a couple hours the boy had succeeded in pushing mommy so far to the edge that I had to sleep across the foot of the bed. Then he took daddy's blanket and Dave ended up with me at the foot of the bed. By the morning we were all sleeping the opposite direction on the bed. Not a lot of sleep to be had but we survived.

August 26th was a day to just hang out and relax. We hung out in our hotel room and went for a walk. We will soon head out to dinner with another family. I've been not feeling well and may have a sinus infection. Our guide has given me some sort of Chinese remedy that apparently taste like gym socks but works well. I will try it before bed tonight. Please pray for a quick recovery for me and that Dave and Toby do not get what I have.

It has been an emotional and somewhat tiring couple days as we all learn about one another and adjust to becoming a family. Toby is doing really well. He seems to be learning to trust us and gives us lots of smiles and giggles. He thinks pretend sneezing is really funny. He is most definitely a daddy's boy and doesn't like to have Dave out of his sight too much. Mommy does all the feeding so that's the one time he will sit with me and allow me to hold him. He's fine playing with me as long as daddy's also around. I suppose the one benefit for me is that Dave is now the hot, sweaty one carrying a toddler around all day.

Please continue to pray for us and also for all the families in our travel group. Some are really struggling and need to be lifted up.

Forever Family Day

Today we finally got to hold our Toby in our arms for the first time. I was a nervous wreck all morning just thinking about how it may all go. We left the hotel at 9:40am and headed to the registration office. When we arrived and walked in I saw Toby was already there. I immediately started crying. Within a couple minutes he was in my arms. He didn't cry but did look a little strangely at this woman who was holding him with tears running down her face. He allowed me to hold him for a while and then I passed him on to Dave. The scene was a little chaotic with all the families meeting their children and trying to video and take pictures for one another. They had a play area and after about 30 minutes Toby pointed that he wanted to go there. We played and he crawled around and pulled to standing. He's not walking but I'm thinking it won't be long. We even got a couple small smiles out of him. I don't think he ever got the first care package I sent as the orphanage did not return anything to me from it. They did return the camera I sent with the cake so I'm looking forward to developing it sometime in the next couple days. We said thank you to his nannies and got a couple pictures and gave them our gifts.

After leaving the registration office we headed to a photo place to have our family adoption picture taken for our adoption certificate. Toby was a champ and ate snacks non stop on the bus ride over there. I think he was pretty hungry. He definitely looks well taken care of and has a good bit of chub on him. He must weigh the same as Lucy, although shorter.

Once back at the hotel we got his diaper changed and made him a bottle. He sucked it down and then wanted more. He drank of total of 10 oz of formula with rice cereal mixed in. The babies are accustomed to very hot and thick formula. He was obviously tired and Dave held him and he got very peaceful. Dave put him in the crib and rubbed his back. After a few minutes he was sound asleep and slept for 3 hours. Upon waking he cried but quickly quieted when I picked him up and began to play with him. He then ate an entire banana that I slightly mashed for him. It was so cute as he kept scooting closer and closer to me as he ate. The rest of the afternoon was paperwork and play time.

We decided to get some take out for dinner and just hang in the room and get to know one another. Toby ate rice and had another bottle. He really thinks Dave is funny and will laugh and giggle with him. He's even started wrestling already. He was grunting over and over at us until we realized he wanted us to turn the tv on. I suppose they must watch in the orphanage. He loved the bath mommy gave him and played happily for almost 30 minutes in the tub. After a quick, online chat with the family it was off to bed. He fell asleep quickly cuddling with a little pillow.

We are tired from the day but so overjoyed that we are finally a family. We thank you for your prayers and support and ask that you continue to lift us up. Please pray for good health for all of us and continued peace in this time of transition. Love to you all.

Why We Chose to Adopt

Dave made a good point the other day of saying so many people ask us why we chose to adopt, especially because we already have birth children, so we thought we'd write a post about it.

First, some background is necessary. Dave and I discussed adoption early in our marriage, even before we even had any children by birth. We both had a desire to adopt and knew one day we would. At the time we of course did not know whether that meant we would have birth children first or not. Well God has blessed us with three amazing children who joined our family in the traditional way and now we are in China to adopt our third son, fourth child.

The following random thoughts best paint the picture of why we chosen to adopt (and may yet again)

- The idea of adoption is God's creation. The brutal yet beautiful story of God entering a scarred world in the person of Jesus as told through the 4 Gospels is ultimately about providing a means of adoption (and redemption) for His estranged sons and daughters. The one that fashioned the universe into existence chose to set aside comfort and safety to allow a broken and evil humanity to nail Him to a cross, all because He loved us. When we humble ourselves and ask for God's help and forgiveness, we are adopted as His children.

- There are many orphans in this world. While we can't help them all, we can help at least 1, with love and a stable home.

- When we began to consider having children, we realized that it might not be easy for us. We decided, early on in our marriage, that if we were unable to conceive biologically, we wouldn't attempt any medical intervention. Whether a child had our DNA or not wasn't a priority. To us, you are a mother or father based on what you do with a child post conception.

- Adoption is financially expensive, no doubt about it. We could have spent the money to finish our basement or go on multiple vacations. The money could have been saved for the unknown future or been invested to earn more of it. Yet, all of that is temporal and fleeting. In God's economy, a person is both eternal and more valuable than material possessions. In God's economy, children are an asset and not a curse. In God's economy, it is better to give than to receive. We feel we chose the option that will convert the temporary into that which lasts forever.

- Ultimately, this process has been God leading us and we are merely following. I wonder what would happen if every follower of God was to get actively involved in some way in an adoption. What if Christian families asked God if if He would have them add another little one? You might not be called to adopt, but you might be called to help someone who is, financially, practically or through prayer.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

First Full Day in China

We made it to China yesterday after a long flight. Everything went well and we even ended up getting a free upgrade to Economy Plus when my TV screen would not work. After arriving at the Beijing airport we headed to the hotel with 4 other families. We were on our own for dinner and ended up at McDonalds of all places. We had tried to find a dumpling restaurant that had an English menu but were unable to. We were completely exhausted after the trip (neither Dave nor I were able to sleep on the plane), so after dinner we just headed back to the hotel. We worked hard to keep ourselves awake till 9pm when we were supposed to IChat with the kids. Well it turns out that the Internet capacity here in China is not good enough to do the video chat. It may change at the next stop but we were very disappointed not to be able to see the kids. I did get to talk to them on the phone though. It looks like we will have to upload Skype and try it that way.

Today was a day full of sight seeing. We went to Tian'anmen Square, the forbidden city, a silk factory and Hutong district. We were smelly and tired by the end but had a great time. The silk factory was actually pretty interesting. we got to see how it goes from a silk worm all the the way to the fabric. The forbidden city was pretty amazing. It was so crowded that I felt a little overwhelmed at times. When we were walking through Tian'anmen Square a Chinese man stopped our guide and asked if Dave and I would take a picture with his family. They acted like we were celebrities and put their arms around us for a photo. It was quite funny.

We are definitely missing the kids but we know they are probably having a blast with the grandparents. Our guide showed us the dumpling restaurant so in a few minutes we are meeting another family to head there for dinner. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention breakfast. We have breakfast included with the hotel and oh my goodness do they put on a spread. They have all the Western classics as well as the Chinese, including fried rice, noodles and soup. Lunch was traditional Chinese at one of our guides favorite restaurants. It was really good.

All for now. Tomorrow is the Great Wall, a jade factory and several others. Love to you all.

Baby Shower

Yesterday one of the ladies at our church fellowship hosted a baby shower in celebration of Toby's upcoming arrival home. We had lots of fun and had to eat yucky baby food. I really don't know how babies do it. With the exception of the fruit ones they really don't taste good at all. Toby got some adorable outfits and some much needed diapers and wipes. We will now have two kids in diapers! The shower was such a blessing and encouragement to me as we soon leave to finalize Toby's adoption. Thank you Lisa for hosting and putting it all together for us.

Ben's Birthday Party

Ben will turn 7 while we are in China so we decided to have his birthday party a little early this year. We will still have a family party when we get home but on Saturday he had fun with his friends. We had a slip n slide, water balloon fights and sprinklers going in the backyard. I think everyone was wet and tired by the end. We are sad that we won't be with Ben on his actual birthday but we know Auntie Susan has some fun planned for him.

God Really is Good!

Toby's name means God is Good and He certainly is. As we are planning for our time in China and away from our three little ones at home we have been so blessed by those who have stepped up to help us out when we found ourselves in a bit of an unexpected bind. Our church family, friends and relatives have been quick to rally around us and offer their assistance. I tend to lose sight of the fact that God is in control and I do not need to be anxious about details. He will work them all out in His time and His way. Now if I can only remember that in the moment I'd be much better off :)

We feel all your prayers and thank you for the support you give our family.

Flights Are Booked

Wow! This is really beginning to feel more and more real. I confirmed our flights with the travel agent this morning. She was such a wonderful woman to work with. She got us great routes and good prices. We booked Toby a lap seat so he won't have his own seat on the plane. The travel agent booked Dave and I with a seat open between us in hopes that it stays open and we have a little more room to stretch out on the way home.

Please pray for us as we prepare to go. Pray for good health for Dave and I. Also that the Lord would prepare Toby for us. Pray for our three children who will stay at home while we travel. Pray that they remain happy and healthy while we are gone. Definitely pray for all the relatives who are so graciously staying with our little ones to care for them. Pray for strength and health for them. We are so grateful to have such wonderful family who are willing to help us during this time.

Love to you all!

We're Coming Toby!!

We received our travel approval yesterday! Today we got confirmation of our travel dates. We will be leaving on 8/19 and returning on 9/4. Now I am in the process of booking flights and reviewing my packing list. I'm just so excited that in 3 weeks we will be in China!

We're coming baby boy!

A Little More About Toby

Along with the pictures of the party that I received I sent a letter to the orphanage director thanking them for caring for Toby and I asked a few questions that I hoped they may answer. Well they passed on the info to Ann who coordinated the care package for us. I'd love to share a little more about what we found out.

Q. What is Ruo Yu's daily schedule like?
A. Wakes up at 7am, naps 11am-2pm, goes to sleep at 8:30pm.

Q. If he is upset what helps to calm him down.
A. When he is upset give him hugs and pat his back, then he will be happy.

Q. What are his favorite toys/foods.
A. He loves to push walker or little car to walk around. He loves to eat noodles.

We asked a few more questions but they probably aren't very interesting to others so I won't bore you with them. He sounds like a pretty easy going kiddo. He must also be close to walking if he is pushing cars around.

Our Happy Boy!

I have, of course, cherished each and every picture we have received of Toby but have always felt a little sad that I did not have one of him smiling. Well I arranged for a care package, including a cake to be sent to him and his friends at the orphanage. I hoped it would be a good way to say thank you to the staff and give the kids a special treat.

Well this morning I woke up to new pictures of the party they had and Toby is smiling! In the pictures I've posted he is the one wearing the crown. He even has a dimple! I needed this so much today. My heart has been aching to be so far away from him and not know how he is every day. I know we will meet him in God's time but I must admit I feel impatient a lot of the time.

Good News!

Our paperwork has finally found it's way back to the CCAA and we should get our Travel Approval sometime in the next 2-4 weeks. So far we are still on track to leave sometime in the later part of August. We are getting closer!

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Dave has a coworker who was adopted from Korea as a baby. She gave him this poem the other day at work.

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you how to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you nationality. The other gave you a name.
Once gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age old question unanswered though the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

~Author Unknown

I-800 Approval!! YIPPY!!

We received our I-800 approval in the mail yesterday. Our agency will now send another set of papers to China and immigration will cable our approval to the US consulate in Guangzhou. Once the consulate signs our second LOA it will be sent along with the other paperwork to the CCAA. At that point we wait for the CCAA to issue our official Travel Approval.

One step closer to our boy! I just can't wait to squeeze him and love on him.

A Trial Run

As most of you already know Dave and I will need to be in China for approximately two weeks to finalize Toby's adoption. While I am so excited to meet him and experience some of China's culture, I am also nervous and sad to leave the three kids for so long. I know they will be in good hands while we are away but the mommy in me still feels apprehensive.

Well this past weekend all three kids got to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa Schoel. This was a first for Lucy to spend the night. They all did so well and had a blast. Grandpa brought them home yesterday and everyone was very tired from all the fun. Dave and I got to enjoy a night away together at a local hotel. It is my way of taking baby steps in preparing for our trip. We really are so blessed to have family and friends who are so willing to help and love our children.

We hope to hear soon that our I-800 has been approved. We appreciate your continued prayers for our growing family.

New Picture!!

I got the most wonderful surprise today. Our agency emailed us with a new picture of Toby as well as new measurements. This is the first picture we have of him standing up on his own. I wonder if he'll be walking by the time we travel. He's 13 months old in this picture.

I-800 is Sent

We had to finish up a few more hours of required parent training for our adoption before we could send in our immigration paperwork (I-800). It was sent off yesterday afternoon by our agency and now we wait for USCIS to process it. It can be a somewhat time consuming process so we pray that we do not hit any bumps along the way. We can monitor the process to some degree but there is nothing we can do to make it go faster. We will keep you posted on how things are moving along.

It's been about 2 weeks since I sent Toby's care package to him so I'm really hoping he's received it now. I will just have to accept that I will not know until we see him.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

More about Tobias

I thought I'd share will you and little more about where Tobias is currently living. He is in the City Welfare Institute of LuoHe, Henan. Within the orphanage is a special area called the Lily Care Orphan Center. These Lily Care rooms have been built by our agency and are designed to provide the best possible care for special needs infants and young toddlers. The nannies have received training in how to best take care of these little ones. Toby is currently living in the Lily Care room at his orphanage but we are unsure of when he was moved there. We are guessing he was about 8-10 months old when he was moved to this area. We are grateful for the care he is receiving while we wait to bring him home. I received a few pictures from the charity department of our agency of the Lily Care room while it was under construction as well as some pictures of some of the kids living there. I was so excited to see some with Toby in them. Each time I see a new picture of him my heart aches just a little more that I can't hold him yet but I'm so pleased to see him looking healthy and strong.

The first picture is of the Lily Care Room under construction. The second one is the nannies playing with the babies. The third one is Toby and one of his friends. Toby is on the left.M

LOA!!!

We are so excited to announce that we received our Letter of Acceptance from the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) this past Friday. We are one step closer to our little boy! It came in record time as well. Only 21 days from our Letter of Intent being sent. We are now busy getting all our immigration paperwork ready to send out so we can move through the next stages of the process. Before the CCAA can issue us a travel approval (TA) we will need to do some immigration stuff on the US side. At this point it looks very promising for us to leave sometime in the second half of August!

Please continue to pray for Tobias as well as the rest of our family as we prepare to bring him home soon.

1st Care Package

Today I sent off our first care package to Toby. I included some clothes, toys, a lovey blanket, disposable camera, photo album of our family, as well as some chocolates and candy for the orphanage staff. I'm not able to track the package so I will just have to pray that it gets to him safely. I will upload some pictures of the package tonight.

Please continue to pray for Toby and our family as we continue on this process.

Early Referral Photos

The photos I have posted up till now have been the more recent ones we have of Toby but I thought I'd post a couple of his earlier photos we received with his referral. These were taken when he was about 8 months old.

We got PA!!!

Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land.
--- Proverbs 25:25

We found out this morning that we got our PA (pre-approval) from China to adopt Toby. Basically this means that the authorities in China intend to match our paperwork with Toby's and process our adoption. This also means we can now send him a care package. I will be busy getting some things together for him and his friends and nannies.

God Is Good

I suppose it's quite obvious by the title of our blog but we have decided to name our little guy Tobias (Toby) RuoYu. Tobias means "God is good". We certainly know He was faithful to lead us to our special little boy. We got this updated photo of Toby just yesterday. We were so happy to see how good he is looking and just can't wait to hold him in our arms.

Our Son!!

We would like to introduce our newest family member. We received a call on May 1st from our adoption agency saying they had a baby boy that was waiting for us to become his mommy and daddy. The moment I laid eyes on him I was in love. We accepted the referral and sent our Letter of Intent to adopt Hu Ruo Yu to China on 5/8/09. Ruo Yu was born on April 28, 2008 and is waiting in Henan, China. We hope to travel sometime in late August or September to bring him home.