Oh what a wonderful Christmas!!!

How wonderful to be back home and have our family complete for Christmas.  It was interesting adjusting back to the time change not to mention getting an oh so yucky cold.  Things are getting back to....what I guess you would call normal.  Isabella's done really well getting used to everything, Aidan is doing well getting used to a sister.  They're not playing a whole lot together, but I can see each day they interact a bit more.

Wednesday December 16th -- Group Pic

Very interesting things they sell in the market. they have tiger paws with the bones and claws, turtles, sea horses, dead dried snakes, puppies/cats (not for eating) scorpions and much more, yuck. Anyways, went to the jade market and pearl market and the huge downtown shopping area. Isabella's TB test should be fine, she doesn't have a raised area at all, but we still have to let a nurse look at it to give the A okay. she doesn't really like her stroller so we just used it the one time when we had to walk a really really long ways. Not to eventful today, ready to come home and get adjusted back to our timezone. oh yeah and i found a Siamese banana

Mel

 

 

 

 

 

Friday December 11th 2009 -- Guangzhou

Guangzhou is where you meet back with your original group and everyone has their babies. It's nice to be on the down slope and have friends with ya. Eric arrived back safely, and Aidan was ecstatic to see him. These are pictures of Isabella's first flight, which was really funny because she's really independent and wanted to sit in her own seat. So, as soon as the flight took off she was in my lap in no time and slept the whole way. When we arrived she was an absolute trooper, not having much of a nap and eating dinner around 9:00 pm. She was fine ate her grilled salmon came back to the room and she went right to sleep. Today we went to the medical examination office and got her examined and thankfully she only had to have 3 shots and the TB test, some of the other little ones had 6 plus shots. It was really pitiful. Some of the other pictures are of some of the other kids and of Isabella on the phone, she likes to do whatever i'm doing. If she is at the table eating she'll make sure everyone else has food, she wants everyone to be eating or drinking, kind of like a little mother hen. So far her arm looks good where they did the TB test. Oh yeah, I'll survive they actually have really good food here, we've got Italian restaurant and american:)

Like they say in china....
Rest Well,
Mel

Thursday December 10th 2009 -- Sight seeing in Fuzhou

Hello everyone so sorry these have been so spaced out, it really messed me up not doing my blog. However, my sweet sister in law is updating the blog for me :) So, these are pics of around our hotel, at the park, the Buddhist Temple, and just playing around. As you can see our little FuYi Bella is full of herself. She is doing really well, eats well, likes to play, sleeps well in her own crib, and she has gotten used to baths now. Sorry for the potty pic, but it was too cute to pass up, she is actually very well potty trained, she'll tell me when she needs to go and loves to go every time that I do, I know it's a girl thing. We got Her visa today and will be leaving for Guangzhou tomorrow around 4:00, really ready to catch back up with our group and see their little ones as well. So, happy and in love with an amazing little girl, and I can't wait for everyone to meet her. If anyone is interested at being at the airport when we arrive just let Eric know and he'll get you our flight time which will be like next Friday around 12:30 pm into Asheville, if you think it's weird that I'm telling you this...this email is going to several family members and close friends:) Catch up with everyone later.
Mel

Monday December 7th 2009 -- HERE'S OUR GIRL

Again the internet is crazy here and cannot get the blog to work. Note to Amanda please share this with Amber and Joe. Ok, so we go into the room and she has so much pink on, LOL!!!! The poor little thing is in a state of shock, it was pitiful. After all the paperwork was done, the orphanage Dr. and director gave us a bunch of things including the clothes she was found in, soil from the orphanage, and a baby book that they made up amongst many other treasures. So thankful for their kindness and taking such good care of our little girl. So, when we get back to the room she probably cried for about an hour and that was it. Eric totally got her out of her shell, by the end of the day she was feeding us, giving us kisses, giving us hugs while patting our back, and laughing/playing. She is an absolute doll, her cleft is worse than what we expected but she will be in good hands. To see what this little girl has gone through just to survive is amazing, her eating abilities and her happiness is absolutely amazing. She is making wonderful eye contact and reaching for us, she sleeps wonderfully in her crib and she eats. Anyone that knows Aidan, this is funny because she eats in one meal maybe what he eats in one day and she'll eat anything. If she wants something she'll let you know as well as tell you if she doesn't. She can't stand baby dolls right now, but loves bracelets and things that make noise. Jenna she loves to carry her glasses around that you gave her. Oh yeah she loves to give high fives and thinks it's hilarious to make an awwww noise after she drinks water. Enjoy the pics this is our little princess:) Sandy should have pics for you later today:)


Mels

Sunday December 6th 2009 -- Fuzhou

Hi everyone sorry for the non-update on the blog. I cannot get it to come up on the computer. so i'll send everyone some great wall pics. Today is sunday december 6 2:12 pm and we have flown to Fuzhou and are at our hotel awaiting our little girl around 3:30 pm. yes, we're very excited, nervous, hungry, and tired. For everyone who knows what a picky eater i am i feel like i'm on survivor, LOL:) Sandy, I am gonna get you updated pics but not going to orphanage. YAY, we'll have our little girl in like less than an hour, seriously i think i'm in a little bit of a state of shock. Love you all. will work on getting through to the blog so you can see pics of little girl.
Mel

Posting for Melissa

As computer issues are still occurring on Melissa's end of the line I'll be posting to the blog what she sends to us via e-mail.  Keep checking the blog...Keep praying. --Shannon Morris (very proud Aunt of Aidan & Bella)

Beijing/Fuzhou

So sorry everyone, my computer won't let me get to my blog. I'm having to update from Eric's blackberry. Doing well very tired went to great wall and olympic stadium very beautiful the great wall. Will try to get pics uplaoded from his phone. Right now it is december 6 on sundsy for us snd thid morning we flew into fuzhou and right now we have about 15 minutes or less before we get our Isabella. I'm a big ball of nerves, excited,tired,so many different emotions I can't even describe them all. I will most definitely get some pics of little one on here. So everyone we're alive and well. Next blog we'll have our girl!!!!

Lunch overlooking the New York City skyline

Missing my son and eagerly awaiting my husband.  My Mom and myself left out this morning, headed to Newark, NJ.  We have a 24 hour layover, but it was the only way to be able to fly out of Asheville.  We fly out tomorrow which is Thursday December 2 around noon to Beijing and arrive Friday December 3 around 3:00 pm.  My precious husband will join us soon after, and hopefully we'll get to do some sightseeing together and then it's off to Fuzhou which is where we will receive our precious little girl.  Less than a week and we'll be holding her.  Can't wait to put those pictures up.  So, for now gonna try to relax and get as much sleep as possible before our whirlwind adventure begins.  I know we won't be getting much sleep after that not to mention trying to re-acclimate to our timezone fun fun:)

We're off to China to get Isabella

So, here we go.  Today we find out that we leave for China Dec. 3 and later today I find out the my Mom and I fly out tomorrow.  Crazy crazy, I have been running around like a mad woman today just to get everything ready.  Less than a week and Eric and myself will be holding our little girl.  Let the journey begin.

November 23, 2007 a sweet little girl found at the gates of an orphanage

November 23, 2007 a scared and heartbroken mother made the decision to save her baby girl.  She was found at this exact gate.  I have such mixed feelings of sadness for the mother, grateful that she chose to put her somewhere she'd be found quickly and cared for.  Can you imagine living somewhere, where they still believed in a one child policy, boys were favored over girls, and to have a little girl with a deformity that you just didn't have the means to fix??  My heart breaks when I think about what Isabella's Tummy Mommy had to go through, but I know she did what she felt like was the best for her daughter and because of that, this little sweetie is going to be loved, snuggled when she's tired, get her boo boo's kissed, get the medical treatment she needs, get the education she needs, and last but definitely not least learn about and establish a relationship with the one who has watched over her, God.  We love you little one and can't wait to hold you in our arms and whisper into your ear, we're here and we will always be here.  I did not give birth to you and you didn't come from my stomach but you came from my heart.

Happy Birthday Isabella Grace

Tick Tick Tick

Well, I hear the clock loud and clear.  So ready to go and get our little sweetie.  Praying that the CCAA will get us our TA before the 18th, so we can travel on Thanksgiving.  Throughout this whole process I've had dreams about going to China but I never got to see Bella or hold her.  Last night I held my little girl, looked into her big beautiful brown eyes and gave her a big kiss.  Thank you God for helping me get through this time of waiting.  Thanks to a very kind family who has recently adopted their little girl from the same orphanage, we now have some updated pictures of Isabella, just overlook the little boy outfit, cannot wait to girlie her up:)  This special orphanage that she is at has some really kind and special people taking care of these little ones.  It's nice and comforting to know that our precious daughter can be in an orphanage and still be loved so much.  Prayers to the recently adopted Raina and her family for a smooth transition as they get back to being a complete family.  Thank you again for getting us new pictures and hoping to get the girls together someday.

Planes, Planes, and more Planes

So, we live very very close to the airport. Every time a plane flies over the house, I keep wishing we were on it. I feel like I'm being a little teased, you know so close yet so far away. Cleaning the house has definitely helped not to mention my precious little Aidan helped mop the floors, do laundry, take out the trash, and clean the bathroom. He's really a great helper and growing up so fast. Isabella is gonna have a wonderful Big Brother.

More Pics of Bella Grace

Now I've got you caught up

So, here we are got all of the paperwork done, got all the okay's we needed, been vaccinated, started packing, and had a beautiful "Bella" Shower. Now, we wait. We wait for China to give us our Travel Approval. I'm so so ready to go to China and see the beauty of where our daughter is from, but most of all hold our precious little gift from God and never let go. I pray that we can be with her for her birthday, which is on November 20.

Here We Go

After getting our referral we had to hustle up. So, we sent in our Letter of Intent to China, seeking Pre-Approval. May 7, 2009 we went to Charlotte to get fingerprinted and then shot off to Raleigh to get all of our dossier documents State Certified. It is tough to hand over your whole adoption lifes paperwork to someone else, my heart sank. Once they Authenticate everything the papers go to the agency and then off to China, woo hoo. In the meantime we got our Pre-Approval from China May 27, 2009, one hurdle down and many more to come. We got our actual Log in Date, which means China has your dossier, on July 20, 2009. Now it is out of our immediate hands. The dossier goes through a translation process and then approval process. Our paper work was actually translated and sent to review August 6, 2009, almost there. Yay!!!! We got our LOA, Letter of Approval from China September 30, 2009. Now the mad rush to fill out more paperwork, but compared to the dossier it was a piece of cake.

Our Sweet Little Girl

Her Chinese name is Fu Yi Huang, she was born November 20, 2007 and left at the front gate of the orphanage November 23, 2007. You may be thinking how could someone do that?? But, keep in mind their culture is very very different in beliefs not to mention they may have not had the ability to help her with her special needs. I look at it as her mother and father loved her so much that they placed her somewhere safe, where she would found and cared for. To think of what they went through giving their sweet little girl up, my heart goes out to them. To Fu Yi Huang's parents, we will love her and take care of her forever. Their Fu Yi Huang our Isabella Grace aka Bella Grace.

Answered Prayer

The month of April was kinda slow just finishing all our paperwork. Going into May, a sweet hidden surprise is yet to come. Going through this process has its highs and lows. It just so happened that I was on a low that very week and on May 3, 2009 Sunday morning at Church, little did we know but our lives were about to change. The pastor preached on how we get in the way of God's will and that he wants the best for us and if we'll step aside he'll answer prayers. Pastor said to write on paper what you feel like you're getting in the way of, well my heart sank. I knew I had been worrying about what little girl we'd get, to the point that it consumed me. That Sunday I gave it to God, I prayed for him to pick out the little girl he wants for our family. I tell you what, God answers fast. That very next day Monday May 4, 2009, normal everyday Monday. So I thought. The phone rings, it's our adoption agency. I thought yikes we forgot to do something. I picked up the phone said hello and the next words I hear, "I think we've found your little girl." I knew right then and there that God had chosen us a daughter, not only that but our little one was found November 23, 2007. To some people just a date, to us it was one of the due dates for our miscarriages. We got all her health information and consulted with doctors before we saw her picture and made a definite decision. Well, really the decision had already been made. How exciting it is to see your daughter's face for the first time ever. Love at first sight.

Let the March Madness begin

So, after getting approval/acceptance from our agency...the madness begins. We start with getting our lab work and physicals done, not bad just one more step to getting closer to our little girl. Then, we start with all of our homestudy appointments. I must say I really enjoyed these appointments not only did it get us one step closer but it was a great way to get educated on adoption, not to mention our social worker is a delight. We actually finished the whole process of the homestudy in one month, record set time. The faster the better for me.

This is how our Journey to Fu Yi Huang began....

Hi, I'm Melissa. Starting a little, no very late in this blog. I promise to get caught up very soon:) So, I'll start at the beginning. My husband and myself have been blessed with a beautiful boy, who is now almost 4 and half years old. We've always wanted at least 2 kids of our own and wanted to adopt later on. Well, as it turns out, God had a different plan for our family. Through many miscarriages and the last one resulting in a tubal that required surgery, our days of conceiving were over. As sad as we were, we were thankful to have our son. My heart went out to families who go through this and haven't had a child. I almost felt bad for being upset. Through our grieving, LIGHT BULB, my husband said why don't we go ahead and adopt now. All my feelings of sadness where replaced with joy and hope. So, as every adoptive parent knows, the journey began to find an agency who was a right fit. Well, we found our agency and started the first process of filling out paperwork. With that said we were led to adopt from China. It was our hearts desire to have a little girl and knowing the story of the one child policy, there are so many little girls over in China. The China process for a healthy child takes as of now like 4 -6 years. Well, that wouldn't work we wanted our son and daughter to be able to grow up together. That's when we learned about the Special Needs program, you can have a sweet little one in a year or less. Once you decide to go through with the SN program, you have to decide what your family can handle as far as disabilities, deformities, or just handicaps. Well, we knew there were alot of cleft issues in China and felt like it was something we could handle as a family. More importantly, we were gonna get a sweet little girl with such an obvious deformity and help her. Having had a friend who adopted a little girl with a cleft issue and to see her and how much she has flourished, I knew this was the direction for us.