Doctor says...

Our call went very well.  He had hoped that there was more information on when Mei Mei was found, but everything else was great.  It's too bad that the information is from July 2012, but he stated that this was normal.

Last Friday I went in to the agency to drop off the required documents to formally accept the proposal to adopt Qing Chuan.  This was the checklist:

• Sign the original acceptance form, Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter
• Sign the Adoptive Parents’ Acknowledgement of Information and Release
• Sign the Summary of Birth Family Information
• Complete a Visa Application Form for each person traveling, attach a passport picture with a paper clip and send us your passports

The Adoption Agency basically said that all we do now is wait and prepare for the trip.  We should travel within the next 2 months.  Fingers crossed we get our travel dates by Christmas.  What you want me to WAIT!  Geez.  Out of the blue, Kyla says today I JUST WANT TO GO TO CHINA NOW TO GET MY SISTER!  She must sense my impatience.

Things to do:

1. Prepare Mei Mei's room
2. Gather clothes, shoes, and other items for a 2 year old
3. Get vaccinations
4. Read a lot on China and adoption
5. Learn basic Mandarin
6. Get Kyla's Canadian passport
7. Decide on Mei Mei's name, we are close
8. Pray for Mei Mei that she is safe, happy and healthy

She is very lovely.....

Yesterday we finally received the translated proposal and this is how Mei Mei was described by the orphanage in July 2012:

• She was found on March 17, 2011 at the entrance of the orphanage, Yingtan Social Welfare Institute
• The doctors determined her birth date January 1, 2011
• She spent one year with a foster family to get one on one care and is now back at the institute 
• She is very timid, she still needs to hold the caregiver’s hand when she walks and she is very cautious to strangers
• She likes to be close to her caregiver
• Her life is very routine. She gets up at 5:00 has breakfast at 7:00, (a bowl of rice congee, a dumpling, and an egg are her breakfast). She has lunch at 11:00 (rice and other dishes), and 12:00-14:30 is nap time. After nap, she will have a bottle of formula about 300ml. She has dinner at 17:00 and goes to bed at 20:30-21:00。
• She is very lovely, everyone who see her will like her and will not forget her. 

We have sent Mei Mei's medical information to the doctor at the University of Washington Center for Adoption Medicine.  We decided to use this resource because they have better customer service and this is what their business is.  I was impressed that they are available to us while we are in China and when we get back.  The consultation is tomorrow night.

Somewhere Between

One thing that I have learned and want to share with you is that adoption is a journey for our children and for us.  This documentary beautifully covers some very complex points on adoption.  I encourage you to take the time to watch this film.  I am so moved by the journeys of these young women.

http://ww3.tvo.org/video/183287/somewhere-between

Tell me what you think.

What's next, CIC, and Yingtan

We should receive the translated version of the Proposal by early next week.  We will get a medical report and forms to sign.  Our next step would be to get the medical information reviewed by a pediatrician and we have chosen one that our adoption agency has recommended. We used the same doctor in 2009 to review Kyla's information.

It's been great timing for the Citizenship and Immigration work that we have to complete.  The Proposal obtains information that we need to send off Part 2 of the steps to get Mei Mei her citizenship before she comes to Canada.

I have found some information on the city where Mei Mei is:

Location: Yingtan City lies in the northeast of Jiangxi Province, in the middle and lower reaches of Xinjiang River. It is bordered by Shangrao within the province and neighbors Fujian Province in the southeast.

History: According to archeological discovery, this area became a vital center of ceramic production as early as the middle and late Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC). It was called Yingtan Fang in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), just the eponymy of the city. In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was only a town and ascended to be a city though more than a hundred years of development.

Physical Features: Yingtan belongs to the low mountainous and hilly area of northeast Jiangxi, having typical Danxia Landform. Within the city, over ninety percent of the plantation is paddy field.

Climatic Features: Enjoying a subtropical temperate and humid monsoon climate, the city is characterized by clear four seasons, moderate weather, abundant rainfall and long frost-free season. The weather in spring is inconstant and winter is relatively warmer. 

Here is the other picture that we have of Mei Mei.

I was informed by the agency that travel will most likely happen in January.  I am counting the days and Kyla can't understand why we can't just go now!

Kyla has a little sister!

Mei Mei translates to "younger sister".

Amazing to learn that our daughter was born on January 1, 2011.  We are so blessed.  She is from Yingtan in Jiangxi Province.  In 10 days we will receive the fully translated Proposal with more information.  Right now, knowing her gender, age, where she lives and having pictures is plenty enough to keep us going.

Kyla is already singing a song....I have a little sister, I have a little sister!

There will be lots to do in the next 2 months in preparation for our travels.  I will definitely be adding my to - do list in the coming weeks.  It sure would be nice to be with our daughter aka Mei Mei (until we have a name) for her 2nd birthday.

Featuring Mei Mei....

Waiting ........

So as I sit here waiting, I am trying my best to control myself from screaming or calling the Ministry of Children and Families.

With the experience we have gained in adoption over the last 7 years you would think that I would be so much more in control, cool, calm and all those zen like emotions.  These characteristics are do not come naturally to me, SO HERE I AM, trying to pretend to be cool.  If anything, I am more cautious of all the unexpected things that could occur.

How did we get here.  We decided 7.5 years ago to build our family through adoption.  Our agency guided us to go through the China Program as it was a SURE thing and it would not take more than 1.5 years. Fast forward to 2012 we have a lovely daughter from Vietnam who has given us with so much joy and laughter.  We are so blessed.  You would think that we would be done....well when we were notified last fall that we were next (translation - anytime in the next year) there was no way we could just say, "ya, no thanks".  A sibling for K and an amazing chance to grow our family.  We are ALL IN!  We had to adjust a few things in our lives, but here we are, so ready again.

Are you wondering why I want to call the Ministry Office? Well they have our Referral Package, Proposal, a photo and brief description of our child from China. Another blog confirmed that they have them, I just have no idea when the Ministry will call my adoption agency with the news, who will then call me.

This time it's different.  I have been following a blog....http://chinaadopttalk.com/category/referral-rumors/.  This has given me a lot more to be informed and connected with the China adoption community world wide. Amazing what RQ does!

Ok so there, my first Rant.  Now I wait some more.