Archive for January 4th, 2012
For Christmas this year we got the best gift ever…a surprise referral.
Please meet Dang Xin Yi. Soon to be known as Merry Eleanor XinYi.
Xin Yi (meaning Happy Heart) is currently in Nanyang, China under the care of her foster grandma until we are allowed to travel to pick her up. Our LOI (letter of intent) was sent to China just before Christmas. Next step is LOA (letter of approval) from China. Our agency says ~30 days. Cross your fingers, please.
Then for a post-Christmas surprise we received an update with a new picture. This was taken on Christmas Eve. The windburned cheeks are killing me (just like Ava’s when we met her) so I’ve already bought some Aveeno lotion for the care package that we’ll be sending in a day or two.
Today is her 1st birthday. We had a birthday cake at home and Ava kindly blew out the candle for her sister since she isn’t here quite yet. She also sang quite a rousing rendition of the happy birthday song which I (thankfully) managed to capture on video since it was so darn cute. Merry’s birthday gifts today were the official pre-approval (PA) from China letting us know that they have moved our file to be officially matched with her and our I-800A approval which is the beginning piece (and the one that generally takes the longest) of the immigration paperwork and process that will allow us to bring her home.
Okay, fine. And I bought her some socks and vitamins for her care package, too. Since I bought them today then I think they can count as birthday gifts.
We expect travel should happen sometime in late Spring. My prediction is May but I would love to be wrong and it end up being a little earlier. We waited for two seemingly never-ending months to travel for Ava. I sure would like to see that short of a turnaround time now.
We are thrilled, of course, and can’t freakin’ wait to go get her.