Dusty Returns

Shortly after this post, we lost Dusty.

Charlie was heartbroken.

Well, Dusty's back.

 And Charlie couldn't be more excited.

Dusty, say, "Cheese!"

Updated Pictures!

Found these in my inbox, today!

Ann at Red Thread sent them.

These are like the 20-week pregnant mom sono,

He's real.

And he'll be here, sooner than later.

We can't wait!

Two Down

One to go!

Gentle nudge from older brother.

First time exiting the bus!

Jack had a great first day!  He was much more serious than his usual self, but I think that internally he was relishing every moment of the new experience.  He had the same look about him as the day he was able to sit in the driver's seat of a real fire engine.  Tomorrow, I bet he'll be all smiles when he gets off the bus!

First Gift

With LOA comes permission to introduce ourselves to Will!

Once the documents were signed, sealed, and mailed, 

I headed on over to Red Thread China to put together a small package for Will. 

 

A soft book with six of our family pictures.

And 120 suckers for the kids and nannies.

We also were able to send along a 400 word letter.

 If Will's like our other three, I figured we'd lose him after the first two lines.  

So I made it brief and thanked the orphanage staff over and over.

 Don't you wonder what he'll think when he sees our pictures?

Another Unexpected Surprise!

We received word late this afternoon that China has sent our official Letter of Acceptance (LOA).  That means we are one giant leap closer to getting Will!  We should have it in our hands, tomorrow.  This is nothing short of a MIRACLE because few ever get approvals in such a short amount of time.

Here's a run down on the remaining steps...

• File for and receive i800 provisional approval by the USCIS (2 weeks)
• National Visa Center forwards our case to the US Consulate in China (1 week)
• The US Consulate issues an Article 5 approval letter (2 weeks)
• China issues Travel Approval after receive the Article 5 (3 weeks)
• We arrange travel plans (2 weeks)

Estimated time until travel is possibly as little as 10 weeks!  Including the actual travel time, Will could be climbing in the cabinets and hiding in all our little nooks and crannies the boys imagined him doing, today, in as little as 12 weeks.  God is good!

One Down

 Two to go!

Look what came in the mail, today!

March 22, 2011 Report

Now he is a very smart child. He is able to play the piano sitting beside the toy piano. 

 When he finds that the milk is sprayed on the cushion, he will clean it with a piece of cloth. Sometimes when other children are going to eat the paper, he will rush over and take the paper away, say to them “it is inedible” and then throw the paper into the trash. He is very kind, and puts food in the hands of each child.

 He likes putting a bead necklace on his neck, and especially likes going into the interlayer of the toy cupboard or in the guardrail of the window, and often plays in a large storage case. He is very flexible.

 He has very good imitating ability, and often imitates some actions of adults. When playing the game “drop the handkerchief” with other children, he can find his five sense organs correctly and speak out. He can classify the toys in different colors, and can put the toys with holes on 4 fingers of a hand.

When his grandma goes to pick him up, he will take an initiative to say “you are here”, and then go to hold her neck and kiss her face. Recently he has learned many words such as “it is snowing, no, go, put on shoes, horse, tiger, father, mother, aunt, sister” and etc in Chinese. 

He gets up at 6:00 every morning, is cooperative with his caretaker when
has sound sleep. He mainly has baby’s food, drinks milk for 3 times per day 
she dresses him, naps for an hour at 12:30, and goes to bed at 20:30. he and 180ml each time. He can go to toilet alone.

81cm in height (31.9 inches)

11.5kg in weight (25.3 lbs)

46cm in head size (18.1 inches)

51cm in chest size (20.1 inches)

12cm in length of feet (4.7 inches)

16 teeth

Children's Museum

Day at the Beach