What does adoption feel like?

I didn't know how I would feel as we waited to go to China.  I asked God to grow a deep love for her in our hearts.  We've had Emma Kate almost three weeks now but it feels like she has always been here.  We love her so much and she loves us too!  I don't feel like we adopted a child, I feel like we had a baby.  I don't feel like we just got back from China, I feel like we just got home from the hospital.  I know it sounds strange but that's just how it feels.  Maybe because I was just so tired in the first days home and much of my time was spent just holding her and bonding with her.  Maybe because my body was sore from all of the walking in China with an extra 20 pounds attached to me.  We've been home only nine days but China is a distant memory.  Am I just getting old?  I mean nine days isn't that long but it was an eternity ago...  Each day in China was a blur and time didn't seem to exist.  Was I just jet lagged or was this God's way of creating a love that is natural just as with a newborn baby?  There was an immediate bond.  I watched eagerly as they brought the children out one at a time.  I saw the lady walk out with a baby that I could barely see so I jumped up and started to walk closer to see if it was Emma Kate.  The Chinese name of our daughter was called out before I even got a good look so I ran over quickly and she was handed right over to me.  I loved her immediately.  She seemed so tiny compared to how she looked in the most recent pictures we had.  The memories of that day are vivid, but China is just a dream.  I don't feel like I was ever there.  I remember it well, but it just feels so distant.  Emma Kate is such a blessing.  We are so very lucky to be her parents.  I am so thankful that I trusted God.  Satan placed fear and doubt in my mind before we started this journey and while we were in the midst of it but I had faith we were doing what God called us to do and I knew God's plan was perfect.  There were people that questioned us..."how will you raise so much money in such a short time?", "what will happen if you don't have the money in time?", "shouldn't you have most of the money in savings before you start the adoption process?".  "I don't know how we will raise so much money", "God will provide all we need in his timing", "I wanted to wait until we had more in savings but God said trust me and go now".  We stepped out on faith.  If I hadn't trusted God, if I had let Satan talk me out of following God, if I listened to the doubters, if I hadn't humbled myself...where would Zhao DaiXuan be?  How sad it would be to miss out on our "blessings in china".  We are blessed to have so many people praying for us, encouraging us and supporting us.  Each and every person who had even the tiniest part in helping us get to China,  thank you for following God's commandment in James 1:27.  You don't have to adopt, but please see what a blessing adoption is and pray for those in process, give up eating out a time or two in order to give to a family that needs $30,000 to bring their child home,  donate your time to that mama that is exhausted from fundraising and needs help.  It is so worth it and your one day or hour of help will mean so much!  If you think I didn't appreciate your help because I didn't seem to show it, think again!  I love every one of you for helping us!  I was exhausted and could barely keep up with what day it was but I appreciated every one of you!  I can't wait to share Emma Kate with all of you.  Thank you!!!

Time to come home!

I can't believe its time to say this but in the morning we begin the long journey home.  The last two days have been very busy so I'll have to create a post after we get home with pics.  Our first flight out of Guangzhou is at 9:25am Wednesday for us or Tuesday night at 7:25pm for everyone at home.  We will arrive in the Bham airport at 9:53pm Wednesday night.  27 hour journey!  Anyone who wants to be there is welcome to come, we would love to see you all!

As many of you know, the attachment and bonding with an adopted child is very different from a biological child.  While Emma Kate is doing very well, we still need time for her to learn what a family is and she still has two brothers to meet and understand who they are.  To help her through this transition, Robert and I will be the only people to hold her, give her any food including snacks and treats and to meet any needs she may have.  Please understand that we want to share Emma Kate with you all but we have to get through this time of attachment and bonding.  We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, we just need to do what is best for our daughter.  Please do not reach for her, we don't know if she would go to anyone but it is very important that we are the only people holding her at this time.  We are looking forward to arriving home and seeing some familiar faces.  Thanks for your prayers throughout this entire journey!

Day 8 - YueXiu Park and shopping

Today, Sunday 12/1 we went to YueXiu Park and a local mall.  As we entered the park, there is a huge statue with 99 steps leading up to it.  Guangzhou is the city of goats so the statue has several goats and the Chinese believe that the number 99 is lucky and represents longevity, therefore they built exactly 99 steps believing they would have long life if they walk to the top.

The statue of goats.

After we went down the steps on the other side, we came to a section of the park where people were playing hacky sack.  They get into teams and play together.  This is the second park we have been to with hacky sack going on, I guess it's a big thing here.  This park is where the retired go everyday to exercise and have fun with friends.  One team we were watching invited us to join them in a game so we did.  Carter kicked the hacky sack so hard when it came to him, that it flew past our circle of Chinese people and bounced off the top of another older man's head.  It was hilarious and one of the men on our team thought Carter did so well and everyone got a kick out of it.  I wish I had a picture of that moment.  We had the best time with these people!  We then went to a local mall where we could shop the pearl and jade market and some other stores.  Our guide took us into the section where the pearl and jade stores were and said there were 500 stores in this section alone that were all jewelry.  Crazy!  A few pics of the jewelry part of the mall.

They really pack a lot of stores into a small area.  The people working in the stores all bring their children and they just play in the mall all day while the parents work.

As we walk the streets of china and through the stores we constantly hear "Chinese chatter".  We don't understand what anyone is saying and we can't communicate with most people.  It's not scary for me because I have Robert there with me and we figure it out together.  Everything is confusing and it reminds me of how Emma Kate must feel with us when she only hears English and she has nobody to explain in a way she understands.  I can't imagine how scary home will be for her when she no longer has the Chinese chatter which she understands.  

Emma Kate is still doing well and continuing to make progress.  Yesterday while I was carrying her in the ergo, she reached up and started stroking my hair.  It was precious!  She pats me when she is happy as I carry her and it is too sweet.  She also smiles at us a lot more now.  She is loving playing with Carter and laughing with him.  I love watching her personality come out a little more each day.  Here's a pic of Emma Kate with daddy all ready for the big game.  

 

Last night was the first night she wouldn't sleep in her crib so she slept with us.  She woke up a few times crying and she was coughing a lot so I didn't sleep well at all.  She is asleep in her crib now so I'm hoping we can both rest better tonight as we have a busy day tomorrow. Consulate appointment, zoo and then a cruise.  I'm headed to bed.  Good night all!

Day 7 Martyrs Park

Yesterday, Saturday 11/30 we had the morning free so we went to a local park called Martyrs park.  It was so beautiful.  There was a lot of beautiful scenery, a skating rink, paddle boats and even an area like a small carnival.  We went with two other families from our group, both with an adopted child around Carter's age so we let them go into the carnival area and ride a little train roller coaster but the rides were more for toddlers.  We walked around and observed for a while.  There were a lot of people there, some dancing (like an outdoor dance class for adults), some were exercising, some playing different games and some were singing like a choir.  It was different as usual but cool to see all of the different activities.  Afterwards we went to Pizza Hut for lunch, then back to the hotel for a meeting to get paperwork ready for the consulate appointment.  The kids are great!  Carter has been awesome dealing with so many changes.  Emma Kate continues to grow more comfortable with us.  She just randomly decided to hug each of us and kept going around to each of us for more.  It was so sweet!  She has learned that when I'm strapping the ergo on, she gets to ride inside so she will reach for Robert to hold her and watch me patiently.  She also loves to ride in the stroller but only wants me to push it so she will look back every now and then to make sure I'm there.  She loves to run around the hotel room and play with all of us, the first few days she would only let me carry her and wouldn't walk at all.  We are enjoying china but I can't wait to take her home to meet her other brothers.  This is totally random but I keep forgetting to add it...a few days ago when we were on the bus we saw a cat on a leash tied to a tree right there on the side of a busy road!  There were people right there as they are everywhere.  I guess they were selling something and brought their cat along!  It was pretty funny.  Here's some pics for you:)

    I love this bridge at Martyrs Park!

    Giving sweet hugs by her own choice!

Random thoughts

Its almost 7am on Saturday 11/30 (5pm cst on Friday).  I slept until 6am which is the latest I have slept in china.  I wake everyday at 4am.  Everyday here is kind of a blur and it's as if time doesn't exist.  It's really strange.  We get up at 4am, have morning cuddles with Emma Kate, get dressed, go to the breakfast buffet which is awesome here, then meet our guide in the lobby for some necessary appointment each day.  We are exhausted when we finally get back to our room and wanting to go to sleep between 3-5pm.  Yesterday was different.  I forced myself to sleep in a little longer and after our daily event we got back to our room and let EK rest for a while.  Robert and Carter usually walk somewhere and grab  some dinner and we eat and go to bed around 8-9 each night.  We weren't so sleepy as we usually are so we went to Haagen daaz (did I spell that correctly?) and we had icecream for dinner!  None of us were very hungry after our big lunch so it was perfect.  Then we walked to trust mart which is their walmart.  They even carry great value.  I captured some video and people were looking at me like I was crazy.  It was so funny!  Imagine that crazy foreigner walking around wih a video camera in walmart and on the street just videoing normal life.  I didn't care though, it's just very different here and I want to remember it.  There are so many people everywhere.  People selling stuff on the sidewalks and people begging.  We passed a lady with her two children sitting there begging for money, then an old lady walking around with her little silver bowl begging and she was very short.  She followed us for a minute saying something in Chinese holding her bowl out.  It was very weird, like we were in a movie. Then we passed another lady with an infant sitting on the ground begging and then one more lady with an infant and a child maybe 5 or 6 years old and the child was laying on the ground to sleep.  It was very sad.  There are disabled people sitting or laying in the middle of the sidewalks just begging.  It was heartbreaking.  Poor Carter, I just love his heart.  He wanted to give money to everyone.  It is also very noisy on the streets.  I will never forget the things I have seen, really makes you appreciate all that you have.

Today we have a completely free day and we will go to a local park, I think it's about a 20 minute walk.  No pics but I'll post some later.  We seem to have adjusted to the 14 hour time difference now.  Thanks for following our journey and for the prayers.

Day 6 - Orphanage Visit

Today, Friday 11/29 we went to visit the orphanage where Emma Kate is from.  I was concerned this would be a hard day for her but it went much better than anticipated and we learned some new things.  We knew that EK was in foster care but unsure of when.  She was sent to her foster family in June of this year and stayed there until two weeks before gotcha day when they brought her back to the orphanage to wait for us.  We got to see the baby room where she stayed and meet the nannies.  There was really no reaction from EK.  Then they went to get her favorite nanny and when EK saw her she smiled immediately.  The nanny reached out for EK and she went right to her.  I was a little concerned at first that she would not come back to me without a meltdown but when I reached for her she came  back with no tears.  We then got to see the sleeping room and see her crib which is assigned to a new baby now.  As we were leaving, we passed the baby room again and there was her nanny again.  Well she quickly grabbed her from my arms and before I could do anything she was walking away so I followed her to get EK back but she grabbed a bowl of congee and sat EK down to feed her lunch.  EK ate what I thought was way too much but they said she eats almost the entire bowl each day and then they poured some water into the almost empty bowl and spoon fed her the water until she pushed it away.  Now I know why she won't take the water from a bottle or cup.  We left the orphanage and got to go see her fiinding spot which is where she was abandoned.  This was a special moment for me.  We then went out to lunch with our guide and the other family that had a child from the same orphanage.  We went to a local noodle place and our guide ordered for us since we couldn't recognize anything on the menu.  We paid 90 RBM ($14.75) which was for our family and we split the cost of our guide's meal with the other family.  Very cheap compared to what we are use to paying to eat out and there was plenty of food plus some left over.  As we fininshed our meal I noticed EK had a diaper blow out and let me tell you that after four kids this is the worst diaper explosion I have ever seen!  The bathrooms in China are very different and there are no diaper changing areas or paper towels or anything.  After grossing everyone out that saw us headed to the bathroom, some nice young Chinese lady helped me clean EK up which I never expected as people just wanted to get away from us.  This was definately an experience I will never forget.  So all seemed well with EK after our orphanage visit and lunch until we got to the hotel.  She played for a while and then started to whine a little and just couldn't be satisfied. She cried for what seemed like forever and she would want down, then just look at me while crying and reach for me, lay on my shoulder then want down.  She never stopped crying until she fell asleep.  I guess she is really grieving her nanny hard now.  So sad.  I hope she will wake up happier and not feel so sad.

Here we are in front of the orphanage with our No Longer shirts on (just for you Melissa)

EK with her nanny.  She just had to zip her jacket up, they are so funny with bundling the kids up!

The crib she "No Longer" has to sleep in again.  

Walking out of the gate where she will never return again.  The man in the red jacket is our guide Simon.

Day 5 - Chen Ancestral Hall

On Thursday, 11/28 we met our group and guide in the lobby and headed out to the Chen Ancestral Hall, also know as Chen Clan Academy.  This is a temple that was built by many families with the last name Chen and they use this as a place to send messages to their ancestors.   It is a very beautiful place with lots of detail in the wood work.  After a short history lesson from our guide, we were able to do a little shopping in the art museum.  Once we left, our guide took us to a dumpling restaurant where we had a nice Thanksgiving lunch with our "China Family".  This was an interesting meal, each dish is brought out one at a time and they would put it on the center of the table that spins around so everyone takes food from the same dish with your chopsticks.  Our family and another family from our group sat at one big round table.  It's different from what I am use to but it was like we were all just one big family.  Our guide ordered the meal and then all families just pay the same amount, 120RBM for big families or 100 RBM for small families.  We paid 100 RBM or $16.39 for all four of us to eat and drink.  After lunch we went to the local Aeon which is like a walmart but it has five floors.  It is very loud and crazy in this store.  It's like a grocery store, then you go up escalators and each floor has something different like clothing, then housewares, etc.  We finally found a sippy cup for EK because the one we brought was too messy but she won't drink from the one we bought.  Anyway, it was different and fun. We have to walk to get everywhere unless we are with our guide and group for one of our appointments or tours.  Definitely not convenient like we are use to but we have gotten use to it.  

   This is the top of the Chen building.

This is one of the Door Gods painted on that huge door to keep the evil spirits out.  Hmmm......

An ivory hand carved sculpture.

   Our Thanksgiving meal

   Dumplings

   Happy Thanksgiving in China!

Days 3 and 4

It's about 7pm on Wednesday and I'm exhausted but I need to blog in order to remember these days later.  Yesterday, Tuesday 11/26 we had to go back to the civil affairs office to complete our adoption and make Emma Kate part of our family.  She is No Longer an orphan!  This was an exciting day but also hard.  We had to return to the same place where we received her on Gotcha Day just the day before.  Emma Kate seemed to be fine, but she was definately not letting me put her down.  We had to take a pic of the three of us which required sitting her down which she was not happy about.  Then we were waiting on other families in our group to finish and our guide reached for Emma Kate and this scared her.  She cried and clung to me.  Later after we got back to the hotel, Robert and Carter went to get something to eat and Emma Kate really opened up.  She played and laughed as I tickled her and chased her on the bed.  While we were playing, the guide came to the room to help me with something and Emma Kate was stuck to me again, she wouldn't get down and she kept whining until the guide left.  She then just layed on me for about 20 minutes before she would relax again.  She is very attached to me and limits how much she will interact with Robert and Carter.  After lunch, we all fell asleep and then woke up to Emma Kate running a fever of 102.  Having a sick baby that you barely know in a country where you feel alone is very scary.  The first night we had her she slept through the night, but the second night she woke up more times than I can remember and she would whine just a little so I would rub her arm and she would stop whining and go back to sleep.  I think she has started grieving.  

Today we had a busy day.  We had to leave early for Emma Kate's medical appointment which all adoptive families must do.  She had a fever of 103.7 when we left but it had dropped by the time we got to the clinic.  We had three different stations to take her to and she hated them all.  After we finished with her exam, we had to wait for what seemed like forever before we could go back to the hotel as the older children had to have a tb test and our entire group had to ride together on a bus to the appointment and back to the hotel.  We started her on an antibiotic today so I'm praying her fever will be gone soon.  She was diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection or something like that (I'm just too tired to get the paper to see).  We had lunch when we got back to the hotel and rested for a few minutes before we had to leave again to go to the police station to apply for her passport.  Another event she didn't enjoy as she really clings to me when we are around strangers.  We did see a little progress though, as we were leaving to go to the police station I was able to get her to hold my hand and walk out of our room and all the way to the elevator.  She was fine until someone else got on and she started screaming and wanted me to hold her.  This is the first time I have been able to get her to walk anywhere.  She stays right with me and wants me to carry her everywhere, including through our hotel room.  She even played with Carter just before we left and laughed as she ran from him.  She is having such a hard time right now, not sure how much of it is grieving and how much is from being sick but I feel so bad for her.  It is making me so sad to watch her and wonder what she is thinking.  It's like I'm grieving something as well just knowing she is going through this.  I'm ready to take her home and get past this difficult part of the journey and I just want to be home with my boys.  I want to enjoy this trip as we may never be here again and I want to be able to tell her about China when she is older but I'm exhausted.  I know this post is all over the place and I'm too tired to proof read so please excuse the craziness.  I'm going to bed and sorry no pictures, maybe I'll add some tomorrow.

Gotcha Day

We have Emma Kate!  Yesterday was gotcha day and it went very well.  We arrived at the civil affairs office and we were all taken to a big room.  There were nine families in our group and other families there as well that we didn't know.  The children were in a room behind a curtin and we could hear some of them crying.  Here is a pic of the curtain separating us from Emma Kate (way behind Carter).

Once they brought Emma Kate out she was crying and they just handed her over to me.  She cried for just a few seconds and then just calmed down.  She didn't fight me but she did resist just a little.

She was very content in my arms but she didn't want anyone to touch her or get too close, including Robert and Carter. After a little while she wanted her bottle and Robert was able to capture this precious pic with Carter hugging his sister.

She was very sweaty due to the thick layers of clothing so when our guide came to check on us she told me to take one of the layers off.  After a while Emma Kate started to look around and let carter show her toys but she still didn't want to be touched.  She even started smiling as Carter tried to play with her!

I am so happy to finally have her in my arms and to finally see a smile!  She loved these stacking cups and she is very smart. She knew exactly what to do with the cups and if they didn't fit together she would quickly rearrange them so they would fit.  We don't see any developmental delay at this point.  

Robert finally got to hold her at bed time and give her a bottle.  It was tough for him to wait all day but we didn't want to upset her and she would cry if anyone touched her besides me.

Safe in Guangzhou

We arrived in Guangzhou Sunday at 12:05pm after 28 hours of travel.  The flights were must easier than I anticipated and Carter traveled better than I ever would have expected. He didn't complain at all!  Our guide Simon picked us up from the airport and took us to the hotel.  Once we got settled in, we met up with another adoptive family and ate dinner at a mexican restaurant called Tekilas.  The walk to the restaurant was interesting.  This is a very busy city and cars do not yield to pedestrians at all!  When you cross the street, you better hurry!  It is very loud and crazy.  We were all exhausted and went to sleep at 8:30 so we woke up around 3:30 am this morning.  It is now about 5am on Monday 11/25 and we are about to go to the breakfast buffet, then we have a group meeting (there are 16 families in our adoption travel group) and we head to the civil affairs office at 2pm to get Emma Kate!!!  It will be midnight on Sunday for my local Alabama folks when we are headed to meet her.  I will post pics as soon as I am able.  Please pray for Emma Kate as her life is about to change forever. She will not understand what is going on and will most likely be terrified.  Leaving in less than 9 hours!!!!

 

Leaving for China!!

We have been so busy since we found out our CA and I haven't had a chance to update.  We are leaving today!!!  That is crazy!  Here is our schedule:

Friday
Depart Bham 6:30 pm
Arrive Atl 8:30 pm

Saturday - This is a 15 hour 15 minute flight.  Sigh...
Depart Atl 1:00 am
Arrive Seoul, Korea 6:15 am Sunday (3:15 pm Saturday cst) 

Sunday
Depart Seoul 9:00 am (6:00 pm cst Saturday)
Arrive Guangzhou, China 12:05 pm (10:00 pm Saturday cst)

Coming home:
Wednesday, December 4th
Depart GZ, China 9:25 am (7:25 pm Tuesday cst)
Arrive Seoul 1:35 pm (10:35 pm Tuesday cst)

Depart Seoul 7:15 pm (4:15 am Wednesday cst)
Arrive Atl 6:50 pm

Depart Atl 9:57 pm
Arrive Bham 9:53 pm 

I think I have converted the times correctly but didn't double check it so it's close enough.  Once we arrive in China and receive our itinerary, I will update with details about Gotcha Day.  We get Emma Kate on Monday 11/25!!  It will be late Sunday night for you all.  Thank you all so much for the support!  Please keep us in your prayers.

We have CA!!!!

Our CA (Consulate Appointment) is scheduled for December 2.  This means we leave next week for China!!!  I will post more details soon.  Woohoo!!!!!

Ipod and gift card giveaway

We have two giveaways and 100% of proceeds benefit our adoption!

 

First is a brand new Ipod touch 4th Gen.  Still in sealed package.  Great Christmas Gift! 

$10 - 1 chance

$15 - 3 chances

$20 - 5 chances

 

 

Second - Amazon $75 Gift Card and Bloomingdales $50 Gift Card 

 

$5 - 1 chance

$10 - 3 chances

 

 

These are two separate giveaways.  Please indicate which giveaway your donation is for.  The winner of the gift cards will receive both cards.  You may donate through paypal by clicking the link on this blog or if you are local you can pay me in person to avoid paypal fees.  This giveaway will only run for three days and we will draw for a winner Tuesday 11/12.  I will take entries now through Monday night at midnight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have TA!!

We received TA (Travel Approval) today!  The next step is to apply for CA (Consulate Appointment)  which only takes a couple of days to receive and then we can book our flights and go!  We can expect to leave in 1-2 weeks after we receive our CA or even as early as a few days after.  At this point we are not fully funded but we are still fundraising and working on getting the remaining expenses paid so we can bring Emma Kate home. 

Specific prayer request:
~ God to prepare Emma Kate and the rest of our family for this transition
~ God to comfort our two older boys and keep them safe as they will stay here while we travel
~ Safety for Robert, Carter and I as we travel around the world
~ Provision for the remaining funds needed
~ Peace for me as I am very nervous about the trip (This will be my first flight EVER!!)

Now please remember, I'm very anxious about traveling so please do not approach me with horror stories about flying as this will only increase my anxiety :)

TA is on the way!

We received an email today that our TA (Travel Approval) will be here soon.  It is mailed from China and should be here next week.  This means our agency will request our CA (Consulate Appointment) and we book flights and leave for China within a couple of weeks!  We are still about $11,000 - $12,000 short of having the funds to go, therefore Emma Kate is just waiting on us at this point.  Please pray with us for provision so we can bring our sweet daughter home.

Waiting on TA!!!

Just received an email from China stating that our Article 5 is ready and we are now waiting on TA (Travel Approval)!!!  TA usually takes 2-3 weeks but many families are receiving it in less than 2 weeks.  We can travel as soon as 1-2 weeks after TA.  We are so close!!!!  Please pray for provision for the remaining $12,000 needed before we can leave.  Thank you for your support.

Win an American Girl Doll of your choice!!!

We are giving away one American Girl Doll of your choice!  You may choose any one American Girl Doll (value $110), Bitty Twins (value $115) or a Bitty Baby plus accessories (value up to $115).  Or you may choose accessories to equal $115! 

We had a give-away for an American Girl Doll last year and we were able to make one little girl's Christmas special so we are doing it again!

We will be taking entries now through November 4th.  The winner will be announced on November 5th.

We will be traveling in November to bring Emma Kate home and me must raise $12,000 for the remaining expenses before we can go.  Proceeds from this give-away will go toward our adoption expenses.

To enter:

Click on the Donate button on the top right of my blog and make a donation.  Or you can give me your donation in person or mail a check (this will prevent paypal fees:).  Please email me at jpannell76@gmail.com or message me on facebook for my mailing address.  If paying through paypal, please be sure to include your contact information and "American Girl Doll"  in the notes section.

You will receive one entry for a $10 donation, three entries for a $15 donation and five entries for each $20 donation. 

We will have a drawing on November 5th and the winner will be contacted immediately. 

Once we contact you to let you know you have won, you will be able to choose the doll you would like and it will be ordered and shipped directly to you in plenty of time for Christmas!

If we are lucky enough to receive more than 150 entries, we will draw for two different winners and give away two dolls!! 

 Please share this fundraiser with everyone you know and don't forget to ask grandparents to enter!

If we do not have enough entries to cover the cost of the doll, we will refund all donations received and cancel the giveaway.

Give 5 Change A Life

We are in the process of adopting our daughter from China.  We are expecting to travel in mid November but we can't go until we raise the remaining funds needed to cover all adoption and travel expenses.  We currently need $13,000 to be fully funded.  Please prayerfully consider helping us through this give 5 fundraiser.  Any amount you give will be greatly appreciated.  To donate, simply click on the donate button on the right side of this blog.  You can also email me at pannelladoption@gmail.com for other ways to donate without a fee.  Thank you for your support!

New pictures!!!

We sent a care package to Emma Kate last week and today we received five new pictures of her!  The last update we received was about seven weeks ago.  Emma Kate's hair has grown out a little and I'm happy to see her standing in these pics.  She is getting a little belly so I guess they are feeding her well.  I am one happy mama this evening :)

Matching Grant

This road to adoption is full of many joys and challenges, the greatest joy being the inclusion of a child into our family and the greatest challenge being finances. The costs of adoption include the expense of a home study, adoption agency, lawyers, travel expenses, etc., with the total cost ending up somewhere around $32,000. Through fundraising and personal savings we have raised approximately $10,000 but we still have a long way to go.  Our estimated time to travel is 2-3 months from now. 

 

We were recently awarded a matching funds grant to help with the expenses of our adoption through Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc. a non-profit private operating foundation. Hand in Hand will match any funds that are donated through our friends and family for the expenses of our adoption. All funds received through our friends and family will be matched dollar for dollar by Hand in Hand up to our awarded grant amount.  Our grant amount is $8,000, which means that Hand in Hand will match up to $4,000.  All donations are tax-deductible. If you feel led to do so, we are asking you to prayerfully consider giving financially to support us in this process.

You can find out more about Hand in Hand through their website at www.handinhandadopt.org.  You may also contact Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc. with any questions you may have. They can be reached at 913-248-5015 or by e-mail at handinhandadopt@gmail.com.

All donations must be received by Hand in Hand or postmarked no later than October 3, 2013 in order for us to benefit from them.  Please send all donations made payable to "Hand in Hand Christian Adoption" postmarked by October 3, 2013 to: (for tax purposes please include our name on the outside of the envelope only…do not put our name on the check itself)

Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc.
Robert and Jennifer Pannell
18318 Mimosa Court Gardner, KS 66030

Thank you for your prayerful consideration in helping a child find a "forever" family.

 

 

LOA!!!!!!!!!

This is huge!  Our social worker just called to say that we have received LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from China!  We were notified that we were in the review stage on 8/13 so we new it wouldn't be long.  The wait for LOA is usually one of the longest steps, however we had to wait about 3 1/2 months for a referral so our LOA arrived sooner than expected as our paperwork continued to move through the system while we were waiting on the referral. We have to go into the office today to sign the letter and then send off the next set of paperwork.  We are 2-3 months away from traveling to get Emma Kate!!!  I have butterflies in my stomach! 

She is in foster care!

About 2am today we received confirmation that Emma Kate is with a foster family as we suspected.  This is such a blessing as she will have a lot more one on one time.  Another mom who is in China now to adopt her child offered to ask about Emma Kate and try to get pictures of her.  She couldn't get any pictures since Emma Kate isn't at the orphanage, but the director did say that she remembered sending the pictures to us a couple of weeks ago and that she is doing well.  I pray that this couple is taking excellent care of our daughter and loving her as their own.  I hope that Emma Kate is loving them back and learning what a family is.  While the transition may be harder on her if she is attaching to this family, I think it will help her attach to us if she is learning attachment with consistent caregivers rather than different nannies passing her around.  Please pray for this family she is with.  We are very blessed to have this picture of her with her foster family.

Baby shower from Carter's Sunday School friends

Today was Carter's last week in his Sunday School class before promotion Sunday.  His teachers decided to have a baby shower for Emma Kate :).  We got some very nice gifts and a donation from the class for our adoption fund!  We are so blessed to have people in our lives who care about our daughter already.  Here is a picture of the gifts we received.  Thank you all for loving our daughter.  I love everything and I am so excited to see these pink bags!

Car Wash

We had a car wash today to fundraise.  Several friends and family came out to help, and some friends came just to get their car washed.  We had a great time and raised $485!  A thunderstorm happened in the middle of it but didn't last long and we were all ready for lunch so it was perfect timing.  After lunch we were able to wash a few more cars before everyone went home.  I got a few pictures, wish I had gotten more but it's hard to take pictures and wash cars.  Thank you to all who helped us in some way.

Update on Emma Kate

Tuesday we received an update on our daughter.  We got these two pictures...

 

 

We requested the medical discharge from her surgery since there was nothing in her file that indicated she had any surgery other than the picture of her with her lip repaired.  They sent the medical discharge in Chinese so we asked our Chinese friend to translate it and she was kind enough to do so free of charge. 

 

We asked for updated measurements and pictures but we only got the two pictures, no measurements.  I'm very appreciative for everything we were able to get.

 

We received answers to the following questions as well:

 

1.  Does she have a nick name or what do the nannies call her?  Xuan Xuan

2.  Can you please tell us some of her likes and dislikes?  She likes to watch TV and dance with           music.  She doesn't like to be with strangers.

3.  Will you please let her hair grow while she waits for us to come?  Sure

4.  Which language is spoken to her, Mandarin or Cantonese?  Cantonese

5.  What type of cup or bottle is she able to drink from?  She drinks from bottle.  She likes water with flavor

6.  Is she walking?  Yes, she walks pretty well

 

The reason we asked what type of cup or bottle is because children with cleft palate are unable to suck and they will sometimes only take a certain type of cup or bottle so we wanted to know which ones to take to China with us.  Oh well, I guess we will figure it out when we get her.

 

I was so happy to get an update but it also brought up more questions.  Her file states that she is in the SWI, not with a foster family, and the pictures we have of her appear to be at the orphanage so we didn't ask if she was with a foster family.  After getting these pictures, we are now wondering if those are her foster parents.  Usually the children are photographed with the nannies and not any men.  Also, the lady in the picture is carrying her purse and the nannies don't usually carry their purses around with them.  Maybe we are over thinking it but we feel like she may be with a foster family.  It is very strange to wonder where my daughter is living and what she is doing.  It is 11:45pm in China so she is in bed right now.  Throughout the day I often stop and think about the time in China and what she might be doing and then I pray for her.  I pray that someone is comforting her if she is hurt or having a bad dream or if she doesn't feel well, I pray that someone is making sure she is fed well and I pray that someone is loving her.  I haven't received a picture of her smiling, I pray someone is making her smile.  She will be 18 months old Saturday.  I can not wait to go get her.

 



Introducing....

We are so happy to introduce our precious daughter... 

 

Emma Kate Xuan Pannell

Born February 10, 2012

 

We plan to call her Emma Kate.  She is 17 months old and we are completely in love already!  She was born with a cleft lip and palate.  Her lip has been repaired but the palate will be repaired after we bring her home.  There are no words to describe how I am feeling :). 

 

Thank you all for your continued prayers as we wait to bring our daughter home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PA!!!

I'm so excited I can't even think straight!  We just got a message from our social worker letting us know we got PA (Pre-approval) today to adopt our daughter!!!  I will post a picture of her and addional information soon!  YAY!!!!! 

Exciting News!!

Yesterday I had a feeling that we would receive a referral today.  Our agency was expecting to get some partnership files in at any time and I had a strong feeling that I would hear from our social worker.  The funny thing is that I even thought I would hear from her around 10:30 in the morning, and I received an email at 10:34 this morning stating that the shared list would be released tonight (not a referral but still good news).  The shared list normally comes out the last week of each month so this was a huge surprise.  The list was not released for May or June due to some changes China was making to the database so I guess they decided to release one now rather than wait until the end of July.  I just knew we would be matched with our daughter from this list.  Then I got the call at 9:49 PM!  There was a file locked for our family and our social worker would email the file and pictures right away!  We have now seen our daughter's sweet face and I couldn't be happier!  I will give details and pictures of our daughter very soon.  Thank you all who have prayed for us.  Please continue to pray with us as we wait to bring our daughter home.

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  1 Samuel 1:27
                                       

Sheets Fundraiser

We have a new fundraiser that will be ongoing until we raise all of the funds needed for our adoption.

We are offering JS Sanders 1200 thread count sheets for only $35 each set. These sheets are 100%microfiber and they are wrinkle free with a silky soft and luxurious touch. They are available in Twin, Full, Queen, King and California King. Each set includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillowcases (one with twin).

Available in the following 12 colors 

Any size sheet set is only $35!! Including california king!

To order sheets email me at PannellAdoption@gmail.com, please include a phone number where I can call or text you. If you know me personally, you can call me or place an order in person. If you would like the sheets mailed to you, there will be an additional charge of $10 per set for shipping.

I will place an order once we have 12 or more sets ordered and it takes approximately one week to receive them.

As an incentive to help us sell a ton of sheets, if you can gather 11 or more orders from you family, friends or coworkers, the 12th set of sheets will be free! You will need to collect $35 for each order and contact me with you order. I can have the order of 12 or more sets shipped directly to you at no additional charge if you are not local.

A couple of updates

I wanted to give some updates of what is going on.  We had tons of items left from the first yard sale so we decided to have a second one at our house and we raised $367!  The total from the two yard sales was $4 over the amount we needed to pay an agency payment.  I prayed that we would raise enough to pay an agency payment and that is what God provided!  How awesome is that?!  I want to share something that happened at our second yard sale.  A man who bought a few things wanted to talk about the adoption so I shared a little of our story and answered his questions.  Then, as he walked to his truck to leave, he turned and came back to me and said he wanted to pray for us so he reached out for my hand.  As he prayed, he clenched my hand several times and during his prayer I was really touched by him asking God for the perfect match for our family.  This probably seems like nothing to everyone, but it meant so much to me that he really thought about how he should pray for us.  I don't know who the man was, but feel so blessed to have met him.  Thank you to everyone who helped in some way.  We were very blessed by your donations and your help with our sale and we have now been able to bless another family.  We donated the left over items to a friend for another adoption yard sale.

Now, where we are in the process.  The most common question I get these days is where are you now?"  Well, we have done everything we need to do and we are just waiting to be matched with our daughter.  We don't know how long this will take, we have been waiting for exactly one month since LID (Log in date).  We were told to expect to wait up to 3-6 months but it could be less.  So I could be announcing we have been matched this month or it could be a few months from now.  We should travel to get our daughter approximately five months after we are matched.  The wait isn't fun but we have been so busy with fundraising that this last month has flown by!  I'm so happy we already have one month of the wait behind us. :)

Please continue to pray for us, we really have had such a smooth journey and I hope it will continue this way.  I'm very anxious to see our daughter's face.

Yard Sale

The yard sale was a huge success!  We had tons of donations and tons of help!  In addition to all of the items donated to sell, we also had friends grilling hot dogs, drinks, nail painting, bracelets that we made, baked goods that were all donated by friends and a lemonde stand.  We are so blessed to have so many people who care about us and our daughter.  We never could have pulled this off without everyone's help.  We raised $2,216 for our adoption!!!  This is almost enough to pay an agency payment!  Thank you for your support! 

We were super busy but I was able to get a few pictures at the sale. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                              

         My adorable nephew enjoying some of the baked goods

 

                          The cutest lemonade salesman I know!                           

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting on a referral

Now that we are LID as of 3/25 we are just waiting.  Waiting to see the face of a precious little girl whom God has chosen to place in our family.  Waiting to see the face of our daughter.  Waiting to show our boys the face of their sister.  Waiting to know how old she is, what she looks like, when her birthday is, what her special need is, where in China she is currently living.  Waiting.... 

A little history

Before our three biological children were born we had two miscarriages.  I was devastated.  I thought we would never have children.  I wanted a baby more than anything and it seemed at the time that I never got anything I really wanted so I just knew that we couldn't have children.  We waited a few years and decided to try again.  Three months passed before we finally got the news that we were expecting.  Three months seems like nothing when I think about couples who wait for a year or more to get this news, but at that time three months seemed like an eternity.

Now we wait again.  Just like before, we have no idea how long we will wait.  We are told to be prepared for a 3-6 month wait from LID to referral.  That stinks!  I know that it really isn't that long, but to me it feels exactly like waiting to find out you are expecting a baby.  The shared list comes out once a month.  This is a list of files of children that China releases to all of the adoption agencies.  Our agency will receive files for some families while other families will wait their turn.  God has really blessed me with patience throughout this journey but I think I am losing my patience now!  We know she is in China waiting for us, but we don't know anything else about her.  I want to know her desperately.

LID!!!!!

FINALLY.... after a 27 day wait (which is a loooooong time), we got the call!  We are LID!  What does this mean?  LID = Log in Date.  All of our paperwork has reached China and we are logged in so we just wait for a referral!  The referral of our baby girl!!!  Oh my goodness! The shared list comes out tonight so we could get a referral tonight or we could wait 3-6 months.  I'm praying for tonight!  I know you all are dying to see her picture so please pray with us :)  WOOHOO!!!

Puzzle update 3-7-2013

40 pieces sponsored!  Can't wait to complete this puzzle!  212 pieces to go...

Today was a good day!

I started this blog so everyone could follow our adoption journey and for us to have a place to look back and remember what we went through to get to our baby girl.  I'm feeling very blessed today and want to document this day so that I can read this post when I'm feeling discouraged.  God really showed us how much everyone cares today.  I had ten different families contribute to our adoption today in some way.... We had an offer to bake pies as a fundraiser, several bracelets were purchased, a puzzle piece was sponsored, items were donated for an online auction, someone stopped me to order a bracelet, items were donated for recycling, families contacted me about getting items to me for recycling and others took the time to share our story with others.  Most of this happened during the short time we were at church this morning.  All of these things mean so much to us, and to have so many people show us how much we are loved just really made my day!  I love that so many people want to help.  Thank you all for praying for us and helping with our fundraisers.  I hope I haven't left anything out, but just know that we appreciate everything that everyone does, big or small. 

3,000 Bracelets Campaign

We have an exciting new fundraiser to share!

A couple of years ago, another adoptive family had an idea that if they could sell 3,000 bracelets they could raise the money to bring their daughter home from China so they started the "3,000 Bracelets Campaign".  They were able to raise all of the money needed and this family has now passed the idea on to other families needing to raise funds for their adoption and help them to get started! 

The cost of the adoption is the biggest hurdle most families face.  Most families just can't afford all of the expenses and trust that God will provide.  We are all commanded by God to "look after orphans" in James 1:27.  Not everyone is called to adopt, but for those who can't adopt and want to help, this is the perfect opportunity to give hope to one orphan...to give hope to our daughter. 

If we can find just 500 people to be responsible for 6 bracelets, we will be able to raise all of the money we need!  I don't expect anyone to purchase 6 bracelets, but if each one of our family and friends could just buy one or two and maybe ask a few friends we could make this fundraiser a success! 

Some great ideas:

~Matching Mother/Daughter sets
~Matching Best Friend sets
~Matching Sister sets
~Teacher Gifts
~Easter
~Mother's Day
~Birthdays

Perfect gift for any occasion! Will you help us?  Email me at jpannell76@gmail.com or message me on facebook or comment here to order. 

The cost of each bracelet is only $10 for little girls and $12 for adults.  We will give a discount for multiple purchases.   

We currently have the following six to choose from and will have more designs coming soon!                                             
                                               

                                          Spring Blossom         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                          Elegance

                                                  
                                          Pink Paisley

                                                                  
                                          Blue Splash  

                                                                 
                                          Gum Drops

                                                                 
                                          Little Birdie