Leila smiles!!!

Finally, after 5 days of no smiles but definite progress, we are so happy to see that Leila is smiley inside and out. This picture is during lunch on a full tummy... she finally responds to mommy being silly, trying to eat her!

Finally, Saturday she started to smile. What a joy!

More photos from our days in China...

These pictures are of our first days in China. We are visiting the Chen Family Temple here in Guangzhou and the others are of us getting used to being in such a small space in our hotel room.

Photos from China!!!

We met Leila at the Guangdong Province Adoption Registration office. The orphanage director and one of the nannies came to meet us, gave us our daughter, and the rest is history.

Here are some photos of our travels to China and getting baby Leila. We are blessed!!!

The night before we leave.... Sarah is so excited!

Travel Itinerary!

Here is our travel itinerary while in China ~

12-14  Arrive in Guangzhou at 10:40 pm, meet guide at airport, check into White Swan Hotel

12-15  Meet our baby in the afternoon at the Registration Office (our official Gotcha Day!)

12-16  Proceed with adoption registration and notary

12-17  Apply for baby's passport, touring the Walking Street

12-18  Visit Liu Rong Temple and Liu Hua Hu Lake Park

12-19  Visit the zoo

12-20  Visit Bai Yun Shan Park

12-21  Resting....

12-22  Receive baby's passport and other paperwork, physical exam and taking pictures for Visa application

12-23  Apply for visa at 10:30 am

12-24  Pick up Visa in the afternoon

12-25  Leave Guangzhou at 9:30 am and come home!  Merry Christmas!!!!

Travel Permission Letter and flight itinerary!

In the last 2 days, we received:

• Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption
• our Visa appt. date in Guangzhou for baby Leila, AND 
• we were able book our flight!  We still can't believe it.....
  

So, we are set to leave on 12/13, get to Guangzhou late at night on 12/14, get our baby on 12/15, and come home on Christmas day.  Hopefully it will all go smoothly and there won't be any delays along the way.

 

I do wonder how much we will be able to post to this blog while in China......  I guess we will see soon enough!

I800 Approval

Today I received great news that our I800 has been approved! Now.... all we need is our permission to travel letter from China and we can make the appointment for our daughter's visa at the US Consulate in Guangzhou.  Our coordinator spoke to the CCAA a couple of days ago and they said that our travel permission is being completed and should go out by the end of this week.  

The anticipation is killing us.... next week we hope to finalize everything and purchase our airline tickets!  

Our baby in China

Well, it has finally happened.  In September 2008, after two and half years of waiting, we got a referral for a beautiful baby girl at Maogang SWI, in Maoming City, Maogang Province, China.  

Now, after 2 months of paperwork, we are waiting for formal approval from USCIS and our Permission to Travel Letter from China.  

If all goes well, we will be traveling in about a month.  What a wonderful holiday gift!