Next steps....

We got our I800 approval last week....which in non-adoptive English, means Judah's U.S. Immigration Approval. Hooray! Now, we wait for what boils down to a few steps of communication between the US and China, and then await our Travel Approval from China, which means we are clear to go get him!!

There are a few complicating factors that we may have to deal with. There is a huge trade fair in Guangzhou which starts in mid-April (we ran into the same ordeal when adopting Rylie, although with her it was the fall trade fair). During this time, hotels are 2 or 3 times more expensive than usual, so we are really hoping to avoid that! However, we are trusting God's timing in this. His timing was absolutely and completely perfect with Rylie's adoption, down to the last detail, and we have no reason to believe it won't be the same this time around!

We did get an update on Judah a few weeks ago and sent him a care package. I can't even explain how thrilled I was with his update! New pictures of my boy gave me just what I needed to keep plugging along, especially in the midst of the weariness of waiting. He looks fantastic! I had been so concerned about his nutrition and weight. At a year of age, he was only about 13.5 pounds. I was hoping that with his cleft lip repaired, he would be able to eat a little better. Plus, we got confirmation that he has been in foster care for about 3-4 months. I had mixed feelings about that, but apparently, it is just what he needed! He now weighs close to 20 pounds, and is 19 months old. He's still small, but I think the extra attention from his foster family and time to feed him has made a world of difference! I had been concerned we were going to come home to medical issues from a nutrition standpoint, and now those concerns are mediated for the time being! Seriously...could not be more thrilled.

We had some questions answered as well...and learned that he is not walking yet, he is closest to his foster "grandmother" and has the nickname "Fu-Fu." Cute....(his Chinese name is He Fu). We are hoping we will be able to get another update before we travel!

In the meantime, we have finally started buying some clothes for him, which I am convinced are going to swallow him up. And who says nesting is just for pregnant women? I have been purging and cleaning and organizing like crazy. Still have a long way to go, but I am making progress. I guess the little man needs a place to sleep, huh?

We've also been planning on a little bit of a surprise.....I am 99% sure Jonah is going to come to China with us!!!! There are many reasons we decided on this. Primarily, leaving 3 kids here to be cared for while we are gone for over 2 weeks is a big deal. We thought taking one of them at least with us would help on that front. Also, he is fairly independent and helpful and could not be more excited to have a little brother. And I think as a 7 year old, the opportunity to, in combination, see another culture, different living conditions, and be present for the "birth" of Judah into our family will be amazing. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I just don't feel like we can pass it up. I think the girls are too young, and would present challenges during the trip that would prevent us from fully helping Judah transition, and I think Jonah will be a big help in that area. We've already talked to his teacher and principal about it, and they are fully on board! He is so excited. Now, to get him a passport!