Update on Emalyn!

Well, after two long months of waiting and several different attempts, we finally received an update on our sweet Emalyn!  Just look how much she has changed in five months!

Emalyn at 11 months

Emalyn at 16 months

As soon as we accepted Emalyn's referral we requested an update through our agency, but after a long wait we decided to try getting an update through a company called Lady Bugs and Love.  Lady Bugs and Love offers a service known as the orphanage phone call.  Essentially, they have a Chinese woman named Angela who has relationships with many of the orphanages and makes a phone call to request updated pictures and answers to questions.  Her success rate is 95%, so we thought it was worth a try.  I sent the request on Sunday, October 23 and we received our update on Thursday, October 27.  It was such a blessing to hear from Emalyn, to see her little face again and learn a little more about her.  Angela is an angel and we are so thankful for the work she is doing to help families stay in touch, as much as possible, with their little ones they long to bring home.

So, here is the update that we received.  I am including it here exactly as it was sent to us and will interject my comments below some of the nanny's comments.

2)  What are her current measurements?  Please include her height, weight, head circumference and chest circumference.
Height: 73cm; Weight: 9kg; Head:42.5cm; Chest:42.7cm; Foot: 14cm.

Height: 28.7"; Weight: 19.8 lbs; Head 16.7"; Chest: 16.8"; Foot: 5.5"

Based on my research among my friends with children Emalyn's age and what I can remember about Adair, I am surprised at how big she is.  Now, don't misunderstand me, she isn't big, but she is not as far below average as we expected based on her stats at referral.

3)  Is she pulling up, standing and walking?
She can walk by one hand hold someone. She can pull up and standing by holding onto something.

4)  How many teeth does she have?
Upper 8 and lower 10.

It is out of the ordinary for me to see a 16 months old with this many teeth.  Adair only had two teeth by the time she was 16 months old.

5)  Does she have a ridge in her gum behind her cleft lip or any other additional needs related to her cleft lip?  Does her cleft lip seem to bother her at all? 

She only has cleft lip. Doesn’t have tooth behind her cleft lip.

6)  Is she starting to talk?  If so, what words can she say?

She is not talking yet. She just burbles. We don’t understand what she’s saying.

7)  What is her personality like?  Is she a happy baby and well liked? 

She is very stubborn. She bites others. All the children in her room have been bit by her. She is a naughty baby.

I have to be honest, this statement really bothered me when I first read it.  In fact, it brought tears to my eyes.  Not because I am worried about her personality or her biting, but because it made me feel like she is not loved or even liked by the nannies and others at her orphanage.  It has been our prayer since we started this process that someone would love our daughter and she would love someone, and this statement, especially the part about her being naughty, really made me question how she was being treated. 

In the days since receiving this update, I have learned more about Chinese culture and had a chance to really process this statement and I am not as concerned now.  One thing I learned is that in the Chinese culture, naughty doesn't mean what it means to us (bad), it means mischievous.  I have also learned that, when you ask about a child, Chinese people are most likely going to tell you something negative about them, something that they need to work on, rather than tell you something positive or likable about them.  I also have to remember that stubbornness and being mischievous and curious are normal traits of most an 16 month old.  My heart tells me that if she is mischievous, curious and into everything she is likely getting alot of attention from her nannies, and that is a very good thing. 

So, I have to remind myself not to worry about things I cannot change right now, however, I would still welcome and covet your prayers for Emalyn, that she is being treated well and that God would surround her with His love and protection.  I know that He will provide loving arms to wrap around her, be them His own or her nanny's.

8)  Does she have her own crib or does she share a crib with another baby?

She has her own crib.

9)  Is she a good sleeper?  Does she have a favorite blanket or toy that she sleeps with?  If so, can you tell us about it?

She sleeps well. No special habit.

10)  What is her favorite toy to play with or activity throughout the day?

She likes to watch TV, play with toys, blocks and bells.

It is a very strange feeling to know so little about someone, yet care so deeply for them.  We are thankful for every bit of information that comes our way about our daughter, be it large or small.  Each little thing helps us imagine her, pray for her and love her better.

We would also covet your prayers over our paperwork and travel dates.  We are still waiting for LOA which roughly determines when we will travel.  We are praying that we will travel soon enough that I will be able to go to China, but there is a chance that I may not.  We are trusting God and we KNOW that He has a perfect plan for every step of this process, but we are asking and believing that will include Mommy, Daddy and Adair traveling together to bring home our little girl (little sister). 

Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us and for walking this road with us.  We appreciate your friendship and love more than you know!

Powers, Party of Five

On Saturday, August 20, Hank and I got the shock of a lifetime...we discovered we are expecting our third child on April 22, 2012!  From that very second, we knew that the baby I am carrying was our third child.  We never desired to change directions or deviate from the path we were on to our Emalyn! 

I'll back up a little and give you the full story.  That Saturday was two days before my 30th birthday and I had already received the best gift when we found out we were DTC and would soon be matched with our daughter.  (If it's possible to receive two best gifts, this was definitely my year.)

That day Hank and I had joked about getting pregnant during this process and the idea got into my head.  I started trying to count days and was reminded of two quick bouts with nausea the week before.  With margaritas on the menu for my birthday dinner that night, I decided I should take a quick test, just to settle my mind.  Much to my surprise it was positive...immediately!  When I showed it to Hank, he sat down on the floor, speechless.  Soon after, we both looked at each other and burst into laughter.  Of course, this is how God would write our story!

The next day, I began starting to gather information.  For those of you who know me well, you know I am a doer and a controller, so had to start figuring out time lines, bedrooms, etc.  I emailed our agency and requested a meeting, called my doctor and insisted they squeeze me in on Monday and thus began the planning. 

On Monday my doctor settled my nerves by confirming that I could travel to China through 32 weeks (the end of February), assuming this pregnancy is as "vanilla" (his word) as my pregnancy with Adair. 

On Tuesday, I met with our social workers.  We knew there was a possibility that they would want us to put the adoption on hold just given the potential close arrival of Emalyn and our newborn into our home.  They brought up some valid points for us to think through, asked us to pray over our decision for the next week and let them know where we stood on Sunday.  At that point, they, along with the Director of International Adoption (who was out of town for the week and needed to be a part of the decision), would make a decision.  We knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we wanted to proceed and we believed with all of our hearts that that was God's command for us, but we took time to pray and seek Him over that week.  It was SO hard to wait, but God used that week to confirm our decision.

That Sunday night, August 28, we sent a long email to our social workers and expressed our desire to proceed, our belief that God was commanding us to proceed and practical reasons why we could make it work.  The very next day, Amy called and let me know we could proceed.  We were thrilled with the news and then she followed up with more good news...we were logged in and the shared list was coming out that very night.  She was careful to manage our expectations that we would be low on the list having just gotten logged in, so we may not get a referral, but there was a chance our daughter could be on that list.

The next morning, she called and the first words out of her mouth were, "are you sitting down?".  I knew immediately she had a file for us.  Within in five minutes of hanging up the phone, Hank and I saw the face of our second child...our sweet Emalyn.

We have experienced God in so many amazing ways throughout this process.  It has been so hard to keep this pregnancy a secret, because this baby's story is so interwoven with Emalyn's story.  We believe with all of our hearts that God has an amazing plan for our family and we are thankful that He is revealing it little by little. 

We covet your prayers as we prepare for our family to expand from three to five in a short 3-4 months time span.  Please pray that LOA comes quickly and we are able to travel as soon as possible.  Not only are we anxious to bring our Emalyn home, but we would love to have as much time as possible with her before the baby comes.  In addition to that, it is my heart's desire to be able to travel to China, to her homeland, to love on her from the very second she's in our arms.  To have to wait at home for Hank to bring her back to me, just might "do me in" emotionally.  I do know that God has a plan, though.  I know that He ordained this and it will play out just as He has plans and I can rest in that.