Gotcha Day

Wow, what a day! I don't even know where to start.

* Woke up and made it to the supermarket to get some noodle bowls with our amazing buddies, Sonia and Lori
* Headed to civil affairs office to get Simon
*Waited with 25 families
* Saw Simon through the curtain and waited to be one of the last families to get our son
* Cried as soon as he came out
* He automatically went to daddy (baba)
* He screamed and kicked when they handed him over to us (incredible heartbreaking moment)
* He reached for baba and calmed right down
* He is slowly warming up to me
* We brought a book with Chinese words and he loves showing us them and teaching us his language
* Went to dinner with friends
* Came back for bathtime
*Watched some kids shows (I have no idea what they were saying!)
*Cuddled in bed until Simon fell asleep

Tidbits of the day:
Simon LOVES his baba. He strokes his arm and even gave him a kiss! When it was time for bed he crawled into baba's bed and reached his arm over to snuggle him.

He's not so sure about me yet. He isn't rejecting me but will refuse me over baba. I really couldn't care less. I'm so thankful that he is bonding with at least one of us already! Besides, I'll win him over eventually with my totally amazing awesomeness. Right???

After we got here he didn't cry at all. Which broke me. Shouldn't a five year old who just left everything they have ever known be sobbing hysterically? Nope, he just looks a little unsure of us but that's it.

He came with one grocery type bag with a pair of pants and a book we sent. That's it. That was my boy's whole world. Sobs*

He keeps all of his new things in one backpack and stores them all neatly away. When we left for dinner he took everything including his old pants. I think he thought we were taking him somewhere new to be dropped off. It just about did me in when I saw him packing up his things.

It was a beautiful day. It was a heart wrenching day. That about sums it up.

And my good friend Sonia has all the pictures from the day and I'll get them up tomorrow after I download them to my computer!

Goodnight world. I'm going to go watch my baby sleep.

We are here!

We are here! We made it! Everybody sing the hallelujah chorus!!!

Our internet connection is very sporadic but I'll try to get pictures up for you all later!

Bullet list:

* Made our flights on time

* Threw up from motion sickness while one plane. May or may not have crawled to the bathroom on all fours while clinging to the walls for support. (I consider it payback for missing morning sickness)

* Got lost in Hong Kong by ourselves. Missed our train due to getting lost. Met some very nice and helpful Chinese people in the middle of the Hong Kong ghetto. 

* Fell asleep the second night at 5pm

* Got a phone call at midnight that our fire alarms were all going off at home and the fire department had been called

* Will pick up Simon in 14 hours which makes all of the above completely worth it all

(Turns out the fire alarm was just due to bad batteries. Phew. I will still have a house to bring Simon home to.)

Here we go

We leave for China in four days! 

I can't believe it.

I will hold my boy in one week from today.

One week!

I have waited a lifetime for this moment.

Since I first read the book about Gladys Aylward when I was 8 years old 

I have dreamed of China.

I have loved its people, its culture and its land.

God had plans. Big plans.

He planned for me to read a book about China

when I was 8 years old

and fall in love with its people

its culture

its land.

He planned for me to travel across oceans and mountains

and adopt one little boy that stole my breath away.

All for love. Because He first loved us. 

We love because He first loved us. 

This is grace. This is redemption.

This is earth shattering.

This is my son.

Here we go, Friends.

Here. we. go. 

The Torture of the TA wait

I've questioned posting this one. I don't want to sound whiny or weak. But I want others to have a real picture of this adoption journey. So...

This wait for the Travel Approval (TA) is torture.

There is a blanket sitting and waiting for my Simon. I've heard that some moms sleep with them each night. I can't do it.

There is a teddy bear that is stuffed in Simon's orange backpack. I can't even look at it.

There is a pile of clothes that belong to Simon that I can't bring myself to wash.

I am so close and yet so far away. My son is waiting on the other side of the world. And as far as I know he has no idea that I am coming yet.

He is waking up right now and going through another routine day and has no idea that his mama and baba have been climbing every mountain in their path and running this unending race to get to him.

He will go to bed tonight without praying with me, without even knowing there is a God who has been watching him all this time.

He had another transfusion and I rejoice in that. I do. It is keeping his heart beating until I get there. But I missed it. I missed ANOTHER trip to the hospital. I missed another needle poking.

I want to be there and hold him. I want to whisper in his ear that it's okay. I want him here in our hospital with nurses that will spoil him silly.

I want to be done. The urge to hop on the next outgoing plane is almost unbearable.

So, if I seem distant or loopy please forgive me. I have a one track mind right now, to get on that plane and gather my son in my arms and cry my eyes out knowing that this is finally over and that he is fully mine.

I'm not afraid. I'm not discouraged. I'm excited, but at the same time I'm done with this waiting. This waiting nonsense is for the birds.

There you have it. Truth. The ache of this wait.

Friends helping friends

I have been so blessed to meet some wonderful ladies on our journey to Simon.

They have

held me up,

carried me along,

prayed for us when things were falling apart,

counseled me,

and told me what to do when I was lost in the world of adoption limbo.

They. kept. me. sane.

Mostly.

They have done all this while dealing with their own struggles on their own adoption journeys.

We're all in the same boat right now, wondering what just happened to the costs of traveling to China to pick up our babies. For whatever the reason it seems that costs have increased in many areas and we are all coming up short, but trusting that God's hand is still working even now.

There are lots of great last minute fundraisers going on.
Here is a list. Get shopping.

Ipad mini raffle
http://countingdownagain.blogspot.com/2013/02/adoption-raffle.html?m=1

http://www.facebook.com/VintageCoutureTiffany

Wild Olive Tees fundraiser (details on left side of blog)
http://www.whitneygang.blogspot.com/

Shop today and type in Allen Family Fundraiser when checking out
http://www.facebook.com/UndertheCarolinaMoon?group_id=0

Another auction
http://aroadhome.wordpress.com/

Auction

We are officially waiting for Travel Approval.

That's it. One official letter that says we can come get our boy!

Ahh!!!

It's Crunch Time.

It's panic time.

It's oh-my-word I have so much to do time.

Average time spans for Travel Approval are anywhere from 9 days to 25 days.

Those are subject to change...without notice. 

So, keep us in your prayers. We have asked that due to Simon's medical needs that they expedite

that travel approval.

Asking doesn't mean they will.

Let's pray that they will!

We are hosting one last fundraiser. Travel costs have increased, government fees have increased 

and we have found ourselves just a few thousand short.

I'm not worried. Really.

I've seen God move much larger mountains.

So, we have an auction on facebook. There are starting bids for each item. 

To bid on an item you only need to place your dollar amount in the comment section below the picture.

Items will be added until Friday and the bidding ends next Tuesday March 5th at noon. 

Winners will be announced that evening and contacted through facebook after winning.

Payment for items can be paid through a paypal invoice or by mailing a check. 

It's up to you. 

We have been very blessed to have lots of etsy stores donating amazing items.

Don't miss out on these great prices!

Here is the link to the facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simons-Adoption-Auction/338948849544987

Here is the link to the album of items on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.339821899457682.66765.338948849544987&type=3

A Tiny Bump

We are nearly there. It seems we have hit every bump in the road possible. We certainly have hit every major holiday in both countries and it has slowed our adoption down much more than anticipated. We are waiting on our Article 5 (immigration) which should come this week. SHOULD. Will you pray that it does? Then we just wait for travel approval which gives us permission to enter the country.

We have hit one more bump in the road. I consider it a small bump after all the mountains that have fallen before our eyes. We recently received word that some fees increased. Yikes. Not what I want to hear at the very end of this journey. We will also be traveling during yet again another holiday season. Which, unfortunately increases our traveling fees greatly. We would wait but frankly our son's health doesn't give us that luxury. We are racing him home and straight to a hospital. I am confident that God has this. He knew about this long before we were hit with it.

In an effort to cover those unexpected final costs we will be hosting an auction in the coming week. So, please check back as I work to get all of that set up. There will be some amazing things at great prices!

I also have some necklaces made by Rebekah Blocher to use for fundraising. I only have a few days left before I need to send them back. So if you would like one please let me know quickly so that I can place them aside.

They are $22 dollars a piece and $2 for shipping. Please leave a comment below to order them

The cross is SOLD!

Brown Circle SOLD!

Red Heart SOLD!

Dragonfly and Dots SOLD!