Hi everyone,
It has been a busy past week here at the Fischer household. We received and signed our LOA (letter of acceptance that China issued, approving us to adopt our son), and then we had to gather updated background checks from a total of three cities and counties. Now, we're waiting for some of those background checks to be run (which can take a week and half before they might reach our agency). Then our adoption specialist will draw up an addendum to our home study so that we can send in our immigration paperwork, and from that point, more paperwork will follow!
Plans have been made with the travel agency that our adoption agency uses, and we will soon fill out the information that takes care of the in-country travel in China. We have decided to take the optional (but highly recommended) tour of Beijing before we go to the next province, Shandong, to adopt our son. We will need time to adjust our body clocks, since China runs 12 hours ahead of us. We'll want to be well-rested before we become first-time parents!
The highlight of the week, though, was that we received updated pictures of our son! We have been told to be extra cautious about whom we share these pictures with, so Howie and I have decided to not show them on the blog. However, I will describe them to you so that you can imagine. :) The most recent picture of him shows him sitting backwards in a line of chairs that other kids are sitting on, as if they are playing some kind of game or pretending to ride on a bus or something. He has the biggest smile you've ever seen on a kid-- and a dimple, too!! That is my favorite picture. Some others show him a little younger, and in those, he's concentrating on a water bottle with crayons in it, playing with large beads with a caretaker, and finger painting with purple paint. He's very serious when he's doing these things. Then, we have some other ones (not sure how old he was in these), in which he is being silly. He looks like he's doing a gymnastic move in one of them and the other one (in the same location) shows a pretty good close-up of him with kind of a crazy hairstyle-- shaved all over with a big chunk of hair in front, which just adds to the cuteness. Finally, the last picture shows him in an oversized coat, playing with a caretaker who is holding some snow up to him. Very cute!! We were so relieved to find him looking healthy and happy. And... he is just adorable!! We can't wait to hug him! Orphanages are not a substitute for a parent, but we think he's in one of the best orphanages that is in China, and for that, we are very thankful.
We've also been learning more about his special need, which involves digestive issues. There's a Facebook page specifically designated for people who have adopted kids who have his specific condition, and we have gained a ton of information from these sights. Nothing beats reading advice and hearing about the realities of his condition. We still have some things to learn that can only come from experience, but we know we have support out there, and we even know whom his doctor is going to be. Even the people on that page give him their highest recommendation.
Finally, we've started working on communication, which will be a biggie when we get there. I've looked at some you tube videos on sign language for babies, and it is amazing how signs can help babies and toddlers communicate their needs well before they can speak-- or speak English, in our case. He isn't quite two yet and can say several small words in Chinese, so the transition to English should happen very fast for him, but we'll want to be able to communicate with him before that happens. For when we're in China and maybe for a little while at home, too, we purchased a book and CD of common phrases in Chinese that are helpful for adoptive parents to know. We hope this will help him feel more comfortable, even though our accents will be very heavy, I'm sure.
Are we busy? Yes we are! Add that to trying to get a washing machine fixed, doing taxes, and trying to keep up with our grading homework from school, and sometimes, we are just plain exhausted. It's all good, though. He is more than worth it!!
We'll keep you posted! Thanks for following us on our journey, and please keep the prayers coming!
Blessings,
Jenn and Howie
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