The only thing different from these two pictures, taken 3 months apart?
A jacket (or two!) and a set of very cute chubby cheeks!
Our beautiful girl sure is growing, and if it's even possible, she looks sweeter than ever!
I was reading the Choice Gleanings calendar this past week and felt so encouraged by the verse and comments the author had touched on in Tuesday's gleanings. Sometimes I forget that the Lord is walking with me, he's right beside me and he has feelings just as I have feelings. There are days that I feel emotional and worry about my daughter, and it never really struck me before that the Lord has a very real compassion and He feels for us... for ME... as I wait for my daughter. I felt encouraged, and I felt a strength to know that Lord has compassion on my daughter too. In fact, He's looking after QiQi and me in the exact same moment in time - He's omnipresent and feeling for both of us in our different emotions and situations, that's how incredible He is.
For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities... Hebrews 4:15
We constantly read about the Lord's compassion. He had compassion on the multitudes because they were as sheep having no shepherd. He had compassion on the possessed and diseased and healed them. But the compassion of the Saviour continues even as He sits in heaven. We read that as our great High Priest He can be "touched." What a comfort to know that the Lord feels with us, and for us, and that He fully understands what we are going through.
Today was an amazing day. Why might you ask? Because today we got an update on our precious beautiful baby girl!
I can't believe how quickly she's losing her baby looks - she's definitely looking so much more like a toddler already. I must say, this girl has style!! She rocks those red (split!) pants and matching red cat-like shoes! And her little star sweater is just precious. I just want to squeeze her so bad!! I was also noticing that she's pretty curious about the camera and in the first photo I can see a fair bit of determination in those eyes. Watch out! I think this little 19 month old has the confidence to rule our house!
I miss her. I really do. Sometimes I think of all the things we could be enjoying right now as a family of four, and that is hard. But I know God's timing is perfect, and I am relying on Him... He already knows the moment she will join our family.
Here are her recent measurements:
Height: 81cm
Weight: 8.5kg
Head: 47cm
Chest: 50cm
Feet: 12cm
Teeth: 6 upper - 5 lower
When we first saw your beautiful face and found out when you were born, I couldn't help but wonder - What were we doing the day you were born?
My only way of keeping track of time (at the moment) is through Lilah's blog, so I went back to October 2010 to see what we were up to that month. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I'd actually blogged on October 1st 2010, the day you were born! Lilah and I had been at the adoption playgroup that Friday and then we'd stopped by the Superstore to buy a Fall pumpkin and a potted Chrysanthemum!
Imagine that, shopping for a Chrysanthemum on the day you were born. I bought Lilah a book recently, called Orange Peel's Pocket, it's a lovely book about a little girl that learns about the country she was born in - China. In fact, in the book it refers to some of the things that originated in China... and yes, Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China and were later shipped over here! And another little fact is that Chrysanthemums are often called 'Mums' (a British terms for Mama!) and are a beautiful reminder that Autumn has arrived.
My hope and prayer is that my baby girl - Phebe - will be home for her 2nd birthday, just before the arrival of Autumn. And that she'll even get her photo taken with the Chrysanthemums, just like her big sister Lilah did, (well... maybe not so 'big' in this picture!), when she came home from China!
We think about you and pray for you every day Phebe Jayne - we miss you incredibly.
Today, we've been waiting 50 days for our Letter Seeking Confirmation.
Believe it or not, it's hard. Waiting for your daughter - who lives and plays - half way around the world.
But then again, I've experienced first hand how wonderful the outcome is.
Have Faith.
