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.
Today... we got some more pictures of our precious precious baby girl.
I am so beyond delighted! I'm falling in love with this child every single day and seeing her in these photos just makes her feel so much more real to me. I can even see details of her little fingernails and the beautiful features on her gorgeous little face.
Oh man, I am so smitten it isn't even funny!
I love her so so so SO much.
I love updates!
I've been so anxious to see my beautiful little girls face again that I sent her another different care package through "Gifts to China with Love". I got pictures of what was sent to her, including a panda bear, a toy telephone and of course, candy! Sherri and Katherine (at Gifts to China with Love) are incredible, I got a little verbal update on her stats and general life, which is amazing.
Of course, I am still praying for pictures! ...we'll see, they might happen or they might not. For now I'm thankful for this little update on my sweet sweet girl... you would not believe how much I want to hold her right now.
: HEIGHT - 79CM
: WEIGHT - 9KG
: HEAD - 46CM
: CHEST - 56CM
: FEET - 13CM
: JIANG YANG QI LIVES IN THE ORPHANAGE SINCE SHE WAS FOUNDED. NEVER IN FOSTER CARE.
: JIANG YANG QI CAN WALK AND GO UP AND DOWNSTAIRS BY HERSELF.SHE CAN DRINK WITH A CUP BY HERSELF. SHE IS INTROVERT. SHE IS SHY WITH STRANGERS. SHE HAS FEW WORDS, SOMETIMES SHE SPEAK SIMPLE WORDS LIKE MAMA AND GRANDMA. SHE KNOWS ADULTS' WORDS. SHE KNOWS THE SIGN LANGUAGE OF GREETING AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. SHE LOVES TO PLAY WITH MANY CHILDREN, IT WILL MAKE HER HAPPY.
: HER HEART DISEASE IS NOT VERY SICK. SOMETIMES SHE HAS FEVER AND GETS A COLD.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT WITH US. CHANG DE SWI
Our agency asked us to get a little care package ready so they could send it to QiQi and hopefully they'll get a little update on her to pass on to us. I'm pretty desperate for an update again, so I got all the things together and dropped it off at the agency. Everything had to fit into a shoebox, so here's what we sent:
: a colourful and very noisy Lamaze doll! Honestly, every part of that doll rattles or crinkles or squeaks. According to her referral information, she 'takes bright colourful dolls and rattles in her hands to play'. Well, with this doll, she's got all that!
: a photo album with pictures of our family. I wish I could have photoshopped her into the photo of the three of us! My photoshop skills are not that great, unfortunately. I did have fun with the stickers and googling the Chinese characters that I needed!
: a little dress and hairclip, actually this dress is the very first purchase I made for QiQi. I bought it last summer, in fact, I also bought Lilah one on the same day and she wore hers last summer - it should still fit her this summer! If my girls aren't wearing them together, maybe they will from afar!
: a bag of sweets and a letter, both for her caregivers.
Baby QiQi, you just hit a special milestone today - you turned 18 months old.
It's hard to put into words how we feel missing special milestones like this. Every day of waiting for you is hard, but soon we will be with you, holding you, loving you, making up for the time we lost without you.
We love you so much already.
Changde City SWI in Hunan Province, China
Changde City Social Welfare Institute, founded in 1950, is a social institute of first class in Hunan province which provides the service of recovery training, medical treatment, old age support and orphans’ rescue, and mainly engages in the adoption of old people who have no income, no supporters or laboring ability, orphans and disabled children and meanwhile provides the service of socialized old age support, medical treatment and recovery of disabled children. There are 500 beds in the institute now. The service and facilities of the institute are complete and the environment of institute is very good with many green trees and colorful flowers. Three leisure fitness squares and various courts in the institute are the paradise of old people and children. The institute has a special education school which calls “Trust Myself” supported by the organization “Love is color blind”. This school has been giving the preschool disabled children formative education.
The institute has adopted 1,400 orphans and disabled children since founded. For making these orphans and disabled children return back home and integrate into the society as soon as possible, the institute has sent 1,188 children to be adopted by foreign parents and helped them find their own families. Many foreign adoptive parents took their adoptive children to visit the institute for seeking their roots each year.
The institute has been sticking to the idea of “family, humanization, standardized service” and the doctrine of “love forever, care the old age and young children, serve for society, devote sincerely”, and received the full acceptance from all circles of society. The institute became the second one which got the International Quality Management System in Hunan province.
Information taken from here.
We take it for granted that we have many photos of ourselves as babies and even more so now in a world of digital cameras; photos of our children are in abundance. Unfortunately orphanages in China don't have the time or money to take a lot of photos of the babies in their care. In most cases we will only get our little one's referral photo and maybe one update during the waiting period. Since 1999, the orphanages in China are required to run a provincial newspaper advertisement for children that are found and brought to their orphanage. They are called 'Finding Ads' - these ads contain information about where and when the children were found and which orphanage is caring for them. Originally these were text only ads, but most provinces now include photographs. These photographs are usually the earliest available pictures of our children, some from as young as a few weeks old.
Brian Stuy and his wife Longlan (adoptive parents to three beautiful Chinese girls) maintain this website - www.research-china.org - they locate the baby's finding ad, send a photo of the picture in the newspaper and may even have a copy of the actual newspaper!
Our daughter, Jiang Yang Qi's ad was in the 'Hunan Daily" newspaper published February 1st, 2011 and is seventh ad in the first column. She is so precious in her little hat! Being able to get her baby picture is an opportunity we are most grateful for.
Deuteronomy 26:11 - And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house.
Hunan Province is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River (Changjiang, 长江), about half way along its length. Shanghai lies 1000 km away, Beijing 1200 km away, and Guangzhou 500 km away.
Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hunan has long been known for its natural beauty. Hunan is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. Hunan's mixture of mountains and water makes it among the most beautiful provinces in China. For thousands of years, Hunan has been a major center of Chinese agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges.
Hunan has a humid, subtropical climate. The monsoon rain falls mostly in April, May, and June. July and August are uncomfortably hot and humid. The best time to visit is in the fall, when temperatures are cooler and the rainfall lighter. For persons who live in cold northern climate, traveling to Hunan in the winter can be pleasant. After all, any place that grows oranges can't be all that cold! Low temperatures in winter are usually above freezing, with daily highs around 10C. Annual rainfall is around 1,250 - 1,750 millimeters (49.2 to 68.9 inches). Northern Hunan has more climate extremes than southern Hunan. It can get colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.
[ taken from here ]
I called it spring cleaning, but one of my friends on FB said I was starting to nest.
I think she's probably right - our little Phebe girl can't come quick enough.
Anyway, I'm so pleased to have all the clothes I kept from Lilah's younger years now organized, by size.
Gotta love Lilah's labels!
**pictures from google images**
