This time last year

The list from china came out during our Sunday night since they are twelve hours ahead so I was anxiously waiting for the "call" monday morning from our adoption agency (which is on pacific time). So really the call shouldn't come until after 12 noon, but the director of the china program called me around 11am. She said she felt like she had a file that might be our little girl---that the referral photo showed lots of personality. She read the file over the phone for me then sent it via email. I asked her not to send the photo because I knew I couldn't be objective about her medical needs (meaning would her special needs be something our family could handle)if I saw a photo. She said she would attach it at the end of the email if I changed my mind.

Of course, I couldn't wait to see her photo---done deal. She looked like our baby. The boys even said she looked like a Godwin boy. To see your baby for the first time is amazing joy. She was perfect!!

I called and emailed andy for him to review the file. It was a crazy hectic busy day for him at work. The panic of how to get the doctors to review the file quickly during Thanksgiving week began. But God opened doors of some very compassionate doctors that said they could provide the surgery she needed, if surgery was needed.

We only had 48 hours to submit our letter of intent.

We submitted our LOI on Wednesday prior to rushing out the door to travel to SC for Thanksgiving. We did request follow up medical info from her orphanage--sometimes the translation of a Chinese medical chart can not be so clear. Andy being the physician knew way too much of how quickly a heart problem can be dangerous to her health even prior to us bringing her home. But I was ready for her no matter how serious---felt peace knowing Andi was ours. I was praying for andy's heart to softened to this child no matter what the heart defects were--but still wanted him to get all the advice from all his doctor friends so we would be prepared medically or better yet for them to tell him they would go for her!!