More info received today...

We were excited to recieve via email more info today on Li Jing in the form of 2 more recent photos and bio data taken and updated around September 10th. She already is looking different which makes us all the more anxious to get on the plane and go get her! Info received below: Height: 72.1 cm (28 inches) Weight: 8.7 kg (19 lbs) Head Cir: 42.2 cm (16.5 inches) Chest Cir: 42.3 cm (16.5 inches) Foot Length: 11 cm (4.3 inches) Teeth: 4 Sitting?: Yes Standing?: Yes Walking: No Speaking: No How long has the child lived in the orphanage? 10 months How long has the child been in foster care? 0 months Does the child currently reside in the orphanage or foster care? Your child is in the orphanage. Where does your child sleep? In a crib by herself. Other information? Everything else is normal. Having this update was great, at least we may be a bit more prepared to pick her out of the line-up when they bring the babies in to the group. But...can't we leave tomorrow?

One more box checked off!

Today we received news that the Chinese Gov. has approved our group for travel, a necessary documentation prior to arranging our appointment dates, etc. We have also been given names of group members who will be traveling with us to adopt, at least for those folks who want to correspond. Couples (and some other children!) from Texas, New Jersey, Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania have contacted us to share their sites and news thus far. We are also fortunate to have in our group an emergency room pediatrician and a nurse practitioner (his wife). This will be a comfort but they may regret revealing their professions by trips end! Another couple in our group will be going for their 2nd daughter from China so their experience will be helpful also, I'm sure.

Welcome Genevieve Li Jing!

Hi folks and welcome to our big adventure! We will be using this site to post all the goings on related to our adoption and travel over the next few months. You will need to create a log-in account with blogger to post comments on the site but please do, as it is free, simple and painless, and will not result in you being spammed or getting any additional ads for enlarging certain parts of your body (at least no more than you are already receiving daily). Having received Genevieve's initial photos and info, now we just have to sit tight and wait for CCAI to tell us what to do next and wait on our assigned appointments to sign all the legal documents in Nanchang, China. I am sure I will comprehend all of these official declarations with the confidence of a chimp with a roadmap. We are with a travel group (1248) and will all march off together as a platoon of adoptive parents to bewilder the Chinese nation. As of today we have received our travel packets and have a lot of reading to do. We have purchased our Learn Mandarin Chinese Language book and should be fluent by the end of October, or at least be able to recite certain phrases at high decibel levels to the locals.

Stay tuned, its bound to be entertaining. Few sane people would attempt this with a five year old in tow and plane flights longer than seven back to back episodes of The Sound of Music.

But.....isn't she cute!