Journey to Abigail

I received several emails from family, friends and complete strangers asking me not to end our blog. Well I am still ending this blog but after hearing from so many of you, I thought I would make one final post by sharing a video I put together that is very special to me. I want to thank you all again for following us on this amazing journey to bring Abigail home. Hope you enjoy the video!!!

Lots of Love,
Heather

1st Birthday...

Today Abigail turned one year old. It has been an amazing year for this little girl who was born in a remote village in China, abandoned at 1 day old, adopted and taken away from everything and everyone she had ever known. Most people, upon hearing Abigail’s life story, say that she has been blessed. I agree that the Lord has definitely smiled upon our daughter, however; Ricky and I are the ones that have been truly blessed, in the form of Abigail herself. She is the source of our greatest joy. On the other hand, today is somewhat bitter sweet. Today, Ricky and I take a moment to remember a mother half way across the world, in China, who remembers this day with a heavy heart. I pray that somehow Abigail’s birth family knows that she is safe and cherished on this day - and every day forward. I ask that each of you say a prayer for them as you read this. As I mentioned this will be my final post. Again we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have followed our journey to bring home the most amazing child. I am going to sign off tonight with a poem to Abigail honoring her birth mother.

Lots of Love,
Heather

LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD

Once there were two women who never knew each other. One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one. One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it. The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name. One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fearsOne saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears

One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do. The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.

Now, which of these two women, are you the product of? Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.

---- Author Unknown

Dear Abigail,

We hope you had a wonderful first birthday. The past three months have been the happiest months of our lives. Daddy and I love you and look forward to many happy years with you. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

PS - this is the link to our final Yahoo Photo Album:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/55bfre2

My Beautiful Baby Girl...

It is amazing how fast children grow and learn. Since my last post Abigail has began crawling, pulling up, clapping, waving bye-bye and my personal favorite giving kisses. Daily I tuck away our special little moments in my heart and will forever cherish them.

I am busy putting together last minute details for Abigail's First Birthday Party this weekend. I cannot believe she is turning one...wow how it seems like just yesterday we met her.

On Monday the 5th I will make my final post with pictures of her birthday party to our blog. We have shed many tears putting our emotions into this blog. Every word has come straight from the heart... not only our hearts but all of yours as well. Everything will be saved for Abigail to read in the future. Again we appreciate all of your comments, prayers and support.

Lots of Love,
Heather

First Mother's Day...

Once upon a time a canvas was set. Long before we ever met,God placed it on the easel. He waited. A special portrait would be painted.

He set aside a palette of colors, he knew just how to use them. God waited till the time was right, then he began to choose them.

Placing his brush upon the canvas God painted an image extraordinaire. The details seemed faint at first, but the picture was truly there.

A portrait of a family; a child, a mom, a dad. This painting had something extra, God used everything he had.

His palette was full of colors, he knew just what it would take. Each stroke was deliberately brushed in place. A special portrait he would make.

He blended dark shadows with subtle hues of gold. Using the richest colors, a picture began to unfold. One very special child, two fathers and two mothers. The image began taking shape with such beautiful colors.

Splashes of Love outlined colors of pain. Shades of joy and sadness were mixed throughout the picture, among stripes of sorrow and gladness.

The portrait was finally complete, he gently framed it with his heart he hung it in the Halls of Faith . . .A Priceless Work of Art.

by Monica Palmer

This summer makes two years since I had started talking to Ricky seriously about my desire to adopt. I never imagined with in such a short time, this would be my "Family Portrait".

My first Mother's Day was wonderful. My dear sweet husband bought me a beautiful three stone diamond ring from himself and Abigail. I will forever remember the moment they gave it to me....he was carrying Abigail and Abigail was carrying the little box. Ricky thank you for making my first Mother's Day so special...I love you both dearly.

While I have feelings of joy and gratitude celebrating my first Mother's Day, I know on the other side of the world is another mother with very different feelings. I wish she had a little window that she could look into for a brief moment and see how loved her daughter is. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.

Lots of Love,
Heather

PS - I am including a link to our latest yahoo album.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/46bbre2

11 Months Old Today...

Today Baby Girl (aka Abigail) is 11 months old. Those of you close to us know this but for everyone else daddy has given Abigail the nickname "Baby Girl", which I absolutely love. Abigail changes everyday, she is amazing to watch. This week alone she has learned to go from her belly to a sitting position, to stand with help, drink juice and eat solid foods outside of baby food. We plan to change our eating habits and teach Abigail to eat healthy, so no sugar. But this week she has eaten bannanas, canalope, peas and baked chicken. She is not a real picky eater and will pretty much eat what ever we give her. We are still not sure whether or not she will crawl before she walks. While she is trying to scoot around she prefers to stand...so we shall see.

This week was our first week at home alone without daddy. On Tuesday she made her first visit to the hospital after falling and hitting her head on our tile floor. Thank the good Lord we have an over cautions peditrician. Dr. Chin immediately sent Abigail for a Cat Scan. I have never felt so helpless while waiting for the results, which were good. We also received the results of Abigail's blood test's...everything was great and she now weights 18.6 pounds.

Deciding to stay at home with Abigail was the best decision I have ever made. At first I thought I would be bored and while it is still a challenge to keep us both entertained, I get better everday. I also worried about not contributing to our family budget but I now realize that I have much more to offer. Now that we have this precious child, there is no amount of money that could replace being home with her. My favorite part of our day is walking in her room each morning to that sweet smile....it just melts my heart. I wish every mother had the opportunity to stay at home with their children. I am very blessed and thank God daily.

Lots of Love,
Heather

Update...

Sunday the 30th will make 7 weeks since we first meet Abigail. It is also daddy's last day to be home with us...we will miss him dearly. But feel very blessed that he had the opportunity to stay home with us through the initial bonding period. What an amazing time this has been for the three of us...time fly's when you are having fun. It seems like we have always been together.

Since our last post Abigail has been back to the doctor for additional testing and blood work. We are still waiting on the results but they should be back early next week and hopefully that will be our final doctor's visit. It is common for adopted children to have lots of testing done, just to make sure there are no obvious health concerns.

On the 22nd my co-workers from Houston Ship Repair had a baby shower for us, it was a wonderful party. I will miss them all very much. I worked with them for almost 8 years, but I have decided to stay at home with Abigial. So far this is by far the most rewarding job I have ever had. I have included a link to see the baby shower pictures.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=aa11re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/my_photos

I am also including a link to Madyson's birthday party. This was Abigail's 1st birthday to attend. She had fun bouncing in the big jumper with mommy and kicking her feet in the pool. I think she is going to love the water this summer.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=mail&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/my_photos

Lots of Love,
Heather & Abigail

Abigail's 1st Easter...

Abigail's first Easter was wonderful. She had her first studio pictures made, which turned out beautiful. We got lots of smiles...it helped that the photographer was Chinese woman. Abigail loves to see Chinese women and is always quick to give them a smile. Our friends and family spoiled Abigail with all of the Easter treats. We have uploaded two seperate albums one is Easter photos and the other is miscellanous photos. Hope you enjoy them.

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigial







1st Easter Yahoo Photo Album:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=bfbf&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/my_photos


Miscellanous Photos:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=73ac&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/my_photos

More Pictures...

Hi everyone...

Just wanted to post a quick note...Miss Abigail is doing wonderful!!! She is learning to eat from a spoon, sit up and attempting to get on her knees. We are certain she will be mobile very soon. We have been very blessed with this wonderful baby!!! I don't know if you're getting tired of looking at the dozens of pictures we upload but we are always thrilled to show her off.

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail



http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/187b

Update...

Abigail is adjusting very well. The jet lag only lasted a couple of days and she is now on a pretty decent schedule. We have been very busy since our last post. We have shopped lots over the past week buying different things Abigail needed and of course more clothes and shoes. On the 29th she made the first of several visits to the peditrician. Dr. Chin did a basic baby exam and feels Abigail is healthy and will catch up very fast. Abigail weighed 16.7 lbs and is 27.75 inches long. Dr. Chin referred us to a doctor at the Texas Children's Health Center for International Adoption, where more indepth tests will be run. Although Abigail appears perfectly healthy, we have to go the extra mile to make sure she truely is healthy. Please continue keep her in your prayers.

Abigail also had the opportunity this week to spend some time with her cousins Drayton, Savannah and Ethan. And her Memaw spent the day with us on Saturday...shopping and swinging at the park. We had lots of fun and Abigail enjoyed getting to know her Memaw. I am including the link to our Yahoo photo album, hope you enjoy the pictures.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=5bfb&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

We Made It Home...

Sorry it has taken us so long to update the blog. We finally made it home on Thursday the 23rd. We had a great welcoming at the airport with lots of family and friends and Ricky's wonderful Aunt Doris had lots of food at the house for everyone. Abigail is adjusting wonderfully at home. Of course she still has a little jet lag but not too bad. Abigail loves to get out and go; she rides in her car seat and stroller with no problems. To watch Abigail is amazing, she is like a little sponge absorbing everything. She is a very observant little girl.

Her first couple of days home have been wonderful. Abigail's Nana is staying here with us through the end of the week and they are bonding beautifully. It is wonderful to watch my mom with her. Mom is in her own world with her grand-daughter, just as happy as can be.

We am including the link to our Yahoo photo album, hope you enjoy the pictures. Again we want to thank all who have followed us on this amazing journey to bring our daughter home. We will cherish all of your comments and emails forever. We are going to have this blog along with all comments and emails backed up on a CD for Abigail to read when she is older. We will continue to update the blog from time to time until her first birthday.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/ac8b&.src=ph


Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

We Made It to Los Angeles...

Abigail received her Chinese passport and IR3 US Visa today at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China. An IR3 Visa means that Abigail becomes a US Citizen at the point of entry, which for her is Los Angeles, California. Hence the picture of her first step in the USA. We will leave Los Angeles in the morning just after noon and arrive in Houston tomorrow the 23rd at 5:50pm. If you need specific details of our flight see our previous post titled "See You In Houston".

We look forward to seeing all of our family and friends tomorrow!!

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

PS - this is the link to today's Yahoo photo album.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/36b4&urlhint=actn,del%3as,2%3af,0

See You In Houston...

Abigail is dressed and ready to go to our US Consulate Swearing in Ceremony at 4:00 today. Where we will finally receive her Chinese Passport and US Visa.


Isn't she precious in her red, white and blue?

Today we are leaving Guangzhou, China. The feeling is bitter sweet. While we are very home sick, it is somewhat sad to be leaving the country that gave us our beautiful daughter. But we are very ready to introduce her to her new life in Texas. We would like to take a moment to thank all of those who have followed Abby's Journey, Harrah's Family Services (our adoption agency) for all their help, the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs for matching us with the perfect child, and to Abigail's birth parents to whom we will be forever grateful.

Ok, now for the best part...OUR ARRIVAL DETAILS!!! We will arrive in Houston on Thursday, March 23rd at 5:50pm at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. We will be on Continental Airlines Flight 494 which will arrive in Terminal C. For those that want to meet us at the airport, you should park in short term parking in Terminal C and meet us at baggage claim. We will atempt to come down the center esclators.

We would also like to mention that due to the emotions and stress Abby may experience while transitioning to her new surroundings, we feel it is in her best interest not to pass her from person to person, at the airport. Nevertheless, we are very excited for all of you to meet her, and look forward to seeing you at the airport!

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

Last Full Day in China...

Today was our last full day in Guangzhou, China. We did some last minute shopping and had a final group dinner with our travel mates. Tomorrow is our swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate. There we will promise to love and never abandon Abigail. After the ceremony we will receive her Chinese passport and her US Visa....WOOHOO!!! Abigail will become a US Citizen the moment we land in Los Angeles, California on the 22nd. I will post our departure and arrival details prior to leaving China. Below is the link to today's Yahoo photo album.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/c776

Lots of Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

Touring Day..

Today was a rainy day in Guangzhou, but we did a little touring anyway. We first visited Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall. He was a Chinese medical doctor who was educated in Hawaii. Where he was exposed to American Democratic Principals. He lead a revolution to overthrow the last emperor and imperial family in China. He believed in the principal of for the people, of the people, by the people. He organized political parties to work together towards demorcacy but died and was betrayed by his understudy. Ultimately his dream of demorcacy failed but once again he did help end feudalism and establish representative government. Even though the major party is Communist. Second we visited Guangzhou Liurong Temple, which is a Buddhist Temple.

We are having problems getting photos to upload onto our blog but you can see the below link to view today's Yahoo photo album.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/347f

Love,

Heather, Ricky & Abigail

Another Shopping Day...

Sorry we are late with yesterday's post. Had some technical difficulties.

Spent most of the day shopping yesterday. Well, Heather and I shopped while Abby took lots of cat naps. Today we are going to tour a few attractions here locally. We will post more pictures at the end of the day.

P.S.
Abby, is making lots of progess. She is probably 85% comfortable with Heather and I and her new surroundings. She still has some lingering chest congestion, but has not had a fever in several days. For the most part, she is very happy and healthy. However, she has several Dr.'s appointments with several different types of Dr.'s when we get home, to follow up on both her physical and emotional health.
Chances are good that once we are home in the states, she could suffer a setback. New time zone, new surroundings, new faces,etc. We hope there will be no setbacks, but we are preparing ourselves mentally, just in case.

Love,
Heather, Ricky, and Abby Mae

Red Couch Pictures...

Every adoption group that stays at The White Swan Hotel takes pictures on the red couch (the hotel is full of velvet red couches). Our group consists of five families and today was picture day. It is suggested to families to dress the babies in traditional Chinese clothing. And we may be a little biased but we thought our Abigail was the prettiest girl in the bunch. But at the same time I have to say all of the girls in our group are beautiful. Today we are just kind of hanging out doing the family thing walking in the local park (we walk, Abby rides in her stroller of course.), shopping and just generally bonding. Abby is a little less guarded every day. After nine months of laying in a crib with little physical touching or bonding of any kind - any progress is great. She is a perfect little angel. We love her as if we have known her a life time.

Here is the link to today's Yahoo photo album:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=204b&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Love,
Heather, Ricky, and Abby Mae

Happy St. Patrick's Day from China...

The pictures are not to clear but we are all wearing our 2006 St. Patrick's Day shirts. We began our day taking a group trip to the Botanical Garden, in downtown Guangzhou. The gardens were beautiful and immaculately kept. After the garden trip, mom put daddy and Abigail down for a nap to do some serious shopping alone. Prior to coming to China I made a list of gifts that I wanted to buy for Abigail to give her over the years. Today I shopped for province specific gifts. Abigail's province is Guangdong. I bought her a porcelain figurine and hand painted vase both specific to her province. And of course I bought some traditional Chinese outfits.

I have included a link to today's yahoo photo album. In this album you will see our travel mates and their precious daughter's.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=b531&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Physical Exam Day Post 2...

I realized after reading all of you comments this morning that I did not post the details of her physical exam...Abigail is a little peanut. Her weight is 16.5 lbs and her length is 27 inches. I brought both 6-9 month clothes and 6-12 month clothes but they are all big on her. She is so tiny but after carrying her around for a few hours she feels like she weights 30 lbs. I am going to have great looking arms in no time :-) Oh and her feet are so tiny, the size 2 shoes I brought are too big. But she will be like all other children and begin to grow so fast.

Today we will be touring the Six Banyan Temple and Botanical Gardens, we will post more pictures tonight.

Lots of Love
Heather, Ricky & Abigail
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Physical Exam Day...

Today all of the babies went for their physical exam. This exam is required by the US Government prior to the babies US Visa's being issued. This exam was very basic; all they pretty much did was weight, height and ask us is she could hear.

Abigail is doing wonderful. Her health is imporving daily. She completed her breathing treatments today and will complete her medication in the morning. I am certain as the days continue to pass she will blossum.

Tonight we did a little shopping. We have a list a mile long of all the gifts we want for her over the years to come. The very first thing we bought tonight was a stroller. Her first stroller ride was great...she did not shead a tear. Which is great, it is very common with adopted children to get upset when restrained. The stroller went well so we will keep our fingers crossed that the car seat goes just as well.

I have included a few pictures from today and a link to today's Yahoo album.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/59a2



Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Strength and Goodness beyond words...

Ricky here. I consider myself to be relatively tough, for all intents and purposes. Lots of testosterone and all that goes with that. If I cry, it is serious. Today, we had to take Abby to the pediatrician on call, for 1 of 4 scheduled breathing treatments. ( She is much better, but she still has some work to do. At this point, the breathing treatments are more precautionary than anything, but we cant chance it, considering where she started. ) Anyway, when they hit her with that nebulizer, she screamed like it was the end of days.

I briefly walked away, because the pain of seeing her cry like that was unbearable. I immediately turned around and went back into the room to try and comfort her and offer my support. However, it hurt so bad, I nearly got sick.

Heather, on the other hand, was right there with her and never broke stride. I envy her strength. I have always been really proud of my inner strength, but my foundation has taken a direct hit, through this process. My Achilles heel is the size of my heart, I guess. Truthfully, and I am ashamed to admit, I have never given Heather the credit she deserves for the strength she possess. It is Heather that has been the glue that has bound us together through this process, not me. She never wavers. I get tied in knots.

I want her to know that I love her and Abby both, with all that I am. I hope and pray that someday, I will be the husband that she deserves. Furthermore, I hope I can someday be half the dad that she is already a mom. She is the best.

For those that don't know me, and those that do, I don't normally publicly spill emotional waste. I am not that type of guy. It is a way of cleansing the sole, and confessing my feelings for Heather and my daughter. Once again I am ashamed to admit, that I don't tell her often enough how much she means to me and how lost I would be without her. She knows this is hard for me, but the "hard" is what makes it have meaning.

Like my last two posts, she is asleep and will not see this until she wakes up. I hope it makes her feel loved and needed.

For the record, I have learned more about myself and life in the last 4 days than I have in my previous 34 years.

Rick

Shopping Day...

Today we traveled with our group into the city of Guangzhou to do some shopping. Our first stop was at a silk embroidery shop. The piece we brought is a replica of a famous Chinese painting that was set near the Forbidden City. We were told that farm girls do these silk embroideries in their down time. Our second stop was the pearl and jade wholesale market. We purchased pearls for Abigail's wedding day and a matching set for my self. We also purchased her a traditional jade bracelet and necklace. I will wear these and later give them to her on her 16th birthday. Well I will give them to her if I can remove them. You should have seen how they fit me for this bracelet. The shop owner looked at my hand then placed a plastic bag on my hand and forced this jade bracelet on....OUCH. They say if I put lotion on it will easily come off...we shall see. We did not take to many pictures today because I was busy shopping :-) The first two pictures are downtown where we shopped. The second picture is the embroidery we bought. And the last picture is the shop owner at the pearl market holding Abigail. We love reading your comments daily, thank you all for thinking of us. We will post more tomorrow.

Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail

PS - I know some of you are wondering why we are still hanging out in China if Abigail is officially ours. Well on the 13th which was adoption finalization day we applied for Abigail's Chinese passport, which takes 5 days to process. We will receive that on Friday. The last step of the process in our US Consulate appointment which is on the 21st. This is basically to confirm all paper work is in order and to issue Abigail her US Visa. This Visa will make her a US Citizen the moment we land in Los Angeles.

Better Days...

We did not do much of anything today. We spent the entire day in our room bonding with Abigail. She has eaten very well today...even though mom and dad are having a hard time learning how to make bottles. We were given directions from the orphanage on how to mix the bottles. The consistency is like paste, which makes the bottle difficult to make. She is opening up to us a little more each day. We got a few giggles and smiles today, especially during her bath. Daddy did a great job learning to bathe her. See the below link for additional pictures.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/f304



Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

PS - the last picture Abigail is showing off her new bracelet daddy got her today.

Breakthrough...

Rick, here again. After my last post, we made another trip to the Chinese pediatrician on call around 2130 local time, as her conditioned worsened. These are traditional Chinese doctors that practice a lot of herbal remedy type meds. I was skeptical, to say the least.

They prescribed an herbal remedy to increase her appetite and make her want to eat. As far as the bronchitis and ear ache, we were told to continue on the American antibiotics we were prescribed before we left.

At 0345 local time she woke up screaming. I made a bottle for her with little hope she would take, it. To my surprise, she almost inhaled the bottle itself. Great feeling. I don't know if this was a result of the Chinese herb or sheer hunger, nor do I care.

PS, she loves to take baths.

Loving parents

Helpless Feeling...

Ricky here again. Abby, is obviously hurting. It appears to be at least: bronchitis, ear ache, constipation, and she has not, and will not eat or drink. We are forcing liquids on her through a syringe. She is now screaming due to the fact she is so uncomfortable and it is the worst feeling I have ever experienced. High one day, low the next.

I feel so terrible because, there is nothing I can do to help her. It is heartbreaking. We will monitor her through the night, and see the pediatrician again tomorrow, if necessary. For the record, there is a doctor on staff here at the hotel 24 hours a day, in case of emergency.

I am sure she is much stronger than I give her credit for. Much stronger than me. For anyone that can survive being abandoned on the street at birth, unprotected and alone - this must seem like a walk in the park. However, it is killing me.

Beautiful Mom, and Proud Dad

She is Officially Ours...

Abigail started her day out kind of rough. She had to go to the hotel clinic at 7:15 am, she had fever when she woke up this morning. The doctor there said she has bronchitis. Thank goodness I brought a prescription and plenty of over the counter meds. Plus the doctor here gave her some additional medication. Her fever broke but she is still a little cranky. And of course she is still very unsure of us, but she is slowly opening up to us. We also are having problems getting her to eat but this is very normal with adopted children. Some children tend to shut down. So much happens in a couple of days and is just too much for them. But nature will take its course. We are keeping her hydrated and when she is hungry she will eat.

Today we went back to the Civil Affairs Office to finalize the adoption. This included two interviews with very basic question. Do we accept this child....well of course, do we promise to love her and never abandon her...again of course we promise. A few other personal question and that was it. We signed the forms and as of 03/13/2006, Gao Shao Xiao is officially Abigail Mae-Xiao Wells.

See the link below to see additional pictures from today.

Love,
Heather, Ricky & Abigail
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=dd33&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

My Sweet Baby...

We woke up on and off all night. I finally got out of bed at 4:20 this morning. It is very different sleeping with a baby in our room. She went to bed around 8:30 last night and has not work up yet. She is a very restless baby and makes a lot of noises in her sleep, so you can imagine how often we were up and down checking on her.

When I woke up this morning to work on the blog I read Ricky's beautiful post...he did a wonderful job and of course brought me to tears. I personally have been preparing for this moment for over a year but Ricky is the type of guy to deal with things as they are in front of him. It has been an amazing experience to watch him unfold into the proud daddy he is. He is great with Abigail and is very eager to learn how to help with everything.

I thought I would include the link to our yahoo photo album to share more pictures of Gotcha Day. Thank you all for following us on this amazing journey, it means so much to us to receive your comments. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

Love,
Heather

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/2c1e&.src=ph

Gotcha Day...

Hello, all. Ricky here. I don't know how to translate into words the array of emotions I have felt today. I can say, however; that being a dad is a great feeling and is like nothing I have ever experienced before.

We started the day at 1400, with 4 additional families on a 20 minute bus ride, to the Civil Affairs Office in Guangzhou City. The babies were there approximately 2 hours before we arrived, waiting in another section of the building. They, unfortunately, had a 4 hour bus ride to meet their new families. About 10 minutes after we arrive, the caretakers from the orphanage brought the babies in 1 by 1 in alphabetical order, by the adopting family's last name. Naturally, we were last.

It was the longest 7 minute wait of my life.

The pictures above mark the event. The first shot is Heather about 2 seconds after Abigail, was placed in her arms. You can see me in the corner filming the event. The next shot is Heather, along with Abby's care taker. (At least that is what we were told, I will leave it at that.) The third shot is our first family photo. Finally, ( my personal favorite) is a moment captured in time, I will forever refer to as - "Proud Daddy".

Abby, cried very little. We are still getting used to each other, but she has been a real trooper. She is experiencing sensory overload, as she has spent the biggest part of the 9 months of here life confined to a crib in an orphanage. She cried each time we tried to give her a bottle. She has a touch of chest congestion, and we have given her some meds that our pediatrician prescribed before we left. Shortly after she took her medicine, she was out like a light.

Heather, bless her beautiful heart for initially having to carry both Abby and I on her shoulders, was right behind her. Hence, Rick updating blog. I fully expect Abby Mae to be alive and kicking on an empty stomach in 4 hours or less. That is my best guess as a dad that is almost as helpless at being a father, as Abby is at being a little person. I am learning fast and on the fly. I can hack it!

God bless all that are following our journey, and keeping us in their prayers. We love you all.

More to come as, we have several more days of appointments, paperwork, and wonderful moments in China.

Beautiful Mom, and Proud Dad.

Day 2 Post 2...

I had to make a second post...one because I love this picture. Secondly, to show off Ricky's prospective motorcycle trade up. For those of you that know me, know how I feel about Ricky's motorcycle. I think I might have convinced him to trade up...what do you think? This is definitely a bike I approve of.

Love,

Heather

hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Day 2 in Guangzhou...

The hotel we are staying in is the White Swan, it is breathing takingly beautiful. There are huge jade sculptures and a water fall right in the middle. The beds are like rocks, we had to ask them to add an additional feather mattress. And the smog in this city is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. The jet lag it just as others say...horrible, no matter what time of day it is we are exhausted. We tried to keep ourselves busy yesterday by wandering the shops and streets, just to keep ourselves awake. We found some wonderful gifts for Abigail as she grows. There are so many things that we want for her, so we will most likely have them shipped home. We have not been very adventurous with food, imagine that. Yesterday we at cheese pizza and hamburger and french fries. We were only able to keep ourselves up until 7:00 pm and we were up again by 3:15 am. So we got dressed and went to the buffet for breakfast. There were a lot of things I would not touch, but I did find a few things....toast with jelly and french toast. I let Ricky talk me into eating a plain egg omelet...I have survived so far and it really was good. Today we had another free day and wondered a little farther out with one of our travel mates and her father. We had to opportunity to go to the free market. I have no words to explain this place. It stunk horribly and they sold lots of yucky things there. We saw tigers paws, dried sea horses, mushrooms, star fish, and lots of root things. Oh and we saw a construction site that would be shut down at home. The workers had no hard hats on and they worked BARE FOOT. We did not stay in the open market very long it was kind of scary. We then decided to go to a local park and watch the locals. This was very interesting, we saw everything from singing, dancing, games, yoga, you name it. And the locals loved to have pictures taken of their little ones. After we would take the picture the little kids would come running over to you wanting to see their digital shot. It was a lot of fun. Oh and we saw a little girl that pulled her pants down and went right in the street....can you imagine. We also had the opportunity to have lunch with some families who are from all over the US that I have talked to over the past year on the internet. The chat group is called the April Pandas, it was wonderful to put names with faces after all of these months. And of course their babies were just beautiful. Well that is all for today, I want to catch a quick nap before we meet for our group dinner tonight. Tomorrow is our big day....our lives will be forever changed. We will finally have our precious Abigail in our arms.

Love,
Heather & Ricky
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=/b0b3


PS - the above link is a link to our Yahoo photo album. Not sure if any of you will be able to view it, but if so please let me know and I will upload pictures to yahoo daily.

We Made It...

After 14 months of waiting and over 24 hours of travel time we have finally arrived in China. It is Friday the 10th at 11:00am here. I am so excited but I am also VERY exhausted. That flight was soooo long. We flew on China Southern Airlines and upgraded to premium economy, which is business class. I am so glad we spent the extra money on bigger seats. The ride from the airport to our hotel was about 45 minutes. It was amazing and scary all at the same time. Housing is condo like but minus anything fancy. And the driving is CRAZY, it is everybody for themselves here. Curtis and Jennifer, it is much worse than anything we experienced in Mexico. There are more people on bikes and motorcycles than in cars and these bike drivers have no fear of big cars or buses. I am going to keep it short because I am dying to take a shower and get something to eat. We will update again tomorrow.

Love,
Heather & Ricky
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

PS - I have already gotten lots of looks with my blonde hair. See more pictures at the below link:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hthrwlls1128/album?.dir=2356&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

See You In China...

The wait is over: One last road to travel, One last way to go. One more day to FOREVER. Just to let you know, The wait is finally over. The journey is just beginning. Now this comes to let you know DREAMS really do come TRUE!

-Author unknown


Love,
Heather & Ricky
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Blogging for Dummies...

We have had a lot of people tell us they tried to post a comment on our blog but could not figure it out. So I thought I would do a search on the internet...and what do you know there is a Blogging for Dummies book. Not that I think any of you are dummies...I just find these books hilarious. I hope these direction help.

At the end of each post you will see "Posted by Ricky & Heather Wells at time - 0 comments"...click on the word comments. Note this number will grow each time a post is left. Once you click on the word comments a box will pop up, this is where you will type your comment, make sure to sign your name so we will know who left the comment. And last you must choose your identity, select Anonymous then click Login and Publish.

If you do not want your comment posted on the blog for all to see or if it is just easier...we will put our email link underneath our signature in each post. Just click the email address and send us a message as you would send any email.

Love,
Heather
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

PS - Only 9 days until we are holding baby Abigail

2 + 1 = 3...

I am please to announce that we will become a family of three a day sooner than expected. Our agency received final confirmation from China today. Our Gotcha Day or what we will soon call our Forever Family Day will be March 12th. Our guides will pick our group up from our hotel on the 12th at 4:00 pm and take us to the Civil Center to receive our daughter's. So it will be 3:00 am on the 12th for everyone back in the USA. We will post pictures as soon as possible.

As of today we only have 13 days until we will finally be holding baby Abigail!!!

Love,
Heather
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Tickets Have Been Purchased...

Well I have started packing our bags but I have a little problem. I won't all fit!!! I read some advice today on one of the adoption travel websites. The advice was to lay out all of the clothes you want to pack and only pack half. Well then for an OVER packer like myself that should work out perfect. It is recommended to only take 4 to 5 outfits and have laundry done. Well for those that know me know just how hard this will be for me. I am the girl that needs the cute shirt and perfect shoes for everything...how am I going to manage??? I have to remind myself we are going to bring our daughter home not to a fashion show :-)

I picked up our tickets from the travel agent today...WOOHOO...I cannot believe this is finally happening. Our itinerary is as follows:


03/08/06 - Wednesday
IAH to LAX Flt 795 Continental
LAX to Guangzhou Flt 328 China Southern

03/10/06 - Friday
Arrive Guangzhou

03/13/06 - Monday
Receive Baby Abigail...aka Gotcha Day

03/22/06 - Wednesday
Guangzhou to LAX Flt 327

03/23/06 - Thursday
LAX to IAH Flt 494 Continental

We will arrive George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Thursday, March 23, 2006, at 5:50 pm, at Continental Terminal C. We welcome anyone who wishes to meet us at the airport. Please keep us in your prayers as we make this long journey to bring our daughter home.

Love,
Heather
hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com

Consulate Appointment...

At 9:57 p.m. I received an email from our adoption agency, confirming our US Consulate appointment for March 21st. They also sent our travel schedule. We will finally have Abigail in our arms on March 13th!!! See our schedule below:

We have to be in Guangzhao on Sunday, March 12th.

Sunday
March 12 - arrive in Guangzhao

Monday
March 13 - Receive your child at the Civil Affairs Office, begin adoption paperwork

Friday
March 17 - receive adoption paperwork and Chinese passport

Enjoy weekend relaxing with your family.

Monday
March 20 – medical exam and visa photo

Tuesday
March 21 – Consulate appointment

Wednesday
March 22 – receive U.S. visa 4pm swearing-in ceremony, after 7pm ready to depart China

Wednesday or Thursday - arrive in U. S.

When everything is confirmed with the travel agent I will repost with additional details.

Love,
Heather


"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands." ---Kristi Larson

Notice of Coming to China for Adoption...

Unfortunately we did not receive a confirmation of our US Consulate appointment today. I feel confident tomorrow will bring better news. If we do hear anything about our CA appointment it will most likely be by 9:00 am...I will post ASAP.


On a happier note we did receive our Notice of Coming to China for Adoption, aka travel approval, today. This is the first official document we have received personally from China. I am not sure what it says but it does have our names and Abigail's picture on it. So it must be good :-)


Love,
Heather

Gaozhou Social Welfare Institute...

While waiting on our travel dates I thought I would tell you a little about Abigail's orphanage and where she is from. The first picture is the Gaozhou Social Welfare Institute where Abigail currently lives. The section to the left is a school and the section to the right is the orphanage. The second picture is a play room. The last picture is a baby room. We were told that there are 4 baby rooms with 30 to 35 babies in each room. She is from Gaozhou City, Guangdong province, which is located in the southern part of China. We will spend our entire trip in Guangzhou City at the White Swan Hotel. Guangzhou is located at the north of the Pearl River delta. The fertile Pearl River Delta is well-known as a land rich in fish and rice. Guangzhou is an important trading center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guangdong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 million. The climate of Guangzhou is sub-tropical. The average year-round temperature is 72F. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 83F. January is the coldest month, with an average of 55F. The rainy season falls between April and August. Average annual rainfall is 1,720 mm. Like Athens of Greece and Rome of Italy, Guangzhou also has a history of more than 2,800 years. Guangzhou is a beautiful city with an ever-green scenery and flowers blooming all the year round.

This trip is going to be amazing in every way. We will not only become parents but we will also have the opportunity to learn about Abigail's culture.

Love,
Heather

PS - we are still waiting on our travel dates, I will post just as soon as I know.

We Have New Pictures...

Isn't she beautiful!!! The Jone's Family who I mentioned is in China right now were allowed to take pictures of all of the babies in our travel group during their visit to the orphanage. They made five families very happy today...this is a cherished gift to receive. Abigail looks so small and sweet. Oh I cannot wait to finally hold her in my arms!!! Please continue to keep our sweet daughter in your prayers. I look forward to finally posting our travel dates next week. Until then may you all have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Heather

We Have Travel Approval...

I am so excited....we finally got our travel approval today!!! Now all we need is a US Consulate appointment and we can finally make our travel arrangements to China. The US Consulate appointment is the final step of the adoption. This is where we will get Abigail's US Visa. Our agency will send our travel approvals to the US Consulate today and we should have our US Consulate appointment by Tuesday. It takes a couple of day's because it is already Saturday in China and the US Consulate is closed on Monday the 20th for President's Day...so Tuesday has to be our day.

We also received some additional news today. There is another family in China right now that received their daughter on Valentine's Day. This family is with the same agency we are. It has been made possible by the guides with our agency in China for them to visit the orphanage, Gaozhou SWI. Which is the same orphanage Abigail is in. This family is very kind and thoughtful...they sent our group a message today telling us they are trying to get approval to take pictures of our daughter's during their visit to the orphanage this weekend. If approval is granted we might possibly get a current picture of Abigail over the weekend. I am keeping my fingers crossed. This same family is arranging for all of the families to make a group donation for the orphanage. Our donation will buy a washing machine, washing powder and misc. supplies for the orphanage. We are very thankful this family is arranging for all of this to happen. We have hoped to be able to give something back to the people who have been taking care of our daughter for the 1st part of her life. We too hope a visit to the orphanage will be made possible while we are in China. It is a part of Abigail's life we would like to see and tell her about some day.

Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully Tuesday I will finally be able to post our travel dates!!!

Love,
Heather

TA's ARE ON THE WAY...

I am so excited to post the following message from our agency:

"Dear Families,

Our liaison in China has informed us that CCAA is mailing your TA's this week. I'll let you know the moment they arrive at Harrah's Main office.

Patricia"

What does this mean??? In a matter of days we will finally know when we will travel to bring our daughter home!!! I will post just as soon as I know!!!

Love,
Heather

Abigail's Finding Ad...

When I got home today I had a surprise waiting for me...a picture of baby Abigail. Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs requires the orphanages to place a "finding ad" in the newspaper when a baby is found abandoned. The ad includes the orphanage given name with a picture stating when and where the baby was found. There is an adoptive father who locates finding ads for families and he was able to find Abigail's. The picture is not very good but I am thrilled to have it. I also received a letter certifying that the finding ad for Gao Shao Xiao was published July 5, 2005, in the Nanfang Farmer's Daily and is the 1,264th picture ad for 2005. I also received translation of her add:

Ad # 1264
Gao Shao Xiao
A girl; finding date: 6/6/05, found abandoned at the gate of the Sishui Town Government Office, Gaozhou City. She was about a day old, Gaozhou City Orphanage.

She looks very different but after looking at the eyes I am certain this is her. I also made sure to match the chinese characters in her name, which are the first three characters and they match!!!

Love,
Heather

8 Months Old Today...

Happy 8 month birthday Abigail!!!

It will not be long now until mommy and daddy will finally be on our way to bring you home.

I am sure you are all wondering when we are leaving. The truth is we still do not know. We are still waiting on our travel approval (TA) to be issued by the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA). Unfortunately, for us CCAA closed their office beginning January 29 thru February 5th, due to Chinese New Year. So what this means is CCAA is back to work today!!! In Beijing it is already Monday the 6th, they are 13 hours ahead of us, so lets keep our fingers crossed that they will have a very productive day processing TA's. Travel approvals are usually received within 6 weeks of receiving referral and today is our 4th week so any day now. After TA we will need an appointment (aka CA) with the US Consulate in China. This appointment is where we get our daughters visa. Getting the CA only takes a couple of days and then we will finally know our travel dates. Please continue to keep baby Abigail in your prayers and we hope to be announcing good news very soon.

Love,
Heather & Ricky

Happy Chinese New Year...

The oldest and most important festival in China is called the Spring Festival. Many people call it the Chinese New Year. No matter what you call it, it is a time of celebration for millions of Chinese people all over the world. The Chinese calendar has a 12 year cycle and each year is named after an animal. People born in each of these years are said to have certain characteristics. The year 2006 is the Year of the Dog. People born in the Year of the Dog are said to be very loyal and are able to keep a secret. Sometimes they worry too much. The Spring Festival celebrates the Earth coming back to life and the beginning of plowing and planting. Because the Chinese use a lunar calendar, the date of the Spring Festival changes each year. It takes place at some time during the end of January or the beginning of February. This year it falls on January 29th. To prepare for the New Year, Chinese clean their houses, repay any money they owe, get their haircut, and buy new clothes. They decorate their houses with signs that wish peace and luck for the coming year. On New Year's Eve the Chinese light up their houses and gather together for a family dinner. Special foods are served. Most people stay up late and set off fireworks late at night to scare away evil spirits. Another tradition is the handing out of red packets, which are, decorated paper envelopes containing money.

Daddy's Prayer...

Lord,

Please hold her in your arms and protect her from evil.

I pray that she is healthy, happy and safe. I pray that her caretakers are loving, caring and tender. I pray that she is never hot, never cold, and never hungry. I pray that she has a smile and personality that lights up the room and melts the hearts of those around her. I pray that she is intelligent and successful and uses these characteristics to forge her own path in life. I pray that she has a kind loving nature and the she chooses to help the less fortunate. I pray that I will be a father worthy of such a precious gift, and that Abby and I will share a love that is overflowing and creates an unbreakable bond between us.

I ask that you please somehow let her biological parents know that she will be loved
and cared for and allow them to have peace of heart and mind.

Thank you Lord for your love and forgiveness.

Amen
written by Abigail’s Daddy

Our Little Miracle...

Abigail is definitely "Our Little Miracle". Tonight we received a gift from Kathy Curtis and her husband David. Kathy is one of Ricky's co-workers. She had a personalized candle made that has Abigail's full name and birthday on it.

Kathy if you are reading this, I thank you. I immediately cried, this was a very touching gift. I will cherish it always.

Love,
Heather

My Daughter's Eyes...

Each day I find myself daydreaming and wondering about Abigail. What makes her smile and what does her smile look like? Does she know that she has a mommy and daddy on the other side of the ocean anxiously waiting to hold and kiss her? Will she bond with us immediately or will it take a while?

Through out our wait I often dreamt about her eyes and what it would be like to finally look into them. This helped me find strength daily, knowing that in the very perfect timing we would be parents. And now I finally know just how brown and beautiful her eyes are. I have always loved a good sappy song and over the past twelve months I have found a few songs that always make me think of Abigail. My favorite being “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride, and my favorite words being the last verse:

“In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there In my daughter's eyes”

This precious gift from God, has given life a whole new meaning and I cannot wait to bring her home.

Love,
Heather

She is Growing Like a Weed...

I am happy to report that we received an update on Abigail today. Her current measurements are:

Weight: 15.87 lbs.
Length: 25.78 inches
Feet: 3.74 inches
Teeth: 2
Head: 16.72 inches
Chest: 16.92 inches




She has grown so much since her 3.5 month medical exam. I can only imagine how much her facial features have changed. While this is very exciting news it saddens me because I am not getting to watch her grow.

Now that we have received her referral our next step is travel approval (TA), then we can finally go to China. I am hoping we will be in China by the time she is 9 months old. Please continue to keep our sweet daughter in your prayers.

Love,
Heather

Getting to Know Our Daughter...

We will start with her name. Children that are abandoned in China in most cases a name is not known. Therefore the orphanage that cares for them names each child. Our daughter currently resides at the GauZhou Social Welfare Institute, in Guangdong Province. Each child who enters this orphanage is given the family surname of Gao, which is the last name. Each year a new middle name is chosen to later identify what year the child is born, so for every child born in 2005 their middle name is Shao. Finally an individual first name is chosen, our daughters is Xiao. Abigail's full Chinese name is Gao Shao Xiao meaning:

Gao - means tall, high; of high level or degree; first character of the name GaoZhou; the city in which the infant was found

Shao - means young, young master

Xiao - means dawn, daybreak

We have decided to keep her Chinese first name and combine it with an American name. Her first name, Abigail, is one that we both love. Her first middle name Mae, is from Ricky's grandmother, Anna Mae White, with whom he was very close to. We lost her this past Easter. Upon completion of our daughters adoption, she will be known as, Abigail Mae-Xiao Wells.

There are many unknowns in international adoption, for example we know very little about Abigail's history. Each orphaned child goes through very basic medical evaluations, unless a serious medical condition is found. What we do know is that the Chinese doctor that evaluated her determined she is healthy. In our referral package we received copies of her 3 month medical exam, which is equivalent to a Well Baby Exam. Her blood work, urinalysis, hepatitis, HIV and syphilis tests were all normal. We have chosen a pediatrician, Dr. Chin, who is familiar with adoptions from China. She herself is from China and had no problems translating Abigail's file. Dr. Chin agreed with the evaluating doctor from China, according to the medical file provided, Abigail seems to be very healthy.

We have learned very basic information from her Chinese records. We know her eating and sleeping routines. We know that at 3 months she was holding her head up while lying on her stomach. She locates the direction of sound/voice and visually follows moving toys. She laughs aloud and can distinguish between acquaintances and strangers. The information given about her personality is that she is active, fond of music and toys, has a ready smile, and fond of playing games. We also know that she is close to her caretaker. Upon Dr. Chin's review of all of this information provided she feels Abigail is on track for her age. Dr. Chin, translated a small portion of her file for me, it stated that her favorite activity is playing with her little friend and toys that make sound.

The three pictures you have seen through out the blog are the only pictures we have of Abigail. We have been told prior to travel we should receive updated information on her. We now intend to learn about Abigail's orphanage, city where it is located and province she is from. We will update you as we go.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for following our journey. It warms our hearts every time we look at our hit counter to know so many people have taken interest in our families story...thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you continue to follow us to China and Home again.

Love,
Heather & Ricky

We Have a Daughter...

It is with great joy that we announce the referral of our daughter.

Chinese Name: Gao Shao Xiao
New Name: Abigail Mae Wells
Date of Birth: 06/05/2005
Weight at 3.5 mos.: 11.7 lbs
Length at 3.5 mos.: 22.7 inches
Province: Guangdong
Orphanage: Gaozhou Social Welfare Institute


We are so smitten with her and cannot wait to bring her home!!!

Love,
Heather & Ricky

Freight Misdirected...

This is mainly for the railroaders that may be following our journey. Our referral package was not delivered today because of an error in handling, by the shipper. Needless to say, I now have a new found appreciation for making sure the right cars, get on the right train, on the right day. I always knew it was important, but I am a true believer now. Due to a careless mistake by a shipper, the most important package I will ever receive, has been delayed 48 hours. Going forward, we should treat every shipment as if it is the most important package the customer will ever receive.

Ricky

Referral Delay....

I cannot believe I am reporting bad news for the 2nd day in a row!!! We received word from our agency that there is a referral delay due to a mistake with the package. They are in contact with the delivery service (DHL) to have the problem corrected. They are now expecting delivery of the package on Thursday. So we shall see, I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed. I can not believe my babies face is floating around a DHL hub somewhere, don't they know how anxious I am!!!

My prayers tonight will not only include Abigail but they will also include the DHL men/women :-)

Love,
Heather & Ricky

No Referral Today....

I am so sad to report that we did not receive our referral today. Our agency called to inform us that DHL is running behind due to the holidays and they did not receive the package. The agency knows for sure the package left China last week and they feel that it will arrive tomorrow. Today has been very long and heartbreaking but I have hopes that tomorrow will bring better news and we will forget all about the pain. Thank you for thinking of us today and we hope to report better news tomorrow.

Love,
Heather & Ricky

Happy New Year!!!

Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold. Author Unknown

On Tuesday, January 3, 2006, we will finally receive our referral for Abigail. We are so excited and cannot wait to show the world our beautiful daughter. Tuesday will be a very busy day...hopefully we will have her picture and medical information by mid-day, we will also visit the pediatrician, but I promise to have her picture posted that evening. We are ready for every new experience that 2006 holds for us. We wish you all a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year!!!

Love,
Heather & Ricky

God Is Never Late & God Is Never Early...

My Aunt Kackie called to check on me tonight after getting today's "bad news" and she reminded me that "God Is Never Late and God Is Never Early". Well she is right he is ALWAYS on time. I checked the CCAA website tonight and it has finally updated, they have processed paper work through April 25th...yep that means we are included and today's bad news was only rumor!!! The stork has taken flight and is on his was to the USA right now. I still have not heard from our agency due to the holidays for a final confirmation but if all goes as expected we will finally have a picture of our precious Abigail on Tuesday. So until Tuesday I wish you all a very Happy and Safe New Year!!!

Love,
Heather

Fears Come True...

Sorry Ricky no pun intended, but today I have been derailed and I am now a complete train wreck. The word is not official from our agency yet (they are closed this week) but other agencies are reporting that the next batch of referrals have been mailed and the cut off date is April 20th. I have feared all along that we would miss our referral by one day!!! I don’t understand what is happening but I do know that in God’s perfect timing he will reveal our daughters face to us. I will not give up hope until our agency confirms this rumor but we will know very soon, referrals should be here on the 3rd. I will keep you all posted, please continue to pray for baby Abigail.

Love,
Heather

The Meaning of the Candy Cane...

Each day we should strive to learn something new. We had Christmas carolers this week from one of the local churches. They delivered candy canes to each house, and on the package was the meaning of the candy cane...did you know there was a story behind the candy cane? Well I didn't and I wanted to share...

Many years ago a candy maker wanted to make a candy that would symbolize the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus. The hard candy was shaped like a "J" to represent that Jesus is our rock of all ages. The candy was made of white to stand for the pureness of Jesus. The red represents the blood that Jesus shed to save us from our sins.

So the next time you see a candy cane take a minute to remember the real meaning of Christmas.

We wish you all a very Blessed Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year.

Love,
Heather & Ricky

Another Month Down...

The proof is in the sonogram...we are expecting the referral of our baby from China any day now!!! Yesterday was our 8th month of being logged in at CCAA. The waiting is torture, when you are pregnant you have a general window as to when your baby will arrive, but that is NOT the case with international adoption. We are at the mercy of the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) and while they work very hard to find homes for all of the orphaned children, there is no rhyme or reason to their process. We are so anxious and excited about receiving our referral, it has been almost a year now that we have waited to see the face of our daughter.

"Adoption is not about finding children for families, it's about finding families for children" --Joyce Maguire Pavao

Love,
Heather

Sydney Rogers

We had a very exciting night, we met our friends Anne Marie and Joe at the airport, returning from China after adopting their daughter. I cried as soon as I saw them, it was very exciting to see that this process is real and in the end the dreams of having children through adoption do come true. I cannot wait until this is us!!! What a beautiful baby Miss Sydney is.

All Dressed Up...

On our way to the UP Christmas Party...

Twas The Night Before Christmas

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that Baby Abigail soon would be there."

I had this beautiful stocking made for Abigail. It was hand crafted and painted by Melanie Ferria of Sabahgirl Oriental Theme Gifts (sabah_girl@lycos.com).

Wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!!!

Love,
Heather & Ricky

We Are Officially NEXT!!!

Welcome to our blog...Journey to Abigail. We began this journey in January of 2005 and are very hopeful to have our baby girl in our arms in late February 2006. We will use this blog from this point forward to send updates including referral pictures and we will journal daily with pictures while in China. At the end of each days journal entry there will be a place for your comments or you can contact us via email. While in China the only email address we will access is hthrwlls1128@yahoo.com So mark us on your favorites and follow us on this amazing journey to bring our daughter home.

Referrals were sent from China on 12/06/05 and will arrive in the USA on 12/08/05 and as we expected we are not in this batch. This batch covered LID's April 1st thru 14th. We are April 21st so we are officially NEXT...YIPEEEE!!!! Check back often you never know when CCAA might send the next batch of referrals...although we are expecting referral anytime between the 1st and 20th of January. But I am praying it will be the first week of January. Please keep baby Abigail in your prayers.

Love, Heather