LOA! LOA!

We found out on Monday that a family we met through the internet (who are also adopting their daughter from Wuhan, Hubei, China) got their LOA, also known as Letter of Acceptance, the next step in the China adoption process. The LOA is a big thing because it is the biggest question mark in the process - the wait for LOA can be from 50 days to 150 days, and the uncertainty is particularly discouraging. This family was logged in the day after us, so I was cautiously hopeful that we'd hear something soon, especially since we wanted to travel with this family (our daughters have been in photos together, so we are hoping they are buddies and will draw strength from each other as they go through this monumentally changing experience). So, I sent a timid "is there any way to find out, if you have the time, could you check...etc" email to our agency and surprise, the next day we got word that our LOA had arrived as well! This is GOOD NEWS, all we wait for now is Travel Approval, and once we have that we can make a consulate appointment and book our flights! We are expecting to travel some time between the end of February and the first of March. AND I can finally post a picture of the little girl who has been slowly growing in our hearts. The first picture is one taken when her initial adoption paperwork was submitted. She seems so young, and so sad. Most of the pictures we have of her are of a very solemn faced, serious little girl, and I have been so anxious to see a smile on her face. In November, we sent money to a company in China that sent her a cake for her birthday, and we were rewarded with the most glorious photos, and a glimpse of how beautiful she is when she smiles. I'm hoping that the expression on her birthday photo is from knowing that she is loved, that she has a family who wants her and is excited to see her. What a difference love can make!

I still can't quite wrap my head around being the mom to four children (though if you count Jason, I already am) but I know in my soul that this is the right thing, and that my loving Father in Heaven will bless me, will stretch my heart so that there is room for this precious daughter, will forgive me for my inherent selfishness, will give me the strength and tools to help my new daughter and my other children adjust to the changes ahead. Thank heavens Mike is totally on board about this. I think he has been more sure from the beginning of this adoption than I have been. He is such a great dad, and especially tender and loving with Esther, so I know he will win HengAi over in no time. I just hope she likes me!