Updated Information

We're so excited! We got some new information today. We can't get any updated medical exams or anything at this point, but we were able to get some general, observable information from the "nannies." Here's what we now know:

Aiden walks and runs well. He likes to play hide-and-seek. He can even tie his shoes!! He doesn't like to talk much (are we SURE this is our boy? Or is he already preparing for Mom and Dad to be talking so much he won't be able to get a word in edge-wise?), but he does like to smile. We've been told he understands adults and that he has very expressive eyes.
His favorite foods are sweet foods - bananas, watermelon....and sugar (he is his father's son!). Every day he eats rice, noodles, porridge, and steamed stuffed bun. Apparently he has a great appetite, according to his caretakers, and doesn't pick at his food. He IS our boy!
Our hearts melted when we learned his favorite toy right now is a teddy bear. They made a point to tell us he likes to hold it in "his hug," but he is willing to share it with others. I may have teared up at that!
They say that for the most part he is a sound, deep sleeper, but occassionally he is awakened by sounds or noises. Most importantly, he has been healthy!

We were so excited to have new news, we wanted to share! We did have somebody on a message board share some rather disheartening information, though. She had heard that if we don't travel in September (the longer we're without our Article 5, the less likely that becomes), chances are we won't travel until December. During October and November in China, there are trade fairs and the Asian Games, so we'd be pushed back until the next month. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that we go before then. December is an eternity away!

New Photos!

Last night I said to Troy, "I need something. Anything. I've got to have something to hold on to, to get me through another week of waiting." Lo and behold, my prayers were answered! We got new pictures and measurements on Aiden. He looks like such a little peanut. We may be partial, but Troy and I think he is painfully cute! His head has been shaved. We may never know the reason for sure, but since I track the weather in Xi'an (the city nearest Aiden that I can check), we may be able to surmise why. It is excrutiatingly hot there - high temps and high humidity. Lately it has been in the upper 90s there with a heat index in triple digits and not cooling much at night. Poor little guy. After doing some research on orphanages in China, it's a pretty safe bet there is no a/c there. We pray he's not miserable. On the bright side, at least he'll weather South Dakota summers like a champ!

Now, we were thrilled to get the pictures today; however, the measurements leave us scratching our heads. According to the newest information, Aiden has shrunk 4cm, lost 1.5kg, has 3 fewer teeth, and his feet are smaller. Hmmmm. We're going with the theory that one of the updates we got was wrong. :) Our adoption agency is looking into it, but by the looks of the picture, our theory is the smaller measurements are probably the right ones. Did I mention he just a little peanut?

It's hard to imagine we can love somebody we haven't even met yet. We do, though! When I look at him, it's an almost physical pain I want to hold him so badly. We continue to ask for prayers that it will happen sooner rather than later.

Our First Aiden Post

This is the first post on a blog we really don't know how to operate. We do have a purpose, though. We want friends and family to be able to follow us as we set out on our final leg of our journey to adopt. We began this adventure just about exactly a year ago. At the very end of July 2009, we decided to attend a webinar sponsored by Holt International. When we got done, we discussed and prayed and knew international adoption was our calling! Now, a year later, we are inching ever closer to our destination: our son, Feng Ren Jie - Aiden Joseph - and China. At the end of January, we received our referral and Aiden's pictures. We had our son!

The process has been nothing short of arduous and grueling, but with the support of our friends, family, colleagues, and community (not to mention the amazing staff at Holt), we are nearing the culmination of all the hard work and not a few tears. We had the amazing paperchase, the physicals, the readying of the home, and so much more, but hopefully, within a few short months, we will be boarding a plane that will wing us half a world away to a land where we can complete our family. We will be going to Beijing, the Shaanxi Province, and Guangzhou. Today started what we would like to think of as the final phase. We received our letter from the National Visa Center stating our information had been forwarded to China. Once they ok us, we get our Article 5, apply for our visas, and get our travel approval we'll be off to get our boy! We welcome you to follow us as we conclude our journey and become a family!