Adoption Update - Article 5 Enroute to the CCAA

We got confirmation today that our Article 5 was picked up from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and is enroute to the CCAA (Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs)! That means that the only thing standing between us and WanYing (besides like 20 hours of travel) is our Travel Authorization!

WACAP advises that the TA usually takes 2-5 weeks to arrive, so that means it could arrive between 2/23 and 3/16, and from there all we have to do is book flights and get ourselves to China! We're definitely a-hoping and a-praying that we're on the 2 week side of the 2-5 weeks - we even heard of one family who got their TA in 2 days right before Chinese New Year, which is amazing. 2 days would be awesome, 2 weeks would still be great - I just want to see my baby in March :)

Timeline updated.

The Crazy Runs Deep in this Family

Sometimes I think we have a normal all-American family... after all, we did fake it fairly convincingly in our last set of family portraits. But don't worry, my kids never fail to snap me back to our little version of reality with darling pictures like this.

Sasha still needs a little more big brother mentoring before she can reliably cross her eyes on command - but the crazy runs deep in this family and I have no doubt that with practice and persistence she and Ben will triumph in their shared freaky-face goal.

I'll take our version of normal over anybody else's any day :)

Happy Birthday WanYing!

October 2009 - 8 months

Our littlest princess turns 2 today!

Admittedly, it's bittersweet to celebrate the child we long to hold and know that today is probably just another day at the Social Welfare Institute for her. But to us this is a very special day, and we sure do look forward to the day when we can express to her just how very special she is and celebrate her birth all together.

January 2011 - 23 months

It was difficult to decide how to celebrate WanYing's birthday. Dim Sum? Chinese New Year celebration? Cake and ice cream at home? In the end, we decided that dinner at Tucanos was befitting - after all, if you can't celebrate the birthday of the Chinese daughter you've never met by pigging out at a Brazilian grill, well, then there's no humor left in the world.

Sam loves Tucanos - he eats only the cheese balls

Ben loves Tucanos - he also eats only the cheese balls, and does so with great gusto/creepiness

Sasha loves Tucanos - and she eats everything!

Daddy eyes Sasha's plate, but Sasha's ready for him

And with a solid, "roar!" the Daddy Food Stealer is foiled.

And we rounded out the evening with ice cream and a rousing chorus of, "Happy Birthday to You" from Sasha and Mommy. The boys thought that was weird, but then again, they go to Tucanos and eat nothing but cheese balls, so what do they know?