Meet our girl!!!!

Wow. It has been an unbelievable week. We were matched this week with our daughter in China!!!! We now know who she is, where she is, and have seen photos and videos of her...and are dying to have her here!!!! :)

So, we had been told originally that once we were logged in (LID) in China, it typically takes 2-3 months before you are matched with your baby. However, due to the recent database changes and some other factors, there were a lot of delays and, particularly for baby girls under 2 years old, the matching process was taking closer to 4-7 months from LID. So we prepared ourselves for a 4-7 month wait and that we would likely view several files before finding our daughter. 

((For those who don't know, the way it works from what I understand is that there is a "shared list" that goes out once per month to all of the adoption agencies, and it has all of the kids who have come available for adoption that month in China. The agencies all get this list at the same time and start reviewing the files, trying quickly to match as many of the orphans as they can with the families that have been logged in. Once they lock these files in for a family, they send the file to the family for review. The family then has 48 hrs to decide if this child is the right child for their family and submit their Letter of Intent (LOI) to adopt this child. If not, the child's file goes back onto the shared list and another family will likely be reviewing the file.))

Back to this past week - on Monday, I texted our sweet social worker just to check in to see if there was any progress shown toward our LID status. A few hours later she called me and said that she had just gotten my text and called to check in with the guy who monitors the progress on the LIDs, and he said literally less than 2 minutes ago we had been logged in! This was 9.9.13. Super exciting. She said that the timing was great because the shared list was supposed to come out that night so technically we were eligible for it but getting a file that soon wasn't likely. 

Tuesday morning we woke up and had a file to review!!! 

So exciting and overwhelming and scary and happy! We wanted to guard our hearts in case this was not the right baby for our family while also getting excited and attached to the idea of her! We spent the next 24 hours praying, discussing, etc. There are many amazing details of this story and many things even through this process that God taught me and amazing ways that He showed Himself to us.... It honestly makes me super excited about how He is going to teach me about Him and grow us in Him through the rest of it! By Wednesday afternoon God had given us the confirmation that we needed to know that this sweet baby was our daughter!!! 

We submitted our letter of intent (LOI) on Wednesday afternoon (9.11.13)!!  Our agency was told that we would not get notification of Pre-Approval (PA) with the new system. However, they called Friday morning (9.13) to say that they did give us a PA which was just another confirmation for us! 

Random thing, Carter was born on 4.12 and Myah was born on 6.12. I had in the back of my mind that it would be so fun if our next baby had also been born on the 12th of the month - obviously not a factor in deciding anything but just a fun thing to me and I thought, that would just be neat if it happened but not likely. Her file said she was abandoned at the gate of the orphanage on 9.15 and determined to be 3 days old! But her date of birth was listed as the 13th. We wondered why and were told that it could be an error, but it could be because sometimes other cultures count the date of birth to be day 1, so day 3 would have been the 15th - just a different way of counting. So we don't know if she was born on the 12th or 13th but a friend pointed out, even if she was born on the 13th in China, it was the 12th here!! :) That just made me happy, haha, and was just another confirmation that wasn't necessary but was sweet. 

During this 48 hour pressure cooker of decision making, I was doubting and fearing - what if we make the wrong choice? This all has worked out so beautifully, that can't be right?! There must be some catch for us to have gotten matched this fast. What are we missing? Are we jumping the gun just because we are ready and excited? etc etc. Then I came to a point where I really was overwhelmed with peace (A direct answer to prayer!) The next thoughts that came to mind before I could even consider them were, if this is all how it is supposed to be and God worked out all of these details for us and for this baby girl, why? We don't deserve such beautiful grace! I was overwhelmed again with the realization of, you're right, you absolutely don't deserve it! That is just a part of God's extravagant love for you and for this baby. You don't deserve any of what God has done for you - most of all salvation!!! You CANT deserve it. God is GOOD and gives us good gifts, not because we deserve it but because He loves us and that is just so amazing! He has shown and assured me over and over this week that He goes before us, He knows what will happen and we can trust that He will take care of us and He cares for us. 

The next step in the process is Letter of Acceptance (LOA). We have been told this averages about 100 days from matching. However it has taken as short as 40 and as long as 140 days. Pray for 39!!! :) After LOA, it is 2-3 months before we can travel. We will wait for our Travel Approval (TA) and we should get that and have to book our flights fast because we will leave 2 weeks later! So, if we follow the averages, we should travel in late Feb-early March. But hoping and praying for January. 

I have not met our baby yet but God has put in my heart a love for her that I can't explain. John too...he is already feeling so protective of her and I love it. Even Carter last night was asking to see the video of her again and again. He saw a baby at the library this morning and asked if that was baby Sadie :) Of course he and Myah have no way of understanding yet that this baby in the video will be their new sister. Please be in prayer that our LOA comes in record time so our sweet Sadie doesn't have to sit in the orphanage any longer than is necessary!!! Pray for our patience and trust throughout the process and for her that she will be loved and nurtured while she is there. Pray for God to prepare us and her and Carter & Myah for the transition that will be coming!

Look at this sweet little face and chunky cheeks!!!! I am so ready to squeeze her!!