Home.

Our daughter is home and her life will now have equal billing with her brother over at our family blog: www.nosmallfeat.typepad.com

Thanks for your support, encouragement, cheers, tears and prayers. They all meant so much to us!

Smarty Pants

Today Mimi's Daddy got to sit in her class. She is the star of the class, very smart and the first to finish her assignments. When done she is known to walk around and help the other students. She does not speak english, but can say her alphabet and say english words. She speaks and writes fluently in her native tongue (Oriyan) but the consensus is that she will be a quick study given her love of school and quick learning skills. Thankfully my sister-in-law is an elementary school teacher and is helping us figure out how to proceed with her education in the American system and at home tools to assist her school studies.

In other news... she had chocolate ice cream for dessert at dinner tonight. She LOVES her little blue purse and carries it with her everywhere. She is by all accounts a "girlie girl." She is experiencing some grief and sadness, which we expected. What is most encouraging is that she already seeks out her Daddy for comfort and reassurance. Tonight at dinner when she seemed sad and teary, her Daddy scooped her into his lap and she leaned into him, placing her hand on his arm in a show of tender trust...

(Sorry no new pictures to share; Heidi's computer is having issues.)

Daddy's Little Girl

This is a direct quote: "She is the prettiest thing in the world. Cuter than any picture we have gotten on her. She is so sweet. She is very tiny. Her little brother may be bigger than her. She is very shy. At one point she was crying because she is going to miss her friends and thought we were taking her home with us tonight. but we are taking her tomorrow. She relaxed after a little while and grabbed my hand and took me around showing me the entire place. You're not going to believe how beautiful she is." He also said that other children were grabbing at his leg and calling him Daddy and she was getting annoyed by that... she was taking ownership of him, which was great to hear.

This time when we spoke he sounded like he had no energy to spare and was going to sleep. He has been running on empty for a long while and I am hopeful that he will sleep for at least 12 hours. He said that they are returning to the children's home tomorrow around 10 a.m. I may speak to him this evening (his morning) and when I know more, so will you.

Her room is done... (almost)

When we started decorating for Mimi's arrival I honestly had no idea what to do and yet, somehow, I feel like it has finally all come together at the 11th hour. There are one or two small touches to complete it fully but I finally feel like I can turn off the light and close the door for the night. Here are some pics:

Itinerary Confirmed!

Got the call this morning ... they leave July 8th and they and our beautiful daugther WILL BE HOME on July 19th. Okay, so the story of "they..."

India requires one parent to travel so we decided that my hubby (who is a far better traveler than I am and also the epitomy of grace under fire whereas I am the dry brush that spreads the fire) would go to India and I would stay home with our son. Sometime after the referral of our daughter we were told that a man cannot travel alone but must either bring his wife OR a female escort. So, I said, we will ALL go to India. However, he was adament that a 2 year old cannot take such a trip. The plane ride to India requires several transfers and very many hours in flight.

Enter Heidi. Heidi is a friend of ours who we came to know after we both adopted our children from Ethiopia around the same time. In fact, Heidi met our son in Ethiopia before we even got the referral for him. It is hard to call her a friend because where I come from when someone is as important to you as she is to us they are referred to as "family." So, Heidi... she was ready, willing and able to act as the female escort to go with AND she said she was going to bring her 11 year old daughter, Sarah (who is an AMAZING young lady, and that's an understatement).

So that's the "they" -- my better half, Heidi and Sarah.

Oh, and one more thing... Heidi is a professional photographer who will chronicle the entire journey in film (er, digital) so we'll actually have pictures from this adoption journey (as this is the ONLY picture "proving" he was in Ethiopia):

Progress!

Last night we got an email from the Indian consulate that the visa application was approved and it is being shipped back via FedEx for delivery on Monday, June 30. We have a hold on a travel itinerary having them leave the US on July 8th and returning on the 19th. We are waiting to hear from the children's home approving it and then we'll book.

We still don't have any updates on her size BUT the director of the orphanage said that "she is very excited that her Daddy is coming to get her." I wonder if she could possibly have any idea how excited WE are to be bringing her home.

Birthday Gift from God

Last night a friend asked me "any news on Mimi?" I said, "I keep praying that God have her pass court when it reopens on her birthday tomorrow but I know that kind of stuff only happens in the movies, so...." Well, God reminded me that He is the Director of our lives and so it should come as no surprise that He ordained it such that WE PASSED COURT ON HER BIRTHDAY!

We got the word at noon today. She is officially cleared and ready for take-off... they are obtaining her passport and then she comes home. We don't have a date yet but it will be within the month.

I am humbled by God's amazing love for me, to hear my prayers and to answer them SO specifically and to show Himself to me like this.

I am thankful and so SO happy!

I AM THE MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN... TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is our daughter's sixth birthday. We are heartbroken that we cannot celebrate it with her as she blows out the candles and makes a wish. We do feel, however, that her wish is the same as ours is today; that we hear something soon from courts and we can bring her home.


We emailed this to our agency last night. It is a collage of photos of her little brother wishing her a happy birthday in her native language:

The room is taking shape.

I returned to the boutique again this evening after work (Brian met me) and I found another item on sale that somehow missed my notice yesterday (on sale for $10 from $34). It's already hung up in her room. Below it are the Dora doll my mother-in-law bought her and the Madame Alexander India doll that I've had set aside to give our daughter for a very long time ...



It says: "Little girls are precious gifts, wrapped in love serene. Their dresses tied with sashes and futures tied with dreams."

Resignation...

I thought that those of you who dutifully visit this blog deserved an update... even if that update were just to share my pity-party. I am having a very difficult time waiting for a court date and I am kicking myself for my naivete in thinking that since I've done this already (adopt) I would be uber-cool and collected this go-round. I am at that point where I feel like if I hit refresh one more time I am going to break the computer, or have a breakdown, or both.

I have been buying clothes for Mimi ... well, dresses. My hubby has recently put a dress moratorium in effect as he feels that she might just want to do something other than sit around looking precious like, say, play ... in shorts and stuff. I agree but dresses for little girls are so. darn. cute! But I will now focus on shorts and t-shirts. Cute ones, though. I still reserve the right to purchase any and all must-have dresses. :)

We also (finally) decided on bedding for her room, opting to go for simplicity so there are no limits to decorating the room. We bought Hilfiger bedding in a soft pink argyle design with yellow and blue trim colors. I'll post pictures once it arrives and her bed is made.

... and then I will be found sitting on the edge of her bed, holding my breathe waiting for her to come home and lay her sweet head upon it.

Lord, please may that day come soon.

The First Dress

I had not bought any clothes yet for our daughter . . . until today! I have just been aching this week for her to come home and have been going online to look at little girl's clothes. Well today on e-bay there was this hand smocked Strasburg dress. These dresses retail for $150. How much did I ultimately pay? $10.50. Yep, you aren't missing a zero -- TEN DOLLARS and FIFTY CENTS. It's beautiful, right? I cannot wait to see her wearing it.

Size Matters.

I have been hoping to receive an update on Mimi's size so that I can go shopping for clothes tomorrow at this HUGE local consignment sale. Unfortunately, the agency was not able to get current measurements but they did find in her case file that her size in October 2007 was 39.8 inches tall and 30.8 pounds (and kids don't grow much at this stage of life).

All that said, I still have absolutely no idea how to buy for her because size varies depending on what chart you look at. I am thinking size 4T. Any alternative ideas to my thought process on sizes can kindly leave a comment.

I will post pictures of what I bought over the weekend.

UPDATE: We received word that Mimi is presently 41.3 inches and 33 pounds. This tells us that she is thriving and healthy. It also means she is likely a kids size 5 (or 5T), and not a 4T. (I am so relieved I didn't buy anything on Friday).

Longing...

It seems strange to write that I miss Mimi since we've never met. But here it is. I miss Mimi. This private blog for our India adoption has thus far been our place to catalogue the adoption process. However, behind the process and the paper (and even more paper) is a matter of the heart.

A long time ago I was lectured by our first caseworker (for our Ethiopian adoption) that I needed to "guard my heart" while waiting for our son to come home during the process of adoption. I knew right then that she just didn't get it (and, no, she was not an adoptive parent).

You cannot help but fall in love "at first sight." I think about Mimi all the time. I wonder what she does, who her friends are, what she dreams about (or if she has already given up dreaming). I wonder if anyone holds her when she cries, even knowing that she'll never ever be held as lovingly or warmly as she will be by her mommy and daddy. I wonder when they will tell her about us. I wonder when she is coming home or if any government official will bar that from happening.

It is a very primal thing -- that which a mother feels for her child. It does not happen when you feel the heartbeat of the child. It happens when your heart beats for the child. My heart beats loudly right now. I pray that on some level she can hear it, and feel it, and know that she will soon be home.

What's in a name?

Our daughter's name means beauty and good fortune. Well, trust us, she sure is beautiful and we are feeling very fortunate so I think it is a fitting name. Even more interesting is that her given name ends with "mi" and as many of you know, our son has been referring to his sister as Mimi since we first told him he was going to have a sister -- long before we knew who she was or what name she had.
We received our referral for this adorable 5 1/2 year old girl on November 1, 2007, the first day of National Adoption Month. In our hearts we accepted this referral as soon as we got the call but we told them officially on November 5th. Our dossier and referral packet was shipped via FedEx to our agency on November 6th for next day delivery. Then everything will be sent to India on November 8th and a travel invitation is (expected) to be issued within 6-8 months.
"Mimi" is a already a central figure in our family even though she is not home yet. Once she is home her life will be shared with equal billing along with the rest of our family on our main blog, No Small Feat. However, as our process is still underway and to respect India restrictions, I created this private website and invite you all come here for updates on our adoption in India as well as to learn more about the wonderful culture of India and the area of Orissa, where our daughter waits for us.