We have a baby girl waiting for us!!!

Last week we learned that the new list of children would come out Monday night.  This list was the first list that we were able to be matched from.  I had lots of dreams on Saturday and Sunday nights that we had not been matched, and then had a few hours of being WIDE awake.  Monday I was busy getting ready for a ladies dinner night at our house.  I had a ton of fun visiting with the ladies that came over.  They all left at about 9:30 and then I was left to wait, hope and pray that we would get a call.  I knew that if we were matched, we would likely get a call between 10 and 11 PM.  I sat with both phones by my side and was killing time on facebook when my cell phone rang.  It was approximately 10:47 and it was Emily, from our agency.  She asked if I was awake.... and of course I was.  Who could sleep at a time like that?  She said we had been matched. 

To back up a bit, a few weeks ago, we filled out a form that said which special needs we were willing to accept along with what age of a child.  I put up to 15 month which meant that if we were matched with a 15 month old, she and Sam would only be 5 months apart.  YIKES!  So what did I do?  I started PRAYING!  Dear Lord, please allow us to be matched with an 8 month old!!!!  I prayed for an 8 month old, because I knew that it was unlikely to be matched with a baby younger then that! 

Ok... so Emily proceeded to say that she is 8 months old!  YEAH GOD!!!  I love that He cares about our requests!  He answered my prayer!  She has a cleft lip and cleft palate.  I was exploding with excitement!!!!  She sent me to file.  I had told myself that I would not look at her picture until I read all about her first... well... that didn't last.  When I opened the email there were several attachments and the tiny little picture of her drew me in.  I opened it first!!!  Her eyes are beautiful! 

I read part of her file and then realized that I better call my parents and give them the news before it got any later.  I followed that by calling a friend who is a Nurse Practitioner and forwarded her the file!  She reviewed it with me and was very happy with all it said!  Nothing of concern from her!  PRAISE THE LORD!  You see, I had already begun falling in love with that precious baby girl and it would have crushed me to hear anything that would caution us from proceeding with accepting the referral!

A few more calls were made to family and then Jeff went to bed.  I was too awake to go to bed and just lay there.  I found a yahoo group that is for those that have or are adopting from our daughers orphanage.  I have communicated with some from that group, but that is for a later post.  At 1:30 I finally thought I could go to bed and actually be able to sleep!  WE HAVE A BABY waiting for us in China!!!!

Tuesday Morning I sent her file to be printed.  I took the printing to the pediatrician's office and left it for our doctor to review.  Late afternoon on Tuesday, he called me.  He had reviewed the file as had some of his partners and they all felt like everything looked great and they felt we could proceed with confidence! 

I called Emily (from our agency) and said we are accepting the referral.  I sent her some documents for our Letter of Intent!  All this was with perfect timing!  Our 2nd adoption garage sale started Wednesday morning, and I am so happy to share with people as they come to our sale that we have a daughter waiting for us to come pick her up. 

Now we wait for approval to adopt her and all the many steps that we have to go through to go to China to get her!  For know we pray for good health and that she does well as they do the surgery to repair her lip.  God is so good! 

You know, I have thought often in the last weeks about the fact that God knew her as he knit her together in her mother's womb.  God knew that her parents would be unable to keep her, for whatever reason.  God also knew while he knitted her together that she would become a part of our family!  I pray that as we become her mommy and daddy and brothers, they we will love her beyond all measure and she will know that God has brought us together as a family.

There is more to our story, but that is all for tonight!  Stay tuned for me!