Update on DiDi

We got an update on Didi last week!  Since we now have our LOA, that opens it up for us to find out more info about her and also to be able to send items like pictures albums, cds, and small items that they can use to explain to her what is getting ready to happen.  First we got some extra info on her...

2. Can we please have her current measurements including weight, height, and foot size?

Weight: 15kg, Height: 89cm, Head circum: 48cm, Chest circum: 54cm, Foot length: 14cm

3. Please explain her current developmental progress?

She could make conversation with others by language. She is able to walk, run and jump alone. She goes up and down stairs with holding onto the railings. She feeds herself with a spoon. She drinks with a cup or a bottle by herself. She dresses herself. She knows her neighbors and often greets them when they meet each other. All the neighbors love her and they often give her snacks and play with her.

4. What is her daily schedule? What is her daily diet? Does she have a favorite food?

7:00am She gets up.

7:30am She eats breakfast including congee, noodles, steamed stuffed buns and dumping etc.

12:00noon she has lunch including rice with dishes and soup.

1:30pm-3:30pm she takes a nap.

6:00pm She has diner including rice with vegetable, meat, fish and egg etc.

9:00pm she goes to bed.

5. Is she attached to a particular caregiver/foster parent? If so, who?

She is attached to her foster parents.

6. What is the makeup of her foster family? Does she have foster siblings? Does she get a long well with them? What her relationship is like with her foster parents as well as other children in the home.

There are her foster parents and their two daughters and her foster brother in her foster family. She gets along well with them. Her foster parents love her as their biological daughter. They often play with her and go out with her.

7. What are her sleeping arrangements? Does she sleep in a crib or with her foster parents?

She sleeps with her foster mother.

8. Does she have a favorite toy and activity?

Doll is her favorite toy.

She likes to go to children’s playground or the park.

9. Does she have a nickname?

She is called by Di Di.

10. Is she potty trained? Or does she wear diapers at night or during the day?

She is potty trained during the day but she wears diapers when she goes out.

Her foster mother reminds her for toilet at midnight in summer and because nights are long in winter she wears diapers for getting all night sleep.

After a long week of waiting, we also got some new pictures!

We Received Our LOA!

The last major hurdle of the process was getting our approval from China.  We have been on pins and needles since we got matched to Mila and informed China that we were interested in adopting her.  It was then all up to them to review our paperwork and make a decision on whether we were a good match for her.  We were expecting this part to take 3-4 months and since we uploaded our paperwork on Aug 28th, we were thinking we would hear something around Christmas time.  So, when Bobby got a call on his phone from Holt during the day on Halloween, he thought for sure they were calling with a problem or bad news.  But with a miracle of miracles, Kristen Henry, our case worker in charge of this portion of the adoption was calling to say that she had good news and that we got our approval from China!!! Needless to say, Bobby was beyond excited and could not wait to find out what steps were next and to get off the phone with Kristen so he could call Larkin and share the news.  Larkin was at work too and Bobby was nervous that he wouldn't be able to get a hold of her.  Luckily, she hadn't left work yet and he caught her at the returns desk.  After some shared tears of joy, and Larkin admitting that it was really hitting her that we are finally going to have a kid, we found out that the next steps involve signing and returning the Letter of Acceptance from China and finishing our I-800 immigration paperwork.  Here is the LOA.