Adoption Blog

I guess I'll be the first to answer some of these questions...

- Are you adopting or have you already adopted: Yes, we’re adopting.

- Which adoption agency are you using: CCAI (Chinese Children Adoption International)

- How far along in the adoption process are you: We’re almost done with the paper-chase.

- What country are you adopting from: China

- Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: I believe that God’s timing is perfect. So when you encounter delays, know that it’s by design.

- Do you have a web site: Yes, you’re surfing it!

- Anything else... just want to say thanks to everyone for visiting and signing my guestbook!

Hiya Mark,

I have just barely started the adoption journey. I learned about your blog by searching -- I find that blogs are very helpful, and I appreciate your information and your frankness about the process. My husband and I haven't decided whether to pursue domestic or international adoption -- at this point, we are applying for foster/adopt locally. We have two bio children.

I wish you and Naomi the best!
Aloha,
Amber

Hi Mark... thanks for this site.

- Are you adopting or have you already adopted: Yes, we’re adopting.

- Which adoption agency are you using: Holy Family Services

- How far along in the adoption process are you: In the middle of the "paper chase" and the initial classes. We're hopefully done with the classes by the end of this month.

- What country are you adopting from: U.S.

- Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: Gee... not yet. :)

- Do you have a web site: Yes..l. www.adoptblog.com just went online today

- Anything else... would love for any folks to come join us on our journey at our blog.

Thanks!

Rob and Marie

Hi Mark and Naomi,
We are at the end of our paperchase. Our dossier is about to be mailed out to China. We received a letter Saturday saying that it is about to be on its way or has already been mailed. We also had to send a check for the dossier fee. We are hoping to have a DTC date by the end of the week. We are very nervous but excited at the same time. We have one biological child. He is nine years old. Our agency is Hope For Children, Inc. located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mike and Leigh Ann

Hi there! I am single and not adopting, but I thought I would at least say hello!

We were DTC on 2/20/04!! We encountered several obstacles during the paperchase, but believe as you do that it is all God's perfect timing.
We've really enjoyed your site. Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps to know that others are going through the same thing. Best of luck to both of you.

Ok, here goes- I am not sets of good friends who are in the process- one set domestically and one set who was DTC in September. My dream is to adopt internationally someday- most likely from China. I have 3 children, 6, 4, and 2 but don't feel that my family is yet complete. Financially (and physically! LOL!) we need to wait a few more years before beginning our paper chase.

I'm enjoying reading about your journey!

Thanks.

Are you adopting or have you already adopted:

Yes we are adopting

Which adoption agency are you using:

American's for International Aid and Adoption (http://www.aiaaadopt.org )

How far along in the adoption process are you:

We have been matched with a child for 10 months now. Having some hangups but as you say all in His timing.

What country are you adopting from:

India

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:

Be patient. Go forward even if you don't have the money. If God wants you to adopt you will find a way.

Do you have a web site: http://www.modernmother.jaimemavie.com/hopechild

How did you find my site:

I link you! ;-)

I want to tell you I love your story,, come visit me.. I have a adoption search and reunion site at http://www.givenright.com

Hi. I'm one of the regulars at Manna Cabana. I'm very abnormal in more ways than one LOL :D, but a regular visitor there, and I enjoy reading the uphill progress here.

Well, don't ever give up hope in your adoption journey. My husband and his first wife adopted a baby girl in the U.S. 18 years ago. They were on a waiting list which seemed very far off for them to receive that wondeful telephone call. All of sudden, totally unexpected, they received a telephone call that they could bring home their baby girl in two weeks! Hello? Two weeks? Yes, the couple on the list ahead of them had changed their minds. Excuse me, but how often does that happen? I believe it's very rare for couples to change their minds. They were bumped up to the top of the list. They had 2 weeks to mentally prepare and buy stuff like diapers, clothes, baby furniture, etc. This was a miracle in their eyes.

The now 18 year old woman is a beautiful woman now. She is my stepdaughter now, and I am so honored to have her in my life and family. So always hope, and expect God to throw in some curve balls in your favor during your waiting and preparation time. God knows exactly which child you are already the parents of. You will permanently make a difference in your child's life.

I thank God for the mothers that chose to give LIFE to their babies. As difficult as it would be to carry the baby for nine months then place it in the adoptive parents hands, I thank God for so many women and teens willing to give other families the chance and blessings to raise that child. Praise the Lord!

GOD IS SO AWESOME !!!!
Just gotta love His gifts from heaven; children are truly His gifts to us. :) God bless.

prayerfully,
4given =)

I love blogs!

- Are you adopting or have you already adopted: I am adopted.

- Which adoption agency are you using: My parents used a Christian organization that is no longer in business.

- What country are you adopting from: I was adopted from Korea.

- Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: God gives us all a different path to our dreams. Parents who adopt are not charity-givers and children who are adopted are not "lucky" any more than a biological family is. We are all just taking a different route to becoming a family.

- Do you have a web site: not yet.

- Anything else: My husband and I plan to adopt from Korea or China when the time is right. I hope I find great advice!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: We will be adopting in 2006.

Which adoption agency are you using:
We are still researching agencies.

How far along in the adoption process are you: Mostly just wishing time would go faster so we can get started.

What country are you adopting from:
China

please let us know a little bit about you:
I am only 28, so we have 2 years before we can send our paperwork to china. I have a bio daughter who is a todder.

Do you have a web site: http://www.livejournal.com/users/shortnorthmama/

How did you find my site: google.

hey mark. it's nice to 'refind' you in cyberspace :-P you know.. i was adopted when i was a baby. :-)

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: We are waiting for our referral and are DTC'ed Nov. 5th and LID 11/17
Which adoption agency are you using: Living Hope Adoption Agency
How far along in the adoption process are you: Waiting for a referral!!
What country are you adopting from: China
Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: Yes, be assured that if God makes you wait longer than you want, it is only to make the blessings all the more precious! We had a long paperchase (about 9 mths) and several times we almost gave up. So even though you might be having problems, we are all apart of God's perfect plan and he has that special child picked out for you, just these hold-ups are because she/he isn't ready for you yet. Be patient and the right child will be with you soon!!
Do you have a web site: yep.. www.thestoryofourfamily.com
How did you find my site: Through my site, China Adoption Stories
Anything else... GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for dropping by, and posting my link on your site! Good luck with your adoption journey -- the waiting is truly a nightmare, but I think of it as the equivalent of "labour pains" -- once the baby comes, you honestly forget about how excruciating it was! We've had our little Alex for 3 weeks now, and she's our joy.

The best of luck to you ... and I'll keep dropping by to see how you're doing!

K.

Hi.
We are still in the paperwork process from China. We are using Children's Hope International. All our dealins have been through the southeast office and they have been great. We did not began collecting papers until we signed with CHI on Jan.27,2004. Sent I-600A 1/29/04. Fingerprinted 3/3/04 in Nashville. Copy of completed homestudy sent off from CHI 3/17/04. We have all dossier papers complete with the exception of 171 from CIS. All paperwork has been notarized,county certified,state certified,US State Dept certified, and finally Embassy of the PRC in Washington,DC authenticated. Just waiting on that one document from CIS is hard.
I decided to go ahead with completeing all paperwork for a couple of reasons. One while we are waiting on CIS the remaining dossier is in the hands of agency. Since they are checking and rechecking each document if they find anything wrong I can fix it while we are still waiting on CIS and there is less chance of delay in process once we receive the CIS blessing. Also, I can pay the extra fee for quick turn around time on one document without being tempted to pay it on all documents because I am so excited to be dtc. Last but not least I have chosen to do my paperwork this way because it kept me feeling like I was moving forward. It is so exciting to open that FedEx package with those 13 documents all completed. We used courier service for Washington documents I highly recommend it.
We have two biological sons ages 12 and 3 and knew our family would not be complete without a daughter. We chose adoption and China not because we could not have another child but because we wanted a daughter and there seemed to be alot of little girls there who needed a family. We also have two nieces who were adopted from China.
Does anyone have any experience with wait times from Memphis CIS office?
Thanks and enjoy all the posts.
Carolyn

This message is for Mark who is scheduled to get fingerprints done in Charlotte. Do you have a number to a person in that office? I need to talk with someone about fingerprints. Thanks, Kathy

Hi again everyone! Today on CNN I just learned of www.Suecares.com which is really important for Mark, Naomi and the others adopting a child outside of the U.S. It's great news that only a few weeks ago AB 1895 passed the J. C. This is deep and serious stuff. God bless all of you. May your children legally live in the U.S. permanently, all of their lives. hugs oooooooooo

Hi,

Found your blog doing a search on Goggle. I adopted two children internationally from Kazakhstan. Dinara was 2 1/2 at the time of adoption and Noah was 7 months. I too have a blog.

Wish you much success and a wait that "flies by" till you travel.

--Kym

Hi!

We're adopting too, but domestically. We just started the process and moving forward with trepedation.

Interesting site!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted:
We’ll be adoption in a couple of years, still waiting to meet the age requirement… we have four more years to go. 8o( But we know this wait is for a reason and our baby will be in our arms in due time.

Which adoption agency are you using:
After our research, we believe that CCAI meets all our needs.

How far along in the adoption process are you: Negative Four Years. 8o)

What country are you adopting from: China

If you've already adopted, tell us about your
experience: N/A

If you're not adopting but you still visit the adoption blog, please let us know a little bit about you:
My hubby and I met over three years ago and since my dream was too adopt since I was a little girl, it was very important for me to have a partner that would understand and perhaps love the idea as much as I did. Well my husband loved the idea and as we researched we found our heart strings pulling us towards China. Now here we are; waiting, planning, journaling and dreaming for the day we can make our dreams come true! 8o)

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:
While you wait take up a couple of hobbies to help easy anxiety.

Do you have a web site:
Yes, all related to our Adoption Wish, http://adoptionwish.diaryland.com
How did you find my site: Via Chinese adoption stories site

Anything else...
We just wanted to wish you the best of luck in your wait and journey to China to bring back your little one. We are so very excited for you and hope you’ll bring back a couple of awesome pictures of your trip. Take care! 8o)

-Fellow Adoption Buddies,
Keila and Chris Cauble

We have experienced much delay to as we hope to be DTC by June, too. Luckily China seems to be sending much quicker referrals these days! Good luck to us both!

Hey Mark:

Just read your story and also saw that you are DTC! Congratulations!

DH, GAry and I are adopting from China, also. In fact, we are also using CCAI and our DTC date is (approximately) June 7, 2004 -- very close to yours. It's possible we could be in the same travel group. We live in SC.

Isn't it wonderful the way God moves our hearts? You prayed a very similar prayer that I did, but I was the one who was CERTAIN about adopting before my husband. So my prayer was, "God, either take away my desire to adopt from China, or give a real desire to my husband to adopt." Little did I know that in just about 2 weeks he would answer my prayer by placing a strong desire on my husband's desire to adopt.

Now that we are DTC, it finally feels very real to him and he spends about as much time online reading adoption stories and posts as he did reading British Soccer scores (soccer freak). We finally feel very "pregnant." This isn't our first child, though...it's our 5th! We have 4 bio kids already. No matter how crazy anyone might believe us to be, we are overjoyed that we will be blessed with one more!

Maybe we'll see you in the future...and it's getting to be a shorter wait than ever before.

Colleen in SC
DH Gary
DTC 6/7/04
Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:
Do you have a web site:
How did you find my site:
Anything else...

* Are you adopting or have you already adopted:
Yes, my husband and I have adopted cross-racially... we are a caucasian couple with a beautiful African American daughter.

* Which adoption agency are you using:
We used our local Child Welfare agency. Our daughter had been in foster care most of her four years when we found her.

* If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience:

this is the best decision we've ever made together (next to getting married to each other, of course!!!)
THere are many struggles, some of them absolutely heart-breaking as she works through her grief and loss and trauma from her early years, there are so many many rewards as we see her grow and thrive and become the person she was meant to be! I am so proud of her I can hardly stand it.

* Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:

1. FIND SUPPORT - find other adoptive parents- and other parents going through the processs. Your family and friends can help, but they won't really understand how you're feeling. Especially if you have an "adoption miscarriage" a child that you thought was going to be placed with you isn't after all - well meaning friends will say things like, "well, it wasn't meant to be... there will be another child for you." Ouch!

2. READ! some great resources are: The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier, Adopting the Hurt Child byGregory Keck, Attaching in Adoption by Deborah Gray

* Do you have a web site:
www.VideoTimeCapsules.homestead.com

check it out to learn about ADOPTION STORY VIDEOS, Adoptive and Foster Family Welcome Videos and more!

-Christina Scott

Hello Mark and My Baby Girl Naomi,
I just opened your web site, read some of the comments. You both are doing a wonderful job. At this moment I'm so over ran with emotions. I'm so very proud of you both. This is a step that I didn't have the courage to do when I was young and couldn't have children. Instead I adopted nieces and nephews... God Bless you both and continue to give encouragement to others. Love, Auntie Vickie

Hi, Naomi...I'm Lorie, the one that just moved to Florida and met your mom, Judy...she is super! We JUST got back from the beach with her and Bob..Bon was acting like a Greecian fountain, spitting water and your mom was poking a conch back into its shell using a pointy shell. Anyway, Doug and I are adopting from China, have a DTC date of April 16th and with the rate the referrals are being processed, should be going to China in December or January!! YEah! We are going to name our baby Mia, and keep her Chinese name for her middle name. I'm definitely ready for her, and I think Doug is too. Our paperchase was unpleasant as well, but its done, and now we can relax on the trip and getting our baby. Anyway, I will post back again later when I have a little more time. Talk to you later!
Lorie and Doug Allen

Dear Mark and Naomi,

What a wonderful web site. I plan on checking back to read more. As my husband and I get closer, my thirst for knowledge grows. Thanks for taking the time to put together this site. Best of luck to you!

To answer your questions. Are you adopting or have you already adopted: I have several domestically adopted family members but this will be the first interanationally adopted child in our family. We have never adopted before so this is a new and exciting journey.

Which adoption agency are you using: Our agency is CHI (Children's Hope International) in St. Louis, Missouri.

How far along in the adoption process are you: We are currently waiting on embassy approval. Guessing (and Hoping) we will travel sometime in April or May 2005.

What country are you adopting from: China

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: A wise old man once told me "All good things take time!" The older I get the more I realize the importance of this statement.

How did you find my site: surfing

Anything else...I highly reccommend reading "The Lost Daughters of China" by Karin Evans and joining FCC (Families with Children from China) they have branch offices around the U.S. and have a web site.

Hello and Congratulations !!!! We have a LID of June 21st 2004 we can not wait to go to China and get our little girl.

Ontario, Canada

Please visit our website !!!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted:
Which adoption agency are you using: The Childrens Bridge
How far along in the adoption process are you: June 21st 04 LID
What country are you adopting from: CHINA

Do you have a web site:

osmond.homestead.com

See you in China !!!! :)

You have a wonderful adoption blog, it is pleasing to the eye and contains useful information. Thanks for putting time into it.

-Eric

Maybe you know me from the Cabana?

Anyways, my little sister is adopted from India, through Holt. I have three friends (who also are sisters by name, not birth) adopted from India.

I used to babysit a little girl from China. Her mom is leaving soon to get her little sister Lizzie from China. Her dad is in Iraq right now.

One thing that will happen to you in China, is you will stay at the this one hotel, whose name I forgot, but it has something to do with swans I think. Anyways, all foreign adoption parents stay there when they pick up their kids (or so I'm told). They have a special Chinese Barbie made just for that hotel, with the name of the hotel involved. Be sure to pick one up, because it must be an awesome momento for your child.

Are you making a life book? My little sister has one. It's a binder filled with every piece of paper and every scribbled phone note that was involved with her adoption put into those little plastic see-through pockets. This makes the children feel special-this is their baby-book, or background. It's a neat idea and project.

Best wishes,
Alisa

Hi. Just wanted to say thanks for posting your story. My husband and I are where you and Naomi were so long ago...still deciding what we want to do. We, also, are thinking of adopting instead of having our own children. It's just something we feel we've been called to do. So I was very interested in reading your story and figuring out how the whole process works. I look forward to hearing about your daughter. Best wishes to you and your growing family!

Tricia

I am a mostly reader on APC and just looked at your beautiful little girl's picture. She is absolutely adorable - you must be giving that little picture tons of kisses! Congratulations!!!

Michele
Paperchasing
CCAI

Boy, trying to leave this site is kinda like eatting ONE potato chip!

Your daughter is truly beautiful!

I went back to your journal written closest to YOUR DAUGHTER'S (smiling while writing that) and couldn't help but think about how what we often consider delays is only God providing us with just the right match. For refreshers, here ya go:

"Wow, we're so close.... it's like the light at the end of the paper-chase tunnel is right in front of us. Then WHAM! it turns out to be just another train".

How GOOD is God, well, looking at the photo, the BEST!

Hugs and prayers by the trainload,
Karen

Wow, Karen! I didn't even think to look at what I was writing in the blog at the time around her birthday!

She was born April 12, 2004.

If you go to the main page and look at the entry on April 13th titled More Delays we can see that God's timing is indeed perfect. Wow...

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

WOW!!! NAOMI N MARK WHAT A SURPRISE? I AM SO PROUD OF THE TWO OF YOU FOR GOING TO SUCH GREAT LENGTHS TO BECOME PARENTS OF SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BABY, SHE IS GOING TO BE A VERY FORTUNATE BABY TO HAVE SUCH LOVING, CARING PARENTS. I AM SURE HER GRANDPARENTS ARE ESTATIC TO JOIN YOU IN WAITING TO HOLD AND NUTURE HER INTO THE SUCH A WARM LOVING FAMILY. WITH ALL OUR PRAYERS AND GOD'S LOVE AND PROTECTION YOUR FAMILY WILL BE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS AND GOOD HEALTH. I WAS AT YOUR WEDDING AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL JOINING OF TWO HEARTS, NOW YOUR CIRCLE OF FAMILY WILL BE COMPLETE. LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP FOREVER, THANKS FOR SHARING THIS WEBSITE WITH ME. KISSES N HUGS MARILYN

Hi Mark and Naomi,
We are leaving for YouXian on the 3rd of January, 2005! We will be visiting the orphange and will take your daughter pictures so that if we see her, we will pray over her for God's protection and peace. I will also take you pictures to leave for her. I am sorry, but I just ran across your blog today for the first time. Praise God.

We will be trying to update our journey at
iowankid.tripod.com
it has lots of popups, but it is free. Please follow along as you can.

May God bless you and your growing family, this next year will be full of His grace upon you.

Mahalo,
Rich

Hey, I just found your website a few days ago! My husband and I are the parents of three boys (two adopted and different races from ours) and we are starting down the road of adopting a baby girl from China. This is a whole new ball game for us even though we have adopted. I suppose we are calmer and will better be able to wait.....but we will see. We are comparing CCAI to Children's Home Society. We live near Children's home, so I can see some advantages to that....plus they have a long standing adoption program with China...any thoughts? It is fun to watch you go through it first....it will help us along, thank you for your efforts and your great website!

Hi, I was personalizing my yahoo page to add some adoption sites. And I ran across your site and was reading about your upcoming departure to pick up your daughter, Kaylee. How awesome!

It is also so awesome how God lead me to your site to read. We are also adopting from China. We are going with CCAI, too. We are at the very beginning. We are filling out the adoption application from CCAI. It is reassuring for us to hear that you all picked the same agency as us. It sounds like you have had a good experience with them.

I enjoyed reading about your story and related articles. I am so excited for you all!

We are living in the UK in Norwich, and have nearly completed our home study.
It has been great following your story today. I am imagining you right now with Kaylee.
I must say that I wish I lived in the USA - the adoption process seems so much easier and well run, and all the things you can buy re adoption/ videos etc - which cannot be bought and sent here...disappointing for us.
Anyway.....enjoy your new daughter....what a blessing!!
We hope that we will be in China this time next year as well.

Hello! I have enjoyed reading your blog while you were on your trip. My sister and her husband are adopting through CCAI. They actually got their referral while you were on your trip. :-) I will be traveling with my sister to China in mid-March. I'm really excited about it. I was curious if you had any connectivity issues with your laptop while you were over there? Did your hotels have high speed connection? I want to take mine, but only if I'm not going to spend the whole time trying to get a connection. Of course we can use it to play music and DVDs, but I need to factor in the extra weight if this is worth it. If connectivity isn't a problem the extra weight will definitely be worth it. Thanks for any advice in this area you can share. We appreciate it. Andrea PS - Your daughter is beautiful!

Hi and Congrats! I was reading over your blog and it was bring back the most precious memories that I have. My name is Kristie and I am a single mom to Kaylee, sound familiar, Ning Yan born 6/23/99. Kaylee gotcha date is 4/10/00 and she arrived into her Grandpa arms on 4/15/00 and had him wrapped around her finger in a second. Kaylee is 5 years old and is so happy. She loves to give me hugs and kisses but she does have a stubborness about her. I seen you were in Hunan, Changsha, Province. What town is your Kaylee from? My Kaylee is from Yi Yang. I love the picture on the couch. It is a must have picture. The couch looks the same. If you want to talk or have question just email me.

The fun has just begun!!!!

Hi! I am a "seasoned" adoptive mom of a wonderful 8.5 year old from ShaoYang, Hunan. Your trip was much like ours, as we were in Changsha, as well. Kaylee is absolutely beautiful!!! I am loving it, following her progress! My ShaoXi (we do use her Chinese name, but anglicized it to pronounce: Shay-Cee, accent on the CEE part) is the best and most beautiful part of my life, and is truly a gift from God. It is a humbling experience to be entrusted with a precious child...parenting is TOUGH work, but OH SO WORTH IT! :) Let's see...what were your questions?
Gotcha Day was Nov. 26th, 1997.
Agency: Children's Hope International (an awesome agency!)
Words of wisdom? HMMM...enjoy them...they grow SO fast! But each stage is wonderful too...It is a bittersweet thing to watch them grow! One day they are saying "bipe" instead of diaper, and then suddenly they say diaper, and you MISS the "bipe"! Or they call their Aunties Dobby and Pobby (Debbie and Polly), and suddenly they get it correct, and you are SAD! And it never comes back again. Journal all you can...keep a record...time is precious! :) Make a tape...lots of tapes...lots of videos...of them singing, talking, playing. Their little voices are so precious!

Okay...I'm teary-eyed now...I LOVE my big girl...but I sure do miss my baby! Where did she GO? Just yesterday she was a toddler!

Nancy Johnson, Proud Mama to Kristin ShaoXi Clara Johnson, born 9-6-96, placed in her mother's arms 11-26-97

Congratulations! What a beauty!

I was sitting at the computer this evening and typed in "Gotcha Day"...how lucky I was to have found your story and oh so timely!

Monday, March 7, 2005 is the 1 year anniversary of the Graham family gotcha day! John and I adopted Grace Louise in Changsha 1 year ago! She was from Huai Hua. Aren't Daphne and Ellen invaluable! CCAI is the BEST!

Thank you for your story. And, you have some fantastic photos! If there is anyway I could get some copies of your generic (scenery) I would love them! (please let me know and the $)

Thank you again!

Elizabeth from 1 hour south of Atlanta

Just finished reading your entire blog. Congratulations on your adoption of Kaylee who is as cute as a button!

We will be adopting a child in our future and China is our #1 choice so it was great to read about your experience.

~Amanda

Hi Mark - I've been following your Blog since January. It has been very educational and exciting. My DH and I are just starting our journey. Our homestudy has begun and we are in the midst of the paper chase.

Your little Kaylee is beutiful and your story serves as an inspiration to all of us wannabees.

Thank you for sharing. I can't wait to see your new pics. I've been checking weekly. i'm sure being a new daddy is keeping you quite busy.

Best wishes to all of you and your wonderful family. Congratulations.

Thanks again for sharing.

Hi Mark. I noticed you are from Raleigh - my husband & I live in Raleigh and have just begun researching adoption. We have been looking at CCAI, and another agency in North Carolina. Can you give us any insight as to why you chose CCAI over a local agency? Thank you!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted:No
Which adoption agency are you using: n/a
How far along in the adoption process are you:n/a
What country are you adopting from: n/a
If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience: n/a
If you're not adopting but you still visit the adoption blog, please let us know a little bit about you: I stumbled on your site, and offer my congratulations on your new little girl. I have always wanted to adopt a child although i have a daughter of my own. My husband does not feel it is the right choice for us. I find it to be a beautiful thing.
Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:n/a
How did you find my site: I was searching for info on benadryl, I am not sure how your site popped into that search but i am glad it did. It made my day.
Anything else... When my daughter teethed, she drooled alot but the first 4 or 5 front teeth were the only ones that seemed to bother her pain wise until her molars came in. The molars were worse for her than the front teeth. I found that to be the norm in all the babies in my mothers group. Once she started getting her teeth the rest came in within 4 months or so.
Well although i dont know you, i have to say again congratulations, she is beautiful! children are the best.

hello.. we are just beginning to do research
into adopting a girl from china.. does anyone have
and information as to whatt we might expect if we adopt a baby girl that is 2 or 3 years old?

i'm afraid she will not warm up to us is she is
older that 1 year..

love your blog :)

What a nice adoption blog site. After reading, I wanted to share with you some adoption sites. Do not ever give up and learn all you can about the process. I read all I could prior to us adopting our son and it helped us sort out all the steps and what to expect.
God bless you in your search for the child of your dreams,
Mardie Caldwell
Learn all about adoption and the process by visiting these sites:
www.LifetimeAdoption.com Adoption Services
www.LetsTalkAdoption.com Adoption Talk Show
www.AdoptionstepbyStep.com New Adoption Guide

Mark, thanks for your blog it has been helpful and encouraging to myself and my wife.

As far as the questions go:

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: We are in the middle of the process of adopting

Which adoption agency are you using: Bethany Christian Services

How far along in the adoption process are you: Waiting for one more piece of paper (from the USCIS) and the dossier is complete!

What country are you adopting from: China

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: I am learning already that we need to be flexible and remember that God is in control.

Do you have a web site: Yes, a blog on xanga, www.xanga.com/chinaadopt

Hi - I just finished reading your amazing story - Kaylee is adorable... We are in the waiting phase of our own amazing journey - DTC 3/11/05 with a Sept referral and Nov travel expected. I can't tell you how much it means to have had previous travelers blog - so we newbies know what to expect and peek into the amazing journey! Thank you and Naomi and especially Kaylee for letting us snoop!!! Sounds like you guys are doing great now that you are home....

Missy & Greg - NY (megatropolis's mega Island)
DTC 3/11/05 for Chloe Rose (1st child)
WHFC

Kaylee is beautiful! My best friend's daughter's name is Kaylee. You are the first person I know to have the same spelling. :)

I am an adult adoptee. I am currently writing a book about my unique experience, and if you have a second, I'd love for you to check out some of the early-workings of this book (see my blog: http://abetterlifebook.blogspot.com/)

My story is unique in that I didn't want to be "found," so after my birth-father sought me out, we maintained a long term correspondence, though he never knew my name. For eight years, I revealed my innermost thoughts to a faceless alcoholic serving time in a federal prison, until he gave up his battle with booze by committing suicide in 2001.

I would love any feedback, comments, questions you have.

If nothing else, will you please consider posting a link to my blog under your "adoption blogs" section? I'd appreciate it. Each new comment or question opens a new door of inspiration to me as I write this book.

Enjoy being a daddy! Being a parent is just the most awesome thing in the world, isn't it?! :)

Your daughter Kaylee is ADORABLE!!
We are adopting from China (DTC 3/21/05), and will name our daughter Kaylie (had that name picked out for almost 16 years!) My son Nick can't wait to meet his little sister!
We are using Catholic Charities of Ffld Cty (CT)
Found your site thru the A-PC Yahoo group...ours is www.FitzgeraldAdoption.com
We hope to travel sometime in November...
Best wishes to your beautiful family!
~Kristen

* Are you adopting or have you already adopted:
* Which adoption agency are you using:
* How far along in the adoption process are you:
First off, congratulations on bringing Kaylee home. My family and I are so glad you have found each other.

I'll try to answer your questions below. Good luck with everything.

* What country are you adopting from:

We have two daughters from China. We brought out first, Marit, home in November 2001 and our second, Mattie, in November 2003. Currently they are 4 1/2 and 2 3/4 and off to a birthday party w/ mom so I have a few minutes to do this.
* If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience:

This could take days. There's so much to tell. And virtually all of it was good. We grew to love China and would go back in an instant. If you want something more specific you can go to www.timchauvin.com and find the song Daughters of China section. There's a long post there. You can also check out the Holt International site in their magazine section and find an article called Life Is Good.

All in all our greatest hopes for our adoptions were completely eclipsed by reality.

* If you're not adopting but you still visit the adoption blog, please let us know a little bit about you:

* Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption:

Do it. And always bear in mind that no matter how tedious or frustrating or even assinine the process might seem, it is all just a necessary part of your journey to your family. Enjoy every step.
* Do you have a web site:

www.timchauvin.com

* How did you find my site:

A web search for something else.

* Anything else...

Thanks for listening. Are you plannng a second adoption? We didn't plan one but even before we got home with our first we knew we'd do a second. Good luck!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: Already adopted

Which adoption agency are you using: Children's Home Society in Greensboro

How far along in the adoption process are you: Adoption finalized so pretty much done

What country are you adopting from: USA

If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience: We adopted a six year girl from foster care and couldn't be happier with how things turned out. It was a very easy process for us and we got a child that was ideal for us.

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: Have a lot of patience and read as much as you can even after they get home. Find other adoptive families because parenting adopted children has some differences. Laughing even when it seems like the last thing you want to do.

Do you have a web site: hillison.com and blogs on livejournal and blogger. I keep my journals private because I want to be able to speak openly without having it public as my child was a foster child.

How did you find my site: googling for something else.

Anything else: We live over in Cary. Best of luck as your daughter keeps growing and thriving!

Well let me start off by saying that you have a wonderful web site! My husband and I have friends that just got home 2 weeks ago from China. I started looking over thier links a few days ago and it got me to you. It took me out of "Zoe" page to another page that took me to you guys......anyways, I have enjoyed reading about your trip and your beautiful little girl. She really is cute! We are not adopting,at least not right now,maybe later. We have 4 children and my husband works for the railroad. I would really love to after my smallest is older. I just wanted to say Hello and good luck with that baby food!! LOL!! You really had me laugh'n with that one! I wish you guys the best of luck! Take care CameronStanaker (Houston Texas)

This is great! I think that if more young mothers could know their kids were going to good families, they'd be more likely to actually have their children.

We just returned from Hubei China with our new daughter Hannah. We also live in Raleigh and used CCAI. Are they not the best? We have only been back since June 1st. Whew what a journey this is. Good luck and thanks for sharing your journey.

Hi Mark and Naomi
Dont know if you remember me or not. I am little Lacies grammie. We have followed your progress from the first (through your aunt Fran) and are so delighted to see your little Kaylee grow so big and be so happy!! Love to read of your escapades with her. A lot of them remind me of Annette and Jerrys with Lacie. She, by the way, received her bilateral (2nd) Cochlear implant on Aug 1 and had her turn on Aug 24 and is already using it!! Praise the Lord!! She is such a little miracle! Good luck with your little Kaylee. Keep enjoying her!!
Linda

Hi. I'm just searching the web trying to get info on adopting a child from China. My husband and I already have 3 biological children. I met some people this past weekend who have a child that they adopted from China and it's just been the strangest thing. Ever since, I can't get it off my mind and it just seems like the Lord has laid it on my heart that this is something we need to do. My dh also feels he would like to adopt as well, but is concerned about the financial aspects of the adoption process. So, right now we're just researching and waiting for the right time to proceed. Thanks for your website! I truly enjoyed it and your daughter is precious!

Congratulations!!! Kaylee is a beautiful girl. My husband and I are adopting also from China. Our dossier is at the Chinese Consulate for auth. We are so excited we can't hardly wait. We chose WHFC as our Adoption Agency and they have all been wonderful. I've enjoyed all your postings. Best wishes to you and your family.

Christine

Want to start adoption of a child from China. I have a biological son who just turned four. I'm only 27 and my common law spouse is 37. Do I have to wait until I am married or 30 to adopt from China does any one know Thanks.

Want to start adoption of a child from China. I have a biological son who just turned four. I'm only 27 and my common law spouse is 37. Do I have to wait until I am married or 30 to adopt from China does any one know Thanks.

My husband and I are looling to adopt a baby girl and a baby boy about the same age. We both have nieces and nephews and our family knows our problem and they know that we have been talking about adopting and that said that they would love the child as thier own grandchild. I have pcos ( Polycystic ovary syndorome. So there for it is really hard for me to get pregnant and we really want to know what parent hood is like so it anyone can or would like to help us e-mail us at lldrl@yahoo.com. We are a married Christian COUPLE LOOKING to adopt like we said in this letter. Hope to hear from domeone soon.

Are you adopting or have you already adopted:

Yes, we are adopting!

Which adoption agency are you using:

MA Depatment of Social Services

How far along in the adoption process are you:

We are halfway through the 6 month foster care period. Massachusetts requires a 6 month period when the kid is yours as a foster.

What country are you adopting from: USA

If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience: He's our first! :-)

Do you have a web site: Not right now.
How did you find my site: Through Christweb

Your daughter is soooo cute!

We are adopting Justin, a 14 year old local kid. He's the BEST! :-)

Hi Mark, I remember connecting with you on Manna Cabanna when you were first pursuing adoption and I love seeing the lovely photos of Kaylee your precious daughter on your site! How happy she looks

Blessings to you this Christmas, I know you will enjoy Christmas witnessing her joy and excitement with the sights and sounds of the holiday!

Blessings, Jody Moreen, adoptee
Editor Adoption Blessings Journal
www.adoptionblessingsnewsletter.com

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: Yes we are adopting
Which adoption agency are you using: AWAA
How far along in the adoption process are you: We are doing our last home studie tonight!
What country are you adopting from: China
If you've already adopted, tell us about your experience: My husband is adoptived, put I have no idea what we are in for.
Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: PAPER WORK!
Do you have a web site: http://spaces.msn.com/members/journey2piper/
How did you find my site: Google!
Anything else... I would love to hear more about how everything is going with the family

Hi there everyone!
We are a family that are living in Dubai at the moment. We are South African residence residing in Dubai. It is Me, my husband Brad and my toddler Rio. We would like to give her a baby sibling. I realize that there are amny children in the world that need parents and would like to help. I am interested in a Chinese child. How can I look into adopting here in Dubai. There are Philipine poeple that live here and i'm wondering whether there is a chance for adoption in that cultural group. Come on guys, what can you tell me, what do you know. Regards Farrah Dearlove - Dubai

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: We are currently in the process to adopt!
Which adoption agency are you using: Bethany Christian Services
How far along in the adoption process are you: Almost finished the PAPERCHASE. Waiting for that elusive I-171H !!
What country are you adopting from: China!!! Can't wait to get our China Doll!!!

Do you have any words of wisdom for all of us involved in the world of adoption: Not too much wisdom to impart here, just wanted to say how much we agree with all that is said here. We are born-again Christians as well, and we know timing is all about God's big picture. He is in Control!!

Do you have a web site: http://spaces.msn.com/members/mnmabe/

How did you find my site: surfing for other China Blogs to share the journey with!

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: My parents are in the process of adopting from China!
Which adoption agency are you using:
America World Adoption Association
How far along in the adoption process are you:
We are paperchasing.
What country are you adopting from: China
Do you have a web site:
www.journey2sarah.blogspot.com
How did you find my site: Yahoo Search

Hi we are just in the process of fundraising for our adoption through India.

Love your blog. I haven't had time to read it all but I did read about your developmental delay scare. Our first daughter was very similar. At 10 mos could not sit up or even turn over. She caught up within months of getting home and getting TLC. She's now WAY ahead of her age-peers. Her new sister was actually ahead of the game from the start - but then she came from an different orphanage.

My poor neglected blog is:

littlesisterinchina@blogspot.com

Ooops! I forgot to note that your little girl is perhaps the third most beautiful little girl on the planet? (modesty prevents me from identifying #s 1 & 2)

Are you adopting or have you already adopted: We are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia
Which adoption agency are you using:
Christian World Adoptions
How far along in the adoption process are you:
Submitting dossier next week.
What country are you adopting from: Ethiopia
Do you have a web site:
www.nosmallfeat.typepad.com
How did you find my site: I don't remember, just lucky I guess. :)

Thanks for a great site, very informative.

Hi,

We're looking for authors to write an ebook on Adoption...came across this excellent blog...couldn't find your email but wanted to know if you or anyone you know owuld be interested

Rgds

Maria

Hello,

We live in the Netherlands and adopted in augusrt 2004 a little girl from Xinyi (Gunagdong).

Her name is Kaylee Shun, she was born 3 december 2002. She doing great and very beautiful like yor Kaylee.

Kind regard From Holland

Hello,

We live in the Netherlands and adopted in augusrt 2004 a little girl from Xinyi (Gunagdong).

Her name is Kaylee Shun, she was born 3 december 2002. She doing great and very beautiful like yor Kaylee.

Kind regard From Holland

I have aquestion more than a comment. We adopted domestically because we could not make the trip to China. Are there any agencies that require less time in China? Many thanks.

You guys are awesome. What a beautiful girl you guys have. Just wanted to say hi.

Lem

You guys are awesome. What a beautiful girl you guys have. Just wanted to say hi.

Lem