Update Before Travel!

I haven't been very good at keeping up with blog posts this adoption, but we are coming so close to bringing Caroline and Hanna home! The financial aspect of it all makes it very stressful, I would give anything to be fully funded right now, but it's just not the way this adoption worked out (Gia's fundraising was a breeze!) BUT the joy of being so close to having the girls home far outweighs the stress! :) It looks like we will be traveling in November, thank goodness! Nick is leaving in January, so we want the girls home by then, so Gia is taken care of by her daddy while I'm in China, and Caroline and Hanna can have a little bonding time with him too!

Speaking of, I updated our timeline on the right side of our page, and we did things a little out of order this time. Back when we thought Nick would deploy this fall, we let our agency know, and they sent our I800 applications in early, so that the lockbox wait would be over when we received our Letters Seeking Confirmation from China. He is no longer deploying with his unit this fall (it was starting to look like it would be impossible to get the girls home in time, but prayers were answered!), but like I said, he'll be leaving in January to provide medical coverage to training in California, so it's still somewhat urgent, and we're very grateful for everything our agency did to scoot our timeline along! :) We have a couple more steps ahead of us, but they should go pretty quickly!

Everything at home is all set up for the girls! We have their bedroom done, clothes and jammies purchased, the bags are somewhat packed, and the siblings are super excited! Well, three out of four are excited...one appears to be excited but her anxiety has been peeking through more and more as we get closer! ;) It's going to be quite the adjustment for Gia (and the others too), but we know in the long run she'll have a special bond with them.

I'm anxious about going to China without Nick, he and I both are sad that he won't be there for those first days that the girls are in our family. However, I am less nervous about all the traveling than I was last year! I know what to expect as far as China itself goes, so hopefully the culture shock won't be such a, you know, SHOCK. :) With Gia's EB, we had NO IDEA what to expect, and man was it hard to manage her needs in China, but with Caroline and Hanna, I pretty much know what to pack and how to take care of them, and I hope they'll sense that they have a momma who knows her way around EB! And finally, I'll have my wonderful friend Stacie with me, an adoptive momma and China veteran herself, to help me out when I need some food, or a nap, or a hug! :)

Here are the newest pictures of our sweet girls, they both look great and we can't wait to have them home, safe and sound! <3