An unexpected surprise!

On Wednesday, August 13, 2014, we received our email from our agency including more paperwork to fill out.  It included things such as a placement agreement, travel questionnaire, some releases, etc. It also included a page that basically lists all of the information we've received on our baby girl and we have to sign saying yes we actually got those things.  Well, on that list it said "5 video's".  I almost died!  We had not received any videos.  No way they have videos, I was VERY cautiously excited.  I emailed the girl, since I was officially signing it, to verify the information.  I told her we had not received any videos and there was some discrepancy about pictures as well.  I told her, obviously if there was more we would LOVE to have them!  As I said, I was very cautiously excited, cause no way, surely they accidentally got us mixed up with another child.
Well, they hadn't gotten it mixed up.  There was VIDEO!!!!!  On Thursday we got an email including 5 video's and about 30 pictures taken the day before her 2nd birthday (which was months before we even were matched).  I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!  I posted on FB that day about her grin and her giggle.  Oh my goodness, it was AMAZING to see her in action.  I just can't even put it into words.  Apparently one of our agency's social workers had gone over to meet lots of kids in a few different cities and had taken lots of video's and pictures and written small updates, so that when the children were placed they would be able to share them with their families.  This girl also wrote little updates about the children.
Ok, guys, like I said before, this was months before we were matched, before we got her file to review.  Remember the follow up questions we sent after the initial review of her file?  About the seizures - frequency, medicine, etc.  Well, this little update from the social worker, that we received weeks AFTER we even were matched, this little update from the social worker that our agency had months BEFORE we even were sent her file... it had ALL of those answers.  "This child has had no seizures... She does not take medication...".  OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  Answers that we waited weeks for, that we really hadn't even needed to ask because they already had these answers!!!  God works so mysteriously on our behalf.  I believe, without a doubt, that He worked these things out.  He wanted us to trust Him completely in the health of this child.  To fall in love with her and trust Him to take care of her.  I just don't even have words, again, to describe His grace and love for us!
So anyway, we filled out more paperwork and continued to wait for the all important LOA!

Our LOI...

First, what is an LOI?  It stands for "Letter Of Intent".  Basically it is a letter to country of child telling them that we would like to adopt this little girl, that we've done our due diligence in reviewing her medical file and that we are prepared and willing to accept her and her conditions; and that above all we will love her as our own biological child and do whatever needs to be done to keep her safe and take care of her.

So, it was Wednesday July 30.  I emailed our LOI to our agency.  Now, being that this precious girl was not released yet, our agency would be holding on to our LOI until her release and then they would send it over seas.  After I sent our LOI the girl at our agency called me with congratulations!  She also informed me that they had been receiving messages that "the city she was from" may be giving a release soon.  Our girl was at the end of that list so she may possibly be in that release.  I couldn't believe it; not only had we officially said yes, her release may be in the next week or so instead of month or so!
The next day my mom and sister came over.  I was so excited to be telling them all we had learned.  We just talked and laughed!  I'm so thankful that our families are so excited and supportive of our process!  Anyway, after lunch I was checking my emails and had one from Holt - SHE HAD BEEN OFFICIALLY RELEASED!!!!!!  I was SHOCKED!  The blessings just kept coming, I couldn't believe it.
We are so undeserving of God's grace and he just keeps covering and covering us with it.  I just am so overfilled with joy and thankfulness!  Even though I completely fail at trusting fully He still loves me fully!
Our LOI was officially sent Aug 4 and the timeline for the next wait was 2-4 months.  After the LOI comes the most important paper in this whole process.  The LOA, "Letter Of Acceptance".  It is the paper from in country saying "yes, we accept your LOI and you can adopt this precious girl".  I mean, NOTHING else can happen until we get that.
So at this point, Aug 4, we were again waiting, but at least things were moving forward, there were things for us to do during this wait.  We had to have our home study updated to cover our princesses "condition" and to include the new adult we had living in our house, John John, now that he's turned 18.  We were also waiting for more paper work from our agency that we had to fill out.  We also found out that instead of a 4-6 month wait time from this point, there was now a 6-8 month wait, UGH!!!  I just want to hold her, to bring her home!!!  But, we wait.  We wait for God to move, we wait for His perfect timing, we wait for our precious girl to come home, we wait and hope in Him!

How is he 15 already?!?!

I'll never forget the day we came home from the hospital with Travis.  It was anything but joyful!  We walked into a house with a broken AC, and a 3 year old puking; it was FANTASTIC!  I remember sitting on the couch that evening rocking Travis and crying saying, "what were we thinking?  why did we do this?  we should not have had another baby!"  We like to tease Travis about that he's the only "planned" child we have (until Jadyn Grace makes her entrance) and look what we got!  I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Travis, I love you!  You are one of a kind and God made you perfect for His purpose!  I am so proud of you.  I can't help but be filled with joy as I watch you grow into a young man.  You are full of compassion.  You love to love and I love to watch!  You have the biggest heart I've ever seen in a teenager.  You carry that heart right on your shoulder for everyone to see also.  I love to watch you be so vulnerable and be proud of it.  You don't care what anyone else thinks of you and you are confident in who you are.
I can not wait to see how God uses you.  I pray you keep Him first in your life and follow His path for you.  He will never fail you, He will never leave you.
I love you Travis!

What the doctor said!

So, the doctor called Wednesday afternoon and his report was AMAZING!   After his review of everything he said to him everything looks great.  She was developmentally, and physically exactly where she should be as a two year old.
We had been told by our agency that we could send follow up questions from the dr if there was anything else needed.  The doctor suggested a few, just so we could try to get a better understanding of the seizures (or epilepsy).  Also, there was a small discrepancy in her measurement dates and could make a difference in some of the effects the seizures may be having, or have had, on her.  The other questions were mostly about medications and frequency and such.
We sent our questions to our agency, knowing we may get no answers and if we did get answers who knew how long it would be!  So, MORE waiting began.  On their end there was no big rush since she was still on the prerelease list.  However, for us, it was SERIOUSLY more WAITING!!!!!
Again, no sleeping for me.  My head was spinning.  I couldn't believe how things were going.  I was so anxious.
After 2 1/2 weeks I received a phone call on Friday, July 25, from our agency.  The girl on the other end, the same girl I had been in contact with already, proceeded to say, "I don't usually make these phone calls but felt like I needed to go over this update with you before I sent it to you." (Ok, what does that mean?!)  As the next words came out of her mouth I was in near shock!  It was documented that this precious treasure had had no seizures since she had been under the care of the orphanage.  Every answer was a "no" to every question that we sent.  No medicine, no seizures, no EEG, etc.  The words out of her mouth were, "it appears you hit the jackpot." No honey - BUT GOD!!!!  From what we have put together over all of the information we have, this baby girl was having seizures.  She was dropped off at the hospital and the doctors diagnosed her with seizures.  She was then placed into the orphanage with a "label" of epilepsy - and NEVER had another episode after that!!!  I mean, truly a miracle in our eyes.  This just doesn't happen.  From what we know and have heard, a lot of families find out at their medical review for their child's visa, or when they come home, that their babies are healthy, but never before they have even accepted a referral!!!!  Just more of God's miracles!
Before I hung up from that phone call I asked how long it might be before this treasure was released. She said it could be 1-2 months.  Ugh - if (when) we say yes, MORE WAITING!!!!!
After we hung up she sent me the actual file along with some new pics :).  I forwarded all the new information to the doctor, we had to have his final "approval", but it was after hours so I knew it would be the next week, I told them I needed to know by Wednesday.
John and I talked Tuesday night.  We knew that if we hadn't heard from the doctor by Wednesday we were going to have to make a decision without his final consensus. (We had already received a phone call from the agency wondering if we had made a decision yet).  By Wednesday afternoon, when we still had not heard from the doctor, we knew we'd have a big conversation that night.  At about 4:00 my phone rang, it was the doctor!  He was so excited.  In his opinion our conclusions were right, and there was nothing to be concerned with.  Even her new measurements were great!  We knew, as soon as the doctor hung up, that she was ours.  We agreed that I would send our LOI!

Our Precious Girl! (continued)...

I guess I need to begin with some explanation, for those of you that don't know how this works.  (It's probably different depending on which avenue you take when adopting but this is how our particular agency works).  When we first sent in our application to start this process one of the papers in our packet was a "conditions list".  Basically, it's 3 pages of possible conditions that the child may have.  The idea is to comb through and research and make a list of the conditions that you feel equipped to handle.  Talk about HARD!!!  It took us nearly a week just to get through that list.  We cried over it, prayed over it, and cried over it more.  After many conversations with God, friends, our agency, and social worker we finally had our list.  (please know, this is not taken lightly!)

So, we decided to review her file.
Because we had called so late that night it was going to be the next morning before they could send us the info.  I didn't sleep much that night.  Tuesday morning I knew I was going to need something to do to keep me occupied.  Our agency is across the country, so it would be 11:00 my time before they even opened.  I decided to go get my nails done ;)!  When I got the email I went to John's work so we could read it together.
We read it and looked at pictures without much talking.  I think we were kind of numb.  It really seemed to good to be true.  After we finished I looked at John and asked, "what are your first thoughts?".  "If this is accurate, I don't know how we could say no!", he said.
My gut wrenched.  How could this be?!  I was terrified!  This was not what I had planned.  Isn't it funny how God works like that?!  I shouldn't be surprised to fall in love with His plan, not mine, but I am every time!
She was on what is called a "pre-release" list.  Basically the orphanages send over lists of children that are about to come available for adoption so that the agencies can begin searching for families.  That way when they are released they already have families waiting for them.
We had time to review her file, send it to doctors and specialists.  Our agency recommends that the file be sent to an International Adoption Clinic as they are trained in how to read translations, and understand what is being translated.  So, we attempted all of the above.
I forwarded her file to an adoption clinic in Tampa, and waited for a reply.  It was 2 days before they even got back with me so it would be the next week before the doctor would be able to review and call us with his report.
In the meantime, I tried to get reviews from neurologists, pediatricians, etc.  None of whom would give me the time of day.  I was shocked!  I totally assumed that I could at the very least email her file over and have them review, NOTHING!  Ok God, you've given us 1 outlet, we are trusting that he's the right one!
Those next days were agony.  I didn't sleep, I could think of nothing else.  I looked at her pictures constantly.  John was doing the same.  We were trying so hard not to fall in love with this precious child, but every day that went by, that we waited, not falling in love became harder and harder!