We have a SON!!!! A SON!!!!

It's official...we have a SON! 

His name is Roy Carl Rettew.  He is named after both of our Dads.  We love them so!  He is soooo ADORABLE!  I'm sorry to say, I'm not allowed to post his photo here until we have the official approval from China.  

We want to tell you how we KNOW he is our son....

We started this adoption journey back in the early fall.  Our home study was promised to be complete by Thanksgiving.  We did not receive the official home study until AFTER Valentines Day!  Even when we were soo frustrated....I had a feeling there was a reason for this ridiculous delay.  As it turns out...Roy's file was not even available until a few days ago!!!!  If our home study had been done by thanksgiving...we would most likely not been matched to him.  I cringe at that thought!

On Friday afternoon, our agency sent us an email saying we were officially "DTC", all documents were on their way to China!!!  Were we ecstatic & relieved!  Only 10 minutes later, we received another email from our agency saying they had a file for us to review over the weekend.  :-)  We were in complete shock!  We were not expecting any files for at least a month or more!  We opened his file and read it.  Mike knew immediately that he was our son!  I went into bit of a panic mode - thinking it was so soon - how can this be?!?!  I spent the night praying like crazy - by Saturday night I knew as well.  Sunday morning I woke up so full of JOY JOY JOY!  It really had sunk in-we had our boy!!!!

Here is a really crazy part --- Earlier on Friday morning, I had a play-date with my cousin, Kristina.  She & I were so excited that we were officially going to be DTC that day! I was talking about our future child & was daydreaming of him or her.  I even said 3 things that I would love our child "to have".

1. That he or she be from the same orphanage as Matthew (Kristina's son, whom I helped her bring home this past summer).  An orphanage is never ideal for any child - but this orphanage was the nicest I'd ever seen.
2. My second wish was that he or she be in a foster family.  That is such a big thing - this means the child gets soo much more attention and gets to see what a family structure is like.  Otherwise, our child would be in a room with 30+kids and only one or two nannies.  That is just NOT ENOUGH attention. (It’s a foster partnership through the orphanage). 
3. Lastly...my wish was that our child have the name "Song" in his or her Chinese name. I know - crazy, right??  This was because Matthew (my little cousin) had that in his Chinese name.  Matthew was a big big part of us starting this adoption.  

The chances of our child having 1 of the above is huge...nevermind all 3! Well...don't you know, when we opened up the file - Our child had all 3 of the above!!!!!  What a confirmation!  I chuckle at myself even doubting for a second that this was our son.  Our beloved beloved son. 

Please keep Roy & all of us in your prayers.  We are soo anxious to bring him home! We want to get on a plane today & go get him.  Unfortunately, we have about 4-6months more of paperwork & waiting ahead of us.

Roy turns 2 tomorrow!  My heart aches at missing this milestone - but we will be there for sooo many more.

1 Samuel 1:27-28 (NIV)

²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me

what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

A Time to Celebrate!

Of course we had to celebrate our DTC by getting Chinese food last night....

Officially DTC!!!!! (Dossier to China)

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!  It's official - we are DTC! 

 

This means all of our hard work of paper chasing is finally heading TO CHINA!!!

(This photo above is from this blog.)

Shortly after our dossier arrives in China, we get a "Log in Date".  Then we can FINALLY start seeing children's files!  We are so close!  We could not be more excited! 

I am envisioning our dossier being sent over to China on this FedEx plane.  he..he...

Yes, it's a real plane. :-)

Thank you for the prayers!  We are sooo excited! 

Please pray the dossier does not get lost on its way to China!

A Mother's Love...

As we all know, Easter is approaching.  I find it to be sooo bittersweet.  Jesus died for my sins.  I am so thankful & grateful.  Bitter that He had to do this for us.  Sweet because He did do it for us - giving us the ultimate gift - our Salvation.  I truly would be nothing with out him. 

Four years ago, I became a Mama.  A wonderful, phenomenal gift.  Life changing to say the least.  Since becoming a Mother - Good Friday has a new perspective.  I think about Jesus' Mother, Mary a lot.  My heart aches for her.  I honestly can not imagine what she went through watching her son SUFFER on the cross.  It is unfathomable to me.  My brain will not even allow me to think what it would feel like to watch my child die so cruelly.

I have also been thinking of my child's birth mother.  She has given him or her a gift - a gift of LIFE.  A gift of letting him or her go to have better medical care.  I am sure this was not an easy decision to say the least.  My heart aches for her.  What a sacrifice to make.  She may never know what happens to her precious baby.  I am so thankful for her - I know that when we are finally matched with our child - our child will be given a life full of LOVE. Love from us.  Love from Maddie.  Love from our family.  Love from our friends.  I have no doubt that our child will be LOVED.LOVED.LOVED!!!!

A few weeks ago, a very powerful story was published about Chinese birth parents giving up their children at the Guangzhou Baby Hatch.  For full article, read it here.  A reporter was there & captured some strong images.  My heart broke.  I will never know what it is like to be in my child's birth parents shoes.  When we started this adoption process, I must confess - I judged my child's birth family. I'm embarrassed to say so.  After doing soo much more reading & praying.  God has completely convicted me & given ME a new LOVE and admiration for my child's birth family.  I am so thankful for them. 

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

"....The greatest of these is love."

I 800a APPROVAL!

WONDERFUL NEWS!!! 

We have our I800a APPROVAL LETTER!

 

 

 

I received it in the mail yesterday & what a FANTASTIC SURPRISE it was!  It only took 38 days to get approved!  The average wait time is 30 to 60 days.  I feel like we are finally making up for some lost time.  I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are!

 

I rushed out the door quickly to get it notarized & state certified.  It went overnight delivery & should be to China Embassy soon!  Once that is approved, it goes directly to our adoption Agency (MAA) and then TO CHINA!  This completes our "dossier".  We then get a "log in date" from China & can FINALLY start seeing kids files!  I am dreaming & praying of the day we get our child's photo - If I'm excited now, haha, just wait till we have a picture!

 

Thank you all for praying!  It really means a lot to us.  I know that prayer IS working.  I can't elaborate, for I don't want to get anyone in trouble. But, there was a glitch yesterday that should've delayed us by another full day.  This amazing lady did us a HUGE favor! I really wonder if she was an Angel.  Truly, unreal.  I'm so grateful.

When I thanked her profusely, she hugged her chest & said she knows how it is & understood.  What a blessing.

 

Next up...Dossier to China!!!