Another step completed... fingerprinting!!

I got the letter from USCIS last night that I was scheduled to get fingerprinted on Dec. 20th.  I have to be away for a 2 week TDY (Military for business trip), so I took a chance and drove the 2 hours to Helena this morning... AND THEY FIT ME IN!!

Now I am off to Couer d'Alene, ID and Yakima, WA, without any worries of missing my appointment.  YEAH!!

Week of UPS and downs...

The week started out Great.  It was my mom's birthday and I woke up to an email from Ann at Red Thread China with an update on BeLanna, along with pictures.  The next day I had another email with pictures of the care package she put together.  YEAH!!  She said it should be to the Zhengzhou SWI within a few days.



Blanket, Camera, Fish bag, Candies, Dolly, PJ's, Book w/ Chinese and English, Collage pillow.

In addition, I was able to put together a 400 word letter.  Mine ended up being mostly questions, but this is what I came up with and I am really praying that I will get this letter back on her Gotcha Day with most (or all) of the questions answered.
 

Dear Director and Nannies,

Thank-you for taking care of my daughter, Yin Yue.  She looks beautiful, happy and 

very well cared for in her pictures.  Please give her many hugs, kisses and cuddles 

from me. On the pillow are pictures of me, grandma, grandma’s two sisters, my dog 

and cat.  Please keep telling her, I am eager to bring her into my home and her 

entire family is eager to meet her especially the family dog who will happily clean 

her face for her.  Please take many pictures of Yin Yue with her friends, nannies, 

and the orphanage, so I will be able to show her where her life started and the 

wonderful people who cared for her.

Enclosed is a list of questions about my daughter Yin Yue. Answers to these 

questions will help me to make the transition easier for her.  Thank-you for 

taking time to answer these questions.

• Can her hair not be cut and be allowed to grow long?

• Where and how was she found?  

• Who found her?

• Was a note or memento with her?

• Do you have her finding ad?  Can I have a copy?

• Who chose her name and why? 

• Does she have a nickname?

• Is she potty trained??  

• Has she had any allergies? 

• What are her favorite foods and activities? 

• What makes her happy?

• How would you describe her personality?

• Does she have any likes/dislikes/sensitivities? 

• Is she close to a particular nanny? What is this nanny’s name?

• Is she close to a particular child(ren)? What is this child’s name?

• What was her first word? How old was she when she said it?   

  Is there a story that she should know about how/when/why she said her first word?

• How old was she when she started walking?

• What else would you like to tell me about her?

• Is there anything I should buy in China to take home for her that has special meaning?

• Is there anything you want to ask me?

       Sincerely, Carmel Finch

 
And then the downs started... I started to feel a deep cold coming on... and then my mom called to tell me she had been rear-ended in MY CAR!!   Luckily, she is OK and my car can be repaired... but MY CAR!!!

When she was driving over to Montana for my grandmother's deathbed vigil and the funeral, it was late at night, snowing TONS and she was driving slow... but that didn't stop the deer from jumping out in front of her.  Hence, her car was in the shop for a few weeks and I ended up with her rental... and she had to take my car and get back to work!!   And then.... she got into an accident with MY CAR!!!

Update, pictures and Grandma's Birthday!!

Today started off with a GREAT 62ND BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR MY MOM (Grandma)!!  I started off the day... like most... reading through my emails to catch up on what was posted on the blogs overnight.  So I am reading through them one by one, and then I hit one written directly to me.   It was from Ann at Red Thread China!!  I ordered a care package on Nov 30th and she had replied to many of my questions and requests the following day on Dec. 1st.   I wasn't expecting to hear back from her for at least another week.

Then...SURPRISE...Ann had called the Zhengzhou orphanage and got an update and 5 pictures!!!!   She emailed me later to clarify that she will be sending the care package later this week.... after she had her measurements.

This is the quick update she sent to me (I added the conversions into American Standards).  I am very happy to see that BeLanna is doing pretty well after her surgery and is still on track with her growth. FYI.. BeLanna is currently 20.8 months.

"Zhou yin yue can not go to toilet by herself ,she wear diaper .

She drinks from bottle .

After her operation,she can control her pee and bowel ,but her bowel is not very open ,each time she only has a little bit shit ,but if her nanny use Kaiselu to help her with her bowel ,then she will have quite a few .

height :79cm (31.10 inches)  Approx. 10th percentile

head:45cm  (17.72 inches)  Between 5th & 10th percentile

chest:47.5cm (18.70 inches)

weight:9.25kg  (20.39 lbs)  Approx. 3rd percentile

foot:12cm (4.72 inches)   SIZE 5
 Have a wonderful day,love,Ann"

Look at this Beautiful SMILE!!!

So Pensive...

She looks HUGE compared to this crib.

I-797C... The Receipt!!

I was getting worried it had gotten lost, but when I got home today, I found my I-797C in the mail from USCIS...with Receipt date of 11/23/2011.  Basically, this is letting me know that they received my homestudy and application paperwork and to be looking in the mail for a letter telling me when to go get fingerprinted.   Please let it come quickly and let me be able to get fingerprinted between Dec. 27-29th!!!!  Please, Please, Please. 

I am at a conference the week of the 13th and then studying for my next advancement exam the following week in Washington State... so basically unavailable for TWO WEEKS!!!

Oh yes... I ordered a care package for BeLanna and sent a follow on email to Ann at Red Thread China a couple of days ago.  Ann got back to me the next day and answered all of my questions, requests and concerns.   Keeping my fingers crossed I will have an update by the end of next week... with PICTURES... hopefully.   Then I will be able to take them to our annual command conference and show off all her pictures like a proud MOMMA!!!