Almost the last step

So as of tomorrow (Feb 1) we can start staying we will be in China next month (March)! Today we recieved our Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter. Or LOSC in adoption lingo. This is the letter we have been waiting for and thougth would not come until late February. It is the letter from CHina that says they have processed all our paperwork and that Elizabeth is ours!

Here is what is says:
"Based on your application and in accordance with the Adoption Law fo the People's Rebublic of China, the China Center of Adoption Affairs matched a child with you. Herein, we send the information about the child to you. You are kindly requested to make your decision, sign in the proper place below, and deliver this letter as soon as possible to the adoption organization which submitted your application file, Homeland Children's Foundation."

It is in Chinese and in English and is all official looking. So we will overnight this back to New York to our agency. Then they will send it to China and we wait for our permission to travel which takes about 5-6 weeks. Then when we get that, we can go! The exciting thing is that we are one of nine families from our agency that got their letters at the same time, so we will all be traveling together.

Things are getting so close and so real. Just a little bit more. It is crazy that we are talking weeks, not months or years anymore. Elizabeth is so close........

Becoming more of a reality

Each day something seems to happen that makes this whole process seem more real. It seems that we have been talking about our adoption for ever and I can only imagine that all of you are board stiff hearing about it. Or maybe, like me, you think it will never happen. Having a picture and name and information about Elizabeth (ERS in Hadley lingo, we always use initials), helps to make her more real. My girlfriends, sister-in-law and mom are planning a shower for me. Now, they would only do that if we really are getting a baby and this whole thing is for real, right? Sometimes I think they know more than I do. They seem to have more faith that there is an end in sight. On Friday, my sister in law, Bridget and I went shopping for "the girls". There was a point in the day that I almost started crying. Bridget found some matching outfit and said, wouldn't this be great for "the girls". To hear her talk about her daughter and my daughter (only two months apart) and the reality of it all, made me want to cry. It was so touching and exciting. To hear others planning for activities with my daughter, not just David and I talking endlessly about someone who may or may not exists or something that may or may not even happen. I am so thankful for those of you that seem to know more than me and seem to have more faith than me. Now, that I am collecting clothes in her size and other items that ERS will need, it seems more and more real.

Today David and Sam went with me to Target to start our baby registry. Now, you can only do that if you really do have a baby coming right? We tried to explain the concept of a baby shower and the registry to Sam. When we asked him what he thought his baby sister needed he said, "toys, clothes and a family." How heart warming, sure he started with the typical materialistic items, partly I am sure because we were going to Target, but he also added sweet things like a family, hugs and kisses! He can be such a sweet child sometimes.