Emilia Is 5

Emilia's fifth birthday has come and gone.  We celebrated small this year with just the four of us because there's a lot going on in our lives right now and we need to keep the things in our control as low key as possible.  Nonetheless, Emilia had a great birthday and enjoyed spending time with her family.

Emilia and I had a quiet day at home.   She was in a playful mood.

We went for a walk and Emilia took her birthday present, an umbrella, with her. She also received a pretty pair of rain boots from Miss Rie which have been a popular fashion choice since.

After Craig and Rex got home, we went out to dinner at a small local diner.  It was probably the best meal we have had at a restaurant as a family since the kids came home in 2011.

Emilia knew that back at home, she had birthday cupcakes waiting for her.  Even though they were gluten and dairy free, they were really delicious. The homemade ganache is key.

In her own words,
"I a mess."

Happy birthday, sweet girl.  Now you are five.  

You are so wonderful and bless us every single day with your hugs, kisses and love, 

your laughter, sense of humor and wit, 

your caring and compassion, especially for your big brother, 

your spontaneous and uninhibited dances 

and your adorable singing that brings tears to daddy’s and my eyes in the car sometimes.  

We cherish that instead of I love you, you often say, “Twinkle, twinkle” 

to let us know how you feel when you squeeze us tight, 
press your cheek to ours, or rub noses with us.  

You amaze us with the surprising and remarkable ways you see the world around you, 

with how much you know even if you don’t always have the words to express it, 

and with the happiness you bring to everyone you meet.  

You are a gift and a treasure.  We love you.

She Doesn't Know...

... how much she is loved from thousands of miles away

... what life will be as a daughter, big sister, niece, cousin and granddaughter

... that there are a home, a room, a bed, lots of clothes, and toys waiting for her

... that many people have been generous in helping cover the cost of her adoption

... that we have worked diligently for twelve months to make her our child

... that we have been watching videos of her many times over

... that I hum a song I heard her sing every single day

... that many of us are working, advocating, and praying for her best friend "L"

... that her little sister knows how to say her name and recognizes her face

... that we will come to pick her up very soon

3-4-5 Prep Part 1

So, I am preparing for our pick up trip which involves three weeks, four suitcases and five people.  The first thing we did was purchase Sis a wardrobe.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money for the following reasons:

1) Big Sis has some definite opinions about fashion and may not like what I choose.  I'd rather buy less and let her select additional items on her own after she comes home.

2) Sis may have a growth spurt in the first months home, so I didn't want to have to replace a lot of expensive pieces of fall/winter clothing after only a short time of wearing.

3) Sis's special need affects the way that some things will fit her and it will be much easier to purchase those things with her in tow and make alterations as necessary.

With these thoughts in mind, I was able to put together everything she needs to start for less than $100.  Some things were gifts, others hand-me-downs from my niece, and the rest came from second hand stores.  Everything is very mix-and-matchable and can be worn in various layered combinations to suit the weather and the occasion.

The cardigan was new with tag
at a second hand store for $10.
Score!

The pajama set was less than $5.00 new at Children's Place.
The shirts were about $14 at Old Navy.
The socks came from Target for about $15.

Shoes are possibly going to be tough to fit for Sis, so I am taking these three pairs to get us through the time in country.  Then we will go shoe shopping for something brand-new and comfortable when we are home.

Lastly, Big Sis said she wanted to wear a blue dress the day she leaves the orphanage.  I got her this one with an unusual pattern I like and cute pockets.  If this doesn't fit, we have a hand-knitted dress made by my aunt as a back-up.

The tree print seems fitting
because we will help Sis put down roots
and reach for the sky

And there you have it, our little girl's very first, very own wardrobe.

September 21, 2013

One year ago today, we sent this message to our placing agency:

Boxes For Big Sister Thank You

Have you ever wanted to see a mathematical representation of love?  If so, I've got one for you here:

Our thanks to all of the generous donors, friends and family and acquaintances from different countries and all areas of the U.S., who helped us raise $1455 toward the cost of Big Sister's adoption.  We feel so blessed by the support that has been extended to us as we prepare to add another member to our family.  One day Big Sis will read this blog and know how much she was loved even before she came home.

Money has been tight these last few months, not just in terms of finishing up this adoption, but also due to some other circumstances that have arisen unexpectedly and presented our family with an opportunity we could not pass up.  I cannot say more right now, except that the universe has our back.  In the midst of our financial bottleneck, Craig received a bonus last week at work and just today I got a call from Rex's school, letting me know his annual out-of-pocket insurance maximum has been reached, so we will have no co-pays for the remainder of the calendar year.  In other words, Rex's schooling and associated therapy are free to us until December 31.  In addition, his Prompt speech therapy will now be 100% covered through 2014.  I cannot tell you what a tremendous relief and help this is to us in this particular season of our lives.

And to my daughter-to-be I'll say this: It won't be long now until we're forever family.  You're coming into our lives at a crazy time and it isn't going be an easy transition for anyone, but I promise you that we will take good care of you, protect you, teach you, have fun together, and love you for always.

Unadulterated Joy

This is my daughter breaking into a full-on dance in the middle of a public square on Saturday.  Why?  Well, as far as I could tell merely because music was playing and she liked the song and she was happy.  I adore the purity of her emotions and how freely she lets them flow.

Boxes For Big Sister - Three Days Left

Our fundraiser for Big Sister will close at the end of Sunday, September 13.  Only hours remain for you to be a part of her story by spreading the word and/or making a contribution.   Forty of the 100 boxes have been sponsored by generous family and friends from around the world.  Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. 

First hug with her forever mom

BOXES FOR BIG SISTER

Below is a grid of the numbers 1 through 100.  Each square represents a dollar amount, for example, square 25 equals $25.  We are looking for up to 100 people to sponsor the squares on this grid by making a donation in that amount of money to our Adopt Together account here.  All contributions are tax deductible.

Now, to make it a bit more interesting, there are several random Magic Squares on the grid which are connected to little prizes (three prizes have been found and several others remain to be uncovered), including two books signed by their authors, handmade children's gloves, and a dozen homemade cookies.  If you happen to sponsor a Magic Square, you will be mailed the prize as soon as your donation posts at Adopt Together and I have your address.

There are also ten hidden Q&A Squares.  If anyone commits to sponsoring any of those squares, I will answer the corresponding question about Big Sis after the donation posts to our Adopt Together account:

1) How old is Big Sis?
2) What's her favorite color?
3) What's her favorite food? - Big Sister says her favorite foods are apples and grapes.  She'll fit right in.
4) What will Big Sis's initials be after her adoption? - This is still under debate, but her first and last initials will be AM.  We may wait to choose a middle initial until we re-adopt here in our state.
5) How far away does Big Sis live right now from our family?
6) What's Big Sis's eye color? - Brown.
7) How often does Big Sis's special need occur? - The exact version of her special need is estimated to occur in only 1 out of 200,000 births.
8) What's her favorite fairy tale? Little Red Riding Hood.
9) What color dress does Big Sis want to wear when she leaves the orphanage? She specifically asked for a blue dress and told me her favorite color to wear is blue.
10) What's the elevation of Big Sis's city of residence?

If you have any questions or to let me know that you have made a donation sponsoring a square, please email me at viviane 8 at yahoo dot com.  You can also leave a comment here on the blog to let me know that you have sponsored a square.  The grid will be updated regularly.  Thank you.