Shelby Marie from Tennessee: April 2009

Friday, April 17, 2009

How I looked the first time I saw her face...

This is what love at first site looks like!

I remember saying she's so beautiful over and over

This is the director of CHI pronouncing her name and telling us about where she lives

Just seeing these photos makes the drive to St. Louis worth it more and more. Thanks for capturing this priceless moment CHI!!!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Oh what a day...Friday was... that is!!!!

I was sitting at work and at 9:04am I heard "Shelby alert, Shelby alert answer the phone it's CHI" (I had the ringtone for them set to this on my phone). All the nurses were quickly surrounding me on the edge of their seats. It was Rebecca and she asked how I was and when I replied with "I don't know" she informed me I was great that my referral had arrived! I was in a state of panic because I wasn't ready to write anything down (there were no rumors of referrals being on the way and I had given up for the week). She quickly told me she didn't know anything but wanted to call if I wanted to get on the road to come and pick up my packet. Well needless to say mom and I went on a road trip. We drove the 5 plus hours to St. Louis to see our angel. We didn't have any info on her until we got there and the staff was so excited to be able to give it to us in person. So without further delay please meet Shelby Marie from Tennessee...she will be 19 months old on the 14th of April. So her official birthday is September 14, 2007. This means we don't have a "rat" that she was born in the year of the Golden Pig (if you remember from the news Chinese families feel it is very lucky to be born in this year...I would agree!) At her year check-up she weighed about 16 pounds. She is in southern China and is in foster care (that is wonderful news indeed because it means she has been loved on and that is an answered prayer). Her Chinese name is Cao Ming Ying and I'm still waiting on the translation of this. We have some information that is in English and if I must say at a year she seems very advanced indeed (not that I'm partial or anything). Here are just a few of the things she could do then: walks with one hand held (I bet she's running races now...I better get my tennis shoes ready), imitates drawing lines and circles, imitates words, knows what "no" means, moderate sleeper, fond of playing games and with toys, fond of singing (we may have another choir member yet), shy, quiet, and it looks like she might be potty trained. I could go on and on but you are probably ready for pictures already. So I will finish by saying I have some of the best family and friends in this world. My phone didn't stop ringing or texting yesterday and when we arrived home at 10pm last night we had a huge welcoming committee and we were blown away! Here she is (she is 10 months old in these pictures)...

We hope to travel in 6-8 weeks and then we truly will be China Survivors!!

Still waiting for Shelby...

Our wait for Shelby began on September 13, 2005. We are now very close to being with our angel. We hope to travel in early 2009. This has been a journey filled with many highs and lows. I want to take this oppportunity to thank everyone who has stood by me and prayed for us. My mom-she has been on this roller coaster from the first informational meeting and we take turns keeping each other grounded, my family-my grandma who helped me have the best nursery ever and my LA gang-for not giving up that they will soon have another niece and cousin, friends-way to many to name but I'm going to try (and if I leave someone out don't fret we will call it a paper pregnancy moment)-Lauri (all the cards), the Wardskis, Jen., Lisa, Sheri, Tiffany, my Hillcrest UMC friends...always patiently letting me cry, vent, and forever guess at what China will do next, and last but not least my work family-I can't even begin to express how they have kept me lifted up...from Sally starting her hair bow collection, Chinese New Year celebrations, Sebrina always keeping up with the rumor queen and marking the days off as we get them, and finally all the cards and pick me ups left quietly on my desk at the most needed times. They always know when the end of the month comes (referral time) I need a shoulder and pep talk and never waiver in staying positive. So thank you all again for what you have done and all that I know you will do until we have "Shelby Marie from Tennessee" (from the famous ? my dad had for her in her quilt scrapbook "Shelby Marie are you really from Tennessee...you look Chinese to me")