Fabulous February is here

January has come and gone! Where does the time go? I can't believe it has been 3 months since our plane landed in West Texas and Amelia and I began our new lives together here in the United States. She continues to amaze me. She is now recognizing letters ("o" and "t") and knows a few numbers. She is learning to master pronouns ("me" and "you"). If she can't say the words, she has no trouble getting her meaning across by pointing and showing you exactly what she wants. She tells everyone where to go and how to get there! Some might say she is "bossy," but I like to use the term "determined." She definitely knows her own mind, which will serve her well as she grows older.

I do see a hurt and fear that surfaces from time to time and reminds me that, though she is incredibly resilient, she has experienced a major trauma in her tiny little life. Thank goodness we serve a Lord who heals broken hearts and mends tender spirits! Amelia is happy and healthy and grows more confident and comfortable in her new life every day.

I am delighted to report that The Chunster finally seems to be adjusting to daycare. What a huge relief! She still cries a little bit, but it's more of that typical 2-year-old not wanting to be left than the wails of a frightened child whose whole world has been turned upside down. Thank you to all who have prayed for Amelia during this difficult time of adjustment.

I have been missing my beloved China lately. Some days, I think about China and yearn to be there again. Life there seems simpler and more quaint. Of course, every time I have been to China, it is like a vacation, since I am not working and am getting to truly soak in the experience of life there. I am sure it would be different if a person lived and worked there every day. Even so, I miss the kindness and gentility of the people, the delicious food, the fabulous prices, and all the walking and pedicabs. I just love China so much!

I hope and pray that Amelia will come to love China, too. I wish I could take her to live there for a month or two every summer Wouldn't that be grand? I seriously need to win the lottery! HA! I hope she is always proud and happy to have been born there. Yes, the country has problems, but then again, so does the U.S.!

I have finally(!) managed to upload some of the photos that Amelia's foster family provided of Amelia as a baby and Amelia seeing my photo for the first time. What a precious treasure these sweet people gave Amelia to be able to have a glimpse into her early life. There are additional photos in the "NanChong, China" photo album.

Love,
Amy & Amelia AiChun

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I have completed putting together our adoption video (see link on homepage). It is a true love story - the story of a Father who so loved two of His children that He called one to go to the other side of the world to find the other. In His loving plan, both would get a forever family. How blessed Amelia and I are to have one another!

We had a very happy Valentine's Day. Amelia had a party at daycare on the 13th. She had a little trouble giving away the Elmo Valentines we bought. She colored them and put stickers on them, and then wasn't so sure she wanted to part with them, but she eventually did. On the 14th, she went to school with her friends Chase & Chandler for a "big kids" Valentine party. I wasn't there, but I hear she was the belle of the ball.

Amelia's newest thing is to find my camera, bring it to me, and then pose herself and say "cheese!" Where did she learn to be such a ham? Grandmama doesn't live close, so I can't blame it on her!

Amelia is saying lots of new things. She has picked up "thank you" and "amen." She knows "Dora" and "sun." She asks for "faffle" (waffles) for breakfast. She recognizes the letters "A," "B," "O" and "T." She knows 2 comes after 1. She has added "sheep - baaa," "turtle," "snake" and "rat" to her repertoire of signs. Her other new favorite word is "mine," which she says loudly and often!

It is really hard for me to believe that in just a few days, it will be 3 months since Amelia AiChun was placed in my arms. How can someone you have only known such a short while be someone you feel like you have known forever. There are days when I would swear I gave birth to her - I feel her presence so deeply inside me that I think surely she must have lived there at one point.

Amelia is a very affectionate child. She loves to be hugged and kissed. She will run across the room and jump into your arms and squeal with delight. She teases, and had a really cute sense of humor. This child has personality in spades! I told someone the other day that I think God gave her a double dose. She is not shy about letting you know what she wants and how she wants it, either! I think that she is not only adorable on the outside, but on the inside as well. I definitely won the little girl lottery when this child was chosen to be mine.

Love,
Amy & Amelia AiChun

January with The Chunster

January has set in, and it has been cold here in our part of West Texas! Amelia is continuing to grow and change every day. She has gained 3 pounds since arriving in the U.S. It must be the McDonald's - this child loves a french fry! She is saying many new words - "apple," "eyes," "ears," "nose," "water," "eat," "feet," and of course, "NO." What 2 year-old's vocabulary would be complete without that word?

She is mostly happy, especially if she gets to spend the whole day with her Mama. She is still struggling with daycare. Precious Amelia AiChun does not like being left.

Amelia has recently acquired a new tricycle (thank you to my office friends!) and new glasses. She LOVES her tricycle, but she hasn't learned to pedal yet, so Mama is still the motor right now. She is learning to wear her glasses, and hopefully, they will help her eyes with the inward roll that you sometimes see in the photos.

Amelia is learning a little bit of sign language to help her communicate. She has been learning the animals, and can sign "monkey," "elephant," "lion," "tiger," "butterfly," "chick," "rabbit," "dog," and "cat." She also knows the sign for "Jesus," which she does when we read her Bible story before bed. It is so cute!

We recently had a "big" snow here - big by Texas standards. Amelia enjoyed playing in the snow and learned to say, "Brrr...it's cold." Her favorite person in the whole world is our dear teenage friend, Mariah. Amelia LOVES Mariah, and enjoyed spending a couple of hours playing with Mariah in the snow. I think Amelia would move in with Mariah if I would let her!

As much as I prayed, planned and knew that adding Amelia to my life would be an adjustment, there is truly no preparation to going from taking care of only yourself to taking care of another person all the time. I am amazed at how little I used to do - now, I am on the go from sun up to sun down (usually before the sun is up and after the sun is down). I do miss my sleep! Good thing I don't have a newborn!!! At least Amelia (mostly) sleeps through the night.

Amelia continues to be a treasure and blessing from God. I am amazed at his goodness and the grace that He has extended to both Amelia and me as we continue to cement the bonds that make a family. We so appreciate your interest and love for our family and ask for your continued prayers. .

Love,
Amy & Amelia AiChun

Happy New Year

Christmas has come and gone, and I have the best present of all. I don't think I have never appreciated the miracle of Christmas as much as I did this year. To think that Father God would send His Son in the form of a baby, Jesus, is just beyond comprehension. I also appreciated Mary's role so much more this year - how much faith and courage it must have taken for her to hear the words of the angel and to say "Be it done to be according to His will." I know how scary that can be - and how wonderful the result is!

Amelia is every bit the 2 year-old! She wants to do everything herself and loves Elmo. She likes to play with her Elmo vacuum (thank you, Cousins Kyndal & Candice!) and her Elmo workbench (thank you, Grandpapa & Grandmama).
She laughs and smiles easily and even teases! She can say many words - right now, her favorite is "water." I have the only 2 year old on the planet who orders water at the the DQ drive-thru. She is an expert traveler, and while I was busy with boarding passes and coats, she sat down and took her shoes off to go through security at the airport. This kid gets it!!

She is delightful in every way, and I remain amazed and awed that His plans truly are above our plans! I never would have imagined adopting a 2 year-old from China as the "perfect" thing to do in life, and yet, here we are, mother and daughter - Father truly does know best.

We thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers.

Love and Blessings for a marvelous new year,
Amy & Amelia AiChun

Merry Christmas, Amelia

Amelia has met and come to quickly love her Grandmama, her cousins, her Auntie Kiki, Mariah, Cece and all the other family and friends who surround our lives with happiness and joy.

Christmas was good. It was a little overwhelming for Amelia so soon after coming here, but it still good. She understands the concept of presents! Amelia is growing each day into a happy, healthy little girl. She is loving and sweet. She laughs and plays and teases. The entire Burch family (and several families who aren't Burches!) love our precious Amelia.

We're Home!

We made it home. Whew! Amelia was VERY sick on the flight home. She was spiking fever over 104 on the airplane, and had bad diarrhea. Her pediatrician thinks it was a rotovirus. We were met at the airport by family and friends. Everyone was eager to meet Amelia, but did great at being respectful of her need to "ease" into it. Again, she suprised us all by graciously greeting the newcomers, opening gifts and even giving a few smiles out. She never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think something will be too much for her, she rises to the occasion. We are jet-lagged and exhausted but happy to be back among our family and friends.

Amy, Amelia, Mike & Sara

Consulate Day

Today was our "Swearing In" day. All the new parents from all the different agencies went to the US Consulate in Guangzhou and stood in line to get our Visa papers for our new children. Then, we all made a short oath promising that everything we said and did during the adoption was true. There were about 50 families going through this process today. They said about 8,000 families are processed through Guangzhou for Chinese adoptions to the US each year. Incredible, isn't it?!

Tomorrow, Amelia will travel to the US on her Chinese passport and a US immigrant visa. Once she is processed in through her port of entry, she becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States. She can never be President of the United States because she wasn't born here, but other than that, she will have all the rights and privileges of every other US citizen.

Amelia was a little out of sorts today, and even threw her first big temper tantrum. I had to take a photo! I am happy to report that I did not give in (she wanted to eat chips and we were on our way to lunch), and she soon sat up and acted like a big girl. Boy, oh boy, aren't 2-year-olds FUN???!!! We are so excited and ready to bring Amelia home to meet all our family and friends. We leave tomorrow and will see you on the "other" side - which we hope is the USA and not the "other side" as in the Heavenly Gates!!! :) Just kidding. All will be well, and we will see you soon.

Love you,
Amy, Amelia, Mike & Sara