A weekend with friends

Amelia and I made the trek to Dallas last weekend to meet new (or is it old?!) friends. We met up with two families whom we have known via our adoption agency's chatgroup for the past 4 years. For the past 4 years, we have chatted via e-mail, shared laughter and joy, sorrow and loss, prayer requests, and stories about our beloved babies, but this was the first time we met in person. Both families live in other states, and we finally got our schedules coordinated for a weekend of togetherness. We had SOOOO much fun! We laughed and visited and shopped and even braved the American Girl store on Spring Break weekend. Clara, Dayna, and Amelia had a blast together.

The very best thing about adoption, aside from the children that bless our lives, are the wonderful friends you make along the way. I have met so many amazing and special families since joining the adoption community a few years ago. I can't imagine my life without these special friends.

Amy

Happy Chinese New Year

When you travel China with your newly adopted child, you hear a lot of "oooh, lucky baby!" comments. Well, let me tell you, she IS. When I was a kid, I remember winning one drawing ever, at the opening of a new store (I won a flashlight). Amelia wins things everywhere she goes. On Halloween, she won a door prize (random drawing) at a local church's widely-attended festival. Right after she won the door prize, she stepped into the cake walk and won her first time around the circle. This happens to us A LOT. So, it was really no surprise that she won a door prize at our first Chinese New Year event (she won a free dinner buffet at a local restaurant.) What WAS a surprise was when I handed her my ticket (after she won using her ticket), and she won again! Then, a week later, we attended another Chinese New Year event, where Amelia won a can opener. Again, I handed her my ticket, and she proceeded to win a new sheet/comforter set. Seriously, I need to take this kid to Vegas. Could it be because she prays for favor daily? She ends every prayer with "And Lord, please let everyone be so nice to me." There is a spiritual principle at work here, folks. I am convinced of it!

What Chunie's been up to

Naming the new sibling....



Yes, I walked into my room to see her perched in my bed, reviewing "The Baby Name Wizard" - a book that promises to help you find that perfect baby name. There are no photos in that book, and Amelia is not officially reading yet, so I have no idea what she was doing, except assuring herself of her stance on the issue of naming.

Amelia thinks the one and only name for a baby girl is Ava. The only problem is she loves this name so much, she has named a doll Ava, a Barbie Ava, and the stray cat who eats in our backyard Ava. (She did offer to re-name to cat if I would agree to consider Ava as a baby name.) I think we might be a little Ava-ed out.

My pick: Louisa. See how gentle and refined it feels? How it is almost a whisper of a name? How full of history and dignity it is without being a bit flashy? I love it. Too bad I can't get anyone else on the Louisa bandwagon. My second favorite is Lucy, which is cute and unpretentious with plenty of spunk. Plus, Lucy has the added bonus of not being a name that the rest of the family balks at.

Other top contenders: Annabet, Noelle, Miriam, or Eliza.

For boys, I like James, Benjamin, Owen or Asher. Amelia hates all of these suggestions, but offers no viable alternatives. (Note: Ava is not being considered a viable alternative for a male child.)

So, the naming debate continues in our household. From what I am hearing, a referral may take quite awhile, so we have plenty of time to find a name we all can love. The good news is the homestudy has been completed by the social worker and is on its way for finalization/approval by the international agency. Progress is good!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

To "fix" the hair, I took Amelia to a pricey salon. She picked out a cute photo of how she wanted her hair. We got nowhere close to the photo and learned, in the process, that Amelia's scissor skills aren't too far from those of a licensed cosmotologist. Oh well. It's only hair. It will grow. In the meantime, the only adjectives I am using around Amelia are "very grownup!" "so fashionable" and "beautiful" - - Amelia feeling good about herself is more important than teaching asthestics, at least at this point in development. However, her little friend Karson did tell her "you really DO look like a Chinese girl with that hair!" Even Karson recognized the orphanage/refugee look.

A hair-raising experience...

The Chunster, a/k/a The Arteeest, decided she needed a new "do". Yep, she took the scissors to her hair. Alas, we will be visiting a licensed cosmetologist tomorrow.

An itty bitty announcement

The Burch Family is expanding! We are adopting again and hope to complete the adoption by the end of the year!

Commonly asked questions:

Will your next child also be from China?
No. Since China closed to single adopters, I can't adopt from that country right now. After lots of exploration and prayer, I have accepted a slot in an agency's new "pilot program" in Taiwan.

Taiwan? Where's that?
Taiwan is a small island off the coast of China. China still considers Taiwan to be part of the mainland, while Taiwan considers itself to be an independent nation. The U.S. walks a fine line between recognizing Taiwan and not offending China.

Taiwan does international adoptions?
Yes. Many children in Taiwan are adopted domestically within the country; however, Taiwan also has a small international adoption program. Being single and pregnant carries quite a stigma in Taiwan, and some young women are rejected by their families when they find themselves in such circumstances. Those women may choose to parent or to place their child(ren) for adoption. Other children are available because of abuse or neglect in their birth families or because they have been orphaned and there are no other family members available to rear them.

How old will your next child be at adoption?
I don't know. Right now, it looks like I will probably be referred a baby. However, I am open to a child of any age.

Will you adopt a boy or a girl?
I don't know. As part of the program I enrolled in, I am not allowed to request gender. So, the gender of my next child will be totally up to God...imagine that!

What does Amelia think?
She is THRILLED and thinks that any person who speaks the English language must be blessed with the news that she is going to be a big sister.

Do you have names picked out?
NO! This is a big source of debate at our home at the moment. You are more than welcome to leave your favorite picks in the comments section!

Amy, Amelia, and ???

Happy New Year

I love new year...new hopes, new dreams, new commitments...a chance to start over. I am hoping and praying for wonderful things for our family this year. God has blessed us so richly, and I know His plans for us will continue to unfold in ways we could have never dreamed or imagined.