Only 17 more days until we get to hold you!

Our baby girl is 7 months old now! We can't wait until we get to meet you in only 17 days, Arabella! Please know that we are doing everything we can to bring you home as soon as we can; your daddy and I love you very much! Here's a poem just for you:

KISSES IN THE WIND

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams,

You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long,

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.

I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--Unknown

March pictures and other stuff

These are new pictures of Arabella from her doctor's appointment on Friday. She has enough hair now for pigtails; she is too cute for words! Our trip is only 23 days away, and I'm already packing! She is wearing one of the onesies and bibs we sent to her. We are taking a whole suitcase of stuff to leave with her foster mom after our visit trip. This will help us not have to pay to ship it. If you haven't heard the story, the first package we sent in January ended up costing $267. This is for a medium-size box; I think it weighed 12 pounds. I said I wouldn't send anymore, then I remembered we needed to buy her an Easter dress. I just sent her Easter outfit, shoes, and 2 small stuffed animals. The package weighed a little over 2 pounds and still cost $90 to send. What a ripoff! What's a girl to do? My baby needed an Easter dress, so I had no choice. Good thing the Easter dress and shoes were a gift from my friend at work. Thank you, Ashley! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my mom. Her surgery went well and she is at home recooperating. Her therapy is painful and is wearing her out, but she is doing great! I put a picture up in her hospital room of Bella and told her to look at it when she was hurting and didn't want to get up or wanted to give up to remember what her goal was. She has to get that hip better for our trip in June to see the baby. I am proud of you, Mom. Here's a big thank you to my sister, Tammy, who took off work last week to stay with Mom and take care of her. I helped as much as I could, but Tammy is a nurse and is much better at taking care of sick people than I am. I love you, Tammy! As far as our adoption process, we are waiting to get out of family court and for preapproval (PA) from the embassy still. It could take up to another month for PA, but we are praying for sooner. You have to have PA before you can go into PGN, so we are very anxious to get this step done. I will update my blog and let you know as we get out of family court and when we get PA. Several people I know have gotten I-72's (request for more information) from the embassy lately. The attorney has to fix the problem or get new info., etc. before they can proceed and get PA. Please pray that we don't get and I-72. Please embassy, have mercy on us! I have met two ladies who are also adopting from GU who I would like for you to pray for as well. Remember Valerie and Lori in your prayers that their adoptions will proceed swiftly and that they can bring their daughters home as quickly as possible. I covet your prayers for Arabella as well. It is so hard not to be able to be with her and be able to protect her as we would like to. I know our Heavenly Father is much more capable of doing this job than I am; I have to entrust her to Him! I pray for his angels to encircle her foster family's home and to keep them all safe. My niece Lyndsey prays for Arabella every night and asks for her to come home soon and to have fun with her foster family. Isn't that sweet? I am anxious to meet Karen, her foster mom, when we go to visit. I will be able to ask her lots of questions and learn more about my baby. She will also be bringing us back the disposable cameras we sent down for her to take lots of pictures over the past few months. This will show us where Bella lives now, who she lives with, how much she is growing, etc. It will be really difficult for Karen and her family when we bring Arabella home to KY. I thank God that my daughter is with a foster family who can give her lots of love and attention and that she is not in an orphanage. Well, I have rambled on enough for one night. Only 3 weeks now.............................