Since Lei answered that she would like and American name, I have been trying to come up with a few. Its a HUGE responsibility! It seems even harder than if she was a little baby! Lei doesn't have a middle name, but we definitely want to keep Lei as her middle name.
First names I like:
Kaiya
Jordyn
Cheyenne
Austyn
Ashlynn
Nakita
Kailynn
Any suggestions?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Care Package
We sent a care package to Lei a few days ago through Red Thread Ch@na. Ann took pictures of what is in the care package for her. It includes:
a fresh cake to celebrate her Forever Family Day
a photo album with 25 pictures of us with short descriptions of who is in each picture
a letter from us
an outfit (shirt and pants)
a pretty dress
a pair of shoes
a pretty journal to keep a diary
a bag to hold her things (looks like a messenger bag)
a bag of candies to share with her friends and caregivers
two disposable cameras
Ann emailed me that when she called to find out Lei's shoe size, she heard Lei's voice. She said that she had a really, really sweet voice. She also said, "The orphanage staff said that Zhao Lei was a very lovely and pretty girl,she loves to be pretty too ,so I bought one pink outfit ,one pink EDC Esprit pants ,one dress and hair stuff for her ,I am sure she will love all your gifts !!!" Her interactions with the orphanage staff and notes to us make us feel even more connected to Lei. Ann sent us pictures of what is in the care package and said Lei will get it next week along with a cake from a local baker. She said that she hopes the caregivers will be able to send pictures of her with the cake in the next couple of weeks.
Paperwork
I waited the VERY LONG WAIT for the I800A to adopt a child from China. Then I raced to get the paperwork for the I800 out with our paperwork and Lei's paperwork so we could get approval to adopt her. It's so nerve-racking because I was never completely sure I did each step correctly until I received each approval. I called a couple of times for each step. Irritating to those in charge? Probably, but the wait is SO HARD that I had to do something to feel I was helping it along.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Update
I planned on writing in this blog much more often when I first started writing it. The problem is that things move soooo slowly for each step in this adoption process that it's hard to keep "up" about it. There have been some great things that have happened in the last month or so that I do want to post about. The first thing is that we were able to get an update on Lei! Each orphanage will give one update before you get your child, so we asked for it a few weeks ago. I knew that the photos we had from the original referral were from spring of 2010, so they were over a year old. Gary, the man who adopted Lei's best friend, told me that he had asked when his son's pictures and Lei's had been taken and they said March or April. The ones he took were taken in July of 2010. I had waited until I guesstimated that we were past the half way mark to traveling to China to ask for an update. I came up with a list of questions for the caregivers and Lei to answer. I also asked for updated pictures. A few days later I had a feeling I had received an email with the update. I checked my email. No update. I really thought that the email would be there, so I checked again right away and there it was! I couldn't open the email right away, but my caseworker emailed it to me again a different way and I was able to read the update. I was just about to drop off my kids at school so after I dropped them each off in their classrooms I asked if I could use the office computer. I printed off the answers and then sat in my car and read them. Here they are:
Province: Zhejiang
Questions:
1. Who chose her name and why?
A caretaker named Zhang Xiu Qin chose her name.
2. Does her name have a special meaning? Does she have a nickname?
There is a very popular woman volleyball player named Zhao Rui Rui in China. The pronunciation of Lei is similar to the name Rui, so the orphanage named her Zhao Lei in hope of that she will be strong, clever and beautiful like Zhao Rui Rui. Her nickname is Lei Lei.
3. Does she want an American name?
Yes.
4. Was there a note or anything with her when she was found?
There was no note or other objects with her when she was found.
5. Who is she closest too? Does she have any special friends?
She is closest to the cook named Sun Bing Kui and the caretaker named Jin Guo Qin. She has many good friends.
6. Do you have her finding ad? Can we have a copy?
Her finding ad was published in Zhejiang Legal News on 6-12-2010. But they didn’t offer the copy.
7. Has she been healthy? Is she allergic to any medicines?
She has been healthy. She loves sports but is liable to be tired. She isn’t allergic to medicines.
8. What is her favorite food? Is she allergic to any food?
She likes steak and spicy food. She has no allergy to food.
9. What is her favorite color? Favorite animal?
She likes pink and black. Her favorite animal is little golden fish.
10. Does she have a special bed-time routine? Does she sleep with anyone?
She has no special bed-time routine. She goes to bed after doing homework and washing. She shares a room with other 7 children and they have their own bed. She often talks in sleep.
11. What does she enjoy doing during the day? What is her favorite activity?
She enjoys playing games, dancing and sports during the day. She likes high jump best.
12. How would you describe her personality?
She is an active, lively, outgoing and inquisitive child.
13. What makes her angry or upset? How do you calm and soothe her when she upset?
She is outgoing and seldom gets angry or upset. She once kept a silkworm and she was very sad when the silkworm died. We comforted her verbally.
14. Is she afraid or frightened of anything?
She is afraid of snakes and darkness at night.
15. Does she understand that she will be leaving and coming to live with her new family in America?
Yes.
16. How tall is she and what does she weigh?
Height: 53.1 inches Weight: 58.4 lbs
17. What dialect does she speak and understand? Cantonese? Or mandarin? Does she know any English?
She can hardly speak dialect; she speaks Mandarin very well. She has learned some English in school, but her vocabulary is small.
18. What else would you like to tell us about her?
Zhao Lei is talkative, clever and obedient. She is liked by all people, and many of the staff in the orphanage is willing to take her home for weekends or vacations. She likes to keep herself beautiful and will be very glad when she has new clothes. Her maths skills are very good.
19. Does the orphanage need anything in particular?
No.
We also received three photos. Unfortunately, I already had two of them, but there was one new one. Her hair looks very different, which changes how she looks. I carried the update around for the next two weeks or so like it was an ultrasound. I showed EVERYONE the update and pictures at least once. I;m not kidding. I made two copies of the update and kept one with me all the time so I could read it again when I had a free second. The thing I was shocked about was the answer to question 15, "Does she understand that she will be leaving and coming to live with her new family in America?" "YES." I had heard that sometimes the children are not told until much later in the process, so I was very surprised. WOW! I started crying as soon as I read the update and each time I read it for the next few days. I felt a relief to learn more about her, as well as newfound sense of responsibility to get her home quickly. I know that even if she is excited about being adopted, she must also be very nervous. I hate knowing that she will be nervous about it for a few more months.
Province: Zhejiang
Questions:
1. Who chose her name and why?
A caretaker named Zhang Xiu Qin chose her name.
2. Does her name have a special meaning? Does she have a nickname?
There is a very popular woman volleyball player named Zhao Rui Rui in China. The pronunciation of Lei is similar to the name Rui, so the orphanage named her Zhao Lei in hope of that she will be strong, clever and beautiful like Zhao Rui Rui. Her nickname is Lei Lei.
3. Does she want an American name?
Yes.
4. Was there a note or anything with her when she was found?
There was no note or other objects with her when she was found.
5. Who is she closest too? Does she have any special friends?
She is closest to the cook named Sun Bing Kui and the caretaker named Jin Guo Qin. She has many good friends.
6. Do you have her finding ad? Can we have a copy?
Her finding ad was published in Zhejiang Legal News on 6-12-2010. But they didn’t offer the copy.
7. Has she been healthy? Is she allergic to any medicines?
She has been healthy. She loves sports but is liable to be tired. She isn’t allergic to medicines.
8. What is her favorite food? Is she allergic to any food?
She likes steak and spicy food. She has no allergy to food.
9. What is her favorite color? Favorite animal?
She likes pink and black. Her favorite animal is little golden fish.
10. Does she have a special bed-time routine? Does she sleep with anyone?
She has no special bed-time routine. She goes to bed after doing homework and washing. She shares a room with other 7 children and they have their own bed. She often talks in sleep.
11. What does she enjoy doing during the day? What is her favorite activity?
She enjoys playing games, dancing and sports during the day. She likes high jump best.
12. How would you describe her personality?
She is an active, lively, outgoing and inquisitive child.
13. What makes her angry or upset? How do you calm and soothe her when she upset?
She is outgoing and seldom gets angry or upset. She once kept a silkworm and she was very sad when the silkworm died. We comforted her verbally.
14. Is she afraid or frightened of anything?
She is afraid of snakes and darkness at night.
15. Does she understand that she will be leaving and coming to live with her new family in America?
Yes.
16. How tall is she and what does she weigh?
Height: 53.1 inches Weight: 58.4 lbs
17. What dialect does she speak and understand? Cantonese? Or mandarin? Does she know any English?
She can hardly speak dialect; she speaks Mandarin very well. She has learned some English in school, but her vocabulary is small.
18. What else would you like to tell us about her?
Zhao Lei is talkative, clever and obedient. She is liked by all people, and many of the staff in the orphanage is willing to take her home for weekends or vacations. She likes to keep herself beautiful and will be very glad when she has new clothes. Her maths skills are very good.
19. Does the orphanage need anything in particular?
No.
We also received three photos. Unfortunately, I already had two of them, but there was one new one. Her hair looks very different, which changes how she looks. I carried the update around for the next two weeks or so like it was an ultrasound. I showed EVERYONE the update and pictures at least once. I;m not kidding. I made two copies of the update and kept one with me all the time so I could read it again when I had a free second. The thing I was shocked about was the answer to question 15, "Does she understand that she will be leaving and coming to live with her new family in America?" "YES." I had heard that sometimes the children are not told until much later in the process, so I was very surprised. WOW! I started crying as soon as I read the update and each time I read it for the next few days. I felt a relief to learn more about her, as well as newfound sense of responsibility to get her home quickly. I know that even if she is excited about being adopted, she must also be very nervous. I hate knowing that she will be nervous about it for a few more months.
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