The sweetest words..."you have a daughter"

"Having someplace to go is Home,
having someone to love is Family,
having both is a Blessing"


One year ago today I got the call that would change our lives forever. I remember thinking I would probably just go nuts waiting on that call. The day seemed to drag on and on. Below is my journal entry from our referral day and the day that followed. It was such a wonderful two days and made it the best Labor Day weekend ever. We just made copy after copy of her photos and called everyone we knew. There really are no words to describe referral day .... the day you find out about your child and then see their sweet face for the first time.


WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!!!!
September 01, 2005
I watched the Yahoo boards all morning. I just can’t concentrate at all. Finally, around 10 am the first referral was posted but the date was for February 5 LID (Log In Date) so it really didn’t help me as far as knowing if our LID of February 21 was going to make the cutoff. I was going crazy wondering if I would have to wait another month to see your face.
Mommy’s friend Heather called and wanted to go to lunch and I really needed to get out of the office so I went. Of course I took my list of questions and my map of China with me just in case I got the call at lunch.
Well, as I was just about to go crazy at 1:31 pm the call came!!! I looked at my cell phone and it was Brenda from CHI. I answered and she said, “you have a daughter” but I couldn’t even find a pen so I had to put her on hold. I ran upstairs and told the receptionist to take my picture and I would explain later!! Brenda said that you were in Qichun, Hubei and your birthday was October 21 and that your name was Qi Jai Na (we later found out if was actually Jia not Jai). She gave me all the information she had and said she would fax us your picture and medical information. I hung up, hugged the receptionist and called your Daddy. I said..we have a girl! He wrote down all the information I had about you and then I called my friend Trisha..remind me sometime to let you know why I called her before any other family members.
I can't believe how much just knowing where you are and what your name is and when you were born makes all this so much more REAL. I want to hop on a plane NOW and come get you. I hope you can feel our love and prayers for you. We are getting so close now.
This whole day has been a whirlwind of emotions. I have called or emailed everyone I know and I just want to shout it out "WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!!" It is so hard to believe that I am finally a mommy : )
Tomorrow we will get our package from UPS that will contain your pictures and all the information they know about you. I am really anxious to see you for the first time. We had CHI fax us your photo and I will show that to you someday. It is not very flattering to say the least. I feel certain when we see your photos tomorrow we will be able to tell how really beautiful you are.


The first time we saw your face...
September 02, 2005
I have been waiting all day for the STORK (otherwise known as the UPS man) and I just keep staring out the window. Daddy had to go do some work so I told him I would call the minute I saw the brown truck pull up. Well, I did see it but it stopped at our neighbor’s house. I just couldn’t wait so I grabbed the camera and ran down the road!! I went up to him and said, “do you have a package for me?? Go get it!!!” For a minute he really thought I was crazy but then he remembered I had told him he was to be a stork for me someday. So, he went to the truck and there it was..the package I had been waiting on. I knew that inside were the first pictures I would have of my daughter and so I ran home with it. Your daddy wasn’t home yet so I called him and told him to HURRY because I was just sitting there staring at the package knowing what was inside : )
He got home and with shaking hands and anxious hearts we tore it open and there you were!!! We stared at your face because it was absolutely beautiful. In that sweet moment all the paperwork, struggles and months of waiting disappeared. We were getting the first glimpse of our precious baby girl : )
There was also a lot of paperwork in the package with details about you! Most of it was in Mandarin so I knew I would need to take it to our neighbor Jenny to translate. I grabbed the Acceptance document and Daddy and I signed it immediately. There was no question on that one..you were OURS and we were one step closer to bringing you home.

And we did bring her home and she is perfect (insert mommy bias here) We cannot imagine our lives without her as she is such a joy to us. Becoming parents has been the best experience of our lives. Those of you who are still waiting for this precious day to come..it WILL happen. I know the wait for referrals has gotten so much longer than we had to wait and it is frustrating. Just know that your day will come and you will be waiting eagerly by the phone to hear those precious words and then you will go get your child and receive the most precious gift of all!