Article 5 and Final Update

While we have yet to receive confirmation that our Article 5 was pick up from the consulate today, but it should have been picked up overnight last night!  Instead of an email from the consulate, I received an email from our social worker with 2 pictures of our little girl.  It made my day.  Tomorrow is the first day of our travel approval wait.  It's our last wait until we confirm dates to go to China!

Here are the 2 new pictures:

She is just as serious as ever in this picture.  The pillow she is holding is the one our FB friend Mandy took to her last month.  I'm so happy they put it in the picture with her.  I'm also impressed by the room she's in.  It looks so bright, cheerful and clean!

And now for the best picture.  Why do I think it is the best?  Well, you see, we've been waiting to see her smile, but in all of the pictures we've received she hasn't smiled at all, not even a hint.  That is, until today.  Ok folks, hold on to your hats.  You thought she was cute before, wait until you see this next picture.

Oh my word, isn't she just the most adorable little thing?  Who knows what the stuffed animals mean in this picture, just added props.  The monkey is almost as big as she is!  Her measurements remain about the same, but she has 2 more teeth (20 total).  At 3 years old she weighs a whopping 22 lbs.  She's a featherweight like her older sister.  Kenzi was a little thing too.  I cannot wait to snuggle her close.

Back to the timeline......The average wait for travel approval (TA) is 2 weeks.  They have come in as quick as 8 days and as many as 4+ weeks.  If it comes in the average time, our "Gotcha Day" will be May 13.  I'm still hoping for a super-quick TA and then we could have "Gotcha Day" on May 6.  All of that hinges on available consulate appointments.  Once our TA is at our agency, they will arrange a consulate appointment for us.  That needs to happen just a couple of days before we return home.  Once our appointment is secured, flight arrangements will be made.  That will be a huge shot of reality for me!

If you think about her, please pray.  We expect delays due to her being in an orphanage, but we truly won't know the extent until we get there.  God has given us the honor of being her family, no matter what.  I'm so thankful for that!  We're really close now, Isabelle, we're coming!!