Letter to Leyna

Dear Leyna,

I've been thinking about you constantly and decided maybe writing a letter to you would help me.  I lay awake at night wondering what you are doing. I hope you read our journey one day and see how much we loved you before we even knew you.  Our adoption road has taken many twists and turns.  I believe they were to lead us to you.  I still try and guard my heart because I know nothing is certain in adoption until we have you home.  I pray everyday that things will continue to work out to bring you home.  It hasn't even been a month since we first found out about you.  There is still so much more I want to know.  We are working hard with the lawyer to have all the paperwork ready to go to court.  Hopefully the lawyer will have them in a few days and we can continue on.
We just received an update on you a few days ago.  I look at your picture everyday.  You are in a foster home now with a nice foster mom.  Your foster home seems to be nice with lots of toys and food.  That was so great to hear.  A volunteer will go and check on you every month to send us an update and pictures.  She said you like your bouncer.  You were playing and bouncing in it while she was there.  Your foster mom said you still wake up a few times at night.  You look very healthy from your pictures.  We pray all day that you continue to stay healthy. 
You brothers and sister can't wait to have you home.  Especially Amaya!  She wants to buy things for you all the time. Whenever we are in the store she thinks her baby sister needs something.  She is excited to not be the only girl. 
So until I can hold you I will write letters!  I love you and can't wait to meet you. 

Love,
     Mom

From nothing to "I found your daugher!"

It was only four days after my last post that I received an email from our coordinator. "I found your daughter."  From June 25th until now we've been scrambling around.  We were overwhelmed with a referral so quickly.  We also had in our mind a toddler.  Our age range was 0-3.  We have a referral of a 3 month old baby girl!!  We've been busy trying to get our paperwork back from our agency we terminated with, translating documents, and trying to pull money together quickly to sign up with the attorney.  I just mailed our dossier yesterday.  The process can now move forward once they receive all our documents.  I hope I have everything they need and filled everything out right.  I had just resolved in my mind that it would probably be next summer before we were close to bringing our daughter home.  Now I'm really hoping by Christmas.  I think that may be pushing it a little fast but that is what I'm praying for.  Now that I have a picture I think of her constantly.  I hope she is being loved.  She is in a foster home.  I received a report she is doing well.  The foster home is clean with plenty of toys and food.  Someone will be checking on her once a month and sending us an update with pictures.  I'm trying to still be open that things can happen.  I know of other families that have lost their referral to family members coming to claim the children or the referral passing away.  Adoption is definitely not a black and white process.  Every one's journey is different.  I'm so excited to start this part of the process after a year of waiting.  Now I will have more to blog about.  We are really hoping we can raise the money to travel.  It will be faster than we thought.  We are doing lots of praying!