Pictures from this Past June!

These pictures are from a trip a mission team took this past June. Some of the pictures were posted through the Fuling site, and I have looked at them often, wondering if any were pictures of my Lillie. Well, today I received several pictures...a confirmation that indeed I had been seeing pictures of her all along! The one of her in the walker in the hot pink shirt is a picture I was drawn to over and over. I looked at it and wondered so many times if it could be her. Now I am certain that it is! Oh happy day! What a gorgeous girl, even when she is tired of people "checking her out"!

First Hugs Pictures

I received more pictures today. These two are from the time she was in the First Hugs program (October 05 - February 06). I wanted to post them for everyone to see!

WOW!

I am learning more every day about my daughter and her time before we found one another. I learned this evening that she was matched previously with a family from Glasgow, Ky... crazy considering I am sitting in my aunt and uncle's home in Glasgow as I write this. I also discovered that her picture and her referral with the other family was still listed on the Fuling Kids website! I have emailed the people in charge of the site to change her information but have attached the picture they used for their posting. I pray that the other family is well and am thankful that, for whatever reason, the red thread that connects Fu Baoyun and I has found it's way around that twist. I hope you enjoy seeing this new picture...I know I am thrilled every time I see another picture of my beautiful daughter!

Lillie's extended community

I must share with everyone the amazing information I continue to learn about Fu Baoyun...my Lillie. I have, in the last several days, received several emails from people who have had the opportunity to "know" her. As I shared earlier, I- received an email weeks ago from a woman who had been at the Fuling SWI the day Lillie was found. I also received emails from other people who have prayed and thought about my daughter for months.
First, I received an email from a woman who adopted her son last December from Fuling. Her little boy, Oliver, also was missing the front part of his left foot! (Oliver's picture is at the beginning of this entry, along with a picture of Lillie's little foot) When they picked Oliver up, the SWI staff asked what the family would do for his foot, since they had another child at the orphanage with a similar foot (this, of course, was Lillie). From that moment on, Oliver's mommy has prayed and wondered about Lillie... and therefore was quick to email and tell me about this exchange and about her son. We have shared pictures and the children do have very similar left feet! I will tell you all that Oliver is beautiful, has a brace he wears to help with his foot and is running and playing and very happy!
I also received an email today from a woman who adopted a child from Fuling last year. There was a team visiting Fuling on the day Lillie was found that had been asked to deliver a package to this family's child during that same visit. Upon seeing Lillie's picture when the team returned, this woman has continued to pray for Lillie. She shared that her family had, at one time, considered adopting Fu Baoyun, but knew it was too close to their initial adoption. They have, however, followed the search to find "Ava" a forever family. (For those of you who do not know, Ava is the name that A Helping Hand, my adoption agency, had give to Fu Boayun) She knew that Lillie had been matched with another family previously, then found out that the origional match had been "disrupted". She found this out after reading my introduction on the Fuling Parents group site. her email let me know that my daughter has been in her thoughts and prayers for over a year.
These are just a few of the stories that I continue to hear. It is, without a doubt, a wonderful way to continue to feel connected to my daughter who is half a world away. I am also lucky enough to have shared emails with a woman who will be going to Fuling the beginning of December. She will hopefully be able to give me an update and some recent pictures upon her return. I will share them as soon as I can!

Lillie...the early years

For those of you who are just learning "the story of Lillie", I have attached some of the information I received with her initial paperwork.
"Fu Baoyun, female, was found and picked up at the gate of our Institute on April 23, 2005. At that time, she was crying in a basket and did not have any belonging.(I have learned through pictures and information from people who were there when she was found that she did, actually have a bottle and some formula with her.) According to her development, her DOB is estimated at April 19, 2005. She was named Fu Baoyun. Fu refers to the social welfare institute, Bao means treasure. Yun is a good name for girls.The result of medical examination showed that the lack of toe with her left foot."
In addition, there was information included about her personality and interests. I have cut and pasted this informtation as it appears in the paperwork.
"Fu Baoyun is an open-minded girl. She greets her familiar caretakers with sound of “aah”. Sometimes she is naughty. When caretakers take her to shops, she touches goods within her access on purpose. The caretakers cannot find a way to deal with her. She is “greedy” because she likes bigger toys. She always chooses the bigger one from two toys." I am not sure what they mean by open minded, but i am pretty sure there was something lost in that translation! What I do know is that she appears to be strong willed, which will serve her well through the coming years. The one thing i know for sure is that I cannot wait until I am the one who can tell you about her personality and interests!

The Waiting Game

My home study is almost completed and the dossier information is almost completely gathered. The wait, however, is just beginning. In an attempt to keep my mind off the fact that my daughter is presently thousands of miles away, I have decided to start concentrating on her bedroom. Mom and dad are getting her bed and dresser from my Grandmother's house this week. Some of my friends from school already purchased a great peice of art for her walls (A large ABC canvas with each letter representing a city from around the world). Now it is time to choose the paint color and start the painting! I am hopeful that my brother Erik will help with making a color choice that will really compliment the room and picture. No matter what I do, however, it will not be complete until Lillie is in it!