Here she is!!!

Introducing the very beautiful Rita XingMin DeFelice!!

Also known as "Li'l Rita!"

Why am I able to post her photo?? Because we received Referral Approval today!!!!!

RA means that China has reviewed our dossier and given us full permission to become her family! We were expecting to get this phone call sometime in mid to late September. I was NOT expeting the call today! The call went something like this:

Ring Ring
Me: (Hmmm - why do I know that area code?) This is Teresa.
Caller: Hi Teresa, this is Leah.
Me: Oh Hi Leah. (Why is Leah from work calling me? Does she have a cell number with a weird area code? Am I missing a meeting?)
Caller: We received your RA today. We'll be sending the paper work out via FedEx tomorrow.
Me: (Who is this? What Leah? Just pretend like you know her.)
Caller: Your projected travel dates are late August to early September.
Me: (Travel dates? What? Ooooooooohhhh - this is my adoption agency!) Oh, Hi Leah! We got what? We got referral approval? We're traveling when? You are kidding me!

Now imagine a combination of laughing and crying. That was me.

Then I called Chris "Hi honey, are you sitting down..."


We are in total, elated shock! I was hoping to travel in November, but fully expecting to wait until January. I cannot believe that we are going to have our baby by September! We'll be in China in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Unbelievable!! Ever since I got the phone call I've been making a little list in my head:

Rita will be with us for Christmas!
Rita will be with us for Thanksgiving!
Rita will be with us for Lucy's birthday!
Rita will be with us for Halloween. I wonder if she'll fit in Lucy's old bee costume?
Rita will be with us for the family celebration that I can't talk about yet because it is a surprise.
Rita will be with us VERY shortly after her 2nd birthday!!!


Rita turns 2 on August 20. It means so much to me that we are going to miss less of her "twos" than I thought. Wouldn't it be so cool if we were in China for her birthday? Now I'm just getting carried away.

This are the kind of miracles that happen in my life when I just trust and let God be in control. He is SO good!

Here's another photo of our girl. This is her "baby" picture.

























Since this is my blog, I get to talk about whatever I want, so I want to talk about something amazing that Lucy did last night as we were getting ready for bed.
We were talking about what it will be like when we go get Rita. My friend Heather recently sent me an excellent email talking about how they prepared their daughter to go back to China to bring home her little sister. I asked Lucy if she thought Rita would be scared. Then I asked her what things we could do to help Rita feel comfortable.
Lucy started to cry. "Mommy, I'm so sorry I cried when you held me in China. I didn't mean to. Can we change it? Can we change all the pictures so I'm not crying. I'm sorry I cried Mommy." My heart just about broke!!!
Lucy knows the story of how we met in China and how she was a total Daddy's-girl for the first week. She even likes to "role-play China" where she pretends like she doesn't like me. Then she gets a little closer. Then she puts one hand on my lap. Then the other. Then she crawls up. And I have to say "Oh look, Lucy is coming to me. Oh, she is putting her hand on my lap! Oh, I think she is going to give me a hug. Oh, I am so happy!!"
Last night was the first time she ever expressed remorse about the whole thing. I couldn't believe how sincere she was about it! Of course I held her and told her it was okay and that Mommy still loved her right away and that it is normal for baby's to cry. I hope that her little bits of understanding and the story telling we do about China will help her when we go get Rita.
(Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that my smarty husband figured out how to add our old Lucy-China blog to our current blog. If you have no life and want to check out our travel blog from 2005, there is a link posted along the right hand side of the blog under the auction Q&A. I don't expect anyone will read it, but Chris and I are feeling a little nostalgic over it so we posted it.)


I am going to China in 6 - 8 weeks. Holy Cow!! Every now and then I freak out for a second.


I'd love to write more, but I have to go write another harrassing email about the fundraiser. We've got to raise money faster than I thought. Holy Cow!