Journey to Olivia

Wrapping It Up

2010-12-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have LOVED writing this blog!

I didn't even really know what blogging was about until we started this adoption process and learned from others. Since then, I have started a
family blog
that serves kind of as a family photo album
and a
mom blog
that I write to keep me on the right path and hopefully encourage others.

Its feeling like this particular blog has served its purpose. We have our girl.........getting a bit teary typing that! Our journey with Olivia is just beginning.
But, the journey to her is behind us.

So, this little blog will still be here online, but I will not be posting.
So, thank you so much for following, praying, encouraging, and loving us. I hope that you follow along with one of the other blogs.

One Year With Livi

2010-12-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we held our baby girl for the first time. We started falling in love with her two years before that day. We prayed and "chased paper" for a girl that was not yet even born. Then we gazed at pictures and waited. Finally on December 7th 2009, we had her in our arms. That day changed us forever. We are eternally grateful that we did not miss out on the blessing of adopting our precious

Olivia Xing Lynn

One Year Ago Today

2010-12-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

We were on our way to China!

To change our lives forever.

To add joy to our family.

Excitement.

Anticipation.

Off we went!

First Sleep In A Big Girl Bed

2010-11-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

When we started our adoption journey, we didn't know how old our little girl would be. So, we prepared Sarah's room for a sister and had a crib on hand. When we got the referral for Olivia, we knew that we would need the crib first.
Many have asked where Livi sleeps. Well, she is still in the crib in our room. For the first couple of months she was home, she and I often held hands at night so that she would feel secure enough to stay in her crib. Overall, she is sleeping really well now. However, we do have some nights that are still rough. So we know that she still needs to be in the crib for awhile.
We have been talking about her big girl bed, though. So, today, just for fun, we thought she might want to take her nap in the big girl, sister room.

She was so excited

and went right to sleep!!

"Momma Tank"

2010-11-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

We were at the park last week sitting on a blanket chatting with other moms. While all the other little ones were off playing in the sand, Livi sat on my lap for over an hour quietly entertaining herself (without a toy) while I talked. After an hour or so, she did venture off to play. I thought nothing of it because it is such the norm with her. One of my friends commented about it later. She was amazed at how long she sat so quietly.
I have been thinking about it and realize that her "momma tank" is not yet full. She still needs lots of time being held. She spends most of her days in my arms or sitting on the counters right up close to me as I work. She is like my surgical nurse when I am putting my make up on in the morning. She hands me each product in just the right order, patiently waiting for her turn with the lip gloss. She is my little shadow all day long.
And while she plays beautifully and purposefully with toys, she doesn't need them to be occupied. She spent lots of time her first sixteen months of life sitting in a crib without something to play with. But more significantly, she was without someone to love. So, no worries when the laundry isn't folded or the dishes are sitting dirty in the sink. I have a little girl who needs to be in her momma's arms being filled up with love.

Fall Firsts

2010-11-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Doing all the Fall traditions with Livi has been so fun. She is such a delight. We love her giggles and shouts of glee. We crack up when she runs in place because she is so excited. Everyone ought to have a toddler in their house!

Carving her first pumpkin with Daddy.

All dressed up for afternoon Halloween fun.

Flitting around as Tinkerbell.

What Every Child Deserves

2010-09-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

I believe with my whole heart that every child deserves:

*to be cherished from the moment of conception

*to grow and develop in a loving mother's womb

*to be celebrated upon birth

*to know love and comfort and safety in their family

*to have opportunities to learn

*to be given chances to develop skills, passions, and gifts

In this fallen, imperfect world, this doesn't always happen. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be part of the Christian adoption community where thousands of families are praying for the unborn, advocating for families and children around the world, and when needed-- giving children without families, a home.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.
John 14:18

Parent Toddler Class

2010-09-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Fourteen years ago (I think), I started a Parent-Toddler Class for Honey Tree -- a sweet little preschool attached to the church that Paul and I were married at and that I attended for a good chunk of my childhood. I taught the class for eight years (I think) and then stopped teaching when Sarah was ready to start homeschooling. I loved my years working in this class. It was always so much fun to spend a morning each week with sweet little two year olds and their moms or dads or grandparents.
So, you can imagine that its a total treat to be back there with Livi. Miss Wendy (who was my assistant) and Miss Amy (who was a mom in our class years ago with her daughter) are teaching. We had a great first day and are looking forward to a great year.

Circle Time

Snack Time

First Ice Cream Cone

2010-09-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

We spent the entire summer and fall last year waiting for permission to travel to China to bring our sweet girl home. It is amazing to share of all the "firsts" in her life. She is so precious to us. We are so thankful for the joy that she has brought into our lives. It is so hard to think of all the other children around the world waiting for families to love them. They are all precious in HIS sight.

Ge Ge goes to Uganda

2010-08-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

He's off to work with African Renewal Ministries in Gaba, Uganda until December. We are going to miss that big brother of ours!!

Our Girl Is Two!!

2010-08-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning (first morning home from our two weeks in Wyoming) singing Happy Birthday to Livi and then singing to her pink bear and then her purple bear. Last year on this day we sang without her. We were still waiting and feeling discouraged that things were taking so long. Last year we sang to a picture of a confused, thin, bruised one year old. This year we are singing to a healthy, happy, two year old while we hug and squeeze her in our arms. Thank you Jesus!!
At the same time, I can't help but think about her birth mother in China. I wonder what she is thinking today. I wish there was a way to let her know what a happy toddler Livi is, how much we all love and adore her, that she has had two successful surgeries, and that she is so full of life.
I am so grateful for this precious little girl. I am so thankful that her family in China chose to put her in a safe place so that she would be found. I praise the Lord God Almighty for orchestrating our lives so that we would become her new family.

Summer Fun

2010-06-30T09:16:00.001-07:00

Daddy's Girl -- Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

He'll do anything for his girls!

And she loves to help Daddy!

What do you say -- adoptive moms?

2010-06-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the blog of a young woman who was adopted from Korea as a baby. This dear, sweet girl is struggling. She recently found both her birth parents and has been to Korea twice to visit. She posted a very interesting take on adoptive parents in her blog today -- accusing many of not taking seriously their adopted children's inner conflicts. She loves her adoptive parents, but grieves at the same time for the family that she lost. I am challenged and inspired by many things that she writes. I do think that the awareness levels are higher now than ever before with regard to the needs of adoptive children and the loss and challenges that they face. Certainly the internet has helped to bring resources and support to many. Also, adoption laws and regulations have made education and training a necessity for adoptive parents. But, she and other adopted children that are coming of age are voicing the struggles that they have.
I can't stop wondering about the difference that faith makes in the life of an adopted child. The adults that I know of that are really struggling with their identity are not Christians. I don't want to put my head in the sand and think that my little babe will not struggle with anything if she finds her identity in Christ. But, I do believe that when you put your faith in Jesus, He gives you purpose. Christians see everything through different glasses. We see everything that happens as part of God's ultimate plan for good in our lives. The rest of the world is left with randomness and unexplained happenings.
We are all broken vessels. All of us have wounds. Some much deeper than others. I am counting on the Lord of Heaven and Earth to fill up the emptiness in my life and the lives of my children. I want to be His instrument in the life of my adopted child. I am praying for understanding and empathy for all the emotions that she will have related to her history. And I am going to pray for the struggling souls that need Jesus. Ultimately, He is the answer for us all.

She Calls Me Mama

2010-05-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I just visited this site and had lots of fun ordering bracelets for us and some to give. What is even more fun is that every order helps this family get closer to bringing their precious babe home. One more that will have someone to call "mama."
Here is my little gem on Mother's Day who's only word is MAMA.

Second Surgery Is His - Story

2010-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

We have had such a busy two weeks!! I have so much to post. I started typing the word "history" and realized that I am so thankful that we are really small blips in God's big plan. Moreover, whatever happens in our lives is orchestrated according to His plan. So, with that said, all went very well on the day of surgery. The worst part of it was a long stitch that was put through her tongue and taped to the side of her face in case swelling occurred and they needed to establish an airway. We were thinking that we might need to spend the night in the recovery room because beds up on the surgical floor were full. We did end up with a bed by about 10:00 pm. It was a long restless night for all. We were so thankful to be home!
The recovery from this surgery has been easier than from her lip repair. She has been less fussy. Feeding has been easier, too. Everything needs to be soft, but she is happy eating yogurt and pudding and really soft pasta and rice. We go back to see the surgeon next Saturday. The disappointing news is that we believe that there is probably a hole somewhere on her palate -- a spot that isn't closed. She has food still coming up through her nose. We'll see what the doctor says. But, back to the beginning of the post -- it is His plan, His story and we are just along for the ride. So, I will praise Him and trust that nothing will happen with our dear little Livi that is outside of His perfect plan for her.

First Easter Celebration

2010-04-05T15:48:00.001-07:00

We started out the day with a very happy, jelly bean eating girl! She loved everything about Easter -- her basket, new shoes and dress, Paul's grandmother's baby hat (close to 100 years old), singing in church, friends and family here for dinner, hunting for eggs, sidewalk chalk, and more!

Three Months Home

2010-03-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Its so hard to imagine life before Livi. Its also amazing to see how much she has changed in three short months. She looks quite different. Her surgeon said that she looks spectacular, if he could say so himself! She is saying her first word!! Christopher was home on Spring break last week and takes the credit for teaching her to say, "mama." She also says, "eow" (meow) as she does the sign for cat. She uses over 40 signs. She loves books and stacking cups and blocks. We start speech therapy, early intervention, and occupational therapy in the next couple of weeks. Thankfully, all of the therapists will come to our house!! Her next surgery will be at the end of May. Once her pallet is closed, she will be able to really start making all the sounds necessary for speaking. In the meantime, she certainly doesn't let her lack of vocabulary get in the way. She is a very busy, happy toddler. And this girl loves shoes, socks, and hats -- so fun! The first thing she asks for after her nap is for us to put her shoes back on. For more pictures and family happenings, you can check out our family blog at www.therichertsix.blogspot.com.

God Is So Good!

2010-02-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

They may be little details, but I am so thankful for the little things in life right now!
*Livi ran a really high temperature over the weekend and the stint in her nose ended up being taken out on Valentine's Day -- two weeks before her scheduled post op appointment. They really would like them to stay in four to six weeks! Oh well, our girl needed to breath and every time she sneezed she signed that it hurt. The praise is that her surgery site looks amazing and the fever is gone!
*Praise number two -- I was the guest speaker at a MOPS group yesterday and needed to leave Livi for the first time with Connor and Sarah. Well, she still isn't feeling 100% so I laid her down before I left and prayed that Connor and Sarah would muddle through. Well, I got home 2 1/2 hours later and she was still asleep!!
*We are having really warm weather right now and we found out that our girl is going to love the water. She is afraid in the bath tub, so we are bathing her in the kitchen sink. But she loved the spa. And I'm pretty sure she'll be a head dunker very soon -- gotta wait for her little mouth to completely heal before we try that, though.
*The days are getting longer and our chickens are laying again!
*The daffodils are blooming in the yard.
Thank you God for little blessings that sometimes go unnoticed or unappreciated.

One Week Later

2010-02-10T08:57:00.001-08:00

The day before surgery -- showing off her big grin! One week later -- the swelling has gone way down and she is back to all her normal sweet little ways (almost)!

Recovering

2010-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

The surgery went really well -- Praise the Lord!! They didn't get started until about 1:00, so she was hungry and kept signing "more" and "eat" to us. But, overall, she was happy and cheerful right up to the point that they roller her into pre-op. That was the hardest part for us. In our almost twenty years of parenting, we have never had to watch a child get taken into surgery. She didn't cry, but I did (as soon as she was out of sight). The tubes were done in less than thirty minutes and the doctor came right to the waiting room to tell us that all went well with that. Two hours after that the plastic surgeon met with us to let us know that everything else went well, too.
So then we were just waiting down the hall for the recovery room staff to come and get us. I could hear a baby crying and was pretty sure that is was Livi. I walked down the hall and around the corner, hoping that someone would come out the big doors, so that I could pop my head in and ask if I could go in. Well, when the doors opened I could really hear her and of course, they let me go to her right away. A little more medicine and me beside her and she calmed right down. She did need a bit of oxygen at first. But we were ready to head home within an hour or so.
The first night was hard. She doesn't want to suck on her fingers (which is probably a blessing.) But, she constantly brought them to her mouth and then decided not to put them in. Since that is how she is used to putting herself to sleep, she didn't sleep well at all. The next day, she needed to be held all day. I pretty much just laid on the bed with her the entire day. She won't take a bottle or drink from a cup. We are feeding her with a syringe.
Today her temperament is a bit better. She has tried to smile a few times, but her mouth doesn't move too easily. She looks like she has been in a fight -- very swollen and bruised. They successfully brought the bone and her front two teeth back into her mouth. Then they repaired her lip. They also did a little bit of work on her nose so that it wouldn't be totally flat. She has a little plastic stint (not sure on all the terminology) that goes into each nostril to keep it shaped the right way. That comes out in three weeks.
I have to admit that I am mourning the loss of her funky little face. It was the face I fell in love with when we first saw her picture and then met her two months ago. However, they did an amazing job and we are very pleased with how she is looking.
I'll post pictures soon!
Okay -- now I have to share my Children's Hospital bathroom story. When we went for her pre-op appointment a couple of weeks ago, I went to use the bathroom and there was a man leaving the women's bathroom with his disabled wife. I wasn't thrilled about that, but understood. Then I get in the bathroom and there was a man and woman at the back changing their baby. What was up with that!! Another woman that walked in with me was equally as uneasy about the situation and said something to the couple in Spanish. Apparently, the wife couldn't lift the babe, so dad needed to help. Well then, Dad should have taken the baby into the men's room. Whatever, I just left and went on to another bathroom on another floor. Then, on Wednesday while Livi was in surgery, Paul and I went to the McDonald's in the hospital to have lunch. I went to use the bathroom there and guess what? Coming out of the ladies bathroom is a (yes, you guessed it) MAN! It was a single person bathroom, but still..........I was shocked. Of course, I have shared all of this with Paul and he can't believe it. Fast forward to the end of the day. I go to use the bathroom again before we make the long drive home. I push the door open of the ladies room and there stands ANOTHER MAN!! I just stood there with my mouth open -- not knowing what to do. Then I realized that I had walked into the MENS ROOM. Paul had watched the whole thing happen and was cracking up as I turned around red faced after apologizing to the poor man that I startled. What a day!!!

Gonna Miss This Big Smile

2010-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

This Wednesday is the first of Livi's surgeries. We will be at Children's in Los Angeles early for the outpatient surgery. They are going to repair her lip and put tubes in her ears (almost standard for cl/cp babes). The surgery will last about three hours and we'll be able to come home the same day. Once her lip is healed, she'll have the surgery to repair her palate. The cranio-facial team will see her once a year until she reaches adulthood. They told us to expect 6-8 surgeries during that time. We are very thankful for all the folks at Children's -- we feel like we are in very good hands.

Six Weeks With Livi

2010-01-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe we have only had her in our arms for such a short amount of time. Its hard to think about life without her! She has come so far. Its amazing to us all that she has learned and changed so much. One of the discoveries that has been the most fun is her new found joy in books. At first she didn't know what to do with a book. She just threw them like balls. (We know that she sometimes played in a ball pit at the orphanage. She has a pretty good arm!) Now, however, she brings us book after book to read to her. Her favorites seems to be BaBa HaHa, OohOoh Moo, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She is also a little sponge when it comes to signing. She is using the following signs on a regular basis: more, all done, book, dog, cat, duck, rabbit, light, sleep, bath, dirty, diaper, eat, and drink.

The Wednesday Menu

2010-01-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Breakfast:
Potstickers
Scrambled Egg
Cantaloupe and Watermelon
Lunch:
Mac and Cheese
Tomatoes
Avocado
Prunes
Afternoon Snack:
String Cheese
Veggie Puffs
Dinner (At Minuto's for Connor's Birthday):
Miso Soup
Tempura Vegetables
Shrimp
Teriyaki Salmon
Rice
Green Tea Ice Cream
Have I mentioned that we haven't found a food our girl doesn't like? Although, she doesn't want to eat the boring baby food out of the jars anymore!!

Safe Base

2010-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

After twenty five (plus) years of working in the early childhood field, I never tire of watching children -- especially my own! Its amazing to watch Olivia grow more comfortable and secure in our home. It is exhausting to carry her so much of the day (I love the sling!), but as she becomes more secure, she ventures out and explores more and more. Of course, I need to be in one spot, so she can come back for frequent hugs and kisses. It is a textbook illustration of "safe base" behavior. I have reached my max a few times and have had to listen to some crying while I got dressed or took care of something that couldn't be done with her in my arms. I know that she will be OK. I also need to remind myself that the process cannot be rushed or forced. But for the most part, I am delighting in the experiences and treasuring each moment.

The Mystery of Olivia

2009-12-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

They told us that she could walk, but when we got her she was jello legs. After a few days we discovered that she could stand. She just preferred not to. She pulled herself up in the little portacrib in our hotel room. But we really did not think that she could walk. Well, that all changed last week when we were sitting outside and she decided to let us in on the secret. Olivia Xing Lynn Richert is a walker. And she is not that new to it -- she is pretty good at it! She is so excited to walk away from me and then turn and quickly walk back. She is full of smiles and giggles.
She is also a foodie. She hasn't met a food she doesn't like. She eats it all and lots of it. She ate the Feast of Seven Fishes at Auntie Linda and Uncle Tim's (minus the Oysters that Momma didn't have her try). And on Christmas she loved the egg casserole, ham, mashed potatoes, lasagna, broccoli and cauliflower, berries, and cookies of course!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

2009-12-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that we have been home five days already. Time is a blur. Overall things are going very well. New things happen each day in our little Olivia's life. Today she babbled for the first time. We have also heard a couple of consonant sounds. In China we heard only crying or laughing. She has not been sleeping good at all. Hopefully its just a time change adjustment.
We had our first appointment at Children's Hospital today. She will have the first of several surgeries in the next 4 - 6 weeks. They have a lot of work to do on our babe's little mouth! Tomorrow she goes to the pediatrician for her first "well baby" visit. Oh yes, and then its Christmas!!
Thank you to all of you for praying for us and following our journey. Since blogger is blocked in China, we sent the posts to our son Christopher and he posted them for us while we were away. It was fun to get home and read your dear comments. One day we will have the blog printed into a keepsake book. Your thoughts and prayers will be an added treasure.
Oh, one more little tidbit! Auntie Linda suggested that we spell our nickname for Olivia differently and we agree. So, its LIVI instead of how I have been writing it here. Thankfully we don't have to get in a bus and drive around Guangzhou to change any official documents for that!!!

America Here We Come!!

2009-12-16T00:40:00.001-08:00

This will be our last post from China. We leave first thing tomorrow morning for Hong Kong. As soon as we deplane in San Francisco our baby girl will be a US citizen. We can't wait to get home. We met shop owners today that are from Olivia's home city of Wuchuan. They were so happy to meet us -- and we them. They are going to email us pictures of the city and her finding spot since we were unable to go there. Susan, one of the owners, was amazed that we would choose Olivia. She thought that maybe we hadn't seen her picture until we arrived here! She said that families in Wuchuan need sons so that they can have more farm land. She also said that any baby born with a special need was never seen by anyone. The family just reported that they had died. She confirmed my thoughts about not having any money for doctors. She was very surprised to know that there was a way to repair the cleft with surgery.
We took photos this morning on the hotel steps. The group was so large that we split up by which bus we were on. Then a few of us went to the White Swan hotel and took photos on the famous red couch -- there were actually several of them.
We are so thankful for our experiences here. Thankful that our Mighty God protected and guided our way. Thankful for all the amazing families that we have met while we were here. Thankful for our guides here in China -- Sherry, Amy, and Linnekar. Thankful that our sweet baby has been such a trooper and that things have gone so smoothly. Thankful that Christopher, Connor and Sarah have done so well at home thanks to Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, and a host of others that have helped. God is GOOD, all the time!

Shopping

2009-12-14T07:47:00.001-08:00

This morning we needed to stay in our hotel room while our guides went to secure Olivia's visa. All went well and we didn't get a call until they were back letting us know that we are good to go. Tomorrow we go to the US Consulate for a swearing in ceremony. We shopped this afternoon on Shamein Island. Gotta love the dads with the strollers! Lots of shops with buildings that have a British Colonial influence. However, there is construction going on all over in preparation for the Asian Games of 2010, so many of the buildings were covered up with scaffolding.
Livvie showed us an even more playful side of her personality today. All of a sudden while we were shopping this afternoon, she started clapping and playing peek-a-boo with us. She even started turning my face toward hers if I was talking with someone else. It was so sweet. Lots of smiles and laughing. Settling down to sleep has gotten a bit harder, though. Its almost like she is more attached, so she is less happy about sleeping out of my arms. She has napped several times in the sling while we are out and about.
The family with the little one that needs immediate surgery left for Hong Kong tonight. They finished everything and are one their way home. We took a picture in the hotel lobby tonight before they left of the four families from our group that adopted from the Guangdong province.

Folk Art Museum and Tea Tasting

2009-12-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice morning today. Olivia is loving her mornings in the high chair at the buffet. She is eating the little puffs that we brought from home along with cut up watermelon, banana, rice, and potatoes. It has been much easier to feed her than I imagined. In fact, everything is easier and smoother with her than I had prepared myself for. After breakfast we went in two buses to the Folk Art Museum. There were beautiful paintings and embroidery on silk, very intricate carvings, and antique furniture. We were told that the Chinese (especially the older generation) think that its best to sleep on hard surfaces. That is why some orphanages have the children sleeping on wood slat cribs. They even had porcelain pillows in ancient times. Next, it was onto tea tasting. We were told that the Chinese go to tea stores and taste the tea before they buy it to make sure that it is fresh. It was very interesting -- kind of like wine tasting. Boiling water is poured over the leaves for only twenty seconds before it is served. It was so fun to see the older little girls tasting tea. I think that we are going to go to the McDonald's next door to our hotel for supper tonight. We think that Livvie should have her first bites of fast food here in China!!

The Medical Exam and the Park

2009-12-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

The families that we started out with in Beijing all arrived in Guangzhou yesterday (Friday). We haven't seen any of them yet, we will all be together for paperwork and dinner tonight. The four families that have been here in Guangzhou all week had our medical exams this morning. We went sooner than expected so that the family with the very sick baby can get home asap. They are trying to expedite all her paperwork. She is doing a bit better and the infection seems to be under control -- praising God for that!!
The medical exam was very unpleasant for all -- especially the children. We went to three different exam rooms and Olivia cried each time she was removed from my arms. That part went quickly, though, and she quieted down each time I got her back. The immunizations were a whole different story. We are furious that our government requires these fragile children to get all these shots before they immigrate into the US. Olivia had to have SIX shots -- including the chicken pox, flu, and pneumonia shots! These three are optional and are decided on by parents and their physician on a case by case basis. Of course she screamed bloody murder as they shot up both arms and legs. I didn't scream, but I was in tears as I held our screaming baby. We have given her Tylenol a couple of times and thankfully she doesn't seem to be reacting negatively to any of them so far. Please pray for Olivia, Sydney, Wesley and Kai as they recover from the shots and for the rest of the 21 children that will be going for their medical exams and shots later this morning.
The rest of the day proved to be much more pleasant. We had lunch in our room while Livvie didn't nap. She just laid there and played quietly for a bit. Then we walked with the Vinyard family over to a park. This city park had a little playground for children. We had to pay to enter. It was less than a dollar for the three of us. It was fun to see Livvie on a slide for the first time. She is smiling a lot more. We actually had her laughing in the hotel room as we played "Creepy Little Mousey's Gonna Git You."

I don't think that I've mentioned that she sucks her right thumb and index finger when she is going to sleep. Its really cute -- she fits them in the cleft openings. As she does that, she holds a little silkie blanket that we brought with us in her other hand. She is sleeping really well -- all night and napping pretty regularly. We are totally enamored with our little chinese princess! Can't wait to get her home so that you can meet her.

A Trip To The Zoo

2009-12-09T22:24:00.001-08:00

We went to the Guangzhou Zoo this morning. It is the largest zoo in southern China. We loved the white lions, the panda, and the huge brown bears. Livvie liked riding in the sling and chewing on her toy. We saw her smile for the first time this morning. She is really opening up. Its so fun to watch. I hope that she is starting to trust us. She reached for me this morning, too. It warms our hearts to see watch this sweet little babe. We thought we had missed her first steps, but alas, we have not. She is not walking or crawling. In fact, when we are holding her and want her to try to stand, she resists putting weight on her feet. We know that she can stand, we have gotten her to do it. But, she clearly would rather not! No worries......it will all happen in good time.
One of the families here with us in Guangzhou have a very sick baby. She is going to require immediate surgery when they return to the US. In the meantime, they have been able to take her to a hospital here and get her on medication to fight a serious infection. Please pray for them. They are first time parents and are so overwhelmed and concerned for their little girl. We know that God got them here just in time to help this precious little girl. They are hopefully going to be able to get home a bit sooner than planned, too!
One week in China down and one to go!! We love and miss you all!

Exploring Guangzhou

2009-12-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

We had the morning free today so we explored a local park adjacent to our hotel. It is beautiful with walk ways and water and lovely plants. Paul fulfilled his dream of participating with the locals while they did some outdoor cultural dancing! Later today we go to the police station to apply for Olivia's passport. Then I think its an early dinner at Pizza Hut (which is right next door to the 7-Eleven)!!

Getting To Know Our Girl

2009-12-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

We were up bright and early this morning to head back over to the Civil Affairs office. We started the morning with an amazing buffet breakfast. The hotel has a special eating area for families with little ones -- high chairs all set up and a rug with toys. Then is was off to the same offices where we met our babes the afternoon before. We were the first group there, so we were able to get our official picture taken, meet with the civil affairs officer, and the notary very quickly. They asked us if we were satisfied with our baby, if we wanted to keep her, if we would provide her with a good education, and if we promised to never abuse or abandon her. Next we stopped at the Friendship Store to purchase a few supplies. Then we came back to the hotel and had the rest of the day unscheduled.
It has been exciting to see how Olivia is opening up and we are really enjoying getting to know her. She is so comfortable in our arms. She lays her head on our shoulders, snuggles on our laps, and seems happiest when she is being held. The sling is working great, too. We have not seen a smile yet. But she did cry for a few seconds tonight when I layed her down to change her. She started to really cry, but stopped immediately as soon as I picked her up. It was precious. We sat for an hour this afternoon and watched her play with the stacking cups. She was so intent -- switching the cups from one hand to the other, trying to put one on top of the other, and she did actually get them one inside the other. She had her first bath in the hotel sink. And feeding her is going very smoothy. Her cleft is much more dramatic than the pictures portrayed, but we are falling in love with everything little thing about her.

GOTCHA DAY

2009-12-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

We have our girl! We had an uneventful flight from Beijing to Guangzhou today. There were two other AWAA families with us and then we met a third one here at the hotel. We had just an hour to settle into our beautiful rooms and then we went to the Civil Affairs office to meet the babes. We knew ahead of time that Olivia would be arriving later than the other children. Her orphanage is a 5 hour drive away. So, we were able to take in the incredible experiences of dozens of other families while we waited for Olivia. There were over 100 people in the room being united with children of all ages. So, there was crying, laughing, playing, paperwork, and more all going on at the same time. It was warm and a bit crazy. We saw Olivia arrive with her caretakers, but we were not allowed to approach her until our guide took care of some of the paperwork. It seemed like an eternity.....standing there waiting for her to be brought across the room to us. Anyway, they put her in my arms and she just nuzzled right in. She didn't cry. She just put her little head on my chest and let me love on her. She was probably stunned from the events of the day. Paul held her for a bit, too. We chatted a bit with the ladies from the orphanage (through our guide). And then gave them the customary gifts, some things our church members donated to the orphanage, and a huge stack of cash that we are very glad to have out of our possession. We sat in the large room for 30 minutes or so while each AWAA family took care of their business. Olivia looked around at one point and saw that the nannies were gone and got a bit of a "boo boo" face, but didn't really cry. She liked the little puffed rice snacks that we brought and grabbed onto one of the toys and didn't let go. We got back to the hotel and fixed a bottle for her. We didn't quite follow the directions of the nannies, but we didn't want to make it so totally different for her. They mix formula, rice cereal and glucose syrup into a very thick mixture. We figured it out and she ate/drank it all up! I was a bit nervous about feeding her -- I am relieved that it went so well. We had a bit of paperwork to complete here at the hotel with our guide. Olivia went right in the sling when it was time to walk down the hall to sign papers and she was sound asleep before we were done. She is sleeping in her crib as I type. We just had room service delivered (we haven't eaten since breakfast). We are so incredibly grateful for God providential care for us and our new little girl.

Beijing Day Two

2009-12-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Today was another jammed packed day. We started out at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship service. Then it was off to a jade factory, lunch, the Great Wall, and then tonight we saw the Beijing Flying Acrobats. We have our bags all packed for an early morning flight to Guangzhou. I think that once we get checked into our hotel, we will go right to the Civil Affairs office to get Olivia!!! There are four families from our travel group of 25 that will go right to Guangzhou. It will be a switch to just be traveling with a few. We have really enjoyed getting to know all of these dear people.

Day One in Beijing

2009-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today we visited T Square, the Forbidden City, a pearl factory, the Summer Palace, and a silk factory. We finished the day with a traditional peking duck dinner. Its been great meeting the other families that are here to be united with their children. China is a fascinating place!

The Big Sister Is Very Excited!

2009-11-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

Sarah spent a big chunk of time today designing and coloring an itinerary for her to look at while we are gone. She has pictured what we will be doing each day! She is counting the days till her sister is with her.

Shopping, Decorating, Packing, Cooking, Cleaning......

2009-11-24T20:46:00.000-08:00

We are just about ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and China!! Paul and my dad got the outside of the house decorated (and a new battery in his truck) today. I have finished all the Christmas shopping and most of the wrapping. I have the complete list of activities and who goes where on what day and who will pick the kids up for each event, all ready for Grandma and Grandpa. And we will be packing up those suitcases by this time next week. OLIVIA HERE WE COME!!

WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!!

2009-11-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

Travel Approval arrived this morning. We will leave on Dec 3 to get our baby. We are praising God!!!!

She's Walking!!

2009-10-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

We got the update this morning. She is 14 1/2 months old, 29 inches tall, and almost 20 pounds. She has five teeth. We're happy to see that her two top teeth seem to be in the right place. Not sure that would be the case with her cleft. They reported that she likes little balls and colorful toys. We also got the names of some of her orpahange playmates and a picture of her with her caretaker. Now we just need to get that Travel Approval so we can go get our little Wuchuan Wonder.

August, September, October, November.........

2009-10-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Maybe we'll get to travel in August. Ok, not August, maybe September? Well, not September, but for sure it will be in October. We certainly won't have to wait until November!" Now we are praying for November. Lot's going on for the Richert family -- but, we are still waiting for Travel Approval. We never would have imagined that it would take this long. So, because of the school play that Connor and Sarah are in, they will not be able to go with us to China. Paul and I are hoping that we are back with our little bundle so that we can attend their performances.
We have requested more photos and an update of Olivia through Ladybugs N Love. Hopefully we will have that information sometime this week. Waiting has been torturous at times. It is with us every moment of every day. At times we are resigned to it, sometimes we are angry, sometimes there is peace. No matter where we are emotionally, our God is with us and tells us that we should no longer be infants that are tossed back and forth by the up and downs of this turbulent world. But that He is building us up in love to do what He has called us to. (My paraphrase of Ephesians 4:14-16.)

One More Hurdle

2009-08-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

We got an important letter from Homeland Security yesterday. We have provisional approval to bring our little Livvie into the country as an immediate citizen. They sent that approval to the US consulate in China and then the consulate sends the info to the Chinese authorities and then the Chinese authorities give us permission to travel! I've already started packing......

Introducing Olivia Xing Lynn Richert

2009-08-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Richerts have been formally approved! Here is our girl. We are so amazed and excited and thankful! We are praising God for seeing us through this incredibly long wait. We have our official Referral Approval. We are marveling at His timing. Our dear friends passed their court date this morning in Ethiopia. So, on the same day, we are both one large step closer to getting our precious children. The picture above is my favorite of our sweet baby. She is nine months old there. This is the latest photo that we have. This was taken just last week. She has gotten taller, but not gained any weight. Plus, it looks like she has some "I just started crawling" battle scars! Anyway, we are just delighted to share her with the world! Thank you Jesus for this sweet girl!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

2009-08-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our little girl turned one. Friends from church had us over for dinner and a little impromptu birthday celebration. We had a lovely time! Next year, all this waiting will be just a memory and we will celebrate with our precious babe.

God Knows The Big Picture

2009-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the little bit we know..........
Here in the USA, we attended a concert and the Lord put it on our hearts to look into adoption. In November, Paul attended an information meeting sponsored by our soon to be adoption agency, AWAA. Meanwhile, around the SAME EXACT time, a baby girl was conceived somewhere in the Guangdong province near Wuchuan City in China. We think that her parents wanted her. We are told that many Chinese families wanted to have babies born on 08/08/08. It was considered a lucky day. It was also the start day of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Here in the USA, we were busy filing our paperwork, getting fingerprinted, traveling from one governmental agency to the next. In China, on 08/09/08 a precious baby girl was born. She was a day late? She was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Maybe her parents were very poor and had no way to offer her the medical care she needed. Nursing a baby with her condition is almost impossible. Maybe her mother did not have access to the special bottles that she would require and could not feed her? We think that her mother loved her very much. We think that for whatever reason that she could not take care of her, she put that baby girl in a place where someone would find her quickly. And that little girl was found the very next day. On August 10, 2008, this little treasure was found in front of a government building. The Chinese authorities placed her in the Wuchuan City Social Welfare Institute. They place a "finding ad" in the local paper searching for her birth parents and got no response. They fed her and took care of her and evaluated her health. When she was 7 1/2 months old, the Chinese authorities placed her name and information on a list of children with special needs that were available for adoption. This list is published and shared with hundreds of adoption agencies all over the world.
Back in the USA, we had finished all of our paperwork, our documents had been received in China, and we had given our agency the OK to lock a file within certain parameters that we had established. On March 26, our agency did just that. They locked this sweet little one's file on our behalf. We got the call early that morning and as soon as we saw her beautiful little face, we knew she was the one. We knew she was destined to be ours. We knew that the Lord of heaven and earth had worked all things together to eventually put her in our arms.
That day will come. We don't understand the wait. But we know that the same God that started this process will complete it, because God Knows The Big Picture.

Still Waiting

2009-07-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

We thought we would be sharing pictures of our sweet girl by now. Instead, we pick up every phone call (very uncommon at our house) hoping that its our agency letting us know that we have the next approval. We covet your prayers as we continue to wait AND as Olivia spends day after day without us. And now we -- "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14

New News!!

2009-05-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

We have a new picture of our girl! Our agency is only able to request updated information from the orphanage if the info given with the referral is more than eight months old. The info that we got with our referral was collected when she was 4 1/2 months. So, we thought it might be July before we could get any updates. Well, we found a service that will contact the orphanage on our behalf and ask for new photos, measurements, and ask additional questions that we submit. We contacted them with our questions on Tuesday and got the info yesterday. I wish we could share her picture here -- hopefully soon. She is so cute!! Now at 8 1/2 months, she is about 18 pounds, her hair is longer (sticking straight up all over her sweet little head), she is sitting up by herself, she is said to like musical toys, she is not crawling, and she has not had a surgery yet.
Here at home, this mom is nesting! I am ready to start driving around with the car seat in the car. The crib is up in our bedroom -- beautifully adorned with the bumpers, dust ruffle, and quilt that my mom made 19 years ago when we were expecting Christopher. Sarah's room has the loft bed and new dresser all ready for Olivia when she is out of the crib and ready to be roommate with her big sister. I have gone nutty at the Children's Orchard buying baby clothes. And, get ready, I even bought cloth diapers. Yikes! All we need now is our girl.

One Step Closer

2009-04-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

We got word today from our agency that we have our Pre-Approval from the CCAA. It could still take 3-5 months to get the final Referral Approval (RA), but we only waited 11 days for this one and we were expecting to wait at least a month.
We hope that everyone has a blessed Easter. HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Yippee!!!!!

2009-03-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

I have been waiting for months to post that verse. We got THE referral last night! Lord willing, we have found our little girl. She is 8 months old and will need surgery to repair her cleft lip and palate when we get her home. We are so excited!
Now we have three different acceptance phases to get through. Once we have the final one (in three or four months) we can share her sweet photos here on our site. The trend has been 5-6 months from this point to travel time. So, we hope to be in China in September.
It was a thrilling day for the Richert family yesterday. First, we got the news that Connor had passed his piano exams -- yeah! Then, Christopher got his acceptance letter from the Master's College -- double yeah! He left a few hours later to spend a couple of days visiting the campus. And then, the icing on the cake (and I do mean cake, cause its my birthday) was the call from our agency announcing that they had locked a file for us to review.
We had jokingly shared with our family coordinator at AWAA that we needed a referral this week. Our dear friends at church got their referral for their son from Ethiopia on Monday. We told her that he was going to need his Chinese friend home quickly to play with.
Another fun little tidbit -- Paul and I had both been praying, without telling one another, that the referral would come before my birthday. God is so good! He answered our prayers.

Trusting in God's timing

2009-03-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, its been a couple of interesting weeks. Two weeks ago we received a call about a precious little girl close to two years old. Unfortunately, Paul and I both immediately felt that her special needs were more than we could handle. We have always thought that the Lord would give us a sense of peace and surety about the child we were to bring into our family. So without that, we declined to move forward with the referral process -- praying for that sweet little girl.
Yesterday, we got another call. Within 30 minutes we responded back to our agency with a resounding YES! We were ready to move forward with full speed with the file of this little girl. Five minutes after contacting our agency, we got a call that another agency had already locked her file and taken her off the Chinese shared referral list. So, our emotions have been all over the map, but we have a Steady, Sturdy God at the helm. We are learning to trust in His providential timing.

And Now We Wait

2009-01-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

Now that we have approval from the US to bring a child into the country and our doccier is going to China, we wait. We have been approved to adopt a little girl 0-3 that is healthy or has special needs. We are in the Waiting Children program with our adoption agency. We will be adopting a little one that has some kind of special need. We don't know who she is or what kind of special care she will require yet. We just know that she is out there waiting for her forever family. In the meantime, we will pray that she is being well taken care of until we get there.

The Journey So Far

2009-01-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

December 2007 -- We applied and were accepted in the America World Adoption program.
January 2008 -- Started the long paper chasing adventure -- home study, social worker visits, doctor's appointments, finger printing appointments, getting to know our dear traveling notary really well, recommendation letters......
June 2008 -- Chirstopher turns 18 and now he needs to be fingerprinted, a new doctor's report, and an addendum to our homestudy.
October 2008 -- Sent off our I-800 to USICS
January 2009 -- USICS approval DOCUMENTS TO CHINA!