EP Approved!!

So we got EP approval on 5/2!!!  We're still waiting on EA (Embassy Appearance) and VI (visa interview).  We most likely won't know when those are going to happen so the next call we will be getting from our agency will be our Travel Call!!!  It could be this week (although unlikely) or it could be in a few weeks!  We are hoping to be traveling this month and FINALLY holding our son in our arms.  It brings me to tears even thinking about it. 

New Pictures!!!

What a handsom little guy we have!!  It should only be a few more weeks until he is in our arms!  We're still waiting on EP approval (which hopefully we'll have sometime this week), and then his Visa Interview and Embassy Appearance!  Mommy and Daddy are coming soon little man!

Time for an Update!

So I had taken a HUGE vacation from blogging because this blog is mostly about our adoption process and there had been little movement in the past 5 months.  Also, I am just not a very motivated writer ( but I love reading others blogs). We have gotten some great updates on Liam and a few pictures of our cutie which I should have put up here a long time ago.  So I'll add them today :).  But our biggest news is that Liam was submitted for an EP!!!  This is a BIG DEAL!  This means that he could be coming home between 6-8 weeks!!! 

The story of how we found out:
  Dave, myself, and our girls were driving up to San Antonio to go to Sea World and then Disney on Ice.  I was driving and Dave was reading his e-mail from his phone.  He told me that we got an update from our agency but thinking that it was meant for everyone and not specifically for us.  We were so happy that the 2nd group of EP's had been submitted!  But then he read it again and realized that the e-mail was specifically for families who's babies had been submitted!  We were not expecting to be in the second group, so we were shocked and extatic to say the least.  I started to tear up and got goosebumps and almost had to pull over.  It was such a great weekend knowing that soon we would be a complete family!

 December 2011 15 months old!

March 2012 18 months old! Hopefully our last care package that we sent to him :)

Preston David, My Angel in Heaven

October 18, 2003 should have been the best day of my life but ended up being the worst. Today is my first born son's 8th birthday in Heaven.  This year I have been surprisingly really emotional.  I just expected this to get easier and easier every year that goes by but this one has been really hard on me.  I think it's because I just don't feel whole right now.  My best friend in the world (my husband) has been away for the past 3 1/2 months and will be gone another 2 1/2 months and my son is half a world away in Korea.  I miss ALL of my boys.  The difference is that I know I will be with Dave and Liam soon and get to hold and kiss them.  My meeting with Preston will have to wait until the Lord calls me home.  As painful as it was to lose Preston, I wouldn't change having him for the world.  He brought Dave and I closer together.  I don't know where we would be if it wasn't for him.  I can still feel his soft cheeks, tiny feet, and precious little hands.  I miss my son but am comforted by the fact that he is being held by our Lord.

When I was pregnant with him I listened to Dixie Chicks "Godspeed" over and over again.  It would sing it to him while I held my belly.  I couldn't wait to sing it to him while he was looking at me.  The song has a whole new meaning now.  "Godspeed little man, sweet dreams little man, my love will fly to you each night on angels wings". 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqaBof47pmY

Photo shoot

My handsom boy is getting so big!

 Liam at 10 1/2 months old!

 Here he is at 11 1/2 months with some of his birthday goodies.  We sent him a birthday letter, truck, baby football, All the ways I love you book (recorded by Dave and I), fridge farm, a few teething toys, and a fun farm small electronic toy.  Lots of baby snacks like puffs and mum mums! 

This is my favorite picture of his pouty lips! 
So at 11 1/2 months old he is walking along furniture and has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on bottom).  He is 31 inches, tall boy!! And weighs 23.4 pounds! 
We are so blessed to have pictures of him every month.

"When do you get to bring him home?"

Is the million dollar question that no one seems to know the answer to.  There is a lot of paperwork involved in bringing him home and one big piece of the paperwork puzzle is the EP (emmigration/exit permit).  The ministry grants these and they have cut back on the number that they will be submitting and approving.   The great news is that just yesterday they FINALLY started submitting babies for these permits and today the last EP batch submitted (may 2011) were approved!!!  We still don't know what this means for us but it is movement which is fantastic!  We are prepared to have to wait until next year to bring him home but my heart hurts.  I miss my son!  I have never met him but I can't imagine life without him.  We just have to wait on the Lord to get us to our son, and I know he will.  I have strong faith in God that he will take care of Liam and take care of us while we wait for our family to be reunited.  So please say a prayer for us as we continue to wait.  Please ask God to prepare Liam for a difficult transition and prepare his Foster family's heart to say goodbye after raising him from baby to toddler.  It's going to be difficult but I am so ready to be his mommy and I know my husband is ready to hold his son.  2012 is going to be the best year yet for our family!