Our Adoption Journey

In 2003, we began our adoption journy. After suffereing the loss of 2 babies through miscarriage, we decided to adopt. Russia, it seemed, was where we would start building our family. We got a referral of a little boy we named Clay. He even had red hair! Adorable!

We then found out that we were expecting. We continued the adoption process and in March, prepared to leave to meet our baby. He was 13 months at the time. Less than 3 hours before getting on the plane, I suffered a pregnancy induced kidney stone. Chad rushed me to the hospital where I would stay for several days. We had to make the heart-wrenching decision to relinquish our little boy. They simply couldn't "hold" him for us. We were heartbroken!

About 2 months later, Hadley, our daughter was born at 25 weeks. Her days in the NICU as well as her care for the next 2 years kept us busy! So the adoption was put on hold.

Fast forward to 2005 - we had moved to Texas, Hadley was stable so we got excited about the possibility of a little Chinese sister. We started the process only to realize that all of a sudden the most stable adoption program in the world was slowing down to a crawl. Hey, I was in my late 30's, this gal needed to get on with the program!

We got on with the program alright. After 2 great years in TX, we moved to FL. Do you know what that means for a Paperchasing Family? MORE Paperchasing!

Finally, we had waded throught the paperwork and something hit us. Why not check into a child with Special Needs? It was like a light went off in our heads. We joined that group through our agency in October, 2007 and boom! January 9, 2008 we got our referral. Because we had checked that we would accept a boy, things really moved for us.

Dang Fu Jie, born on April 30, 2007 and found in a flowerbed at about a month old was to be our son. I laughed at his surname of "Dang" - sounded like a good 'ol Tennessee name to me!

They sent me his picture and of course, I was done! Chad was very excited and Hadley didn't know WHAT was going on!

Here are our dates. They won't mean alot to you, but for us, they are dates burned forever in our minds...

LID - Login Date (China had received our paperwork) - January 4, 2007
Referral - January 9, 2008
Accepted Referral - Jan. 17, 2008
Electronic Acceptance Submitted to China - Jan 25, 2008
PA (Pre-Approval) issued! - Jan 30,2008
RA (Referral Acceptance) - March 10, 2008
TA (Travel Approval) - March 31!
Travel Date - June 12-25/28

Shepherd's Special Need is Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate. He will have 2-3 surgeries when he gets home to repair them. We just think he's adorable already. I am sure you will agree! I am attaching his passport picture for you to see him!