She's still there!

Yes, it's been about a month since we first shared the news that this darling little girl has been placed with me. My email list is growing, so I will post the original note below for anyone who didn't receive it initially.
I've tested out this blog for a couple of days, and have gotten no comments whatsoever -- since I have not actually sent it to anyone. So I decided to give it a try.
Gan Xingpan (we translate that loosely to "lucky optimist") is still at the Jianxin orphanage waiting for Davis and I to bring her home (not that she knows that, but we like to think deep down she does). Today she celebrated her 14th month birthday.
We are still expecting to travel to China on the 19th - yes, a week from tomorrow. But we don't have official confirmation yet. So much for the two-week notice!
You've asked how can this be? Well, the Chinese adoption officials have not sent our travel approval yet, and the entire group must have our TAs before the consulate can schedule our visa appointments. But Norman, our facilitator, thinks it will come through. Yes, I am on pins and needles. Davis is in Washington State doing some work for the Gates Foundation, and I am making runs to Giggle and Target. (Fortunately Target is just a block away - one of the many conveniences of living downtown.)
Many of you have also asked why she is 14 months old (as opposed to, say, six or eight). That's to say why wasn't she sent over sooner? Well, my read of the situation is that because the babies are usually adopted in groups, they wait until a group of babies are ready to be adopted. But I don't have confirmation of that either.

And here is my note from April 13:


Finally, finally, on the fourth anniversary of when my application first arrived in China, we got this wonderful news:

Gan Xingpan (whose name means "lucky optimist") is waiting for us at an orphanage in Jiangxi China. Davis says she looks like me - white face and those Burdman stick-out ears. We all think she looks adorable. And we got our FedEx package on his birthday!

She's 13 months old now, though these pictures were apparently taken late last year. We are told she is very social, strong-willed, and that she likes to scoot around the orphanage on a little cart and play with a toy drum. She will fit in well here -- Olive is famous for riding gleeful little kids around our apartment on her little car and she's recently become a drummer herself. We can't wait to welcome little Xingpan (English name TBD) home.

When will that be? We would like to know even more than you would ... but we will find out about two weeks before our departure, likely some time in late May. Stay tuned .....