Parenting Cubed

SURPRISE!!!!

It would be an understatement if we said we are excited..
This was meant to be, in so many ways..

We only started the process 4 months ago!!
We requested a boy, between the ages of 3 and 4, on the special needs list, with a limb difference.
We also knew that if nothing happened before July 08, we were removing our name from the list. (timing with Lily's age was very important to us)
So we told no one, not family, no one.

We had actually started with an agency different than the one we used last time.
(Wait times were different), but on a gut feeling...I called our old agency,
they had a file, and they had just (that day) called all of their families on the WC list to see if any of them wanted to change their dossier to look at the file. No one wanted to. Most wanted to wait for the "little girl, under the age of 2, cleft lip, cleft palate) A boy turning 4 in April isn't as "attractive" LOL
BUT, it is to us!!
He has a birth mark, called a Nevus Spilus on his forehead, and just under his nose. You can't actually see them too much any longer, as they've faded with age.
So many things happened that truly makes this meant to be, usually just to meet with a provincial social worker, takes weeks, to get the file here and ok'ed by the province takes weeks again. This ALL took 1 DAY!!!

We didn't list his "special need" on our dossier, but due to a grammatical error, his fits ours perfectly!
"a boy, with a limb difference, and a minor or correctable need."
instead of saying "that is minor or correctable"
(Thank you Marg, you probably did that on purpose!)
so none of the paperwork had to be changed and we were able to ask for his file.
That was February 5th 2008
We had to wait for the medical to be finished: checked out by CHEO in Ottawa
by a pediatric dermatologists, pediatric endocrinologist, and geneticists (probably to rule out if this was a genetic syndrome)
We found out February 19th, that he was healthy, and developmentally on target!
We signed the paperwork to make him "our son" on February 21st!

Whew...what a whirwind!!!!

So let me tell you a bit about our handsome boy!!
His name is Zhang, Han Lin
we'll call him Hanlin ??? Dolan, we haven't decided!
DOB April 30th 2004
From: Tianjin, (2.5 hours outside of Beijing by train)

He is cuddly and compliant, he is happy with other children and often shows his care and consideration. He is especially good at mimicking and memory.
His weakness is he timid and not sociable. (that will change with 3 girls around him!!)
His special need is a nevus spilus (birth mark) on his forehead. The color faded as he grew. Now it only gets darker when he is impatient or upset. (Frank said he is like a mood ring) Afterwards it will go to light pink which is unnoticeable.
He likes to watch TV!! and likes singing and dancing!! (just like Lily, they'll be fighting for the remote).
He is 4 cm taller than Lily, but 2 lbs lighter and is 6 months older than her.
They'll be in the same grade in school.

Due to the Olympics in Beijing, China is not allowing any adoption travel the month before and the month after the Olympics and the Para Olympics.
It is looking like we'll travel in early October, unless China finishes the paperwork quickly,
then we'd travel in July.
We are lucky to be able to bring all 3 girls to China with us to meet their brother. We think it will help with the transition from foster family to forever family to have other children around. Also, my sister and her husband, Cheryl and Tom, have decided to come with us!
An extra pair of hands to hold the camera!!
So many coincidences: We were provincially approved December 12th 07, on Abigail's B-day
He was born on April 30th 2004 (my brother in laws b-day).
He is standing in front of a Hibiscus plant, one of mom's favorite!

I know my mom had a hand in this!! She guided us to him and him to us.
We knew a long time ago that we would be returning to China...
it is where our hearts are and it is where our son is, waiting for us.