December Update

We received our monthly update on Lauren this afternoon. At just shy of 5 months old, she weighed 14.5 pounds and was 24.4 inches tall (she is 5 1/2 months old now).

Many people have been asking us when we are going to travel. We still do not know. There is no news on our court proceedings. A couple of people in process just ahead of us have had about a 2 1/2-month wait between their hearing and first ruling. Our hearing was November 2nd, so if our judge was at the same speed, our first ruling would be in mid-January and we'd probably be traveling in March (picking up Lauren when she was 8 months old). Still hoping it happens quicker than that for us, but it will be fine however it works out!

Happy holidays to everyone...

Good News

We received word from our agency yesterday that our hearing happened on November 2nd (Lauren's 4-month birthday)! The hearing is the first step in the court process, in which the birthmother and social worker appear before the judge. Everything went fine, so now we wait for the next step, which is known as the first ruling. From looking at other adoptive parents' timelines, it seems the first ruling could happen anywhere from within a month to a couple of months. Ten days after the first ruling, the birthparents' rights are terminated and arrangements for travel can begin to be made. At the VERY least, we are still a couple of months away from being able to travel. I am hoping for February as an optimistic yet somewhat realistic estimate. It could still be longer than that, too.

Here is a picture of Sun Moon Lake, which is in Taichung County, where Lauren is.

Thank you for all of your good thoughts!

November Update!

We got an update this evening on Lauren -- exactly four weeks since the last one. She is getting even more beautiful! Her last doctor's appointment was on 10/27, just shy of four months old. She was 13.2 pounds and 23.6 inches.

Unfortunately, we have not received any updates regarding our court proceedings. I did email our caseworker back after she sent the pictures asking when we might expect to hear something in that department; I'll post again when we have news. Please keep thinking good thoughts for us that we can get this little cutie home before too long!

October Update!

We received new photos and information on Lauren today! As of September 28th (just shy of 3 months old), she was 11 pounds, 3 ounces and 22 3/4 inches. Lauren turned 3 months on October 2nd and should now be in foster care until we can come get her (hopefully 6 months at the longest). If we have any updates on anything, I will post them here!

Lauren's Referral Pictures and Info

We received our referral for Chen Yueh-Ling, whom we'll call Lauren Ling, on September 19th, 2006. Here are the four pictures we received with her referral information. The referral info included some brief information on Lauren's birthmother, as well as a good deal of medical info on the baby.

My very favorite picture is the one to the left, with her little hand showing. We have this one framed.