So Much Joy in 3 Little Letters!!!

LOA... we received our LOA today!!!   We are so very excited about receiving our LOA today!

For those of you who do not remember, this is the next step in our road to bringing Li Rose home!  We sent our dossier to China on July 29, and it was officially logged in on August 1 (our log in date, or LID).  After the LID, we had to wait for the dossier to be translated, and then to be approved by the Chinese government.  Official approval to adopt Li Rose is given in the form of a letter of acceptance (or LOA)!  So we have been officially approved to adopt Li Rose!!!!  We were told on our LID that it takes an average of 2.5 months from LID to LOA, and we have been seeing on a list-serve that we are part of that some families have waited well over 100 days (158 was the most we have seen).  We received our LOA after just 51 days!  PRAISE THE LORD!!! (Can you tell we are excited?)

We are now on a new paper chase.  We have to fill out a new USCIS application.  The first one we filled out was for generic approval from the federal government to adopt a child from China.  That approval became part of our dossier.  This next form will be to get approval from the federal government to specifically adopt Li Rose!  Fortunately this process only takes a few weeks (as opposed to a few months the first time), but it is the most time consuming part of our next portion of work, so we are moving as fast as we can to get all the documentation together and get our USCIS application in the mail!

There are some other things that go on, with the Chinese government sending stuff to the US government, then the US government responding (it is all confusing).  But our next momentous achievement will be to be granted TA (or travel authorization) from the Chinese government.  We could leave as soon as two weeks after that, depending on how quickly we can get an appointment at the office in Kunming City in China.  The average time between LOA and TA is about 2 months, which means that we may be traveling to China by the end of November or early December!!!!  We can hardly contain our excitement, and cannot hardly wait until the day when we can go get our little Li Rose and bring her home!

Please continue to pray for the following:

• Li Rose is kept in a living environment that is loving, and that she has someone that she can trust, attach to, and love until we can come get her.
• That the orphanage gives Li Rose the care package that we sent her, or at least the photo album in the care package, and that someone will sit with her each day and show her who her mommy, daddy, and big brother are.
• That all the paperwork can go through the respective agencies just as soon as possible and that we can leave to get Li Rose as soon as we can.
• That we stay sane as we wait for the each of the next small steps to be completed until we can bring our daughter home.

Fundraising Items Still Available for Purchase

So this post has been delayed much longer than I would have liked, partially because of illness in our house and partially because of busyness. 

If you see any items below that you are interested in purchasing, please email me at nursechrissy at hotmail.com and let me know what you would like to purchase.  If you live outside of our immediate area, then I will let you know how much shipping will be and you can include that in your check.  Thank you for taking time to look at our blog and help us bring Li Rose home.  Please feel free to forward our blog to anyone you think might be interested!


 This is a receiving blanket that has a million uses including swaddling a baby or doubling as a pack and play sheet.  A must have for anyone with children!  This shot was intended to show you the size of the blanket.  Scroll down to see all of the patterns available.  These blankets are selling for $12 each.

Custom made burp clothes for $5 each

The tutu below were donated by Megan.  You can find more of her creations at her Etsy site.  The Gator tutu are size 6 months - 18 months and is selling for $20.

We are continuing to sell Ugandan paper bead necklaces as well.  These are $20 each an coming in a variety of colors.

Fundraiser Update and Family Life

Wow how times flies.  We had our fundraiser a week ago and it would say it was quite the success.  We were blessed to be surrounded by friends and family as we thought about and prayed for Li Rose.  We were able to raise quite a bit of money, but still have items available for sale on our blog.  I will have a new post in the next few days listing the items that are still available.  We feel very blessed to so have so many people contributing to help us bring Li Rose home.  You are all amazing!


So there are a few things that I have been wanting to share with you guys for the last few weeks, but just haven't been able to find time to blog.  So here we go...

Li Rose's News:

We were able to send a care package to Li Rose last week.  We kept it simple, sending a picture album, a letter for her and the nannies who care for her and some goodies for the nannies as well.  We had hoped to send her a birthday cake (months ago as her birthday was in May), but our orphanage doesn't do cakes.  In fact, from what we have been able to find out, our orphanage doesn't usually give a child their care package until a week or less before you got to China to meet them.  Knowing that, we still felt it would be a blessing to Li Rose that she see our faces before she meets us for the first time.  Our prayer right now is that she would be given the photo album now and that someone would take the time daily to show her our faces.  You are welcome to join us in praying for her in that way.

We received our Log In Date (LID) for China.  It was August 1st, which is just 3 days after our paperwork was sent to China.  That is the fastest we have heard of someone getting a LID.  Our dear friends Scott and Haley are also adopting from China and are on the same time line as us.  We are praying that we get our Letter of Seeking Confirmation for Adoption (LOA) at the same time and are able to travel together.  It would be huge blessing to spend time together in China.  (After all, it was Haley who introduced us to Erin, who runs a blog for waiting children in China.  Erin sent us Li Rose's picture and encouraged us to view her file.)  We would love to be able to bring Li Rose home before the end of the year, so please join us in praying that our LOA would come quickly.  I am trying really hard to not count the days since our dossier went to China...

Josh's News:

So I just have to brag on my little son for a minute.  I have been looking for ways to streamline some of the things I am doing around the house and include Josh in some of the chores.  Well, he has taken quite the intersted in laundry.  My 20 month old son loves to do laundry with Mommy!!  Now I know what you might be thinking, can he really help?  Yes, yes he can!  He pushes the laundry hamper or diaper basket out to the laundry room (needing just a little help for our step).  He then helps me unload the laundry into the washer (Mommy does the diapers).  He then helps me run the controls.  When it dings to say it is done, he lets me know and goes to the baby gate to wait for me to come open it.  He helps me load clothes from the dryer to the basket and pushes the basket to the couch for folding.  Once everything is folded he takes the basket back to his room or our room and helps me put away the clothes.  Maybe other people do this with their children, but I am quite impressed.  Since he has done so well with laundry, we are now working on having him help me with sweeping.  This isn't going quite as well since he likes to walk through by dirt piles, but we are getting there.


Josh's vocabulary is also increasing rapidly.  He has been watching a baby signing video, so he is learning new signs too.  Both of these developments have helped to decrease his frustration in communicating with us.  We are building up to his transition to a big boy bed (toddler bed) too.  We got him new bed linen that he loves, so now we are just waiting for Mommy and Daddy to be ready for the transition.  Hopefully within the next few weeks we will be able to say he is in his big boy bed.

Other News:

I [Chrissy] continue to go and see my Dad frequently at his nursing home.  Dad is doing quite well and we are hoping to have him moved to a community nursing home soon.  I have also started working on a packing list and have started a collection of things to go with us to China.  I want to be sure to be super ready to go when the time comes.   I am also learning and growing in my role as a stay at home mom, working on setting up routines and finding ways to streamline cooking and such to make things easier when I have both my children home with me.

Flip is doing well at work, traveling some and working on business development.  He has been super busy finishing up our project list before Li Rose comes home.  With the help of Uncle Rick, they were able to do a small bathroom remodel so that the bathroom that Li Rose will be sharing with Josh will be completely finished for them to use (we will post before and after pictures here in the next few days). It was a blessing to finally have this done as we have been slowly saving up for it for the last two years.  He has also been working hard to get the remaining baseboards installed throughout the house (the baseboards have been sitting in our shed for the last two years).  It is exciting ot get these projects out of the way so we can focus on Li Rose when she comes home.  His next big project is to build a step stool for Josh and Li Rose to help us in the kitchen.  I am looking forward to having our kids helping in the kitchen.

Adoption Fundraiser Preview!

This Friday from 7-9pm at Vineyard Christian Fellowship, we are being honored by a group of friends who are hosting a fundraiser to help us bring Li Rose home.  We are very thankful for the work they have put into it. If you need details about it, you can find them here. 

We wanted to include this note fro one of the host families because we don't want anyone to feel like they shouldn't come. "Please do not feel that you need to donate in order to come! This is a chance for all of us to celebrate with the Cobb family. We are providing this fundraising opportunity for those who would like to be a part of their adoption in this way. However, your presence and prayers are their greatest support, so please do not let this deter you from coming!!"

I wanted to give you a preview of some of the items that have been donated that will be available for purchase.   If you can't make it to the fundraiser, but would like to purchase an item, you can email me at nursechrissy at hotmail.com.

This first set of items was handcrafted by Dawn:

 

 This is a receiving blanket that has a million uses including swaddling a baby or doubling as a pack and play sheet.  A must have for anyone with children!  This shot was intended to show you the size of the blanket.  Scroll down to see all of the patterns available.  These blankets are selling for $12 each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next are taggie blankets, which are great for babies when they begin to chew on everything. There are two available.  These are selling for $12 each.

 

 

Custom made burp clothes for $5 each

 

 Custom made onesies size 3-6 months.  These were handmade, selling for $5 each.

 

 

 

 

The tutus below were donated by Megan.  You can find more of her creations at her Etsy site.  Both tutus are size 6 months - 18 months.  The tutus are selling for $20 each.

 

 (Festive Christmas tutu - buy now and be ready for Christmas photos!)

 

 (Go Gators!!  Need I say more?)

That is it for preview items for right now.  I will post more items as I am able during the week.  Feel free to forward our blog to anyone you know who might be interested in purchasing something you see here. 

Adoption Fundraiser August 12th!!

Throughout the adoption process we have been very blessed by our amazing friends and family.  Whether it is someone praying for us, babysitting, advising or offering finacial support, we are very blessed.  Just like when Josh was in the NICU and we weren't sure how we were going to make it day to day, our friends and family have been there to support us yet again.  We love you guys!!  Thank you to everyone who has already purchased necklaces or coffee.  If you want more info on how to do either, look here.

Now what about that fundraiser, I mentioned... Well, we have a group of friends, Sarah, Haley, Dawn, Carrie and Alison, who have put together a fundraiser for us! They have arranged/made a variety of things for sale from jewelery to baby blankets and everything in between.  Here are the details for the fundraiser - we would love to have you join us in celebrating Li Rose and her addition to our family.

When: Friday, August 12 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Where:Vineyard Church Community Room 
           3536 NW 8th Avenue
           Gainesville, FL 32605

What:  Come and celebrate with us as Philip, Chrissy and Joshua prepare to welcome Li Rose into their family!  We'll have dessert, fellowship and prayer.  Additionally, we'll have tables set up with jewelry, baby blankets, and other great items for sale with all proceeds going to help the Cobb family bring Li Rose home. 

Contact: Please leave a comment here if you need more information or have any questions.

We would really love to have you join us as we celebrate our little girl!  In honor of our Li Rose, we found two new pictures of her (in her original file) we would like to share with you.

 

(She looks a little peeved at having her picture taken. :-)

 

(Sweet, beautiful baby girl up close.  This picture just melts my heart)

Just seeing new pictures of her (even if they aren't more recent) makes us long to have her home with us.  Please continue to pray with us that we would be able to travel to China much sooner than anticipated.

 

One Step Closer to Li Rose and Big Stuff Gets a Haircut

This has been a very exciting few weeks for our family.  We received our immigration approval last Friday afternoon.  Which caused Chrissy to race to Tallahassee that very same day to get it certified and she made it there three minutes before they closed.  We then had our approval authenticated by the Chinese embassy in Houston and sent to our adoption agency.  That was the final piece we needed to send our dossier to China.   So as of yesterday, we are officially dossier to China.  Now we are waiting for our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the Chinese government saying we have been approved (again) to adopt Li Rose.  The average wait for this is 60 days but we have been seeing people on our list serve who have been waiting much longer than that.  We would really appreciate your prayers that our documents get translated quickly and our LOA comes quickly! 

Once we receive LOA, it is usually takes 60 more days to get the various immigration and visa details worked out and to receive travel authorization (TA) from China.  We can travel as soon as we are able once we receive our TA.  So the average wait time between now and traveling to Li Rose is about 4 months.  We are praying that this process goes faster for us and praying we are able to keep busy while we wait to bring our daughter home. 
 
So Josh is now 20 months and 1 day old, and the day finally came when it was decided that he needed a haircut.  So Josh and his playgroup buddy Leo went to see Jazz at the Thornbrook Village Hairline Salon. 

 

 (Here is a front view of Josh before his haircut)

 

(Here is a back view - don't you just love those curls!)

Leo went first and Josh got to watch to see how it is done.  Jazz did a great job of distracting the boys during their haircuts, so it was a pretty enjoyable experience.  

 

(Leo was quite the model subject, he even sat by himself for the whole haircut (that is his Grandpa in the background))

Then it was Josh's turn.  Mommy wasn't quite sure she was ready for this but it was time.,,and well sometimes pictures tell a better story than we could. 

 (Josh checking out the bib he borrowed from Leo)

 (Big stuff sitting by himself in the chair, playing with hair clips while Jazz works)

 (Big boy enjoying his basket of clips)

 (Big stuff needed Mommy to help finish off the hair cut)

 (Almost there)

 (Big stuff and Mommy after the deed was done...Mommy does like that new look)

 (Group shot!)

 (Josh and Leo...haircut buddies - it was hard to get them to focus :-)

(Daddy and his proud handsome boogie)

Another exciting event happened this week, well more exciting then telling you all about the nesting Mommy has been doing (that is a story for another day).   Josh got his first passport in the mail!!!  So it is official - we are very ready to go to China...Li Rose, here we come!

 

(All it needs now is a Chinese visa)

Fundraising Opportunities

As I mentioned in my post about a week ago we have started fundraising efforts to help us bring Li Rose home.  Now I am willing to bet most or all of you have never heard of someone fundraising for an adoption.  If you have, you are among the rare few who have.  I am going to attempt to briefly explain why we are fundraising and then tell you about some opportunities to participate.

I think a good place to start with all of this is to explain why we are adopting in the first place.  Even before we were married, both Philip and I had a desire to adopt a child or children - more than a desire really, more of a calling to live out our faith through adoption (James 1:27).  It is easy to ignore the fact that more than 147 million children have no parents to love and care for them. While we do desire to add another child to our family, our desire goes far beyond that.  We believe that God has adopted each of us into his family, and we want to mirror that by welcoming Li Rose into our family.

The average cost of an international adoption is $25,000 to $35,000. That is a quite a chunk of change!!  We have been saving and pairing down our budget to the bare necessities to offset the cost. But lets be honest, it is still a large undertaking and we are trusting that God will provide the rest of the money we need to bring Li Rose home.

We understand that not everyone is called to adopt.  For those who are not called to adopt directly, we are asking for you to instead support us as we venture on this journey to meet our daughter and bring her home.  There are a variety of ways you can support us through prayer, financial support, and family support once we return.  We would love to hear from you and how you might support us during this incredible journey!

Fundraising Opportunities:

The first fundraising opportunity we have been given is though the selling of necklaces made in Uganda from recycled paper. By purchasing these necklaces, you are helping a mother in Uganda provide a sustainable income for her family as well as helping us bring Li Rose home. You can find more information about the women in Uganda and see pictures of the necklaces here.

The necklaces are very beautiful and versatile. They are very long, so you can wrap them around your neck two or three times, and they are very colorful, so they go with almost any outfit.  Below is an example of one of the necklaces.  There are additional pictures available by clicking the link above.

Several dear friend of ours, are selling these necklaces for us.  One of them, Sarah, is pre-selling each necklace for $20 (plus shipping if you do not live in Gainesville). You can email her at sbradateanu at gmail.com or leave her a message through this event on facebook.   **These would make great Christmas gifts!  Just think, you could finish your shopping by the end of the summer!**


If you are interested in selling necklaces in your local area, please let us know!!


The second opportunity is through the purchase of coffee from Just Love Coffee Roasters.  There is a banner on the side of our blog or you can go here.  Just Love Coffee Roasters sells fair trade coffee from all over the world. Through roasting Fair Trade Specialty coffees, Just Love uses proceeds to help an Ethiopian orphanage and families adopting not just from Ethiopia, but from anywhere in the world.  We receive $5 from each bag of coffee you purchase. 

We can't tell you how much we appreciate each of you and the impact you have had and are having on our lives.  We are so thankful for you and look forward to continuing to share our journey to our daughter with you.  We long to have Li Rose in our arms - we pray that day will come quickly!