Mei Mei's story ~ part 3

As winter began to give way to spring, we found ourselves amazed at the transformation of our family.  Ian and I frequently asked one another if there had indeed "been a time before Caleb," because it just seemed at that point that he had been with us since his infancy.  Our kids could still squabble with the best of sibling sets, but overall they had become best friends.  Caleb watched Kylie's back and Kylie could translate most of what Caleb said.

Now that we'd passed the initial trial period, dreams of our big family began to return and both Ian and I realized that we did indeed want to have "at least three."  For those outside the loop of how adoptions in China work, you can apply to many agencies at your six month anniversary of the most recent adoption.  For us that date would be April 28, six months after we signed the papers in Wuhan to legally make Caleb our son.  Our unspoken plan was to log onto America World's website on the 28th of April and apply with them again, after all, we had been extremely pleased with their services in our first two adoption experiences.

But in mid-March (March 13 to be exact) I found myself doing research on a few other agencies that I'd heard about, "just to be sure."  On one of those sites I was simply looking to find out how their waiting child program worked.  All I did was click on Waiting Children, expecting to learn if they had an agency specific list, used the shared waiting child list, or if they utilized both.  But in addition to that information, I found a list of the children that their agency was currently trying to place.  (Short bios on the children with a blurred picture)  "What can it hurt to look over the list," I wondered. One child lept off the screen at me and even though I knew we were still six weeks from being eligible, I emailed the waiting child coordinator requesting information about this particular child.  

I didn't hear anything back so I figured that the child had maybe been matched and the agency staff was busy with clients that had already applied.  Besides, the technical medical jargon beside the child's name was quite confusing.  A quick search on Wikipedia and WebMD got me nothing.  I told myself that I didn't really know much beyond the sex of the child, the general age, and a "special need" that I didn't consider an issue.  For a few days I couldn't get the child out of my mind, but finally told myself to move on and forget about her, that we'd be applying with America World again soon.  Besides, what did that medical information mean anyway?

And then six days later came the dress conversation with Kylie.  (Seriously, go back and read it again ~ I still get chills when I do!)  What else was there to do?  I had to at least try and find out more about this little girl, Kylie's self proclaimed "two year old sister."  So I emailed again to inquire about her.  Imagine my surprise when on 7:30 on a Friday night I heard back and got lots more information than I had expected.  

I was both excited (because I was pretty sure then that we'd found our Darcy) and terrified (the information included her birth date which is 364 days after Kylie's ~ for one day a year all three of our kids would be the same age!) at the thoughts running through my mind.  And right at that time Ian had a lot on his plate.  I simply sent him an email saying, "All I ask is that you look at her information and pray.  She is two, just like Kylie said..."  

And so began what we now refer to as "Darcy's fleece."  (in reference to Gideon asking God for signs in Judges 6: 36-40)  

More soon, I promise...