About Gracie  Click here for updated information and pictures!

AMAZING GRACIE!!! Finally we have a referral for a beautiful baby girl. We are so in love with her and we fall harder every minute. I had been watching Rumor Queen several times daily, she is usually correct. I was very nervous that the cut off for referral would be LID 2/13/06 and we were 2/14/06 (just our luck). I knew the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) was shipping packages to agencies and no one knew what was in them. I expected to find out on Wednesday or Thursday. Sunday night I stayed awake all night long and worried myself into a bellyache. I got up when Tony left for work at 6 am and cleaned this house like a mad woman. I was full of nervous energy. Rumor Queen said an agency in Europe got referrals for 2/13/06, I was just sick. I called my mother in law and she had to be my voice of reason (she has been good about that lately). I called FTIA and left a message for our coordinator and she called back at 9:28 am on 9/29/08. This was the conversation: Me: hello Melissa: Well, I am glad you called because I was going to have to call you. Me: We have a baby? Melissa: Yes, we have a baby! Me: sobbing like crazy After she said yes it was like she was Charlie Brown’s teacher and I couldn’t understand a word she said. Well enough about all of that, all I did was talk on the phone and cry all day. Oh, I did call Tony right away and he kept saying “really” he also said “ how do you know”. That conversation was like ‘ who’s on first, what’s on second”. We were both so excited we were talking in circles. Her name is Zhang: surname given by the orphanage (sounds like “jon”) Nian: think of, missing (sounds like “knee-in”) Xi: old time, yesterday (sounds like “see-e”) AKA: Grace Kathleen Nian Xi DeNiro Her birthday is December 23,2007 She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. At birth and as of Aug. 1 she weighs 20.9 lbs. At birth she was 19 ½” long and as of Aug. 1 she is 27” long She is at the Zhangshu City Social Welfare Institute in Zhangshu City Jiangxi Province in China She has been there since January 4, 2008 At this point we have loads of medical information and she looks perfectly healthy She can sit alone, roll over, hop when standing on someone’s lap, reach for toys, make noise and put things in her mouth. It says she is not afraid of strangers (thank God). She likes TV, Oh; she is Tony’s daughter (LOL). She can giggle and feed herself cookies, they say she is a very kind girl and strong willed. At this point her main diet is formula and rice cereal, although she does eat some table food (eggs, noodles soup, vegetables and congee). Please enjoy the pictures of our beautiful new daughter and we hope you all get to meet her soon. We would also like to thank you all for you love and support during this 31-month process. It has been up and down hill, but it has definitely been worth every minute. We pray for things and sometimes wonder why God doesn’t give them to us right away, and then you see what happens in the end. We prayed and waited and prayed and waited and then God has given us Grace. Thank you God for this beautiful gift from above! I wish my mom could be here to see her and then I realize she does see her I’ll bet she helped God pick her out.   To Gracie, We have waited such a long time to see your precious little face. You couldn’t be more beautiful! For the first time ever, I saw your Daddy cry like a baby. It won’t be long until we are all together as a family and we hold you in our arms. Daddy said he was afraid to hug you because he might hug you too hard. You are a gift from God and we are so honored he chose us to be your parents. We will give you all the love in the world. You have a family just waiting to meet you. Papaw cried, Nei Nei cried and I think I even seen Alex cry. You are one special baby girl, Gracie and we can’t wait to hold you in our arms, but until we can, may God keep you in his arms. We love you so much and we fall more in love with you every minute, Mommy, Daddy and Alex

The day we all waited for, Gracie at Last Papaw with a new grandaughter Nei Nei's 1st grandchild Tony and I looking at Gracie's packet

That's one happy Daddy


Thrilled Mama


Fed Ex delivering a very special package

Once upon a love there was a boy and a girl.
They waited for the right time to bring a child into the world.
They thought their hearts were ready for a little one’s embrace.
They asked the Lord for the family… and expected grace.
It’s hard to be patient with the plans of our life.
Each day they waited was a required sacrifice.
They knew they were meant to have a family in this place,
Even in darkness, light can dawn… so they watched for grace.
Dark days came, as the news was grim.
There may be problems with her or him.
How much despair can their coupled hearts take?
They held each other… and begged for grace
It is hard to accept that our desires and dreams
May not be the plans of the Almighty.
When God changes our path, we need not be dismayed
It is simply the all-knowing…hand of grace.
Some blessings are birthed by nature’s plan-
The common joining of a woman and man.
But the Creator said, “This is not your way.”
So they surrendered their will…and prayed for grace.
Would their little one be kind and strong like her father?
Or giving and thoughtful-more like her mother?
No-when their arms, this child embrace,
They will know she resembles God’s beautiful face.
Know she is a gift brought to this place
Let all rejoice…God has given Grace. -Unknown

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