About Lillianne (scroll down for updated information and pictures!)

On February 26th, 2009, we received a very unexpected call from our adoption agency. They were calling to tell us that they had “locked in” a little girl for us, and had emailed us the information. I was with my mom that day, and we couldn’t get to her house quick enough to pull up the email! I was so excited and nervous, not knowing what I would find. Once the file was up the first thing I saw was her picture—she was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I instantly knew she was our daughter. I examined every curve of her face and cute button nose, not to mention those toes…I just wanted to squeeze them! Everything about her was perfect. I quickly went to the phone to call Aaron and luckily he was at lunch with his colleagues. He was speechless with excitement. He couldn’t wait to get home to see her. We will be naming her Lillianne Min Yan. She was born on August 30th, 2007, which makes her close to 18 months old. The Chinese tie zodiac symbols to each calendar year. Lillianne was born in the Year of the Pig—how fitting is that! At about a year old, she had a physical and weighed about 17.5 pounds and was 27 inches. She is a peanut! Her file indicates that she is developmentally on target. We expect that she will be walking when we go get her. The notes say that she enjoys listening to music, playing outside, and that her favorite toys are cloth dolls. Her foster family also indicates that she is active, restless, and impatient sometimes (…we hope she is isn’t running down the plane aisles…we could be in very big trouble!), and she is a deep sleeper--Yes! Lillianne sounds very happy, as she smiles easy and laughs aloud. We think we will be in for a very fun summer. Our pediatrician feels that based on her medical report that she overall is pretty healthy. Lillianne has a heart murmur and a hole in her heart (VSD). We had a pediatric cardiologist look at her heart report, and he gave us very good news. The specialist said that she is doing very well, which indicates a minor problem overall. He doesn’t have concerns about the murmur. He is hoping that her VSD will close by age 2, so she’ll be reevaluated when she returns. He thinks that she has a 30% chance of needing surgery, and this type of surgery is very routine. Whatever the case, we will deal with this when we get back. Her heart condition has never bothered us. We know that a special angel is looking out for her and will take care of her. Lillianne has been living with a foster family. We were thrilled to know that she has had the nurturing and attention unlike other children in an orphanage. We have so much appreciation for the foster family for the love and care they have provided for Lillianne. She comes from the beautiful province, Jiangxi. Jiangxi is in the southeastern region of China and in a mountainous region. We can’t wait to see the rolling hills and mountains where her life began. When she gets older, we would like to take Lillianne back to China so she can see and experience the beauty of the country and its people.

UPDATE! On April 14, 2009, we received new photos of Lillianne! We are thrilled to be able to see what she looks like currently. The photos were taken on March 10th. She has had a major growth spurt! She now weighs approximately 24 pounds and is almost 31 inches in the photo. She has changed so much, and we can’t wait to go get her. Lillianne looks very healthy, and it is evident that her foster parents are taking excellent care of her. We will forever be grateful for all the love and nurturing they have provided her. Our agency is hopeful that we will be traveling by mid-May. Hang on Lilli—we are coming and can’t wait to meet you!

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