Our Adoption Journey

An Invitation

2009-04-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

This blog's purpose has been filled, so if you want to keep up with our family and continue to see pictures of our cute kids, please come over to my new blog.

I'm going to now be blogging over here from now on.

Is she photogenic or what???

2008-12-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

December 30, 2008: I don't know if anyone is still checking this blog since I rarely update anymore, but I couldn't resist posting this gorgeous photo of our brown-eyed beauty.

Happy Birthday, Ava!

2008-11-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Ava's birthday was the 10th. She is now 4 years old!!! The musical snow globe Chad picked out is her favorite gift. He just knew she would love it when he saw it. We had a birthday party with our family and the 4 grandparents. Ava was so excited for it to finally be her birthday because she has watched all the other kids in our family have birthdays since she's been home.

Click the play button above to see Ava blow out her candles! She knew just what to do! Watch the expression on her face as we sing to her; it is so priceless.

Ava got another party, too. My friend Mandi (who adopted Mylee from the same orphanage and traveled to China with Chad), threw a surprise birthday party for Ava last Friday. You can click here to see Mandi's blog post with pictures from the party. And you can click here to see Ava with her "Nanjing friends" when we got together. I love all of these Nanjing kids so much; they are like Ava's extended family to me.

With Ava's birthday, I've been thinking a lot about her birth mother and how hard it must have been for her to make the hard choice to give her daughter up. I know she must be thinking of Ava at this time and wondering if she's okay. We have been praying that God would give her birth mother and birth father a supernatural peace that Ava is okay and with a family that loves her. If you are unfamiliar with why babies are placed for adoption in China, click here.

A Mother's Love (author anonymous)

She left you one morning,
She had no choice.
In a country of millions
She had just one voice.

The law made it clear
One child will do.
To obey it would mean
No hope for you.

As she laid you down
Her eyes became blurried.
On saying goodbye
She said, "Don't you worry."

Another will come
To take my place.
A mother will come
From a different race.

She'll hold you and love you
And make you her own.
She'll take you away
To a brand new home."

She then ran away
Her heart broke in two.
"Don't ever forget
That I love you too."

Today also marks 6 months since Chad received Ava in China! He likes to say that I delivered the other children and he "delivered" Ava. (I'm sure it was not nearly as painful...ha,ha) I leave you with my favorite picture from that day six months ago, the first time Chad held her in his arms just moments after seeing her for the first time. Ava has the most expressive eyes and you cannot miss the look of hope in her eyes in this picture. (Am I ever going to really end this blog???)

November 11, 2008

2008-11-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

A cool fall evening, a video camera, a great song, 5 cute kids, and a fun (and talented) Daddy. Combine them all and this is what you get (make sure your volume is turned up):

A Different Kind of Post

2008-10-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2008

This post is going to be very different than any of my others. Our blog has focused on the positives in our adoption process. Why? Because first of all, that is what I want to focus on- the amazing thing God has done in Ava's life and in our lives. He has brought her to us and has answered all of our prayers and wiped away our worries about this whole experience. However, looking back over my posts, I am feeling like I told a "fairy tale version" of our adoption experience. Don't get me wrong; in many ways it has been a fairy tale. Ava's adoption and her transition into our family have gone better than I could have EVER imagined. However, there is another side to this whole experience, something I have really not blogged about because it is a personal and painful part of Ava's past. I won't go into detail, but in short, Ava's past involved a lot of neglect and suffering. This shouldn't be shocking to anyone, considering she spent her first 3 1/2 years in an orphanage. If you want to get a tiny glimpse of what life is like for a baby in a Chinese orphanage, go here and read an excerpt from the book "Silent Tears," which was just released this year and was written by an American who volunteered in a Chinese orphanage in the same province that Ava lived in.

"Half the Sky" is an organization whose goal is to make life better for children living in Chinese orphanages. They go in and change the way things are done in Chinese orphanages. For example, they provide nurture and stimulation for babies and a preschool environment for toddlers. From their website, "Listless babies have learned to coo, to laugh, to cuddle, and to follow the sounds of their nannies’ voices. Withdrawn, sullen preschoolers have learned to draw and plant sunflowers,... negotiate with their peers for toys, and greet their teachers with open arms." "Half the Sky" came into Ava's orphanage when Ava was two years old. So life in her orphanage did improve after that, but an orphanage is still an orphanage. It is common for two-year-old children adopted out of Ava's orphanage to not yet be walking on their own. It is common for the one-year-olds to not be able to sit up on their own, bear any weight on their legs, or hold a toy. It is common for babies to come home with severe self-soothing behaviors (rocking, etc) and totally flat heads from all the time spent laying on their backs in their cribs. The babies and toddlers adopted do not know how to be held by an adult. They do not know how to give or receive a hug. They are simply not used to physical touch at all. They have been neglected beyond belief...emotionally, physically, and spiritually neglected. This is not true for all children in all orphanages, but it is sadly true for the vast majority. Chad said he remembers the children in Ava's orphanage when he visited. They were so desperate for attention. Heartbreaking doesn't even begin to describe it.

Our agency told us to figure that when we get our child, expect her to be one month smaller than average for every 3 months spent in the orphanage. In other words, Ava should have been about one year behind in growth by age 3 and she was. The reason isn't only due to poor nutrition, although this plays a part. The other reason is due to failure to thrive.

Gabe is 4 months old. If I had left him to languish alone in his crib during these first 4 months, not giving him attention, not holding him or touching him, just propping a bottle for him every few hours, I would expect him to already have irreversible damage from that (that is if he didn't die from failure to thrive). No, he wouldn't remember it later, but it would shape him. Ava has had 3 1/2 years of that kind of neglect. There are scars from her past. We are all still adjusting. God is the Great Physician and He is healing her, but God created babies to need love and nurturing. It will take time and God does not choose to always heal all scars completely in our timing.

I am blogging about this because I want to share some of the reality of our journey. I can't emphasize enough that there is a HUGE need for these children. They are suffering and we cannot look away. While we are already thinking of toys to get for our kids this Christmas, children in orphanages don't need toys. They need parents. We have several close friends who have recently started the adoption process. Words cannot express how overjoyed we are at the thought of more orphans coming home to their forever families. If you've ever thought about adopting or if God is laying it on your heart, please look into it soon. Or if you are not in the position of adopting, please pray about how God may use your financial resources or encouragement and prayer to help a child come home to a different family. There are many couples who would adopt if the finances weren't a concern. (However, if you are in that category, remember that God is bigger than this roadblock, too. He sure was for us. We did not have the money when we started our journey, but God provided through His people.) There are so many children waiting, especially children with special needs and children older than babies. Yes, they will have scars. Yes, they may be broken. It is a huge commitment and a big risk. But God is bigger. He is in control. And He will never leave us.

With Christmas right around the corner, Chad and I are so burdened by the many children who will spend yet another Christmas alone without even knowing Christmas exists and what it means. Click here if you haven't seen the video that I've posted before. It is an orphan's prayer to God and features orphans from China. This video is what opened our eyes and gave us a glimpse of what these children go through.

I want to thank everyone again for supporting us through our adoption journey. Many of you contributed financially; many of you prayed for Ava and encouraged us. You partnered with us to bring her home. We got the better end of the deal. There is no other feeling in the world like loving and kissing a child who you recently adopted and hearing that child call you "Mommy" or "Daddy." There is no other feeling like tucking your newly adopted child into a warm bed at night and whispering "I love you...you belong here."

One of the conversations I love having with Ava is when I ask her, "Do you remember when Daddy and Brookie came and got you in China?" She always says, "Yeah." Then I tell her that God gave her to us as a special present and we are so happy to have her. She loves to hear about her adoption and to watch the video footage (that my dad took) of her and Chad meeting for the first time in China. When we watch the video, she keeps looking at Chad to see that he is watching and then points to the screen with the most excited look on her face! Adopting Ava is one of the most rewarding things Chad and I have ever had the privilege of being a part of, right up there with giving birth to our other children. Adoption is amazing. It isn't without costs and it is not easy, but nothing worth doing really is, right?

I'm posting some new pictures. I'm also posting a picture of Ava when she was living in the orphanage. It was taken exactly one year ago. We still can't get over how this does not look like the same child. Her "before" pictures are not unique. We have seen the "before" pictures of so many children who are now adopted and of children still waiting. You would think they are related. The look of utter hopelessness in their faces...We are are in awe of what God and a good dose of His love can do.

I will post again with some pictures after Ava's fourth birthday coming up on November 10th, so you can check back after that if you want. We are so looking forward to giving Ava her first birthday party!

Ava has been HOME for 5 Months Now!!!

2008-10-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share some pictures to celebrate Ava being home for 5 months! Actually, October 22 will mark that day, but the 12th marks 5 months since Chad got her in China.

Also Chad got me a new digital camera for my birthday (last month) and I just really wanted to show off these great pictures!

I love the "sepia" effect on my camera, so I took several pictures in that mode (the brown and white).

The kids have enjoyed this unseasonably warm weather and have been outside all the time. Gabe has grown HUGE and he's not even 4 months yet. Brooke is now 7 (Happy birthday, Brooke), Ashton is 5, Kate is 3, and Ava will turn 4 years old next month! Can you believe it?

Tara

Brown Couch Photo, August 15, 2008

2008-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

I thought this picture was just way too cute not to share! (Make sure you click on it to enlarge it.) I got together Friday with 4 other Fort Wayne moms who have all brought home little girls within the last 6 months- all from the same orphanage in Nanjing, China! The children are (from left): Mylee age 2 1/1, Clara age 1 1/2, Millie age 2 1/2, Elsa age 1 1/2, and Ava age 3 1/2. They are all beautiful little girls and have all made HUGE strides physically, emotionally, and socially since coming home to their families. It was such a blessing to be able to see all these kids reunited, this time not as orphans in an orphanage but as children with Christian families. God is good!!!

Next are pictures of each mom with her daughter: Mandi with Mylee, Kelli with Clara, Susan with Elsa, Marna with Millie, and me with Ava.

July 23, 2008

2008-07-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

I know I said that I wouldn't be updating this blog anymore, but many of you have asked for an update of how Ava is doing and how she (and the other kids) are adjusting to Gabe, so I thought I'd update and also share some more pictures.

Ava is doing so well and just continues to amaze us. She is sweet and fun and has a great sense of humor and laughs easily. Ava has become very affectionate, climbing on our laps often and offering hugs and kisses to us. We are just in awe of her sweet and calm, playful personality despite her past and all the changes she's had over the last couple months. God is truly the Great Physician and we are so very thankful.

I took some pictures of her on the swing and she got really silly and started leaning back and laughing just as I was taking the picture each time! She thought this was hysterical as you can see. I was finally able to get a good picture of her anyway!

Ava is so excited that her hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails. Every morning she brings me 2 elastic hair ties, a barrette for her bangs and a brush. After I put her hair up, she smiles really big and dances around happily. She also loves to pick out her own clothes in the morning and has started even picking out and laying out clothes for Kate to wear.

Last week Ava had surgery to get tubes in her ears because of fluid behind her eardrums. The doctor said she REALLY needed the tubes and that her hearing had been affected and would drastically improve now. He also said we'd probably notice an improvement in her speech. Well, in the last few days she has started putting 2 (and more) words together! She has started speaking in short sentences! Ava has said, "Where's Kate?", "I want some more" and "my shoe" just to name a few of the phrases she has said. We are proud parents; can you tell? It is just so neat to watch her learn English. We still hear a lot of Chinese from her too and sometimes she will speak in a Chinese/English combination of words!

Gabe is a month old now. He is a pretty content baby and all the kids just love him. They want to hold him and talk to him; he is going to get a lot of attention especially as he starts smiling and getting mobile.

Thanks for looking at the pictures!

Gabriel Isaac Sprunger has Arrived!

2008-06-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

June 27, 2008: Gabriel was born at 11:20 Tuesday night, June 24th, only a half hour after we arrived at the hospital; talk about a very quick labor! He was 7 pounds, 9 ounces and is very healthy. We love him to pieces and praise God for this miraculous gift! Enjoy the pictures; you can click to enlarge.

June 7, 2008

2008-06-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ava is adjusting to her new family more and more every day. It is so fun to see her learn new things. Today she was playing "Ring Around the Rosy" with the other kids and was even singing many of the words! She is starting to give Chad and I kisses when we ask and she lets us cuddle her a little more all the time. She laughs a lot and seems so happy. We feel so incredibly blessed by Ava.

Her appointment with the cleft clinic went well. Ava is healthy and doing great! She was so good during the appointments; the only time she fussed at all was when she realized our other kids were not coming with us to the clinic!

I think this will be my final post about our adoption journey. When Baby Gabe is born in a few weeks, I may post some pictures of him on this blog for family and friends to see, since many of our extended family members live far away and won't get to meet him for awhile.

Thank you to everyone who followed our journey to Ava and her journey into our family. We have enjoyed sharing our experience with all of you. We love you and thank you again for your support and prayers! If you haven't yet posted a comment and want to, or if you want to write something directly to Ava, please do because this blog is going to double as Ava's "adoption scrapbook" and the comments will mean a lot to her someday.

Signing off...(at least until Gabe is born)...

Tara

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

June 1, 2008

2008-06-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

We are all falling more and more in love with Ava every day. I don't think we could love her any more if she were our biological child. We feel so blessed and humbled that God would give us the privilege of being her parents.

Ava is so, so sweet and gentle and she is really letting her guard down more and more as far as her personal space goes. She loves for Chad to pick her up and toss her up in the air and tickle her. She runs up to him with her arms up and says, "Baba" (Chinese for Daddy) to be picked up. She puts her head back, exposing her neck for him to kiss and she just laughs and laughs.

Ava LOVES to color and do stickers. She likes to hand me a crayon so I can write "Ava" on her paper and then she says "Ava."

She is a big helper around the house because she enjoys doing whatever the other kids are doing, and she's a little neat-freak! She helps the kids unload the dishwasher, and the other day she folded a whole pile of washcloths when she saw the other kids folding towels (I posted a couple pictures of her folding her washcloths). She was so happy when she was done and was excited to put them away in the drawer!

She has become very attached to our other children, which is so neat to see. When I dropped the other 3 kids off at the grandparents to take Ava to her doctor appointment, she cried because they left. She also cried this morning when she saw they were being dropped off at their Sunday School classes and she was coming into church with Mommy and Daddy. I finally decided to just hang out in the nursery with her and Kate and she had fun playing with the toys and cleaning up afterwards! Our other kids still adore her and fight over who gets to sit by her, buckle her in her carseat, etc. (I hope she'll be ready to move over and give Gabe the spotlight soon!) I posted a couple pictures of Ava and Kate on a riding toy; they like to ride around together on it! They have so much fun together; when Kate wakes up in the morning, the first thing she asks is "Can I go wake up Lan?" They are starting to fight over toys like normal sisters too, which I knew was coming. Brooke is still really sweet with her and pushes her on the swing and helps put her bib on, etc.

Ashton has been going to bed around the same time as Ava (they share a room with Brooke too), and when I leave the room, I can hear him singing and talking to her. She went to sleep without crying for the first time Saturday night and tonight, so she is getting used to her bed. Ashton told me that he prayed for Ava while Ava was trying to get to sleep. I asked him what he prayed and he said, "I prayed that she would learn English and then I just told Jesus how much I love her."

Tonight for the first time, Ava said "I yuv you" to me after I told her "I love you." It was the sweetest thing. Chad said, "Tara, she doesn't know what that means." And I said, "But I know what it means!" It's wonderful to hear even if she is just repeating what I said!

Ava's pediatrician appointment went great on Wednesday. She is healthy and all her bloodwork came back normal, which is an answer to prayer. (Some internationally-adopted children have lead poisoning or other diseases, but she is very healthy). Poor thing, she got bloodwork done and 6 immunization shots all in one day! The first think she did when Chad got home that day was show him her bandaids for sympathy. Her dentist appointment went well too, only 2 teeth need work right now; we were expecting worse so that is good news. On Friday, we go to the cleft clinic where she will see a big team of doctors. We should find out then when she'll get surgery to close her fistula (hole in the roof of her mouth where food gets to her nasal cavity and comes out her nose when she eats). I'll post again after that appointment. Enjoy the pictures!

May 26, 2008

2008-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Things are going really well with Ava. She seems very happy and content and just loves our other kids. The other day, Ashton said to me, "Mom, I just love Lan." Kate said to me today, "I'm a big girl and Lan is just a baby." It is such a joy to see them all interact. Yesterday we took all the kids to the zoo. Ava loved seeing all the animals and would point and look at us to make sure we saw them. She enjoyed the train ride; nothing seems to scare her so far. When she saw the other kids feeding the ducks, she started ripping little pieces of bread apart and throwing them at the ducks too. She picks things up very quickly from the other kids. Then she started speaking in Chinese to the ducks! It was really funny.

Ava still loves her little photo album that we sent to the orphanage before we adopted her. Last night she was looking through it. She pointed at Chad's picture and then at Chad and said, "Baba" (Chinese for Daddy). Then she pointed at my picture and at me and said, "Mama." She said "Jie-Jie" (Chinese for big sister) for Brooke, "Gi Gi" (Chinese for brother) for Ashton and when she got to Kate's pictures she said "Kay-Kay!" and pointed at Kate.

Ava is picking up some English words. She loves to fill up a little watering can with water and water our tomato plants. When her can is empty, she comes up to me and says, "Wa-wa" (water). Ava just LOVES our backyard and is content to walk around it pushing a doll stroller or just following us or the other kids around. She has been watching the other kids on the swings the last couple days, but wouldn't let us put her on one. Today, she seemed interested in trying one out. Once she got the hang of holding on (after falling off once), she was so excited; I've never heard her laugh so hard. She probably spent a good hour on the swing just laughing and smiling as we pushed her and pretended to let her kick us with her feet as she swung! While she was swinging, she kept saying "Mama...(and then something in Chinese)" I'm wondering if she was saying "again" or "I like this." Who knows?

God has really blessed us all through this process. Some specific praises we have are:

Ava sleeps great. From the night she got home, she has slept at least 12 hours straight every night. When she wakes up she sits in her bed quietly so we do have to keep checking to see if she's awake. She is not used to having the freedom of waking up and getting out of bed on her own. Maybe we'll leave well enough alone there...

Ava talks a lot better than we had expected. Her Chinese sounds good and the few words she says in English sound good too. It is common for cleft-affected children to have difficulty producing normal sounds, and Ava will probably need speech therapy at some point, but we are encouraged that she is talking at all!

Ava seems to be able to hear fine. Again, many cleft-affected children have hearing problems (and she may have minor ones...we see the doctor on Wednesday), but at least she can hear!

Ava eats well. She seems happy to eat whatever we eat. We have noticed that we are constantly wiping her nose. However today it dawned on us that it is only one nostril and that the drainage doesn't look like normal nasal drainage. We are thinking it is food. This could mean Ava has a "fistula," which is a tiny hole in the roof of her mouth where food can get to her nasal cavity when she eats. This would mean that after her palate surgery, a tiny hole opened up again, which would not be unusual after palate surgery. We'll get this checked out at her cleft appointment.

Ava has a very sweet and peaceful personality and is very neat. She is a neat eater and uses her fork and napkin well. She actually cleans up after the other kids! They left their popsicle wrappers scattered in the yard yesterday, and before we could ask them to clean them up, there was Ava holding them all and handing them to me! She'll also pick up an empty sippy cup and hand it to me and she's careful to put her sippy cup back on the counter where it goes when she's done with it. She even picks up Kate's diaper after I change Kate, and she goes and throws it away. This morning I heard Brooke and Ashton yelling and fighting upstairs. Ava came to me with big eyes and a worried look, pointing upstairs. She was telling me they were fighting and that she didn't like it! Chad told me what her personality would be after just seeing her picture back in August, and he nailed her exactly!

Another praise is that she accepts me as much as she does Chad. She seems very happy to have a Mama and Daddy both.

Several people have asked me whether I'm planning on continuing this blog now that Ava is home. I feel the blog has served its purpose in keeping family and friends updated about our adoption journey. Having said that, Ava has several doctor appointments scheduled in the next couple weeks (cleft clinic, cleft surgeon, dentist, pediatrician) and I do plan to update everyone after each of these appointments, so watch the blog for periodic updates during the next few weeks. I'll probably post a few more pictures as time allows too, but I'm planning on ending the blog in a month or so which is good timing, since Gabe should be born in a month and all my free time will definitely be gone at that point:). We cannot thank you all enough for your kind comments, your prayers and your encouragement and support during this process!!!

First Full Day Home

2008-05-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

It went really well. The kids all slept in (we finally had to wake up Brooke and Ava around 11:30 am). So Chad and I got to spend the morning together unpacking and talking. The rest of the day was just spent together at home as a family. In the afternoon I walked the kids to the playground in our neighborhood (while Chad took a much-needed nap because of jet lag and a bad first night's sleep at home). I was able to take a couple pictures of all 4 kids. They played really well together today. I anticipated Kate being a lot more jealous, but all she wanted to do was "pet Lan" (stroke her black hair) and hug her. Kate even gave Ava one of her precious binkies, which Ava just played with. Ava seemed to put up with all the attention okay. I think Kate sees Ava as a baby sister since Ava doesn't talk (english) and is a couple inches shorter than her. At one point, Kate and Ava were building with blocks and Kate would say something to Ava and Ava would say something back in Chinese. It was too cute! Brooke and Ashton are doing great with Ava too, helping her with things and showing her all the toys in the house. It is amazing how they all seem to have just accepted her as a sibling. Of course, right now Kate sees Ava as a novelty; I'm sure the rivalry will set in soon enough, but I'm enjoying this while it lasts! While at the playground, it was obvious Ava had never been on a slide because she tried to walk down it, which sent her flying down the slide flat on her back! She was okay and actually wanted to go again after getting over the initial shock. Once I showed her how to sit down on her bottom first, she probably went down the slide 10 more times with pure enjoyment. It was so cute to watch. She is being exposed to new things that we take for granted and it will be like that for awhile. The last picture shows Ava with a ton of clips in her hair; she kept handing me her new clips (that Daddy bought her in China) and pointing to her head until they were all in her hair. We had a little meltdown at bedtime when it was time to take them all out:( but she settled down quickly and fell asleep about 5 minutes after I put her in her bed.

quick update...She is HOME!

2008-05-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, this will be a quick post because it is midnight and the last child FINALLY fell asleep. But I know so many of you have been praying and telling me you are thinking about us tonight that I wanted to give you a quick update of how things went tonight. When they got off the plane, Chad was holding Ava; they were all exhausted having been traveling for 24 hours and the girls only slept a few of those hours, Chad maybe one. Just as I expected, Ava wouldn't look at me or let me touch her. She moved her arm away if I tried. I was prepared and it was okay. Chad put her in her stroller so he could pick up Ashton and Kate. Then Kate wanted down to see Ava. She kept saying, "Lan!" and was so excited. She tried to give Ava a kiss and Ava turned her head away. This hurt Kate's feelings and she started crying, "Ava won't let me kiss her." It was pretty sad to see Kate so hurt. She couldn't understand why Ava wouldn't want a kiss from her. Well, we got their luggage and got in the van and Ava did not want to be buckled so she fussed almost the whole way home, and she was exhausted of course too! When we got home, she was calmed down and walked up the driveway to the house with the other kids. She wouldn't walk into the house without Chad and he was busy getting the luggage out of the van. I tried to lift her into the house, but she squirmed away from me and waited for Chad before she'd walk in the house. As soon as we got inside, we started the bath water for Brooke and Ava because she loves baths and the girls needed one! In the bath, I let her pour water on my hand and she looked at me and smiled. We played a little and she started to warm up to me and interact with me. Ashton and Kate were handing her toys and she started smiling at them too. By the end of the bath, she let me get her out and dry her off with the towel. Chad got her dressed; I didn't want to push it with her. We all ate and Chad showed the kids gifts he brought for them. During this time, Ava was busy exploring all our toys which were new to her and fun. She started handing me toys and playing with me. By this time it was around 9:30 and we knew they were all tired. Chad put Ava in her bed upstairs and she started crying...hard. He was exhausted and told me she cries sometimes at bedtime and he went downstairs and promptly fell asleep on the chair. So here I am with 4 kids to put to bed, one that doesn't know me and is leery of me, Kate needs a diaper change...all the kids are hyper. Well, I let Brooke, Ashton and Ava be upstairs (they share a room) while I got Kate changed and to bed. Then I came upstairs and sat on the bed by Ava and started stroking her hair. I was shocked that she let me and that it immediately calmed her down. She just looked at me and smiled while I stroked her cheeks, kissed her little feet, ran my fingers through her hair (which is soft and silky by the way), and talked gently to her. She was soaking it up and loving it! I even laid down with her on the bed and she let me cuddle her and stroke her forehead until she finally fell asleep against me. She is so, so sweet. I could have just eaten her up! I was lying there with her and just thanking God that she was letting me love her. I know that real attachment and trust takes time, time, time, but tonight was a great start and I am so thankful that I got to love on her. Brooke looked over and said, "It's okay that you're cuddling her and not me because this is your first night with her. I've already had lots of cuddle time with you and Ava has never had that." My sweet little Brookie...
Brooke fell asleep shortly after that, but it took Ashton until midnight! Well, it didn't turn out to be a short post after all. Hopefully in the next few days we'll have time to post some pictures of her with me and her new siblings! Thanks for all your prayers. Off to bed...we'll see how the night goes...

Unfailing Love

2008-05-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

I put together a little slide show to the song "Unfailing Love." The first time I heard this song back in August 2007 , I was looking at Ava's picture and thinking that the same unfailing love Christ has for us... He has that same love for all 150,000 orphans all over the world...and He wants us to have this kind of love for those the world has forgotten...

Last Day in China

2008-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here they are on the famous "Red Couch." (Make sure you click on the picture to make it bigger...Ava looks so adorable.) This is a couch in the hotel lobby where everyone who adopts from China (and stays at this hotel) gets their picture taken. Usually all the adopted kids in the group are lined up on the couch...Chad said none of those pictures turned out. Well, that's according to his standards; hopefully he'll have at least one for me to see when he gets home & I can post it to the blog later. I was talking to him this morning (his evening and last night before waking up in the morning to get on a plane...which will be Wednesday evening our time). Ava kept looking at the computer and looking at Chad to see that he was looking too. Her eyes are so expressive; Chad was right!!! She also said "Mama" for me a couple times too. Chad said "kiss" to her, and she put her cheek up by his mouth to receive a kiss. It was sooooo sweet! Tomorrow night, Ashton, Kate, and I get to meet Ava for the first time and have Chad and Brookie back! Please pray for safety (and sanity) as they begin their 24 hours of travel very shortly.

Pictures!

2008-05-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Chad was finally able to email me some more pictures. I was so happy to get this first one of her smiling; just look at that cute little dimple on her cheek!

Only a Few Days Left...

2008-05-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have any new pictures to post. I talked to Chad this morning (his evening) and he said he had some new pictures, but for some reason his computer wouldn't let him attach them. He'll try again tomorrow. The rest of his trip looks like this:

Tuesday morning: Consulate appointment and paperwork

Wednesday: Get Ava's Visa and Passport

Thursday: Start traveling home!

Please continue to pray for our family and for Ava after she is home. A concern of mine is that she will have a hard time bonding with me (Tara). We have learned from other adoptive families and from our adoptive parenting classes that it is not unusual for adopted children to have a hard time bonding with their mother at first. Since Ava had all female caregivers at the orphanage, she may see me as just another caregiver. She has no concept yet for what a mother is, so she will need time to trust and bond with me. Even though she has taken to Chad well, she still has a long way to go with him too as far as bonding and trusting. Attachment doesn't happen overnight; it is a process. To help with the attachment process, we were told in our adoptive parenting classes to carefully limit visitors for the first few weeks so Ava can learn who her immediate family is. (My dad is being very careful in China not to hold Ava and he is letting Chad do all of the bathing, feeding, dressing, comforting, etc so Ava knows who her Daddy is.) We care so much for Ava and want her to be able to trust Chad and I, know that we love her, and know that we are her parents. So thank you in advance for being patient and waiting to spend time with Ava. Please pray for Ava and us during this adjustment time. We know it will be both difficult and rewarding and that God has put her in our family and is in control of the whole process.

We feel very surrounded by support from all of you, and we continually thank God for our friends and family who have acted as the hands and feet of Christ through this journey. God bless and love you all!

Chad and Tara

Email from Chad

2008-05-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are in Guangzhou today. This is quite different than Nanjing. It is much more westernized and looks at times like you might be walking through a European country such as Italy. It's beautiful. The people are very nice but are used to Americans more. We're not as big of a hit here and Brooke's photo opts are decreasing. There are lots of things to see and buy in the streets with name brands-mostly fake.

We went back and saw the Christian man named Lee today. He said the first time he met Bob there was something in his eyes that was different. He said they just looked calm. He nailed him exactly.

Ava Lan is making some slow steps toward bonding with me. They are small but noticeable. She still has some walls up regarding her personal space.

Today we walked through a food market. I would weigh 160 lbs. if we had to shop there. At one point, there were whole skinned chickens being thrown in the street, giant fish heads, jumping frogs, snake skins and things that once lived that I couldn't recognize. I had to breathe through my mouth and still almost threw up. Bob said it was his favorite part of the whole trip.

Chad

They are in Guangzhou now

2008-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, they flew to Guangzhou Friday night (our Friday morning) for the second half of their trip. Their Saturday was spent in Guangzhou filling out lots of paperwork, getting pictures done for Ava's passport/visa, and having her medical appointment. All went pretty well but Ava was not happy to participate in these events; it meant being taken out of her stroller, which she absolutely LOVES!

Chad said while walking around a man struck up a conversation with him and Dad. The man said he was a Christian and was so happy that Chad and Dad were Christians too. In fact, when Chad said (referring to my dad), "This guy is actually a pastor," the man was so excited to meet a Christian pastor from the states that he asked if he could give Dad a hug! They are going to visit this man's store tomorrow and give him a Bible Chad brought; maybe the man will be able to give this Bible away to someone in China.

Another cute thing...they walked into a store and Chad said there was a little boy laying on the floor crying (his mother works in the store and brings him to work with her). Chad said he was about Buddy's age (our Ashton) and was so cute. Chad gave him some Chinese spending money and this cheered up the little boy. Chad was so taken with him that he took his picture (one of the ones that is posted).

Another picture shows Ava and Mylee together. Mylee is Matt and Mandi's newly adopted little girl. Mandi is in China with Chad and got Mylee the same day.

When I was talking to Chad, it was Saturday night there and Brooke and Ava were running around the hotel room chasing each other and giggling. Soon Chad said, "Girls, time to get in your beds." Ava Lan climbed right in her bed without Chad even pointing to the bed. She is really starting to understand him...smart little thing! Chad said her eyes are the most expressive eyes he has ever seen. Her eyes can say a million different things and he usually can tell exactly what she is saying just by looking at her eyes. Interesting because her soulful eyes are the first thing we noticed when we first saw her referral picture back in August.

I also got to talk to Brooke before she went to bed and she said, "Mommy, let me see Kate. I forget what she looks like." I think this time apart has been hard for all our kids. Brooke also showed me that she lost her 2nd tooth that day! Of course emotional me...I couldn't help crying because I was not there for this special event! Right away, Brooke said, "Now Mommy, remember you got to pull my first wiggly tooth out, so it's only fair that Daddy should help get my second tooth out." I miss my sweet little Brookie so much!!!

Our paper chain is getting shorter...Ashton reminds me every day to pull off a link. For the first few mornings after they left, Kate woke up and said, "Can I go wake up Brookie?" I had to keep reminding her that Brooke and Daddy were in China. Now she wakes up and doesn't ask anymore. They are going to be so shocked and thrilled when their Daddy and Brooke come home. Less than a week now!

Please keep those comments coming. Chad reads them all when I email them to him. Several (technically-challenged) people have asked me how to post a comment. You just click right under this post where it says "0 comments" or "3 comments" or whatever (kind of a mustard colored text) and then you can type a comment in the box to the right that says "Leave a Comment." If you don't have a "google identity" then choose "anonymous" (just don't forget to put your name after your comment in the box). Thank you!

A Father's Love

2008-05-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Chad said things are still going amazingly well. Ava Lan wakes up everyday very happy to see him; it is so evident that God hand-picked this child to be our daughter and has chosen our family for Ava. She is saying, "Brookie" now and when Chad and I were talking through Skype, Chad asked her, "Who is that?" It melted my heart to hear her soft little voice say, "Mama." So far I am only a digital Mama to her, but that will soon change! Chad said she is a little neat-freak. Any little piece of dirt on her at all and she will look at Chad and point to it for him to wipe it off. He also said she is very smart, and he is not at all biased!

Yesterday, they walked into an authentic Chinese restaurant, looked at the menu, and walked right out. I'm not sure why the menu scared them...on it were items such as Bull Frog, Duck Tongue, and Duck Blood. Even my dad wanted to leave, which was surprising to Chad. They have been enjoying the local KFC, McDonald's, and Pizza places. I am posting some new pictures. The wall you see behind Brooke and Ava is a big historical city wall that goes around Nanjing. Also is a picture of Brooke and Ava Lan in their Chinese dresses to go to a scheduled celebration dinner with their group. One of the pictures shows Ava rejecting the "salty duck" at the dinner. I guess she is becoming more Americanized all the time!

I am so proud of how Chad is doing in China caring for our new daughter and loving her unconditionally. She is starting to get more comfortable with Chad to the point of letting her guard down and crying when she doesn't get what she wants. When I was "skyping" with him, I saw (and heard) Ava throwing a tantrum on the bed because it was bedtime and Chad had taken her shoes off. Well, Ava Lan wanted her new shoes to stay ON! I saw Chad lovingly and gently talking to her while she was crying. He was saying, "I love you even when you cry, but you may not have your way. You can have your shoes in the morning." Even though Ava didn't know what Chad was saying, I'm sure it was clear to her that he loved her despite her behavior, but he was not going to always give her everything she wants because he has her best interest in mind. Ava soon settled down and drifted off to sleep. It is amazing to watch him with her. What a picture of Christ's unconditional love for us. As believers, God chose and adopted us (through no merit of our own) into His family through Jesus Christ and did not leave us as spiritual orphans. John 14:18 says "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." Galations 4:4-6 shows that Jesus was sent from the Father so that we could become the "adopted sons of God." It was only because of this sacrifice that we have the privilege of calling God "Father." And it is only because of God working in our lives and hearts and arranging every single detail of our adoption process, that Ava can call Chad "Baba" (father) and that we have the privilege of calling her "daughter." To Him be the glory!

"Bring Me Hope" Video

2008-05-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

Please take a few minutes to view the following 2 videos. I posted them to my blog way back in October, a couple months after we started this process. It seems appropriate to post them again now that we have adopted Ava and Chad has visited the orphanage, where so many children still wait for parents to call them their own. The first video gives a glimpse into the eyes of some of the precious orphaned children in China and is a child's prayer to God.

The second is a music video by Steven Curtis Chapman, who adopted 3 girls from China and has founded an orphan ministry (we got a grant from his ministry for the adoption of Ava).

Only click the "play" buttons on the videos ONE time; do not "double-click" or you'll be taken away from this blog.

"When Love Takes You In" by Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-05-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the song that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote to his first adopted daughter (he has 6 children; 3 are adopted from China). Again, only click the "play" button one time.

Orphanage Visit

2008-05-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here is an email I received from Chad this morning (Wednesday evening his time):

We went to the orphanage today to see where Ava Lan slept and played and ate. She seemed hesitant when she recognized the room where she had been in. The care at the orphanage is good from what I saw. The people care and do their best. There are more adults helping and feeding the children than what I had imagined. They make a huge effort to take them outside and give them the best life they can. However we (meaning all of us) can give them a family and a much better life that goes beyond just existing while confined to your bed most of the time. While in the room where Ava Lan lived, I became overcome with sadness and couldn't hold back the tears. I tried to pull myself together so I could spend some time with a few little ones you'll see in the pictures. They are so easily cheered up. It becomes evident how much of a sense of entitlement I and my other children have in regards to what we think we need. They have NOTHING, and yet they have great attitudes and don't expect anything. Lan acts the same way and looks thrilled and shocked everytime I meet one of her needs or wants. If you give her a drink, she's on top of the world. This was feeling like a vacation the last two days and now I am brought back to the tragic reality of why I am here. I want this pain to last so I will continue to want to make a difference, but I don't want to feel this emotional all the time. I guess it's a guy thing.

God bless,

Chad

Chad said while they were at the orphanage Ava would not go to any of her previous caregivers. One of the pictures shows this clearly. Another picture shows them next to Ava's bed. When the visit was over Ava seemed so happy to wave goodbye to the orphanage, the only home she's ever known.

Another day in Nanjing

2008-05-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

I heard from Chad this morning (evening his time). Brooke was already asleep and it was only 7:30 pm his time. He had to take her to the doctor and she was also diagnosed with bronchitis and is on a prescription now. Brooke and Lan are getting closer and acting like sisters; Chad said they are even starting to fight over toys!

Lan is starting to talk more, even saying some things in Chinese. Chad has no idea what she's saying, but she'll point and talk in Chinese and he can usually figure it out because she is using a lot of nonverbal communication to talk to Chad. She'll bring him a sippy cup to show she's thirsty or just point to things that she wants. When he says, "Come here, Lan," she always comes to him, so they are able to communicate on a basic level.

During the Civil Affairs appointment yesterday, my dad and Brooke took a hike. Dad said that it was hard to even keep hiking because they had to keep stopping for Brooke's photo shoots. One person even wanted Dad's picture, which he got a real kick out of! Nothing is boring there; people are EVERYWHERE! Dad can't even go jogging like he planned because the sidewalks are just so covered with people. Chad is having fun shopping and negotiating prices. He said it's so funny because he'll negotiate over a $5 item and 30 people will stop to see what happens! They draw attention everywhere they go! Chad is thoroughly enjoying buying little things for Lan (and Brooke too of course). He bought Lan some hair clips and she held them for a long time and just kept looking at them. She also seemed so happy when Chad showed her the little pink jacket he brought along for her (thanks, Tricia for the jacket!)

They all took a boat ride on the Yangtze River, which was really neat. Here are 3 pictures from the boat ride, which the girls just loved. You can click on each picture to enlarge.

Late tonight, which will be Wednesday morning in China, they will visit the orphanage. Chad is going to have the guide explain (in Chinese) to Lan that this is just a visit; she is not going back to live there, and she will leave with her "Baba" again after the visit. I've had many people ask why they are visiting the orphanage at all, given that it may be hard for Lan. There are a few reasons. First of all, it will give Lan a chance to say good-bye to her caregivers and friends and have closure on that part of her life. It also will give her caregivers an opportunity to say good-bye to Lan and to meet her new family. In addition to that, this is Lan's history, her past. Chad needs to get a feel for how she spent her first 3 years and be able to share this history with Lan someday. So it is an important part of the adoption process.

By the way, I've been emailing all your comments to Chad and he is enjoying reading them. Please keep them coming so he knows that he, Lan, Brooke and Dad are being supported and uplifted in prayer.

God bless!

Tara

"She's Ours Now!"

2008-05-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Chad just skyped me and said those words. It is 11:00 pm here (am Tuesday morning there) and he just got back from the Civil Affairs office where he finalized the adoption (after the initial 24 hour period). It took about 2 hours with all the paperwork. Ava Lan is officially our daughter now and it feels wonderful!!! Chad said that she did not want anything to do with the workers who were there at the office; she just cried and clung to Chad when he had to put her down to have her fingerprinted. She may have thought he was giving her back since this was the same office where he picked her up the day before. She was very happy to leave with Chad after it was over. This was the first time she had cried since she's been with Chad.

He and I talked/skyped earlier tonight too, which was his early morning. Lan slept all through the night for Chad and woke up appearing very happy to see him and Brooke (my dad is in a separate hotel room). Lan had been still sleeping earlier when we had talked, so I asked him to take a picture of her sleeping for me, since I couldn't see her on the computer camera. Isn't she just precious? I wish I was rocking that sleeping baby girl. I'll hopefully get to talk to Chad again in the morning (his evening) and see how the rest of the day went. I miss all of them so much and am just counting down the days until they get home...

Another email and more pictures from Chad...

2008-05-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

If you haven't looked at the previous post, do that first because there are pictures of Chad meeting her!

Here is Chad's email:
We picked up Lan today. Everyone in our group was nervous and staring out the window waiting for the children to arrive like we were kids at Christmas. I spotted Lan immediately. I was glad I didn't get that wrong. She came in and looked more beautiful than any pictures we had seen. I tried to tell her that I was her "Baba" (daddy). She had trouble focusing with all that was going on. I played with her and she liked to give me licks of her sucker. I responded in Chinese, "sha sha" (thank you). She liked that game, my calculaor (that I'd brought for negotiating prices on the streets), and playing with the ball that Grandpa brought her. Brooke played with her well and was sweet to her. Brooke tried to lead her by her hand to another place to play but Lan came right back to me. She had in five minutes formed a little bond. Ironically, that's how long it took me nine months ago when I saw her photo to form a bond with her. We then took a bus ride back to the hotel and went out to eat for Chinese food. Lan ate a lot. I had to cut her off because I didn't want her to get sick. Next, it was up to the the room to call Ma' ma'. We took the girls out on the town a little later and had ice cream. Once again, I should have Bob selling tickets. The doctor saw her tonight and ran out himself and got the prescription for us in under thirty minutes-just like home! Now she is sleeping in her bed. We'll see how the night goes.

check out the pics

Chad

I talked to Chad around 8:00 am today (he had just gotten the girls to bed and was yawning himself and was going to bed soon). A couple things he told me that I can add about the day:
Ava has bronchitis. That's why the doctor got her a prescription. Chad said that she liked her bath, which was amazing because it was her first bath! She had only taken showers at her orphanage, according to the caretaker who Chad spoke with. He said she even let him pour water over her head to wash her hair. He said that she seems almost "chubby" compared to our other children, which is not saying much given that our other kids are so skinny! She was hungry for a snack before bed so Chad fixed her oatmeal (he brought lots of instant oatmeal packets along). My dad tried to feed her the oatmeal and she would not take it from him. Then Chad tried and she gobbled up the whole bowl for him! He had been her caretaker all day (we had been told in our adoptive parenting classes that Chad and I need to do ALL the feeding, bathing, comforting, holding, etc in the beginning to form a bond and to let her know who her parents are). Well, it is working already, because she wanted no one but Chad to feed her, a good sign. (I'm trying to prepare myself for her to only want Chad initially, not me, when they arrive home.) Chad said something neat was at the end of the day, he pulled out the video camera and viewed all the footage and pictures from the day with Lan. He would say, "Look, it's Baba and Lan." Then she would answer, "Baba!" It just made his heart melt of course. After her bath, Chad showed her her bed and she laid right down with her toys and immediately fell asleep. Things are going so well, but I am prepared for rough times ahead as she goes through an inevitable grieving process, once she realizes she is leaving her whole world behind. I'm not sure when it will come. They visit her orphanage on Wednesday, so that should be interesting.

In one of the pictures you can see her holding the doll we bought for her and the little cuddle blankie I made for her. Isn't she sweet?

Thanks for following our journey with us!

Tara

Introducing Ava Lan Sprunger!!!

2008-05-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Chad just "skyped" me around midnight (noon his time) and I was able to talk to them and see them with Ava!!! She is absolutely darling and I am just aching to see her and touch her in person. I could see her on my computer walking around the hotel room playing with toys and being picked up by Brooke and carried around! She smiles a lot and can say "Mama" and "Baba" (Chinese for Daddy). Chad got her to say them for me; her little voice is precious. She just loves the photo album we sent her a couple months ago and is carrying it around constantly; she doesn't want to let it go. She loves looking through it at our pictures. Chad said she is such a sweetie and is doing great. I got to see him holding and kissing her...it was amazing. He was so excited to show her to me.

Chad said when they arrived at the Civil Affairs office, the children were not there yet and then they came and walked in or were carried into the building by caretakers. There were about 7 children being adopted and he spotted Lan right away! He said it was an amazing feeling. By the way, her name is pronounced like land without the d, not like "lon," which we had thought. Anyway, she came to Chad right away and let him hold her, hug her and kiss her. A couple of the children were crying in the room and Lan went over to them and tried to comfort them by giving them a ball. When he went to leave the office with her, she did not want to leave her caregiver, which is a really good sign that she was attached to her. The caregiver had to carry Lan outside and Chad had to lure her back to him with toys. He is just head-over-heels in love with her, and he said it was just like when our other children were born- love at first sight and feeling like she immediately is part of our family. After he got her, they all went to lunch. Chad said she ate really well for him. In fact, she kept eating until Chad finally cut her off. She is obviously not used to getting seconds or being able to eat until she's full. She is not really eating with the chopsticks she's holding in the picture; in fact she put the chopsticks into her cup of juice right away! Lan does have a bad cough and runny nose; in fact Chad said that he, my dad, and Brooke all have a cough because the pollution is so bad in Nanjing. Lan seems to be able to hear okay, which is a relief because some cleft-affected children have profound hearing loss due to untreated ear infections. Praise and thanks be to God for this priceless little gift...this has been the best Mother's Day ever!

When the parents get their children, China gives them 24 hours to decide if they still want the child before the adoption is final. Hmmmm...I wonder what Chad will decide.

Okay, I'm posting like crazy...

2008-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

so if you want to keep up, keep checking the blog! It helps me feel like part of the experience by posting often, especially after the kids are in bed. Chad just "skyped" me (we talked through the internet with our computer cameras) and he said they are now walking out of their hotel room and going right to the Civil Affairs office to get Ava!!! They are so excited. I can hardly stand it!!! How will Ava react to Chad taking her and having to leave her old life behind? Will she cry, throw a tantrum, cling to him scared, or be in shock and appear to be okay and grieve later??? I have no idea, but I'm praying like crazy. I will post again when I talk to him after he gets her.

For now, here is an email I just received from Mandi, a fellow adoptive mom who is with Chad right now getting her little girl too. Mandi and I have become close throughout this long process; we met at the beginning back in August and have shared laughter, tears, and emotions along the way. They live in our city and we are looking forward to getting our families together after everyone is home and settled. Mandi has also been helping out by doing Brooke's hair! When Chad skyped me, I saw Brooke's hair in cute little pigtails. I knew Chad didn't do it and Brooke said that Mandi did her hair! Here is her email:

Things are going well here. We spent yesterday with Nan Nan's parents.
They also brought their 6
year old daughter so Brooke and her are becoming friends.  They are so
cute.  Speaking of Brooke, she is such a trooper.  She has been amazing
this whole trip.  I felt so bad for her on the plane as there was not a
whole lot she could do.  And now that we are here she is just taking
it all in.  The Chinese LOVE her.  She is such a good sport about them
taking her pictures and the stares.  Chad has taught her to say "Ni hao"
to them and they love it.

I will e-mail later.  Chad is doing great with all of this and so is
Brooke.  You should really be proud of him.

Mandi

Nanjing pictures!

2008-05-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Today I talked to Chad around noon, which was midnight his time, but he was having trouble sleeping knowing that soon he was going to get Ava and also because his biological clock is all messed up due to the time change!

Chad said that he cannot emphasize enough how much attention Brooke is attracting as they walk through the streets in Nanjing. He said that it's equivalent to walking around here with Brad Pitt! He said that at least one in three people stop and point and smile or tap their friends and point, and some even request to get their picture taken with Brooke! Here is a picture of Brooke with a group of people who wanted her picture. Chad told me she hardly seems to notice all the attention, but my dad and Chad are getting a kick out of it! When they go to Guangzhou in a week, things will be different as the city is going to be filled with adoptive families from the U.S. with their newly adopted children (everyone who adopts in China has to go to Guangzhou for their consulate appointment, but Nanjing is just one of many, many cities where the children come from). Next is a picture of Brooke with a little girl her age. The little girl's parents adopted her from China a few years ago and are back to adopt another child. They will get their child along with Chad tomorrow, as they are in the same "group" of adoptive parents as Chad. This will be their 4th adoption.

Chad's email to me

2008-05-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Hey,

The flights seems quicker than expected but lasted 26 hours with
layovers.  Brooke got sick at the end of our long flight and threw-up all
over and then two more times in the airport.  She is doing well now.

We met another family and they are showing us the ropes with shopping,
site seeing, and eating.  I went a little crazy shopping today and
negotiating the prices.  It is really addictive.  Don't worry Tara.

The people here are the nicest I have ever met.  It doesn't hurt that
they treat Brooke like a star.  Her hair and skin attracts a lot of
attention.  I bet we could almost sell tickets.  People stop and pick her
up and take pics with their whole family.

We are finding out when our meeting is tonight and are going to go to
Walmart.

See you soon,

Chad

Please forward this to friends and family
pics coming soon

They are in Nanjing!

2008-05-10T19:05:00.002-07:00

Saturday, May 10, 2008: After 26 hours of travel, Chad, Brooke, and my dad arrived safely in Nanjing. They are now in a hotel in the very city that Ava is in. I just talked to Chad a couple hours ago, and I was able to see him too via "Skype." Basically we both have tiny video cameras and microphones on our computers and we can talk through the internet that way. It was so great just seeing and hearing him and Brooke. It made them feel not so far away even though they are literally on the other side of the world right now. Their travel went fairly smoothly, given that Brooke threw up 3 times on the plane from motion sickness (Chad said it was a rough landing and the pressure in the cabin was really bad.) Then she threw up again in the airport after they got off the plane! When they arrived in Beijing, they found out their flight to Nanjing was canceled, so they had to wait an additional 2 hours for a different flight to Nanjing. After they finally got to the hotel in Nanjing, checked in, and gave Brooke a much-needed bath, they finally dropped into bed after being awake for nearly 30 hours straight. (Chad only slept a half hour on the plane and Brooke 3 hours.) So they got to the hotel around noon our time today-Saturday, which was midnight Saturday in Nanjing. When Chad and I talked, he was just waking up there (it was 7:00 am-Sunday there and 7:00 pm here). He is doing great, just very, very tired. He had to interrupt our talk because room service was bringing him coffee! He panned around the hotel room with his little camera and I got to see it and Brooke sleeping on the bed. She woke up soon after to talk to me and the kids. She seems excited to be there with Daddy! Well, in about 24 hours they will get to meet Ava for the first time, our late Sunday night, his Monday morning. I told him to call me as soon as he can after getting Ava, even if it is 1:00 am here. Hopefully I will have pictures posted sometime on (our) Monday. That's all for now!

They're off!

2008-05-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 9th, 2008: This morning at 9:32 Chad, Brooke and my dad left for China. It was SOOOO hard to see them go; it's been a pretty emotional day around here. I cannot believe it will be 2 weeks before I see Chad and Brooke again (and I meet little Ava), but I know the time will go fast and I have a lot to keep me busy. Brooke was so excited to get on a plane. When Chad called me from Chicago this morning (layover), I talked to Brooke and told her we got to see her plane take off. She said, "Did you see me in the window?"

They had a layover in Chicago, and then they will be on a 15 hour flight to Beijing. From there they will fly to Nanjing and arrive at 7:10 pm on Saturday (7:10 a.m Saturday our time). Sunday Chad will meet with the adoption guide who will give him a complete itinerary for every day of the trip, and the next day, Monday, he will go to the Civil Affairs office where Ava will be waiting for him. I told my dad to get lots of pictures, and I'm planning on posting them as soon as Chad can email me them. I absolutely cannot wait to see a picture of Chad holding her. We are giving God all of the credit for what He is doing in Ava's life and ours!!!

Here are some pictures taken today:
1. Our last picture together as a family of five, taken at the airport
2. Chad, Brooke and my dad right before they went through the gate
3. Ashton and Kate watching them through the glass as they were getting their carry-on bags checked-As soon as they walked out of view, Kate asked sadly, "Where Brookie go?"
4. Their plane leaving (Ashton's favorite part)
5. Ashton watching the plane leave- He was mesmerized.
6. Today Ashton and Kate have been asking when Daddy and Brooke would be home. Kate even said, "I don't want Daddy go to China." So I made a chain with them with each link representing one day they are gone. I think it really sunk in because at bedtime Ashton asked, "So when I wake up, will Daddy be home?" However, after we tore off a link (meaning one day down), he counted the remaining links and said, "13 more days, right?" So I guess he sort of gets it!

I will post again after I hear from Chad! Thank you for all your prayers and support. I will email all your comments to Chad while he's in China because adoptive parents have said they cannot see their blogs while in China. I know your words will be a support and encouragement to him there. Please keep praying!

Love,

The Sprungers

She'll be in Chad's Arms a Week from Today...

2008-05-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 5, 2008-We found out today that our agency was able to set up our appointments in China and book the necessary flights for Chad to leave this Friday, May 9th!!! We are kind of in shock right now and everything seems very surreal. We have so much to do to get ready for the trip (packing, paperwork, packing, paperwork...) that it's been hard to let it all soak in. Next Monday Chad will meet Ava for the very first time, and for the first time in her life, Ava will have a daddy to hold her. I cannot wait for Chad to call me after her gets her and for him to tell me every detail about her.

Chad, Brooke, Ava, and my dad will return home on May 22. I'm already counting down the days when our whole family will finally be together. We are praying for safe travel and that God will prepare Ava's heart for what's about to happen.

WE GOT IT!!!

2008-04-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 2, 2008: Our TA (travel announcement) arrived today. We are so excited, nervous, and overwhelmed! We will definitely meet Ava this month after waiting 9 months for her. We can hardly believe it. Our agency said there is a possibility that Chad will leave for China next Friday (May 9th), but it may be the 16th, like we've been thinking. We won't find out until Monday or Tuesday when China gives us our Consulate Appointment in China. When we know that appointment, we'll know when Chad can leave. So we may find out Monday (or Tuesday) that Chad is leaving 3-4 days later! Then, we'll have to book flights and hotels, assuming flights aren't full by then.

Thank you all for your prayers and support and for those who have left comments to my posts; they mean a lot! Here are some new pictures of Ava that we just got from the orphanage; these were taken just last week.

NO "TA" this week...

2008-04-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

April 26, 2008: We are disappointed because we really, really were hoping for our T.A. (travel announcement) from China this week. This final wait has been the most difficult because we are SO CLOSE to bringing Ava home, but so far away from her at the same time. It's like being at the very end of a pregnancy and just wanting it to be over already (but not even knowing your due date)! Once we get that paperwork, we can book flights and hotels and have our travel date actually marked on the calendar. If we get our T.A. next week (they usually come on Fridays), we should still be able to have a departure date of May 16th. If you are reading this, please say a prayer that it will come next week (if it's God's will of course).

In the meantime, we have been busy filling out insurance forms and setting up doctor appointments for Ava in June. We have found a wonderful cleft surgeon at Summit Plastic Surgery. His name is Dr. Randolph, and he travels to China and other countries during his vacation days to donate his time and perform surgeries to children who have cleft lip and palate (who may not ever get their clefts repaired otherwise). So this doctor has experience with Asian children and experience operating on "older children" who never had their surgeries as infants. Doesn't he sound perfect for Ava?

Ava also has an appointment scheduled already at the "Kids First Cleft Clinic" here in Fort Wayne. During this visit, Ava will get evaluated by a plastic surgeon (it will be Dr. Randolph), a cleft orthodontist (cleft-affected children always need lots of orthodontia work), an oral surgeon, a pediatric dentist, a geneticist, an "Ear, nose, and throat" doctor (cleft children almost ALWAYS need tubes in their ears because of infections), a dietician, and a speech pathologist (they usually need speech therapy as well due to the palate). After this visit, we will be able to schedule treatments based on what Ava needs (speech therapy, tubes in her ears, dental work, etc). We are so grateful that there is a cleft clinic in Fort Wayne where these doctors work as a team to provide the best care possible for cleft-affected children.

A lot of cleft-affected children who are adopted from China have hearing loss due to lots of ear infections (and no tubes ever put in their ears). We don't know what Ava's situation will be, but we know that these children usually get the tubes in their ears and then are able to finally hear well. We are so anxious to get Ava home, let her know how loved and wanted she is, and to get her the medical treatments she needs.

The Final Wait

2008-04-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

April 21, 2008: We are on our FINAL wait in our adoption process. The only thing we are waiting for is our "TA," which means "travel announcement." As soon as we get this paperwork from the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs), we can book flights, hotels, etc!!! And our adoption agency can book our appointments in China. The other night, Chad and I tried to think of all the "waits" we've had in this process. Each step had to be completed before the next step. We just cannot believe that we are finally on our last wait!

First, we waited for our homestudy to be scheduled after we submitted our application and got all of our documents to our agency.
Second, we waited for our homestudy to be turned in by our social worker.
Third, we waited for Ava's medical report from her orphanage.
Fourth, we waited to get a fingerprinting appointment.
Fifth, we waited to get our fingerprinting (immigration) approval.
Sixth, we waited to get our dossier (big packet of paperwork) to China by our agency.
Seventh, we waited to hear that our dossier was translated into Chinese.
Eighth, we waited to hear that our dossier was "logged in" to the Chinese system.
Ninth, we waited to get our LOA (letter of acceptance) from China.
FINALLY, we are on our last wait!!! We are just waiting for ONE MORE THING...our TA.

Then we can bring our little girl home! We are so excited and very impatient at the same time. We are really praying that our TA comes this Friday (they usually arrive at the adoption agencies on Fridays).

Updated Measurements for Ava

2008-04-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today we received an email from our adoption agency telling us new measurements for Ava that they got from the orphanage. Here they are:

Head: 19.7"
Height: 35.5"
Weight: 28.7 #
Feet: 5.7"

I compared all these measurements to Kate (who is just 8 months younger than Ava) and they are almost the exact same size. Ava is only about a pound lighter and an inch shorter than Kate. Those 2 are going to be so cute together. We've already bought them some matching outfits for summer. Here is a picture of Ava at 20 months old and one from just a month ago (age 3).

LOA is Here: Ava will be HOME Next Month!!!

2008-04-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 7, 2008: Our adoption agency called this morning with good news. We got our LOA, which is our "Letter of Acceptance." In other words, China is officially approving our family to adopt Ava. All of this means that next month Chad, Brooke and my dad will be leaving for China to get Ava! Our agency is estimating that they will leave on May 16th, but this date could be off by a week. We will know for sure when our TA (travel announcement) comes in a few weeks. When Brooke heard me talking on the phone this morning about finally getting our LOA, she talked me into blowing up balloons to celebrate! She knew we were waiting on the LOA and she could tell I was excited to hear that we got it. Today while shopping at Meijer she also tried to convince me to buy party noise-makers and party decorations. I said no to that. Our LOA is pictured as well as us signing it; we drove to our adoption agency office in Albion tonight to sign it.

We just cannot believe that this process is finally coming to an end; Ava will be home where she belongs very soon. This means that we should have about a month with Ava before the baby is born. I was praying for some time getting to know Ava before having the baby. As some dear friends have been reminding me all along, God's timing is so perfect.

Please keep praying for Ava. Even though her caretakers have told her she has a family, I'm sure her little 3-year-old mind cannot fully grasp what that means. Next month her world as she knows it will literally be turned upside-down. We are praying every day that God would prepare her heart to accept us as her parents and that the adjustment will be smooth for our whole family.

Still Waiting...

2008-03-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

March 30, 2008: We are still waiting for our LOA. This is our "Letter Of Acceptance" from China officially approving us to adopt Ava. Our LOA should arrive anytime in the next few weeks. Once we get this paperwork, we will sign and return it to China, and then we will wait for out TA (Travel Announcement), which should come about a month after our LOA. Once we get our TA, it is time to go to China in the next couple weeks!

All this means that Chad, my dad, and Brooke should be on a plane to China within 6-7 weeks or so after we receive our LOA. So we are still hoping for a travel date of May or June. It is so easy to focus on how hard this long wait has been on us, but Ava is also waiting; she just doesn't know it. Please pray that she will come home to her family very soon.

We are praying that our LOA will come this week, but are waiting on the Lord for His perfect timing.

She is Real!

2008-03-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

March 12, 2008: Our friends who are in China now adopting their child were able to personally give Ava the photo album and stuffed animal from us (see my previous post). They said that Ava was very shy, quiet, and reserved... and oh, so precious. When they saw her they said they had a hard time containing the excitement of knowing that soon Ava will be running around our home giggling and playing with our other children. This couple was able to put their arms around Ava...rub her back...stroke her cheek...play with her hair a little. They said it was amazing to feel that she was real. They told her that her Momma and Daddy loved her so much and that she was going to go home very soon. The woman in the picture, Coco, showed Ava the pictures of our family in the photo album and explained (in Chinese) each one of them to her.

We feel so emotional and blessed to get this update and pictures from our friends who we've gotten to know quite well through this adoption process. Just to think that last week we dropped the photo album and stuffed animal at our friends' house and now here they are seeing, touching... loving our daughter for us for even just a few moments...It truly makes everything seem so real. When you are in the process of adoption, everything seems kind of "surreal." It's kind of like when you are pregnant and can't really believe a baby is really in there...until he is born! But all of this, our friends being able to see and touch our daughter and describe the experience, makes everything seem much more real, yet dream-like at the same time...Ava is our daughter, she will be home soon, and (by the way) she is absolutely gorgeous!

The last picture shows where Ava currently lives and has spent the first three years of her life, the Nanjing Social Welfare Institute.

Gifts for Ava...

2008-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2008: An adoptive family who we've become friends with is leaving this coming Friday to go to China to pick up their daughter (who currently lives in the same orphanage as Ava). We are sending with them a photo album and stuffed animal for them to give to Ava from her "new family." The photo album contains 6 pictures: Chad, me, Brooke, Ashton, Kate, and our house. Each picture is labeled in Chinese (we have a friend of a friend who can translate English to Chinese... pretty handy, huh?). Ava should be getting the photo album and stuffed animal next Wednesday or Thursday. We can't wait for her to receive these items. I don't know if she already knows she's getting a family soon or if this will be the first time she finds out! We are hoping one of her caregivers will explain the pictures to her. Our friends are hoping to be able to actually see her and take pictures, but we are not expecting that.

I know the children in the orphanage see other kids leave and then visit the orphanage a couple days later with their new mommies and daddies, and then leave and never come back again. I'm sure some children at the orphanage wish they, too, would have mommies and daddies to come and get them... Please pray that these gifts would help prepare Ava to meet us. And pray for the children in the orphanage who see Ava with her gifts from her new family and feel sad that they are not getting gifts from a mommy and daddy too...

Here is a picture of the album and a few sample pages.

THANK YOU!!!

2008-02-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2008: We just wanted to thank our family and friends who are supporting us in prayer and/or financially to help bring Ava home. We have received financial gifts from 15 different friends and family members, and we know countless more are praying for Ava and our family during this process.

Since the beginning of this journey we have trusted God to provide the financial resources needed to bring this child into our family. After all, the desire to adopt was put into our hearts by God and He led us to Ava; we knew the financial part would be easy for Him! Words cannot express how grateful we are first to God for providing and also to the many people He has used to generously and sacrificially support this adoption. We are still waiting to hear from several grant organizations regarding much-needed grants that we've applied for. We know specifically that we are being considered for a couple of these grants. Please pray that we will receive the funds we still need. Also please keep praying for Ava that God would prepare her heart to leave the only place and people she has ever known and to accept us as her new family.

I like to include a photo with my posts. This one was taken and sent to us in November by another adoptive family. Aren't those eyes just gorgeous? You can see those eyes up close by clicking on the picture...

New Pictures of Our Sweet Girl!

2008-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2008: We are so excited because we got new pictures of Ava today. The parents (who traveled last week and weren't allowed to take pictures) asked Coco, who works for the orphanage and is charge of the United in Hope Program in China, to take pictures of each of the children on their list and email them to the waiting families. Well, we weren't really counting on anything, but today we got pictures of Ava, and she is smiling! Click on each photo to enlarge. We absolutely cannot wait to go get her!!! Here is the email I received today:

Dear Tara,

This is Nanjing SWI [Social Welfare Institute]. Your freind Dallas tell me that you will be Kong Lan 's new parent. Here are some pictures of your child.

Coco

The Orphanage

2008-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2008

Two adoptive families that I've connected with are in China right now getting their children from the same orphanage that Ava is in; one is adopting a 1-year-old and one is adopting a 4-year-old. The orphanage did not allow them to take pictures of any of the waiting children, so we are very disappointed as we (and about 10 other families) were expecting to get new pictures of our kids. The last time we got updated pictures was November (this photo of Ava-taken by an adopting family- is from November) and at that time the orphanage allowed parents to take pictures of the other children for their waiting families. Anyway, one of the families in China did get a few pictures of random children and the children all have winter coats on...inside the orphanage. I just found out that this is because the orphanage does not have any heat. The average temperature in Nanjing in February is 39 degrees.

One of the mothers, Susan, now in China adopting a 1-year-old, had this to say after visiting the orphanage:

"...Wednesday we went to visit the orphanage where Elsa spent the past year. It was gut wrenching. The orphanage is responsible for the care of 700 children. The orphanage is clean. The staff is obviously devoted and caring. Feeding, play, exercise, and education are strictly scheduled and documented. The orphanage is connected to a children’s hospital so medical care is convenient and constant. All of this is true.

If there is one thing I have learned in my life it is that truth is complicated. These things are also true: Elsa is almost fourteen months old and she can barely sit up and only for short periods of time. She can not roll over. She does not crawl. She can not reach or grasp things. She can not bear any weight on her legs. She has self soothing habits. She has sucked her thumbs so much that her thumbs are flat on the tops and her thumbnail is misshapen. She rocks her head back and forth to put herself to sleep so routinely that she has a bald spot on the back of her head. She has scrapes and rashes and a bacterial infection blister on her ear. She has bronchitis. In short, Elsa has had care but she has not had a mother’s love. I am up to the challenge!

After touring the orphanage we stopped at the gate outside the grounds. This is the very spot that Elsa was found at four days old. She was just a four pound purple baby laid down on the ground in the middle of winter. Her mother knew that she would be found very quickly in this spot and that she would get the best care available. I was overwhelmed to be standing there. The pain that filled me may never leave… I took a photo of the gate then someone from our group took a photo of the five of us that looks like we are at a tourist attraction. To me it is a ridiculous photo that perfectly sums up the confusion of this week..."

She also had this to say in an email to me: "It was very cold in the orphanage. The children were all wearing winter coats inside. I think every child in our group of five had bronchitis on gotcha day. Bring antibiotic!!"

Here are the blogs of the 2 families I mentioned that are now in China:

Susan's blog: http://waytoomuchlove.blogspot.com/
Jolean's blog (adopting the 4-year-old): http://nihaoyall.blogspot.com/

Quilts

2008-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

February 12, 2008: My mom's friend, Jan, made these beautiful quilts. The first one (light pink) is for Ava, and the second one (dark pink) is for us to take to Ava's orphanage as a gift. (The orphanage always needs coats and blankets for the children.)
Jan has made quilts for each of our other children, too. She even has plans to make a quilt for Baby Gabe. Jan is extremely talented and generous with her time, as you can see. Click on the quilt pictures to enlarge.

Baby Boy on the Way!!!

2008-02-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

February 6, 2008: Yesterday we had our 19 week ultrasound. We found out that our baby looks very healthy; his heart has 4 chambers, spine looks good, brain appears normal, etc. What an answer to prayer! We also were told (and shown very clearly) that we are having a little boy! We already have a name for him-Gabriel. We had Ava and Gabe picked out for baby names for awhile (for about a year); soon we'll have both Ava and Gabe in our family! We are very excited and feel extremely blessed. You can click on the ultrasound pictures to enlarge. The first is a 3-D picture with Gabe facing kind of to the left (his right); you can see his arms up and his left hand in front of his face. You can also see his little chest. Isn't he cute??? The second is the standard 2-D picture and shows his profile (he's lying on his back, face up). These pictures don't show it, but during the ultrasound he sucked his thumb several times. Isn't that sweet? We cannot wait to see him and hold him, and the kids are all thrilled to be getting a new baby brother!

DTC!

2008-01-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2008: We just found out that our Dossier went to China (DTC means "dossier to China") on Monday, December 31. So we are done with all of our paperwork and everything in the U.S. We just have to wait on China now to tell us to come and pick up our little girl. We are still looking at a travel date of May, June, or July. You just never know until about a month ahead of the time of travel.

Pre-Approval

2008-01-01T20:11:00.001-08:00

December 21: We got our Pre-Approval Letter from China, approving us to adopt Lan Kong. You can click on the letter to the left to see it bigger.

We Got Fingerprinted!!!

2007-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

November 15: Today Chad and I drove to Indy to get fingerprinted so the FBI can check our fingerprints and approve us to adopt. We left the kids with the grandparents and it felt like a day-long date with 2 meals out to eat by ourselves! So next we wait for the "approval"; then our dossier can be finally sent to China. We are hoping and praying for it to be there by early December.

Ava's Birthday

2007-11-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

November 10: We had dinner with the Yager's and the Moran's, 2 other couples who are adopting through the China special needs program. They surprised us with a cake that said, "Happy Birthday, Ava Lan" on it. It is Ava's 3rd birthday today.

Fingerprinting Appointment

2007-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

November 7: We got a phone call to come and get fingerprinted at the immigration office in Indianapolis. Our appointment is for November 15. We were so excited to get this appointment, because this is the last thing that needs to happen before our Dossier can be sent to China. We had been told that things were slowed WAY down at the immigration office, so we weren't sure if we'd even get an appointment in the next month or two! But on the morning of November 7, Chad prayed that God would just take control and get us an appointment soon. Well, 2 hours later someone called from immigration to set up our appointment.

Timeline from August to October (why adoption takes so long)

2007-11-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

August 6: We saw Lan's picture in our email "in" box.

August 7: We called our agency and told the program coordinator that we were interested in Lan. We found out that the agency was waiting on her complete medical report and case study from the orphanage, so we could not be "officially" matched with Lan until we viewed those.

August 9: We met with our agency director, Vickie, and handed in our application. She told us she had printed out Lan's picture and it was hanging on her bulletin board as a "matched" child (even though we were still waiting on her file). In that instant I realized how real everything was seeming. This was an overwhelming yet exciting feeling. Vickie told us about all the paperwork we needed to get to her. This included: typed autobiographies from both of us, an employment letter from Chad's employer, original birth certificates, an original marriage license, medical reports from our doctors (on all of us including our children), police clearances, photos of our family and house, copies of our passports (so we had to apply for them right away), detailed financial statements, copies of our tax forms, letters of references, and psychological evaluations. No big deal; we managed to have all of our paperwork to our agency within a week! (Chad hadn't started back to teaching yet.)

August 24: We had our homestudy, which means a social worker came to our house to talk to us about our childhoods, methods of discipline, etc for about 2 hours.

October 25: FINALLY, after waiting anxiously for 2 1/2 months(well I was anxious; Chad had peace that her file would check out fine and that God had chosen Lan for our family) , we received Lan's medical file and case study from our agency. So we are matched with her now!

We are now waiting to get fingerprinted for immigration. Our paperwork was sent to the immigration office in Indianapolis, and then they will contact us for an appointment (I wish we could just go in tomorrow to get fingerprinted, but it doesn't work that way). After that, our Dossier is assembled by our agency and sent around to various offices for official signatures and notaries. The Dossier is the giant packet of paperwork that gets sent to China in our behalf. Once there, it has to be translated and processed and reviewed. After that, the paper chase begins in China and all of Lan's paperwork will need to be processed. We should be able to travel in 4-6 months or so after our Dossier goes to China. That means we are looking at a travel date of possibly May or June, but of course we are praying for sooner. We know God's timing is perfect, so we are leaving it in His hands. What choice do we have (and what better place to leave it)?

Our story

2007-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

October 26, 2007

Dear family and friends,

We want to inform you of something very exciting God is doing in our lives. We have recently begun the process of adopting a little girl from China. Little Ava Lan will be 3 years old on November 10 and currently lives in an orphanage in Nanjing, China. We hope to be able to bring her home in the spring.

Our journey towards adoption actually began when I (Tara) was a child and saw the many faces of orphans on television. I felt such a real burden for children without parents and knew that someday I would want to adopt. Many years later when I was teaching, I taught a unit on China and learned about the millions of abandoned babies there, primarily little girls, because of the one-child policy in China. I thought it would be such a blessing to adopt one of those little girls someday. When Chad and I were ready to start our family, God gave us three children very quickly and we didn’t have time to think much about adoption. And besides, Chad did not have a huge interest in adopting. This past summer however, Chad said, “Tara, why don’t you do a little research on adoption and see what you can find out, but even if we do adopt someday, we’ll probably wait a few years to do it.” I was excited about this change in Chad’s attitude towards adoption, but I certainly didn’t want to rush into something that Chad wasn’t sure about, so I prayed that if God wanted us to adopt He would put a strong desire in Chad’s heart and that He would lead Chad (not me) when the time was right.

After some research on adoption and looking into several different countries, we found a solid Christian adoption agency called Hand in Hand and they sent us some information. We learned that to adopt a healthy infant from China, there was a 2-3 year wait to be matched with a baby. This was great because it meant that so many families were adopting from China that there was now a wait. From the agency website however, we learned that there were “waiting children” in China. In China, a waiting child is a child that is harder to place because of a special medical need or because of age.

When I called the agency about this special China program, which is called “United in Hope,” the program coordinator agreed to send us some pictures and descriptions on some of the children who were waiting for families. I asked to view pictures of babies who were under the age of 2 (because I was thinking younger than our daughter Kate, who is 2). We were still thinking we might wait several years before adopting, but we were open to adopting when we felt God leading, whenever that was. So we figured we might as well look at the pictures. We were sent (by email) pictures of about 10 children. They were beautiful! Statistics on orphans mean one thing, but a picture conveys that this is a real child who needs a home. You can almost look into their eyes and see their lonely souls. As we looked at the pictures of babies with various special needs, these photos just broke our hearts. So now what do we do? How could we “choose” one child other the others? We had already looked at many children’s pictures online in “waiting child” lists posted on various adoption agency websites. We didn’t sense God leading us to one specific child then or now. We also were not necessarily planning on adopting right away.

There was still one picture left. Before we opened it, we read the description. It said that “Lan Kong” had a cleft lip and palate and had already undergone her initial lip surgery. She was born in November of 2004. My first thought was, “She’s too old because she’s older than Kate (by 8 months).” I didn’t even consider that we might adopt her. Then we opened her picture…

What happened next cannot be described any other way than to say that we both were struck with a tenderness for this little girl named Lan. She was standing there in her picture looking so vulnerable and with the sweetest look in her eyes. The other children on the list were babies, but Lan had been in the orphanage for almost 3 years. Chad said, “She needs a home as much as the babies do.” As I looked at her picture, time seemed to stand still and I had this strange feeling that our lives were about to change. There comes a defining moment in any big decision you make, the moment when you move from not just “researching” or “looking into things” anymore, but when you actually decide to move forward. That moment came for us right then. Chad immediately said, “I can see her in our family. I think we should adopt her.” Chad explained that when he saw Lan’s picture, he didn't want to "rescue" her or “help an orphan”; he just wanted to be her daddy.

We called the agency the next morning and told her we were very interested in Lan. I asked the program coordinator why she had sent us Lan’s picture since I specifically asked to see only children under age 2, and Lan was almost 3. She said that after sending the children’s pictures that fit our age preference, “Something told me to add Lan’s picture, too. I just had an impression that I should show her to you.” She added, “And I had a feeling that you were going to love her.” Amazing! God was definitely telling us something.

During the last couple months, we have been busy gathering paperwork for our dossier (the giant packet of paperwork that goes to China), attending adoptive parenting classes, researching cleft lip and palate and surgeons in Fort Wayne, and applying for adoption grants. In May or June Chad and I will fly to China for nearly two weeks to pick up Ava and officially adopt her there (we have decided to name her Ava and keep Lan as her middle name).

We ask that you please pray for our family in the upcoming months. These are our specific prayer requests:

that Ava would be lovingly cared for while in the orphanage until we can bring her home
that her adjustment into our family would go smoothly and that she would bond with us quickly
that we would have safe travel when we go to China and that we could go earlier rather than later
that Ava’s surgeries will go smoothly (she will need additional surgeries once she’s home)
that the other waiting children from the orphanage in Nanjing will be placed with loving familes
that God would supply the financial resources we still need for this adoption

The purpose of this letter is to share how God is working in our lives and to allow you to partner with us in prayer. Having said that, we also feel an obligation to be open about our financial need for the adoption of Ava Lan. The total cost to adopt a child from China (including travel and all legal fees) is approximately $27,000. After grants that we hope to receive, gifts we have already been given, and money we have set aside, we still have a need of roughly $11,000. If you wish to partner with us financially, we would be grateful. We also realize that people are already giving and serving in various other ways, and may not be able to contribute; please do not feel pressured. We ask that you save our prayer list and pray for us regularly. We are trusting in God to work out all the details with our adoption.

We are so excited and feel honored that God would allow us to bring Little Ava into our family. The emotions we have are a mixed bag, however, because now our eyes have been opened to the enormous need out there. There are countless orphans in countries all over the world (the majority in Asia and Africa); some estimates put the number of orphans at 50 million while other estimates put the number as high as 200 million and climbing. We feel so grieved and overwhelmed by these numbers, but we also realize that the very God who created these children cares about them far more than we ever could. We feel very blessed and humbled by this mission that God has placed on our hearts.

God bless,

Chad and Tara Sprunger, Brooke, Ashton and Kate

Why the Orphan Crisis in China Exists

2007-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Because of China's one-child policy and the cultural preference of sons over daughters, many couples abandon their babies shortly after birth if they are girls or if they are girls or boys with special needs. Approximately 1 million babies are abandoned every year in China (roughly 7 million are aborted instead). Babies are usually discovered in train stations, grocery stores, by roadsides, and other public places. The birth mothers generally leave their babies in places where they will be found quickly.

At first I was horrified that any mother would leave her baby just because she's a girl or a baby that is not physically "perfect." But after researching this, I now have a special place in my heart for these birthmothers. They are pressured beyond belief to provide a "perfect son" for their family, and they face steep fines for having more than one child. Many fear shame and harassment by extended family members if they are not able to provide a son for the family. Having a son guarantees being cared for in old age; daughters get married and then care for their in-laws. Some abandon sons if they have a birth defect; many times this is because they cannot afford surgery or other medical treatments for the child. I know (as a mother myself), these women must endure unimaginable sadness their whole lives over the child(ren) they felt they had no other option but to entrust to someone else. I respect the Chinese mothers who choose to give birth to (instead of aborting) their children, even if they feel they cannot keep them to raise.

The abandoned babies who are found in time are taken to orphanages, called Social Welfare Institutes. The caretakers do the best job they can, but the orphanages are crowded and sometimes have 30-40 cribs in one room. Many children sadly end up in orphanages that do not even participate in the international adoption program so they have little hope of ever being adopted into a family. A majority of these children spend their entire childhoods in these institutions. Others thankfully end up in orphanages that list the children for international adoption. According to our adoption agency, China for a time never thought anyone would want to adopt a child that had any kind of birth defect or special need. But now they are making some of these precious children available for adoption. Praise God!

Ava Lan

2007-10-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here are all the pictures we have of Ava from baby up to now; we can't wait to see a smile on that pretty face...

Ava's Chinese name is Lan. Lan means "orchid," which is very fitting because she is so beautiful. We have decided to name her Ava and keep Lan as her middle name.

For the last few months, all we knew about Lan was that she was born on November 10, 2004 with a cleft lip and palate. Of course we also knew that she was simply adorable and had big brown soulful eyes and chubby cheeks (which we just can't wait to kiss). We knew she already underwent her initial lip surgery.

We just received (on October 25th) Ava's medical file and casestudy from her orphanage, so we are excited to finally have more information about her. Here are some things that we know: At her initial newborn screening, Ava weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches long. She had her lip surgery at age one and a palate surgery at age 2. This was good news to us because we didn't know she had had her palate surgery already. (She will still need additional surgeries as she grows, but 2 are out of the way and they were both successful!) As of September 2007 (2 months shy of her 3rd birthday) she was 22 pounds and 33 inches tall. So she is a tiny little peanut, not even on the growth charts! Her orphanage caretakers describe Ava as "very active and curious and lovely." She follows directions well and becomes very happy when she's praised and encouraged. She loves playing with other children (there are 30 kids in her group age 2-6) and likes to walk hand in hand with them. She laughs and sings and has "strong self-care ability," being able to dress herself at not yet age 3. Her favorite toy is a doll. Doesn't she sound like a sweetie?

I don't like knowing that I missed out on the first 3 years of Ava's life. I wish I could have been there to hold her and rock her as a newborn and to watch her take her first steps as a toddler. It is so hard to imagine her going through this tender time in her life without parents and having her surgeries without her mommy and daddy by her side... We can't wait to show Ava just how much we love her and want her and what it means to have a mommy and a daddy and a home where she belongs. It is amazing how you can love a child you've never met.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Blessed
By Martina Mcbride
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Brooke, Ashton, and Kate

2007-10-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Brooke and Ashton are excited about the adoption. Brooke can't wait to share her toys and her room with Lan. She has been wanting us to adopt a child ever since she learned that there were orphans in the world. To her, this just made sense that we should do this. Ashton volunteers to pray for Lan almost every night. Usually he prays that Lan will "grow up to love Jesus" and that "God will say yes so we can adopt Lan." He knows that there is a 12 hour time change, so he also prays (in the evenings), "Thank you that Lan is waking up now." Sometimes he adds, "And thank you that we love Lan." He has a tender heart. Kate has no idea that soon she will have a sister 8 months older than she is! We know this will be a big adjustment for all of our children, especially for Kate. But the blessings of adding Lan to our family will be well worth the temporary adjustment period. And we know that God will use the adjustment time to stretch us all and grow us. We are still praying for a smooth transition and bonding process though.

Our Agency and the United in Hope Program

2007-10-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our agency is Hand in Hand International Adoptions. It is a Christian, non-profit agency.

The following is taken from Hand in Hand International Adoption Agency's website:

ANNOUNCING AN EXCITING NEW ADOPTION PROGRAM…

UNITED IN HOPE FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN OF NANJING, CHINA

Hand In Hand International Adoptions, in cooperation with the China Center for Adoption Affairs, Jiangsu Province, and the Nanjing Social Welfare Institute, will be a part of a Pilot Special Needs Program in Jiangsu Province. We will be placing children from the Nanjing Child Welfare Institute into forever homes. The opportunity to work with the wonderful staff of the Nanjing Orphanage is special to us, as this is where our China Adoption Program began in 1992. To learn more about our program please contact Sonja Wendt in our Mesa, Arizona Office (480.892.5550 or arizona@hihiadopt.org) or any of our Hand In Hand Offices.

We are currently in the process of receiving case studies, medicals, dossiers and photos on the first group of children. Special needs include cleft lip, cleft palate, congenital heart conditions, and a variety of other needs. Ages of the children available range from one to six years old.

Guidelines for adoptive family qualifications in place since May 1, 2007 will apply to all new applications. The Greenpath concept (expedited process) for cases submitted to the CCAA will be in effect. Families who already have their dossiers logged in at the CCAA will be allowed to move their cases to the Special Needs category without additional wait.

The initial response to the program by our existing adoptive families has been outstanding. If you think you would like to adopt a child with special needs from our United in Hope Program, please contact Sonja Wendt in the Mesa, Arizona office, or any one of our offices in Colorado, Indiana or Minnesota.

Waiting Children

2007-10-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Shepherd's Crook is a Christian ministry that is devoted to finding homes for children with special needs from all over the world. Their website posts the children's photos and descriptions of their special needs. Some of the special needs are minor and correctable (some are more serious), and some of the children are healthy, just older and are therefore harder to place.

Go to the following website and click on the "waiting children" link on the left.

http://www.theshepherdscrook.org/

About Cleft Lip and Palate

2007-09-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Little Ava Lan was born with cleft lip and palate. This is a very common birth condition among Asians. Basically that means that while she was developing in utero, her lip and palate (roof of mouth) never grew together. This is the last area to connect in the face while the unborn baby is developing. Therefore, she was born with a hole in the roof of her mouth and a lip that was separated. Children born with cleft lip and palate require an initial lip surgery, an initial palate surgery, and many years of orthodontic treatment, speech therapy, and more lip and nose revision surgeries as they grow.
If you want to learn more, here is a link to a website that explains in detail what cleft lip and palate are.

http://www.cleftline.org/parents

Why International Adoption? Why China?

2007-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

We have been asked why we are adopting from China versus the U.S. or even another country. There are millions of orphans all over the world. The vast majority of orphans are in Asia (including Russia and surrounding countries) and Africa. Many are in South America and Haiti (the poorest country in the western hemisphere). The need for people to adopt is so great, and every orphaned child needs a home regardless of where they are from.

What about the natives in other countries adopting the children in those orphanages? Some children do get adopted domestically, but many more would live their entire lives in state-run institutions if someone from another country did not adopt them. It is impossible for natives in Russia, China, Africa, Haiti and many other places to adopt all of the orphans in their country due to poverty (and also due to the one-child policy in China).

Over half of the children in Chinese orphanages have some sort of special need ranging from very minor (birthmark, heart murmur) to moderate (club feet, cleft lip & palate) to severe (blindness, deafness, missing limbs). Less than 10% of special needs children are adopted internationally every year. And even though more people living in China are now adopting domestically, children having special needs have a very slim chance of being adopted because domestic adoption focuses primarily on healthy infants.

Romania has closed down all international adoptions at this time. They want Romanians to adopt their children. There are 9,000 babies a year being abandoned in Romania due to extreme poverty. Only 1,000 of them get adopted successfully by Romanians. The rest have to lie alone in cold cribs in overcrowded orphanages. Many die simply because they fail to thrive. Why? Because that's what happens when one of these countries closes down all international adoptions. Many people are praying that this situation will be reversed in Romania. I share this to show how necessary international adoption is. The children's very lives depend on it.

God put the desire to adopt from China in my heart long ago. We looked into other countries, but were led back to China through the waiting child program.

Why International Adoption is so Expensive

2007-09-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

We have been asked why it is so expensive to adopt internationally. I used to wonder this, too, and even asked myself, "Why does it cost anything at all to adopt when these children need homes so badly?"

As we go through this process, we are learning why it costs so much. To adopt from China, it costs roughly $27, 000. China is actually one of the less expensive programs, as Russia and Guatemala run close to $40,000 (because of higher fees to the country and in Russia's case, 2 trips are required and the length of stay in the country is much longer). One of the less expensive programs is Ethiopia, as the total cost runs around $20,000. This is because the length of stay in Ethiopia is short and because the country's fees are lower.

Where does all this money go??? When we showed up to our first meeting at our agency's office in Albion, Indiana, we quickly realized that our agency was not getting rich from facilitating adoptions. Hand in Hand is a non-profit agency. The office is located in the basement of an old church building. The $27,000 in adoption expenses go to the following expenses: the cost of our homestudy, 35 hours of adoptive parent training, dossier preparation (the giant packet of paperwork sent to China on our behalf), coordination with the Chinese government, attorney and court fees in China and here, document translation fees, a donation to the orphanage for caring for our child including paying staff and orphanage building expenses, medical services for our child while in China, travel expenses (this is a big chunk-roughly $11,000), living expenses while in China for 12 days, a translator while we are in China, and of course salaries for staff at the agency. We also had to pay for psychological examinations ($350), immigration filing ($830), and passports. Whew! You can see how the costs add up very quickly. There is no fee called, "cost of child." Every child is eternally priceless and worth a million times more money than it costs to bring them home to a loving family.