My Lucia {A Word Picture}

One thing I have hated is that I can NOT share pictures of my girl publicly.  Let me tell you she is BEAUTIFUL!  But, until you can see that for yourself I thought I would paint you a picture of her through words.

*My sweet Lucia is 7 years old. {soon to be 8 in December}

*She is around 35 lbs. and wears a 3T.

*She has that cute gap where her front baby tooth has fallen out and her adult one is growing in.

*She has straight glossy black hair that is cut in a cute little chin-length bob.
{She HATES to have her bangs in her eyes.}

*She doesn't stick her tongue out much. {though it makes an occasional appearance}

*She is VERY flexible.

*Even though she is non-verbal she has strong opinions and makes them known.

*She is stubborn.

*She has a 1,000 watt smile.

*She LOVES to eat and does a little happy, bouncy dance when it is time to eat & while she is eating.
{She is not a picky eater but right now she doesn't chew much just swallows things whole.}

*She will need glasses. {And maybe another eye surgery.}

*She would much rather play with her mommy than with toys.

*She can walk with assistance and I truly believe she will be running around on her own by the New Year.

*She is fascinated by watching her reflection in the mirror.

*She loves to walk up and down stairs.
{With assistance but she can go up and down the ones at therapy all.by.herself!}

*She loves being tickled.

*She has a great belly-laugh.

*Her favorite toy became a few toy rings that were connected together.  She loved to shake them, and pass them back and forth with me, and bang them to make noise music, and throw them.

*She takes 'spitting mad' literally and makes a spitting noise when she is mad about something. {sans actual spit thank goodness}

*She likes to play 'giddy up horsey' with me and bounce up and down on my knees.

*She loves to be thrown on the bed and would just laugh and laugh when I did it.
{She would crawl back over to me, reach up to me, pull herself to standing, and wait for me to do it again}

*I took her in the pool for the first time, and she LOVES the pool.  She loves to kick and splash and doesn't mind the water in her face.


After one month together she learned to do MANY things that she had NEVER done before:

*How to clap

*How to give hugs

*How to give kisses

*How to blow raspberries

*How to kick a ball

*How to pass a toy back and forth without immediately throwing it

*How to initiate a game that she wants to play

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I can NOT wait till the day I can share one with you.  But until then, I hope this gives you a glimpse at the sweet girl that has captured my heart.  I am so glad that God saw fit to let me be her mommy. <3

Up, up, and away

I had decided that I wanted to do a balloon release as a way of commemorating Lucia's birthday this year.  We weren't able to fit it in on her actual birthday day so we did it today.  The weather cooperated and was lovely. There were seven balloons in honor of her turning seven this year.  

                                       Princess balloons for my little princess.  

At the suggestion of a friend at work I decided to attach a message to the balloons--sort of like a message in a bottle.  I decided to add a personal message to Lucia as well as a request that if anyone finds the letter that they mail it back to me along with a little note telling how and where they found it.  I also included the lyrics to the song Somewhere Out There.  The words resonate with where I am right now in the journey to bring my daughter home.

Somewhere Out There

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

And even though I know how very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby 

It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

Feliz Cumpleaños Baby Girl!

Today Lucas and I had a small party with my best friend and her daughter to celebrate Lucia's 7th birthday.  Here are some photos of our celebration.

                                    "Happy Birthday Lucia ~ Our Little Princess"

                            My best friend's mom (aka Nanny Cheryl) baked my sweet girl a cake.

                                                       Singing Happy Birthday.

                                Her brother did the honors of blowing out the candle.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!  I pray that you are safe and healthy and happy today on your special day.  So many people pray for you each and every day.  You are not forgotten.  You are wanted and loved.  You are daughter and sister and niece and granddaughter and friend.  We can not wait until you are home in our arms forever.  I love you unconditionally ~ no strings attached.
                                                                                                 ~ Your mama

                                             

Update from a Wayward Blogger

It has been way too long since I last posted.  Tomorrow is my sweet Lucia's birthday.  When I began the journey to bring my daughter home, I had no idea that she would not be here to celebrate her 7th birthday with us.  There has been a major delay which I will explain in another blog post.  But, I am still working hard to do what is needed to bring the daughter of my heart home.  Tomorrow, we have some things planned to commemorate her special day, and we pray that she feels the love of her family that is fighting so hard to reach her.  Check back in to see pictures of our birthday celebration.  I promise it will not be another 6+ months before I post about it.

Happy Birthday Lucia Grace!!  Mommy loves you to the moon and back! <3 <3 <3

So Glad for Another Year with Her

Today is my grandmother's birthday.  I am so glad to have another year with her.  I am trying to savor each moment, and not take any of them for granted.  My mother died when I was eleven.  I know the void that loosing someone important leaves.  My grandparents raised my brother, sister, and I after my mom passed away.  And so my grandma is so much more than a grandma to me.  She has been my constant, my rock, my steadfast.

She is the one that has cheered my successes and picked me up when I have fallen.  It was her bed that I slept in for three days in high school when I suffered my first break up.

She walked me down the aisle because it was what I wanted even though it defied convention.  And it was her extra bedroom that I stayed in when my marriage fell apart.

She has nursed me after I had my tonsils out at thirteen and my gallbladder out when I was twenty-three.  She has watched Lucas since he was a baby anytime I have needed her to, and has a special bond with my son.

She has been a supporter of my adoption plans from the very beginning.  I can not wait for my Lucia to meet her great-grandma.  <3 <3 <3 be.still.my.heart!

      
I love you grandma!  And appreciate all that you are in my life.  You are an amazing woman of grace and strength.  I admire and cherish you.
Love, Tracy

Waiting on My Golden Ticket!

No not this kind of golden ticket. ;)  In the adoption world the "golden ticket" is the approval from the U.S. government allowing you to bring an orphan dependent into the country.  I mailed my application to USCIS today.  I have to receive my approval before I can officially submit all my paperwork to Mexico. 

So, now that my part of the paperwork is finished, I am shifting into high gear on the fund raising.  I would love to be fully funded by the end of the summer.  I am hoping that Lucia's Memory Quilt fund raiser will raise the funds necessary for my agency fees.  However, I still need to raise the $8,000 country fee that is due to Mexico when I accept my official referral for Lucia.  I would love to hear your ideas for fund raisers that you think would bring in close to that amount! 

Putting My Heart in a Mailbox

Last Wednesday I FINALLY received the report I had been waiting on.  The final piece of paper that I needed in order to mail out my dossier documents to my agency.  And.it.was.correct!  Thank you so much for your prayers.  The very next day I Fed-exd my documents to my agency.  I did not expect it to be so hard to hand that packet over.  It had taken me three months to paste together those precious documents that will grant me the privilege of becoming momma to the daughter of my heart. 

Handing over my packet felt like putting my heart into a mailbox and walking away.  Needless to say, I was overjoyed Friday to hear that my worker received my paper heart and it was safe and sound. 

Now comes the hardest part--waiting!  I am NOT a patient person.  The agency gives a time frame of one to three months for documents to be translated and apostilled.  While I wait I will be focusing on fund raising.  I still need approximately $13,000 to complete my adoption.  $8,000 of that is a country fee that is due when Mexico approves my dossier and grants me my official referral of Lucia.  But I am confident that as I take each step forward toward my baby girl that God will provide what is needed.  Because that is what He has done. 

I covet your continued prayers for my adoption as well as for my Lucia while she waits.