An UPDATE!!!

Dear Vivi -

It has been six l-o-n-g months since we've seen a picture of you and gotten an update about how you're doing.  We had almost given up on knowing anything more about you until we actually meet you in China when today, out of the blue, it's you - there you are!  In all of your 19-month-old glory!

We have never wanted to be able to reach through a picture and touch someone more than we had when we saw this picture.
Along with three gorgeous pictures, we got an incredible written update as well.  Here's what we know about you now:

• You love the iPad and all things technical.  You will get along with your brothers just fine.
• You are in a house where they speak three languages - Chinese, English, and Spanish.  You know several clear words in English, "pretty" and "milk" in Spanish, and "mama" and "papa" in English. (Wow - we have a lot to learn!)
• Ironically, your foster family says that hearing three languages leaves you confused because you talk all day and they don't understand a lot of what you're saying!! (Maybe we're safe after all!)
• You're learning your colors.
• You sleep 11 hours at night and take a two hour nap every day.  Ah, another sleeper. 
• Your foster family calls you "Sharon" or "Xinran".
• The family says that you are "not the crying type", and that you have a beautiful smile.  We agree!
  
  

• You're still learning to walk on your own but love to cruise the furniture, especially when you're bribed with an electronic toy when you get where you're going.
• You're happy and easygoing and have a great personality.
• An eater.  You're an eater.  You're 27 pounds and you love cheese, tofu, chicken, potatoes, yogurt, and all kinds of vegetables.

Those are all wonderful things and believe me when I say that we covet every little teeny nugget of information that we can get about you.  But here are the most important things:

• You are healthy.  You have 12 teeth, weigh 27 pounds, and are 32 inches tall.  You had your last ETV surgery, which drained fluid from your head, in October, and not only did you totally recover in a week, but you haven't needed any additional procedures since then.
• You are clearly happy.  We can see it in the pictures, in your smile.
• You are loved.  That we know from what your foster family says about you and even how they say it.

And they're not the only ones that love you.  We love you too. So much.  We're praying for you, thanking God that you're in a great family now, and wishing away the days until you are part of ours.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy