happy birthday, james!

Y'all. Today is our sweet baby James' birthday! Our little guy is two.

Two.

APOLOGY CLAUSE: To the many of you that I've spent time with who have a child who is anywhere around the age of two, I apologize for staring, studying, stalking and/or gawking at your sweet child. I have been so struck by almost two-year-olds and two-and-a-half-year-olds of late. I just stare at their tiny bodies. Their tiny fingers and hands. Their tiny feet and shoes. How they cling to their mom's and dad's legs. Omigoodness. We're going to have one of those most-precious creatures. I can't wait! :)

You wouldn't think there'd be that much difference between our almost-five-year-olds and a two-year-old, but oh, there is! So much delicious difference.

And if today being James' 2nd birthday isn't exciting enough, our official referral for James arrived via FedEx on Thursday! Wow. It sure was exciting to open it. The contents therein made everything feel very official and legally binding. Wow. We really are going to be James' parents. He really is going to live here with us. We really are going to travel to China and get him.

This is really happening.

There have been times when this adoption being complete has felt so far away that I haven't even been able to go there. Ya know, like go there in my mind and imagine the feeling of his little body in my arms. Going there and imagining the feeling on my lips of kissing his pudgy cheeks. Going there and imagining the smell of his neck after a bath.

I just haven't gone there very much.

Until now.

As fun as it is to go there in my mind and heart, the going there can make the waiting hard. But we are waiting well, I think. At least for the moment.

I've told many people who've asked for updates that we're done with our part and are just waiting. I spoke too soon. With the referral came some ridiculously tedious forms to fill out. Boy, does our government know how to make things confusing and daunting. But we shall persevere.

There was one thing contained in the referral packet that almost made me giddy...

A packing list.

Really? How cool. We're at the point where we can actually consider what we need to pack. What we need to bring as small gifts for the many people who will help us in China to collect James and get through the journey of adopting him. Interesting tidbit: we were instructed to consider red wrapping paper for these small gifts as the Chinese have a special affinity for red. I found that intriguing. I can't wait to experience the Chinese culture and get a taste of who James is while we're there.

Prayer request: please continue to pray that we'll be called to travel and adopt James by the end of the year. I just have such a yearning to do that and not have to wait into 2012. I would love for your to pray for that with me.

Love to all!