And not to be outdone.....

...in the cuteness department -- here's my other little angel.







Plus, a bonus -- two fun facts about Cassie:
1. As of last Monday the 21st - the day before she turned 21 months old - Cassie has figured out how to escape out of her nap crib, which is a Pack n Play. Sounds scary, but I must say I actually have seen her do it and she's very careful and quite good at getting out safely. So now the baby gate in the hall is always up during nap time and the playroom door is shut. :) Knock on wood - she hasn't yet figured out how to scale the baby gate. 2. When we give Cassie something for dinner that she doesn't recognize, she now will smell it as if to verify that it isn't poison. Yep, I said smell it. It's so cute. She'll load up her spoon, carefully raise it to her nose and smell. If it meets her approval she'll smile before putting the spoon in her mouth. Otherwise it goes back onto her plate.

She's getting to be such a big girl now. And a daddy's girl because he's been off since the 23rd and they've had a lot of time together. She's going to be disappointed on Monday morning when she wakes up and dada isn't here.

Another Chloe picture

Why....because she's just adorable. Isn't she?

There's a family in Nanjing right now with their new son and they visited the orphanage today -- Tuesday in China. It was nap time so they couldn't visit with Chloe but one of the nannies took the family's camera into the nap room to get a picture of Chloe for us. She looks like they woke her up. Poor baby. But, I still love the picture. Everyday we are one day closer to holding her.

The PERFECT end to our Christmas

We got another update on CHLOE!!!!!

I emailed Ann at Red Thread on Monday about mailing Chloe a package for Christmas and tonight I got two more pictures and measurements on Chloe. Chloe will have her package in a couple of days. It didn't make it there for Christmas but it will be there soon. We also mailed a small letter to Chloe's caregivers so they know a little bit about us. Plus, she'll be getting a photo book with 10 pictures of Sonny, Cassie, Tehya, Sage and me too.

Here are the new stats we got on Chloe:

head: 17.7 inches
chest: 18.1 inches
weight: 22 lbs -- with all her winter clothes on
height: 31.1 inches
feet: 3.8 inches
teeth: 4 on top and 3 on the bottom

Here's also a picture of the package we are sending Chloe. I'm so happy she'll be getting a small package from us and will get to see pictures of her new family. I only wish she understood what it all means. I wish I could explain to her why it will be another 6 - 8 weeks before we'll be there for her. But, then I remember that she's too little to understand it all and in all the pictures we have of Chloe she does seem like she's happy. That at least helps me sleep at night.

Merry Christmas to all --- especially our baby girl waiting for us in China.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And to baby Chloe -- we miss you, love you and will be there soon. We know Jesus will be watching over you this Christmas and everyday until we can be there with you.

More LSC info

I talked to our agency this afternoon and our LSC is actually dated December 16th. That was our 7-month anniversary of being home with Cassie!! Such a great day!!! :)

Our agency will overnight our LSC to us today. We'll get it tomorrow, sign it, check the box that 'YES' we want Chloe, then run to back to the FedEx office so it can be delivered back to our agency on Wednesday morning. Then they will mail it to China on Wednesday afternoon. I'm tired just thinking about all the traveling our LSC will be doing in less than a week.

If everything going according to the averages -- we'll be leaving for China the last week of January the first week of February. I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to see my girls together.

Tuesday update: I just realized that from the time we filled out our WC application until we got the call for Chloe was 80 days. And now from the day of our LID to the day our LSC was signed was 80 days. Doesn't mean a thing -- I know -- but still kind of neat. :)

I got all I wanted for Christmas.....................

OUR LSC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chloe Jewel is officially ours. The call came today at 5:39pm.
On day 82 of waiting.

Now on to the good stuff -- more stats on Chloe:

Chloe was born on June 20, 2008
(that makes her exactly 90 days younger than her sister)

Chloe is currently living in an orphanage in Nanjing, which is in the Jiangsu province.

Since November 2008 she has been in the Half the Sky little sisters program.

Chloe has a repaired cleft lip and a cleft palate that still needs to be repaired.

Chloe's cleft lip is on the right side -- Cassie's is on the left side -- God gave me a matching set of little angels to love. :)

On Sunday Chloe turns 18 months old, and on Tuesday Cassie turns 21 months old.

And -- for the first time ever -- Cassie called me 'mama' today without being coaxed. Such a wonderful day!!!

We have three different sets of pictures on Chloe -- in the three posts below.

Chloe's referral pictures -- she was 11 months old