Bathing Beauty

well, we have a water-lover on our hands! the first time we gave her a bath, she didn't even want the water to touch her toes...but now, well she practically dives in head first!

yesterday, we took her swimming and she had the best time. i have to say, i've never seen anyone look so good in a swimsuit (diaper and all)!

anyway, i thought i would post a few pics of our little adventure.

Coming Home and Happy Birthday

Yep, so I'm finally updating my blog! I'm just warning you, it's gonna be a LONG blog! I have a few days to catch up on! Thursday night, before we left India, we thought we would go down to the courtyard in the hotel and eat dinner outside. They have nice live music and the food is pretty good. Well, while we were waiting for the restaraunt to open, we couldn't help but notice (along with the rest of the block) that an Indian wedding was just about to take place in our hotel. Indian weddings are undeniably unique and different from anything I've ever seen. They are far more colorful and extravigant than American weddings. Indian weddings go on for days, and we just happened to be there for the final night of the celebration. The groom was outside of the hotel and made his entrance with a very loud marching band and an entourage of dancing relatives! Dustin and I tried to stand back and capture it all on video. Well, a few of the relatives introduced themselves and not only did they welcome us to watch the presecion, they INSISTED that we attend the wedding! They were so welcoming! Dustin and I moved to the lobby of the hotel to watch the groom approach and as the relatives piled in, several placed flowery leis around Mia's neck and on her toy's neck. They leis are usually reserved for the mother of the groom only. It was such a special moment - I'll never forget it. We went to the wedding banquet for about 20 minutes, but found out that the actual ceremony wouldn't start for another 3 hours. It was already 7:30 and we hadn't eaten dinner yet (or packed for the trip home), so we thanked them for their generosity and headed upstairs. This might sound silly, but I had prayed that we would somehow be able to witness an Indian wedding while in India. It's such an unbelievable way to experience the rich culture. I feel so blessed that it actually happened! I'll post a picture of some of the ladies at the wedding (notice the wedding henna on their hands).

Well, we left our hotel at 5:00 am the next morning. The airport experience coming into Kolkata was a breeze. Getting out with and Indian child was very scary. We were passed from government official to government official - all of them speaking broken English. At one point, they took our passport out of the terminal. We had been briefed on most things that would happen, but this wasn't one of them. It was very scary. We were getting very close to our boarding time. Finally, the immigration official returned with our passports and told us that it should've taken them an hour to complete our paperwork - thus we would have missed our flight. I'm pretty sure he was bluffing and just wanted to give us the run-around and get a tip for "saving the day". Well, that didn't happend! We just took our passports and bolted to the boarding line. Wow.

The flights back were great. We had a 10 hour flight from Kolkata to London, a 9 hour flight from London to Chicago and a 2 hour flight from Chicago to OKC. I'm pleased to say that Mia was a complete angel. There were children her age on the same flights that screamed until they couldn't scream anymore. BUT MIA, well she's special! People on each flight came up and talked to her and tried to hold her. They even commented on how well she was doing. I have to say that the flight back home was the only thing I was worried about. I know we had many people praying for us. Thank you from Dustin and I and thank you from all of the passengers on British Air!

Sorry this is so long...

We touched down in OKC at around 11:25 pm. We walked up the long quiet terminal, turned the corner and saw the beaming faces of family and friends! We were so glad to be home! A small group of family and dear friends greated us at the top of the escalator. I tried to have the grandmas and grandpas hold her, but she would have none of it (kinda felt good to me)! She just clings to Dustin and I. What we didn't know was that a huge group was waiting at the bottom of the escalator. Family, friends, co-workers and church members were there to welcome Mia home with balloons, signs and party hats (we arrived 20 minutes before her 1st birthday). Nadra, Charlie and Ian were able come in town for our arrival. For those that don't know, they adopted Ian who was Mia's little buddy at the facility in India. When they saw each other at the airport - they knew each other, I know they did. Mia was a little dazed, but Ian's eyes lit up and I know he remembered her. I'm so thankful that they were there.

At the stroke of midnight, someone led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday. I had managed to keep my composure up until that point. The tears started flowing!

The next night, we had a small gathering of family over to watch Mia dig into a tiny little cake. Who would have thought that watching a kid make such a mess would be so much fun!

Thank you so much to those who prayed for us and helped welcome Mia home. We will never forget such a special night.

I'm attaching a few photos. I'm attaching a picture from the Indian wedding, a few pictures from Mia's homecoming and a few from her 1st birthday party.

Two more days...

We found out we will definitely not be traveling before Friday. Which I am sure works out for the best.

Last night was a pretty good night. She only woke up once. She is doing so well, I cannot wait for you all to see her. She is playing more and talking up a storm. She crawls everywhere and pulls herself up on the coffee table and on us and stands around (she will be walking soon). :o) :o(

Yesterday was good for the two stir-crazy parents. We were able to go to a nice government run market that was indoors and air-conditioned. We found lots of nice things to bring back. It was very good to leave the hotel and experience more of Kolkata. Mia was an absolute angel the whole trip. She smiled a lot and ended up sleeping in the sling around my waist. Our driver was the best yet. His name was Apaul (sp). He showed us a picture of his little girl Soonjeeta (sp). He was as proud of her as we are of Mia.

We took some pics of some roofers on top of the building next door. They were working very hard and it is very hot. We thought that the guys on dad’s crew would like to see how it is done in India. Pretty high tech (ha, ha).

Well Uncle Boo, it is now your birthday here in Kolkata and Mia wants to say Happy Birthday. She cannot wait to tell you in person.

Shaunna, soon you will know and I am dying to find out. Make sure and let me know when you get the news! :o)

As always, we miss you all very much and cannot wait to see you. Keep sending your prayers, they are very much felt and needed. Love you all.

More Glimpses of Beauty...and Charlie too

We have had a few long days and a few long nights but things are going much, much better. Mia is coming around to Dustin now and that makes it easier for me to get some much-needed rest. He can now hold her and comfort her without her fussing.

It looks like we will not be able to come home any earlier, but that is OK. I know that some of you have already made plans to be at the airport Friday night and we cannot wait to see you then.

Mommy and daddy are going a little “stir crazy” in the hotel room. So, Dustin is going to go scout a market that another Dillon family suggested to us on the plane ride here (they happened to be coming to Kolkata to pick up their son). If it looks suitable for a family outing we will go on Wednesday or Thursday.

Before I forget, Mia wants to wish Aunt Hiley a late Happy Birthday, and remind her that Saturday is her 1st birthday. She keeps wanting us to find out what Hiley is getting her.J

We really miss you all and can feel your prayers all around us as Mia comes closer to us day by day. Keep our family in your prayers and we will see you soon.

We had to add a picture of Charlie because we miss him too.

Happy Girl

we are in here in the computer room. it is about 7:40 am. we just got finished with breakfast and ang is sitting beside me with mia. of all of the toys we brought she seems happiest with the wrapper from a power bar ang ate last night. she loves the crinkly shinyness (don't worry grandparents it won't tear and she can't eat it).

she slept from about 11:00 last night until about 5:30 this morning. we got up and i tried to feed her, she ate a little but she is still coming along slowly with me. she loves to eat though, she ate a whole bowl of milk with baby crackers in it then when we went to breakfast she nearly ate everything on angie's plate.

after breakfast she began talking to us and everyone around. she keeps saying da, da, da, da. i know it doesn't mean what i think it does but don't spoil my fantasy!

today should be pretty uneventful. we are trying to contact our travel agent and change our flight plans to either monday or tuesday. i don't know if that can happen but we are going to try. we will let everyone know if it can happen.

well i think that she has just made her daddy proud, and we are not even on the tenth floor (chuck, that's for you). so we need to go back up to the room. we miss you all and cannot wait for you to meet this Happy Girl. we will keep you updated.

GOD is good...

The City of Her Birth...

i don't even know how to describe what we've seen today. people can tell you about india and try to prepare you, but nothing can prepare you for what you will see. it's a glorious city, and amazingly different than anything i've experienced. i have great love for this city, but it saddens me at the same time. from the first moment we arrived, one thing stood out...every living creature in this city seems to be fighting for survival.

we had an overwhelming experience at an outdoor market today. we gave our driver, nayeem, the address of a cool and safe market so we could get some shopping done. well, he ended up taking us to another market (i'm sure his friends own the shops). we were bombarded with beggars from the time we stepped out of the cab until we rushed back in. one particular elderly woman followed me for blocks, just tapping my arm and begging for something. everything in us wants to help, but we have been strongly urged not to give out money on the street...there's a chance you could get mobbed. so we practically sprinted from shop to shop. there is SO much more to this story, but i can't really go into it now.

this was our only day to do shopping, because once we have mia we are not allowed (and shouldn't) go out in public. now i understand why.

well, tonight's the last night that the tucker's will be a 2 member family...tomorrow we become three! our 2 1/2 year "labor" is finally coming to an end! how am i supposed to sleep tonight? we called anju today and she wants us to come by the orphanage at 11:00. so those of you still up at 11:00, send up a little prayer for the two of us and mia.

we love all of you...i will post again as soon as mia allows!

And So It's Here...

the day we've been waiting for for so long is finally here! in just a matter of hours, we will be on our way to meet our daughter. it still doesn't seem real, but i'm sure it will hit us soon!

we don't know how to express our gratitude to those of you who have helped us throughout this process. the prayers, the phone calls, emails and hugs have just meant so much to us. we are overwhelmed to see such love from friends and family for a child that none of us has ever seen. we are forever grateful.

well, our anxiety about travel and the huge responsiblity of parenthood has transformed into sheer joy as we leave now for our journey...our journey to mia.

thanks again & we love all of you dearly.

i'll write as soon as i can.

We're Going to India!

yesterday, dustin and I found out that we have been cleared to travel! we will leave on wednesday, may 10th at 5:15 PM and arrive in kolkata friday morning at 5:00 am. we hope to spend friday recovering from the flight, buying gifts and trying to see as much of the city as possible.

and so saturday...well, saturday is the big day! we will finally come face to face with the child we've only known through pictures. for us, i've pictured that moment as one of those hallmark, made for t.v. movie moments, but for her - well, her entire world will be turned upside down. everything she's known will be taken away from her, but she will soon find out that a new world awaits her - a world where she will be loved more than she has ever been loved. regardless of how things play out, it will be the happiest moment of our lives.

as many of you know, we arrive home on may 19th. we prayed and prayed that we would have mia home by her first birthday (may 20th). well, we arrive home just about 20 minutes before that big day! God sure does have a great sense of humor!

for those brave souls that would like to greet us at the airport when we arrive, we come in on AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 4090 at 11:34 PM. for those of you planning to go, if you have any questions - friends, call sarah - and family, call my mom or barb. i'll make sure they know if anything has changed or been delayed.

we love all of you. thanks so much for the prayers and support throughout this process.

Almost There...

i spoke with jynger yesterday and all we are waiting on is an email back from the u.s. consulate in kolkata saying that they have received a fax of our approval. jynger will continue to email them everyday until they respond. she said that sometimes it can take 2-3 days for them to respond to her, but as soon as they do she will call us and we will be cleared for travel!

i'll keep you updated!

Have I Mentioned the Roller Coaster Ride?

shortly after my last post, i received an email from officer brewer, the person who's handling our paperwork. she mentioned that we have approval, it will be mailed out on monday and that the u.s. embassy has already been notified! woo-hoo!

i left a message for jynger at our adoption agency but she's at a conference all weekend. hopefully, she will check her email and respond. she will have a good idea of when we will be cleared for travel! we hope to leave may 11th or 12th, but we really need to wait and talk to jynger.

thanks for all of the prayers! i will update you on our travel as soon as i hear something!

God is good!

Still Nothing

we are just days away from may and we still haven't received our I-600 approval. i NEVER thought it would have taken us this long to get mia.

we've been at the far end of every single timeframe that the adoption agency gave us. they said it takes families 12-16 months to get a referral of a child - it took us 16. they tell families that it takes 4-7 months to receive your child after the referral and it has taken us 7 SO FAR. i know this is not the case for most of the families that have gone through the process. i've heard their stories and seen them receive their children is shorter amounts of time than it will take us.

i'm just having a hard time understanding why we seem to be the exception. i know there is a reason for everything - i know that. when we first heard that our paperwork was going to be delayed, i had a huge sense that there was a good reason. i just lose grasp of that at times - times like now.

God is still good - even though we don't know why we have to go through the things we go through.

Rollercoaster Ride

okay, here's how yesterday went...no, first let's start with last week. on thursday of last week, i spoke with pat at congressman istook's office. she said that she has been trying to make contact with the uscis office in dallas (they have our paperwork). pat mentioned that she is having a hard time getting anyone to call her back. who doesn't call a congressman back? anyway, we figured that that wasn't working so we contacted kenny marchant who is a congressman from texas. we graduated from snu with his son matt. we figured that with our paperwork in texas, having a texas congressman contact the uscis office might be smart. on thursday of last week, deanna, my parent's pastor's wife, contacted congressman marchant's office. deanna is very good friends with kenny and his spokesperson ( i think her name is susie miller).

anyway, yesterday we got the response - but not the response i was wanting to hear. the uscis officer working on our file was just now looking at applications filed before january 15th. we filed on march 10th. this was devestating. that would mean that all paperwork was backed up 2 months. i didn't know WHEN we would possibly travel now. i just broke down. there have only been a few times during this adoption journey that i have just really wept...ya know, the ugly cry! yep, that's what i was doing.

that night dustin went fishing with a friend and i went to charleston's with my parents. before i left the house, i decided to check my email. three weeks ago, i sent an email to officer brewer, the person handling our paperwork in dallas. i waited and waited and nothing came...until now. officer brewer apologized for the delay in responding to my email and said that our file would be reviewed and a decision will be made THIS WEEK! can't believe it! wow!

so, now we just need to pray that all of our paperwork checks out okay. if it does (and it should), we will recieve our approval in the mail. we will then just need to wait for the u.s. consulate in kolkata to recieve the same thing and then we will be cleared for travel! finally!!!!

i've decided, after this is all done, i'm going to make t-shirts for dustin and i saying, "i survived the adoption process". we will wear it proud!

God is good!

Sorry, No News

okay, so there's really no news. we are still waiting on the I-600 approval and then we can travel. we originally contacted state senator owen laughlin, who is my aunt's brother-in-law. from there, congressman frank lucas' office contacted us and now this week, we've been contacted by congressman ernest istook's office. each person that has contacted me has been very nice, and really seems to want to help. i just hope that they are persistent enough with the government agency involved to push our paperwork through.

this wait it getting very painful. the agency processing our paperwork is saying that it will take 60 days for us to get approval. that means we would travel in mid may. that's just not okay with me! i really want to have mia by her 1st birthday (may 20th). she's just growing up without us.

i'm asking those of you that read my blog to please, please, please pray specifically that those people who our working our file will process it quickly and that we are able to travel before the end of april.

thanks for the prayers and i will post again when i hear from congressman istook's office.

PASSPORT!

we have mia's passport!!!

now all we need is for our government to approve us to bring her into the country! one stupid little piece of paper is the only thing holding us up! uugghhh.

earlier this week, i contacted owen laughlin's office. he's a state senator and is actually my aunt's brother-in-law. his assistant, guy, was very nice and seemed to really want to help. she mentioned that congressman lucas' office might be giving us a call. so, i guess now we just wait and see.

please, please, please pray that we will receive I-600 approval soon. when we get that, we're off to india!

by the way, doesn't she look ready to come home?

Oh So Serious!

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you the need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of love.

~Author Unknown

April Wishes

Alright, there's a small snag in the adoption process...(by the way - isn't she the cutest?)

Okay, due to a mistake in our paperwork, we will now be filing Mia's I-600 (federal adoption stuff) here in the U.S. This means that there is almost no possible way for us to get her this month. We were originally going to file her paperwork in New Delhi which would have taken us a total of two days. Filing the I-600 here could delay the process by at least two months. The earliest we could travel now is mid-April. We plan on contacting Congressman Istook very soon. Hopefully, he and his office will be able to push things through a little faster than usual. Before sending off the paperwork, Dustin attached a photo of Mia to every page of the I-600! We are hoping that putting a face with the paperwork will speed things up!

We received a precious picture of Mia from the Conners. She's sleeping and oh so gorgeous!

Please pray that we will receive her passport soon and that her I-600 is processed quickly.

Welcome Home & Showers of Love

What a wonderful week we've had! We received an email last week from Jynger (our case manager) that mentioned that they hope to have Mia's passport within the month...wow! We could travel before the end of March! Unbelievable!

Last Friday, Dustin and I were invited to the airport to welcome home Ian - I call him, "Mia's little buddy". What a special day it was! He's such a handsome little man! I was even able to hold him! Boy, was it the wrong day to forget to wear waterproof mascara! We felt very lucky to be part of such a special moment.

On Saturday, Dustin and I attended our first shower for Mia. Our hostesses did such a great job - everything was just gorgeous! The cake was so stunning - I didn't even want to touch it! I registered for blankets to take to the kiddos in India and what a sight it was to see all of them! I might have to ship the blankets to India rather than taking another suitcase! We really appreciate everyone that donated a blanket. They will be put to good use. We would also like to thank everyone who attended the shower - thanks for helping us welcome her home in this way.

Legals!

Our legals are on the way! This means that the Indian courts recognize us as legal guardians of Mia! Now all we have to do is wait for her passport. That's the final step...I can't believe it. It could take anywhere from 1-2 months. After we get her passport, we're off to India!

After being in the adoption process for almost two & a half years, we are finally going to get our little girl. We feel so blessed that God chose us for this journey.

Okay, I need that passport now!

9 Months Old

Mia is 9 months old today. I can hardly stand to know that she's growing older without us.

We received 6 new pictures of her today! She sure is a cutie! She's getting chunkier and her hair is getting so thick. Looks like she's a happy, healthy kiddo!

All Roads Lead...

The days seem to be growing longer and my heart is aching more and more for my little girl so far away. Just knowing that Nadra and Charlie were able to see her and speak to her...well, it just breaks my heart that it wasn't me.

I've been on an emotional high since we received her referral in October of last year. Well, I think I've reached the top of that emotional hill, only to realize that the other side's journey holds only the pain and heartbreak of not having her in our arms.

But we have this...our road leads to India...our road leads to Mia.

God bless & please continue to pray that she will be in our arms soon.

Forever Families & Whispers to Mia

Nadra & Charlie, the wonderful couple we met during this adoption process, met their precious son yesterday (about 12:45 a.m. CST). Ian now has his "forever family"! This has been such a long process for our two families, I'm just glad that their wait it now over!

While Nadra and Charlie were picking up Ian, they were able to visit with our precious Mia. I say "visit", but Mia was in the middle of a good nap. I believe they were able to get a picture of her. They told her that her parents were coming to get her soon. Thank you, Nadra & Charlie.

Last night I had a dream about Mia. We were in a car in India, and I turned around and said, "I love you Mia", and she said "I love you too". She was speaking very well for a 9 month old -- I always knew she was a genius! In some way, I wonder if I was dreaming that at the same moment Nadra & Charlie were whispering to her.

My good friend, Sarah, gave me a wonderful idea. I would like to ask that those of you reading this would pray that we are able to get Mia as soon as possible. Prayer is such a powerful thing.

Thank you & God bless.

What's in a name?

on the day in which we celebrate love, i thought i would fill you in on the meaning of mia's name.

MIA

this word means "mine"...literally. it is the spanish word for "mine". dustin and i had this name picked out for the longest time. we thought it would be very appropriate. after all of this waiting, she will finally be ours.


SUPRITHA (su-pree-ta)

this is mia's indian name...this was the name given to her in india. the indian meaning for this name is "good love". we will keep this as her middle name. it is very important for us to acknowledge her heritage in this way.

so, when you put together both of her names it means...my good love. doesn't get better than that!

happy valentine's day!

Oh So Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

i know this will be a very special valentine's day for a wonderful couple i've had the opportunity to get to know over the last year or so. today they are on a plane to india to meet their little boy for the first time.

i met nadra and charlie at a gathering at our adoption agency. we were there to meet ms. anju roy, the director of the facility in india, who had made a special trip to the u.s. nadra and i started emailing each other regarding our thoughts and concerns. having someone who knew exactly what dustin and i were going through was priceless. i'm so thankful that i had her throughout this process.

well, the time came when they were presented with the referral of their little boy and a few months later came the referral of our precious mia. we had waited so long...what a special time! in december of last year, we received a video of our little ones...they were sitting next to each other and were in matching outfits! i think God winked at us at that moment! come to find out, their cribs are very close to one another.

it's such an amazing coincidence. our adoption agency places children in homes all over the u.s. it's just amazing that i made a connection with nadra (who lives very close to me), and then for her to be adopting a little boy who mia already knows...wow, i feel so blessed.

well, next week, mia's little buddy will be on his way home. dustin and i are going to the airport to welcome them home. i can't wait to reunite mia and her buddy here in oklahoma. what a wonderful day that will be.

Our Happy Mia Supritha!

The Long Journey

wow, where do I begin...our journey started over two years ago. a journey we couldn't wait to begin...a journey that we knew would be rough at times, but would lead us to the child God had chosen for us. what an interesting and amazing journey it has been so far.

we decided to adopt from india in the fall of 2003. after much study and research, we found dillon international, an adoption agency in tulsa, ok. we anxiously started the process and were deep into paperwork by january 2004. after doctor's visits, home-studies, several adoption classes and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, we were put on the waiting list in july of 2004. wow, when i sum everything up it sounds so fast! not so, believe me! once on the waiting list, we quickly moved from #9 in july, to #3 in november. i was positive we would have a referral by christmas.

okay, the one thing i know for sure about adoption is that nothing is for sure!

in december, we found out that the facility in india (where our little girl would be born), was trying to get recertified by the indian government. it's just a standard thing that every facility has to go through in india. well, we quickly found out that things don't work the same in india as they do here. our adoption was basically on hold for 9 months. this was an excruciating time in the tucker household! we had been presented with other opportunities to adopt other children or even switch to adopt from another country, but we KNEW that a baby in india was waiting for us. it's the kind of feeling when you know something to be absolute truth and you would bet your life on it. sometimes it's hard to understand why God does what He does. we struggled and prayed and struggled and prayed, and come to find out...God knows what He's doing! i know you're shocked!

on october 21st, we received a referral of a baby girl named supritha. she was born on may 20th, 2005. she's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen! she has the biggest eyes, the prettiest complexion and the cutest dimples! we received a video of her in december 2005 and she seemed so happy. that really put my mind at ease. God has truly blessed us with the perfect child for our family.

we are now waiting for the indian government to grant us guardianship and then we can file for her passport. when we receive her passport, we will finally be on our way to india. hopefully, we will travel in late march to early april.

thank you to all who have prayed for us and cried with us during this time. you will never know how much we love and appreciate you.