Why she's ours

Dear Life,

As we have been waiting for a signature and a proper referral, I have been reading Sofi's medicals.
I have Google'd every word I didn't know.
I read her medical reports when we first looked at her file, but it was so confusing that I didn't read it with a fine tooth comb.
I am now if for no other reason than to feel closer to her.
What I found in those reports makes me KNOW she's ours...and we are SUPPOSED to be her parents.
They also make me wonder how on earth she's even alive.
God has a plan for my girl.

She was born on July 3.
She weighed a little over 5 pounds.
She was 18 inches long.
She had a lesion on her head (not on her spine like Kumaka's is).
The lesion was on her head where her soft spot was.
Her soft spot was larger than normal.
When they operated on the lesion, the fluid in her brain got bigger quickly, until she started seizing.
Five days later they put in a shunt and the seizures stopped shortly thereafter.
A few months later, they operated again to put a plastic piece over the soft spot (maybe to protect it??)

As I was reading this, I realized that my girl is so lucky to have made it this far.
And then I recalled a conversation I had with my facilitator about Sofi's file.

When Sofi was a baby, no one even LOOKED at her file.
Not one family stepped up to see what this girl was about.
When she was three, when we saw her picture, we were the only family to inquire after her.
Her file at that point was in a type of nowhere land...no agency had it because no one had expressed interest..her issues were just too much.

It hit us hard today that she was protected...she was waiting...for us.
She is ours.
I feel that in my heart.
I know it.

I don't like to imagine what would happen if she didn't come home to our family.
Thankfully, because of all of you, we are more than halfway through.
She has a family.
We will do everything we can to give her all she needs...a family to love her...big brothers to protect her...and mommy and daddy to rock her...and doctors to care for her.

We do have a way to go....but my heart is telling me we will get there.

If your heart is telling you to be a part of Sofi's story, please consider donating anything....every dollar helps us get to her.  In six months she will be ours.

Celebrating a birth from afar

Normally I would write Dear Life...but today is Sofi's birthday so I am writing to her.

Dear Sofi,

On July 3rd, 2009, a beautiful little girl was born. 

She was born without excitement.

She was born without celebration.

She was born and then given up.

She endured surgeries alone.

She had no one to hold her, and tell her she would be ok.

She had no one to hold her close and sing her to sleep.

She simply had no one.

For three years there was no one who enquired after her.

She lived in an orphanage...and never spoke.

She didn't play with other children.

She didn't leave her crib.

A little more than a year ago a family saw her picture.

And fell in love.

And started moving heaven and earth to bring her to live in a forever family. 

With them.

That little girl is you.

That family is us.

We are an ocean apart.

But we are celebrating your birth in our hearts.

We cry because we can't hold you, and tell you how much we love you.

But we smile through the tears because we know this will be the last year you will be alone.

We are waiting to visit you.

To tell you all about our journey to you.

To hold you and kiss you and tell you to hold on.

We are coming to bring you home.

Don't give up.

Don't you dare.

We are never giving up on you.

We love you so much Sofi.

Happy Birthday

It will be your last one alone.

Love, Mommy

For those of you wanting to know how you can help...here is what we are doing RIGHT NOW.

We made a puzzle with a picture of one of Sofi's brother's, Kekoa.   The puzzle has 252 pieces.  We are selling each piece for $3.00 each.  Kekoa chose the giveaway prize which is "Hurley Phantom Create" boardshorts.  These boardshorts are listed at $125.00.  You design them and then they will be shipped directly to you! Please consider purchasing a puzzle piece of two in honor of Sofi's birthday!  When you purchase a piece we will write your family's name on the back so she can she all of the people who helped her on her journey home.  Contact me privately and I will tell you how you can purchase pieces!    

What's new

Dear Life,

We have done some number crunching...and we have figured out that we are HALFWAY there!!!  Isn't that AMAZING????
Shoes really really really made the difference!  (So much so that my husband is wanting to do another shoe drive..hmmm...I think we need more creative ideas!!)

Basically...we need a couple thousand more Euros for our agency in Sofi's country, $1500 for our Post Adoption Reports, the money for Sofi's Visa, and travel.  It's amazing....to think we are halfway there!!!

Our homestudy is complete, we are just waiting for the final draft to be sent to us.  Then we can send it to USCIS (US immigration) for them to put our file together.
Once that is done, we send them our I800 (immigration forms) and our dossier (big fat file of Jensen facts) and send them off to Eastern Europe to be translated and sent to court.

We are hoping to visit Sofi for the first time at the end of the summer or early fall.

We can't wait.

We are so grateful for all of the love, support and prayers all of you have given us.  We are so grateful that there are so many people that are a part of Sofi's story.  Thank you.