July 30, 2012...the day our lives changed forever!!

On July 30, 2012 our lives changed forever!  We waited 2,142 days to hear the words "Its a girl"!  We spent 2 weeks waiting on pins and needles for that call.  When it finally came almost 6 years of heartache disappeared in an instant!  We had a daughter!  Wan Le Mian was born January 20, 2012 in Wanzai County, Jiangxi Province, China.  Wan is her last name after her county, Le is her first name which means happy, Mian is her middle name which means crown.  She was 6 lbs 1 oz when she was found and had a tiny face (which is obviously no longer the case) and a full head of hair!

  

The call!!  This is the proud Daddy and Mommy listening to our counselor as she gave us Ava's information.

Then we saw her sweet face and chubby cheeks!  That moment took our breath away!  It was truly love at first sight. This photo is from 5/18/2012 when Ava was 4 months old.  Her reports say that she is happy after feedings; her chubby cheeks confirm that!!  At 4 months she weighed 14 lbs.  After making a ton of calls to family and friends we celebrated with family at PF Changs.

From the information given to us we believe that this could be where Ava was found. She was left by guard shack at the gate of the social welfare institute. We have been given the name of the guard that found her and brought her inside. Her birth parents made sure to leave her where she would be quickly found and also left her a note. People often say to us how horrible people in China are for abandoning their babies. What people don't understand is that they are often left little choice. They live in a world and a culture that we cant imagine. We are grateful to Ava's birth parents for leaving her in a safe place and giving her a chance at a better life.