Foundation of Love

For those of you who have so kindly inquired as to how you may support our adoption financially, first let me say, that David and I are deeply moved and humbled by your loving generosity and so blessed by your support as you feel called to help our family in whatever way He leads, and secondly, we are so thankful for those of you who are praying day and night so fervently for our family and for Mason as we embark on this journey to bring him home.


The Christian Foundation has graciously offered to receive donations on behalf of our family for our adoption travel costs and this will allow each donation to be tax deductible. Donations should include on a separate note:

"This donation is for the Watt Family Adoption" 

and donations may be mailed to the following address:

Christian Foundation
8445 Keystone Crossing Blvd., Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN  46240

Thanks be to God! For His indescribable gift!

We feel incredibly loved by the Christian Foundation as they bless us through this endeavor of accepting donations from others on our behalf. We are also over-joyed at the outpouring of gifts and offerings that the Body of Christ has provided already through donations of adorable clothes, a tricycle, beautiful changing table, winter coats, shoes, a stroller, a gift card, and monetary gifts for related travel expenses. Each time there is a need - God meets it far and above what we thought was even possible.This has been a journey of faith. Trusting Him for every provision. The Body of Christ is so beautifully amazing and we are so very blessed to be called children of God and lavished by His love through yours. Thank you doesn't seem like a big enough sentiment to convey the huge feeling of overflowing joy in our hearts - we cry tears of happiness each time God answers our prayers through the kindness of His children.

Blessed! So blessed! Knowing He will make a way, even when there seems to be no way. Thank you dear family and friends for loving on us so well! May He richly reward you for all you have given in His name!

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ~ 2 Corinthians 9:12-15

Memorial Day

Today for Memorial Day, we decided to take the kids to see their Uncle Spencer at the fire station. When we first arrived, the truck was gone on a run to the scene of an accident. It had been a full day of runs already and it was only the afternoon. It made us thankful for the men and women who serve our community daily and are available at a moments notice to help us when we have an emergency.  We brought them some chocolate chip cookies to say "thank you" for helping and thank you for being there for us. When Uncle Spencer came back, he was more than excited to take the kids on a tour of the fire station. They were more than excited too!

My little brother - the fireman. So VERY PROUD of him!

Jr. Firefighters in training. :)

Learning all about the hoses and how they hook them up to the truck and the fire hydrants. I had no idea the truck carries water on it to help fight the fire while they are hooking up the hoses to the hydrants. Spencer told us it is like small swimming pool is being carried around on the truck - that idea stuck with the girls - and they talked about it all night. "Fire trucks have swimming pools on them." lol! He made it fun for them by asking them what color of hose it was and where did they think it hooked on too. Everything is color coded so it was easy for them to "help" him figure out where to put them.

Learning about how the firefighters ride in the truck. They always have to wear their seat belts and they have head sets so they can hear each other over the sirens. He also showed them the high-tech stuff like the viewer they have to see through smoke and fires to locate people who may be trapped.

He looks so grown up! :) I remember his very first visit to a fire station when he was in Preschool...

oh my, how the time does fly!

The levers and pressure dials on the top of the truck where the driver stands to operate all the hoses.

 

Also, color coded.

The big "squirt gun" as Spencer called it. :) On the top of the truck.

VROOM! She's ready to go! The steering wheel is HUGE.

The smaller "squirt guns" at the front of the truck. Used to put out car fires.

Explaining how the water shoots out.

Showing them the computer program that allows them to see all the hydrants in the area.

My brother's gear. They leave it setting out like this so they can jump into within 50 seconds and be on the way to the emergency. It is heavy and very hot - especially in the summer.

hee...so funny!

the workout room in the fire-station...

How nice is my brother!!!

He put on his gear for this photo even though it was like 92 degrees outside.

love him! :)

What a fun and educational day! Thank you Spencer!

God Bless America!

On this Memorial Day weekend, along with the celebration and accompanying cookouts and family gatherings that are in abundance, there is a solemn note of serenity that arches over all the festivities. The idea that we live in a country that is free - hard fought freedom - won by our forefathers and carried on by those who answer the call to duty and to country each and every day. May we celebrate the lives of those who have graced our history with undying courage and strength to fight the good fight and save our liberty!


AJ's 5th grade class celebrated Famous Historical American Night by performing a concert of beautiful hymns showcasing America. Each of the children chose a famous American's biography to read (AJ chose William Howard Taft), then they wrote a book report, created a project to present to their class (AJ created a power-point), and lastly they memorized a speech. On this night, the children took their places in the hallways of the school and created a "wax museum".

President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft

(complete with judge's robe, gavel, and a pillow for some extra chubbiness - he had a mustache but it kept falling off. :)

Mamaw & Papaw listen to President Taft :)

Daddy, Papaw, President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft, Mamaw

 Billy Sunday and his Mom. :)

 

President John Adams

Famous Americans singing their hearts out! 50 States That Rhyme!

 AJ  had a special speaking part and was chosen to sing in a special ensemble group. So proud of him!

 As the parents and guests traveled through the Halls of Famous Americans, we pressed on their button and each of them recited their speeches. It was incredible! Then afterwards, we went to the auditorium to hear a beautiful tribute to America!

Our nation's history is full of AMAZING people! On this Memorial Day weekend, let us take the time to thank all those that have made America truly Beautiful!

Special Needs

Since becoming George Mason's Momma back in October, I've been quietly learning to speak a whole new language, meeting people who have journeyed the same path we are taking, and wondering how it will all work out in the end. I read this journal entry about what it is like to suddenly be the parent of a child with special needs. The only difference is that I am not suprised by where the journey is going to end up as we chose this particular path, but I am often surprised that we are even on this plane to begin with  - so aware of the obvious miracles it took for us to be here - and then to be honest, I do have moments of panic regarding being "good enough" to parent a child with special needs, not just any child, but MY child, MY son, MY Mason.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this…


When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.


After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."


"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.


But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.


The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.


So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.


It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.


But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."


The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.


But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.


Adopting a child who was born with special needs can seem overwhelming at times. Each need is so very specific to that child. How they will cope with their differences, how they will learn to adapt, how they will overcome obstacles  - also so unique to each child. But there is one commonality they all share, they are not "like everyone else" and that alone will always set them apart.

For all I know about parenting, there is just so much I don't know when it comes to being George Mason's Momma. Will we emphasize the differences or celebrate the similarities? Should we encourage him to be like us or help him learn to accept that he is different? I don't know all the answers. I can't really say I have a clue as I'm still learning so much. But what I do know, is that God had a plan for him and for us to be together - as a family. The changes that are coming are pretty huge for all of us. I don't worry about changing, but I do think a lot about what kind of parent he needs me to be. Praying for the Father to continually equip me for the journey ahead and giving me all that I need to parent this child well. While I didn't plan on adopting a child with special needs, I am so thankful that God granted me this privilege! I'm so grateful that He brought his sweet photo into our lives and this precious child into our hearts! When I look at our son's photo, my heart aches knowing we might have missed out on this AMAZING blessing! All of that emotion and he is not even home yet. :)

The last few weeks I've been reading in-depth discussions on whether to provide a child with a limb difference a prosthesis or not. Most moms agree that their younger children (toddler/elementary age) felt limited by the "fake hand" as it had no functionality, but was just solely for cosmetics. However, as they got older, most teens wanted the hook/pincher as it was useful for helping them perform daily tasks. These are things I've never thought about in my entire life, and yet, here I sit wondering how my little boy will learn to tie shoes. How will he learn to count change? How will he throw a baseball and hold a mitt at the same time? How is he going to play the Wii? Or hook on the dog's leash? Make his bed? Apply toothpaste to his toothbrush?

I think...no, I KNOW, I'm in for a lot of surprises as to what all he CAN do without my help. But, mostly I want so deeply for him to feel like he belongs, not just to us, but to society. I don't want him to feel different, and my heart aches that he will know that feeling of isolation. The feeling that says "I'm not like anyone else." I want to protect him from the awkward and uncomfortable stares. The questions of prying strangers. I know I can't change the world, but I wish for his sake I could make it a softer, gentler place to live in. Whether it's China, Italy, Holland, or the good ol' USA, I wish for my son's sake - that it all felt like home.

The Size of Things

 When we received the adorable new photos of George Mason, we also were blessed with new measurements. We learned that he is still growing on an upward curve, which is great considering how tiny he was at the start. I found this cool Growth Tracker Feature @ Gerber.com to plug in all the measurements and dates that we have received from either his records or from updates and it plotted all of the measurements on a growth chart to calculate what percentage he falls into and if he is steadily growing along the same curve. Then it gives you an option to print the chart, and I did so that I can include it in his baby scrapbook. :) It is an American growth chart, so it doesn't account for the differences culturally in terms of Ch*inese stature and weight, but in any case, it is really great to see that his curve is always headed upward and he is growing a little bit each month. These were his new measurements for 22 months and as you can see - he grew by 2s! :)

• height:78.5cm = 31 inches (grew 2 inches)
• weight:10kg = 22 pounds (gained 2 lbs.)
• head:47.5cm = 18.7 inches
• chest:51cm = 20 inches
• foot:12.5cm = 4.9 inches = 5.5 shoe size
• teeth:10 =  (has 2 more teeth = cuteness! :)

Below is a table for the average length and weight of a 12 month old in the U.S. to give you an idea of where he falls on our charts and clothing sizes.

Age**	Length**	Weight**
12 months	28-31 inches	19.75-26.25 pounds

**indicates 10^th to 90^th percentile range Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention



Here is what the typical American Growth Chart looks like. If you look at age 21 months, and then move down to find Mason's length (inches) and weight (lbs.) you can see where his plot marks would be and his percentile. :)

Below are two charts specifically designed to calculate the growth for Chinese boys. To find George Mason's percentile, start at the bottom of the chart and find his age and then you can see what percentile he is in based on his height (in cm) and weight (in kg).

So basically, he is in the 3 Percentile for both height and weight. :) I love watching moms at Target pushing their toddlers in carts and trying to figure out how big George Mason will be in comparison. I think we will bring both 12 month & 18 month clothing. Maybe 24 mos. too just in case the measurements are really off. :) So happy to finally be thinking about what to pack. It feels surreal, but in just 2 months, we could have our Travel Approval! And in just 2 months, our little guy will be celebrating his 2nd birthday! Wishing we could be there to hold him and as always praying for God's best plan. Right now, we are still awaiting our I800 approval and it was sent to USCIS on 05.19.2011... we could be traveling to Ch*n@ in August again. Maybe holding him on my birthday or his Daddy's birthday wouldn't be so bad either - I can't think of a more perfect gift! :)


And that my friends is about the size of things...

Call for Prayer

As our journey winds ever closer to traveling to Ch*n@, our thoughts are not far from our son and wondering about all the possible scenarios in his attachment and grieving. As most of you recall, our time in Ch*n@ with Jessa Li was heartbreaking, stressful, exhausting, and honestly, not at all what we expected or imagined. It was so very, very hard, but God was faithful, and He strengthened us for the journey through the ongoing support of wonderful prayer warriors. As we begin to imagine our journey to George Mason, we can not fathom going through another difficult time without each of you standing with us in prayer. For those of you who blog and would like a reminder to keep our family and George Mason in your daily prayers, I created a cute little blog button that you can grab and put on your sidebar.




<br /><a href=" http://www.heartheldhigh.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv30/wattasmile/liufayang_2-2.jpg" border="0" /></a>



Just copy the code under the button and insert it as a widget - html code - to your own sidebar.

We are specifically asking God for the following:

• Equipping us for the journey ahead - emotionally, mentally, and physically. That the Holy Spirit would guide our paths making them straight and God would continue to open wide every door to us.
• Supernaturally bonding/attaching with our new son. That he would allow us to comfort him and love him. Opening his heart to trust us and rely on us for his needs.
• Provisions - specifically that the IRS would release our adoption refund from the mandatory audit in time for us to use the funds for the orphanage fee. Praying that God would provide in miraculous ways all that we need for each step left of this journey. He knows the steps - we are trusting Him, our Jehovah Jireh - the God who sees and the God who provides, to provide "the manna from heaven" that we need to bring the child He gave to us home.
• Wisdom - God would grant us wisdom for knowing how He would have us fund the remaining costs.
• Practical Guidance - in what to pack for us and for him, plans for what to do for our children at home, and prayers for those that will be loving and caring for our children while we are traveling. That our children would feel loved and included in our journey through Skype. And He would direct us in hemming in all the details of the trip - the fees, the traveling, the accommodations, etc.
• Peace would reign in our hearts and in our home. That my children, specifically Jessa Li, would have complete peace in her spirit while we are away from her. Safeguarding them from harm and anxieties.
• Love for George Mason. That his transition into our family and that God would be even now preparing his heart and spirit to be open to us and allow us to comfort him and encourage him and love him. Our hearts are so blessed to have your prayers!
• Health and Safety as we travel there and back again. Airplanes, cars, vans, trains, etc. That our guide would be equipped to handle adoptions like ours and that she would be a comfort to us. That the day to day operations and process would go smoothly. God would bless us with supernatural health and place a hedge of protection around our entire family as we are away. Prayers that God will go before us shining a light on our paths and making it very clear in every circumstance how we should proceed.
• Blessings - that our trip would be full of wonderful memories with our new son! :) That we would be able to "Taste and See that the Lord is Good!" each day, and He would show up BIG even in Ch*n@ and we would be surprised by His love for us in brand new and exciting ways!
• Joy - that our hearts and eyes would shine Jesus to others. That each day would give us more happiness than the last! :)

Thank you for standing with us and supporting us through your ongoing prayers for our family and George Mason! ♥