WE HAVE OUR REFERRAL APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. My. Word.

It happened. Friday afternoon.

Melissa from America World called to tell us we received our Referral Approval from the CCAA to adopt Noelle. I'm still in shock. We waited only 37 days from when we turned in our Letter of Intent (to adopt Lu Jia Zhen). That's so amazingly fast!! We thought we'd be waiting at least until the end of February, but alas, God had other plans...

The whole thing is actually kind of a funny story. Earlier on Friday I was busy with some projects around my house when my cell rang. I was busy, so I figured the caller would leave a message. Then the home phone rings. I let the machine get it. But the caller left no message. Then my cell rings once again, yet still I don't pick up. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... I just didn't want to bothered. I'd call 'em back later.

So I go about what I'm doing, then head out the door to walk (in the freezing winter cold, I might add) to the local library down the street (Eric had the car) to fax in the first of our travel documents to AWAA for approval. When I get back home I finally remember to check my messages. Turns out, Melissa called to say she needed to speak with one of us today, but was now in a meeting, so could I call her back after 4pm. No biggie. I assumed she wanted to discuss our travel documents or something.

Then I decide to take a quick peek at a couple of my Yahoo Groups to see if anything interesting was happening. Well, lo and behold, one of my new online AWAA friends, posted to the AdoptedFromHefei group (this is the city where both of our daughters live) that she had received her referral approval that day.

WHAT?!?!?

I didn't think I was reading it correctly. But sure enough, she had gotten her RA! NOW I knew what Melissa had been calling about. We were getting the call, too. At this point I started bawling and bawling and thanking Jesus and jumping around - just generally making a goober of myself. And I couldn't even get ahold of Melissa until after her meeting ended to confirm my suspicions.

That was one of the longest 90 minute periods of my life!!!

Now what does all this mean? Well, it means that we will be traveling to bring our daughter home at the end of February or first of March!!! Wooeeeeee!!! China has a full one week celebration of their Chinese New Year, so this may indeed put us into March. Now we just need that travel approval (TA)... Bring it on, Lord!

I'm gonna be a mommy really, really soon!!!

Somebody pinch me. :)