3 years ago today

we became parents when we saw our Sweet Sophia's face for the first time. I remember referral day like it just happened. Every detail is clear and fresh in my mind. i don't think I ever lived a more exciting moment until that day. We fell in love that day hard and forever. She is our dreams come true, our greatest love, the sunshine in our lives, the air that we breath..She is our everything.....We love you Sophia more then words could ever express....

I thought I would re-post my Blog post from that day 3 years ago for those of you who might have missed the ramblings of an incoherent mom. For those of you who were there with us you will remember all to well how incoherent I was that day..It makes me smile now :)

5/2/08

REFERRLS ARE HERE!

we don't have details but we know they are here we will be hearing this afternoon

OMG we are parents

Later on 5/2/08

Here she is

With happy, joy filled hearts we introduce our daughter Sophia Joy (CHINESE NAME TO BE DECIDED ON) Rizzo... WOW! that is awesome to write that after all this time. It seems so surreal, so wonderful... our prayers have been answered and our dreams have come true today..

Today was everything we have dreamed about for more then two years........... and more. We will share how everything happened today with all of you but, first we know you want the details, so here are the pictures of our beauty. When you are done gazing at her scroll down and find out all about our girl..Isn't she the most beautiful little girl you have ever seen? ........ We Think so...........

Her name : Wan Jin te

Her Birthday: March 31st 2007 (2 days before Daddy)

What city and province is she from: Wanzai Jiangxi

How much she weights: 14 pounds

How long is she : 23 inches

Once Zhou translates our referral information, we will have more to post:

We can't stop looking at her pictures. She is absolutely beautiful and she's OUR baby!!!! Our agency told us that we should be able to travel sometime in June

We are so in love !!!!!!

Stay tuned

and finally

(nothing has been edited for your pleasure)

on

5/3/08

Here she is

All I can say is WOW! the past 24 hours have been like a dream cometrue. Our morning started with doubt that it would even happen thisweek. i truly believed that it would be next week before we heardanything. i kept checking and re-checking any board I could think ofall morning. I had to step away from my computer at 11:30 for a shortfew minutes and when I came back and opened our agency board UncleZhou had posted a message the subject CONGRATULATIONS! my heart skipped a beat and I started to shake and breath heavy. I opened it and it said "referrals are at the office Kim is busy copying them right now she will call you soon. The babies are young around 10months from Jiangxi and there are TWINS! OMG more hyperventilating and I called Riz who was with the Doctor he works with. I could not speak i could not get the words out I mumbled something and hung up.He ran over and we hugged kissed and said this is it.. He ran back to his office closed up his day I posted some incoherent message to some group not even sure where or what and off we were to get home for the phone call full expecting it to come much later in the day around 3. On the way home we called family and friends and i called Hope to alert her to what was going on. When we got to the house Riz put the camera on the charger and I got my call sheet and pen ready then I put on some make up. I was going in the bathroom to make sure would not have to pee during the phone call and RING RING the phone started ringing (12.54pm). Riz and I almost fell over each other getting to the phone. We looked at the caller ID and it said European Adoption Consultants... I began to shake harder and cry (so did Riz)we said this is it.... and I answered the Phone (Riz now running around trying to get the camera set up to video tape the call..) Kim said Susan I said yes she said this is Kim I said yes and she said are you home for lunch I said yes and she said is Riz with you and I said yes and in a very excited voice she said THIS IS IT! OMG more shaking more crying Riz still running around trying to find something to prop up the picture on. OK we are ready ... Kim is now on Speakerphone camera is recording (although from my chin(make that double chin) down..lets just say Riz should not quit nursing LOL) Kim aid what do you want to know and we both said everything..Chinese name: Wan Jin Te (we now know this means (Wan)She is fromWanzai County in Jiangxi(Jin)Precious or Golden Jewel (Te) SpecialBirthday: March 31st 2007 ( 2 days before daddy)Weight: 15 pounds, Length: 23 inches.....we don't have all the other details yet they were being translated and are on there way to us now.Kim then said she "She is a stinking cutie pie" and Riz responded with where are the pictures.. Kim said OK I will send them now...We sat there together alone and opened first her close up picture. iwas shaking and crying and overwhelmed with the fact that that was the first picture I ever saw of my beautiful baby girl... Then the second picture the one in the high chair came up and I could not breathe (more shaking more crying) and then the third picture what we now fondly refer to as the laughing picture came up and we both lost it completely. We hugged we cried we laughed we said how beautiful our daughter was and could not stop staring at her. .... It was wonderful more then I had ever dreamed of.. well worth every second we waited for her. We looked into those dark round eyes and understood that she was ours. This is why we missed last month by that one dreadful day...Both our cell phones and our home phone were ringing off the hook during all of this mind you. Our doorbell has not rung so much since we have lived in this house. It was wonderful... Mean while I was thinking of all of you and knowing that you were waiting for details.I kept sitting down at the computer to post and then the phone would ring or someone would come to the door. I finally told Riz I am not doing one more thing until I post to the Panda's .... OMG I wish you all could have been here with us...A friend called me yesterday and hit the nail on the head... She said this t me When you look at her picture don't you feel like you have always known her? Like she has always been yours? Like she is part of your soul?Of course through my tears I said yes that is it exactly... I can't wait to share in each of your moments. I am telling you it is the most AWESOME experience... We love you all so much..I want to respond to each and every message but it is just not possible I currently have over 300 messages to read. Please know this We have read all the comments to our blog and each message that you all have sent. It warms our hearts to know that we are so loved and now Sophia will be as well. Thank you to each and everyone who commented on how beautiful our daughter is... We agree...Hug sand Kisses to you all...

Susan, Riz and Sophia

Still not 100% coherent