To India for Maiya continued...

Celebrating one week home!!








So after about 20 min we finally get a good enough visa picture for you and we even somehow collected some man's purple comb for a keepsake,LOL. We went back to the hotel where daddy changed you diaper and I made you a bottle. You went asleep and slept till about five in the afternoon. We watched you as you slept,we couldn't believe just how beautiful you were. You then woke up with some smiles and then you ate some mashed potatoes and you loved them. We liked our room service food too!! IT was GOOD!! Then more play time with toys and we watched our Bill Cosby dvd. You bonded to me and daddy and we were definate bonding to you. It felt like a miracle as we held our baby girl. Daddy gave you a name,brown sugar. And you loved brown sugar in your oatmeal. Then you fell asleep for the night and we did too. We woke up early just daddy and I as we were talking and having some hot tea while we wrote in your journal and waited for you to awaken your beautiful sweet eyes.

You woke up right on schedule at 5:45 a.m. with smiles. By this time you were already crawling, talking, and loving your toys! Then you had your baba to drink.
Finally it was bath time,and well our room had no hot water,so we upgraded to another room with a bigget tub!! We gave you your first bath with your little yellow ducky and you just loved it!! Today,we started to show your pictures of your big brothers. We all got ready and went downstairs for a great continental breakfast!
We took some pictures of the lovely gardens also. Then you were ready for your morning nap! The rest of the day we played,ate and slept. What a vacation!!
Next the journey from Kolkata to Delhi!! Stay tuned,off to put Maiya down for her nap.

We have so far been home one week and Maiya is doing so good. The bonding with all of us is great, and she has slept all night the past 4 nights! She loves strawberries and so much more. She loves her food for sure. She is sleeping with us for now! The boys do so good with her and she loves them. Maiya is always smiling and laughing. She has two top teeth and one on the bottom. She loves her thumb too!She crawls,and then pulls herself up and then stands for a few seconds without holding on,then she gets tickeled and falls in our arms. So she should be taking off anytime! We already took her for her well check up and had our first Homestudy visit. We will probally have to redo her shots,UGH.
Our case worker couldn't believe how good she is doing. Little brown sugar,(Maiya) we just love,and the spice which is the boys we adore. Sugar for the sweetness of her ,and for the boys spice, cause they know how to spice things up around here. Last night as it was storming and we were all piled up as a family in the boys room waiting for daddy to come home from work... Adyn says MAMA,WE ARE NOW A HEAVEN FAMILY!

We are so blessed beyond words and we are loving our life together as THE FENWICK FIVE! Have a great memorial day weekend to you all.

After 14 1/2 hours...we land in INDIA!!

Well we finally could breathe after being crunched up on a plane. I was actually relieved to smell the spicy,dusky,humid air of India.Just knowing we were in the same country as our daughter made us glad. We were already missing the boys. We met our driver at the airport from the Radisson which was about 4 miles from the airport. It was such a eye opener to ride in the nice a/c car as he zig zagged his way thru the traffic. We thought we were gonna wreck several times! It was so weird as they had to security check us and the vehicle for bombs,just not what we were used to in the bluegrass state of KY! We only stayed at the hotel long enough to take showers,rest what we could, and gather our thoughts. We ate some really good gourmet chocolates!! By this time, my sinuses were going wacko. My ears were also stopped up. I was always like HUH? WHAT?. So it was already early saturday morning and getting Maiya was just hours away. We laid there with our eyes closed but never slept. But we felt great,LOL.
So we flew to KOLKATA and we sure got some stares at this airport!:) Then we met our driver PJ who took us to the Kenilworth. He told us lots of India history. The people we met seem to be so content and then I saw the sign...Welcome to Kolkata ...THE CITY OF JOY!!. Traffic was bumper to bumper!! Even though we seen lots of poverty we seen lots of GOOD. Contentment. Beautiful people and color. Hard dedicated workers.
We finally got to the Kenilworth,we liked it here!! We were expecting for Anju to bring Maiya to us and then we get a suprise,we get to go to the orphanage.
So we go in two hours,we are so excited by now. Then we make a few calls and start to get it all ready. We are here on Purna Das Road,then we see the building walk up and we are greeted by some guards. We go to the office to talk with the director all about our princess and then she gave us this darling scrapbook.:) So we head to the room and there she is sitting all pretty in her dress in her crib.Hair fixed and all, a princess for sure, a true Indian princess.
As she seen us she looked at me then Shane and her eyes were big as flashlights. I walk over smiling from ear to ear and Shane is taping. I pick her up and start to whisper things to her and then she is listening and breaks a smile. It was like she knew who we were but a little scared cause she is thinking that her dreams of us are now real. Then she starts to cry and of course it was nap time. Then I look back and Shane is crying as he is watching us meet Maiya in reality,not just a dream anymore,a dream come true!!
Then she lays eyes on her daddy and Shane comes to meet her. I recall a dream that I had a while back about her special GOTCHA DAY and it happened just like I dreamed. WOW! Thanks be to the LORD! We got to see the other babies as well. So it was finally time to say goodbye and so we did. Bittersweet. Off for the visa picture and more to come after she awakes from her peaceful nap at the hotel...

Journal Entry #1- To India for Maiya

As we were standing in the Nashville airport,it was time to say our c-ya later's and hug the boys,pepa and mammie goodbye. It literally tore us up. I just wanted to go ahead thru security and get it over with. Bailey had a hard time, we all were just crying. We did our final wave and smiles and turned away to go thru security glancing as far as we could until we disappeared from their sight. We sure hated to leave but it was a sacrifice we knew we had to make. I just kept thinking..just a week Gidget,just a week. Maiya will be with us the next time we meet again.
By the time we got thru all checks,and settled down for a bite at Wendy's and called to check on the boys,all was smoothed out. My stomach sure wasn't smooth,we both could barely eat.

A blessing so far is what this trip has become to be. We are now at the Newark airport waiting for our straight thru flight to Delhi,India. Shane and I have done good thus far considering it is our first time to fly! We started out in Nashville Tenn and flew Continental. We did not get to sit by another,Shane was in front of me and we both had good views,the window seat.LOL
The flight was not what I expected,it was very cowded. Shane sat by a man going to India and I was sitting by a lady by the name of Ashwini. This lady had a smile and we had a connection. She was so sweet and we talked the entire flight for almost two hours.:) She was headed to Boston to see her son graduate. Then I told her where we were headed. She then tells me where she was from and all about her entire family including her sweet dog ZIM! Come to find out she moved to America 25 years ago and was from India. She told me about some things that happened in the beginning of her life. Some things that she said to me will stick with me forever. She told us to have no fear and that this was a adventure and that things like this is what makes this planet a better place. These things overide all evil in this world. So by about this time I am thinking maybe I should ask her for her number. Well I just kinda ignored that thought cause I thought she might think I am crazy. So then I find out she knows people in Hopkinsville just 40 minutes from us and then that she is from close by too. Then I got to share Maiya's recent picture with her and then she helped us to get where we needed to go. She kept saying that Maiya is gonna bring nothing but JOY and do so great and catch right on. I have to say,she was right!
Then it hit,she asked me for our number and email,so we swapped info and plan to get in touch soon. She hugged us both and was crying,then we departed. I feel this connection was lead by God and that it was meant for me to sit by her. Hopefully we talk in a week or so. Until the next entry of a flight to India....

India Journal with pictures coming soon & HOME SWEET HOME

Well we are finally home sweet home,good ole KY!! I am so thankful to be able to wrap my arms around my boys tonight! Maiya is doing great and so are we!! We are gonna be taking a while to adjust. As things settle down next week and after we get her on a schedule,I will be posting "Our India Journal" along with pictures each night for about a week. So that is the plan and we are so blessed,...blessed beyond what words can say, in every way. A way that only God can make! Maiya is napping now,she eats so well and sleeps well too. She has been nothing but laughs and smiles. The bonding process is going wonderfully. Hope to talk to you ladies soon.Thanks for your prayers for our trip! We truly had a hiccup free smooth sailing restful trip! Not once have we felt jet lagged!! Just giving you a little insight for now!
Have a great weekend! The Fenwick Family.

Computer conclusion...

Well today I have been super busy and looking forward to a checkoff day tomorrow and relaxation before we leave!!
I might post from the rental computers if I have time! I wanted to blog but our trip is tight at first and I don't feel like I will have time or have the energy probally. I am just gonna take a journal for notes and do a journal when I find time after we return home!! We just have too much stuff to take(like a big box), and a laptop to pack around is one less thing we don't need!! Unless something changes my mind! Plus my computer has been acting up!!
I might give some of you a ring while we are there,so come on give me some credit,right,LOL!
Hope more referrals come thru while we are gone! Remember us in your prayers,we will need them as we will be experiencing lots of firsts!! God has us in his hands,I will find my rest in that.
I gotta shake this anxiousness off of me,but it is so hard. I have no clue why I am feeling like this. Audios Amigos!
Take Care, Love-US!!

What a Day!!1

Well today has been EXHAUSTING!!! It starts with Shane waking me up at 3 a.m. to tell me he couldn't sleep and that the embassy has not emailed yet!! So I wake up and call the embassy and well after hearing we will send you a email shortly to get u in on the 19th...well that turned into never hearing anything. So needless to say our agent changed the flights a little in the middle to accomodate more days in Delhi and well little did he know that they sky rocketed the price!! He couldn't believe it! Finally we lost those flights and still no embassy. By this time I was crying totally nerve shocked!! Then we knew there was no way we could leave WED,then we tried to leave Friday,still didn't work! So we tried right in the middle with leaving Thursday and BOOM we hit the mark!! Shane and I felt peace,Tami our social worker was such a help to me along with friends support and prayers! You know who you are and thanks so much! To me,this was the most stressful part of the entire adoption process!! Any seconds on that? LOL,but seriously.
After this day,Shane and I look back and we now know for some reason we were suppose to leave on Thursday at 11:59 from Nashville Airport!!:) It is a little hectic at first but it all lays out perfect. Still no word from the embassy,but that will fall into place tonight,and we are hoping to get in on the 19th.!! We get our sweet girl on her birthday the day we land in Kolkata!! Don't know if I am taking the computer as I would like to leave it for my boys and rent one,but I don't know for sure. We got some donations to pack and we wanna be as light on our feet as possible!! Stayed tuned for the Fenwick trip to INDIA!! GOODNIGHT! May the Lord be with us every step and be with our boys! The Lord will never leave thee,nor forsake thee!

APPROVED and DISPATCHED!! WAHOO!!

OH HAPPY MAMA's DAY to ME!! We have passport approval and it has already been mailed to the baby's home!! Details to follow soon.... INDIA HERE WE COME!!!!!Praise be to God!! We are hoping to leave WED May 12th and get her on her birthday May 15th SAT,but we gotta see if we can work out all the little details first,so we don't know.If that plan don't work, we move to plan B! No matter what,we are thankful and it is soon,VERY SOON!! Maiya we love you so much and we are coming baby girl!! Please pray this trip gets worked out and God knows best for us!! Tomorrow morning,the planning begins!! Hoping we cross paths with April and her family!! Stay tuned for the travel details!!

Submitting again...

Well I just checked the email before bed time and they have already submitted Maiya's passport application again. So this is good and things are rolling. I just hope their definition of expediting them is my definiton,:) seriously!
The person who is head over the office said they are gonna expedite them!! So we hope to hear soon,we will get another update either Friday night or saturday morning!! So again stay tuned for the "P" story update.
This stuff really actually makes you wanna pee your pants anyway,LOL. One minute my nerves are calm and collected then they stir up again! Such a roller coaster ride,you don't know when this stuff will get your stomach,expect when you experience a DROP like this. BUT...after all that being said,My Lord Jesus loves us and Maiya so much and he will make all things in the right time for us, her, and the sweet boys! Bailey was just talking tonight after church how he can't wait to bring Maiya home so they can play in the water sprinkler ball this summer together! Adyn was showing off her pictures tonight at church and so was the mommy!:) I wanna be celebrating this mother's day for a passport approved!! What do yah think?

What HAPPENED? THE "P" Story!!

Well...I have decided to make known the truth!! The truth of why we are still waiting for the big passport! I am ok,not upset,... at Peace but still a little anxious!
So we have been waiting the longest for this last little book! Can u believe it,but we are so thankful that it is getting worked on! Now I give you the SCOOP,the low-down,LOL. So as we think we are waiting on passort,this past week this is the news we get,...In Process,were behind,UH we can't find the application? Yap,you are right that big hustle and bustle passport office lost Maiya's application! Well this is not uncommon, I hear and the orphanage director is on top of things. Last we heard they were hunting for it at the passport office! I wonder if they need me to come help,just kidding!! So if they have to resubmit, I think they are gonna put a rush on things and we should get the approval in 2-3 days, but if they found it,we are hoping they get them done immediately! So we don't know now if they found it or if the orphanage had to resubmit! Hopefully we get a update by the weekend. All I know is that there is a reason why we have this hold up,even though I don't understand,I am trusting and holding on to SOON and very SOON! God knows the perfect time.
When we got the news,I started to cry and I looked over at Shane and he's just sitting there,staring at me! He was holding for me I know, he is so patient. Then on a funny note,he was outside working on his wipers for his car,and he got agitated and slung them down and said well it just ALL FELL APART!! I looked at him and laughed and said,OOH, do u have a little passport aggravation going on?:) LOL
I have even started to prepare my mind that we will probally not be there on her birthday,unless we get a awesome update tomorrow. We will celebrate it when she comes home as a family of five! I bought her plates and napkins today,so cute and only a dollar each. They have daises and butterflys on them! Her birthday dress and bib is waiting for her in her closet. And I picked her up a sweet mermaid 12 month gown today,so sweet!!
So stay tuned for PASSPORT HEADLINE NEWS,I feel like I have been writing about the "P" word for a really long time!!

Beautiful Sweetie Pie...

We were happy and so thankful to recieve these pictures of our daughter this morning.
We are loving these curls and I love her butterfly dress!
These were definate needed this morning I must say.
As of this morning,no passport yet.
Still hanging on and doing some spring cleaning as we wait.

May

It is the beginning of May and this morning I realized that quite a few emotions are already hitting me. I went out to the cemetary where my mom,sister and nephew are buried,just to see if there were any summer flowers out and to kinda see if anything needed cleaning up. As I was there,sorrow flooded my soul as I cleaned out some weeds and things that needed to be removed. This is the month that my mom passed away 7 years ago and of my sisters birthday. Then I headed to my friend Tammy's house who is a close family friend of my dad and all of us. She just had her baby last week and he is so sweet,and her birthday is the same day as Maiya's May 15th. I had to pick up a couple dresses that her mom brought for Maiya.Those little sun dresses brought a smile and joy to me this morning. That's right May has been such a sorrowful month for all of us,...but now God has turned that into JOY and Maiya's birthday is in May.While we were on the wait list,I always hoped Maiya's birthday would be in May the month of my sisters,and well I never told anyone,and well that's the way it happened. I think it is so great how God works wonders in the smallest of details!
And then I started to think that mother's day is this week and how I miss my mom,how Lexie will be missing Christy. How I am blessed to be able to be with my boys, and then again that little Maiya is waiting for me. I wonder what Maiya's birthmom is feeling,who knows they may not even acknowledge that in India,but that doesn't matter,I acknowledge Maiya's birthmom in my heart.
I was hoping to get Maiya on her birthday,but now I don't know. We hope to hear good news tomorrow morning.
Adyn got his little table and chairs put together this morning,so cute. There are four little chairs just for Bailey,Adyn,Maiya and my neice Lexie! They should have some awesome tea parties! Shane and I have decided that during this passport wait,we shall take it out on the yard and get the landscaping project moving! It is moving alright,we started trimming and pulling up stuff this morning.
Off to my daily motherly duties...stay tuned for news.

Behind and still holding up!

Well we got a update,not very exciting I must add. So now the passport office is behind,first in process,now behind. SO which is it? Who knows? All we know is that they are gonna try and push them thru on Wed. So maybe we hear news. I was hoping we would get her passport this week so we could make plans to leave on May 12th,Wed. and pick her up on her birthday.

So we wait for the update and see what happens on Wed. We would like to ask for your prayers for this situation. I am just being honest. To say that I am not concerned would be a lie! I know it will happen and I am trusting when I can't see,but I still have human nature concern for my baby being still there and waiting.
It is HOT there,our babies have been there long enough and they need to come home.

As I was cleaning this morning,I noticed my son Adyn's sunday school lesson paper lying on the floor. And I started to read over it,it is no mistake that I found it! I do feel like I am in prison with this passport wait,just as Paul and Silas were locked up. Even though we got this bad news this morning,I will praise the Lord no matter what and look for these passport waiting chains to fall off soon! I was reminded this morning with this,
When my heart is overwhemled:lead me to the rock that is higher then I" Psalm 61:2 Praising will lead this situation to victory,just as it lead Paul and Silas to victory when the Angel appeared and loosed the chains and they were free!
We will be free to go get our baby soon.:)Thank you JESUS for helping me when I am so overwhelmed!