No definite travel plans yet...

Thank you for all of the well wishes and support, everyone. We know many of you have been wondering about travel--as have we! We do not know our departure date yet and will, most likely, not know until the week prior to leaving. (Yea...so much for planning) We are hoping for a mid-May departure and will share our news as soon as we receive official word. Oh, and for those dog lovers out there worrying about Gruzin during our absence--thank you. We promise he'll be well cared for (aka spoiled) when we're in China; we've roped family into doggie/house sitting. : ) (Thank you, family!)

The Importance of a Name

We'd love to share more details about our daughter, including her full name! In mid-October, 2009, a kind person found a newborn and brought her to Zhang Shu Social Welfare Institute in Zhang Shu (Jiangxi Provence, China). The caretakers at the SWI named our daughter "Zhang Man Chang". The family name (what we would call the last name) is Zhang (pronounced "Jawng") because she is the child of the city. "Man" means "full" and "Chang" means "prosperous". This very moment, her caregivers are calling her "Man Chang" (pronounced "mawn chawng"). This very moment her caregivers are calling her "Man Chang" (pronounced "mawn.............. chawng")................................................................................................................... .........We created our daughter's name from the joy we know she'll bring into our lives and from the energy we feel from the gift of each new day. EMMAXIA=Emma (universal or whole)+XIA (glow of the sunrise/sunset or summer)--pronounced "emma-see-ah". We will keep her given name as her middle name to honor the first step of her life's journey and to accept the wish of her caregivers--that she thrive and prosper...CHANG. ................. .........................................................................................EMMAXIA CHANG ROCKWEIT, We are honored to be your parents and send you all of our love until we are able to wrap you in our arms and tell you, "You are home; you are safe; you are loved."

It's A Beautiful Girl

Our minds are whirling with little tidbits of info on our daughter. Born in October, laughs out loud, can be obstinate at times (how cool is that), loves to play and her whole body shakes when she is happy (how cool is that). In general, she shows healthy signs of development and is a regular pooper (how cool is that). It's been 3 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and one day, so, without any further delay, it is with great joy that we introduce our daughter...

Emmaxia Rockweit

How cool is that!!

No news...

We're told not to expect a call today (Friday, April 2). Boo. Our agency's courier service said it has no packages to deliver today. What a long week--with our phones never out of reach and our hearts skipping a beat with every ring. Oh well, the weekend of spring cleaning, yard work, and Easter with family will be wonderful. Thanks for watching the blog closely, everyone! Take a break, but tune in early next week! : )