Homestudy Approval and a NAME!!

Yay!!!  One step closer to bringing our little guy home!!  Our homestudy is completed!

Next step, obtaining USCIS preapproval to bring Yu Xi Gang home as a US citizen.
We overnighted the documents today and hope for approval within 30-40 days. 

After MUCH discussion and input from everyone in the family....
we have decided to name our new son:
Benjamin Liam. 

We've always loved the name Benjamin and he just looks like a Ben to us!  
We've even ordered his monogrammed Christmas stocking so you know it's official! 

In China the surname is first -- so his last name is Yu. 

According to orphanage records, he was named "Yu" because all children entering the oprhanage that year were assigned the surname of "Yu".

He was named "Gang" because the orphanage has "the hope for him to be more and more strong in future life". 
Liam means strong. 

Following is a another photo we recently received that was included in his Chinese medical files. 

Seriously, could he be any cuter!?  Can't wait to love on those cheeks!!!

We love you whole world BenBen!!!



Beijing Children's Welfare Institute

From the Beijing Children's Welfare Institutes brochure:

Where the Love is, where the Home is

Introduction to the Center

Founded in 1984 and located in Qinghe Town, Haidian District, Beijing Welfare Center for Children is a welfare institution for orphaned and disabled children under Beijing Municipal Government. With the floor area of 248,000 sqf, it has facilities including residential building, rehabilitation building, medical treatment building, training building, and office building etc. It’s designed to have 500 beds for adoption of orphaned and disabled children from some districts and counties in Beijing.

Over 85% of the staffs in the center have received professional training. The front-line staffs include doctors, nurses, teachers, nursery governesses, nutritionists, psychiatrists, social workers and rehabilitation staffs etc.

Where in the world is Beijing?

For those of us less geographically inclined...(Holly! :)

Benjamin is awaiting our arrival at the Beijing City Children's Welfare Institute.

We will fly directly to Beijing City and stay for apprx. 7 days.

We'll visit the Orphanage on Day 2 to meet our little guy!

.....and have physical custody of Yu Xi Gang from then on!!!

Next, we're off to Guangzhou for our Consulate and Medical appointment.

We will spend the remaining 7 days in Guangzhou.

Finally, we fly home!!!

Yu Xi Gang becomes an American Citizen when he sets foot on U.S. soil!!!



Preliminary Approval!!!!!!!

We received our "Preliminary Approval" to adopt Yu Xi Gang today!! 

Following are a few updated photos taken just a week ago (late October)!

How precious is he?!! LOVE the chubby cheeks! 
We are so in love with this little guy and feel like he's a part of our family already! 
The kids are so excited and can't stop talking about "GangGang". :)