Our hearts so full as we share news that we’ve been matched with our first daughter, Nova Winter Larson. I shared the (long) story of how we were matched here as well as an informative post about albinism here.
A lot of you have asked about her name! As you may remember, we were previously planning to call her Winter Bloom, but after “meeting” our girl we decided it wasn’t the perfect fit. So for 10 days, we went back and forth (pretty much 24/7) with name ideas. We had a lot of pretty names on our list, but we wanted to give her a name that was stronger—maybe with a little edge? (Haha! We can tell she’s a cool baby—this is obvious, right?)
So after “sleeping on” so many names and then deciding they weren’t right, I found “Nova” through googling lists of “celestial baby names.” It’s kind of a special connection for us because Jeremy made his decision to adopt her official just before the solar eclipse.
And, I don’t know, she just looks like a Nova to us. Sometimes you just know!
Jeremy and I are doing paperwork like crazy right now. There is a lot of immigration stuff, we have to get visas … there are a lot of little steps between getting matched and when we can schedule travel. Our agency is estimating we’ll go to China in December. Then, when we get home, Nova will already be a U.S. citizen!
I’m planning to decorate our house like a freaking WINTER WONDERLAND before we go. Talk about magic!!! Can you EVEN imagine coming home to the holidays??? I still can’t.
Well, thank you so much for sharing our joy! We feel so incredibly lucky.
Thank you for the love and endless support! Elsie
PS …
Now that we know our little gal’s age, I can finally do a little shopping. What are some of your favorite kiddo shops??? I always love a good deal, but I’m especially curious for small businesses I can support. This green dress is from my friend Amy’s shop, June & January. xx!
PS. I am more than happy to answer any questions you have about Nova or our adoption here!
So precious and sweet! What an amazing new chapter this will be for you! This post is so beautiful and inspiring! You and your husband are going to make wonderful and creative parents…I can’t even imagine the wonderful opportunities little Nova will have being under your nurturing wings!
Congrats!!
Congrats on your referral! We adopted through South Korea, so a bit of a different process, but they are all in the same when it comes to the hope, longing and love that you will feel during your wait.
I saw several posts questioning you on a few things-I know you’ve blogged a long time so you’re probably used to it, but keep your chin up! People get very used to giving their opinions on adoption and what you should do and shouldn’t do and they forget that you are NOW parents and can think for yourselves. Good luck during the wait and in your future as a family.
THANK YOU!!!! It means so much coming from fellow adoptive moms! xx
An old friend of mine and her sisters started a children’s clothing company that evolved to also include women’s clothes. It’s based in Central Illinois, but my friend lives in Nashville. Her shop is:
https://www.royalandreese.com/
I am a big fan!
I am so happy for you! Adoption is such an amazing adventure. My husband and I adopted a sibling group two years ago. We decided to foster this year and are on our third placement. Watching children grow is such an experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
WONDERFUL NEWS i CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU ALL TO GET BACK HOME WITH THAR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER,. HOPE YOU WILL SHARE LOTS OF PICTURES. GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR FAMILY SAFE TRIP HOME.
Hi Elsie!
First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your adoption story! I’ve been following along since the beginning, and am overjoyed to hear about your match! Nova is beautiful and I can’t wait to see how incredible you will both be as parents! She is one lucky lady!
Because of reproductive health issues, my partner and I knew we’d have to consider alternative options (namely, surrogacy or adoption) if we wanted to add a little one to our crew. For a long time, we weren’t sure if adoption was for us, but after hearing about yours and Jeremy’s experiences, we both feel so much more open to the idea and excited about the potential to do so in the future!
Do you have any adoption blogs, stories or books that you’d recommend? I’d love to read some of your favorites! We’re definitely a few years out from taking the plunge, but I want to read everything I can get my hands on, haha.
Thanks again, and many well wishes and congratulations to your family of three 🙂
Yay!! That is so exciting!!! Nova is such a great name!!!
My mother’s youngest brother was adopted. My granddad went to get him from the hospital when he was born. They brought him up telling him that they chose him out of the entire world to be their son. At 10 months old he got an eye infection that damaged his nerve system and he became blind. My grandparents named him after my granddad, Christo, but only his first name. at age 18 they gave him an envelope with his birth mothers information, he tore the envelope apart and told them that he couldn’t ask for better parents and he is not interested in meeting his birth parents. He then showed him his identification, He went to change his name to my granddad full name, Cristoffel Jacobus. the biggest present he could ever give them, choosing them back.
good luck with your journey of adoption and parenthood, the best thing ever, being parents and giving life to someone,
E/South Africa
Congratulations to your whole family! Y’all are going to be great parents and are sure to fill Nova’s life with love. I actually went to school with a girl named Nova, when I was in elementary school. It was indeed a name that drew attention, and I still remember her as a spunky, fun, and kind person.
That is so great. Congratulations!! I have been reading your blog for 3 or 4 years now. I love it. I currently live in China and work at an English Kindergarten so it’s cool to see you adopt from here.
What city will you be adopting from?
I might know a church or family that I could contact to maybe help you guys out when you get over here. I will keep you and your family in my prayers during the whole process.
Congratulations, Elsie! I have loved following along with your adoption journey and am so, so happy for you!
The shop Cuteheads makes the most darling clothes for little girls, and through the month of September, their proceeds are going towards Hurricane Harvey relief!
https://www.cuteheads.com/
As far as shops, not much to add, but for helping with any anxiety she might feel in a new environment, you might already do this since you have your own line, but diffuse stress relieving essential oils, and give her something to manipulate in terms of sensory experiences…sand (colored sands are inviting), and water play go over well.
I’ve been reading your blog since before you were engaged to Jeremy! This is definitely my favorite post yet. You’re going to be an amazing mom! What the two of you are doing for this child is incredible <3
Wowsers. Your relationship is already beautiful. God knew you would belong to each other “before the foundations of the world were formed.” Isn’t that amazing? Her unique needs and yours. There is that passage, “I knit you together in your mother’s womb,” and adoption always makes me think of how God chose us and grafts us in to His lineage. It’s a beautiful representation.
I watched an older adopted Chinese boy assimilate into an adopted family last year. I took Mandarin (pin yin) in college and so I was able to speak some useless phrases to him, which I think helped him feel connected in such a big, different new place. When I didn’t understand him back, I acted like I understood him, and just validated that he had something important to say. As I saw him week to week, I was amazed at how much English he learned each time. He was such an amazing addition to our class.
You seem so careful and intentional, Elsie, I am sure you will be so sensitive to her little heart and needs. Strength like the eagle to you as you help her assimilate, rear her, and grow with her, which is what Mommy’s and their babies do, grow together.
What a Divine match!
I just read your adoption story and I am BAWLING. It happened when your husband said he’s never seen you happier in all the time he’s known you. My husband said that to me when we gave birth to our baby girl. Get ready for the MOST FUN you will ever have. It’s true…I’ve never been happier. Best of luck to you! <3
Thank you April! It’s been pure magic. Best time in my life!
Just read your Larson House entries and had happy tears! So happy to hear Nova will be with you in December! What a beautiful moment as you two decided Nova was your girl – thanks for sharing that intimate moment with us.
Please be careful of your adoption. I have several friends who went through a nightmare adopting a child. One of the children they were matched with ended up to be kidnapped and sold into adoption. The one they ended up actually adopting became very aggressive a few years later and would hit them, and threw their dog off the deck. It caused them to divorce and put her in special care. A lot of these children have a lot of special needs that you don’t realize until you get them here and are their new parents. It’s really a gamble whether you receive a child that was put in foster care legitimately, and there is absolutely no way to determine what they will be like once you have them home.
Best wishes!
I appreciate your concern, but please know we’ve done our research and we know the best + worst case scenario for our particular adoption program. We are taking on risk, but we’re not going into this with our eyes closed. 🙂
Congratulations to you both 🙂 I read the story of your “matching” on your family blog, so emotional. She’s beautiful and Nova is a great name. I saw some comments from people who didn’t like that you chose a non Chinese name. To that I’d like to add a tidbit from personal experience. When I was a child growing up in the 90s in the Canadian Province of Québec (where the main language is French Canadian), there had been a big surge of adoptions of little girls from China back in the 80s and I had a few friends my age who were some of those little girls. These girls could not look more foreign in our little south shore of Montreal suburban school. But aside from their looks, these girls were true “Québeckers”. They had French names like everyone else and they spoke only French Canadian like all of us. Their parents, their siblings and their culture was the same as everyone else. My best friend at the time was called Stéphanie. She was born in China but she was a true French Canadian. It’s always great to keep some of their heritage alive but this kid is gonna grow up to be an American citizen with a Caucasian family. Her culture will not be Chinese (even though her heritage might be and she’ll have the option to embrace it if she wishes to). It’s logical for her to not have a Chinese name.
What a beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing. I am so happy for you both and wish you a safe trip to China. I love the name you picked for her, it’s so pretty. She looks like such a sweetie!! I’m sure she’ll fill you home with love and happiness.
I am absolutely absorbed with this incredible journey I totally got choked up reading “the match” post (and previous posts) and really just in awe at your thoughtfulness and honesty. Thank you so much for sharing your story of your growing family–I’m looking forward to the next chapters.
PS And also, welcome to the world of unsolicited parental advice! 😉