Bao Bei Baby

Our Christmas (medical) Miracle

2009-12-10T10:30:00.001-08:00

Beautiful Girl (Photo by Kurt Keller Photography)
Bed Head!
The Festival of Trees
Helping do the dishes
Merry Christmas!
Go Minnesota Gophers! (Thanks Aunt Sunde and Uncle Shawn)
A Halloween Pumpkin
Visiting Cousin Connor at College

Last year at this time we were finalizing our travel plans to Taiwan to pick up our beautiful daughter. I will ALWAYS remember this time with such a special fondness, it was one of the BEST trips of our lives. We loved Taiwan! Holding our daughter for the first time and having the opportunity to spend a week in her birth country was simply...beyond. We had a magical blissed out 6 months at home with her before reality set in and we found out that she has some serious brain damage which includes, among other things, microcephaly and seizures. This last 6 months has been a sometimes depressing, sometimes frustrating and confusing time but December 18th will mark the day we met our little sweetie and I will always cherish the Christmas season as a reminder. Kate is doing remarkably well despite her condition. We have been told by more than one specialist that she could just as easily be in a vegetative state, which she is decidedly not. She has always been a bit behind: She crawled at 10 months, walked at 14 months and at 18 months only says a single word, but fortunately for me the word is "mama!" We do speech and occupational therapy since her fine motor skills are delayed. If she grows up to have no learning challenges or even just some serious learning disabilites we will consider ourselves very lucky. She certainly has beat the odds so far.

Of course, her learning differences are just a part of who Kate is but let me tell you another part of who Kate Pei Jung is: Kate is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She is happy and sunny with a charming easy going nature and she truly radiates a warmth and gentleness that makes her so very easy to love. She is incredibly social and likes nothing more than to cuddle and play. She loves to be entertained and has an infectious laugh. She is by far the easiest baby we have ever had. She stays on a schedule, sleeping from 8 pm to 6 am and napping for 2 to 3 hours each afternoon. She loves to eat and has an amazingly broad palate. She does not shy away from extreme flavors; spicy, sour, salty, cold, hot, you name it and she will eat it (or at least give it a good try) and enjoy it with gusto! She is very curious gets into everything and doesn't miss anything going on around her. She is incredibly strong, literally doing chin ups on the dining room table. She is tough and rarely cries out in pain unless she really smacks her head.

No one wants to hear that their child is not developing normally. It is a very painful pill to swallow, but so far we have been lucky. It's Christmas time again and time to remember what we are thankful for. I am thankful for so many things: a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, our health, a relative sense of financial security, living in a special place with wonderful friends and family. Of course, most of all we are so thankful for our children...all three of our fabulous unique babies with their individual strengths and challenges all rolled into beautiful little package of DNA. We don't know where you are going in life but we are watching with great hope and anticipation. For our Kate, our sweet little daughter/sister, you will forever be our Christmas miracle and for that, we will always be exceedingly thankful. Happy Holiday season!

Random Cuteness from the Summer of 2009

2009-09-20T10:44:00.001-07:00

There are no accidents

2009-08-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

(Above Kate at one year. Below the first picture we ever saw of Kate when she was 2 mths)

I intended to finish this blog with the last post. However, today I was rifling through some papers and I found something that I wrote on January 30, 2005. This was a full year and a half before we started the adoption process. Sam was over 3 years old and Luke was 15 months. Dan thought we were done having children, but I was really hoping for one more. Specifically, I really wanted to adopt a daughter from Asia. I was thinking China at the time, but that was before I knew about Taiwan. I find it interesting that I found this letter on the one year anniversary of THE VERY DAY we accepted our referral of Kate. But, perhaps there are no accidents. Here is what I wrote over four years ago:

To my daughter should we ever meet,

In this lifetime I have been blessed beyond measure: blessed to be born in a prosperous country with parents who could well provide for me;blessed to grow up in a world of much beauty with an abundance of friendship and love;blessed with time to relax and learn and wonder; blessed with a loving husband and two glorious sons who are my very heart. With all these blessings I have no right to wish for anything more than what I have in this moment. And yet...there is a longing in my heart. You see, I feel a little lost, a little alone without a daughter as you may feel without a mother. I know that I can never be the mother from whose body you sprang and it pains me to think you may never hear her name nor see the shape of her face. But how honored I would be if you would let me be the mother in whose heart you grow to be a strong, healthy, joyous woman. I honor your mother for the love, courage and strength she mustered to bring you forth for I'm sure her choices were limited and her prospects bleak but she knew you needed to come for you are blessed child of this earth and in that way we are truly and forever bound as family. I promise you this, if you cry out to me when you are born, I will come to you. I will gather you up in my arms and never let you go. Sometimes I think I feel you already. Always I am waiting to hear your voice. Much love, your mother.

Penultimate Post

2009-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Sullivan kids in the pool

Thanks for the ride Luke!

This is my friend vacuum

Nothing like a good book!

A chat with my dear friend Francie

Doing dishes is great!

I began this blog in September of 2007 in anticipation of adopting our daughter. We completed our home study in the fall of 2007 and were officially placed on the waiting list with Journeys of the Heart for a baby girl from Taiwan on December 3rd. Pei Jung was born on June 6th 2008 and referred to us just two months later on August 7th. Our court hearings took place on October 16th, November 18th and December 5th . We were united with our beautiful daughter on December 18th when she was just 6 1/2 months old in Taichung, Taiwan and brought her home on Christmas eve. Never will there be a Holiday as joyful as Christmas 2008.

At one year, Kate weighs 16 lbs 4 oz. and is in the 3rd percentile for height. She is an avid crawler and loves to pull herself up and cruise. It looks like she is going to be a climber. She is a great eater with a highly diverse appetite. We are constantly amazed at her love of spicy foods. She is very social and sweet and would love nothing more than for someone to sit with her all day and entertain her. She is a good sleeper who rarely wakes in the night and takes a 2 to 3 hour nap each day. Her temperament is happy, curious and calm. She plays "so big" and "Peek A Boo"and babbles throughout the day. She seems to be saying mama and dada but I am not quite convinced it is totally discriminate yet. The siblings get along very well and the dog tolerates them all. She has 7 teeth and about 5 more coming in, bless her little heart, it's not much fun. She has definitely been the easiest baby of the three (no offense boys, you are VERY easy children) and truly is a joy.

What an amazing journey this has been! With three wonderful children, our family is complete. If we were younger (and less tired!) and wanted more children we would adopt another child from Taiwan. We adored Taiwan and cannot wait to take the whole family back for a visit within the next decade. We feel honored and fortunate to have the opportunity to incorporate this fabulous culture into our lives. We are now Irish, German, Taiwanese Americans and proud of it. While the adoption process was emotionally challenging, in the end it was a very enriching and fulfilling experience both in terms of the education we received and the amazing people we were able to meet. Words of love, wisdom and support buoyed us throughout and came from family, friends and strangers literally from across the world. What a rare and wonderful glimpse into the essential goodness of the human spirit. To the wondrous Kate Pei-Jung, I have said it before but I will say it again, you have enriched our lives immeasurably and we feel incredibly blessed.

With our busy family of five, I never seem to find the time to post. So, sadly, this blog must come to and end. I am hopeful that I will be able to start a family blog in the future. I hope that anyone who is considering adoption or is in the process can find advice or support from our experience. Blessings to all of those on this complex extraordinary journey! I think you will find that great happiness awaits you!

To our beloved daughter on her birthday!!!

2009-06-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

Kate with "Auntie Sara" and her birthday cake

which (hopefully) says "Happy Birthday Pei Pei"

Kate's birthday dawning
Kate with grandma Sue B. and Sam on her birthday

Kate's Zhua Zhou "pick for the future" She picked an orange
indicating wealth and a book indicating literary interests.

To our darling Kathryn Pei-Jung,

Today you turned one year old!! What a blessing!! For your father, brothers and me it was the first time we could relish your birthday, smother you with love and whisper sweet nothings into your ears, regaling you with stories about the great joy you have brought to our lives. For you, of course, it was a second birthday. Your very first birthday took place in a far away land in the dawning hour of a new day. We were not with you then, but we were dreaming of you. We were not able to sit with your birth mother; to hold her hand, comfort her, look into her eyes and thank her for giving you life, but we wish we had been. We did not watch you slip into this world and take your first breath and for that we will always be a little sad because we are so sorry that we were not there to care for you EVERY SECOND of your precious life. We are so grateful, however, that you were able to spend time in Taiwan, the country of your birth. What a gift that your birth mother was able to hold and cuddle and coo to you when you were born and even in the months that followed. She made her deep love for you clear by nurturing you in her body for nine months, bestowing upon you a beautiful name and allowing you to become the treasured daughter in a family who could care for you in a way that she could not. We take such comfort in knowing that your early months were spent with a loving foster mother, Mrs. Lee, whom we had the great pleasure of meeting when we were in Taiwan. She was a lovely woman who emanated love and warmth and wept with joy and sadness when she placed you into our waiting arms. How exceptional that you were able to marinate for 6 1/2 months in the incredible sights, sounds and smells of La Isla Formosa, a country that enchanted us from the moment we set foot there. How thrilling it will be to return with you to visit this fascinating land.

We want all three of our children to enjoy rich satisfying lives, which may or may not include having children. There is really only one reason that we hope you might have children (in the VERY DISTANT future, mind you) and it is entirely selfish. Only when and if you have children of your own, either through birth or adoption, will you be able to FULLY comprehend the immeasurable unparalleled and profound sense of joy and fulfillment that a child brings to your life. Only then will you truly understand what a gift you have given to us simply by being. You are so loved dear Kate Pei Jung. Happy Birthday sweet daughter! Thank you for letting us love you. Mom and Dad.

And a few more pictures...

2009-04-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Aww! Springtime in the Rockies! (late March)

Luke clowning around with Jack Panda
Sam and Dad at the top of Big Sky
Kate enjoys a dip

Dying Easter eggs (and look, the snow is gone!)

Oh Where Has The Time Gone???

2009-04-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

The good shepherd Look mom! One hand!

Ski weekend at Sophie's cabin

I love my bath!!

Playing with my friend Ellie

Well, I find it absolutely unbelievable that I have posted nothing in almost 2 months! Where has the time gone? I feel like we are enjoying a golden era in our family. Everyone is healthy, happy and busy (knock on wood, throw salt over shoulder) Sam and Luke will be wrapping up their school year in June, Dan can breathe a well deserved sigh of relief after finishing our taxes and Kate is growing in every way every day. Me, I am just basking in the joy of my wonderful family. We are so very blessed. I guess I don't have to much to report at this point so I'll just get to the good stuff and post some pictures.

Notes from the Peanut Gallery

2009-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

Just sitting around with my puppy
Kate has a playdate with pals Sara and Lewis

Swinging with my brothers

Really mom, don't you think I'm outgrowing this hat?

Geeez! I can't believe it is already the end of February! So, I need to sneak an update in before the end of the day. The shift from two to three kids has been easier in some ways and harder in other ways that I could not have imagined. Kate is such an easy good natured baby that her transition into her new life has been much smoother and more seamless than we had anticipated. In addition, her sweet nature makes her a total joy as a daily companion. The jealousy that I thought would ensue on the part of the boys after the honeymoon of her arrival had worn off has failed to materialize; they just love her. The difference is this: I just feel BUSIER! A lot busier for some reason. The laundry seems to have grown exponentially, I run the dishwasher twice instead of once a day now, the dog has gotten the short end of the stick in terms of consistent exercise (now that I think of it, my fitness routine is not going that well either) the house is definitely not as clean as it used to be, I'm behind on all my correspondences and I can't seem to keep the pantry stocked. How can this be with just the addition of one little person?? I don't know the answer to that. I can only tell you this has been my experience. Despite being more tired and busier than I have been in a while I am thoroughly delighted with our family of five!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!!!

2009-01-26T20:31:00.001-08:00

January 26th ushers in the New Year throughout much of Asia. The earth rat must skitter away to make way for the powerful earth ox who achieves prosperity through fortitude and hard work. According to the Chinese horoscope, Ox people (like our new President Barack Obama) are dependable, calm and modest. Like his animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in his work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.

So Happy New Year to all! The above phrase "Xin Nian Kuai Le" is Mandarin for Happy New Year and is generally what you will hear in Taiwan. Many are familiar with the oft uttered New Year's greeting "Kung hei fat choi" which is Cantonese for congratulations and be prosperous.

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is considered the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is celebrated in many parts of Asia including China, Taiwan, Korea, Bhutan, Vietnam, Macau, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippians and Thailand.

The Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese calendar (this year it is actually year 4706!) and falls on the second or, less often, the third new moon after the winter solstice depending on intercalary events.

Common traditions to celebrate the New Year include: thoroughly cleaning the house in the days prior to the New Year to rid homes of any bad luck left over from the previous year. Conversely, one does NOT sweep the house for the first three days of the New Year so as to avoid sweeping out any incoming good luck. Before the New Year many families decorate their homes with paper lanterns and banners in which the color red is liberally applied. Parades with firecrackers as well as dragon and lion dances are seen in homes and in the streets and feasting is a central event in the New Years celebration. There are many traditional foods associated with the holiday and many of them have specific meanings: bamboo shoots, oranges, egg rolls and seaweed - wealth; dried bean curd-happiness; chicken -happiness and marriage; eggs-fertility; pomelos and fish served whole - prosperity; Lychee nuts - close family ties; noodles and peanuts- long life; tangerines - luck; and different types of seeds for having many children. Happily for me, since white is a color associated with death in China tofu is avoided.

Gifts are also given during the New Year as is "hong bao" or red envelopes generally given to children and filled with coins (real or chocolate!).

We were eager to begin some Lunar New Year traditions of our own (personally I find it much more interesting than the January 1st New Year!) so we jumped in but started small. No, I did not do a thorough spring cleaning, although I think I managed to get most of the laundry done the day before N.Y. (does that count?) We decorated (albeit minimally) with a red paper lantern, a red double fish table runner (the double fish being an important symbol of abundance) and a bounty of oranges. We ordered Chinese food and sat around the table reading the story of how the Chinese zodiac came into being. My kids love to talk about what animals we all are (from oldest to youngest: dragon, sheep, snake, sheep, rat) The kids received special chopsticks of their own in addition to their hong bao. We intend to grow the tradition through the years, but thought we best get going on it this year. We also attended a community Lunar New Year celebration at the experiential children's museum here in town put on by the Congee Club, our FCC chapter.

I am now beginning to understand something about International Adoption that I didn't FULLY realise (at least not on an emotional level )until recently. You honor your child's traditions, of course, because you want them to be familiar with and appreciate their heritage. I got that from the beginning. But now I see it a bit differently. You learn, grow and celebrate in these traditions because now it is a part of who YOU are as a family. It is definitely about the "whole" not the "one". You have adopted not only a child but an entire culture of which you will incorporate at least pieces of into your life. Much like marrying into a family from a different background you are now merging as one unique unit that weaves together diverse traditions. It isn't about Kate as an individual rather, it is about the Sullivan's and who we are now and who we are becoming. I must admit, the cultural anthropology major in me could not be more thrilled with this expansive development. Thank you Kate for bringing this richness into our life. You are so loved sweet girl.

Note: I recognize that Kate often looks very serious in her photos which is ironic as she is actually a very happy smiley baby. I don't think we have a model in the making though. She is highly suspect of the camera.

The Best Laid Plans...

2009-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Sam pushing Kate in the "Baby Train"
Since bringing Kate home we have been doing a lot
of just this: hanging out in our p.j.s

Dan on diaper duty.

"Why yes, I can sit up by myself"

"Do y'all do Pilates?"

My master plan was to wrap up Bao Bei Baby on New Years Eve and begin a new blog dedicated to the whole family beginning January 1st. You've got to admit, that would have been so perfect right? And yet...Somehow I just have not found the time to pen a meaningful farewell and launch a new era. Sigh ~ So my NEW plan is to keep this blog going until Kate's first birthday (June 6th) and begin working on a family blog in the meantime. So, here are a few pictures of Ms. Kate. We have been home for 2 weeks now and she has been settling in very well. In fact we are surprised by what a seamless transition this has been. She continues to be a very sweet easy darling baby. She eats and sleeps well and has a very happy disposition. I am so grateful that JOH required the education plan because we felt it prepared us for how to handle Kate's transition to her new life. We have mostly stayed around the house with her and had limited interaction with other people. We have kept things VERY low key and I am thoroughly convinced that this is the way to go! She sure is a fun baby! Once again, we have been incredibly blessed!

Together At Last!

2008-12-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas, most of which I don't remember. (can you find the picture of our dog Viggo in one of the photos?) We were all exhausted. I can't tell you how elated I was to see my beloved boys and feel that our family is now complete. This is definitely it for us!! How blessed I am to have an amazing, loving, supportive husband (and so cute too!) three healthy wonderful children and a beautiful home that we love. Could my life be any more perfect??? Well, from looking at these photos I guess I could stand to lose some pounds. Maybe in 2009!! Happy New Year to all!!

Home Again Home Again Jiggidy Jig

2008-12-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

The 10 hour flight from Taipei to Seattle went very smoothly. Kate was a wonderful travel companion! She actually seemed to enjoy the adventure with lots of smiles and barely a complaint. We stayed the night at the Hilton in Seattle as planned and arrived at the airport the next morning at 9:00 a.m. for our 11:00 a.m. flight. With this and that delay we finally left Seattle about 4:00 p.m. and arrived in Helena about 7:00 p.m. Having Kate home was an amazing Christmas gift to be sure, but I have to tell you that she and I slept through almost all of it! With the time change and the excitement of the trip neither of us slept much during the 48 hour period we were making our way home. No big deal at immigration in Seattle. They let you go to the front of the line with your baby. Here are some pictures from the air.

Fianl Taiwan Pictures

2008-12-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well, you didn't ask for it but you're getting it anyway. Here are some of the final shots of Kate in Taipei. (I'm becoming like the tiresome relative who has to show all of her travel photos I know!)You will see Kate's red couch picture with the two teeth that she had when we picked her up! The others are Kate and I at the Grand Hotel where we went for Dim Sum one afternoon, outside her foster-mother's home and relaxing at the Golden China.

Kathryn Pei-Jung Sullivan

2008-12-21T04:27:00.000-08:00

A few more pictures of our little ray of sunshine!!

Dispatches From Taiwan Part II (the good stuff!!)

2008-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit hesitant to post about our experience with the glorious Kate Pei-Jung because, superstitiously, I suppose, I don't want to jinx it! Kate (whom we have yet to call Kate) is the most ridiculously easy baby we have ever known. She is JUST LOVELY: happy, mellow, smiley and playful. She would love nothing more than for you to sit with her all day and gaze into her beautiful almond eyes. I thought I would be worried if our child did not react with sadness when she left her foster mother, but she didn't and I don't worry because I think that is just who she is. Mrs. Lee, obviously adored her and told us she was a VERY easy cuddly baby. Last night Kate cried for about 20 minutes (we think it might have been constipation) and up until then she literally had not cried for more than 30 seconds. When she's upset it's always easy to turn it around and make her smile. She seems the most happy when we are together quietly in the hotel room playing. She is less animated when in a crowd. She isn't upset, but she puts on her game face and just watches. She's definitely a watcher. So here are the details:

Day five: Thursday, December 18th is the BIG day. We pile into Mei-Ru's Toyota (sort of like a land cruiser, very nice) and begin our two hour drive to Taichung. We listen to the English radio station, which plays mostly hits from the 80's and a Bing Crosby Christmas C.D. all the way there. Mei-Ru is very friendly and easy to talk to so if you have questions about her life or life in Taiwan, this is a great opportunity for conversation. On the way there and back there are several nice rest stops with large clean bathroom facilities and a restaurant/grocery store. The only surprise, if you have not been in Asia before, is that the toilets (for women anyway) are simply basins buried in the floor. Be sure to check if you need to get your toilet paper BEFORE you enter the stall as some, but not all of them, are that way. We arrive at TWCA and meet Carridee, as many of you know, a really lovely young woman. You are asked to leave all your gifts with TWCA instead of taking them to the foster mother. We are at TWCA about 10 minutes while Carridee gets some papers together and then we all get back in the car and make the short drive to Mrs. Lee's home. Mrs. Lee is wonderful!! She radiates a kind gentle warmth. I would guess she is between 30 and 35 and according to Mei-Ru and Carridee she is married and has a 10 y.o. daughter. I felt we could stay as long as we wanted and ask as many questions as we would like but, of course, I was so overcome with emotion that I could not remember anything to ask. Pei-Jung is TINY! She seems very healthy and happy but she sure is small. She does NOT look that small in pictures but I promise you that she is. I thanked Mrs. Lee profusely and made Carridee tell her repeatedly how MUCH we appreciated all she had done. Then it is back in the car to TWCA where we do about 5 minutes worth of paperwork and sifting through Pei-Jung's things (all of which I got back, I must say after being here and meeting everyone I have total faith and the highest regard for TWCA).

I am sorry to report, although not surprised, that we did not meet Pei-Jung's birth mother. Caridee said that she could not decide whether she wanted to come or not until the last minute and in the end decided she could not. I completely understand but I am sorry that we did not get to meet her and reassure her that we would take loving care of her/our beautiful daughter. Along with her gifts I did write her a long letter and Caridee assured me that it would be translated and given to her. After our goodbyes at TWCA we plopped Pei-Jung in the car seat, settled in the back with her and drove back to Taipei. WAIT! We did stop at the baby store and picked up a few things including the formula stackers (LOVE THEM!!!) and a couple of CD's that Mrs. Lee said Pei-Jung liked. When we got back to the Golden China Mei-Ru came inside and helped us fill out the paperwork that we needed which took about 10 minutes since all they really ask for is the I-600 and the DS 230. We brought A LOT of extra paperwork that no one cared about. I think you should bring it just in case, but I think it is rarely ever needed.

Day six: Mei-Ru picks us up at 8:00 a.m. and we drive 10 minutes to AIT. If you are comfortable in a big city, you can easily experience Taipei without a guide. To complete your work with TWCA and AIT, however, the JOH guides are an absolute MUST (in my humble opinion). Things could not have gone more smoothly and I'm pretty sure it was all due to Mei-Ru's presence. As soon as you hit AIT there were several long lines at different points but with Mei-Ru we somehow drifted to the head of the line the whole time. We went upstairs and waited about 15 minutes to talk to Mr Fu who checked our paperwork to make sure it was in order. Then we moved to the other side of the room, took an oath with everyone else and waited 35 minutes for our 10 minute interview with the American representative. Both were very friendly and it was NO BIG DEAL!

Final days: While at the hotel we have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting three other JOH families (Hi guys!!) and their beautiful children. On Friday night we had dinner at the Mongolian grill across the street from our hotel followed by a few Taiwanese beers on the putting green roof of the Golden China with The Pedinis from Austin (Mark, Farley and Neko), and I am SO sorry I am forgetting the last name of the very handsome Tommy and his parents Jeff and Lynn from Chicago, along with his darling big sister Emily, who was adopted from China. Yesterday we went to Taipei 101 with the Lees from Boston (Will, Linda and Julianna). What GREAT GREAT folks, every single one of them. We are definitely lucky to be in such wonderful company at JOH.

Today, Dan, Kate and I spent some NTD on gifts at the Holiday Market (also called the Jade and Flower market) which is only open on the weekends and enjoyed some family time in the big park about eight blocks from the hotel. Tomorrow we are doing laundry and sending Dan off on the plane. Kate and I will spend the night and leave at 11:00 p.m. (with the Lees!) on Tuesday.

Now that some of the newness and excitement has worn down, I started to really think about home today and of course the boys and can't wait to be back together again as a family. That being said, I feel so grateful that Taiwan adoptions require you to travel. It really is an unparalleled opportunity to experience your child's birth culture. We will both have been here seven full days and with a new baby (one who is VERY easy, so I can say this) it has been the perfect amount of time. I am really glad we did not bring the boys this time, but I look forward to returning as a family.

As always, I so appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers you have sent our way and hope you will keep sending them until we are safely home. I am now more excited than ever to follow along on the JOH journeys to come. Sending lots of love and blessings from Taiwan!

More Images From Taiwan

2008-12-19T16:50:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from our pre-Kate days:

Would It Be Too Much To Request Some Extra Thoughts and Prayers??

2008-12-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Well this is it! We are scheduled to leave tomorrow for Taiwan to pick up our beautiful daughter! We could NOT be more excited. We are hoping with all our hearts that there will be no flight delays due to the arctic front moving into our area today and tomorrow. We are taking separate flights because I am so freaked out about leaving the kids. At ages 5 and 7, they have only been without at least one of their parents for two nights. Now we are leaving for 10 days and will be almost 8,000 miles from home! We are so fortunate to have a group of wonderful friends and family rotating through our house to care for the kids and dog when we are gone. This is one of those moments where I am stopped cold in my tracks marveling at how extremely ridiculously fortunate we are to be surrounded by so much love and support. Many many thanks to everyone who is helping out while we are gone! I also have to give a shout-out to our JOH board (you know who you are!) for all the wisdom and advice they have shared. We feel so prepared for this journey because of them. What an amazing resource!! If it's not too much to ask, please think of us while we are gone; of our children who will be home, of our flights going smoothly, of our AIT appointment going off without a hitch and, most importantly, of our daughter's transition into her new life happening with as little trauma as possible. Thank you so much! We will try to post while we are in Taiwan. In the meantime, we hope everyone is having a very happy holiday season!!

FINAL RULING!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-05T14:49:00.002-08:00

That's right folks!!! After waiting a mere 17 days after our first ruling we have received our final ruling which means that baby Kate Pei-Jung is officially ours!! As if that were not miraculous enough we will be able to pick her up and bring her home by Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't that incredible??? I did not think there was any way we would have our sweet baby girl home by the end of this year, but we have been given this amazing gift!!! I know I've said this before but throughout this process we have been blessed by the warmest thoughts and prayers. It gives me great hope for humanity. Thank you so much!! Woooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooo we're going to Taiwan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November Update Picture and Video

2008-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here is our little daughter at almost 5 months old. I can barely take it. I need to be on a plane ASAP!!! Come on final ruling. I need to hold our baby girl!!!!!!! Current stats: 12.6 lbs.; 22.83 inches long; 14.3 head circumference; 14.8 inches chest. She is still drinking about 4 ounces of formula about every 4 hours and, according to the latest report, all milestones are normal.

Dear Kate,

2008-11-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Today you are 5 months old! I want you to know that on this day I feel joy and heartbreak. I feel joy that you are healthy and growing every day and we take great comfort in hearing nothing but the highest praise of foster families in Taiwan from those adoptive families who have already traveled. I don't think I can adequately express how indebted I feel toward this unknown woman half-a-world away who is lovingly caring for you while we sit here and wait for the threads of bureaucracy to untangle themselves so we can bring you home. I am also grateful that you are having this time in your birth country to soak up all the sights, sounds, smells and energy of the land where you were born. I hope you will always carry those impressions with you on some level and you will feel a sense of the familiar when we return to visit Taiwan in years to come. On the other hand, I am gripped by utter heartbreak at having already missed 5 months of your life; five months worth of smiles, tears, feedings, cleanings, changes, cuddles, kisses, spit-ups, sit-ups and all the facial expressions and personality traits that are you. I long to hold you, to breathe you in and know you for the unique individual that you are. Even though you are not with us now I want you to know that thoughts of you consume our day. Your daddy, your brothers and I talk about you constantly and you are always right here with us in our hearts. The waiting is so hard, our family just feels incomplete without you here. I hope this day finds you happy and well. I dream of the day in the not too distant future that we can be with you everyday. We love you baby girl!

Birthday Boy!

2008-10-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today our "baby" boy turned 5 years old! I can hardly believe that much time has passed since our darling boy came into our lives. It's so appropriate that Luke was born in the month that celebrates Halloween because this boy LOVES to dress up! Once again he had a costume party (he dressed as a ninja) and a good time was had by all; knights and superheros alike. Luke, we love you so much! You are definitely a glass-half-full guy and you make me smile every day with your sunny personality and spirit of fun! You have a beautiful heart and I am so thankful that you still love to cuddle. What joy you bring to our life. We can't wait to see what great adventures you embark upon this year! Happy Birthday sweet boy! Love, Mom and Dad

Baby Kate at 3 Months 21 Days

2008-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Update and Hearing

2008-10-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hurray! Today we received update pictures and information on our little Kate Pei-Jung. We have been looking forward to seeing our little girl for a whole month! It's thrilling to get this tiny glimpse into our daughter's life but also heart wrenching because we know just how much we are missing. The pictures and information were taken at the end of September. She is now 11.2 lbs.(up from 9.9 lbs) and 22 inches long (up from 21 inches). She is still drinking about 4 ounces of formula every four hours. It looks like she also uses a pacifier about which I am actually quite happy. I'm sure some people think that is crazy, but neither of the boys would take one and I always thought it would be a help in terms of comfort tools. Our hearing is today in Taiwan and JOH advises that "no news is good news" so we hope to hear NOTHING! Even though it could still be months until we travel, it feels like a relief to be moving along in the process. Enjoy the pictures. I'm glad she smiles in the video because, quite frankly, in the pictures she looks a little worried.

Today is October What??

2008-10-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what we woke to this morning. I hope it's just temporary (the weather is famously fickle her in Montana) but who knows. The only upside (other than tucking in and making cookies by the fire) is that the change of season reminds us that we are getting closer to our daughter. Anyway, Happy Holidays!! (just a little early).

Room to Grow

2008-10-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Kate's room. What fun to decorate for a little girl! I only wish it were she and not just her picture resting in her crib. I would still like to have a cherry blossom painted on one wall, but we'll have to see how far we get. Thanks for all the JOH's who helped me pick out Kate's bedding. As you can see, the Wabi Sabi won out! Also, I want to give a shout out to Chuck and Amy who are in Taiwan right now picking up the son for whom they have been waiting 9 long months!! Much longer than usual. In other JOH news, our friends Michelle and Byron have their court hearing today in Taiwan! Good things are happening!

First Update Video

2008-09-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Kate Pei-Jung at 2 Months and 22 Days Old

2008-09-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By...

2008-09-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hurray! We received an update today on Ms. Kathryn Pei-Jung, but the video did not come through = ( sad. As soon as it is resent we will post it along with pictures. Kate is beautiful and doing just great!! The update information was completed on 8-28-08 when Kate was 2 months and 22 days old. She weighs 9.9 lbs. (up from 5.1 lbs at birth!) is 21 inches long and drinks 4 oz of formula every four hours. All her developmental milestones are on target: she is focusing on faces, grasping fingers, turning her head, rolling from side to back, vocalizing and generally doing all the things you would expect from a little person her age. We feel so good about the wonderful care she is obviously receiving from her foster family in Taiwan. How lucky we are that there are wonderful women in the world who want to do this very important exhausting work. Bless them. So stay tuned! We will be posting pictures and videos just as soon as we can.

Extra Extra Read All About It!!!

2008-09-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!! As you can see from the above news item, our hearing date has been set for Thursday October 16th (that's Taiwan time, so it will be happening in our world a day earlier.) This is the first of three hearings. A hearing date is generally scheduled between 1 and 3 months after referral. So, with a hearing date occuring 2 months and 8 days post referral things seem to be on track. If this trend continues, we would expect to travel sometime in January. Of course, things don't always go as planned so we could travel anytime between December and February (UGH!) At this time, we hope that our baby is safe and happy, her birthmother is surrounded by love and support and our judge is a compassionate soul who will want to expedite this process so that a baby can join her forever family half-a-world away. Please PLEASE keep all of us in your thoughts and say a prayer for the people of Taiwan who recently experienced a serious typhoon. Someday, I hope you will read this post, Kate, and know that we were thinking of you every single day. It's so hard to wait for you. Be well baby girl, we love you!

First Care Package

2008-09-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is September 6th and Kate will be three months old. How odd and sad it feels to have missed this precious time in our daughters life. In our program (JOH program III) babies are cared for in a hospital for the first three months. Next, they are placed in a foster home where they remain until the court proceedings are complete and they are relinquished to the custody of their parents. We have heard nothing but high praise for the foster care system in Taiwan both from agency workers and families who have traveled to Taiwan to meet their children. We are thrilled that we will have the opportunity to meet with the foster mother while we are in Taiwan. Now that Ms. Kate is moving to a foster family we are able to send care packages to her. Today we sent off our first package which included two outfits, a few onesies (size 3-6 months), two pairs of socks, a build a bear teddy bear with mom's voice recorded on it, a soft picture book of black-and-white family photos (since those are the colors babies are most interested in at this age), a disposable camera so that the foster family can take pictures and a little blanket. We also sent a package to the staff at TWCA and one for the foster family. We filled those with nuts and candies from a special Montana store, Montana teas and a 2009 Montana calendar featuring beautiful pictures from around our state. We did write notes to both TWCA and the foster family hoping that someone at the agency will be able to translate. We desperately want them to know just how much we appreciate all their hard work on behalf of our family. We will always be indebted to the many people who were there to care for our daughter when we could not. We think and talk about you all time Kathryn Pei Jung. We can't wait until we bring you home so that we can cuddle, love and care for you ourselves. Soon, we hope.

Outline of Adoption Proceedings in Taiwan

2008-08-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

When we first received our referral I was so stunned that for the first few days I couldn't really feel anything except relief that our wait was over. I thoroughly enjoyed the next week floating around on a cloud of bliss; so happy, so excited about our new little daughter. Yesterday the anxiety started to set in and I began to feel antsy and irritable about our NEW wait. Well I better get over that because we definitely have a awhile before we travel. So to pass the time I thought I would post about the next leg of our adoption journey. Pay attention dad, this has to do with your counterparts in Taiwan, the District Court Judges. So, if you have any pull over there now would be the time to use it. A professional courtesy call perhaps?? = )

District Court Process: District courts in Taiwan are divided into a number of specialty groups. Family Court is the court within the district court system that deals specifically with adoption as well as other family issues.

The responsibility of the District Court is to make sure that every issue related to the best interest of the child has been considered. Though lengthy & frustrating at times, the District Court process protects the child, the birth parent, the organization caring for the child, AND in the end protects us as adoptive parents. When the District Court decisions have been made, adoptive families can be confident that the process was handled with consideration and in the best interest of the child.

1. Hearing
a) The family court office in the county where the child was born reviews the case/petition and a Judge is assigned to the case.
b) The judge reviews and considers the case and schedules a "hearing". Hearings are handled differently depending on the circumstances of the birth family, the judge's schedule, persons representing the birth family and those representing the adoptive family. The time involved in getting a hearing scheduled depends on the judge's schedule (docket) and that of everyone else required to attend. Hearings can result in: The immediate decision to finalize the adoption (though this is rarely the case) or the judge may request more information (again, this is rare). Usually, the hearing simply provides the judge with more information about the case and allows him/her to rule on the adoption with confidence. Most often, the judge's decision (final ruling) happens weeks or even as long as months after the hearing. Time line for hearing - 1 to 3 months after court papers are filed.

2. Part I of Final Decree(First Ruling). Once the hearing has been completed and the judge has had time to review all the information, he/she issues the first part of the Final Decree. This is a short statement signed by the judge that is forwarded to all parties involved (social services organization on behalf of the adoptive family and the birth family) notifying everyone of his/her decision to finalize the adoption. This first part of the Final Decree must go to each party and there is a waiting period of 10 days before any further court action can occur. The birth family has until the end of this 10 day period to change their mind regarding the adoption. Once the 10 day period is passed however, the judge can make the final decree. Time line for 1st ruling - 1 to 3 months after hearing.

3. Part II of Final Decree (Second Ruling). Once the 10 day waiting period is over (and the court staff finds time!), the second part of the Final Decree is forwarded to all parties. When the second part of the decree is received by your child's social service organization, the court process is DONE! Time line for 2nd Ruling - 2-6 weeks after the 1st ruling

4. Household registration change and immigration requirements. Before the adoptive family travels, a lot must be accomplished by the child's social service organization. All court documents and background info on the child must be officially translated to English and submitted with certain paperwork to AIT. Also, the child must have his/her Visa medical exam which is forwarded directly (unopened) to AIT's immigrant visa office. At some point the child's guardian must file for a household registration change. The household registration is a file located at local government offices in Taiwan that contains certificates and information about each person in Taiwan. Your child's household registration is attached to his/her guardian's file until the adoption has been finalized by the Taiwan courts. Once the child has been legally adopted in Taiwan, the guardian files with the government office to remove the file from theirs and create a new file showing that the adoptive parent(s) are the new legal guardians.The household registration change takes a day or two or a week depending on the placing organization and the local government office. Time line for official paperwork 2-4 weeks.

5. Adoptive Family receives travel date. Each organization in Taiwan is different in when and how they schedule a travel date. Some wait until all of the above paperwork is filed and then give the family notice to travel quickly. Some schedule the travel in advance, while they work at preparing the above documents. JOH families are typically given 1 to 3 weeks notice to travel.

So that's about it. Our timeline is now in the hands of a district court judge almost 7000 miles away. We have no way of knowing which judge we will be assigned or how full his/her docket might be. Based upon the experience of other JOH families we expect to travel to join our daughter in 4 to 6 months time. Please keep us in your thoughts while we eagerly await word that the courts are making headway in our case.

What's in a Name?

2008-08-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

To answer the above question: A lot! Research has shown that by 4 1/2 months of age infants prefer to listen to their own name over another name. By 5 months, a baby's ability to recognize their own name from a longer stream of speech is one of the first steps to cognitive and linguistic development. If you listen to the video we were sent you will hear that caretakers are already familiarizing our daughter with her name (Fan Pei-Jung) by using it repeatedly when talking to her. (You can also hear them say Pei-Jung Li, which means beautiful Pei-Jung as well as words that sound like "chee chung lou" which means something like "time to wake up")~she must have just woken up from a little nap.

Soon our sweet baby girl will be whisked away from all the familiar sights, smells and sounds that have been her world for the first several months of her young life. We are so thrilled to celebrate our child's birth culture and heritage by incorporating her beautiful given name into her full name of Kathryn Pei Jung Sullivan (Kate)! Speaking of name meanings: the name Kathryne means "pure" and the name Pei Jung has a double meaning according to my cyber-friend Eva and her parents who live in Taiwan (Thank you SO much!). It means "an abundant life" as well as "very tolerant". Isn't that lovely? Sounds perfect to us. We hope, Kathryn Pei Jung, you will love your name as much as we do!

We can't wait to meet you baby girl!! We love you and miss you already! Much love from your mommy, daddy and big brothers.

Introducing Ms. Pei Jung Sullivan!!!

2008-08-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe I am writing this post. It feels utterly surreal. Today at 11:40 a.m. I was sitting at my computer trying to decide if I should send an e-mail to JOH or simply call and beg them to tell me if we were close to the top of the list. Just then, the phone rang and it was a 206 area code. Well, let me tell you, everyone who is waiting for a referral from JOH knows what that means! Tien (the Taiwan Program Coordinator) was on the other end waiting to tell me that she had a referral of a beautiful baby girl born in the early morning hours on Friday June the 6th. Wow!!! I opened my e-mail to a precious little face and knew it must be a Sullivan baby because she was as bald and serious as all the Sullivan babies have been. I owe a huge thank you to our dear friend Dr. Tess who came right over and reviewed all the information. She said everything looked great! We have a name in mind, but we haven't decided definitively yet so for now we will call our daughter by her beautiful given name Pei Jung (pronounced "pay yong"). After 8 months and 4 days of waiting, we feel so fortunate to finally share with you our referral photo AND a little video. Enjoy!

Welcome Babies Annabella and Qwill!!!

2008-08-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have to take a break from our family to give a shout out to two families with new additions. First, I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to my cyber-friend Casey and her family who received a referral of a beautiful baby girl from Taiwan in mid July. Hurray for baby Annabella! Casey and I were waitlisted about two weeks apart and she has been a very important part of my support network as we have navigated the tricky and sometimes turbulent waters of international adoption together. Because they began with a different agency and later switched to JOH they have been waiting over 2 years for this referral and I could not be happier for them!! Perhaps one day our little girls will have the opportunity to meet in person(and Casey and I too!!)

Second, I have been hoping to post a picture of this new little cutie, but I can't get it to attach (Arrrrg!)So I'm going ahead, sans picture, with a big greeting to baby Qwill, a beautiful English Setter puppy who is joining a wonderful family and great friends of ours here in Helena. Shannon, Erik, Zoe and Dash we can't wait to meet your new little darling as soon as you get her home.

Welcome to the world babies!!

Happy Birthday Sam!!!

2008-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today, at just about this time, our beautiful son Sam made his way into the world. Our lives have never been the same since. I can't believe our beloved first born is seven years old!! How did this happen?? I guess it's true what they say, time flies when you're having fun. We love you so much Sam! We usually have a big kids party but decided to hold off this year due to Sam's finger injury (a little less pinky to worry about thanks to a big door with a sharp hinge - ouch!) We will have the "real" party in a few weeks when the finger is healed. Fortunately, Dan's sister and her husband came to visit all the way from Germany just in time to celebrate so we've had lots of outings to keep us busy. Here are some pictures of our weekend. (notice Sam is STILL wearing his triathalon shirt! We really do wash our clothes around here.)

Brags on My Boys

2008-07-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

When you have children you dream about them enjoying a full beautiful life better than your own. You want them to be happier, healthier, smarter, stronger, richer in all things. But what I didn't anticipate was that they would be surpassing me so soon! At 40, I've participated in a variety of athletic events but my dream of competing in a triathlon (the shorter sprint distance, mind you!) was cut short when I started having children almost seven years ago. This weekend our oldest son, Sam, completed his first kids mini triathlon! I was so proud of his interest and enthusiasm. He had great focus and did a fantastic job!! He is following in the footsteps of his studly father who at 43 is running faster than he did when he was a teenage track star. (This year he won the masters mile with a time of 4:38!) He does triathlons himself but at this race was just the running leg (his team of course won, what can I say, the man's a physical marvel) Our youngest son, Luke, was right in there cheering on his brother and father and is all set to give it a try at next year's event. Perhaps I will be ready for my comeback then too! Here are a few pictures from our weekend.

Trudging into Month Eight!!

2008-07-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

~Sigh~ Tomorrow we wrap up seven months of waiting for our little girl and I am sad to report that we are no further along than we were at the end of May. JOH had NO referrals for the month of June. = ( This is nothing to worry about, just par for the course in this crazy unpredictable ride called International Adoption. The wait is becoming increasingly difficult and, for me, the anxiety is mounting. I constantly wonder about our baby: Has she been born? What is her birthday? What does she look like? Does she have hair? What time of day was she born? How is her birth mother handling all of this? Was the birth easy or difficult? Where is she living? Is she sick? Is she well? Is she happy??? These are some of the questions I think about during the looooooong days of waiting. I feel like each month I say we are about number 4 on the list. This is because Taiwan doesn't REALLY have a list. One can only surmise a place from other people in the program to whom you've been speaking. So, perhaps I should just stop trying to guess when we are going to receive a referral. Some days I think I'm just dreaming all of this and it's not really even real. The group of us waiting now are among the first in this program to wait over seven months for a referral. Do I sound depressed?? Well...I am, a little. Please keep us and our baby and our baby's birth family in your thoughts. We could probably all use a little support right now. Onward to July!

May Referrals

2008-06-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

The JOH monthly newsletter arrived announcing program III had seven referrals in the month of May (4 girls and 3 boys!) So, once again we climb higher on the list. I really think we are near the top now and I am very much hoping to hear some exciting news for our family in the next six weeks. I want everybody to be thinking positive happy thoughts for us! [ and I thank you in advance for that : ) ] but more importantly for our little girl and for her birth family. We hope all of them are healthy and being well cared for at this time. Congratulations to all the JOH families who have received great news in the last month on referrals, hearings, rulings and travel plans!! We look forward to joining you all on cloud 9.

Six Months and Counting...

2008-06-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

June 3rd marked the end of sixth months of waiting for the referral of our little girl. We really do think we are getting close now. JOH told us to expect a wait of about 6 to 8 months and, based on past referrals, they seem to be quite good at predicting time lines. We really hope we get a referral before August so that perhaps (just maybe) we can have our daughter home by Christmas. Chinese New Year is early this year on January 26th and travel becomes more difficult and expensive during this holiday season. So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We know our program received at least 2 girl referrals in May so we are moving up the list. Summer is almost here and we hope all of our friends and family have a fantastic season!

[Post-note written 08-30-08]: As I am sitting here re-reading old posts, I realize that this one was written on the day our beautiful baby girl was born. This was posted at 9:43 in the morning on June 5th which means it was 11:43 p.m. in Taiwan. Our darling Kathryn Pei Jung was born about 45 minutes later in the early morning hours on June the 6th. Kate, I so wish I could have been there to watch you take your first precious breath. I cannot wait to hold you in my arms sweet girl and once I get ahold of you I will never let you go. Please know how desperately I wish I had been with you always. All my love to you, mom

Welcome Baby Michelotti!!!

2008-05-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to announce that our dear friends, John and Lori Michelotti, after a patient 14 month wait, just accepted the referral of their beautiful little girl from Korea. We can't wait to welcome Hee Yoon Lee, born November 25th 2007, into our lives! We hope our little girls will be close in age and able to grow up together. Congratulations John, Lori, Rosie and Nick!! Your family of five is now complete!

Behind the Scenes

2008-05-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Part of the international adoption paper chase is to ensure that forms get to where they are suppose to go. It used to be that the I171-H (permission to adopt a foreign born orphan) was sent directly from the INS to Taipei Taiwan. The U.S. govt recently changed the rules so that everything now goes through the National Visa Center in Portsmouth New Hampshire. On the advice of our agency, I spent an hour on the phone today making sure that our physical file had been sent from Portsmouth to Taipei. It was fun to find out that it had indeed been sent on April 15th. (tax day! I wonder if that means anything???) It was exciting to learn that things are going on behind the scenes even when we don't know it. So, hang in there little girl, between ourselves, multiple agencies and two governments we are preparing to come get you! Yay!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mothers! Whether you are holding a child in your arms, womb or heart, you deserve recognition because it is a wonderful but complicated road we have headed down. One of our favorite blogs is titled "China Baby: The Sweet and Sour of Parenthood". An apt title, which always serves as a reminder of how lucky we are. For the past six years, people have wished ME a Happy Mother's Day, a mere neophyte, I realize compared to those who have been parenting for 20 or 40 plus years. Still, although we have been blessed with more than our share of sweet, it hasn't been without it's sour moments. The first year I felt like a fraud in the parenthood department, unworthy of any special treatment. The second year, we were told on the Friday before mother's day that our only child at the time had a serious neurological disorder and might never have a "normal" life. I will never forget the overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude I experienced when we found out a month later that his diagnosis was incorrect. As a result, this is a day I always reflect on mother's who are parenting special needs children. I have the greatest respect and admiration for those who dedicate their life and resources to lovingly raising children with greater obstacles than most. These are some of the heroes among us and I always think of them on Mother's Day. I know that many of these mother's don't think they are doing anything special, but I know differently. They are doing perhaps the most challenging and compassionate work on earth and on this special day, I salute them.

Done With Service Plan!!!!

2008-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hurray Hurray it's the first of May and I'm happy to say we're done! I went to the post office today and sent our service plan to Oregon. The service plan is another educational piece required by our agency to help us prepare for our adoption. It included researching Taiwan and it's culture, interviewing people from Taiwan, interviewing people who had raised adopted children to adulthood both internationally and domestically, writing book reviews, preparing our children for the adoption, beginning a life book, educating extended family about adoption issues, writing out a trans-racial plan, attachment plan and researching medical information on international adoption. It was a lot of work, but very interesting and certainly worthwhile. So, twenty seven single spaced type written pages later, we are all done and far more prepared than we were two months ago. Hurrah!

When It's Hard to Wait...

2008-04-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

The domestic duo, Luke cooking and Sam cleaning

Boys camping in the back yard

...I have to be careful not to lose sight of the immense riches we already have right here at home. Here are a few pictures of our darling boys. How fortunate we are!

More Referrals = More Emotions

2008-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Our program received 4 girl referrals this month! That means we move up 4 more places on the list! We think we are now number 5 or 6 although we can't be entirely sure. People who have adopted internationally know all about the feelings that accompany this process, but for those who have not let me tell you, it is quite the emotional roller coaster. I am filled with excitement and relief when new referrals arrive but a little disappointed that there are not MORE. And yet, it's odd to have those feelings too knowing that every referral means there is another baby born into the world who is unable to remain with their birth family and culture. What a profound loss for these innocents and their families. I think about our baby and her mother, who is surely very pregnant by now, or perhaps has even given birth. It makes me feel very sad. And still I can't wait to meet our daughter. More than anything, I sincerely hope I have the opportunity to meet with and talk to our daughter's birth mother, as often happens in adoptions from Taiwan. I already have a list of questions to ask her on behalf of our daughter (hers and mine) but mostly I want to try to impart as best I can despite cultural and language barriers that we are a loving family who want to give this child the best life possible. I want her to be able to look into my eyes and know that this child will be cherished and well cared for. I hope I have that chance.

I-171H - What's That You Ask? Well Let Me Tell You!

2008-04-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've taken some heat lately for not posting. I'm a believer in trying not to bore people with posts unless I REALLY have something to say and now...I finally do! [this is for you Shannon B. = ) ]Today we received our I-171H in the mail which is another step in the right direction. This is the document you receive from the INS which states the U.S. government has reviewed all previous documentation including your homestudy and fingerprints and decided you are eligible to adopt a foreign born orphan. So, we are A-OK with the USA. Hurrah!

Following is a little adoption humor regarding the I-171H which I stole from another site, but I don't think they'll mind (thanks Joe and Jane) Enjoy!

Honey, sit down. I have some news for you. What is it? Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I went out to the mailbox today and ... well, we got an I-171H. A what?!? An I-171H? As in, we're going to have another baby?!?It looks that way. But how? We've been so careful! I put away all the blank I-600A forms. Didn't you hide our homestudy update?Of course I did. But don't forget, there was that one night...What night? (pauses) Ohhh, that night. But it was only once. We were just messing around. I didn't print clearly. I didn't even use ink! (pauses again) But it was kind of fun.(giggles)It was, wasn't it? I'll never forget how cute you looked getting your fingerprints.So now we've got our I-171H, eh? But that doesn't always mean you'll adopt, does it? I mean, shouldn't you see the agency or something, make sure everything's okay?bI already did, and?I'm five documents along! Five documents! And they're all notarized, certified and authenticated okay?Just great! There was one small scare when the agency couldn't see the Notary's middle initial, but it showed up just fine under the magnifying glass. Thank God. And you honey? Are you feeling okay? I'm feeling fine. As long as I know you're happy about this. Happy? I'm thrilled! It's always a shock at first when something like this happens, but of course I'm happy.~Anonymous

Creeping up on the List

2008-03-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

I couldn't sleep last night. I was kept awake by happy thoughts about our daughter. It finally felt real since we discovered our program received 2 (and possibly 3) girl referrals in February, which means we move up the list! We don't know our exact number on the list, but our best guess is somewhere between number 7 and 12. So, hopefully we will have a referral within the next 4-6 months. We are in program III. In this program, the babies remain in a baby hospital for the first three months of their lives and then are moved to a family who fosters them until all the court proceedings are complete at which time parents travel to Taiwan to escort their new baby home. Hurrah!! I can't wait for that moment. You can choose to foster your child yourself in Taiwan once you have received a referral. I only know of one family who was able to do this, a young couple who could work from anywhere and did not have any other children. I would LOVE to do that, but it doesn't seem possible. I would have to find a place for me and the boys to stay in Taiwan for 3-6 months and since Dan (bless his heart) has to work to pay for all the adoption expenses, our family would be apart. This is when I wish we were independently wealthy because if I could do it, I would probably be in Taiwan right now just waiting for the referral. Anyway, all feels good with the world today. I am sending blessings to our daughter's birthmother in appreciation of all she is doing for our family and in recognition that her painful loss is our joyous gain. We are beholden to her always and wish her all good things.

Another Link in the Chain

2008-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Today we received word from our agency that our photopages were approved! Thank goodness! Apparently the photopages are a critical component to the Taiwan dossier. The birthmother and/or birth family usually views the photos and the judge scrutinizes them as part of his/her adoption ruling. Our first set of pages was rejected which caused me no small amount of anxiety. I spent weeks rifling through seven years worth of photos and staging new pictures in order to complete the task. We ended up with a six page document, two pages of photos of our home inside and out and four pages of pictures of our family including friends and extended family. I am enormously relieved to check this off our list. I'll take books to read, reports to write and conferences to go to any day before having photo pages to complete. Hurrah! Celebration is in order. We are one step closer to our beautiful baby girl.

Check Out Our New Look!

2008-02-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

We just had a makeover! Rebecca from Uptown Design Studio (formerly Artistree Blog Designs - see link on side bar) helped our blog go from blah to beautiful and all for a small donation 90% of which goes to Rebecca's international adoption fund with the other 10% going to help orphans in China. Thanks Rebecca! BTW Bao Bei (pronounced bough bay) is a term of endearment that Chinese parents use for their babies, indicating the child is SO cherished as to risk spoiling! It is a loving nickname as well as a tongue and cheek reminder not to dote too much : )

Happy Chinese New Year (Two days late)

2008-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Earth Rat!! 2008 should be an auspicious year full of prosperity and good luck. We hope we can celebrate it next year with our new little Taiwanese treasure, probably a little rat. Here is some information about the rat personality:

The rat is remarkably easy to get along with, hard working and thrifty,(Dan will be thrilled!!) she will be generous only to those she is inordinately fond of, so if you get an expensive gift from her, you should certainly rate yourself high in her esteem. However, in spite of her penny-pinching ways, she will never be found wanting for admirers as she emits such fantastic appeal.

A child born in the year of the Rat will be sweet and loving. she may be shy, but inwardly she is fiercely competitive. Often, she resorts to crying to get more attention and usually clings to one or two people with whom she identifies. (clearly she will fit right in with her brothers!)Although she has a charming disposition, she is possessive of parents and friends and jealous of attention given to others.The vivacious Rat will be an avid reader. She will learn the importance of the written word easily and be able to express herself well. Many of the world's greatest writers and historians were born in the year of the Rat.

So that's the rat. Unless we get a referral MUCH sooner than we think that will be our baby. She is suppose to get along great with her Dragon Father and Snake Brother, Luke and I, the Sheep of the family, might have to work a little harder to win her affection, but with our charming personalities, I'm sure we will prevail!

Checking Things Off Our List!

2008-01-07T19:44:00.001-08:00

Today we mailed off the 14 pages of answers to the JOH educational packet (Whew, glad to be done with that!) We thought the DVD's and readings were great! There was plenty of interesting thought provoking information as well as many moving inspirational stories. It is unfortunate, I think, that there is not an educational curriculum required for people who are choosing the biological route to build their families. I certainly could have used more guidance when we brought home our first two bundles of joy. Anyway, we are thankful for all we have completed in the last four months and hopefully we are getting closer everyday to our beautiful happy healthy baby girl. : )

We're "On the List" Hurrah!

2007-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

So the big news today is that we are officially waiting!! We are very excited to be on the list at last. For anyone who is considering adopting from Taiwan, I just want to say that so far I have been very impressed with our placing agency Journeys of the Heart. As part of our training as adopted parents JOH requires a weekend seminar or a study packet in lieu of the seminar if you are out of State. They sent us the materials (readings and DVDs) and we were very impressed both with the breadth and depth of information covered and with the obvious compassion and sense of stewardship with which they run this program. This has been a very positive and educational experience.

Our Journey Begins

2007-11-28T20:24:00.001-08:00

Our family of four waiting to become a family of five

What an adventure in so many ways! First time adoption, first time daughter and first time blogger. I've learned so much already. Our time line for this adoption began in early September 2007 when Dan and I decided to adopt a little girl from Taiwan. We have two awesome biological sons, ages 4 and 6, and I felt (and Dan eventually agreed) that a little girl would make our family complete. At that time we began our home study paperwork. We wrapped that up in about 10 days flat and waited for the Catholic Social Services social worker to come to our home. She came at the end of September and completed her report on October 30th. The report was then reviewed by our placing agency Journeys of the Heart, whose home office is located in Hillsboro Oregon. Their review took about three weeks. We were notified that we were "home study approved" on November 20th. You might think that we would be officially on "the list" (one of the many buzz words for parents adopting internationally). But no, there's more! We are currently waiting for the notarized copies of the home study to be sent to the Washington State offices in Shorline Washington where all the real action takes place for the Taiwan program. I am really hoping we will be on "the (infamous, yet seemingly elusive) list" by this week, but if not, it really should be the first week in December. Wish us luck! sbs