3 Weeks with Nathan and Lots of Learning: Following the Bonding Rules

       Our first three weeks with Nathan have been wonderful. We've laughed, we've cried, and we've been learning as we go.  Pretty normal for parenthood, I've been told. We've also been dealing with something a little more "atypical", the issues surrounding an adopted child.
       Greg and I had to read several books, take online courses, and attend a 5 week class at Children's. Along with all of that, we've had some guidelines suggested by our agency on how to transition Nathan to our home. Now, I must admit, I am a rule follower, and these guidelines seemed a little...harsh.  We were told to coccoon for 6 weeks, allowing NO ONE else to care for Nathan but the two of us. At one point, they even said if people wanted to help, they could do the grocery shopping and the laundry and we can leave things at the doorstep for them. (Seriously? I really don't need that, but that's how serious they are!) Basically, we should "shut down" the house for 6 weeks. We were also told to "wear" Nathan in a carrier for 6 hours a day. All of these things would create a secure bond and provide Nathan with time to adjust to so many new things.
     So, we came home and followed some of the rules.  SOME.  Greg and I are the only ones feeding him and changing him, putting him to bed, and so on. BUTTTTTTT,  because he seemed to be attached to me at the hip, we thought he was bonding well. Until bedtime.  He's bonded, but after speaking with two adoption professionals today, they both think this is a really anxious bond. He's so worried that I'm not going to be there when he wakes up, that it's torture getting him to nap or sleep at night, and when he does finally get to sleep, it's broken up. He wakes 2-3 times a night wanting me. I've been sleeping on an air matress by his crib, not the best place anyway. Add that to late bedtimes, multiple wakings, and early risings, and Mommy is wiped out. Right now, I'm sure all of you moms out there are saying "Welcome to my world!".  I know, I know, I feel your pain.  I had one of those moments of desperation this morning at about 10:50 when I laid Nathan in his crib for the 3rd attempt and said out loud, "Please God, let this baby sleep".
     God had my back, and at 11:00 he was still asleep when our adoption education coordinator, one of the professionals I mentioned above, called to check in. Great timing!  After I explained everything, she really emphasized how important these next 6 weeks are for Nathan, and that we have to make some decisions for the three of us.
      Many of you know, I'm not very good at saying NO to anything, but, as she said, it's laying the groundwork for his development. We have to start limiting visits to family, and wearing Nathan more (the wearing is the easy part). All of you have supported us and we're so anxious to allow you to see and get to know Nathan. And, as you all know, we're kind of "social" people, so I hate that I have to tell you that you can't come over right now.
   So, this is a hard blog to write. I'm hoping all of you out there who've been awaiting the "visitor permit" understand and are willing to wait a few more weeks. We are hoping it's not 6 weeks, and we'll just have to see how Nathan's sleeping goes. In the meantime, I am going to go NUTS if I don't get to interact with people for 6 weeks, so be prepared. Instead of visits, there may be phone calls!  I still want to hear what's going on out there in the world!
   Despite my moaning and groaning about lack of sleep, this little boy is truly the light of our lives. All he has to do is smile, and I forget that he was thrashing around in a tantrum hours earlier :)  Thanks to all for understanding, and pray for a "secure bond" in the next few weeks.

Nathan doesn't just wake Greg and I up, he likes to check out Ellie when she naps on the couch as well!

My little froggy after bathtime.

Nathan got to meet Micah, another little one adopted from Taiwan. Micah's only 4 months older than Nathan.
We're so lucky we met his family. The Walls family  held Nathan when they picked up Micah at Hannah's Hope in June! One of my good friends happened to randomly  meet Micah's mom at Entertrainment Junction, and told her about us. Natalie, Micah's mom, was a teacher at Mason!!! Now Nathan will have a playmate here who has been in the same orphanage.  Amazing how things work, isn't it?

   

Let the Bonding Begin and Time Zone Zombies-March 12, 2011

       Our first few days at home have been wonderful and challenging at the same time. We have adjusted to the time zone change fairly well. However, little Nathan is still on Taiwan time.  He's sleeping for some of the night, but Wednesday night he was up at 3:30 in the morning wide awake, playing patty cake in bed. This was after he woke up at 1:00 wide awake and we had a play session downstairs. I thought I had him settled at about 3, but by 3:30, he was up again. As I type he's sleeping on a quilt on our living room floor. He was supposed to wake up from his nap at 4:00, and he's still sleeping. I've tried to wake him 3 times now, each time resulting in complete meltdown and then he falls back asleep.  I guess it will be a late night again.

       Despite the sleeping adjustments, he's doing so well. He's met Ellie Homoelle, and after two days, he'll crawl up to her at pat at her while she sits next to him. He's learned if she gets too close it could mean a kiss in the face, so he closes his eyes to get ready.  When it comes to eating, he's enjoying his bottles,  rice cereal, fruit desert, and broccoli. I think he feels heavier already!   Bath time, which was totally unenjoyable for all a few days ago, is now the highlight of our night. And when it comes to bonding, I think we have a spoiled baby already.  Experts say it can take up to a year for a healthy, solid bond.  We're glued to him for sure. From day one, he's had our hearts. We're starting to see that he loves us already as well.

       Bonding is a huge concern with adopted children, and we're trying to do many things to help ensure he attaches to Greg and I and develops appropriate relationships later in life. The nannies at Hannah's Hope have helped out with this already, because he's already bonded to them. It was so obvious on the first day we received him that he was particularly attached to Mei Mei. He bounced up and down in her arms and smiled. He now does that to me if I pick him up after not having him in my arms for a while. We've taken classes and read about all the things we should do to foster this bond.  Common parenting practices-like letting babies cry it out when it comes to bedtime, aren't recommended for adopted kids. Instead, we're supposed to answer every cry to show him we are there for him. Sometimes I think it's creating a spoiled rotten little boy, but when I think of all he's had to deal with, all the changes, I think I should just be there for him.

      I had a moment last night when I finally realized I've got to take his adjustment one day at a time. I was so concerned that he start sleeping in his crib. He's been waking up crying so much in his crib that we've been scooping him up and laying him between us. It's honestly been the only way he sleeps. The problem is-I don't sleep. And the other night was the "last straw" when I woke up to a finger in my eye, water streaming down my cheek, and the thought I might never see out of my left eye again. 

     So I started last night with the "that's it, no more co sleeping" mentality. I "bounced" him to sleep and he was safe and sound in his crib at 9:30. By midnight, he was standing up in his crib crying. So, I put him to sleep again. The very second he felt me put him down, he was up again. This went on 2 more times, until I placed him in between us. For the first night home he slept through the night. Around 4:50 I woke up as he stirred, and heard a song on the radio we had left on low for light noise. The song, Rascal Flat's "I Won't Let Go", said it all. No matter what, I just need to be there for this little guy as he deals with his whole world changing. While it was meant to be a love song, I'm sure that the words in the song ring out to all parents. Tears streamed down my face as my little one rested along side of me. The crib can wait another day, maybe even another week, another month.

Welcome Home Nathan Wei! March 8, 2011

          "We survived." Greg said. Then, simultaneously, we both said, "BARELY!" 
          Our travel day home to the states was certainly a test of our patience and parenting skills. We woke at 5:00 am before Nathan to get ready and head to the airport.  It took some time to get checked in and we made it to the gate with plenty of time. So far, so good. Until a gate agent approached Greg and asked if he lost a cell phone. Sure enough, it had fallen out of his pants pocket. Jacko, our great cab driver from our zoo trip was so kind, he actually drove it back to the airport. We made our flight to Tokyo just fine. Nathan even slept most of the way.
           Then came our flight from Tokyo to Detroit.  The trip through security alone should have been a clue. I had Nathan strapped to me in the carrier.  They made Greg unload every single electronic from the computer bag and then wanted to check the diaper bag. Of course, they can see all the contents in the x ray machines, but needed to see the baby food jars. Soooo,  unloading a bag that was packed to last for
at least 24 hours was not fun to unpack.  We loaded the plane and were ready to go when a flight attendant gave us a heads up that we would have to de-plane due to a chipped wing. Soooo, we all unloaded, realizing we were going to miss our connecting flight from Detroit to Cincy.
        After an hour and a half we boarded for our 12 hour flight to Detroit. Nathan hardly slept, and I'm convinced that the next Minute to Win It Challenge should be to put a diaper on a baby within the space of an airplane restroom. 3 diaper changes, 4 movies, and many walks around the plane later, we arrived in Detroit. And Nathan, once again, decided to sleep. (If only he had done this about 10 hours earlier).
       Nathan had to be emmigrated to the U.S. and receive his Green card, so it was off to customs and immigration. And Nathan continued to sleep. He missed his big moment! Then I noticed something was missing.  Our new camera was nowhere in sight. I would have cried major tears, and almost did, but I think exhaustion prevented it. Instead, I will admit, nastiness took over. I would have been devastated to lose all those pictures, except, thankfully we were downloading our images every night due to posting on this blog.
Here we are loaded down with all our luggage, and Nathan, bickering in the airport about where our camera could be.
         Our reception at the airport and at our house wiped away most of the bitterness.  My mom and Greg's family - his mom, dad, grandma,  brother Brad and sister-in-law Angie along with their children-David, Rose, Sam and Michelle stood at the window with my friend Michelle and  her daughters, Shayne and Hailey. They had cameras ready and balloons and gifts for Nathan. To see them so excited just warmed our hearts.  When we arrived home our friends Matt and Anne and our neighbors Mike and Sharon and Denise and Jeff had made signs and put up balloons. As we turned the corner, we both knew losing our camera wasn't so bad for what we had gained. Nathan Wei was finally home.

Our First Family Zoo Trip- March 6, 2011

       We have dreamed of taking a zoo trip for quite some time, and today was so special. Our first family zoo outing, and it was in Taipei. Both Greg and I love animals.  We couldn't wait to see the panda exhibit! Nathan seemed to have a great time too, when he was awake :)  The Taipei Zoo is the largest metropolitan Asian zoo, and we had a great time!  We entered the zoo for 120 NT dollars, about $4.50 in the U.S. We received our ticket for the panda exhibit, and headed off to see the "xiong mao" or "bearcat". 

       We were among so many people just ooohing and aahhhing about the panda. He really didn't do much, and we know Nathan didn't care, but we loved getting to see him!

        The zoo got VERY crowded, and once again we were quite a spectacle.  We had to take a class during our adoption process. We thought it was so odd. It was called "Conspicuous Families", and it was meant to prepare us for everyone noticing that Nathan is obviously not our biological child. At the time, we thought it was ridiculous. We thought adoption is so common, of course people know and accept what we've done. Over here though, not only are we the only American's, but we're carrying an obviously Asian child, and people walk by us with their heads turned. They slow down, they talk amongst themselves, even point. When we talk to them, if they can understand, they usually are so nice, but boy do we make for conversation!

         After using a changing station for the first time, having lunch at McDonalds-without the burgers, just chicken, we enjoyed looking at all the neat exhibits.   The biggest difference from our zoo would be how close they let you get to the animals. At one point I really could have reached out and held a monkey's hand. (Really hard for me to resist, by the way.) Most of the animals were the same. Nathan fell asleep in an appropriate place-the nocturnal house.  We looked at each other at one point and had one of those "Is this real? moments".  We know we've been waiting for this for so long. It's hard to believe he's real. 

        Next to the zoo is the Maikong Gondola.  This isn't just a short little ride up a mountain. This is a several mile ride through the mountains overseeing so much of Taipei.  It was beautiful and allowed us to see so many different sides of this city. We've learned the average income in Taipei is 1000.00 U.S. dollars a month. From the gondola we could see tenement housing, farms on the sides of hills made in "steps", and some nicer homes.  At the top, there were so many tea houses. We had an authentic afternoon tea in Taiwan, and have come to enjoy Oolong tea. Nathan, again, slept along some of the ride. But woke up for the ride down, and had a great time tapping on the windows!

        We both agree that besides getting Nathan, this was one of our favorite days in Taiwan.

Hugs in the Hotel and Sight Seeing- March 5, 2011

     Now that we have our Visa, we could technically leave Taipei, but we had booked our flight providing us with wait time in case the Visa was not issued. We now have a few days to enjoy having Nathan without appointments and to just explore Taipei.
    Nathan's getting on a more regular feeding and sleeping schedule. We had been warned that the transition could be hard, and the first day was what we had expected. He didn't eat much and was restless when it came to sleeping. He tossed and turned during the night and woke up early. While he still fights going to sleep, he's sleeping several hours at a time. He's taking bottles and eating his rice. He's almost purring when it comes to food, making it obvious he wants more. We're hoping we don't see the "hunger strike" some adopted children go through when they change homes.
    While the sights are amazing here, I love being at our hotel with Nathan. He's so fond of the big bed and has a fun personality. He can be quiet, but then rev up and start making silly noises. He loves to cuddle and will stop playing to crawl over and nuzzle his head up to our cheeks. His smile is so bright and his eyes are unlike any I've ever seen. We look at him and ask how we got so lucky.

       We've had our share of new parent moments. Considering we're new at this and in a foreign country, living out of suitcases and having all the appoinments, I'm not going to get too worried -yet :) We cheered at the first messy diaper, taking it as a sign of a healthy boy!  We've learned that eating with chopsticks while holding a baby doesn't work, and that in Taiwan, he had better have his entire body covered.  Any time his pants ride up on him, no matter where we've been, an old woman has come up to us speaking, of course, in all words we can't understand, and pulled his pants down to cover any bare skin. (It's in the 70's here!!!)
      Today we went out with a friend of Greg's brother Doug's, Ching-Mei. Her father is Taiwanese and she took us around the area. It was so nice to have someone to talk to and show us the sights. We went to a famous restraurant where busloads of people get dropped off to try the dumplings. Then we visited the  Chian-Kai Shek memorial. From there it was to the History Museaum where we had tea and parted from Ching Mei. Before leaving she directed a cab driver to take us to another famous temple in Taiwan.

     We were again the only Americans, and while I know Nathan is a cute baby,  we really create some looks and discussions from people. Everywhere we go Nathan seems to get so much attention. At the temple a woman pulled us aside and directed us to a line of people. We noticed that more women were at the end, waving incense and praying over  people. In the line, it was clear that parents were bringing their children. As we stood and waited, I wondered how the Chinese people felt about us taking part in their religious ceremony. In the end, we came to one conclusion. How could a prayer for your child, in any religion be wrong?  So, while we have NO idea what she said, the woman intensely prayed over Nathan. We bowed in respect and left the temple once again amazed by the warmth of these people.

A Taiwanese American Boy! March 4, 2011

         We sighed another sigh of relief today. In the eyes of our government, Chang Wei became Nathan Wei Homoelle, and received his U.S. Visa.  We arrived at the American Institute of Taiwan for our 8:00 appointment to see at least 50 Chinese people in line outside the door and twice as many inside already. Since we had an appointment, we could head to the third floor, where it was much less crowded. To see all of those people applying to come to the U.S made us smile with pride. We are blessed to live in a land of opportunity.

       After a few more documents to be completed and a 1 hour 30 minute wait, we were called to a window. Greg and I had to take an oath that everything in our documents was correct, and then the interview began. We had been told this could be a daunting interview. There is so much speculation about corruption that both the Taiwanese government and the U.S want to make sure this was not a money making scheme or that any trafficing is involved. We were asked specifics about where all of our fees went to. While adoption seems expensive, what people don't see is the amount of bureaucratic paperwork and court cases, translation fees, and so much more. Now that we've been here and seen all the people that need to be involved to make it successful we are confident that the Taiwan program is legitimate.  Our interviewer was American and had a 5th grader himself, so I think that helped us a little :)  However, the number one reason it went so well was due to All God's Children being so thorough.
       Nathan had no idea how important today was.  He just hung onto Greg as we answered questions. We were told to come back and pick up his Visa at 2:30.  So, after the 3 of us napped, we woke up and walked back to the AIT building.   With that, all the formalities of our adoption is now over in Taiwan. Once we get back to the states we'll start a readoption process to give him a U.S birth certificate and SS number. For now, Nathan Wei is ready for the U.S.A!

Farewell to Taitung, March 3, 2011

     With all of the business finished in Taitung for Nathan's Visa, we had half of the day before our flight back to Taipei to explore the area and take in all the little details about Nathan's homeland. San San and Jeremiah picked us up at the Naruwan after check out and took us out and about. As the social worker at AGCI says, we wore Nathan all over the town!

    We were taken to a tea shop, very popular places in Taiwan. Instead of our smoothie shops, they use tea to make different drinks. Greg had a tea, milk drink with pudding chunks at the bottom. My tea had little blue/black balls in it at the bottom. San San and Jeremiah had a big laugh when I asked "What is it?" They said "Just try it." and I asked, "Is it fish eggs?" San San said it was tapioca, and I told her it didn't look like the tapioca I have had! I finally tried it and it was very good. I'm still hoping it was some sort of tapioca!  

      After tea, our first stop was to the beach. They realized that we don't see the ocean a lot in Ohio, and we were able to take some beautiful pictures. Taiwan can be hit hard by earthquakes and typhoons, and so the water levels have varied through the years, creating a beautiful landscape of coral and driftwood. There is also some volcanic activity, which has made for dark grey sand. It was neat to see, and Nathan just hung on daddy the whole time.

       Then we were off the to the market. We just kept snapping pictures of all the amazing fresh fruits, vegetables, and yes, meat and seafood. Nothing is wasted when it comes to meat/fish here. So, I'll try not to post the REALLY interesting stuff. This is also where you bargain for the price. San San did all the negotiating for us. Budda fruit are really special in Taiwan. We were able to buy 3 for 100 New Taiwanese dollars, which is about 3 dollars in the U.S.  My favorite place was the candy shop. I have a bag of candy waiting for David, Rosie, Michael, Sam, Colby, Shayne and Hailey. They just have to promise to "Try it." as San San would say!

      Nathan was fantastic again, falling asleep along the way. Daddy really enjoyed getting to cuddle with him in the Ergo as well.

       Next stop, the hospital where Nathan was born. It is more of a clinic. We were so lucky to get to meet one of the doctors who had cared for Nathan's birth mother. He actually stopped working with a patient to meet us and talk with us. A nurse did the same. We were amazed that he would take time to see us. In the US, we would have been billed for that for sure!

          Afterwards, it was off to lunch before heading to the airport. We had a great meal here. Greg had 3 pot chicken. I was wanting a more stable meal, so I was thrilled to see shrimp fried rice. By this point, we're both very good with chop sticks.

         .

         The restroom is a different story. We read about the toilets in some parts of Taiwan. For gentelmen, there's really no difference. Well, except for that the cleaning ladies really don't care whether you're in there or not. Greg came out with a funny look on his face and said a woman was cleaning away while he, well, you know. Most of the places I've had to "go" in have had regular toilets. There was one occasion though when I just had to go, and when I walked into the restroom I was faced with this dilemma.

      No, this picture is not positioned wrong. This is a little tunnel on the FLOOR.  Hmmmm.  What would you do? 

        It was time for our flight back to Taipei. We were sad to leave Nathan's homeland. Everyone in Taitung has been so kind to us. They try to speak English to talk to us, and they do everything they can to make us feel welcome. Their smiles alone are welcoming. They are kind, hardworking, generous people who live simple lives and just enjoy each day.

       When we arrived at the airport, we had special guests. The nannies at Hannah's Hope wanted to say goodbye one more time to Nathan. It is a testament for just how wonderful these women are to the babies. Nathan is so healthy and happy because of them. He's been so loved. This is not normal in international adoption, and we've found a special place in our hearts for Hannah's Hope and the people there. We will not forget them. They rushed to the car when I stepped out holding Nathan and just smothered him with their last goodbyes. They were in tears and so were we. As we ascended into the air, both of us couldn't help feeling as though a part of our heart was still in Taitung.

     

       On to our fantastic evening. We were so excited when we were able to contact the family of a little boy who kept showing up in Nathan's pictures. I had asked our case manage about the little boy, and found out his name was Will. I was able to email Will's family. They sent us an email saying we might cross paths in Taiwan. Sure enough, their  last night here was our first night back in Taipei as we wait for the Visa appointment. They were staying at the same hotel we are, the Rido in Taipei. We were so anxious to see whether the boys recognized each other. Will was the lively boy we saw in the videos and pictures and Nathan was the same chilled out, calm little guy. Since Will's adoptive dad is Taiwanese, he was able to order us a great meal. We enjoyed sharing our journeys and agreed we will meet in Nashville once a year to let the boys see each other. They are from Alabama and we will certainly keep in touch. Both boys had their heads shaved. Look at how much Nathan has compared to Will!  So cute!

     It was the end of another great day. Tomorrow... we'll hopefully make Nathan a U.S citizen!

Home Sweet Home, March 2, continued

        After meeting Nathan's birth mother we had to do more business. We officially changed Nathan's home address from Hannah's Hope to ours. We had to visit what Taiwan calls the House Hold Registry.  Thank goodness we have San San and Jeremiah with us. They are Taiwanese and employed by All God's Children. San San is a social worker, and she took care of all of our documents.  It was the final thing we needed to do in Taitung to apply for Nathan's Visa.

       San San has also been helpful when it comes to food. She took us to a local restaurant where we had an excellent meal. Greg had a hot pot, like Taiwanese mini stove and you cook the food yourself. I had curry noodles, and splattered it all over myself trying to eat with chopsticks. Nathan, he had a nap. I can't believe how good he's been. We've had to go so many places. We carry him in our Ergo, and along the way he will catch a nap.

Nathan, sleeping soundly in a busy restaurant. His tiger outfit was for his birth mom to see, since he was born in the Year of the Tiger.

        When we've been on our own, we've had some challenges. Tuesday night we tried the food at the Naruwan where we were staying.  There is a ton of seafood served and some interesting combinations. We thought we had what they called seasonal vegetables. Greg took a bite and said it was spinach, which is what we thought. However, as I brought it to my mouth, I notice something peculiar. The "bean sprouts" had eyes on them.  After repeating to Greg- "Eyes Greg,  eyes, eyes, there's eyes on these things!"  We settled for a very light dinner. It was better than the Doritos and peanuts we had the night before when we couldn't find a restaurant where we could read the menu!  The following night, we weren't up for adventure and went with Doritos and Pringles from 7 Eleven. 

        After Doritos we watched a dance performed from the people of Taitung.  As people filed in to watch the show, they would stop and look at Nathan. At one point a crowd of 7 old women were surrounding me and reaching out to touch him. Of course, I cannot understand what they are saying, but they were just so endearing. It was almost as if they were blessing him. I said "Mamma,  papa, U.S.A, and they smiled, nodded, and would turn to each other and talk. He took it all in, including the show. Greg was asked to be a part of it, but used his lack of  Chinese, and having Nathan  to decline the offer.

       

            Some of our best times with Nathan so far have been play time on the bed in our hotel. I think the fact that all of our beds have been covered in puffy white comforters and pillows has actually made him think he's been in the same place with us. He loves playing peek a boo with the pillows and can stand on his own in the middle of the bed. He is so wonderful. We look at him and wonder how we got this lucky.

       

Where have we been? A Special Meeting, March 2, 2011

       So sorry it took so long for the next post. From Tuesday to Thursday we have been at a different hotel. In the process we lost our internet connection. We finally had to do an entire systems upgrade to figure it out. Greg had his first new daddy moment.  I stepped out of the room while he was trying to figure out the computer. When I walked back in, I found him slouched over with his head in his hands, asleep sitting up. Priceless!  So, while he was in bed sleeping MOMMY fixed the computer!!! Now we're in a different hotel and lots has happened in the past two days.

     Wednesday, March 2, we started the day with a very special meeting. We were able to meet Nathan's birth mother at a place called Morning Light. At 17, she found herself pregnant and in trouble. Her older sister brought her to Morning Light. It is a crisis center, 1 of three in Taiwan.  She had hid her pregnancy for 30 weeks, and knew her father and her family would disown her.  With nowhere to go, Morning Light home offered her refuge and care. She is now back in school and doing well. We wrote her a letter, brought her gifts and Deana Pan, an American missionary who runs the center helped facilitate the meeting.

     When she entered the room, we could do nothing but hug her and cry. (Taiwanese people don't typically hug, so I think we totally overwhelmed her.)  Nathan looks a lot like her.  She is from a tribe known as the Dao - pronounced Dow oo, and looked so young to us. We were able to ask her so many questions that will help us convey to Nathan just how much he is loved.   She knew she could not care for him, but we saw the love she has for him, and we tried to tell her that we will love him for her.

      She is a remarkable young woman. We have some similarities that seem beyond a coincidence. Her father is a farmer. She loves to play volleyball, and plays at school.  When we asked her if she liked animals, she said yes, DOGS!  She is more quiet than I am! Maybe it's because her older sister who was at our meeting often talked for her.
      They shared so much about their culture and their wishes for Nathan. They said his two cowlicks might mean he is going to be a little mischievious or devilish! Perhaps that's what's making him so hard to put down to sleep already. They also mentioned they'd like him to learn Chinese so that he can return home someday-which means I have A LOT of learning to do. We have said two phrases this entire time-Ni hao, and Xie, Xie- pronounced shay shay.

     How do you tell someone how much they've changed your life? I hope she knows. We were so grateful to have that time with her. She made a tough decision to have Nathan and put him up for adoption. In Taiwan, the birthrate is the lowest in the world- about 160, 000 per year. However, the abortion rate is 300,000-350,000 a year. Women can abort at up to 24 weeks. Morning Light home often receives calls from doctors asking them to speak to women about other options. Babies have been thrown out of windows.  Women have brought babies in they've had without going to the hospital. So far up to 60 babies have been born through the work of Morning Light, and our Nathan was one of them.

Morning Light Women's Home in Taitung, Taiwan

Deana Pan, a missionary and her husband Luke, a minister. Deana runs Morning Light and speaks excellent Chinese. She's a strong, determined woman working to bring change, one woman, one baby, one day at a time.

Gotcha Day, March 1, 2011

   In one beautiful moment our hearts and our lives were changed forever.  We waited in the office of Hannah's Hope with such anticipation. And then, the doors opened and out they came with Nathan. I truly don't know how to even describe how wonderful it is to have him at last. He is so beautiful. We had a long day of formalities, and then some crying as Nathan realized his whole world had changed as well. He will certainly continue to grieve the nannies and all the wonderful people at Hannah's Hope and we have seen that already. We spent a good two or more hours helping him and finally he decided to sleep. We had dinner in the hotel, and then it was back to the room.  He definitely was warming up to us as he had a great play time in the room.  He did sleep through the night, almost, only waking up once and needing a little snuggling! I'll leave you with some pictures as we head out for more paperwork.