Never Going to Let You Go (1/14/14)

We’ve got him! He has a family! Life is sweet! 

After much waiting and tons of paperwork, we now are the proud parents of another little boy! I have to give huge credit to my wonderful husband who has successfully filled out every piece of paperwork with precision and full dedication to our son! The paperwork trail didn’t stop back in Texas. It was merely halted for a moment during flight. He has taken care of the business side so I could panic and prepare!

Our group of 3 families met in the hotel lobby at 2pm today (midnight for most of our friends and family). It’s amazing what adoption can do…WE WERE ON TIME! Yep, write that down!  We all gathered on a bus and drove to the civil affairs office about 30 minutes away. Picture it, a bus with children on board and no car seats! I have to laugh because cautious little Joey made sure to at least put his lap belt on without prompting. Safety first! On the way there, our guide explained a little of what to expect…except she forgot (and probably didn’t even know) to mention the sardine can we were about to enter.

Just before we loaded on the bus

You can't even tell how nervous we were.

When we arrived at the civil affairs office, we took the elevator upstairs to a room where millions (ok, maybe an exaggeration…or maybe not) of our closest friends were gathered. There were orphanage nannies, guides, adopting families, several scared adopted children, and so we fit right in. Of the 3 families, we knew we would go one at a time, but we didn’t expect to be first. Holy Cow! It was like being at the DMV, except they didn’t call our number. They called our child’s name…”Hui Cheng Zi”. We stepped up, quickly scrambled to hand our camera to a friend in our group, and proceeded to the middle of the room - the room filled with millions of our closest friends. And there in that moment, a nanny handed our son to us. She just handed him over. Was there crying? YES! Was there some kicking too? Yep! Did we feel like we were wrestling an octopus blind-folded with one arm tied behind our backs? You bet! And it was wonderful! Not that feeling completely helpless to comfort your own child is wonderful. That was the hardest part. But, it sure felt amazing to hold the little guy who brings so much hope and joy to our lives. We were finally able to get our arms around that little guy we had asked God for many times! It seemed like a dream. It happened too fast to really process it.

Daddy holding his little boy for the first time 

Trying to comfort our little one 

Now, this is the moment I had dreamed about for so long. 

Our first family photo together

Picture a sweaty baby strapped in an infant carrier wearing 10 pounds of arctic clothing. I’d be screaming too! We took off a couple layers.  We had gone to the office without jackets yet he arrived seemingly from Alaska.  We walked around the crowded room. I’m certain his screaming prompted a chain reaction from other children. He was very adamant that he was not comfortable with us and desperately wanted to go back with his nanny. In fact, she walked over and tried to hold him at one point. I cringed and held tight to MY baby. Her heart was well-meaning because she loves our little boy. But, he needed to know that he has a family now. Eventually, he wore himself down. He was almost asleep by the time we arrived back at the hotel. While Russ went to buy some necessities, Joey and I spent time in the hotel with Little Brother. The little guy relaxed quite a bit and even showed a smile or two. In the few pictures we have received over the past 6 months, we had yet to see him smile. Ahhhh, it is contagious! In that moment, I took a deep breath and felt God's comfort wrapped tightly around us.

We enjoyed a little take-out tonight. Russ said he was impressed with my ability to eat with chopsticks while holding a child. The real impressive part was that the child lying in my lap was not covered in rice by the time I finished eating! Joey put himself to bed (obviously he was wiped out) and Little Brother is sleeping as I type. Little Brother has been pretty easy to console for the most part. He’s warming up to his Daddy. He hasn’t likely been around many men. He especially likes when Daddy goes to the store and brings back a can of Pringles! That is a sure sign of a great Daddy! He likes the carrier we purchased, which is a good thing since I determined to carry him often to make up for lost cuddle time together. He’s willing to try any new food just like his Big Brother. He’s pretty comfortable with hugs and kisses from us. Over all, I’d say he been very relaxed and easy going, especially given the kind of crazy day he has had. 

Joey couldn't be any more proud of his little brother.

Underneath the layers of clothes, Little Brother was wearing 

the shirt made especially for him by his super talented Su Su.  

Wear it proudly, my son.  You are so very much loved!

Pretty cute, hu?

Being a big brother will wear a guy out!

Every little boy needs to know the comfort 

of falling asleep in his Mommy or Daddy's arms.

And my mom? Well, she is A-Mazing! She has been glued to Joey’s side, right where we need her the most. She hasn’t missed a beat and has quietly taken it all in. At one point, Little Brother went to stand by her for comfort when he was feeling uncertain about us. He knows a good Hoo Hoo when he sees one! 

There have been some difficult and stressful moments of the day, but we would do it all again in a heartbeat! He’s so worth it! God’s blessing is so worth it!

A Day in the Life of Samuel (1/16/14)

A few things we've learned so far about our son...

1.  He is a runner and not in the "26.2" kind of way.  He has one speed, even when going down steps...FAST.

2.  He is opinionated, determined, and stubborn.  God has big plans for this little guy!

3.  He likes clean hands.  He just likes clean.  Whether eating chocolate or picking his nose, he wants his hands clean afterwards.  He even picks up spilled snacks and puts them back in his cup without prompting.  This could be a very very good thing!

4.  He likes Legos, bubbles, and chocolate.

5.  He is ticklish and snorts when he laughs.  We've seen and heard more of this as time goes on.  Please continue to pray for our attachment as a family and for bonding with Daddy.  We see gradual improvements each day.  

6.  He likes to eat.  This little guy has yet to refuse anything we've offered.  He's much like his big brother in this way and we're thankful.

7.  He is easily entertained by looking at pictures of himself or his reflexion.  Seems like a typical 2 year old, hu?

8.  He just might be a climber. Oh no!

9.  His first English word (or at least the first we've heard)...bye bye (complete with hand wave).

10. Unfortunately, he may be more like his momma than we want.  It looks like he might have some stress-related eczema (or maybe food allergies).  Please pray that we can find a remedy for this crazy itchy rash.

 "We're twins!" says Joey

 Webb, party of 4

And this is the face we wake up to.

Our time together is becoming more enjoyable for us all.  There are still some tears and anxiety, but I have to remind myself that we only just begun this life together as a family.  Considering that, it's been wonderful and better than expected.  The Lord has given us sweet moments, laughter, and unforgettable memories.  The love is growing as we spend more time together!   

Picture Time (1/15/14)

Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Joey standing guard.

What a cute couple.

The boys playing bubbles in the park.

A walk in the park.

You want a snack?

A proud grandmother and Samuel playing Leap Pad.

A big smile!!!

It's Official (1/15/14)

We are proud to introduce you to …

SAMUEL ANDERSON ZI

I don’t know why, but I stressed about Super Brother’s name.  I guess it’s the same reason I stress about a lot of things…control and planning. We looked over the same lists for months.  I prayed for a specific name and that we would just know. Then, one day…two names from the lists stood out to me.  I immediately texted Russ because I knew my memory would fail me at some point that day.  Then, I began reading about both names, hoping that God would confirm in that moment.  And He did!  He’s cool like that!  In fact, my heart started pounding as if Russ has surprised me with a weekend getaway to France!  There was a sigh of relief at the same time.  As I read in 1 Samuel, my heart clung to the story of Elkanah (HINT: We didn’t choose the name Elkanah) and Hannah.  Specifically, my eyes were fascinated by the words “I asked the Lord for him.”  So, although this little Samuel wasn’t born from my body, he is most definitely one of the most precious gifts we have received!  We most definitely asked the Lord for him and we are grateful!  And so, we decided on Samuel Anderson Zi.

While all of our grandparents were/are amazing influences in our lives, we couldn’t very well name our son after ALL of them.  And so we chose Anderson.  Anderson was my Grandma Stell’s maiden name.  That name has been on my mind for awhile.  My Grandma Stell was pretty great, as grandmothers tend to be. She is the reason I was well versed in Dialing for Dollars on the noontime news and RC Cola.  She took time for me and fully invested in my life, despite not being able to do the “typical” activities of today’s Grandmas.  She showed loved!  And I love that our little Samuel has the privilege of sharing her name!!!!

And Zi is part of his Chinese name.   It's what his nannies have called him.  It means beautiful.  Zi describes what our son and his story mean to us….simply beautiful!  Not perfect, but full of beauty.  In helping to preserve his “identity”, we chose to keep that name .  While that chapter of his life will still shape a part of who he is, thankfully he’s no longer an orphan.  

He is a son, a little brother, a long prayed-for blessing to our family!

Leaving something good...for something greater

Change is hard. it's very much a struggle for me as an adult. I imagine that drastic change will be extremely difficult for our littlest one to say the least. But there have been many situations where we're asked to leave something good for something that is so much better. Except, many times we can't see what greatness lies ahead because all we know is that moment. Maybe a job, new home and especially our lives before we took that leap of faith to trust our Father. Today, Little Brother will be leaving his "home". He never asked for this.  He has no choice in the matter.  We know that God loves families though. He does! And He wants the best for us. 

The nannies have loved Little Brother very well with the time and resources available to them. He has a roof over his head. He has clothes to keep him warm. He has food in his tummy. He still has more than many other orphans, yet he lacks one thing ...until tomorrow! Please be in prayer for him and the awareness he has as he leaves his "home". He will be scooped up by a nanny and taken on a long bus or train ride to a city he does not know and will then be placed in the arms of people he has never met (hopefully he has been shown our pictures). There are great things ahead for this little guy. More than he can even imagine. And while he struggles to comprehend the uncertainties of a family, we know this choice has been made for him in love. And love him we will because we have been given an abundance of love by our Father! So tomorrow we will welcome him with open arms into our family…his forever family! We may do things that seem crazy to him, but only because we’re so crazy in love with him!

And so, at 8:48pm in China tonight, we are all snuggly tucked in our beds.  Based on the schedule we were given today, Super Brother is likely being tucked in bed at this time too.  Then, at 2pm tomorrow (about 12am Monday for our TX friends), we will meet 2 other families in the lobby of our hotel as we anxiously travel to meet our long-awaited children.  Ahhhh, I can hardly sleep, but there is much sleep to be had after days of travel.

My littlest Love, this bed awaits you!

Just one more night as an orphan.

And for us, just one more night without you.

Leavin' On a Jet Plane...

For your reading enjoyment, we have a guest blogger sharing thoughts as we traveled half way around the world!  It's none other than my amazing husband and soon-to-be father of 2...

One last picture at home as a family of 3.  

The empty bedroom will be empty no longer.

What an unusual flight. No, nothing strange or exciting about the actual flight. Everything so far is just like the hundreds of other flights I have been on over the years. No, for me, it's the purpose of this flight. Every other flight has been for work, with a task to complete, contacts to make, knowledge to share. Or the flight was for fun. Beaches, snow, far away lands with the promise of adventure. Maybe the flight was to celebrate. A wedding. A birthday. Being with the ones we love on a special day. Not this flight. This flight is to complete something. To fill a gap, find the missing piece. No, this flight is different. This flight is to unite me with my son! 

Or is this flight that different? I have a crystal clear purpose. To get my son. We have prepared for many hours for this purpose. I will make contacts and share knowledge, both with one very special boy. There will be a special celebration. Not a wedding or a birthday, but a Gotcha Day. I will be with the ones I love on this special day. Joey is next to me and Dawn is just behind me. My new son is many miles ahead. So loved ones will be on this trip. There will be fun and adventure in a far away land. For Dawn, Joey and me, we will be in the far away land in a matter of hours. For our new son, the far away land will be our home. Please Lord let it become his home quickly. 

Leaving Seoul, South Korea for our last flight heading to China.

So, this flight is different. Is doesn't have one purpose like so many of the other flights, it has many goals. It has all the goals of all the flights before plus more! A single focus, to get our son, that closes one chapter in his life and begins a new chapter with us.

He Gives Good Gifts

We received our long awaited travel approval (TA) earlier this week. Not that we’ve been waiting specifically for TA so long, but just ready to board that plane on our way to our little guy. I’m still giddy with excitement! We received our TA a few days before we expected.  Our adoption process has fallen within the time frame as most other adoptions. Even with some delays in the beginning, we’re still right around 15 months from start to Gotcha. The biggest request I had recently is that we could hold our Super Brother before his 2nd birthday on February 1st. With Chinese New Year approaching at the end of January and the fact that the government offices are closed for celebration, if we did not travel before CNY, our sweet little guy would celebrate another birthday without the comfort of his family. Would he be ok with that? My guess is “yes”. Would his family accept it and still anticipate his Gotcha? Of course we would. Seems like a legitimate request though, right? And who was I begging (more than just asking) for this? The God – Our God – who loves to wow and humble us. He tells us to ask of Him and I did. He did not disappoint! While receiving our TA earlier this week IS going to fulfill our request, I had no clue until a day or 2 later just how special this timing really was. There are families who received TA one day – just 1 day - after ours who are planning for February travel. Just like when we found out God had given us Joey…completely floored and humbled that He would choose to bless us in this way. It may seem like a small request, but for us it means the world! He gives good gifts! 

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to 

your children, how much more will your Father in heaven 

give good gifts to those who ask him! 

Matthew 7:11 

 And so with that great anticipate, we pack and we pack! Preparing for: 

GOTCHA DAY JANUARY 13, 2014