16 Days

It's been 16 days since we laid eyes on this dream...our answer to prayer. It's been 16 days since we heard Samuel scream for a full hour in protest of being separated from his beloved nanny. It's been 16 days since we watched Joey's plea to become a big brother turn into his reality. It's been 16 days since we watched a cautious, observant little boy show a glimpse of a smile and his sweet personality. It's been 16 days since we first held in our arms this evidence of God's continued faithfulness! 

This is what Joey has longed for.  He has 

asked for months that he and his brother 

would get to ride in the double shopping 

cart.  Last night...success!

Oh, what a difference 16 days makes. 

Since arriving home, we have fully "enjoyed" (sarcasm inserted here) the ramifications of jet lag. The "baby fog" is gradually lifting...at least for now. The brothers have had a hard adjustment with time. The first night home, they were exhausted and slept endlessly. Night 2 was playtime, complete with a movie and home cooked breakfast at 5am! The 3rd night involved wrestling a screaming, wiggly toddler. It also involved being used as a human jungle gym including countless kicks, slaps, and a tooshy in the face. Each night has involved an excited 5 year old sneaking into his brother's room at 2am just to see if it's time to get up and play yet. 

Joey initiated this story time with the 

personalized book from Su Su and Big Joe.  

Both boys were in a trance.

Molly is by far the favored Webb family member.  

Samuel stands in awe of her at every meal 

time.  He reminds us often that we do in fact 

have a "da" in our house.  

After a mandatory introduction to Tex-Mex Sunday night, Samuel only required an hour and a half of full contact wrestling to fall back to sleep. He is a mover and a shaker, even in his sleep! Samuel has continued to wake 3-6 times each night, mostly just requiring a hand on his chest to assure him his family is still close by. Joey and Samuel are good buddies with only a few tifs though out the day. Mostly, they play well together. The language barriers is only a minimum frustration within our family. Thankfully, toys and giggles are universal! 

The only kid I know who eats quesadillas with a 

fork.  Clean hands is rule #1 for this guy!

Joey decided to teach Super Brother Samuel 

some words using an app on Daddy's iPad.  

Apparently he has Samuel on the fast track with the speed 

he tapped through the words.  Slow down!

Over here, we are in need of 

Zzzzzzzz 

Please pray for quality (not even asking for quantity) rest! Jet lag is serious - seriously miserable! Also, Russ is back at work. The man who has graciously taken over cooking, cleaning, and formula making has now returned to his work day.  Joey initially cried about this. Reality sets in and we begin the real adjustment to our "normal" life.  Memory-making ahead...

Cool Stuff Happened in China

Obviously, one super amazing thing happened in China as we became a family of 4, but do you know the other stories?

For all who gave to help the orphans, take a look at the following pictures…

The formula, drum set, and tricycle for the orphanage

Big Brother Joey packing up the bottles to take the orphanage

When our friend Amanda traveled to China in November, she was able to visit with the orphanage director to find out the needs of this specific orphanage that was caring for her son as well as Samuel. She was told that they needed bottles for babies with cleft lip and palate and were unable to locate them locally. Through some confusion and lack of information, I ordered a brand of bottles whose name I was familiar with for specialty bottles. Unfortunately, they also make standard bottles and nipples for healthy babies…I didn’t know that. After realizing I had ordered the wrong supplies and only had 1 week until we left for China, I panicked. God had this whole situation covered though! I made a frantic call to an amazing friend I used to work with who is such a determined go-getter.  She quickly contacted a rep that was able to provide 60+ bottles for these babies. I contacted a Dallas hospital that just happened to have 10 specialty bottle nipples that were “last season” and unable to be charged out. We took all these FREE supplies to China as well as the things we had purchased! WOW! Reps and local hospitals graciously helping babies on the other side of the world. Our suitcases were packed tight, but thankfully these bottle supplies were lightweight. That’s not it though…

Our first morning in Guangzhou, a very sweet lady walked over to us during breakfast. She shared a quick introduction of herself and her beautiful baby girl whom she had adopted a week earlier. We quickly realized a neat reason for our meeting. Her baby girl has a cleft lip/palate. Mandy had been unable to find more than disposable bottles for her daughter before she left for China. We had several donated supplies in our suitcase. Chance? I think not! We agreed to meet up later so that we could share some bottles…and begin an encouraging friendship. She and her husband have been a great encouragement to our family and entertained us with great conversation over a delicious meal while in China!

Yum!  Just look at the choices!

Mandy, Lila, Samuel, Mommy

I was anxious to share with Amanda the neat meeting we had at breakfast that morning. I received a quick message back from Amanda…asking if our new friend was named Mandy. Well, YES! The story only got more interesting to find out that Amanda and Mandy are friends! What? God is amazing! So, we were able to share a few supplies with our new friend as well as take many to the orphanage too.

It’s crazy to me that we made friends while in a foreign country, but even more amazing to have mutual friends! We are still amazed that God connected us to our friends Amanda and Mandy. They have both been a great source of wisdom and faithful prayer warriors too! We also met up with a couple from our hometown who were there adopting their 2 little girls. CRAZY! And we made several other friends from various states. The adoption community is so intriguing and close-knit.

When Russ had visited with Samuel’s nanny on Gotcha Day, she mentioned that formula is a constant need. Much like the cost of formula here in the US, it can be quite expensive. So, the store requires that you pay for it at the register before actually picking up the cans to leave. Because many of our friends and family had given to help these precious orphans, we were able to purchase 12 cans of formula to take to the orphanage when we visited. That’s a lot of formula! In fact, because we purchased so much, we received a “bonus”. We were also given a drum set and a tricycle!! And even though Russ was loaded down with bags and bags of formula (we had walked to the store), he managed to carry the drum set and tricycle too! Yes, I helped a little, but I was also carrying Samuel, so my strong man carried most. And we’re pretty sure the lady at the store was laughing at the thought of all he would be carrying. In the end, God multiplied that money! We walked about with formula and toys! 

The load we took the orphanage required 2 suitcases and a couple additional bags. Thank you to all those who prayed and gave. Because of your faithful support, God provided far more than we had envisioned! And to the parents of Joey’s friends, who gave at his birthday party, please show your little ones the pictures. Every single penny that was given has been passed on to provide for those children waiting for their families! No gift is too small. God listens to your prayers!

The Long Flight Home (1/23/14)

How can we ever forget this trip to China!  The local Chinese dishes were delicious.  God showered us with precious new friendships from across the country and across the ocean!  The good shopping deals were enticing. We had been on the go with appointments or sight-seeing most every day in China.  We were exhausted and ready to be home. Three flights and more than 20 hours in the air, we are back HOME in Texas!  Thursday felt like the day that would never end!  We left at 12:30pm and arrived in Texas about 11:45pm the same day.  I felt like the Time Traveler's Wife.  

My little packing helpers

We were able to meet the brother-in-law of one of my 

close friends I met when I traveled to China in 2002.  

Despite the language barrier, his hospitatlity was unmatched.  

He came bearing many local gifts from Guangzhou.  

 One of our wonderful guides (Aaron), was comforting and 

helpful all along the way.  We hated to say "good-bye".

And Samuel's first flight was great!  

A very ingenious person planned for this fun play area in 

the Seoul airport which we enjoyed just before we boarded 

the plane for a 12 hour flight.  Perfect!

Joey found a little "hidey hole" where he 

could build his 3D puzzle in peace.

Joey's magic show where he licked a disgusting dime 

he found in the gate seating area and 

then stuck it to his face...MAGIC.

Free entertainment!

And this guy LOVES french fries!

Just completed the paperwork for citizenship.  

Samuel is proud to be an American (imagine Lee 

Greenwood playing in the background).

Arrived home in DFW about 11:45pm.

Riding in a car seat is so much different 

than dancing in the bus aisle while traveling bumper to 

bumper down a crowded street in China.

In my opinion, I think every child - no matter the age - should come with a label...

Warning: May cause drowsiness.  

Use caution when operating heavy machinery.

Our first night home was really quite surprising and peaceful.  Of course, we've never done this before, so we only knew what we had read or heard from others.  And like most other parenting experience, you just can't fully "get" it until you're there.  After a quick house exploration and introduction to Handy Manny, we bathed both boys and put them to bed.  Despite a small objection by Samuel (who wanted to continue hanging with Manny), both boys were fast asleep by 3:00am.  I slept in the Samuel's bedroom floor with him.  He was not too sure of his new bed and I didn't feel it was fair to leave him alone so soon.  Samuel only woke up once.  Joey slept 'til noon, Samuel 'til 1:00pm.  Russ woke up in time to take my mom to the airport and make a Wal-Mart run.  The rest of us had a PJ day.

The past 11 days with Samuel remind me of the newborn phase.  He has gradually gone from waking every couple of hours to once a night, but the "baby fog" has not quite lifted yet.  I told Russ that I probably shouldn't be operating any heavy machinery beyond the toilet or maybe the refrigerator.  Definitely not the stove!  I'm relying on autocorrect too much and we know that autocorrect itself can get someone in pretty big trouble.  We have enjoyed staying home today and just getting to know each other.  One moment I feel like we just met Samuel and the next I feel like we've been together for months.  We've spent a lot of time playing, reading, and helping Samuel become more familiar with home.  The day had been pretty uneventful until this evening.  No one wants to hear Joey yell "Ooooh, gross!  He's pooping in the bathtub!"  Consider us "broken in" as Russ puts it!

He's such a sweet little boy with a tiny bit of naughty mixed in!  

There's No Place That Far

We board the plane in just a few hours.  After 3 flights and many hours in the sky, we'll be home.  Samuel will be a US citizen the moment we step off the plane in LA.  

That's so hard to believe when I think back to the past 15 months.  It has flown by, but it has required much waiting.  It's been extremely stressful, but we've seen God's hand in each step.  When we wake up next to a snuggly baby boy, we are quickly reminded that the process has been so worth it.  

We are exhausted.  We know there will be difficult days ahead.  Jet lag will take over our clear thoughts (I love my sleep).  Emotions will take over at some point...both ours and his.  Still, this the story of God's guidance and goodness in adding another baby to our family.  And we would do it again.  No question about it.  As we sat in a coffee shop awaiting our shuttle yesterday, a Sara Evans song on the radio summed it up...

Oh, if I had to run, if I had to crawl

If I had to swim a hundred rivers

Just to climb a thousand walls

Always know that I would find a way

To get to where you are

There's no place that far

Baby, there's no place that far

We would fly around the world a million times to bring you home, baby boy.  Samuel, there is no place that far!

There's No Place Like Home

Part of me is sad to be taking Samuel from China. No child deserves to grow up in an institution, but those were his comforts just 10 short days ago. That’s was all he knew. He has spent far more days without a momma than with a momma – birth mommy or forever mommy combined.   We are excited to say that we see big changes daily in Samuel's attitude and reaction to all of us!

Samuel's introduction to pizza

Samuel loves to snuggle when he first wakes up. He loves to be rocked at naptime and bedtime. There are sweet and sad moments when Samuel wakes at night just to make sure we are still nearby. I wonder if anyone else has ever peering over his crib at night just to watch him sleep? We do…often. In the past 2 days, he has began to freely give kisses, complete with the smacking sound. 

Hoo Hoo and the boys skyping with Paw Paw

Thankfully we continue to see improvements in his bonding. Samuel and Daddy have had far more giggly moments together. Russ was able to hold Samuel today as we were shopping.  I think they both enjoyed it!  It's these moments that give us much hope and joy.  Samuel is getting comfortable enough to venture a few feet from us, but is still very much aware of our presence. As much as we have enjoyed this trip, it’s now time to get Joey and Samuel home. Dodging cars is fun, but our boys want to run free! 

When will “home” really feel like “home” to him? 

As we prepare for our long flight back home Thursday, here’s a blog that some might find interesting. It was insight for me too. We’re never done this before. So much to learn and live… 

One of our favorite restaurants

And this wonderful young man took great care of us there. 

 Joey made friends all over the place.

Our sweet friend, Dana, was so kind to us!

China is dirty, yet beautiful. It’s chaotic, but feels safe. It’s crowded, yet comfortable. We have fully enjoyed our time here! We can’t help but appreciate the country, which has given us our little boy!  We are still in awe of God's goodness in this journey!

My Mom is Wonder Woman

When we mentioned to my mom the possibility of her coming to China, she never hesitated. We needed someone to help with Joey. And being that my mom is more than willing to travel, she’s CHINESE, and she has NEVER BEEN TO CHINA, it seemed like a win-win for all of us. 

I have to brag on her. She has never missed a beat! She has kept up with a very active little 5 year old boy. She has washed and folded more laundry than I can even fathom. My mom has eaten (without complaint) from “hole in the wall” restaurants. She has entertained Joey while we have gone to countless appointments and meetings for Samuel. She has survived playing “frogger” across the crowded streets. She has walked a million miles on tours, at the zoo, shopping excursions, and helped chase Samuel.

 Your Majesty

Chin Family Temple

Mom has been sensitive to our need to bond as a family of 4. She has been supportive of our request to be the only ones to feed and comfort our newest son. Yet, she has loved him in such a way that he enjoys playing games with her and actually seeks her out when we come back to the hotel room. 

She has taken in the sights and sounds of the country her parents traveled from 70+ years ago. She has practiced her Chinese with the locals. She has been a sweet blessing to us all. My mom is wonder woman, without a doubt! We couldn’t have done this trip as gracefully without her.

 On the dinner cruise

Samuel teaching Hoo Hoo how to play Leap Pad.

What It Means to be a Big Brother

We prepared Joey as much as we could for this trip and the changes that were to come. We’ve talked about how Samuel would probably cry a lot. He might be scared of us or angry. We explained that he would need to spend a lot of time with Mommy and Daddy learning to trust. We would need to feed him and take care of him in every way. And we told Joey how his little brother has not had a family and would need to learn that a family takes care of each other. To my surprise, Joey has adjusted so much easier than I expected. In fact, we have seen a great deal of compassion, patience, and love. It shouldn’t be that big of a surprise though given that we’ve prayed for this brotherly bond to form and grow. Joey has talked about having a brother far longer than we’ve been in this adoption process. He has longed for a constant playmate and that he now has! 

On the way to China, we repeatedly heard “I can’t wait to get my brother. It’s going to be so great!” And now all we hear is “my brother is so precious” quickly followed up with a quick kiss for his brother. And Samuel seems to feel the playful, loving attitude Joey has towards him. They play very well together. They giggle a lot.  They run and chase each other.  Joey is anxious to see Samuel first thing in the morning. He constantly gets in Samuel’s face and sings “cute little baby”. There are times that Samuel needs his space and Joey continues to shower him with kisses. We’re kind of working on that, but for now just enjoying this sweet bond forming between our boys. 

Our two little joeys at the zoo

The orphanage nanny said Samuel prefers a shower over a bath, 

which probably means that it was faster to shower all those little 

ones than have bath time.   

It turns out he's quite a fan of baths with his brother!

By the time the splashing seized, it looked like a 

tsunami swept through the bathroom.

When asked about being a big brother, this is what Joey said… 
I like baby-sitting. 
I like to play games with my brother. 
I like to watch shows with him. 

And he describes Samuel as… 
Precious 
Very Cute

A Starbucks date with my little big man!

Daddy and Joey snuck out for a little guy time.

I just had to throw this one in there for laughs.  I got up 

from my nap to find that these 2 guys sleep the exact 

same way.  One kiddo looks like Daddy.  

The other acts like Daddy.  We're in trouble!!!

A Place Called "Home" (1/17/14)

After an almost 3 hour van ride, we arrived at the place Samuel called home for several months before moving to the most recent orphanage. We are grateful for the opportunity to see the place where our little guy lived and a little saddened at the same time. We weren’t able to look inside, but seeing the outside was enough for me. We snapped a few pictures there before continuing to the most recent orphanage, where Samuel has lived for about 3 months. It’s new. It’s clean. I’m not sure what I expected. The building itself was clean, white, sterile in appearance…unlike any “home” I’ve ever seen. They are proud of this new building and I’ll admit it was rather nice. There was a room where babies and young children are observed as soon as they arrive at the orphanage. There were rooms filled with metal cribs and sleeping children as it was nap time when we arrived. There was a room with walkers and a few other riding toys. We saw a concrete outside patio area on the 2nd floor, which was the outside play area. No cool shade, but in the direct sunlight. It didn’t resemble any bedroom, play room, or backyard play area I had ever observed. Still, it’s all our little guy has known.

 Our view from the van on the way to the orphanage

In front of the old orphanage

The building wasn’t the part that worried me. It was Samuel and his nanny reuniting that caused a little anxiety. Seeing how Samuel screamed for a full hour when we first met him on Gotcha Day, our guide suggested that I put Samuel in the carrier and not allow his nanny to hold him. The screaming was a good thing meaning he had bonded with someone.  It meant he would likely have a little easier time attaching to us.  I was very much aware of her concern though…possibly causing a 2nd scream fest when he was separated from his nanny again. I was worried about the same thing! I also felt a huge heaviness in my own heart for this sweet nanny. As Russ asked detailed questions of her on Gotcha Day just 4 days earlier, she was sobbing. It was obvious she loves our Samuel. In my mind, I wasn’t sure how I would feel later knowing we had denied her one last chance to hold our sweet boy. I was torn.  I wrestled with the scenario in my mind and asked God how to best handle that situation. Once we arrived at the orphanage and Samuel’s nanny spotted us, I knew. I saw her red eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t walk away that day without giving her the chance for one last hug. For a split second, I felt as if I was taking her baby away. She knows that being part of a family is best for him, but I imagine it’s still a heart wrenching process for her to watch. We saw her for a moment and then walked to another area.

The new orphanage

We made our way to the director’s office to drop off donations before going to see Samuel’s bedroom and playroom. Then, it was upstairs where we saw his nanny again. We took a few pictures together and then I quickly loosened the straps on the carrier. She helped me untie the straps. She was obviously anxious to hold our baby boy. And he wasn’t fearful of going to her, but he didn’t seem extremely excited either. I wonder what his little mind was thinking. She only held him for a couple minutes before she asked him where his mama was…he put his arms out for me. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was proof we had bonded. As Russ put it, I think it was a relief for us all. His nanny knew he was being loved and cared for. As his parents, we knew that good things were happening in our relationship. We are bonding!

Us with Samuel's nanny - the kind woman 

who has poured lots of love into our little guy's life

We walked a little farther to take more pictures. Some older girls from the orphanage spotted Samuel and called out his Chinese name. We had seen pictures hanging on the wall of children waiting for families. I’ll admit the board of pictures wasn’t as large as I had expected, but I realize too that it didn’t include the older children living at the orphanage. Where were their pictures? They need families too. That fact tugged at our hearts. For me, it may have been the most upsetting part of our visit.

I had strapped Samuel in the carrier before we had finished our tour. He seemed comfortable and completely calm. He didn’t seem bothered at all as we left that orphanage…his “home”…for the last time. What happened on the way back to the hotel was entertaining and quite amazing! He was a different kiddo!

 The child who had remained quiet and guarded for the past 4 days was giggling – really giggling. We had seen a smile here and there, a little more often as the days went on, but not that kind of belly laugh. It was music to our ears! He teased his Daddy with a French fry. They played peek-a-boo. He was eager to get attention from Daddy. Samuel and Joey teased each other and played the Leap Pad together. Samuel had a new look about him - a playful, mischievous smile on his face. It might have had something to do with the 2 hour nap he had on the way to the orphanage. But, I believe he was finally able to fully let his guard down. He had been back to the orphanage and then left shortly with his family. He was on his way home – to a real home where the floors are littered with cars and blocks, where cheeks are smothered in kisses, where an abundance of clothes are crammed into his closet right between the bookshelf and the Little People barn. Samuel knows he’s right where he belongs!

He's right where he belongs!

This is What Family Is

The first two days after we met Samuel, we spent some time completing paperwork for travel and making our adoption official.  Today was our first day of sight seeing and I have to admit that it was nice not visiting a government office.  Instead, our wonderful guide took us to the Ghuangzhou Museum to learn more about the culture and livelihood of this area.  

The little guy's nap almost got in the way!

Daddy and Samuel checking out the unique fish and mammal exhibit. 

And Big Brother was very interested in the dinosaur exhibit. 

These fast little legs had to take a break to the let the others catch up!

After a much needed nap for us all, we enjoyed the beautiful koi ponds and gardens around our hotel.  We know for sure that our little guy loves bubbles!  He had Daddy blowing so many bubbles, I thought Russ might pass out!   

That's one proud Daddy watching his bubble-chasing boy 

 Learning to blow bubbles.  Look at those cute puckered lips!

Joey getting ready to go on an adventure with Daddy.  Looking for cranky 

fish to feed so they can get across the bridge!

And tomorrow we have the opportunity to visit the orphanage where Samuel has lived and meet the ladies who have invested in his little life.