"I am your beloved child, I am loved by you!"

What's with that title?  There is a lot to update about our sweet Nong Gluay Hom!  She is doing so fabulously well.  I may bullet point some of the things she is learning or doing...

- She learns by song.  Her favorite seems to be the post title:)  We will be in the car or in the house doing normal stuff, and she will break into song, singing/shouting LOUDLY, "I AM YOUR BELOVED CHILD!  I AM LOVED BY YOU!"  Thank you kids church for that one:)  And she will invite (demand) us to sing along.  Some other favorites are "Happy Birthday" and "every good and perfect gift".

-  She repeats alot of what we say, and I am beginning to understand some of her English!  She probably says more English than I realize, because it comes with a cute Thai-accented lisp:)

-  She is letting me brush (and floss) her teeth!!  Praise Jesus.  Sometimes with a struggle, but hey.

-  She is still all Daddy's girl, but her and I are bonding famously, and she really does love all of us it seems.  I got my first kiss the other day!  I was the last one to receive her kiss, as Dave and the boys got kisses early on.  She asked me to leave her alone in the bathroom, so after I left and closed the door, she yelled, MOMMY!!  I went in to her puckering up, ready for it:)  What a victory!  Sometimes she wants to call Dave, and when he picks up, she kisses the phone.  No talking, just kissing:)

-  She is still loving the noodles!  When she has a choice, she picks ramen noodles to eat.  Even for breakfast sometimes!

-  We had to deal with lice this week... yuck!  Poor thing has been itching her head for a month, but I never found any lice until this week.  Trying to comb out nits on a squirmy 2 year old that won't sit still, and doesn't like TV, so you can forget that distraction... not a fun time.  I had it too, so we had twice the fun.

These are some of the family pics we had taken by Andrew and Lydia Stienke.  AMAZING!  Norah was pretty fussy the whole shoot, so getting a few with smiles was great!  We are loving our girl.  Life is feeling more and more normal and natural.  

Loy Krathong

We have entered month 2 of custody of Norah, and things are really notching into normal life, well, I suppose I can say "new normal".  She is delightful, and is totally a Blackwell!  We attended Loy Krathong festival yesterday, where we met the other KC Thai families at Loose Park to release Krathongs into the pond, and light flying lanterns.  It was great to let Norah meet some other Thai children, and get a little Thai culture:)  Krathongs are floating decorations made out of banana leaves and flowers, and are sent afloat with candles and incense on them, giving thanks to water gods.  It also means that you are letting go of any negative feelings or judgements you've held onto over the last year, and releasing them.  Since we don't love a water god, we are saying "thank you to the God who MADE the water, and thank you for our daughter!!"  Our krathong was thrown together last min, and made of construction paper and cardboard!!  Guess who's krathong was least authentic in the group??  BINGO!  But hey, it was fun:)  It caught fire almost immediately, and was gone in 30 seconds!  Give me at least a year, until next Loy Krathong, and I'll have more energy to chop down a banana tree and do origami with it. 

Norah is learning all sorts of new things, and is comprehending an unbelievable amount of language!  She has learned NO, can you believe it!!?  Oh yes, it's the first word every child learns...  And her new favorite food is ketchup.  She loves it and when I point to snacks or a meal choice for her, she shakes her head no, until I point to the ketchup!  It's all she wants!  So I convinced her to at least dip it in crackers:)  Her comprehension of what we say is remarkable!  Just a month ago she only heard and understood Thai.  I can say, "Norah, go get your shoes", or "Norah give this toy to Sam" and she will do it!  And loads of other things too!  She wants to play tea party with her dolls daily.  Today we were playing with her hair bows, and she put one on her hello kitty doll, and laughed and laughed!  Pretty soon all her dolls were wearing her bows and having tea:)  My heart is so full with love for her.  She still loves loves her dad the most, and I am yet to get a kiss from her, but every day it feels like she connects a little bit more to me.  It feels great:)

One month!!

We have had custody of Norah for one month and 2 days.  Truly amazing how it feels like forever, but so short!  I can say with honest sincerity, that it has been amazing!  She has really taken to our family, and every day is easier!  She is totally in love with David, and is 100% daddy's girl:)  His heart melts for her, and he is loving every minute of it.  Of course, he can get nothing done, because she wants to be with him 24-7.  Her attachment to Sam has been terrific, and I would say to me is pretty good too.  We still are praying for a better friendship between her and Will, that has been a difficult relationship so far.  She seems to feel terribly threatened by him, and freaks when we show Will love and attention.  She lashes out at him often, and he is seeming to get the brunt of her aggression.  Sometimes they get on just fine, but she mostly has an offense toward him.  His personality is to bounce back and not be too bothered by her animosity, but he is feeling it.  Of course, Will is a silly fellow, and likes to joke and tease her, which does not help.  Ever.  So we are finding ourselves having to discipline Will quite often regarding Norah, and he is already feeling a little displaced in the family... it's been hard for everyone.  Please continue to pray for our little guy!  I am feeling for him.  We are all adjusting.  He is too, big time. 
When David is around, and Norah has the option of both parents, she is all over David, but when it's just her and I, she is great and has no problem.  I was reading in an adoption parenting book the other night (after many a melt downs...) at normal behavior and cues for trouble, and it gave a list of "signs your child is adjusting to the family", and she fit the bill for the whole list!  It was really encouraging to see that even after one month, she is feeling more comfy at home and with us. 

She has been sleeping SO much better!!  I think after adjusting fully to the time, we really turned a corner.  She has been sleeping in her own bed, and even got in on her own the other night!  She laid there, and I asked, "do you want to go to bed"?  She nodded yes, and let me change her out of her clothes, and get a bottle!  Down she went.  It was great.  She still is waking in the night, but no longer needing to be carried around the house.  Dave usually rocks her, sitting or lying down.  She settles now if we bring her in bed with us, so that's been most nights.  We are more rested, so more ready to take on the days. 

 

Halloween was really fun:)  James, Sarah, Sophie and Emma just arrived home from Wales that evening, so they met Norah, and we went trick-or treating together!  Norah LOVED it once she figured out what it was all about:)  Before we left, I had Norah dressed in a super cute Indian costume, but she would not keep in the braids.  She looked JUST like an Indian!  As you can see, her and Will got into a little mud puddle mischief, and that costume was ruined!!  (No, I was not watching my kids...)  So we changed to a pioneer:)  Candy went into a common bag and we all share it now, and 3 candy bags are significantly better and more than two!!:) 
I found myself crying today when a friend asked how it was going, and how the transition has been.  I was overcome with emotion at how grateful I am to have Norah.  She is so incredible and brave, and I admire her in so many ways!

One Week In

We have been home one week now, and how are we doing??  If you ask in the middle of the night, I would cry and say "Oh man this is so hard!!"  But if you ask in the middle of the day when we have had naps, our answer would be much different!:)  Lack of sleep and the demands of a 25lb. 2year old in the wee hours takes a toll on even the strongest of folks.  And Dave and I are feeling the strain in our arms, backs, and spirits.  It is hard carrying Norah around all night long!  We are doing very well, otherwise, and Norah is adjusting to the time and her new family famously.  A few people have told us that it takes one day for every hour of time change to get back on schedule.   Every day has been easier than the last, so I expect that is true!  We have also learned that anxiety will wake her at night, and she is learning her new home.  She wants to know that everything is where it was the day before.  There have been many midnight searches through the kitchen cupboards to find that the ramen and rice noodles are still in their respective locations! 
This girl LOVES her noodles!  She wants them two meals a day.  She holds onto the package for dear life while waiting for the water to boil, and she kissed the pack of noodles the other day:)  Anything familiar that she can claim is helpful for her.

Sam and Will have been incredible with her!  She has learned how to say Phee Sam, Phee Will, Mommy and Daddy.  Phee is Thai for Brother:)  Also she has learned how to say on, off, hot, and crocadile!  It was so funny.  She has gotten a little more comfortable with the other kids in the neighborhood, and likes riding her trike on the Cox's driveway with the other kids, and was even pushing some of them down the slide.  It takes her awhile to warm to all the new people, but again, each day has been easier than the last.

We are HOME!!

We made it!  We have been home since yesterday afternoon, and are adjusting to the new time, and new family dynamics:)  The journey home began with a taxi mix-up.  We were meant to reserve a van-sized taxi for our airport transportation a few days in advance, and failed to get that memo.  The hotel staff told us we would need to get two taxis to hold all of our stuff.  So we got two taxis, and the hotel staff told them to take us to the airport, and off we went.  The Bangkok traffic and crazy driving of the two taxi men found us seperated from one another within 3 min, and I was utterly terrified and unequiped to do anything about it!  I had no money, cell phone, or anything to communicate with the driver, and prayed the whole time he knew what to do, because for all I know, he could be the bone collector and take me and my new daughter off to the slaughter!  He kept talking to me in Thai and asking me questions.  I just hoped that Dave and Sam would make it to the airport before us, so he could pay my driver!  (How would I explain that one to him, not having any $$?)  Anyway, I am clearly still alive, so we know the end of the story... all worked itself out.  Dave and Sam were on the curb waiting for us, taxi man got paid, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief! 
Everyone says the flight home is terrible with a newly adopted child.  How do you get ready for something like that?  Norah does not like to sit still, and when she does, she usually wants us to hold her standing up.  Thankfully she slept the full flight from Bangkok to Tokyo, so we had no issues.  BUT... Tokyo to Chicago, the 10 hour leg, was a much different story.  The plane would not leave the gate until she was strapped into a seatbelt, and we had to hold her on both sides while she screamed bloody murder for 20 min!!  The whole taxi and take off, and not until the seat belt sign was off could we even stand up with her.  I swear we, along with everyone within 30 rows of us were traumatized.  I was super angry at the sweet, smiling flight attendant who thanked us for "our cooperation with complying with FAA guidelines"... We spent most of those ten hours pacing the aisles and apologizing to everyone.  Sleep did come in spurts, and we were praising the Lord that one of the spurts came as we landed, because Lord knows we were dreading that fasten seat belt sign! 
We decided Norah's first American food should be a Chicago hot dog:)  So there we sat, on the floor in terminal C of O'Hare, enjoiyng the best hot dogs ever!  She loved it, and her dad was so proud.  The last leg to KC was a breeze.  The flight attendant let her sit on my lap and she didn't make a peep.  Again, still a little mad at the sweet Japaneese lady...  Her and her rules.
We were greeted by our sweet William and Faith and Bryan at the airport!  It was a sweet homecoming!  The rest of the day was a haze, as we were all so tired.  Ruth and Chuck, and Great Grandparents came over, as well as the neighbors to meet our sweet Norah.  It was a lot for her to take in, but after a meal and seeing the kids all play together, she joined in and loosened up a little.  She warmed to Will quickly.  He loves her, and at one point, after she threw something down the stairs, laughed at her and said, "oh my gosh!  She's just like me!" 
At this point, we are fiercely fighting jet lag, an adjusting toddler, and we just want some sleep and a routine.  It will come.  We were up every hour last night with her, and feeding her whatever she liked in the cupboards.  She was so curious, and probably comfort eating, but oh well... she had eggs and other snacks at 4, eggs and more snacks at 5, and then finally found the Thai noodles for another breakfast at 6!  We are praying for a later start to tomorrow morning:)

 

The pic on the top is Norah holding her Thai flag, and Will is putting a necklace on her, and the lower one is our first family of 5 photo in the airport!

 

Markets!!

I don't know if the video will work or not... but it is of Norah and Sam dancing to her "Chang Chang" elephant song:)  Super cute!  We went to the fruit and food market today, thinking it was like all the rest we have seen.  We wanted to get some interesting fruits to try.  It ended up being a SUPER intense market, for bulk buying fruits, veggies, and any meat or fish you can imagine!  It was crazy.  We felt totally out of our league.  We ended up buying mangosteens, leechies, a bumpy green and brown fruit that is white inside ( I think I had the same thing in Hawaii, but don't remember it's name) and another one that looked like grapes on a vine, but they were brown and you had to peel them... everything was great:)  But since we had to buy lots of the fruit at once, we have a fridge full here that we will gift to the hotel staff when we leave tomorrow!  We were looking for food to eat while we were there, but clearly this was not the place for that.  I ended up finding one vendor selling fried chicken, amongst the flopping fish and pig heads.  (YEAH, pig heads!!)  After Dave AND Sam saw rats running around, we decided to get outta there.  We took a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel.  It was so fun, and Norah laughed and laughed the whole time:) 
She is doing much better with me today.  I think I am going to have to see this whole bonding process as a day-to-day pursuit, and even hour to hour.  My heart is in a much better place than it was the last two days, and I feel renewed in my spirit!  Thanks for everyone praying for us.
We ended our day with going shopping and to dinner.   Tomorrow we leave.  We have one more day to soak in Norah's city and culture!

Feeling encouraged!

  We skyped with Will today, and it was very hard for me because I miss him so much.  I had a mini breakdown this morning after we skyped him.  He was so sweet and encouraged me to not be so sad!  He is having a great time with friends, and for that I am very happy for him, and more than grateful for those caring for him while we are gone.  This whole process is not for the faint of heart.  Norah has been incredible, and so very brave.  Along with the transition into our family comes some hard emotions, but I did not realize they would be coming from my side so strongly.  I think the reality of how drastically our lives will change is hitting me, along with being extremely tired... She is going through it too, and I can't imagine the thoughts in her little mind!  I really think her hives yesterday were probably stress -induced, as they did not have an explanation. 
Anyway, the reality of our transition and being overwhelmed with fear and tired-ness blew up in my soul this morning.  After a good cry and a nap, and inviting the Lord to yet again speak truth into my heart, I can say thankfully, I am in a much better place!!  It was as if something switched on, and my fear and worry took a back seat to what God says is true about me.  About Norah.  About what is true about adoption and why he has gifted our family this precious girl!
We went to the Alligator Park today and had a great time, even in the blazing heat!  Norah's demeanor has increasingly been more relaxed with us.  It's so fun to watch her light up and have fun!

We laughed alot today, and I am rejoicing in the Father's good good gift of cute little Norah.  I know this journey has ups and downs.  I am just encouraged that there is always another up after the next "down"!
I tried durien today for the first time!  It's nicknamed the "stinky fruit", and there are even signs on some business's and hotel doors to not bring it in, or you will be fined!  LOL!  Well, let me confirm, it was disgusting.  It does stink, but the worst is the nastiest mushy consistency EVER... I just had to try it for the experience:)  It was on my "things to do in Thailand" list.

Low key day

We had a pretty low key day today.  We really wanted to get some gifts at the weekend market, and since it's Sunday, this was our last chance!  We braved it again for another shot at some deals.  We got there early, so there really was not too many people there.  We bumped into a couple from France who adopted a little girl last week as well!  It was nice chatting with them. 
Norah has seemed a little better with me today, but is still all about her dad.  I actually really love that it's him she is most secure with.  It really is a picture of the Father adopting us into His family.  What is making me break down is the intensity of missing Will, who is my sweet affectionate boy, and trying to not take Norah's rejection personal.  I have loved this girl for a year in my heart.  Logic and reason tell me this is normal, do not worry, she will eventually love me.  It's just hard right now.  We are missing home.
We think she had some sort of allergic reaction today.  Norah had a 2+ hour nap this afternoon, and woke up with hives all over her leg.  They went away, but we have no idea of the cause.  We found some benedryl at the store, but the rash was gone before we even gave it, so oh well... the benedryl will probably be of much help on the flight home!
We have been entertaining her with a youtube Thai Elephant song that she loves!

I am trying to upload the video of her and Sam dancing, but I don't think it's working... sorry folks.  Maybe I'll try again tomorrow!!

Wrestling with grief and joy.

We decided to go to the aquarium today.  We want to hit the weekend market, but we checked it out last night, and it was SO overwhelming with Norah in the backpack (or sometimes off and running) and Sam not enjoying the walk or crowds.  We did not have the energy to attempt that again today.  Norah has really taken to Dave, and finds safety in him.  I am loving how they interact together!  Last night and today, she did not want me holding her, only David. 
Norah's visa was ready yesterday!  We were surprised by how quick it was ready!  Holt told us to prepare to wait at least 3-4 days before it would be done.  Even then we had to book flexible fare tickets, just in the event it was not ready, and we may have to change flights.  The good news of potentially going home early was great.  So Dave called United to see about moving our flights to tomorrow, and alas, no can do.  Apparently flexible fare means nothing.  We paid lots of extra $$ for  flexible fare flights, and to actually change the tickets, they wanted more $!  Like, alot more.  So BS United Airlines.  You just robbed us. 

We had a rough day today.  Alot of grieving, and having fits when we had to correct her.  Last night we were up with her several times, so tired parents + angry kid +there is nothing to do in the hotel so lets go to the crowded aquarium + only wants to eat snacks and sugar= unpleasantness.  I cried a little today, because it seemed she hated me at several times in the day.  I know this is TOTALLY normal, and shame on me for being offended by it.  But preparing myself by reading books and other people's stories, and then actually experiencing the reality of it are two different things.  David did wonderful with her, and was a huge encouragement to me.  We know that we were meant to adopt, and she is the most perfect gift from the Father!  There will be ups and downs in this journey, and we signed up for all of it!!

Time for Adventure!

We finished our adoption schedule yesterday with the visa interview, so it leaves us lots of time to see whatever and do whatever we want until her visa is ready, and we fly home next Wednesday.  We decided to take a river boat taxi to Wat Po to see the reclining Budda, and other interesting things along the way. 

The kids did great, as it turned out to be a long day and lots of walking.  Norah did not have any shoes other than her flip flops, that always flip flopped off, so we were on a mission to find this child some shoes.  There are probably 287 malls here, and I can't tell what is in most of them, but if we had a "fail" button, we could have pressed it most of the day.  It seemed every mall we went to had no kid stores.  We finally were directed to a "kid-friendly" mall, and we did find a play area for Norah and Sam to run.  All the stores was expensive though.  I did have her try on some shoes that were darling, (but did not buy because they were $50!  I don't even spend that on my own shoes...), and I spilled coffee on them on accident, so we just brushed it off and pretended not to notice... So over it was to the Big C - like Super Walmart, and we got some cute, good shoes for $6. 
Riding the public transit has been an interesting adventure, and we took the sky train the wrong way several times.  But we are learning and having fun along the way!

It's amazing how many people stop and smile and laugh at Norah.  They all say "oh she so cute!  What her name?"  So we tell them Gluay-hom and they laugh and say all sorts of nice things to her in Thai:)  She is super friendly with strangers, and maybe that is why she is doing ok with us so far.  She really is being so so brave.  I can't imagine leaving my home and family forever to be placed with strangers who spoke and looked different... how terrifying!  Sam has been so wonderful and she really likes playing with him.

This is the view from our room.  It's incredible!  The kids like playing on the terrace, but Sam is a little wary of the height... Me too!  This city is crazy and huge, it just goes on for as far as we can see.

Visa Day

We had our visa appointment today, and again had to sit in a waiting area trying to entertain our sweet angel.  She is SO SO busy!  I thought I had my hands full with Will... They will be great pals.  We had an early start to today, Norah woke at 5:30 pretty upset, and wanted to be walked all around the hotel.  We rode the elevator a few times, paced the hallways and the lobby, and then back to the room.  It took awhile for her to calm down, and it seemed the more awake she got it got better.  We are trying to pick up on her cues of what makes her upset.  We have a lot to learn.  She is still taking a bottle at night and at naptime, and it's killing me... baby bottle tooth decay is all I can think of when she is falling asleep with that thing, but this is no time to correct the habit. This morning when we were getting her dressed, she wanted 5 hair bows in her hair:)  It looked so funny, but we totally went for it.  She also loves the little backpack that carries her building blocks (in pic).

She loves pressing ALL the elevator buttons, and turning the TV on and off, buttons of any kind.  We went to a busy street last night and had all sorts of amazing food.  I pointed out some fried chicken buiscut looking thing, and the man put it in a bag and poured crushed peanuts and hot sauce over it... OH MY GOSH amazing!  We had fried chicken and noodles, milk tea and fresh pomegrante juice.  We love the food here!  The street was so crowded and busy, and the kids got a little overwhelmed.  Norah did not like the baby carrier I was holding her in, but letting her walk was not going to happen, so we had to manage carrying her, all the food, keeping a watch on Sam, and not getting trampled or hit by cars.  It was time to go:)
We have a little while while we wait for our visa to be done, so we are free to see the sights until we go.  We want to see the Grand Palace, Zoo, Aquarium, weekend market, and maybe do the river boat tour too.  Or we will just see how it goes.  I am missing home and Will so so much.

DSDW Board meeting day

We had a successful first night!!  Praise God!  After we got her to sleep last night, she slept soundly and only woke up for 10 min. of crying around midnight.  She got up at 6:30 a little sad, but it did not last long.  We skyped with Will and the family this morning and introduced them to Norah:)  She was not really in the mood to sit, so it was short.  We headed out for our DSDW (adoption board) meeting.  It was a little wait, but we were prepared for that.  Her true colors are starting to show!  She is not a shy girl at all!  While we waited, she was running all around, and climbing on everything, and making her mom and dad chase her everywhere!  Laughing, yelling, screaming in Thai, it was all very cute.  The meeting itself was not long, and the board asked Samuel questions like is he ready to share his parents?  Will he get bored of her because she does not know English?  - He told them he is actually excited he can teach her English, and thinks it's cool that she knows how to speak Thai.  Sam taught her how to say "pop!" when we were blowing bubbles, and she has also learned how to say "Sam". 

 

The permanent pit in my stomach has subsided, and we are all getting a little more comfortable with each other. We hit the pool and the park again today, and may adventure out into the city again for some air conditioned mall shopping and eating.  We were told Gluay-hom likes Tuk-Tuks, the moped type of taxis, so we may try that tonight too.  We love her!  She is so much fun:)

Gotcha Day!

We got custody of Norah today, and we are so thrilled!  Again, it has so many emotions attached, and there were many tears today.  From her and us, and social workers.  We decided to go swimming and then go to the park after lunch.  They were good distractions, but she was showing signs of understanding what was really going down here, and the tears came.  She tried to get out of the hotel room, so I followed her and let her play with the elevator and try other doors in the hallway.  It was emotionally draining, and we are all very tired.  She is drinking her bottle (yes, she still has 4 a day, and sometimes at 2am!!) and Dave is carrying her around singing "It's gonna be ok, It's gonna be ok, cause you belong to us"  (to the tune of Walden Family music Do not be Afraid if you are familiar...)  It's making me so happy, and she seems to be settling in to her daddy's safety.
We also learned to not use the Thai words that mean mom and dad, because that is what foster parents are called, so we are teaching her "mommy and daddy" to not confuse her. 

She seemed to be distracted by stickers today, and used up near all I brought!  Soap and water was alot of fun for her today, and also lotion.  After she ran out of room on her body to put it on, she slathered it on me and Dave:)  We have the Adoption Board meeting tomorrow morning, and will need to have some things along to play and distract, because we were told the wait before getting our name called could be very long... Thanks for the continued prayers everyone!  She is successfully asleep in our bed right now, and we are trusting for a peaceful night.

Day 2

We are having a little difficulty with uploading pictures, but will try to get more up tomorrow.  We had a great day today, taking Norah to the store for things we need, and she seemed to be doing great!  She let us hold her and play with her, and we even got a some smiles and laughs out of her too!  She was clearly feeling more comfortable than yesterday, and got really silly when we took to to have lunch and then back to our room to play.  :)  At one point Dave and I looked around, and the room had toys scattered all around, and we said, "this is a great great thing!!"  A good sign that she was having fun.  She is careful about putting her things away too.  We took her for a little walk out of the hotel for a little while, but as soon as we came back, she started to cry.  I think she was done with our visit and wanted to go home to see her foster mom.  She kept crying and calling for her mom.  We felt so helpless, and tried to distract her with other things, but in the end, all I could do was hold her and rock her.  She seemed to be consoled a little with some milk, but was not very interested in much other than leaving to go home.   We took her downstairs to leave, and then she saw her foster brother and the other social workers, who were all ready to take the children back.  This is the last night Norah will have in her foster home!  I am so sad for her and Ms. Siri, as I know this is such a bitter sweet thing.  I pray a huge amount of grace over their home tonight.  We will see her again tomorrow at 11, and then she is ours!  For the rest of the time, we have custody of her!  I am so happy, but my emotions are crazy right now.  I am at a loss of how to even describe this experience!  I don't know I have ever gone through such a gamut of feelings all at once!  It is all pretty overwhelming.
We are missing Will big time, and will hopefully get some Skype time with him tomorrow.

 

OK turns out I could get one pic loaded:)  This is Dave making Norah laugh at the store.  It was amazing!  She started acting really playful from this time on. 

After saying goodbye, we decided to navigate the subway and skytrain, and got royally lost!  Dave was determined to find our way back to the hotel on foot, but I eventually put my foot down and made him surrender and hail a taxi to get us back.  It was amazing how far we were, and how many turns the cab driver had to take to get us back:)  It was worth the $4 to get the cab.  The adventure was not a total bust though.  We managed to come across a Dunkin Donuts, and had to stop in for a cup of coffee and some donuts;)  We had dinner and some foot massages, and called it a day!  Tomorrow is the day we have her for good, and we are so ready to start this journey of having a daughter:)

Meeting Norah!

We are exhausted after the best day ever!!:)  We started today by David and I waking up at 3:30 from nerves and anticipation.  We came out to our living room area and spent some time praying for the day.   I have felt overwhelmed and helpless here, as we do not know the language, and are like fish out of water with the difference in culture, and no ability to navigate anything alone.  The Lord reminded me this morning that His power is made perfect in our weakness, and it set me a little more at ease.  Lord knows I am out of my context all together for strength.
We met the social workers and another family from Norway adopting (Norah's foster brother) downstairs in the lobby.  Jessica from Holt Eugene is here as well, so we went up to her room to watch a video about Holt Sahathai Foundation, and to answer any questions.  I knew the children were downstairs in the courtyard waiting to come up at any moment!  Then came the knock at the door and two beautiful children came walking in with more social workers!  Watsana was calm and cool, came toward us, and then walked away, and then back, with a very un-bothered look about her!  The social workers were incredible at directing us where to sit, when to touch her, and how close to get.  We played with some stacking blocks and cups for awhile, and she focused on the toys, and looked at us with no fear at all!  It only took a few minutes to warm up a bit, and we were told she only knows her name as "Kluay-hom".  This is her nickname, meaning banana:)

In no time at all, she was letting me take her to wash hands and carry her around!  She was so silent the whole time, and she did not smile.  BUT she did not frown either!  It was time to have lunch, so we left and went to the Mali resturant accross from the hotel.  I held her the whole time, and she fell asleep in my arms!  I could not really eat holding her, but setting her down was not at all happening. 

I love my daughter!  She fell asleep without a fuss or sound, and seemed to be settling into the idea of who we were.  We came back to our hotel for play and rest, until it was time to visit her foster family's house at 2.  She seemed to be warming up to us, and was letting Dave play with stickers and bubbles with her.  She had to go to the bathroom, and let me help her.  After the bathroom break, the social worker prompted Kluay-Hom to thank me, and she did with a sweet little Thai bow.  They told me she loves dresses and girly things, and hair bows!!  (THANK YOU LORD!!)  Really, I was surprised at how at ease she seemed with us today.  The social workers were too, but reminded us that this is only day one, and tomorrow or the next may be different.  She thinks she is only visiting, which today she IS only visiting.  two more days until we keep her for real.

At 2pm, we traveled to her foster family's home, where we met the family who and loved and cared for her for her two years of life!  They showed me where the water level rose in the house during the flood of 2011, and it was up to my head!  Norah was only 2 mos old, and they had to live in the Holt Sahathai office for 20 days.  The boy in the picture is her foster brother, who is being adopted by a very nice Norwegian couple.  The other older woman is Ms. Siri's sister.  The sisters live next door to each other, fostering kids together.  The children are like siblings.  Ms. Siri cried as we came to visit, knowing that the time has come to hand Kluay-Hom over to new parents.  I really can not imagine how foster parents must feel!  She told us she loves Kluay-Hom, and is glad to see "good, young" people taking her.  We promised to send photos.  I felt like a home wrecker!  Of course the situation has always been temporary, but watching her weep and love all over Norah brought me to tears and a loss for any words of significant comfort.  I am so thankful for Ms. Siri and the love she has shown my daughter her whole life.   She said Kluay-hom would be her last foster child.

 We said goodbye to Ms. Siri and Norah, and traveled back to the hotel.  We could not get over how at ease things were today, and how we did not hear a cry out of her all day.  We pray that the transition would be grace- filled.  Tomorrow is another day, and we continue to ask for prayers!  It is our day for shopping and exploring a little more with Kluay-hom!

Counting down... We are at the Pantip!

We just checked into our hotel in Bangkok.  I picked up the schedule waiting for us, and it looks like we meet Watsana (Norah) at 10:30 tomorrow morning, and then stay at the hotel for lunch and playing until 2.  Then we accompany her to her foster home and meet the people who have loved and cared for her for her entire 2 years of life.  I am so indebted to these people.  I really can't wrap my mind around what tomorrow holds, but I tell you, my emotions are everywhere!  I am nervous, excited, overwhelmed, overjoyed... and a host of other emotions I can't even describe.  I am looking out over the terrace of the hotel, 21 floors up, awed by this huge beautiful city, and feel like the luckiest person (blessed) for having this privilege.  It's tomorrow.  The time is here and we are ready!

Sawadee-ka

We have made it!  We are staying on Koh Samed.  It's an island off the coast of Thailand, about 3 hours south east of Bangkok.  We will stay here until Saturday, and then travel back to Bangkok and check into the Pantip for the rest of our time.  We arrived around 10:30pm Wednesday night, and had a light sleep in a nearby airport hotel.  Even with the melatonin, it was not a restful one.  We got up early for breakfast and tried to navigate the street vendors and 7-11:)  I quickly realized my lack of communication skills, and felt like a helpless kid trying to get my point across... (hmmm...  Foreshadowing?)  The people are here and so kind and patient.  I feel bad about any time I have interacted with frustration with a foreigner not understanding me in the US.  I really did appreciate the vendor's patience with me!
We requested a taxi to come and collect us to drive us to the south-east coast where we would catch a boat to Koh Samed.  It was a wild ride!  They brought a huge van-bus instead of a taxi, and the driver had Thai music videos on for our entertainment:)  But maybe then again it was probably for his entertainment, because the screen was right by the steering wheel.  Nice and safe...  I know there are loads of folks praying for us.  I know it!  We were driving along, and the car behind/next to us crashed in a very dramatic way, hitting our van with debris!  I did not know what even happened, until I looked back, and the car was incredibly destroyed.  It looked so bad, I wonder if it was fatal.  So if you are reading this, please continue to pray for our safety!
Once we got to the island, we settled in and had some yummy Thai noodles (Sam had a burger) and fresh coconuts on the beach!  It was incredible.  It started to rain, so we decided to go and get Thai massages.  Now.  I have NEVER in my life had a massage like this!  It was insane.  A lot of pressing and forced contouring the body in ways that stretch and adjust.  It was amazing, but it felt like we both probably needed to ice afterwards!  An hour only cost around $10.
Today (Friday) we hung out on the rainy beach and played.  We Skyped with Will and now are reading and relaxing before lunch.  I think we will probably have an early night, but then hopefully be adjusted to the time fully and be ready for meeting our sweetheart Sunday!!  TWO MORE DAYS!!

AND... IT'S GO TIME!!

My computer clock is telling me it's 3:20am KC time, but it's about 5:20pm Tokyo time.  We are sitting in the airport lounge waiting for our 3rd and final leg of this journey to Bangkok.  I love the airport lounge!  My first time in one actually... my travel savvy husband usually frequents such fine establishments, but alas, we never travel together!  So this is a real treat for Sam and I.  FREE sushi and noodles, and coffee and liquor bar:)  Don't worry, we aren't hitting the booze.  We are exhausted and trying to stay awake for a few more hours. 
Leaving yesterday morning was hard for me.  I am going to miss my sweet William so much.  Here is our last photo of our nuclear family of 4!!

 

I cried a little as I said goodbye, and he assured me everything was going to be just fine.  Then he kissed my heart, and was on to checking his hairstyle in the mirror, winking at himself;)  Cheeky boy!

This is so surreal.  I can't believe we are getting a daughter in a few days!  I watched 2 episodes of The Little Couple on the plane, where they went to Bejing to pick up their son.  I was in tears watching as their son was resistant but then warmed up to them, and all the tension and anticipation building up to that moment... SHEESH!!!  This is going to happen.  In 4 days.  OMG.

Room is Ready!

It was so sweet putting Norah's things in order in her new room!  It only took a day and a half to paint, put up new curtains and get the furniture and clothes in.  It's such a pretty space.

 

The picture on the door was painted by my friend Jenn of a quail.  At my shower she gave it, and said that the Lord had given her the picture in her mind as she was praying for Norah.  Quails are a symbol of grace, provision and timing.  Quails need wind to assist their flight, and they wait until it comes to help lift them off the ground.  This really was encouraging to me, as it's been such a difficult wait to have our girl.  But God's timing is perfect.  It's gotten so cliche to say that, but I know it's true.

The Dresser is from Ruth.  It belonged to her grandmother, and the rocking chair is old as well, and that belonged to a dear family friend.

 

This is the sunniest room in our house!  Norah means Sunlight, Honor and Compassion.  All the "words", scriptures and prayers that other people have given me have been about sunlight, or sunny in some kind of way, and most folks don't even know that about her name;)  I really think she will be the sunshine that fills our family. 

OMG we leave next week!!! Time to transition.

I know this blog needs a new face lift.  The picture on the right is old, and needs to be changed, but I don't know how to do any of that.  Dave kinda threw this blog style together as best he could, and we do need to update with more photos.  And since we are leaving next week, we will!!  Holt confirmed our travel dates just last week, and we leave October first!!  Sam is thrilled to be coming, and Will is just happy to get to spend some time with Grandma and other friends:)  I have been cleaning the house like a crazy person, and painting stuff, redecorating, and purging out the old.  It has felt wonderful. 
Yesterday David and I had to finally transition our Joy Room into Norah's room.  Not an easy thing.  I guess it's pretty obvious it wasn't gong to be an easy thing, or I would not have waited until 10 days prior to travel to do it.  We had a beautiful time commencing the season of the Joy Room with praying and crying in the room together.  Worshiping our Good Father for his gift of Joy, the room and what it has meant to us, and a new season with a 4th child coming.  Our hearts were so full with emotion as we took out the first piece of furniture.  Then the next.  By the time the room was empty of furniture, it wasn't hard anymore.  It's time to honor our sweet Norah with a beautiful space.  To prepare her a room that will honor her and make her feel "I'm home!  I am included and have a great space set apart!"  Of course we have been holding her in our hearts as an incredible place of honor and joy, but preparing a space is a real expression of that love and anticipation.  Amazing!  A promise that we have held onto for so long is being fulfilled.  NEXT WEEK!!  I will post pictures of Norah's room when it is totally done... just needs a few more things to be complete:)

First Approval!

We finally got "the call" we have been waiting for 10 months to come!  On July 17th the Thai  board responsible for approving adoption cases reviewed our file, and said YES for us to adopt Watsana Charoensuk!  (aka Norah)  This call came to Dave, and at the time we were driving in separate cars.  He pulled over and so I did too, and he yelled out the window that we had "GOTTEN THE CALL!!"  I raced out of the car, jumping, yelling, crying, laughing, without any shame in the middle of the CVS parking lot!  It hit me in that moment of how much I love my daughter.  All this tension building of waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting...  And she isn't really mine yet but I love her and how do I manage these feelings when I've never even met her... and my most natural response was to cry and and act like a crazy person when this wonderful news came!  Our daughter is waiting half a world away and now we have been given permission to go get her.

The next step of this process now is to get clearance from the US immigration to bring her to the United States.  This step takes a few weeks to get approved.  Once that happens we will receive our travel dates and be on our way to Thailand!  I filled out and sent all we need to, and now we wait.  Again.

Thankfully, we just got an update on her.  Updates only come every 4 months, and I LOVE update time!  New pictures and a progress report!  From the sound of the update, Norah's foster family is really prepping her for her adoption to our family.  It says she likes to look at our pictures and is getting ready for placement into our family!  Her new measurements are 24lbs., 31" tall and 18" head and chest circumference.  No shoe size yet.

 This little dress we sent to her last September.  It's so good to see that she is with a foster mom who loves her and really takes good care of her!  I know that will be a hard transition for Norah to leave her foster family!