Seven Weeks...

Yep...today marks seven weeks from the time we learned of our first ruling.

I had been reluctant to post this, First because I totally dislike the thought of the latest update being moved down,
and Second because I don't want to post negatives about this time in our adoption journey- this time that should be full of those last minute jittery feelings, the flurry of packing, rushing to book flights and hotel rooms. Moments that should be spent thinking of the expectations of this wonderful trip our family of three should be making to become four...the excitement of meeting our son.

But I have this lump of dread instead. I've lost the feelings of hope, feelings of an end in sight. I can't even bear to go in his room any more.
And so here I vent, maybe as a way to get it off my chest, this weight, or maybe as a way to remember this time in the years that come- to remember how hard the wait was, to help better appreciate all the days that will follow.

We were told to expect a wait of 4-6 weeks to hear word of a final and to make travel plans. Many of our blog buddies and JOH friends received their final rulings after only 3 weeks, so we optimistically thought we'd be in Taiwan with Samuel Wei-Che by now, or even home with him.

But no. We are not. Those six weeks -and then one-have come and gone.

So let's just add it up-
Seven weeks have passed since the 1st ruling, 19 weeks since our hearing and almost 7 months from the time we first saw a glimpse of our son.

I know it will happen...we've got to be closer today than we were yesterday, right?
But still, it's emotionally draining, waiting here for word that our son is legally ours and we can take that big trip across the waters to join with him. And to me it seems so cruel and unfair to allow a court process to go this long, to allow this baby to become attached to another while waiting for a ruling to be file. While I am so very appreciative of the obvious love and attention he is getting and will be forever give thanks to his foster family- it is time for him to be with us.

So yes, I know I'll be shouting from the rooftops with joy when we do get word, but for now...well not so much. And I know when he is finally with us this will seem petty and small, or at least I tell myself that.

I hope it does.
J

Another batch of updates.

Yes, it is update day.

Samuel Wei-Che is growing very big and can do all sorts of new and exciting things like roll over and grasp objects.
His new measurments are 15.43 pd and 24.6 inches.

I just love love love these pictures and can not wait to be able to hold him and tickle him and just plain love on him.

I love how his cheeks look so full and he's got some chunkiness growing! I bet he'll be a good eater like his big sis!

And he is in another onsie we had sent. So glad they fit him! He's obviously very interested in something or someboday in the room....

And look at those feet! Too cute... I can't wait to tickle those toes and see him giggle.

And finally - the video. I must say this is my favorite so far, and I have really loved every one of them. He's so alert and really is grasping that toy. Simone said "they keep taking his toy he likes...give it back to my baby". He is just so cute!

Here you go Mom & Dad...enjoy!

See those legs kicking away! I can't believe how much he has grown and I just can't wait any longer to go get him! I used to kid that I'd jump the next flight if they gave the go, now I really mean it. Adam, Simone and I are sooo ready.

These updates were bittersweet. I'm so glad and thankful to get them, to be able to see the obvious care and love that is being given him, but....

So come on Judge! Sign/file/stand on your head... do whatever it is you need to do with that Final Ruling so we can get our Sammy Wei!

J

Say cheese...

Cheese Farm that is!

We felt like getting out of town for the day so we drove to Sweetwater Valley Farms to tour the cheese making farm this weekend. Simone + cheese = total contentment, so she was all for it.

As you go in there is a big window where you can watch them make the cheese, if they are making it that day. They also have samples of every cheese they make, yum yum yummy!

I guess they were trying to look fashionably fall-ish below. Simone so far is thinking this whole thing is pretty cool.
We even met the farm dog, a sweet lady named Red. She was super friendly and greeted everyone that came.

Oh we were having a wonderful family day at the farm.
That is until Simone found out what a "tour of a dairy farm" really meant.

The fun and happy day melted away.

And we were left with this....

Because she was NOT going to go tromping around that....

And she was most certainly NOT going to put on a pair of these!

I quote Simone "I came for the cheese, not the cows!"

Well I came for both. So although somebody in our group was a bit reluctant (to say the least) we all took a tour of a working dairy farm. It was fun, if a little - OK a lot- stinky.

Below is one of the babies born that day. He/she was only a few hours old. Too cute!


Now this is why I mooooved to Tennessee...

Ha ha, get it...moo ved...
J

To My Mom & Dad!!!!

Happy 47 years of marriage!

Now we all know I love and adore my parents. Individually they are the best people I know...I could not have hand picked better parents.

BUT together...they are an amazing team.

Their marriage was the basis for what I wanted my own to be like. They have shown a partnership based not only love, but on friendship, respect and equality. And they have 47 years together to show that those things sure work well!

And so once again...

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad.

I love you!!

J

Girls Day out

Or "One with nature". I could have gone either way in naming this post.

You see, a few weeks ago Adam was doing some very important stuff (ahem...golfing) and my pal's hubby was out of town.

So we decided to pack a lunch and have a "girls day out" with a trip to the Smoky Mountains. It is only a 45 minute drive from our house, and it is a really pretty one too. We decided to hit a popular driving path called Cades Cove. It's an 11 mile loop that takes you through all sorts of terrain, from very wooded curvey roads to vast meadows with the mountains in the back drop.
It also has churches, houses and other structures dating back to the 1800's. There is even a working mill, which totally fasinated Simone. They used it to ground corn and wheat. The kindly gentleman working there gave Simone a full tour and she was rather impressed with the workings of it...the gears and the water and that it made corn meal.

We figured we'd eat our nice picnic lunch and tour a few houses, maybe see some wildlife.

Boy were we in for a treat! Now I love nature and all the wild animals. My second favorite critter, horses being #1, are deer.

Well very quickly into our loop we spotted this deer sitting in the woods. We stopped the car and oohed and aahed, and took lots of photos. The girls were equally impressed, which made it even cooler for us Moms.

A little further and we spotted three boys. It was awesome to see them running through the fields, so fast and light! Simone wants to know how they got all the way here from Gammie & Poppa's house! I informed her they were probably different deer...

Driving further along we saw this lady, right next to the road, eating grass and flowers. Just look how close we are!
And driving more~ we come around a bend and there are two deer crossing the street. Naturally we had to stop and let them pass, which I must say they took there sweet time in doing! Which was great, the girls were so excited, and Starla and I were just amazed.

After seeing so many deer we decided to stop and eat our yummy lunch and walk around to see some of the old houses. Now on a clear day there are rows of mountains behind the girls. It was still a beautiful site!

Our little diva's below.

We followed this trail through the woods and up a few hills and around a few bends and came to some houses and barns from the early 1800's. It's incredible to think people lived in these structures! Although well built~ obviously if they're still here today ~ they are very small. Talk about "scaling down"!

And here comes the "one with nature" part of this tale.
As we were walking back to the car through these woods below....

We noticed something moving. We slowed our pace and looked all around.
There had to of been 5 or 6 deer in the woods right near us. We literally walked amongst them as they looked cautiously at us and then continued to eat. The girls got within a few feet, the photo below was taken without zoom.

I/AAAAAAAAAyk/RjDdfmkZgjg/s400/Cades+Cove+036.jpg" border=0> (OK, this pic is giving me a hard time...promise I'll reload it once I get home...cause it's really cool! or click on link now)

Simone was my photographer - since it was too amazing to not let her have a hand in capturing the moment. So although I don't have any award winning photos of the experience we all left with a feeling of awe that we will remember. We spent quite a bit of time with the deer, just feeling...one with nature. It sure puts a lot into perspective, being so close to such gentle and sweet creatures.

I guess I should be glad it wasn't a bear too! We heard that there were a few spotted that day, though not by us.

So no news on that ever elusive Final Ruling.

BUT there was a cricket in Simone's shoe this morning when were getting ready for school. And you know what she says to me? She says "Oh Mama, that must mean good luck for my Sammy Wei news". That's my girl! I looked it up and yep, crickets are considered good luck in Asia.

And then when I got to work, you know what was on the lock...

do you?

Yep, you guessed. Another cricket.

We'll see.

It'll be 5 weeks on Monday. So while I'm not complaining...Oh okay I am, I am complaining. I just want my Final so I can go get my dumpling and bring him home!!!!!!

I'll keep ya posted

J

Have I mentioned I am ready?

I'm just saying...
Cause I am ready. REALLY ready in fact.

And these are the 10 reasons why:

1) Samuel's room is done and ready
2) The house is baby-proofed, carpets are cleaned
3) I have started to load up the dining room table with stuff for the trip
4) I have shopped and shopped and shopped for baby stuff. (yes Adam, I know you are well aware of this fact...)
5) There is more on my "to do" list crossed off then left to still do
6) I have a high chair, car seats, and baby toys pulled out and cleaned
7) I can't concentrate anymore. At all
8) Now what was I doing?
9) Oh ya, I can't concentrate. At all

and most of all
10) I really want my Sammy Wei home, now!

Yes. we have been super busy in our house this week. Just getting it all done so we can say that we are really ready to go get him now. Adam & I took a day off from work and cleaned the carpets (what, I watched him anyway...I was present for the cleaning), we got Wei-Che's birth mother gifts, the Foster family gifts, went to 10 or so stores trying to find just the right wrapping paper and met with our language teacher to get maps and travel information. We washed and folded all the cute little outfits for the trip and got all the baby must haves-Tylenol, teething gel, bibs and cutsie little socks. And we even had time for a quiet adult lunch together, at a real restaurant!

Now all that is left for us is to get that final ruling. I mean, it's been like 25 days...almost a month, so I think it's time. And then Adam can handle the travel plans...I won't be coming off cloud nine long enough to concentrate on those types of details!

I remember marveling at how much Lisa C. (http://destination-taiwan.blogspot.com/) got done in a day when she was preparing for the trip- I was sweating reading about it.
And Robin (http://ababygirlforus.blogspot.com/) in the last few weeks with all her preparations and multiple family things going on- like super woman that gal is!
So although I am not ranking myself up there with some of my amazing blogging buddies, I feel like I've gotten a lot done this week.

So now I am ready. Really ready.
I'm just saying....
J

Nursery

Okay...now I am really most definitely ready for baby #2 to come home.

Yep, the nursery is complete, and so that must mean we are officially ready to go to Taiwan.

And just in case you are counting, like I am...it has been 3 weeks and 1 day since we heard about the first ruling. So I'm just saying... I am ready.

Below are some snapshots of just what Sammy will be able to call his very own room.
We are far from interior designers at my house - we like comfy and simple. And this is what we came up with. It really was a total group effort with all three of our ideas mingled together. Some of the items in it are from Simone's nursery and some are all new, just for Wei-Che.

Simone, Adam & I picked out the material for the window treatment and just went from there. I wanted sailboats, so we made some with the leftover material.
And it's hard to see the actual color of the room, but it is a real pale green, just a bit lighter in color than the changing table cover.


Adam sewed the window topper and I sewed the pillows. (please don't inspect too closely...)

And that interesting sailboat picture...Adam made that when he was in elementary school. The colors match perfectly so we had to include it!

I never thought I'd have a nursery with primary colors and sailboats, but here it is! And I really like it, and I hope my little guy does too.
Simone and I painted the letters for his name (below) and she donated her mobile to him. Starla and J gave us the other musical attachment, so he will have plenty to entertain him!

That lovely blanket on the crib was a gift from friends and that RedSox bear has been hanging around our house for ages...just waiting for the right little guy to come along.

And shoes. I love little baby shoes, they are so cute!

Simone keeps stacking the nesting boxes so her Di Di will know how to do it when he finally gets home. Often I'll come upstairs to find her playing quietly in here, sometimes just moving things around or folding the blankets. Maybe she gets that from me....

We still have a few (quite a few actually) things to finish up before we leave, but honestly I could be ready to get on a plane for my sweet baby tomorrow if it came down to it. So keep fingers crossed we hear some good news... and soon!

J