Happy Birthday!

Today is our baby boy's first birthday! It's crazy to think that three months ago we didn't know him yet, and now we are wishing him a happy first birthday, wanting so badly to be spending it together.

It's completely selfish, but I am a little heartbroken today. When we started the process, we knew we wouldn't be with our child until after their first, maybe even second birthday. So the fact that we have pictures of him, are getting updates, and are able to celebrate him from miles away on this day is an unexpected joy and a blessing. But the selfish part of me wants to have that moment with him. It's not even that I have dreams of a big birthday party with lots of people and him eating cake. Really what I would want is to spend a simple, quiet day together exploring and playing. Just being able to say that we spent this special day together.

The logical side of it is that this is a birthday that he won't comprehend, and won't remember. If there's ever a birthday to not be able to spend together, it's this one. We will be together every birthday he has from now on, and we will make great memories on those days. There will also be many other days to be able to celebrate together. But my logical side hasn't been the loudest voice always, especially while I stare at those big eyes and pudgy little fingers!

We don't know what his caregivers in Taiwan are doing with him today, or how they acknowledge birthdays. What we do know is how much they love him and are caring for him. We can tell by the pictures of them playing together and the smiles, by the colorful nursery filled with toys, and the care they've taken in matching him with us. On this day he's happy, healthy and loved. And when it comes down to it, we couldn't ask for more.

Happy birthday sweet boy, we can't wait to spend all the rest of your birthdays with you!

Hearts Full of Hope

We've waited a long time to say this... IT'S A BOY!

A few weeks ago we got a phone call from our placing agency, THE phone call. We knew it right away, and there was an excitement and anticipation as we received his file. When we saw his picture we fell in love. And then we watched his videos and couldn't get enough. Just like that, in the course of a few hours, it felt like our hearts were in Taiwan.

Our little boy is 10 months old, and is in a nursery in Tainan, Taiwan. He is all cheeks and has a great smile. He seems healthy, happy, and is growing quickly. He likes rice, uses a pacifier, and wears xl diapers (we're a bit unsure of Taiwan's diaper sizing ha).

After seeing his picture Nate asked how we can get to him as soon as possible. I feel the same way! Of course there are steps to complete, paperwork, and waiting. The first step is to get the official pre-approval from St. Lucy's Center after reviewing our file. Then, we will work toward completing and translating our dossier. After that, we will wait for a court date. There is not set travel date at this point, but we are hoping to have a better idea as things progress. It is estimated that we will be able to travel in about 8 months. We will be doing anything we can to make this go as quickly as possible! In the meantime, we are thankful to be able to skype, get updates, and send packages.

We understand that, with everything in life, there are risks and we may encounter bumps. All things considered, we are moving forward with our hearts full of hope, eagerly anticipating the day we will get to hold our boy in our arms.

Reading through his story, looking back on our wait, we see God's fingerprints over it all.We wouldn't change anything, because it's brought us to this point. And we are so so happy being here.