Taiwan here we come!!!

WOW what a JOURNEY, we basically had a full 24 hours of traveling or more!!! We landed in San Francisco at 10:20 am on Saturday morning and had a 8 hour layover so Dai and I took a cab and went to Fisherman's Wharf and enjoyed the bay and shopping at all the little shops. Dai ate ALOT of sea food and anything else he could get his hands on. We got to see Alcatraz Prison and lots of Sea Horses which for what ever reason we sat and watched for a long time!!
















We left for Taiwan at 6:20 pm Saturday night and had about a 14 hour flight which Dai and I slept about 9 hours of (Thank you Ambien)!!!! We flew business class which was totally worth it for that long of a flight. When we got to Taiwan we were totally screwed up because not only did we just fly 14 hours they are also 13 hours ahead of us, so it was 10:30 pm Sunday night here. A representative from the adoption agency met us at the airport to bring us to our hotel which was another 1 hour drive (oh my goodness another hour of travel)!!!!! It is soooo HOT and HUMID here, it is like nothing I have ever experienced and everyone rides these little scooters everywhere!! I have only seen Taiwan in the dark but it reminds me of New York! There is a nail place across the street and people were getting pedicures at 12:00 at night. There also is a Starbucks next to the hotel and I have a feeling that is going to come in real handy!!!!

Our agency representative is picking us up at 8:40 am for another 2 hour drive to pick up little Haji (YAHHHHHHHHHH)! The drive will be totally worth it, can you believe that he will be ours in a couple of hours!!

Thank you to all our friends and family for all their prayers and help with the girls!!! Dai and I are truly BLESSED!

November 6th 2006 we filled out the adoption application to start our BIG JOURNEY.


November 7th 2006 I started and finished filling out all the PAPERWORK!! (I'm a bit anal).


November 14 2006 Journeys of The Heart adoption agency accepted our application (yahhhhh)!

December 13th 2006 our home study was done and certified, now we wait and wait!


April 24th 2007 we received a referral for a beautiful baby boy.


































Lin Chih-Chieh was born on March 1st 2007 (Chih-Chieh is his first name). We accepted the referral April 26th after we spoke to an International Doctor giving us the OK that he was healthy and VERY CUTE!! I can't believe how much he looks like Dai and of course Bella thinks he looks just like her. We are all very excited and can't wait for him to come home.

Friday May 4th 2007 my Mom and I trucked to downtown Chicago with the girls to get all our paperwork authenticated at the Taipei Economic and Cultural office then they send it to Taiwan so the adoption court process could begin. At the end of the day we were all very tired from all the walking trying to find the Taipei office and of course we had to shop and take the Bella and Gabby to American Girl Doll Shop for their birthday (what a great day)!

May 17th we received an update on our baby boy which we haven't named yet (Dai wants to name him Gunner)! The girls and I say no to Gunner so we just keep thinking and thinking but nothing yet. He was 2 months old on May 1st and is getting so big already.






















OK now he looks like Dai's brother Doan (still very cute)! All though Dai said that I needed to buy him BOY CLOTHES ASAP!!!!! So for all of you that know me I had them bought by the next day and you know you can't buy cute little boy outfits with no shoes to match so by the end of the day we had new clothes, shoes and a few toys being sent to Taiwan! It cost as much to send them to as it did to buy them but we didn't care we couldn't wait to see him in the stuff that I bought.

June 14th 2007 we got our monthly update he is already 16 pounds and in the 80th percentile in weight and 60th percentile in his height!! Bella and Gabby didn't even hit the charts till they were 3 years old, so Dai and I just chuckle because he is such a big boy.






































He isn't wearing any of the clothes that I sent which bummed me out but even if they went to some other baby boy I'm OK with that, there are so many babies that need to have a Daddy and a Mommy and I liked the idea that he whoever it was would be well dressed.

July 11th 2007 we got another update and we are getting very impatient because we haven't even received our 1st hearing yet!! It feels like we will never get him home with us, but he looks like he is being well taken care of in foster care and he has one of the outfits on and a toy that I sent!! It was my least favorite outfit of course but he still looks cute in it.






































He looks so much like Dai and he still wants to name him Gunner, but since the girls and I say NO we have settled on naming him Hajime John Lin Bui after his Uncle Hajime and my Dad and Lin is part of his given name, I think it fits him perfect!!

July 24th 2007 we got great news FINALLY we have a hearing date on August 14th which means the birth Mom has to tell the judge she wants to give her baby up for adoption (what a hard day for her).


August 15th 2007 another update and take a look at him holding his head up proud! We have heard nothing about the hearing but they say no news is good news so now we wait for our 1st ruling.


































August 24 2007 we can't believe we already got our first ruling (WOW that went quick)! Now the birth Mom has 10 business days to give her final sign off, this is going to be the longest 10 days of our lives!!!!

Our 10 days are up and we have heard nothing which again no news is good news so now we wait for the judge to give his final ruling and then it will be traveling time!! Meanwhile we got an update which we are hoping will be are last and I can't believe that he can get any cuter and he has one of my favorite outfits on that I sent. He is busting out of it because he is 20 pounds which just makes Dai and I just laugh because it is completely opposite of Bella and Gabby.









































LOOK AT THOSE LEGS!!!!!!!!!!


September 14th 2007 my Blackberry beeped and the message said "Good News " I opened the e-mail and the message was from Tien the Taiwan coordinator from the adoption agency and she can't believe that we got our final ruling so fast and that we need to be in Taiwan by the 30th. I'm thinking October 30th but NO September 30th, so Taiwan here we come!!!!! I can't believe that in 2 weeks our journey will be coming to an end and we will be bringing this precious little boy home. We will miss the girls soooooo much but we leave on the 29th and come home on the 3rd so we won't be gone long and it will be well worth it!