Kate Turns 15!

Our daughter Kate just had her 15th birthday party with ten girlfriends and, of course, her little brother. Her actual birthday is tomorrow and she has decided that she wants to take a couple of friends to "Top Gun," which is a Chinese restaurant that my friend from Taiwan told us about. We have been there a few times already and love how the waitresses come around with carts of dim-sum, filled buns, or noodles and you just point to what you want (unless you speak Mandarin and can actually tell them what you want). It's great because most of the people eating there are Asian. We can't wait to take Pin-Hao there when he comes home.

Good News and Not So Good News

We have been anticipating an email from Tien letting us know when our Hearing date would be. She finally emailed today and said that our court hearing is for December 23rd. I'll have to say that I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't sooner. She said that The birthmother will express her adoption decision to the judge at this hearing. At that point it will take about 1-3 months for the judge to issue a "First Ruling". This means that any time up to the first ruling, the birthmother may change her mind.

She also informed us that Pin-Hao has been recently diagnosed with a condition called G-6-P-D. I have only done a bit of research on it at this point, but it looks like it is a hereditary disease in which there are abnormally low levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. These G6PD protect red blood cells and without them Hemolytic anemia can occur. Children with this may have anemic like symptoms if they consume fava (or broad) beans. They also have to avoid certain antibiotics and pain killers.

Immigration Approval!!!

We finally received a notice in the mail today that we were cleared by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to adopt internationally. Brian had his fingerprints done twice for them, and neither were readable, so we had to get more documentation in order to obtain clearance. Fortunately, once we sent in the necessary paperwork, we received our approval within the week. Now we are just waiting to find out when our first Hearing will take place in Taiwan.

Kate & Stephen Enjoy the Fall Colors

Pin-Hao's 1st Update!

I was so excited to find an email with Pin-Hao's first update today!  It's so funny because when I think of him, I always imagine him in the little Mickey Mouse outfit he was wearing in his first pictures.  Well, sure enough, he was wearing them in the new pictures as well.  I think I am going to have to beg his foster mom to let us take the outfit home when we go to Taiwan.

Speaking of his foster mom, I found out from a fellow Journeys of the Heart mom, whose daughter is now home, that her little girl most likely had the same foster mom when she was being taken care of in Taiwan.  She was able to tell by the background of Pin-Hao's pictures.  The foster mom's name is Mrs. Chiu.  She has three children of her own, 2 boys and 1 girl who are all 10 years old and up.  It sounds like many other JOH babies have been taken care of by her.  I believe there is also at least one more child with her right now, as evidenced by the baby crying in the background as well as all of the packages of diapers behind Pin-Hao in his video (surely they aren't all for him!) 

Pin-Hao's 1st Care Package!

We received an email from Tien yesterday that our dossier has been sent to Taiwan!  It should take 3-4 days to get there, and then after it is reviewed by "Program III," it will be submitted to the District Court.  At that time it can take 1-3 months for the first court hearing.  This will be followed in another 1-3 months by the "First Ruling", and then 4-6 weeks after that should be the "Final Ruling".  

We were also given the go ahead to send our first care package to Pin-Hao!  We have been collecting things to send him for the last few weeks since we received our referral call.  Of course, three weeks worth of collecting has ended up with a box weighing much more then the recommended 4lbs.!  

 

Our paperwork finally came from Taiwan and was delivered to us by Fed Ex on Friday morning Oct. 3rd.  We spent the day driving around getting a notary's signature and taking the signed paperwork up to the JOH office in Shoreline.  Tien was there and we were able to get a picture with her before we left.  She will now send everything to the Secretary of State, and then to TECO.  Once they come back to her, which should take about a week, she will be able to send our dossier to Taiwan.  This will start the process of court hearings and the 4-7 month countdown.